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 lot of good things going on and there’s a lot of good work being done to tackle big issues like education, crime, poverty and food insecurity to name just four.
There’s too much negativity. Why would anyone root against their hometown? You cheer for your team – win or lose. You acknowledge its strengths and weaknesses, but never waver in the belief that a winning season is just around the corner.
Rockford has stacked up some impressive wins: Stellantis, Colman Yards, a more robust Rockford Promise, a thriving “opening act” casino with a permanent facility opening later this year. The mayor said it well in an op/ed last month.
I told Andy that we will not shy away from nor ignore the community’s challenges, but we need to celebrate the good things and good people that we have here.
