A first for the Haas family
Kevin and I are honored to emcee Brooke Road United Methodist Church’s 100th anniversary celebration beginning at 11:30 a.m. May 16 at the Tebala Event Center. Kevin and I worked together for almost 20 years at the Rockford Register Star. He was still there when I retired in 2020, but moved on to be the […]
Key takeaways from the sales tax forum
It was cold. It was rainy. It was about taxes. That sums up what was a disappointing attendance for Thursday’s sales tax forum at the Nordlof Center hosted by Transform Rockford. There were about 22-30 people there and 776 people tried to view it on Facebook live at one point or another. More on that […]
Transform Rockford to host sales tax forum April 4
Sales taxes will be the focus of a forum hosted by Transform Rockford at 5:30 p.m. April 4 at the Nordlof Center. Admission is free. Transform Rockford understands taxing bodies need money to pay for the things that residents want and need. However, how can the general public see how its money is being spent […]
Plenty of bright students at RPS
Thank you to Tina Lamb, College & Career Academy coach, for inviting me to participate in mock interviews Wednesday with Jefferson High School students. It was a rewarding experience. I met eight students and I enjoyed my conversations with all of them. The purpose of the session was to prepare students for real-world interviews. “This […]
Rockford has good stuff – old and new – believe it
Jeff Gauger was the Rockford Register Star’s managing editor from 2005-2007. He worked at the Omaha World Herald before he came here. He was impressed by Rockford and when it came to developing the Editorial Agenda for 2007 he was passionate about including this item: We’ve got good stuff — believe it. Even though he […]
Are we there yet?
When Transform Rockford began it’s quest for community improvement the stated goal was top 25 by 2025. That was a great slogan, but community improvement is a continuing process. What good is it to be top 25 by 2025 if in 2026 you’re No. 300? There are many ways to measure a community’s success. In […]
Positive news about Rockford
A new library is just one of the positive developments in Rockford.
Transform Rockford on the radio, plus other appearances
Thank you Steve Summers for including me in the next episode of “This Week in the Stateline.” If you are unfamiliar with the program, “each week Steve Summers sits down and chats with those living, working, and breathing life into the Stateline. From community leaders, politicians, veterans, and more! Tune in Sunday Morning at 6am […]
Thank you Andy, Marta and WIFR
I appeared on The Morning Blend with Andy Gannon and Marta Berglund on Jan. 10 to talk about Transform Rockford after six months of its reboot. I appreciated the opportunity to talk about the city I love and the progress that is being made. There’s a long way to go, obviously, but there are a […]
Small club, big impact
The agencies that benefit from grants awarded by the Try-Beta Club serve 10s of thousands of people in the Rockford region. That was what Phil Eaton, who retired as Rosecrance’s president/CEO in 2020, told me Nov. 16 after the club’s grant distribution celebration. Eaton also is a member of Try-Beta. Try-Beta (Benevolence, Business, and Brotherhood) […]
