Remembering Jim Powers — and his mom, my third grade teacher

March 26th, 2009 at 12:19am Chuck Sweeny

I’m late in commenting on Col. (Ret.) Jim Powers’ life, but I want to add my thoughts to those of many of you who knew him.

I knew him from the days when he had just  retired from City Hall, where he developed an effective anti-graffiti program that was copied by other cities.

In retirement, Jim helped found the Greater Rockord Transportation Committee to promote rail, air and road projects and especially to jump start the airport out of several years of lethargy at the hands of a director who did not want to have passenger service and worked to make sure it went away, which in 2001 it did. It wasn’t all that director’s fault, he was just following orders of city and state legislative leaders who wanted to downplay our airport, and succeeded!

Anyway, Jim helped lead the effort that brought about a great transformation of the airport into a hub of economic activity for northern Illinois, an airport now called Chicago Rockford International Airport.

Jim also was active in neighborhood improvement projects in the north side. And, he was an active e-mailer, sending me  comments on columns I wrote in the paper and e-mailing pertinent info on transport and political issues.  Mostly his comments were in agreement with what I’d written, but sometimes Jim thought I was dead wrong and was not afraid to say so! I appreciated everything he sent me,  and I responded to every one of his e-mails.

That’s how much I respected his knowledge and wisdom.

There’s another Powers connection: Jim’s mother, Mrs. Harold Powers, was my third grade teacher at St. Patrick’s School. She was a stern but thoroughly competent and challenging teacher, and sometimes I got into trouble in her class because I was as smart alecky then as I am today. As I look back on my school days all these years later, I realize that Mrs. Powers was perhaps the best teacher I ever had. Every once in awhile I’d hear from her in my adult years, and she’d tell me she was proud of what I’d accomplished. I appreciated that immensely.

Godspeed, Col. Jim! I’m sure you founded a block club in Heaven by now.

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