AirFest 2008 a success, albeit a little soggy

Add comment June 9th, 2008

Air Fest 2008 was a great show as usual — and as usual they had to get it in between cloudbursts!

The RFD show is rapidly becoming one of the best in the country, and better than Chicago’s because at their show, the planes take off and land far away, so there’s no ground displays, no autograph sessions with the pilots, as there were Sunday at RFD.

I’m a Thunderbirds fan, so it was a real treat to seem the Air Force team do their “high show” when a window opened in the clouds at 3 pm Sunday. Saturday’s show was the low one, and it had to be ended early because of impending storms.

Last year’s featured attraction was the Navy’s Blue Angels, so my hunch is that they’ll be back in 2009. After that, RFD might be ready for something new: I suggested to Air Marshall Bob O’Brien that he try to secure the Royal Air Force Red Arrows for 2010. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds also put on a good show; they were at RFD in the 1980s.

One request: Can we please, please, please dispense with the jet-powered outhouse? That act’s getting really old.

The Budweiser Clydesdales were impressive, but what do you do for a non-aviation encore? The Johnsonville  tanker truck/grill? It’s worth considering.

Saturday’s induction of area Air Force recruits by the Thunderbirds was impressive.

At midnight, Keith Creek is running fast — within its banks

Add comment June 9th, 2008

Keith Creek update: It’s 12:05 a.m. Monday and I’ve just returned from checking the Keith Creek south channel — the one that flooded in 2006 and again in 2007. Here’s how it looked just before midnight:

* The creek was rolling swiftly past the Charles Street Logli’s parking lot, which flooded in 06 and 07. Water level was, in my estimation, about 2.5 feet below the lot, so the creek’s banks were containing the water.

* Cleaning out the creek channel in Churchill Park last year seems to have worked. The creek was well within its banks there. The only flooding I saw was on 7th Avenue, but it wasn’t because of teh creek. Rather, clogged drainage grates couldn’t handle the water. However, I was able to drive through the water.

* Water was beginning to fill the basin upstream of the “Alpine Dam” in Aldeen Park.

* There was quite a bit of debris in the water, including fishing bobbers, soft drink containers, twigs, grass clippings.

* Several areas on 11th Street had standing water, again because of clogged drainage grates. I suggest the city of Rockford launch a project to clean out those storm sewer grates.