Archive for June, 2008
June 30th, 2008
The kickboxing fights at the new All Starz Sports Complex in Loves Park on Saturday night were very good.
But the too few mixed martial arts fights were much more interesting, including one that heavyweight Shayne Adams of Rockford is challenging.
The owners of the complex promise more MMA fights within several weeks. Hurray.
And the entertainment featured hip-hoppers from Forest Hills Dance Academy in Loves Park, choreographed by Robert Lewis of Rockford, who with the Xtreme Dance Force crew he dances with is competing on Randy Jackson’s America’s Best Dance Crew on MTV.
June 26th, 2008
I relived the petrifying fear of being shot at when reading about the two random shootings of motorcycle riders off Alpine Road Tuesday.
Twice in my life, I’ve been shot at, not intentionally. 
The first time, I was about 10 years old. My much older brother took my younger brother and I hunting pheasants in a field in Hebron. He told us to stay right by his side as we walked through corn rows. I got slightly ahead of my older brother, scared up a bird and he shot at the pheasant too close to my head for me to ever go hunting again. Whew!
The other time was in Harvard about 10 years ago. I was walking/half-jogging on a country road, and two bullets whizzed in front of me a few seconds apart. There was nothing but an open field where the shots came from. But there were houses maybe a fourth-mile away. I was terrified and jogged home a bit faster than usual, got in my van and drove to the houses where I thought the shots might have come from. Folks at the first house said they weren’t shooting, but the guy in the house just to the east had a target on bales of hay in his backyard. I laid into him about his bullets scaring me, and he said he didn’t realize how far they’d travel and that he’d stop it. I should have reported him to the McHenry County police.
Share your petrifying moments, even if they don’t involve guns.
June 25th, 2008
Join me in listing some “did-you-ever-notice” notes about Rockford and the area.
Did you ever notice:
That there seem to be more Walgreens stores than McDonald’s?
That On the Waterfront doesn’t release its attendance figures for months and months after the festival?
That if you lunch at Octane, you’ll likely see a number of local heavy-hitters on any given day, including Chuck Prorok, Rob Funderburg, Dan Cain. 
That lots of bricks on the walkway on the Main Street ‘mall’ in downtown Rockford are chipped and it looks terrible?
That Altamore’s restaurant is open to the public only on Thursdays?
That the deli line at Valli Produce and the check-out lines at Woodman’s on Saturday mornings are pretty darn long?
That …. well, you get the idea. Share some of your “did-you-ever-notice” notes.
June 24th, 2008
Tell why you’re looking forward to Stars & Guitars RibFest and you could win James Otto’s CD, “Sunset Man.”
I’ll pick the post I like best by noon Thursday and will announce the winner here then.
June 23rd, 2008
Comedian George Carlin, who died Sunday, 
appeared in Rockford eight times, according to my count from Register Star archives: seven at the Coronado and once at the MetroCentre.
Did you see him in Rockford? Tell here what you thought of him and his humor, even if you didn’t see him here.
June 20th, 2008
Wow! To be able to make your claim to fame as being the woman from Rockford who won $1,000 by creating a wedding dress of toilet paper.
One of my odd claims is one that has gone unrecognized, and I’m sure I hold the title to it, at least in Hebron, where I grew up: When I was 15 years old, I went barefoot for two weeks, even though I had a part-time job cleaning hotel rooms at the time.
Want to share some of your claims to odd fame?
June 19th, 2008
Can you help Jim, a reader who e-mailed me?
He’d like an answer to this question: What was the name of the ice cream shop/restaurant that was on Alpine Road in the late 1970’s? It was across from the mall and very popular. It had an old-time/barber shop quartet theme to it. I think it had red and white stripes.
Â
Thank you
-Jim
June 18th, 2008
The Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Culture & Special Events is hosting a Plan for Success Event Resource & Permit Fair from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, at City Hall, 425 E. State St., Rockford.
There are oodles of events every weekend around here.
Wondering what kind of problems you’ve run into with events you’ve planned, whether they be related to getting city permits or anything else.
June 17th, 2008
Trying to save money in this tough economy? Try not changing your oil as often.
I’ve gone to getting a 7,000-mile oil change, but it costs a little more than the 3,000-mile one.
How bout you? 
June 16th, 2008
Barack Obama and Bill Cosby recently have been calling on black men and families to step up their parenting.
Glad that such high-profile men are doing so. It can only help, not hurt.
Don’t ya think?
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