Oct. 12, another section of the Rock River trail was opened in Dixon in front of Leonard Crunelle’s 1930 statue of 23-year-old Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hawk Indian War of 1832 — the only known statue of Lincoln in uniform and beardless. From left, Dixon Mayor Jim Burke, RRTI Coordinator Greg Farnham, cutting the ribbon, IDNR Grand Illinois Trail Coordinator & Acting Region 1 Landscape Architect George Bellovics, IDNR Greenways and Trails Outreach Coordinator Amy Madigan, with RRTI Council Member and Artist Debbie Thompson, RRTI Founder Frank Schier, and Dixon Park District Executive Director Debra Carey. Thompson has paddled her canoe in the foreground more than 1,000 miles. (Photo by Josh Albrecht)

Exemplifying great public service and safety, a 4-by-8 sign giving Rockford Park District phone numbers for transport around the Fordham Dam was installed last week at the Prairie Street Brewhouse and Riverview Ice House boat launch. Portaging the dam is dangerous because of construction staging for the Morgan Street bridge project. (Photo by Mike Werckle)

(Photo by Mike Werckle)