Editor’s Note
Back in the old days — that’s less than a decade and before there were such things as blogs and interactive conversations with readers — editors used to respond to their newspaper readers with an “editor’s note.” Sometimes it clarified a point made in a letter to the editor. Sometimes it offered a correction. Sometimes it was just a simple explanation. An editor’s note was a handful of sentences; maybe a four or five paragraphs. It was always a personal link between the editor and the reader. Only difference between it and today’s blog is the immediacy and the platform. Welcome to Editor’s Note.

Peoria’s got two things Rockford doesn’t

June 23rd, 2009 at 05:54pm Linda Grist Cunningham

I am one of those Rockfordians who believes the world ends at I-80, and that anything south of there is, well, the boondocks. State capital notwithstanding, it gets kinda sparse once you’re really downstate.

So, when I have to go to Champaign, Peoria or Springfield I tend to whine and wish I didn’t have to. All that to say, I had to go to Peoria last week for a meeting. Two and a half hours of gorgeous skies and boring interstate. I’ll spare you the travelogue and get to the point:

Peoria has two things Rockford does not have: (1) bluffs; and (2) Ray LaHood.

God gave Peoria those soaring bluffs above the Rock River, which encouraged the early settlers to build close to the river rather than high on the bluffs. Easier, you know. And, that means one enters Peoria from the top, looking down the river and down on the city. One could wreck the car over that hard-to-beat view on a beautiful day. It makes one think kindly upon Peoria.

God did not favor Rockford with bluffs. The best we offer is a peak from above if one stops at the top of the North Second Street-Auburn Street-Spring Creek Road interchange and admires Symbol and the Rock River from there. There’s not an entrance to Rockford that makes one think kindly upon us.

Then, Peoria has Ray LaHood and we don’t and LaHood brought home the state road cash to Peoria. I swear, I went looking for potholes, filled or otherwise. If there are potholes and chunked up, dirty, dreary roads in Peoria, they sure as heck are not on the main drags and their number twos.  No teeth-rattling downtown roads and entrances for Peoria. They must not patch holes and cracks in Peoria; I think they must repave the entire street.

Bluffs and LaHood. We are lesser without either. I don’t want to live in Peoria. I hate hearing others say “Peoria is so better than Rockford.”

But, I have to tell you, if we Rockfordians don’t create stunning, welcoming, jaw-dropping entrances to the city, and if we don’t fix the main drags and their number twos, we can say farewell to any hopes of being Illinois’ second city again.

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized

4 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Ben  |  June 23rd, 2009 at 11:29 pm

    God gave Peoria those soaring bluffs above the Rock River,

    Hate to say it, but one thing Rockford has that Peoria doesn’t is the Rock River. The soaring bluffs are above the Illinois River.

    I don’t think people will come here just because we have beautiful entrances to the city - although I will admit the entrances could be better. Probably they are on a par with those to most cities this size.

    What people really need is a reason to come here.

  • 2. the dude abides  |  June 24th, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Highest point? You can clearly see the top of the Faust from Alpine at State, which I’m sure used to be a beautiful sight, but that’s now become our city’s monument to the elderly and invalid.

    So you’re half right — there’s not really much Rockford to be proud of, and so our citizens have become more proud of the entrances
    (”downtown is at state and mulford”) instead of the city.

  • 3. Linda Grist Cunningham  |  June 24th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    @ Ben… Yeah, about the Illinois River. You’re right. I took a bit geographic license since the Rock is so close.

    @ dude… Just making clear that I wasn’t talking about the highest point, I was talking about being able to be atop those bluffs and looking down on and around on the panorama of the river….

  • 4. the dude abides  |  June 25th, 2009 at 10:40 am

    I know. I went to school in Peoria. I’ve done the drive a couple-three times.

    I just think the E State —> Downtown entrance has a (potentially) beautiful view.

Leave a Comment

Required

Required, hidden

Security Code:

Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>

Trackback this post  |  Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed