Paul Thorn

Staff Report

Southern raconteur Paul Thorn will perform at Sullivan Center, 118 N. Main St., at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17.

Fresh off a boatload of year-end best-of accolades for his latest release, Pimps & Preachers, Thorn is in the midst of a fall tour that will take him from theaters to clubs throughout the United States.

His latest album, which gave him his first Billboard Top 100 debut and remained in the top five on the Americana Radio Airplay Chart for 10 weeks, has been wowing critics. The Newark Star-Ledger said Thorn authors “succinct, epigrammatic verse that unsentimentally assays life’s common troubles,” and The Nation called the CD “an incredible find.”

Twangville.com named the record its No. 1 Reader’s Pick for Best Album of 2010, and TheAlternateRoute.com included the CD in the Top 20 of all five of its critics’ Best of 2010 lists. BluesRevue.com and the Memphis News Press, among others, also included the record in their “Best of 2010” lists.

For tickets and more information, call (815) 335-2915, or visit Paul Thorn’s website at http://www.paulthorn.com.

From the Nov. 16-22, 2011, issue

Police have still not found cause to make an arrest in a month-long investigation into allegations that a former Rockford Public Schools employee sent inappropriate text messages to a male student.

The case stems from a complaint last month that a District 205 student received inappropriate text messages from the former employee.

No details about the case are known, however, police confirmed the allegations early last month.

As for whether an arrest will be made, detectives are still hesitant to say a crime was committed.

“At this stage, there is no indication that any illegal activity occurred,” Deputy Police Chief Greg Lindmark said Friday, June 17.

The case was first made public in a May 9 WTVO Channel 17/FOX 39 report that alleged “questionable behavior that may involve texting” by the former employee was being looked into by police. The Rock River Times also verified the investigation.

Lindmark said the case remains open but did not comment on details.

“Right now, nothing has come of it,” Lindmark said.

Dads will enjoy free admission to Rockford Art Museum (RAM) this Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19.

RAM is inside Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St. Sunday hours are noon-5 p.m.

RAM’s current exhibition is Full Deck: A Short History of Skate Art. The exhibition includes more than 300 skate decks borrowed from artists, skaters and companies across the United States. It is designed as an anthology of skate art from the 1960s to today.

Visit www.rockfordartmuseum.org or call (815) 968-2787 for details.

Nearly 800,000 strokes occur annually in the United States. Patients coming to the Emergency Department at SwedishAmerican and SwedishAmerican Medical Center/Belvidere will now have immediate access to world-class stroke neurologists at the UW Comprehensive Stroke Center in Madison, Wis.

Through its affiliation with UW Health, SwedishAmerican is now part of the University of Wisconsin Telestroke Network, which offers quick assessment and response to the medical emergency of stroke. Time is of the essence with stroke, because brain cells are lost at the rate of 1.9 million neurons per minute when a stroke cuts off blood flow. The clot-busting drug tPA can only be administered within four-and-a-half hours of the stroke’s onset.

“We are pleased to be a part of UW’s Telestroke Network,” said Dr. Bill Gorski, president and CEO for SwedishAmerican. “Our patients expect not only compassionate care but leading-edge technology to expand the resources available for treatment. Telestroke is just one more way we are growing to serve our community.”

Through a video system, Telestroke enables a UW stroke neurologist to directly interview patients and family members when a stroke is suspected. Computed Tomography (CT) scans are also viewable, and a treatment plan recommendation is directly communicated to emergency room physicians and nurses so care can begin immediately. All in the room can see and hear the stroke neurologist during the Telestroke process.

By providing immediate assistance to suspected stroke patients, emergency room personnel are supported in a situation when time is critical. This extra level of stroke-specific knowledge also enhances patient safety and facilitates treatments that lead to better outcomes.

In most cases, Telestroke will allow patients to stay at SwedishAmerican. But in more complicated cases, the patient may need to be transferred to Madison for specialized treatment. This is a benefit because the neurologist will have already met and evaluated the patient. At UW Hospital, patients who need further treatment will have access to neurosurgeons and interventional neuroradiologists who specialize in less invasive surgery in which catheters are threaded into the brain to remove blood clots. The stroke team at UW Hospital and Clinics is on call 24 hours a day and offers stroke neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists and neuroanesthesiologists.

According to Donna Katen-Bahensky, president and CEO of University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics: “Telestroke is an excellent example of our growing affiliation with SwedishAmerican Health System, and we are excited to add complementary services to the excellent care they provide. We share a common vision of offering the best and latest treatment options.”

SwedishAmerican is ranked among the top 10 percent in the nation for treatment of stroke by HealthGrades, the leading independent health care ratings organization. In addition, both UW Health and SwedishAmerican have been awarded Primary Stroke designation by The Joint Commission, meeting the highest standards in quality and safety for recognizing and treating strokes.

From the May 25-31, 2011 issue

Just a week after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Comprehensive Community Solutions (CCS), the nonprofit parent of YouthBuild Rockford, was awarded a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The grant is part of a $75.8 million pool awarded to 76 YouthBuild chapters in 36 states.

“We are delighted to receive the funding we need to continue helping low-income youth succeed,” said Kerry Knodle, Executive Director of CCS. “At the same time, it’s a very troubling day, knowing that so many other excellent YouthBuild programs across the country may be forced to close their doors as a result of federal funding cutbacks.”

Because of budget constraints, YouthBuild is forced to turn away more than 14,000 of its annual 22,000 applicants across the country, Knodle said.

Last Wednesday, May 11, CCS filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after the Carpenters’ Union Local 792 filed an assets discovery citation against the agency, temporarily freezing its assets. The union filed the citation in an attempt to collect a $48,000 judgment it won in a 2010 labor dispute. The agency  was also ordered to pay the Illinois Department of Labor $35,000 in that case.

The new grant will allow YouthBuild Rockford to continue its work for at least the next two years.

YouthBuild Rockford is a highly regarded program providing low-income young people–ages 16 to 28– opportunities to become productive, self-supporting adults. It offers construction training while students build a single-family home, peer counseling, job placement and other vocational preparation.

In the last 15 years, the Rockford chapter has enrolled more than 850 students, many of whom have gone onto college, secured sustainable employment, and moved into community leadership positions.

In 273 urban and rural communities, YouthBuild engages 8,000 students each year. Since 1994, 100,000 team members have built more than 20,000 affordable homes.

Once overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing, YouthBuild was transferred by Congress to the U.S. Department of Labor in 2006.

More information about YouthBuild Rockford is at youthbuildrockford.org.

According to Chicago-based accounting firm Baker Tilly, the budget shortfall of $50 million projected by the Rockford Public School District is “in the ballpark.”

The firm made the announcement Monday, Feb. 28, at a special meeting of the quickly formed Budget Review Consultant Selection Committee.

For Rockford attorney Dan McGrail, some of Baker Tilly’s findings raise a red flag.

Although Baker Tilly did not find that District 205 Chief Financial Officer Cedric Lewis failed to do his job, it did note that the district could receive an estimated $22 million in fiscal 2012.

John Rossi, an accountant with Baker Tilly, noted that Lewis projected the district would receive estimated $66 million in general state aid next year. However, according to Rossi, that entitlement could be more in the neighborhood of $78 million.

The firm said corporate property tax revenues could result in a cash flow of $7.5 million.

In addressing the district’s benefit expenditures for next year, Baker Tilly estimated the administration could save between $3 million and about $4.8 million.

That, McGrail says, is a major oversight.

Speaking to the Board of Education and a packed Ellis Arts Academy Auditorium Tuesday, March 1, McGrail said if Baker Tilly could find $22 million on short notice, it could uncover more if other areas of the budget were reviewed.

“If we found $22 million in one week,” McGrail said, “I think the community deserves to look at the whole picture.”

Cedric Lewis also addressed the board Tuesday.

Lewis, standing by his projections, did not deny that District 205 may receive additional revenue from the state next year. The chance of that happening, however, is slim.

“The governor’s budget is likely not to pass,” Lewis said. “How can they afford to give us more money when they are not giving us the money we are due right now?”

Noel Hammatt

By Jim Hagerty
Staff Writer

A large crowd at the Unitarian Universalist Church listened to a former president of the Louisiana School Boards Association challenge the Rockford community to stand up for children at Monday’s Watchdog for Ethics in Education (WEE) “Rally to Save our Public Schools.”

Noel Hammatt offered a number of possible solutions to help solve the school district’s problems. Without going into detail about the district’s reported $50 million budget deficit or Superintendent Dr. LaVonne Sheffield’s $45 million proposed cuts, Hammatt reminded the audience that there’s power in numbers.

“Collectively, you can come up with better solutions than any single group in this town,” Hammatt said, referring to the necessity of open communication between public school stakeholders and the administration.

Hammatt, who served as vice president of the E. Baton Rouge Parish School Board when Sheffield was running the Recovery School District, is aware of the riffs surrounding District 205.

He’s also aware that WEE members, and others, may not be ready for the Rockford Board of Education to approve the superintendent’s cost-cutting plan which includes closing and consolidating eight schools and cutting more than 250 jobs next year.

A vote to approve those cuts could come tomorrow night as the school board meets at 7 p.m.

Hammatt said if citizens have questions, most notably with what now has been reported as a questionable budget report for fiscal 2012, they should ask for clarity before a vote is taken. The only way to get that clarity, Hammatt said, is for people to attend Tuesday’s meeting and demand answers.

“When we make decisions we ought not to be going, ‘Oh well, what’s 30 million here or there?’ We ought to know what we’re dealing with.”

The school board is scheduled to vote on budget cuts tomorrow, however, a financial review of certain categories associated with the $50 million deficit may delay the motion by at least a week.

Three areas of next year’s budget will be examined at the request of the teachers union, which claims the actual shortfall is more along the lines of $15 million.

Board members mentioned the possibility of moving tomorrow’s meeting to a larger venue, as a large crowd is expected. However, as of this report, the meeting is still slated to be held at the Administration Building, 201 S. Madison St., downtown.

The meeting is open to the public.

Midwesterners are especially hardy souls. We can find the beauty of winter even in the midst of a major snowstorm, can’t we? Here’s a poem celebrating snow in the city.

Listen to the Snow

The summer sedum slump, bedraggled by a bedlam of new snow,

snow so thick it bends the large lilacs and topples prairie grass.

At last, the city is perfectly quiet, its recent crime wave on hold,

snow a better antidote to violence than all the men with guns.

A blizzard brings out the best in neighbors. This minute Anthony,

snow still falling gently on his blue parka, shovels the driveway

of our oldest resident, here on our quaint street where maples hold snow on their bare limbs. Everything is closed. We settle in,

reconfiguring our day to meet the snow’s agenda. Today

snow is the Boss of Everything: school, traffic, appointments,

meetings, choirs, trysts, operations, helicopters, vacations obey

snow’s sweet command: Stop everything you are doing. Be still.

Adjust your entire day, so says the snow. Finish that book,

snow says. Be kind to your neighbors and pets. Fill the bird feeder.

Clear your desk. Call your mother. Write this poem. Learn to wait,

snow says. Listen to the glorious complete quiet of this day.

Tomorrow, when the city has done its best to rid the pestilence of

snow, when we’ve had enough of snowmen and hot chocolate,

tomorrow, when things get back to normal, whatever that may be,

snow’s sweet quiet will linger for a moment, then melt into

the day’s business as usual. But in your bones you know

snow transforms like a powerful meditation, a great reminder

that there’s something to be said for that slow silence

snow bestows on anyone who cares to listen to the snow.

Christine Swanberg is a local author and poet.

From the Jan. 5-11, 2011

By Jim Hagerty

Area gas prices are expected to remain around $3 per gallon as the holiday weekend approaches, according to American Automobile Association (AAA) reps and reports from Rockfordgasprices.com.

According to area stats, pump prices averaged $3.05 per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the last 72 hours, reflecting a 3-cent increase over last week.

As of press time, the national per-gallon regular unleaded tally was at $2.97.

Spokesmen at AAA said drivers in most markets are paying significantly more compared to last year’s Christmastime average of approximately $2.50.

With crude oil hovering around $90 per barrel for the first time in two years, gas prices are following, in spite of the winter trends that usually result in cheaper fuel.

Gasoline shortages have been reported on the East Coast and other U.S. markets, which experts say is linked to refinery shutdowns.

Meanwhile, the AAA says area prices will likely hold through Sunday, Dec. 26. Where they go from there will be known as crude oil prices stabilize.

“It’s hard to say where prices are going to go,” Beth Mosher of AAA said.  “In the near term, people should expect prices to remain about where they are.”

Stats continue to show Illinois among states with the most expensive gasoline. Some of  the cheapest are Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

The Rockford Public School District 205 Education Committee voted to keep high school honors courses in next year’s curriculum Monday, Dec. 13, as dozens of parents, students and teachers gathered at district headquarters.

Championing what District 205 Superintendent Dr. LaVonne M. Sheffield addressed in her State of the Schools speech last week, the Education Committee recommended that courses must contain 29 or 30 students to be offered.

Education Committee Chairman Bob Evans said classes with only a handful of students will not be cost-effective.

“We can’t afford to offer classes with five or 10 or 15 students, so it (would) have to have enough students to justify it budgetarily,” Evans said. “That’s not my preference, but that’s essential. ”

Evans said the board is looking for ways to compromise by keeping  honors courses in place while remaining accountable to the district’s budgetary responsibilities.

According to projections, the district will face a $50 million deficit going into the 2011-2012 school year.

Sheffield said last week that  honors courses are not as rigorous as they should be.

Curriculum Director Tracy Stevenson-Olson noted that although honors course materials differ from those in general education classes, the courses are generally the same.

Evans and Education Committee member Jude Makulec said eliminating classes because they aren’t rigorous enough isn’t warranted.

“Let’s work with that,” Evans said. “Let’s build that difference rather than say ‘Because it’s not good enough, let’s destroy it.’  Let’s build on it and enhance it. There has to be honors courses.”

Enrollment numbers, according to the committee, showed that most honors classes contain between 20 and 30 students.  Others are smaller.

The Education Committee’s recommendation will be brought to the school board for a vote at tonight’s open meeting.

The Rockford Board of Education will meet tonight at 7 p.m., at the District 205 Administration Building, 201 S. Madison St.

Dylan Dent of Roscoe, Ill., holds the No. 1 world ranking out of 1,840 participants in the 9- and 10-year-old Atom Boys division of the RapidShot Hockey Training System.

The RapidShot system is located at Rockford Park District’s Jr. IceHogs Off-Ice Hockey Training Facility at 312 N. Madison St., Rockford, near Riverview Ice House.

Dylan attends Kinnikinnick School and is the son of Rockford IceHogs Assistant Coach Ted Dent. Dylan plays defense on the Rockford Hockey Club Peewee AA team, coached by Don Walker, and has taken more than 10,000 shots on the RapidShot since it was installed at the training facility.

The renovated off-ice training facility was renovated by the Park District and opened in August 2009 in the former Ballard building, and features the state-of-the-art RapidShot Hockey Training System, a patented interactive computer system that helps improve hockey shooting by requiring the shooter to receive real puck passes and shoot over a series of 16 shots. Players can upload their results to the RapidShot website at any time to view their standings and scores.

The Park District’s youth hockey program, the Jr. IceHogs, has been operating a summer off-ice hockey program for six years. The off-ice facility helps advance players’ skill development and allows for expanded year-round programming. The facility also features workout equipment including weights, treadmills and elliptical machines donated by several local businesses and organizations, an exercise zone, shooting and passing lanes, and parent waiting area with free Wi-Fi.

For more information about RapidShot, visit rapidshot.com. For more information about the Rockford Park District’s off-ice training facility and indoor hockey lessons, clinics and leagues for youth and adults, contact Scott Burfoot at (815) 969-4071 or the Jr. IceHogs Training Facility at (815) 962-2412. Information about accessibility, as well as hockey programs and adapted equipment for players with disabilities, is available on the Park District’s website, rockfordparkdistrict.org, or from Customer Service at (815) 987-8800.

From the Dec. 8-14, 2010 issue

The Element has announced another installment of First Fridays from 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday, Nov. 5. The following venues will be participating in the event:

→ Sullivan Theater—Rockford Sketch Comedy presents “Rockford: Strip mall after magnificent strip mall,” a show written and performed by Second City alums Jeff Schroeder and Patrick Jeter. Buy tickets for $8 in advance at Kryptonite or $10 the night of show. Doors open at 8 p.m. and show starts at 8:30 p.m.

→ Kryptonite Bar—EVAP Group Artist Show: 5-9 p.m. Grammy nominee Matthew Santos with special guest David Hayes will perform live on stage. Visit kryptonitebar.com for more information.

→ Prairie Street Gallery—Group Artist Show: “3 Degrees of Separation.” Twenty-five artists tied by the thin thread of a social network unite to exhibit art. 5-9 p.m. Visit prairiestreetgallery.wordpress.com for more information about the show.

→ Kortman Gallery—Matthew Johansson: “Suburban Still Life.” Bar will be open. Dot sale includes 20-30 percent off selected items. 5-9 p.m. Visit jrkortman.com for details.

→ Tom Littrell Design—“DO IT!: Meet the artists, be an artist!” Tom Littrell Design will supply materials, and you create the artwork. 5-9 p.m. Visit tomlittrelldesign.com for more information.

→ Irish Rose Saloon—Mike Donze: A Rockford Original, his tunes and more. 9:30 p.m.-midnight. Visit irishrosesaloon.net.

→ Cholke dCapri Photography & Fine Art Gallery—“Converging Paths” art show: Live music by Paul and Karli Smith. 7:30-10 p.m. Visit cholkedcapri.com.

→ Katie’s Cup—Senior Kari McDonald’s bachelor of fine arts printmaking show from Northern Illinois University titled “A Calm Within.” 5-8:30 p.m. Visit katiescup.com.

→ Wired Café—First Fridays Special: Buy one drink, get the second (equal or lesser value) half off. Coffees and desserts until 8 p.m. (kitchen closes at 6 p.m.). Art by Maggie Mae Douglas will be featured. Visit wiredcaferockford.com for details.

→ Swank Boutique & Gallery—Group Artist Show: “Up in Odds,” 5-9 p.m.

→ Scratch Pedicure Parlour & Plush Gift Gallery—First Fridays Special: 10 percent off any service booked during First Fridays and 15 percent off one item in Plush Gift Gallery. Open until 9 p.m.

→ Mary’s Place—Kelly Steward Band: Solo no more, Kelly put a band together. Head down to Mary’s and hear the new sound. 9:30 p.m. Visit marysplacebar.net.

For more information, a schedule or links to these venues, visit firstfridaysrockford.com.

From the Nov. 3-9, 2010 issue

Photo by Jon McGinty

The Muslim Community Center of Greater Rockford hosted an Interfaith Iftar (open house), which included a program about the Muslim religion and a dinner of authentic ethnic dishes. They are constructing a new masjid (mosque) near the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Mulford Road.

From the Sept. 1-7, 2010 issue

All relationships experience problems at times. However, for some, drama never seems to subside. In fact, some aren’t comfortable if there isn’t a crisis they feel victimized by or persecuted for.

The need to be rescued has people clawing for support and ways out of desperate situations from which they see no escape. According to family counseling professionals, living a life of personal drama is often a familiar way to exist, and can be the downfall of marriages, friendships and other interpersonal relationships. Stress and excess drama can also lead to serious physical health problems.

Even as millions understand that drama is an endless trap, many cannot stay out of its fire. However, a simple explanation as to why scores are entrenched is found in what Dr. Stephen Karpman began calling the Drama Triangle in the 1960s.

The Drama Triangle consists of three distinct roles: Victim, Rescuer and Persecutor. Each is represented, Karpman claims, by a sense of self-righteousness.

The Victim is marked by one who feels wronged, often to the point of anger and helplessness. Victims feel as though they “can’t believe this is happening to them.” Out of desperation and, at times, rage, Victims search for Rescuers to save them.

The Rescuer will come to the aid of the Victim at all costs. He’s afraid to put his own needs first. He is most afraid of the Persecutor, so he caters to the Victim’s every need. The typical Rescuer knows no boundaries, and must pull Victims out of the sludge.

However, at times, when a Victim is unable to recruit a Rescuer, the Victim becomes the Persecutor and takes on the resentful attitude of, “After all I’ve done for you, you won’t rescue me?”

When the three points of the Drama Triangle are reached, the viciousness of its never-ending cycle is repeated, often throughout the lives of those who simply don’t know how to move outside of its paralyzing sides.

Boundaries

There is good news about the Drama Triangle: We don’t have to stay there. According to social worker and family counselor Julie Logan, engaging in conflict at the wrong time can result in a bout inside the triangle where resolutions are rare.

“We want problems solved now—immediate gratification,” Logan explained. “Sometimes it’s not always the right time to jump into a conflict. We talk about H.A.L.T.—Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. When we feel any of those emotions, it’s not the best time to deal with drama. When we feel these emotions, it’s difficult to communicate as an adult.”

The solution, Logan said, is to set up personal boundaries to prevent us from being dragged into the triangle. A boundary does not have to be complex, scientific or rehearsed. For example, a friend calls and is frantic about a repair on his car he cannot afford. He, the Victim, rants about how he needs a Rescuer. A simple boundary may be: “You are in a tight spot. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do for you financially.”

When boundaries are set, it is common for others to resist them. Because human beings do not traditionally like boundaries, more than one may be in order. The frantic, financially-strapped friend may reply with: “I’m your friend. I’d help you in a second! I wouldn’t turn my back on you!” Another boundary is called for: “When I hear you say those things to me, I feel manipulated and used. I need you to not speak to me like that. I am tired. Could we talk when I am more rested?”

More information about the Karpman Drama Triangle is at karpmandramatriangle.com. Julie Logan can be reached at (815) 316-2621.

From the Aug. 18-24, 2010 issue

Health care reform isn’t the first time progressive politicians have trumped our Constitution. Expansion of the federal government is their goal, believing our Constitution is a living and breathing document in need of modification. It’s the progressives’ job to convince citizens how entitled they are by enacting sweeping legislation emphasizing benefits, while ignoring exploding costs that get shifted to the next generation. To say that this is generational theft is an understatement, yet recipients of such largesse write letters of support for destructive programs putting us on the brink of financial disaster.

Progressives consistently reject common-sense solutions to make health care accessible. Private sector adjustments to the present system have been offered and put in the public domain. These adjustments will not bankrupt the entire system. Instead, they will make the system more efficient and open accessibility to more people while holding down costs. Our entrenched leaders in Congress reject anything short of a complete government health care takeover.

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and free prescriptions are leading this nation into bankruptcy. That hasn’t stopped progressives from enacting the biggest budget buster of all, universal health care.

Our government in Washington is broken, and we need to send our progressive congressman packing by electing Bobby Schilling to take his place.

Jeffrey H. Rice

Rock Island, Ill.

From the May 5-11, 2010 issue

The roof of Africa--the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet. Photo provided

By Sergeant Thomas Bauschke
Infantry Medic

At 6:10 a.m., Feb. 21, I summited Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet. It was a wonderful six-day climb in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.

Kilimanjaro is truly magical.

Mount Kilimanjaro is in the east African country of Tanzania, which requires every climber to hire guides and porters. These amazing and inspirational men and women carry all the gear and food required for the treks up the mountain. Daily pay is meager, so their hard work is focused on service for tips from us clients. My crew cooked me three hot meals most days, with so much food that I actually gained weight on the climb! My guide, David Charles Mshana, was patient, knowledgeable and fun. I marveled at the weight of the loads porters carried for me; often singing as they climbed and beating me to camp every single day.

I felt strong the whole six-day climb. On summit morning, I left camp an hour later than most groups at 1 a.m. and still beat nearly all other climbers to the summit. I later spoke with a 65-year-old man who made it…and a 40-year-old man who didn’t (his wife did). I had plenty of energy left at the top as well, and wanted to spend time exploring the summit, but a foot of new snow stopped me cold. Climbing on snow and ice in and around the wide summit crater without proper equipment is too risky. That much snow on the summit, however, is rare on Kilimanjaro, so it was a special day to climb. I would say that gives me a reason to go back someday and discover more about one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Rebmann Glacier, near the summit at 19,000 feet. Photo provided

My new favorite words: hakuna matata, which in Swahili means “no worries.” And pole, pole, which means “slow, slow.”

Support for this fund-raiser for The Wounded Warrior Project has been incredible. I’ve just received the last of my donations, so now I can report just how successful my fund-raiser has been. Donations have totaled $5,501; $4,053 in checks mailed to my American Legion contacts, $785 in checks mailed directly to the WWP, $570 donated via the WWP Web site and $93 in cash for which I wrote a check to the WWP.

In the wake of Haiti and the massive amounts donated to that worthy cause, I am humbled and grateful that Americans have not forgotten the men and women who sacrifice so very much every day to defend our great nation. Thank you all for your wonderful support!

Contact Thomas Bauschke via e-mail at thruhiker@aol.com.

From the April 14-20, 2010 issue

Lean and mean at 44 years of age...not bad for an old man. Photo provided

Looking down over distant Mawenzi Peak--my best sunrise so far! Photo provided

By Jim Hagerty

For the first time in more than five years, the band that launched the careers of Rockford natives, Miles and Daxx Nielsen, will reunite this weekend for a special holiday show.

Harmony Riley will play Saturday, Dec. 26, at Giovanni’s. The show will be in the ballroom.

Harmony Riley featured Miles Nielsen on guitar and vocals and Daxx Nielsen behind the drums. The group had a large local and regional following and toured with several bands, including dates with Cheap Trick. It recorded an 11-song CD in 2002 before disbanding.

Since parting from Harmony Riley, Miles Nielsen has launched an up-and-coming solo career fueled by the debut, Miles, and joined Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons as the band’s bass player. The Wandering Sons recently released their first full-length album, Death Won’t Send a Letter, on the RCA subsidiary, Black Seal.

Now living in Nashville, Tenn., Daxx Nielsen has worked as a drummer with a host of national acts such as Dick Dale, A Fine Frenzy, Billy Corgan and Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons.

Show starts at 9 p.m. Giovanni’s is at 610 N. Bell School Rd. The club can be reached at (815) 398-6411.

By Jim Hagerty

Downtown’s Big Cities Lounge will be closed Friday, Dec. 25, for Christmas. Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 26-27), the club will re-opens its doors for two shows.

Saturday, blues favorite, Brother K, featuring bassist Dave Kaye (Dave Hole, Bo Diddley, Barstool Bob, others) and guitar player, Dave Wood (Joe Moss Band, etc.). Wood also plays with the Barstool Bob band. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Paul Green’s School of Rock All-Stars, now in their 11th year on the road, will take the  Big Cities stage Sunday, Dec. 27.

The holiday tour consists of 17 shows in 14 cities and includes stops in New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Ohio and New York. Rockford is the only Illinois date on on the Paul Green School of Rock All-Stars tour.

The All-Stars consist of the best musicians and performers from the nationwide Paul Green School of Rock Music, which has locations in 18 states, including Washington D.C.

Show starts at 7 p.m. Cover charge information can be obtained by calling Big Cities at (815)965-6026.

Big Cities Lounge is at 905 E. State St., across from Uncle Nick’s. A complete music schedule can be found by clicking here.

Hi Frank,

How long are we going to let the 39-year-old Baldwin Energy Complex in southern Illinois get away with its pollution?

I’m writing because you can help put this question where decision-makers can’t ignore it. Click here to help fund our new media campaign.

In November, we’re releasing a hard-hitting study that will cast a harsh spotlight on the Baldwin Complex, including its wildly outsized contribution to global warming. Built before Gerald Ford became president, the plant hasn’t taken action to cut global warming pollution — ever. Why? It’s never had to, because for eight years the Bush EPA failed to hold polluters accountable.

Worse, if things don’t change, the plant will keep pumping more climate-changing pollution into our skies with no end in sight.

Which is why we want to put the Baldwin Complex’s pollution on the evening news and in the morning headlines — just as the EPA and the U.S. Senate are reaching a decision point on the issue.

A bill in the Senate will promote clean energy, cap carbon pollution and help force coal-fired clunkers like Baldwin to clean up or make way for cleaner sources of power, like solar and wind. Proposed EPA regulations would have the same effect.

We know that the more people learn about coal-fired clunkers like the Baldwin Energy Complex, the more they understand why we need to repower Illinois with clean energy — and the more they want to know what we’re going to do about it. Help our media team get the word out. Please chip in whatever you can today.

https://www.environmentillinois.org/action/new-energy-future/getting-the-truth-out?id4=ES

Together, we can hold one of Illinois’ worst polluters to account, make a strong case for change, and help President Obama build the new clean energy economy of the future. Thanks for making it all possible.

Sincerely,

Max Muller
Environment Illinois Program Director
http://www.environmentillinois.org ]]> http://rockrivertimes.com/2009/11/10/letter-from-max-muller/feed/ 0 http://rockrivertimes.com/2009/10/07/crossword-fire-safety/ http://rockrivertimes.com/2009/10/07/crossword-fire-safety/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:57:34 +0000 Staff http://rockrivertimes.com/?p=20649 Across

1 It has a sharper image: abbr.

5 Beg

10 Irritating tingle

14 Switch ending?

15 First homeland security secretary

16 Kind of therapy

17 Newsman Roger

18 Harvard, Yale, etc.

19 Country road

20 Early warning device

23 Mimics

24 ___-friendly

25 Sphere

28 Draft org.

29 Wildebeest

30 Is able

33 Kind of toxin or transmitter

35 Evil

36 Extinct flightless bird

37 If 20 Across doesn’t work, one might need this

41 Take home

42 Unreturnable serve

43 Played a role

44 Cobb and Pennington

45 Dancer Charisse

46 The fifth note

48 Exist

49 Large constrictor

50 Adjoining rooms

52 If 37 Across doesn’t work, one might need this

57 “See you!” in Rome

59 Wear away

60 Alone

61 Penelope of film

62 Less common

63 Nevada city

64 Jersey or Guernsey

65 British machine guns

66 A smaller amount

Down

1 Skirt edges

2 Snare or bass

3 Kind of list

4 Screwdriver ingredient

5 Lion groups

6 Components of giblets

7 Proofreads

8 The African Queen screenwriter

9 Moves down

10 Dome home

11 Eye drop?

12 Larry King network

13 ___-Haw

21 Printer maker

22 Ft. Worth school

25 Beginning

26 Settle a debt

27 Aaron and Raymond

29 Needlefish

30 Terra ___

31 “Do, ___…” from The Sound of Music

32 ___ plume (pen name)

34 ___ Tin Tin

35 Quilting group

36 Decoration for heroism

38 Some paddlers

39 Digital screen type

40 Black Sea port

45 Sound like a dove

46 Quick

47 Edmonton team

49 Firewater

50 Be noisy at night

51 Ford failure

52 Tote

53 Smell ___ (detect foul play)

54 Pineapple brand

55 Some lodge members

56 Aussie hoppers

57 201, to Caesar

58 1040 agcy.

Last week's crossword answer

From the October 7-13, 2009 issue

Columnist

Recently, I received a flier about a big event coming up, Senior EXPO 2009. You might remember my first attendance at the EXPO was last year about this time. You would have found me exhausted and beaten by my EXPO-inexperience: aching feet, shoulders hunched over from carrying all the loot, and my hand was cramped into a knotty fist from writing my address for the many, many drawings for gifts and prizes.

“Amateurs!” one old guy snorted, as my 70-something friend Pat and I collapsed outside to wait for a shuttle.

The smiling lady who worked the door responded: “This was their first EXPO. They’ll know better next time!”

Beaten by EXPO in the prime of my life.

“That won’t be the case this year,” I boasted to Hubby, “I’m studying. I’m prepared. I’m cheating!” With an incredulous look, Hubby went outside to polish the Harley. More on my plan later…

Lifescape Community Services puts on this event each year, the same folks who produced the Senior Follies last May in their fantastic musical revue, Puttin’ on the Ritz. The Lifescape Mission is “To provide relevant and up-to-date information, education, and recreation to older adults, their families, and caregivers.” This worthy organization does more than most. Check out these services:

• Nutrition—dietitian-approved meals five days a week through Meals on Wheels and Senior Dining Sites.

• Adult Day Services—Bright Side Adult Day Services in two locations, Belvidere and Rockford.

• RSVP—Retired & Senior Volunteer Program provides volunteer opportunities for folks age 55 and older in local non-profit agencies throughout Winnebago and Boone counties.

• Senior Assist—for folks age 60 and older, assistance includes, but is not limited to, benefits screenings and application/paperwork assistance, caregiver training and support, transportation, and services to grandparents raising grandchildren. For services not offered directly through Lifescape, they provide referrals to varied service providers in the community.

Secretly thrilled I am not yet old enough to receive or participate in some of their services, I decided to whine a little anyway: “AARP says I’m a senior at 50! What if I wanted to participate now? How could I not be old enough?”

Hubby never looked up from his polishing, just responded dryly, “You’ll get there, Baby.” (Déjà vu—I think I had this exact same conversation with my Mom when I was 14!)

Back to the EXPO: it is a big event at the Sportscore II Indoor Sports Center, 8800 E. Riverside, in Loves Park. Last year, they had a lot of road construction going on, so we parked at Farm & Fleet and took the buses. But if you park in the Sportscore lot, golf carts dart around picking up riders. The EXPO opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 3 p.m., Thursday and Friday, Sept. 17-18, or go to the Kickoff Event Wednesday night, Sept. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m.

EXPO is actually the largest community outreach event in northern Illinois, with more than 5,000 people attending every year. The theme this year is “Rockin’ ’n’ Rollin’ with Change”—I am hoping there will be some aging rockers as the musical entertainment.

Last year, I wandered upstairs to the restaurant for a reasonably-priced and tasty lunch, but not before we made the circuit of every table in the East Room.

“Oh, look,” I exclaimed to Pat over and over, “they have chocolate, too!” About 75 percent of the tables had candy to give away—not crappy “parade candy,” but chocolates and little name-brand candy bars (the thing I like about over-50s is they don’t skimp on the treats). My blood sugar bounced around like a basketball.

They have something for every age group older than 50, even younger if you are a caregiver. Topics range from Preparing for Retirement to Travel & Leisure, including such workshops as Insurance, Pre-planning your Funeral, and Legal Services. There is continuous musical entertainment, cooking demonstrations, and a 50/50 raffle for the gambler in you. Take advantage of the on-site health screenings, too. And this event is FREE!

“What is this EXPO for, Mom?” 20-something Son asks. “Like, nursing homes?”

Well, Lifescape tells me they have two goals:

First, to help all of us, as we get older, to be nutritionally healthy, independent, connected and informed.

Second, to help our families, friends and caregivers handle the needs and challenges of our aging process. They are giving something back, just like our president is encouraging us to do.

Lifescape’s office is at 705 Kilburn in Rockford, but they serve older adults, their families, and caregivers in Winnebago, Boone, Lee and Ogle counties. Phone Lifescape at (815) 963-1609 or get on the Web at www.lifescapeservices.org for more information about EXPO or other services.

My five-point plan for beating the EXPO:

1. Wear gym shoes and socks, so I’m not limping after walking for five hours on concrete flooring.

2. Eat a good breakfast, so I don’t get sick on all the candy; then eat a good lunch.

3. Bring address labels, so I don’t have to fill out all those little papers for the prizes (last year I won a big basket of kitchen stuff and a cookbook from the OSF Home Health gang!).

4. Bring my own canvas tote bag so my give-away bag doesn’t rip and spill all my stuff on the floor…again.

5. Volunteer to work at the RVC-CLR table for a couple of hours, sitting around chatting about the classes and such. Come see me there Friday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.—we’ll “Rock the EXPO” together!

In her second half of life, Kathleen D. Tresemer is both a journalist and an award-winning fiction writer. She lives with her husband on a small ranch in rural Shirland, Ill. Kathleen can be contacted by e-mail at kdt-insights@hotmail.com.

From the September 16-22, 2009 issue.

Davis Junction Music Fest will feature music from an array of young area performers.

By Jim Hagerty, Staff Writer

Davis Junction will be rich in the sound of music this Saturday, Sept. 12. The Davis Junction Music Fest will feature 9 bands representing several genres.

Unlike festivals like On the Waterfront, Festa Italiana and Taste of Rockford, which slate established acts from various locations, this Saturday’s  event at Davis Junction Community Park, consists of  bands that are still relatively unknown–for good reason.  Each act is made up of area youth and young adults.

While there will be no big names on hand, stellar musicianship will certainly be center stage. According to festival organizer, Tracy Haley, the young musicians are every bit as talented as many of their more well-known counterparts. They just lack the venues and opportunities to showcase their chops.

Scheduled performers hail from Stillman Valley, Oregon, Sycamore and Rockford schools.

“We are trying to showcase all the local talent that our schools have to offer,” Haley said. “These kids have no place to play because they are underage and can’t play in clubs.”

Among the acts, the first slated to start at 11 a.m., will be a group, ages 6 to 16, playing classical music and a special performance by Jennifer Peterson and her Stings.

“[Peterson] is a lady in our community that has taught many young people to play string instruments, mainly the violin,” Haley said.

Fans will also be presented with a set of  Beatles songs, arranged by a local youth cello player.

Festival proceeds will go to the music and art programs of the Meridian Community Unit School District 223 (CUSD 223). Last year, the event raised $450.

“Without arts in the schools,” Haley said, “these kids may never have picked up an instrument (and) we have many talented young people.”

Gates open at 10 a.m. Cost is $5. Davis Junction Community Park is on the north side of Illinois Rte. 72 in Davis Junction.

A complete list of performers, festival contact information and detailed directions can be found at www.davisjunctionmusicfest.com.

This event is free and open to the public. Cone and celebrate the profession of architecture in northern Illinois.

From the April 15-21, 2009 issue

Last week’s announcement by New American Theater (NAT) Board Chairman Charles Granneman that Richard Raether, artistic director, and Jan Bacino, box office and group sales manager, had been terminated caught almost everyone completely by surprise. Comments ranged from Volunteer Laura Berg’s: “I saw a lot of talent leaving. The heart of NAT is gone”; to Margaret Raether’s: “We were unaware that anything was wrong. No one intimated that fund-raising should be a primary job for Richard. He first auditioned for NAT when he was 18 and was a part of the organization for many years. When notified of his termination, the board said his work as a director was excellent.”

The Raethers and many of the people I spoke with were mystified by the board’s decision and the basis for the dismissals. Ken Staaf’s long association with NAT makes him a reliable source of information, and he said, “We had no inkling… we were floored.”

Gail Dartez, an intrinsic part of NAT, leaves in August to pursue her career in Chicago. She and Raether, instrumental in the development of Young American Theater and the Theater in Education Program, will be sorely missed. Few have their experience and commitment to building a basis for the arts with opportunities for young people to learn their craft and perform in an artistic venue.

Dartez said: “Richard represented the essence and sensibility of NAT. The board doesn’t even know what they did. It makes no sense.”

The last vestiges of the “old” NAT disappear with the departure

Ongoing Attractions

Funktional Arts – 412 N. First St. Jewelry, furniture, sculpture; ceramic sculpture by Lynn Fisher. By appointment only. Info: 229-9048/969-7942.

Village Gallery – Stewart Square. Artists co-op. Works of more than 45 artists for sale. Info: 963-ARTS/jcoeart.com.

At Home Players Theater – The House, DeKalb. Call for shows/times/prices/Info: 815/748-2880.

Flora: The Beauty of Botanics – Rockford Art Museum. Includes works by Georgia O’Keefe, Charlotte Hackin, John James Audubon, Ingrid Neuhofer and other local and international artists. Regular gallery hours. Free. Info: 968-2787.

Sticks & Stones – New Dimensions Gallery, Womanspace, 3333 Maria Linden Dr. Art opening that features works by Womanspace artists who interpreted the exhibits title. By appointment only. Free. Through July 20. Info: 877-0118.

Fred Berman Photographs: Walls & Windows – Wright Museum of Art, Beloit College, Wis. Defines the personality of locations. Tues. thru Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info: 608/363-2625.

Garden in the Gallery – Anderson Gallery, Rockford Art Museum. Large canvases with flowers and garden scenes. Regular gallery hours. Free. Info: 972-2880.

Threads of Time and The Mothers—Women in Ancient America – Freeport Arts Center, Freeport. Marianne Huber’s collection of female figurines dating from 1200 B.C. to 1400 A.D. Also, a quilt by Mary Lee. Thru July 27. Call for prices/Info: 815/235-9755.

Around the Corner – Monroe Arts Center, Monroe, Wis. Fiber artist Dawn Ingham displays her work. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info: 608/325-5700.

Reversal of Sponge – Paragon, 205 W. State St. An exhibit of drawings and acrylic paintings by Roam Rosenbaum. Regular restaurant hours. Free. Thru July 19. Info: 963-1660.

Cool Moves! The Artistry of Motion – Discovery Center Museum. A traveling exhibit of interactive and educational art focusing on the art of motion and light. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon. thru Sat., noon-5 p.m. Thru Oct. 26. Call for prices/Info: 963-6769.

Sculpture Galena: A Summer/Fall Showcase of International Contemporary Art – Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site, Galena. Bold and innovative new works of public outdoor art. Thru Oct. 31. Call for times/prices/Info: 877/444-5850.

Robot Dream: Fiber Works & Drawings – Wright Museum of Art, Beloit College, Beloit, Wis. By using labor intensive quilt media, nostalgic memories, and the robot persona, pieces by Kathy Weaver deal with personal conflict and humor. Tues. thru Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Call for prices/Info: 363-2095.

See The World – Beloit College, Logan Museum of Anthropology. A small sample of the beautiful and meaningful artifacts that visitors can use to appreciate the diversity of people around them. Tues.-Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Thru Oct. 12. Info: 608/363-2625.

Wednesday, July 16

Imagination Station: Kenny Ahern – Sinnissippi Bandshell. Physical comedian presented by the Children’s Medical Center/Rockford Health System. 1:30 p.m. Free. Info: 987-8800.

Just So – Starlight Theater, Rock Valley College. Second performance of a musical that weaves five of Rudyard Kipling’s stories together in a fanciful lesson about personal courage, individuality and friendship. Call for times/prices/Info: 921-2160.

Heart of Rockford Awards Ceremony – Associated Bank. Local representatives of the heart of Rockford receive awards. 5:30 p.m. Call for prices/Info: 964-6221.

Summer Drama Class – New American Theater. A two-week intensive course for teens that focuses on all aspects of presenting a play. 2-5 p.m. $180. Info: 963-9454.

Thursday, July 17

Private Lives – Timber Lake Playhouse, Mt. Carroll. Broadway’s hottest revival comes to TLP with Noel Coward’s classic comedy. A divorced couple, honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meets again by chance. 8 p.m. Call for tickets/prices/Info: 815/244-2035.

Just So – Starlight Theater, Rock Valley College. Second performance of a musical that weaves five of Rudyard Kipling’s stories together in a fanciful lesson about personal courage, individuality and friendship. Call for times/prices/Info: 921-2160.

Summer Drama Class – New American Theater. A two-week intensive course for teens that focuses on all aspects of presenting a play. 2-5 p.m. $180. Info: 963-9454.

Friday, July 18

Monkey Business – Storefront Cinema. The Marx Brothers—with a film and lecture. 7 p.m. $5. Info: 962-FILM.

Follies – Jubilee Theater, Clock Tower. The glitter and glamour of Las Vegas comes to the Midwest with genuine costumes, beautiful showgirls, singing comedy and audience participation. Thru Aug. 24. Call for times/prices/Info: 815/229-4033.

Just So – Starlight Theater, Rock Valley College. Second performance of a musical that weaves five of Rudyard Kipling’s stories together in a fanciful lesson about personal courage, individuality and friendship. Call for times/prices/Info: 921-2160.

Summer Drama Class – New American Theater. A two-week intensive course for teens that focuses on all aspects of presenting a play. 2-5 p.m. $180. Info: 963-9454.

Guys & Dolls – Pec Playhouse Theater. This fun and lively oddball romantic comedy soars with the spirit of Broadway. 8 p.m. Call for prices/Info: 815/239-1210.

Private Lives – Timber Lake Playhouse, Mt. Carroll. Broadway’s hottest revival comes to TLP with Noel Coward’s classic comedy. A divorced couple, honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meets again by chance. 8 p.m. Call for tickets/prices/Info: 815/244-2035.

Saturday, July 19

Monkey Business – Storefront Cinema. The Marx Brothers. 7 & 9:30 p.m. $5. Info: 962-FILM.

Follies – Jubilee Theater, Clock Tower. The glitter and glamour of Las Vegas comes to the Midwest with genuine costumes, beautiful showgirls, singing comedy and audience participation. Thru Aug. 24. Call for times/prices/Info: 815/229-4033.

Movies In The Park – Sinnissippi Park Music Shell. 8 p.m., film at 8:30 p.m. Free. Info: 987-8800.

Just So – Starlight Theater, Rock Valley College. Second performance of a musical that weaves five of Rudyard Kipling’s stories together in a fanciful lesson about personal courage, individuality and friendship. Call for times/prices/Info: 921-2160.

Summer Drama Class – New American Theater. A two-week intensive course for teens that focuses on all aspects of presenting a play. 2-5 p.m. $180. Info: 963-9454.

Emerging Artists Exhibition – Rockford Art Museum, Assembly Hall. Local emerging artists present their work with live music by emerging band, Jazz Syndication. 3-8 p.m. $4/$8. Info: 965-6916.

Guys & Dolls –Pec Playhouse Theater. This fun and lively oddball romantic comedy soars with the spirit of Broadway. 2 & 8 p.m. Call for prices/Info: 815/239-1210.

Private Lives – Timber Lake Playhouse, Mt. Carroll. Broadway’s hottest revival comes to TLP with Noel Coward’s classic comedy. A divorced couple, honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meets again by chance. 8 p.m. Call for tickets/prices/Info: 815/244-2035.

Spring is a Little Late This Year – Chelsea Studio, 13115 E. Chelsea Rd., Stockton. J. Eric Anderson’s new watercolors. 12:30-5:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815/947-2780.

Sunday, July 20

Monkey Business – Storefront Cinema. A Marx Brothers film. 4:30 & 7 p.m. $5. Info: 962-FILM.

Summer Drama Class – New American Theater. A two-week intensive course for teens that focuses on all aspects of presenting a play. 2-5 p.m. $180. Info: 963-9454.

Just So – Starlight Theater, Rock Valley College. Second performance of a musical that weaves five of Rudyard Kipling’s stories together in a fanciful lesson about personal courage, individuality and friendship. Call for times/prices/Info: 921-2160.

Fame – Timber Lake Playhouse, Mt. Carroll. The high energy, Academy Award-winning film explodes onto stage. NYC teens find out if they’ve got what it takes to “live forever.” 8 p.m. Call for tickets/prices/Info: 815/244-2035.

Guys & Dolls –Pec Playhouse Theater. This fun and lively oddball romantic comedy soars with the spirit of Broadway. 2 p.m. Call for prices/Info: 815/239-1210.

Monday, J
uly 21

No evants listed.

Have a great summer from The Rock River Times!

Tuesday, July 22

Turkish Imports, Etc. – 208 S. Hackett St., S. Beloit. A large selection of beautiful, handmade area rugs from throughout the Middle East, exceptional pillow covers, and unique sterling silver jewelry with semi-precious stones designed by Mary Ann Green. Open every Tues. 5-8 p.m. Info: 389-2186.

Please have your schedule in to The Rock River Times the Thursday preceding our Wednesday publication. It’s a free listing, and we’d love to help you out.

Use safety precautions to prevent candle fires

By

With home candle fires on the rise and December the month when most of these fires occur, people need to make candle safety a priority this holiday season.

In 1998, the latest year for which data is available, candles in homes caused more than 12,500 fires, reaching a 19-year high, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Those fires resulted in 155 deaths, 1,100 injuries and $176.1 million in direct property damage, according to NFPA.

In addition, NFPA reports that twice as many home candle fires occur in December than during any other time of the year, and the leading cause of candle fires is unattended, abandoned or inadequately controlled candles.

“Candle safety is important year-round, but becomes especially important during the holidays when the warm, cozy glow of candles is a tradition for many,” says Doug Sommer, safety education specialist for COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services. “A raging inferno caused by candle carelessness can do more than merely dampen the holiday spirit.”

To prevent candle fires:

l Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.

l Keep candles away from items that can catch fire (e.g., clothing, books, paper, curtains, Christmas trees, flammable decorations).

l Use sturdy candleholders that won’t tip over easily and are large enough to collect dripping wax.

l Place candleholders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface. Do not place candles where they can be knocked over by children or pets, or near blinds and curtains that can close over them.

l Keep candlewicks trimmed to one-quarter inch and extinguish taper and pillar candles when they burn within two inches of the holder.

l Avoid candles embedded with combustible items such as leaves, flowers and twigs.

It’s football season again in Rockford, a time for many sports fans to get out that face paint, brush up on the referee jokes and get reacquainted with the different regional rivalries. But wait! It’s only July, and football season doesn’t start until late August. Not necessarily. The Forest City Gladiators, Rockford’s minor league football team, has just improved its record to 3-1 defeating the Belvidere Rush 31-23 on Saturday, July 12. But who are the Gladiators? Well, they’re probably the best-kept secret in Rockford sports.

The Gladiators, in their second season, compete in the North American Football League (NAFL), which is home to 98 teams throughout the United States and divided into eight regions. They are coached by former Detroit Lions Pro-Bowler Mel Grady

The Gladiators compete in the Midwest Division of the Great Lakes Region along with the Cedar Valley Vikings, the Kane County Eagles, the Racine Raiders and the Milwaukee Marauders. The regular season starts in June and finishes at the end of September. Qualifying teams are set up in a 32-team playoff bracket format.

The Gladiators have local talent on the field in Rockford East graduates Buddy Turner and Steve Neely. The team also has three league regional All-Stars from a year ago in Kywan Edmonson, Michael Allen, and Dave Crosby.

Melissa Pappas, a Gladiators fan, was impressed with what she saw at the game on Saturday and likes the fact that it give the people of Rockford something else to do on a Saturday night.

“They seem like they’re a good team,” Pappas said. “It’s different people from all different areas and backgrounds…I like it.” Len Williams, another Gladiators fan and former player in the Canadian Football League (CFL), agreed with Pappas, and was excited at how many people came out for the game.

“It’s real football, and it’s a good thing since we have limited activity in Rockford, and the fan support is the most surprising part. As long as we can maintain this, it will be great,” Williams said.

Ticket prices are $6 for any seat, and games are Saturday nights at 7:05 at Wedgbury Stadium, which is located in front of the Indoor Sports Center, 8800 E. Riverside. Next home game for the Gladiators is July 26 against the Milwaukee Marauders. For more information, call 969-0921.

The sound of bats cracking, venders selling beer, programs and hot dogs, and anxious fans awaiting the game’s first pitch. These sounds and more can be heard at Rockford’s very own Marinelli Field, home of the Rockford RiverHawks.

The RiverHawks came to Rockford in November 2001 after their ownership group, Rockford Professional Baseball, moved the team formerly known as the Springfield Capitals to Rockford. Before that move, Rockford had been without baseball since 1999 when the Reds moved to Daytona. RiverHawks General Manager Mike Babcock, said Rockford’s location and size made it the perfect city for a team.

“At the time, Rockford was the largest city in the United States without a baseball team,” Babcock said.

The question of whether a baseball team could be successful in Rockford lingered last season, since the city had hosted four teams in a matter of 11 years: the Expos who came in 1988, the Royals, the Cubbies and then the Reds, who came and went in 1999.

“A lot of people had a feeling baseball didn’t work in the past, so we had to overcome that obstacle last season, and I think we did,” Babcock said.

So far, Babcock appears to be right. The RiverHawks are seventh in total attendance in the Frontier League with an average of 1,676 in 22 openings, and a total of 36,880 fans this season.

The Frontier League is an independent league that has 12 teams from as near as Crestwood, Ill., to as far away as Washington, Penn. Babcock said the independent league was started because Major League Baseball set a limit on how many minor league teams a Major League organization could control. Organizations then dropped certain teams leaving cities like Rockford without baseball, and many players without a league to play in.

The Frontier League, according to Babcock, is a developmental league for players to hone their skills to hopefully move on to the next level.

“It’s a second-chance league for guys who might have been overlooked, Babcock said. Independent baseball has done a great job of showcasing talent.”

The RiverHawks organization has held nothing back to gain fan interest. Every game there is some kind of promotional giveaway such as bobble-head night, travel mugs or seat cushions. If there’s not a giveaway, there is probably entertainment such as The Famous Chicken, Austin Powers night, fireworks or dollar beer night.

With all of the off-the-field entertainment, how is the on-the-field product? Well, a year ago the RiverHawks narrowly missed the playoffs. This season, according to the Frontier League Web site, the ‘hawks are second in the West Division with a 24-20 record. They also have arguably the league’s strongest pitching staff led by All-Star Jason Shelley. Shelley leads the league in wins (7), strikeouts (82), and has pitched four complete games. The ‘Hawks pitching staff is rated first in the league with an earned run average of 3.00 and has three hurlers rated in the league’s top 10: Shelley rated No.1; Joshua Tomsu rated No.4; and Frank James rated No.10.

The ‘Hawks are sending four players to the All-Star game July 16 in Sauget, Ill. Pitchers Justin Dowdy, James and Shelley, and third-baseman Ben Fjelland will all be making the trip.

The next home game for the RiverHawks is this Friday, July 18 at 7:05 at Marinelli Field. For more information and ticket prices, call 964-2255.

Summers in Rockford are arguably some of the most miserable in America—with high temperatures mixed with heavy humidity. There are many ways to fight off the unbearable weather, but I’ve found the best way is to sit very still and concentrate on something cool—like ice cream. Who doesn’t like the stuff? And at the Dairy Depot on 5413 N. Second St., Loves Park, patrons can enjoy a breeze blowing through the parking lot/patio at umbrella-covered tables and not only think about, but also sample a wide variety of ice cream flavors and concoctions.

OK, so they use commercial ice cream(Roni Oat)—but who doesn’t anymore? The point is that while using the soft serve stuff that comes in big tubs from ice cream factories (do those exist?), the staff at the Dairy Depot mix in a lot of great flavorings that include anything from fresh fruit to pulverized candy. I actually got a black cherry shake, and was pleasantly surprised to watch as the owner, John Elliot, poured actual berries into the cup with ice cream and blended the mixture into a smooth, refreshing shake. My companion for the venture, former Rock River Times ad rep Peter Heidenreich, ordered a butterscotch sundae. We took our frozen cups to the little patio area that used to be a parking lot, and mused on the varieties of ice cream concoctions one could invent. Unfortunately, the Dairy Depot seems to have already invented most of them. They offer shakes and malts of every flavor I thought possible, including a banana malt—which I’ve been informed is actually quite good.

The best part of owning your own business is that you can cajole your family members into working for you. A photograph on the front counter portrays all the employees of the Dairy Depot decked out in spotted cow get-ups, and the relation between them is obvious. The girls are 6 foot something blondes with healthy, sun tanned skin, and all the men are cheerful, ice cream dishing guys. Elliot has his wife, Diane, and nieces, Amanda and Andrea Carlson, to work the stand. The Dairy Depot was opened and built in 1986 by Norm Gerth, whose grandson Brian Huff still works there today. Under Elliot’s ownership, The Dairy Depot has enjoyed its third season open, and with the support of the community, will hopefully enjoy many more years of ice-cream serving.

Open between Memorial Day and Labor Day, rain or shine—but not in lightning storms—the Dairy Depot is guaranteed to please a hot customer on a summer’s day. Ice cream flavors include vanilla, chocolate and a weekly flavor that rotates strawberry, dreamsickle, lemon custard, white chocolate and black cherry. You can get a flurry with banana, brownie, butterfinger, cherry cheesecake, M & Ms, Heath Bar and many other flavors too extensive to list. The Dairy Depot also offers slushes, cake cones, sugar cones, waffle cones, turtle sundaes, malts, banana splits and smoothies.

Because The Dairy Depot is technically a stand instead of a store, although one couldn’t tell by looking at it, they don’t have a phone number. They are open every day from 1-9:30 p.m., although when I showed up at 9:29 p.m., Elliot was still more than happy to serve me. But I wouldn’t make a practice of that since the other employees looked righteously disgruntled.

n Adelaide, Australia musicians play acoustic pop, with a shot of blues and eclectic jazz

If you’re tired of meat and potatoes music, try some fresh Fruit. They’ll be performing at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 19 at Sinnissippi Park in the Music Shell, 1401 N. Second St., Rockford. Rain site is the Mendelssohn Club, 415 N. Church St.

Best described as acoustic pop, Fruit’s eclectic music is a shot of blues and rock ‘n’ roll, an explosion of jazz, a splash of funk, and a spritz of grooving harmonies. Most important, it’s all magical.

Fronted by three incredible female vocalists/songwriters, this musical powerhouse from Adelaide, Australia, has become internationally renowned, selling out shows and slaying critics and fans alike all over the globe. Starting in 1995 in the land “down under,” this group has turned the music world on its head. Fruit is led by three hard-hitting female vocalists, two of whom play acoustic and electric guitars, while the third specializes in brass and woodwinds. The Virginia Beach (Va.) Sun reported, “The group’s three passionate songwriters, Mel Watson, Sam Lohs and Susie Keynes, sing from the soul about life and living, with positive themes of hope, discovery and self-expression.”

Be it heart-lifting ballads, gut-wrenching blues, scorching torches, or pure rocky liberation, Fruit delivers something for everyone. This awesome five-piece band blew everyone away at last year’s Summer Series, and now they’re back to get you up out of your seats and set you rocking and bopping!

Come to the park and enjoy a refreshing helping of Fruit. Take advantage of the Park District concession stand while strolling around the lovely Sinnissippi Park grounds.

Al Grace

Appliance

Special Sale. Truckload of scratch and dent and reconditioned appliances while they last. Al Grace Appliance, 811 W. Riverside. 637-8676. 7/16

Antique Auto Appraisals

Area's highest credentialed certified Antique auto Appraisers. Established 1966. Collector Car Appraisals, 815-874-8258. Credit cards welcome. On the web at www.carappraisals.com. 8/14/03

Automobile

Buyers

Buying pre-1985 Vehicles. Junkers to showcars. Please don't scrap your older car – we can pay more. FINDERS FEES PAID FOR SUCCESSFUL PURCHASES. Keep this voicemail number 815-983-0006. 8/14/03

Autos For Sale

1992 Ford Ranger extended cab with topper. Great shape, must sell. $2,250. 815/636-2183. 7/30

1999 Chevy S-10. Regular cab, 4 cyl., 5 speed, red, delayed wipers, 68,500. $4,895. 968-1780. 7/30

Ford truck. 1993 Excel 150. 80,000 miles. Runs great, $4,495. Call Rex, 964-0295. 7/30

Conversion van. 1995 Chevy G20. 5.7L, rear A/C, two stereos, TV hookup. $5,000 OBO. 885-2069. 7/30

1987 Dodge truck. Needs timing chain. 962-5376. 7/30

1994 GMC Safari extended minivan. 7-8 passenger, automatic, air, cruise, $2,845 163,000. Troy, 332-7660. 7/30

1990 Buick Sentry. 4-door, $700. 877-7389. 7/30

1999 Volkswagen Passat. Reliable, safe, cool. 189,000 miles. $3,950. 636-1864. 7/23

1986 Dodge 600 convertible, 2-door. Asking $500. Must have cash. Must sell ASAP. 966-1224, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. 524 Horace Ave. 7/23

1993 Caravan LE. Dual air, towing hitch, body damage, runs good, $2,000 OBO. 985-2504. 7/23

Trailer two wheel flatbed. 8'6" x 13'6", $375. 968-1780. 7/23

1982 Dodge pickup. Lots of new parts. 962-0135. Call Dan. 7/23

1996 Chevy Cavalier. Needs front-end ball bearings. New timing chain, brakes, $1,000 OBO. 282-2987. 7/23

1997 Chevy Blazer LS 4×4. 2-door, black, 34,000 miles, nice, must see. $9,999. 227-1173. 8/13

1986 Cadillac Brougham. 78,000 miles, air, and all power works, great condition. $3,300. Call 815/398-4553. 7/16

1987 GMC Caballero. Runs good. 963-2898. 7/16

1998 Chevy Blazer. 4-wheel drive, 2-door, looks & runs good. 963-2898. 7/16

1992 Ford Crown Victoria. 4.8 engine, high speed performance. $4,500 OBO. Must sell-too many cars. 395-1027. 7/16

2000 Olds Alero GL. 4-door, white, CD player, 23,000 miles, $10,000. 877-4919.7/16

1989 Chevy pick-up 350. Auto, air, nice condition, first $2,850 takes. A-MUST-C. Trent, 985-9900, 247-8437. 7/16

Chevy 1-ton pick-up. Extra nice condition with 350-auto, loads of new parts. Offers, 247-8437, 262-0214. 7/16

1990 red taurus. Rough body, good work car w/good tires. First $200 takes it. 229-7387. 7/16

1979 Chevy pickup. 4×4, runs good, $850 OBO. 988-6411, 332-7423. 7/16

2000 Ford Explorer 4×4 Sport. 42,000 miles. Excellent condition. $10,995 OBO. 218-7803. 7/23

1993 Pontiac Bonneville. One owner, black, 65,000 miles, $3,995, best offer. Call 226-0898. TFN

Auto Parts

1986 F-150 Ford pickup. Paring out. 365-0119. 7/30

Truck topper. 962-5376. 7/30

Pickup aluminum topper & side rails for older pickup. $75. 865-5892. 7/30

4 good Cadillac tires, wheels, lug nuts, P21570R15, $300. 1 good Low Profile tire, P245/50R16, $60. 964-4406. 7/30

Toolbox for across bed Ranger or S10, $40. 300 gallon overhead fuel tank, $100. 815/962-8443. 7/23

1984 Toyota pickup. Extra-cab, 5-speed, R-22 motor, parts only. $3 to $100. 988-6411, 332-7423. 7/23

Hard shell Tonneau lid for long bed Dodge Ram. Will fit '94-'01 trucks. New $799, for sale $350 OBO. 229-1699. TFN

1956 265 Chevy Engine with cherry picker, forged pistons, roller-rockers, comp. cam. and lifters, rebuilt. Runs great. 877-7899. Willing to take on payments. Serious inquiries only. 7/30

1970 402 Big Block Chevy, with motor stand, block and crank with rods. Other big block parts, $600. Delivered within reasonable area. Willing to take on payments. 877-7899. Serious inquiries only. 7/30

Business

Opportunities

Better gas mileage: Experimenter seeks same, experienced only. 815/636-9514. 7/30

Careers

Are you experienced in print advertising sales? The Rock River Times is now interviewing motivated representatives for careers in sales. Competitive wage offered, flexible schedule. Have you seen how our paper is growing? This is where you want to be! Long- term commitment a must. Need own vehicle. Please apply in person only at:

THE ROCK RIVER TIMES

128 N. CHURCH ST.

Rockford, IL. 61101 TFN

Employment Wanted

Nonmedical care given to house-bound lady. Will run errands, light housekeeping, drive to appointments. 397-0928. 7/30

Feng Shui

Home, office, garden consultations. Quintessential Home Decor. 968-1795. 7/30

For Rent

1,2,3 Bedroom Homes? Why rent when you can own! Little or NO Money Down. Credit Problems OK. For a FREE Consultation Financial Planning also Available, EHL, call Mike at 815/544-1824. 7/30

Park Tower Apartments.

One-bedroom apartments for residents 62 plus, disabled or handicapped.

540 Clifford Avenue, Loves Park, IL 61111.

Managed by PPM, LLC.

House for rent or sale. Remodeled, new carpet, furnace and hot water heater. 2BR, yard for single person or small family. 1430 Orange St. $550/month + deposit. 968-8234, ask for Ken. 7/23

1-2 Bedroom Apartments across from Cherryvale Mall. Includes balcony, dishwasher, large closets, carport, very nice. $465-509/month; 1 Bedroom includes water/gas/electric, furnished, great area, garbage available $500/month; 2 Bedroom includes water/gas, spacious, garage available $560/month. Small pets OK. CALL 815/505-4045. 7/23

1 & 2BR apartments. South east. $310-$430 +deposit. 227-1013. 7/16

For Sale

Dressers, kitchen table and chairs, end tables, bathroom sink, and cabinet, lawn mower. Call 986-1762. 7/30

Red raspberries for sale. You pick, 75¢ 1/2 pint. I pick, $1.25. Call 399-2995. 8/6

Pinball machine. "Spanish Eyes." $495. 218-2324. 7/30

Internet ready computers starting at $100. Computers w/CD burners, Windows XP, Office XP starting at $200. Laptops starting at $250, w/DVD $350. All computers are complete w/monitors, keyboard, mouse, speakers. Call 494-7046. 7/30

Wedding dress and headpiece, $1,100, sell, $500. Wedding ring, paid $2,500, sell $1,800 OBO. 815/316-7979. 7/30

Bears tickets. Denver, Champaign, August 16th. 4 tickets, $45 each. Call 282-1374. 7/30

Sliding door for closet, $20. TV trolley, $15. Musical organ, $75. Call 815/282-1605. 7/30

Piano for sale, $500. Call 623-9276 after 6 p.m. 7/30

Sandbox, $15. Men's bike, $25. Kids' bike, $15. Wood trellis, $15. Weight set, $10. 399-8984. 7/30

Riding mower w/cart. LC440, 12.5 HP, I/C, 39" cut. Well cared for, bought 50". $500. 636-0675. 7/30

1940 gas stove. Detroit Jewel. Excellent condition. $400 OBO. 962-2204. 7/30

Children's books for sale. 25¢-75¢ each. Over 100 books. 874-0589. 7/30

2 air conditioners. 13" color TV. 962-5376. 7/30

Beer keg, table model. 3 spigots & Hamms sign, $50. 865-5892. 7/30

Waterbed. Complete mirrored. $100. 865-5892. 7/30

Convection oven, $20. 87 Fleetwood Broughan weight bench – 100 lbs. of weight, $25. 964-4406. 7/30

Twin head & foot board mattress & box spring, $25. Electric weed trimmer, $10. Gas barbecue grill, $35. 964-4406. 7/30

2 warm morning space heaters. Natural gas. Can be seen at 2810 9th St., Rockford. Reasonable price. 7/30

Cher tickets. July 28. MetroCentre, $85. 398-7989. 7/30

4 large bird cages. $10 each. Call 964-0325. 7/30

Lawnmowers. $35 and up. Upright vacuum cleaner, $15. All in great working condition. 398-4553. 7/30

2 air conditioners, Craftsman lawnmower, Bissel steam cleaner (new), fishing poles, 13" color TV. 962-5376. 7/30

Air conditioner, $50. Washer, $50. Gas dryer, $100. 397-2721. 7/30

Jacobson electric start snowblower. Realistic walkie-talkies. Nintendo entertainment system.
3" screen Sony TV. 815/962-5376. 7/30

Springsteen tickets! Five tickets available in Milwaukee, September 27. Great seats. $125 cash each. 965-9009. 7/23

8,000 BTU AC, $100. New 4½" Jensen speakers, $40. 815/291-8234. 7/23

12 mirror canopy king size waterbed, $300. Upright, beige freezer, $150. Bunkbed set, $200. Electric stove, $175. 966-1226. 7/23

21" Honda mower. 3-speed, like new, bag, mulch discharger. $350. 399-7970. 7/23

Zenith 25" color TV, $75. WebTV computer system, $60. Sony 27" color TV, $95. 397-4483. 7/23

Duncan Phyfe dining table, 8 Chippendale chairs, Jenn-Aire convection oven and more. 962-0444. 7/23

Hastas. $2 each, 50+ plants. Free delivery. 765-1776. 7/23

Trimming lawn mower, Craftsman, excellent condition. 654-0944. 7/23

Hoover two-tank system wet/dry vacuum, 16 gal. Toshiba laptop w/extras. Police scanner. Air conditioner. 962-5376. 7/23

2002 trailer 36. Air, slide-out, child's room. Washer/dryer, microwave. $16,900. 874-2431. 7/23

Carpet. Beige sand color. 14'x18', almost new. $80 or best offer. 621-7506. 7/23

26' round pool, above ground, $900 OBO. U-Haul, $900 OBO. 282-2987, call anytime, leave message. 7/23

Video imaging equipment. 10 yrs. old. Mug press, 3½" metal button press. Computer, camera, light. Lots of supplies. $1,000 OBO. 282-2987. 7/23

5-piece queen size bedroom set, $600 OBO. Glass dining room table top, $75 OBO. 227-1173. 8/13

Must sell immediately. 2 burial lots w/vaults installed in Graceland division of Willwood Burial Park, Rockford. Will sacrifice at $2,500. Harold Martin, 515/233-2884. 7/23

Overhead cab camper shell, clamp on. Fit 8'. Box with storage & bunk insert. Good condition. $79. Ph. 815/963-3082. 7/23

Sail boat – 14 hand cut horns. 3×21 size. Rare antique. No reasonable offer refused. 398-8317. 7/23

Queen bedroom set, 2 nightstatnds, dresser, mission style, light oak. $700 OBO. 877-5268. 7/23

Complete white bathroom vanity in good condition. Zenith console complete w/radio & record player, good condition. 877/6716. 7/16

Ferret cage, wheels, 4×3x4, $100. Dog cage, 3×2x2, $10. Microwave, $30. Sectional couch, $75. 815/969-0477. 7/16

2 burial plots. Willwood Cemetery, Lawndale section, lot 51, spaces 5 & 6. 399-5603. 7/16

4,000 plus Magic the Gathering cards for sale cheap. Leave message for Jeni, 963-5017. 7/16

Toshiba microwave. 2.2 cubic, $25. Call 979-0499 between 6 to 9 p.m. 7/16

For Sale

Precore rower. Needs minor repair, $15. 963-1023.7/30

135 gal. aquarium. Beautiful fresh water aquarium. Complete set-up. 72 in. L x 18 in. D x 24 in. H on 30 in. H wrought iron stand. $625 OBO. 815/624-2191. 7/16

Ariens-EZ Rider mower, 915 Series. Purchased new '97 – little use. $1,300. 282-9856. 7/16

Horse trailer, 2 bays, tall, solid frame, no rust, electric brakes, price includes equalizer towing hitch. $1,900. 282-9856. 7/16

Home grown red raspberries. You pick 75¢ half pint, I pick $1.25. Call 399-2995. 7/16

Riding lawnmower, many other lawnmowers, snowblowers, edgers, trimmers, exercise bikes, garden tools. All top condition. 815/963-4636. 7/16

Star Wars collectibles, new Hulk & Spiderman collectibles, 8mm projector, battery charger, Craftsman tools, bicycles. 815/962-5376. 7/16

Sunbeam Deluxe 12-speed Mixmaster. Slightly used, like new. Value, $195. Take $35. 398-8317. 7/16

Wooden swing set, $50. Gas dryer, $50. Old GE refrigerator, $40. All OBO. 239-1365 after 5. 7/16

Trailer, two wheel. 6' x 8' with sides & 50" metal mesh gate on rear, $275. 968-1780. 7/16

Antique sword. Leather sheath, straight blade. Very old, $45. 815/569-2277. 7/16

Canning jars, quart and pint sizes, $3 per dozen. 965-5319. 7/16

Turbo jet whirlpool bath, portable. New, fits on tub. Value $100. Take $25. 398-8317. 7/16

Summer Getaway 34-foot trailer. 10×27 deck, 9×15 screen room, 90 minutes from Rockford. 399-4962. 7/16

Custom-made deluxe queen size mattress set. Excellent condition (guest used only), $450. 963-2325. 7/16

Golden power lift chair. Reclining Monarch, mint condition, luxurious comfort, Dorado tan, $400 OBO. 633-4326. 7/16

Jenn-Air built-in electric oven. 26 1/2 x 29, white, self-cleaning, nice, $99. 815/923-0102. 7/16

Dorm-size refrigerator. Good cond., $40. 815/247-8676. 7/16

Twin boxspring mattress, new, $88. 2721 Ellen Ave., Rockford. 7/16

Camper trailer, 24', like new outside, new floor, needs finish, remodeling, $800. 847/468-7449, please leave message. 7/16

Utility trailer. Great for ATVs or dirt bike. Excellent condition. $450. 734-4588. 7/23

Congo drums, excellent condition. $200. 734-4588. 7/23

Yamaha tenor saxophone. Used 3 months, $700. 734-4588. 7/23

Shower for sale. 78 in. high, rough opening, 36 in., fiberglass gel-coat, never used, $150 OBO. 965-7595. 7/16

Y2K Gateway desktop including CD burner, DVD-ROM, software, $500. Men's Schwinn 5-speed bike, $50. 226-0443. 7/16

Collection of cookbooks (lots), craft items, all holiday decor, paper goods, Tupperware-old & new, bargain prices. RM Hospital area. 962-3737. 7/16

Kitchen oak table w/leaf and 4 chairs on castors, $300. 4 oak end tables, $35 each. 227-1436. 7/16

6 piece bedroom set, $700. Dresser, mirror, chest, 2 bedside tables, complete bed. 227-1436. 7/16

Thomasville French Provincial pecan dining table with 3 leaves, 6 chairs, $600. China cabinet. $400. 227-1436. 7/16

1925 cement planter, $65. 2 old metal lawnchairs, $25. 395-0791. 7/30

Ping Pong table. Includes paddles and net, $35. 637-4035. 7/16

regulator for air compressor, $40, fishing reels, kitchen table, North Star CB radio, $175, $150, pager, $15, 2 tractor seats, $20 ea., 1 chair with wheels, $15, La-Z-Boy recliner, $125, other household misc. 877-7899. Will take on payments. 7/30

Garage Sale

Lots of kid's, women's, men's clothes. Toys, antiques, furniture, computer & computer stuff. Too much to list. 4726 Manheim Rd. July 18, 19, 20. 9 a.m. to ? 7/16

Contractor garage sale. New cabinets, windows, tools, scaffolding. July 18, 19. 8:30-4:30. 4787 Hydraulic Rd., Rockford. 239/398-0160. 7/30

Gardeners

Gardeners–Do you belong to a garden club? Come grow with us. Rockford Area Gardeners. Call 965-8155 ext. 150. 7/23

Handyman

Powers pride home improvement. Specializing in kitchen & baths. Tile flooring/carpet, drywall repair, painting, plumbing, electric, windows, doors, etc. 505-3453. 7/16

Health

Relax, restore, balance, comfort and energy with acu-p r e s s u r e and massage therapy. Michaelsen JSD AMTA. 815/229-5965. 7/23

Help Wanted

The Rock River Times is now interviewing motivated representative for careers in sales. Competitive wage, flexible schedule. Have you seen how our paper is growing? This is where you want to be! Long term commitment a must. Need own vehicle. Please apply in person only at:

The Rock River Times

128 N. Church St.

Rockford, IL. 61101 TFN

EARN $12-$70 IN JUST A FEW HOURS EVERY WEDNESDAY! Deliver The Rock River Times in Northern Illinois area. Must have car and proof of insurance. Call 964-9767. TFN

Rebecca Fox Hair Studio. Hair ventilator wanted for hand-tied hair piece repair work. Experience preferred. Will train. Work may be done at home. Call 387-8877. 7/30

Experienced carpenters wanted only. Siding, decks, remodeling & work w/driv. lic. 968-1554. 7/30

$250 to $500 a week. Will train to work at home helping the US Government file HUD/FHA mortgage refunds. No experience necessary. Call 1/800-778-0353. 7/30

Guts for sale! Do you have the "guts" to succeed in sales? Sales superstar needed to call local businesses. Earn $12 an hour plus commission. Call RSA at 815/963-1497 M-F between 11-4. 7/30

Physical Therapist. Home Health United currently has a full time physical therapist position available in the Janesville area. Enjoy th
e challenge and flexibility of home health. Must have two to three years clinical experience. Join our experienced rehabilitation team. Position includes benefits and a competitive salary based on experience. If interested, please send your resumè to:

Mary Jean Eisenga

Rehab Manager

4801 Hayes Road

Madison, WI 53704

Equal Opportunity Employer 7/23

Full-time pizza maker/cook wanted. Experience necessary. Apply in person at Rosati's Pizza, 6104 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park. 636-0600. 7/16

Wanted: All positions. Part-time/full-time at Cannova's. Apply within. Common sense required. TFN

Home

Improvements

636-9514

Remodel – Repair.

Raymond. 7/23

Lawn Care

Mowing – Cheap! Also edge, trim, rake, etc. Rockford, 964-8508. 7/23

Massage Therapy

Therapeutic massage. Deep tissue, lymphatic, relaxing massages. On-hands healing, Reiki, transmutational. Gift certificates available. Call Diaahna at 815/742-9001. 8/20

Need relaxing? Call Genie for your in-home soothing, sensual massage. $60/1 hr. 873-0461, leave message. 7/30

Creative Touch Therapy: Alleviate stress, muscle tension, improve circulation, encourage overall well-being. Techniques meet your needs. GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE. Contact Glenn, CMT. 815/965-1787. 9/24

Misc. Sale

3009 7th St. July 16-19, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Plaster peg brd, antique garden tools, car kaddy w/bed, dresser, TV, microwave & stand. Much more. 7/16

Mobile Homes

0% down, take over payments. 1st 2 months lot/mortgage payments FREE! Newer model, 3 bedrooms, in excellent condition, landscaped. Pool, playground and ice rink on grounds. Great Loves Park location. 282-3797. 7/23

Like new 3BR, 2 bath mobile home. 14×80, private country lot. $14,000 OBO. 540-5713. 7/23

Clean, older motorhome for sale. $500 down, $300 month, 2 years. 964-4663. Peaceful country setting. 7/16

2 bedroom mobile home w/large screened-in porch and large yard. Sandy Hollow Rd. $5,000. 395-1719 or 621-1457. 7/16

Motorcycles

1992 Kawasaki Vulcan 500. 4,800 miles, water cooled, belt drive, nice. $1,850 OBO. 815/732-2888. 7/30

Music

Drummer with PA system seeks working band. Any music heavy on rhythm, melody. Ray, 815/297-9059. 7/23

Baldwin piano. Black, 5' 2" baby grand. 7 years, little use, excellent condition. $4,900. 282-9856. 7/16

Yamaha CLP-260 Clavinova, $400. T bench. 494-7127. 7/16

Voice lessons. Development of the singing voice. 25 years experience. All ages. All styles Private instruction. Money back guarantee. 226-3676, call after 10 a.m. please. 7/30

Organ, Tissue, & Blood

Donation

15-year-old boy is in need of a kidney transplant. Has type O blood. If you'd like to help him, please call 226-9781. All medical expenses covered. 7/30

The Rock River Times is now offering a special classifieds section reserved for individuals or families seeking

organ donations.

This is a totally free service for those who are in need.

Please feel free to

call: (815)964-9767,

fax: (815)964-9825,

or e-mail: rrtimes@rworld.com your FREE 15-word ad for this special section.

For more information on organ & tissue

donation, visit www.giftofhope.org

To contribute to The Angela Rushford Children’s Organ Donation Fund, visit the Community

Foundation of Northern Illinois’ Web site: www.cfnil.org

Please limit your FREE ad to 15 words or less.

Our FREE classified ads worked for Angela Rushford, they can work for YOU!

Personals

Looking for someone to date ages 19-30. Call me on my pager & leave a message. 815/296-1446. 7/30

I love you, Rick Cork. You and your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 7/16

Looking for someone special to date in 20s only. Like movies, skating, bowling. Tom, 27. 815/963-8982. 7/30

Lady snowbird wanted. DWPM, 67, 6'0", 185 lbs., romantic, enjoys, theater, travel, movies, garage sales, tennis & more. Seeks trim, nonsmoking lady, 55-65 for Illinois summer/Arizona winter relationship. 639-0944. 7/23

Young 67 yr. old lady seeks honest, caring SWM, 63+ to spend time with. Box 2173 Loves Park, IL 61111. Please reply. 7/23

For info on World Wildlife Kingdom and other roadside zoos, click on "factsheets" at www.wildlifepimps.com. 7/23

Thinking of a girl I found listening to the joyous sound. I'll always be there. 7/16

Unique lady, 40s, enjoys fine arts, museums, reading, meditation, personal growth, Sufi dancing, metaphysics, simplicity, laughter, seeks kindred spirit. 608/346-0992. 7/16

Finding joy, such a wonderful sight. Knowing from me to you it seems so right. 7/16

Joys of sorrows, counting tomorrows, tired of being down hoping one day she'll be around. 7/16

Seek blue jean & t-shirt lady, 45+. WM, 53 wants LTR w/slim to med. woman. 654-7915. 7/30

Ladies, do you like horses and Colorado? Call me, 815/985-6534. 7/16

Has your favorite circus violated the animal welfare act? Click on "factsheets" at www.circuses.com. 7/16

Pets

1 female calico, long hair, 3 yrs. 1 tuxedo kitten (black & white), female, 11 weeks. 1 tortie, female, long hair. Would like to go together, $25 each. 873-0461, leave message. 7/30

Siberian husky pups. Vet checked, dew claws removed, first shots, ready to go. $300. Call 289-7135. 7/30

3 parakeet birds w/cage, food dishes, accessories for sale, $120 OBO. Call Randy at 815/963-3948. 7/23

Lost beagle. 2 miles S. of Beloit. Brown & white. Brown speckled chest. Answers to Harry. 815/544-5059. 7/23

4 kittens, 2 male, 2 female. Dewormed, potty-trained, $10. Call 229-7821 for details. 7/16

Kapone needs a good home, family moving. Border Collie mix, 6 years old, trained, gentle, intelligent, unique personality. Free to good home. Linda @ 282-9856. 7/16

Kittens to good, loving homes, $25. Shots, dewormed, males & females. Call 229-6771 after 10 a.m., voicemail. 7/16

Two adult, loving male cats need a good home. Please call 332-7298. 7/16

Beautiful 5 or 6 yr. old cat. Long hair, gray & white, female. Extremely shy, but loving. N/spayed, n/declawed. Great for elderly couple or individual. Needs attention and love! $10. 399-2375. 7/30

Animal lovers needed to foster care animals pending their adoption. For info, 226-3676 after 10 a.m. 7/30

Real Estate

Trailer Home for Sale, 2BR, 2Bath, Fam. Rm., new carpet & paint. WANT TO MOVE & QUICKLY! $10,000. $320 lot rent – NICE CLEAN & Quiet. Definite MUST SEE! 5122 Flagstone Dr. Loves Pk, 877-6120 for appt. 7/23

3 Buildings on Kishwaukee St. Total of 8 units. $2,840 gross rent/month. $159,900. Seller willing to assist in financing. 965-3938. 7/23

Buying or selling a home? Listings in both the Rockford area and suburban Chicago. MLS. Call Jason Luethje, Realtor. RELOPPRO Resources, Ltd. E.H.O. 815/484-9071

Religion

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 8712 Indigo La. Machesney Pk., IL. 815/636-8073. Holy Trinity Orthodox Church is a western rite church in association with the Society of Clerks Secular of Saint Basil and the Orthodox Catholic Church of the Americas and in communion with the Holy Roman Church. Holy Trinity uses the Liturgy of St. Gregory which is an English form of the Pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic worship, which was approved by the Holy Synod of Moscow in the year 1895 for the use of the American Church. Roman Catholics will find their familiar form of worship and at the same time ensure themselves remaining within Ecclesiastical communion under Godly Bishops. Mass times are Sunday 10:30 a.m. and Tuesday-Friday 10:30 a.m. Confession times are Sundays and week days 9:50 a.m.-10:10 a.m. 7/16

Pre-Vatican II church is alive and well. Tridentine Mass Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. Call 636-8073. 7/30

Revolution

Jury duty? Know your rights they WILL NOT tell you. JUROR'S HANDBOOK, $5 The Citizens' Handbook, $4. C.B.A
. c/o, P.O. Box 306, Rockford, Illinois state [61105 TDC]. 7/30

Roof Work

Honest, dependable, licensed, insured, bonded. Father and son team. Free estimates. 964-3584. 7/30

I would like to receive bids for a complete tear off and reroof at 918 Twenty-first Avenue, Rockford 61104. Please submit in writing. Bids closed August 15, 2003. 7/30

Roommate Wanted

Share quiet 4BR home w/42 yr. old male professional CAM practitioner. Looking for another health care provider or student, $450/mo., gas & electric included. 968-8234, ask for Ken. 7/23

Services

Plaster stucco repair. Small cement jobs, chimney repair. Free estimates. 965-0119. 8/20

Plasterer. Will do small plaster and dry wall repairs. Bill, 637-2336. 7/30

I repair vacuum cleaners any make or model. Install ceiling fans. Make lamps/chandeliers. Sell vacuums. Call 963-7903. 7/23

Support Groups

Al-Anon, support group for families and friends of alcoholics. Help-line: (815)399-0456. TFN

Tarot

Come to a psychic home party. Bring your friends. Refreshments will be served. Tarot cards, pendulums, table tipping & games. $15/person. Call 873-0461, leave message. 7/30

Volunteers

Girl Scouts need volunteers to organize and lead Hispanic troops call Leticia Maldonado, 962-5591 ext. 125. TFN

Girl Scout necesita lideres hispanas voluntarias, que formen grupos de ninas Leticia Maldonado, 962-5591 ext. 125. TFN

Wanted

Old Rockford area advertising: Signs, tins, trays, what have you? Paying retail. Rich, 226-0771. 7/30

Old oil paintings and post cards. Wife collects. 815/399-1689. 7/30

Small farmette in Oregon school dist. Rent w/option. 734/4588. 7/23

Ball players wanted for men's over 30 baseball league for fall play. $100 per player. Call 637-2982. 7/23

Cars, vans, trucks, SUVs, ATVs, campers, mini bikes, riding lawnmowers. Running or not. Call 397-4483. 7/23

Want to buy smaller wood burning stove. Old is OK. 815/865-5892. 7/16

Wanted to buy house or farm on contract w/small down payment. Ask for Greg. 815/394-0950. 7/16

Women's sewing patterns. 1960 or earlier. 965-5671. 7/16

Senior citizen needs natural gas old fashioned basement laundry water heater stove. Call 399-2995. 7/16

Museum wants to buy military relics (U.S., German, Japanese), helmets, medals, uniforms, guns, daggers, etc. John Coy, 815-732-2091,61601. TFN

Snowmobiles or parts from the 70s, 623-6591. Save this ad, I buy all year. 7/16

Work Wanted

Odd jobs-carpet laying, painting, siding, lawnmowing, landscaping, 966-1224 or 316-0085. Call between 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Mon.-Sat. 7/16

Studio owners Mary Beth Robertson and Joan Hurd announce the addition of four new teachers and six new classes, including Pilates.

Wendy Larson’s “Yoga for Busy People” class on Saturdays combines physical and meditative practice and draws on Larson’s own experience with yoga as an antidote to a busy life. She has studied classical hatha, Iyengar, Anusara, and Kundaline styles of yoga; and Insight and Vipassana meditation. Her teachers include Swami Chetenananda, Anthony Bogart, David Chernikoff of Naropa Institute, Bhante Rahula of the Bhavana Society, and shaman and spiritual guide Charles Conatser.

Una Ryan teaches two classes for beginning yoga students on Tuesdays. Ryan has practiced yoga for more than 30 years and studied with some of the world’s most renowned yoga instructors, including Rodney Yee, Donna Farhi, and Serena Early. Last year, she completed a 10-day workshop with Iyengar senior instructor Patricia Walden. Ryan also teaches yoga at the Jewish Community Center and Windsor Lake Office Park.

Toni Wasson is certified by The Temple of Kriya Yoga and will teach two Monday classes starting in August, one for seniors or those with limited range of motion, and one for beginning yoga students. As a Professional Life Coach and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Wasson’s instructional style reflects yoga’s healing effect on the human spirit. Wasson also teaches yoga at Beloit Memorial Hospital and leads stress reduction workshops.

Colleen Cox, who has taught mat and reformer Pilates for 13 years, teaches a Wednesday night Pilates class at the studio. As a professional dancer, she began studying Pilates to maintain her own flexibility. Cox trained at the Physical Mind Institute of Toronto and has additional certification from Stott Pilates. She also teaches at the Metropolitan School of Ballet and AEBN.

Pranayama Studio, 517 E. State St., Rockford, offers 17 weekly classes, private instruction and special workshops. A punch-card payment approach provides flexible class attendance options. Call 968-YOGA (9642) for information and a complete schedule of classes.

Used Art Sale moves to Unitarian Universalist Church

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Rockford Urban Ministries will move its Used Art Sale to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford, 4848 Turner St., this Sunday, Dec. 15, before and after the service. Proceeds will help Rockford Urban Ministries meet its annual budget (the UU Church of Rockford is one of the 24 member congregations of the RUM Council).

Items for sale include art donated by businesses, churches and individuals, that has been displayed (“used”) and is looking for a good second home. Donations will also be accepted. This will be a good chance to get that last-minute holiday gift. Sale starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 1 p.m.

For information, call Rockford Urban Ministries at (815) 964-7111.

Beloit was ready to rock. “I need Tantric like I need Mountain Dew!” one ecstatic fan screamed as the rock band performed Thursday, July 10 at Beloit Riverfest. Tantric stopped in Beloit, Wis. as part of its national tour to promote its still untitled new album, which is expected to be released in the fall.

Tantric has been steadily gaining fans with its intelligent brand of radio-friendly rock. The group features three former Days of the New members (guitarist Todd Witener, bassist Jesse Vest, and drummer Matt Taul) who recruited vocalist Hugo Ferreira in 1999. The next year they scored a record deal and have been rocking ever since.

The talented four-piece performed an interesting mix of material during its hour-long set. Tantric played several songs off its upcoming CD including, “Cross the Line” and “Hero.” While these new songs were enjoyable, they were rather predictable and similar to the tracks on Tantric’s last album.

The group bounced back with a cover of an entertaining ’80s classic. “We’re going to bring you back to big hair and Aquanet,” Ferreira quipped before launching into Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Fans sang along word for word as Tantric delivered an energetic rendition of the well-known song.

An additional standout was the intricate ballad, “Mourning,” which highlighted lead singer Hugo Ferreira’s impressive vocal abilities as he ranged from a gravel voiced growl to a more soothing tone. The indisputable crowd favorite, however, was the band’s trademark single, “Breakdown.” Ferreira sang the entire song while walking through the enthusiastic audience. The talkative vocalist continually interacted with fans throughout the night.

While Tantric may not be the best rock band of all time, it is certainly fun to watch. For more information on the band and its new CD, log on to www.maverick.com/tantric.

Rockford MELD expands Transitional Living Program

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Rockford MELD is pleased to announce the expansion of the MELD Transitional Living Program. With a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and in collaboration with Anchor Group and Rockford Housing Authority, Rockford MELD will have an additional 21 apartments available in the community. With the addition of this expansion, MELD will have a total of 41 apartments available in the community for young parents and their families.

Rockford MELD Transitional Living Program is a program that provides comprehensive case management, including housing, household management and budgeting, educational and vocational planning, parenting information and supportive services.

The mission of MELD is to encourage independent families by providing access to resources, life skills, parenting information, program-based housing and prevention education. MELD serves a population of pregnant and parenting teens and their families and at-risk youth in the community.

For more information, call the MELD office at 815-965-8336.

United Way of Rock River Valley recently received a $33,608 contribution from The UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of UPS. The contribution was made through the Foundation’s UPS Contribution Program, an initiative in which the company contributes funds to United Way organizations in cities nationwide on behalf of UPS employees to help strengthen local communities. In addition to the local corporate gift, local employees pledged $93,422 in their workplace campaign, bringing the local pledge total to $127,030.

The contribution to United Way of Rock River Valley is one of many UPS has made in 2003 through its partnership with United Way. Nationwide, UPS awarded $9.3 million in corporate contributions. In addition, UPS employees contributed approximately $44 million, bringing this year’s company-wide United Way campaign contribution to $53.2 million. This marks the second consecutive year UPS has exceeded $50 million in donations with an annual campaign. UPS’s 2002 contribution of $52.2 million made it the first company to break the $50 million mark in a single United Way campaign.

“UPS and United Way share a commitment to build stronger communities and support the efforts of local nonprofits,” said Evern Cooper, president of The UPS Foundation and vice president of UPS corporate relations. “For more than two decades, UPS employees have donated their money and volunteer time to help improve the lives of others. We are a proud United Way partner and support its ongoing efforts.”

When the line at Starbucks is longer than the line at the gym, it may be a sign consumers are not starting their days recharged and refreshed from a good night’s sleep. Pending deadlines, murky financial forecasts, world events, family matters, and increasing daily demands keep us awake, wondering when we will “catch up” on all the sleep we miss each night. The end result is increased stress among Americans who are already exhausted and sleep deprived.

According to the second annual Better Sleep Council Stress Survey, 66 percent of Americans are losing sleep due to stress, up from 51 percent last year. This year’s survey also found that 17 percent of Americans are losing sleep at least three nights a week, with most (49 percent) losing sleep a few nights a month. Furthermore, experts agree that loss of sleep can impact performance.

Dr. Louis Libby, pulmonologist and medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Providence Portland Medical Center, confirms that losing sleep due to stress three or four days in a row will impact an individual’s performance. And the University of Pennsylvania found that individuals who sleep only four to six hours a night are as sleep deprived as those who have gone three full days without sleep.

As a society, are we creating a sleep deficit that we will never be able to pay off? It is important that individuals begin evaluating their sleep patterns and make changes to improve their quality of sleep. As part of Better Sleep Month, The Better Sleep Council has developed a short list of ways consumers can take control, improve their quality of sleep, and ultimately reduce the level of stress in their lives.

Top five ways to control your sleep environment:

1. Determine your sleep requirement—Determining the amount of sleep you need each night to be fully alert the next day is a big step toward sleep environment control. You should try to get at least your minimum sleep requirement each night, if not more. Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.

2. Reduce noise—Keeping your bedroom noise level at a minimum creates an ideal, relaxed sleep environment. Consider removing your television and/or radio from the bedroom.

3. Create a comfortable bed—Evaluating your mattress is important—is it giving you the support and comfort you need to get a good night’s sleep?

4. Engage in pre-bedtime relaxation—Engaging in a relaxing, non-alerting activity at bedtime such as reading or listening to music will help you sleep better. Avoid activities that are mentally and physically stimulating that might keep you awake.

5. Develop a sleep ritual—Following the same routine each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night. Set a regular schedule that takes you from dusk to dawn.

Consider applying these tips to your daily routine. After all, starting every day with a good night’s sleep is among the best investments you can make in improving your quality of life.

For more information, visit www.bettersleep.org or call (888) 31-SLEEP.

Religious Poetry Contest

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A $1,000 grand prize is being offered in a special religious poetry contest sponsored by the New Jersey Rainbow Poets, free to anyone who has ever written a poem. There are 50 prizes totaling almost $5,000. The deadline is Jan. 4, 2003.

To enter, send one poem only of 21 lines or less: Free Poetry Contest, 103 N. Wood Ave., PMB 70, Linden, N.J. 07036. Or, enter online at www.rainbowpoets.com.

“We think great religious poems can inspire achievement,” says Frederick Young, the organization’s contest director. “Our desire is to inspire amateur poets, and we think this competition will accomplish that. Illinois has produced many wonderful poets over the years, and we’d like to discover new ones from the Rockford area.”

Ballet Metropolitan announces Nutcracker performances

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It just isn’t the Holidays without The Nutcracker! Dec. 13 – 15, Ballet Metropolitan brings the endearing story of Clara’s dream to life. Sugar Plum Fairies dance in snow-filled forests. Toy soldiers and mice spring to life. Clara’s Nutcracker Prince appears. The Christmas tree grows to dizzying heights.

Magnificent dance, unforgettable music, lavish scenery, and exquisite costumes await you. Nutcracker performances are Friday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. at the Belvidere High School Performing Arts Center.

Directed and choreographed by Ballet Metropolitan’s artistic director, Petria Foss Milroy, this unique production will feature a cast of more than 70 dancers. Brian Grant will star as the Cavalier, and Katrina Bierk as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Other stars include: Teresa Urnezis, a Metropolitan Ballet principal dancer; Julia Swanson; Kirsten Klotz; J.P. Tenuta; Ed Stiltner (as Drosselmyer); and Kelly Rose Delehanty (as Clara).

Brian Grant, a student in Northern Illinois University’s Dance Performance/Theater Arts program, has performed in Rockford for many years. Katrina Bierk, a long-time dancer with Ballet Metropolitan, has performed lead roles in several of the company’s productions. She also has danced with Ballet Arkansas and Louisville Ballet, among others.

Tickets for Ballet Metropolitan’s production of The Nutcracker are $12 per adult; $10 per child, student, or senior citizen. All tickets are reserved seating. To reserve tickets, or for more information, call (815) 654-7190.

Petria Milroy’s experience as an artistic director, choreographer, professional dancer, and teacher spans more than 30 years in classical ballet, jazz, modern and Spanish dance. She has danced professionally as a soloist with Omaha Ballet, Charleston Civic Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Dance Charlotte, Miami Ballet, Ballet Madison, Performance Tech, and Northern Dance Theatre. A former student of the Royal Academy of Dance, Milroy has also studied and performed with legendary dancers Michael Baryshnikov and Alexander Godunov.

Milroy holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance Performance/Theater Arts from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Creighton University. In addition to directing and performing in Ballet Metropolitan, Milroy is a charter member of the Rockford Dance Company and is an active member of the Rockford Area Arts Council, the Arts Plus Committee, the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, and the Loves Park/Machesney Park Chamber of Commerce. She also works directly with the Rockford Park District and Rockford School District, introducing and teaching dance to children.

Ballet Metropolitan is a non-profit ballet company that is an incomparable resource for dancers to enhance their artistic experience while receiving instruction in dance that is second to none. In addition to her own teaching, Milroy recruits renowned professional dancers to instruct and to choreograph. This unique blend puts Ballet Metropolitan in a class by itself, allowing students to see the real-life opportunities available to them after high school or college.

Ballet Metropolitan is committed to dancers of all types: those who seek to build a professional career; those who dance for the pure love of the art; and those who dance for exercise. Auditions are held throughout the year for new company members, apprentices, and understudies. Rehearsals are held at the Metropolitan School of Ballet, located at the Carlson Arctic Ice Arena in Loves Park.

A young mother, disabled by multiple sclerosis is forced to use a cane where she once strolled freely.

An esteemed university chemistry professor is unable to grasp the tools so vital to teaching his craft because of rheumatoid arthritis.

For all three, each day is a struggle against bodies that have turned against them. The natural process of inflammation, normally enacted to repair tissue and fight infection, has gone awry, attacking the skin, central nervous and musculoskeletal systems, respectively. As a result, the boy lives with scaly, red patches of skin which, though not contagious, make adults shy away and prompt his classmates to tease him mercilessly. The mother battles relapses of fatigue and loss of balance, which appear without warning and outstay their welcome. And the professor, who teaches through the painful swelling in his hands, lives from bottle to bottle of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

“For years, a group of chronic, inflammatory diseases has frustrated physicians and patients seeking effective treatment,” says Cecil B. Wilson, M.D., an internist in Winter Park, Fla., and an American Medical Association (AMA) trustee. “The growing body of knowledge about the immune system’s role in diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, scleroderma and multiple sclerosis (MS) means that there is hope for long-term treatments and perhaps even cures.”

In light of such recent discoveries, the AMA held an inflammatory diseases media briefing in New York City recently, where experts gathered to discuss the evolving body of thought surrounding the treatment of these chronic autoimmune diseases which, as of now, have no cure.

“All of these disorders are chronic progressive diseases,” says Anthony Gaspari, M.D., a dermatology expert from the University of Maryland in Baltimore and a speaker at the AMA media briefing. “Unlocking the secrets of some might lead to therapies for others.” For example, he said, while the immune system has long been implicated in MS, “it has only been in the last five years or so that we’ve believed that the immune system plays a role in psoriasis.”

New biologic treatments offer hope

Although many inflammatory diseases seem to have a genetic component, some are triggered by other processes. Cytokines, for instance, are naturally-produced proteins that trigger inflammatory and disease-fighting responses to toxins, injury, viruses and bacteria. These proteins are of particular interest when studying inflammatory disorders, Gaspari says, as their malfunction may be responsible for everything from the over-production of skin in psoriasis to the destruction of nerve insulating material in MS to the abnormal growth of connective tissue in scleroderma.

Psoriasis, which affects up to 7 million men and women, serves as a particularly good bench-to-bedside example of how scientific discoveries are making their way from the lab into clinical practice. While the exact cause of psoriasis is not known, experts do know that symptoms are a result of cells in the outer layer of the skin reproducing quickly and piling up on the skin’s surface. Although certain cases are limited to areas such as the elbows, knees and scalp, others can involve anywhere from 10 to 100 percent of the body.

For those patients who suffer from more aggressive cases, new biologic agents offer an alternative in treating psoriasis, said Kenneth B. Gordon, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the division of dermatology at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. Designed through genetic engineering to affect only the target organ system—in this case the immune system and the skin—biologic therapies avoid the multiorgan toxicity often seen with traditional treatments such as methotrexate and cyclosporine. Biologics are delivered via injection rather than orally, because the proteins would be broken down in the stomach, and improvements are typically seen after a couple of months of twice-a-week to every-other-week treatment.

The first biologic for the treatment of psoriasis was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in February 2003; others are being looked at for potential use. These agents, Gordon says, may help more patients in returning to normal lives.

“Many patients no longer seek health care for this condition because they believe their options are exhausted and they must live with the disease,” Gordon explains. “They are frustrated with therapy because their physician doesn’t think their condition merits aggressive therapy or doesn’t understand the therapies that are available. People who have given up hope need to know that there are new treatments available.” And while therapies such as specific alteration in gene expression are on the distant horizon, for now, Gordon believes, “biological agents are the future for the next decade or beyond.”

Optimistic future for patients

In MS, a life-long chronic disease affecting 250,000 to 300,000 Americans, the disease attacks random patches of the central nervous system’s white matter, causing partial destruction of myelin, the substance which insulates the nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. Initial symptoms are often vision-related, such as blurred or double vision, distortion of red and green, or blindness in one eye. Muscular weakness, loss of coordination or balance, numbness or pain, fatigue and slurred speech typically follow. Studies show that the aforementioned cytokines may cause this abnormal autoimmune response and influence myelin damage.

Standard therapy has included corticosteroids to suppress the immune system. But now, for the first time, people with MS have a choice of several biologically-based anti-inflammatory treatments to effectively modify the course of their disease. New biologic agents such as beta-interferons are immunomodulatory—not immunosuppressive—in nature, halting MS inflammation by repairing the blood-brain barrier and reducing the inflammatory process. Depending on the beta-interferon prescribed, patients may experience decreased relapse rates, increased time between relapses, decreased attack severity and a reduced number of MS lesions.

“Patients should be very optimistic about the long-term outlook for multiple sclerosis,” says AMA media briefing speaker Brian R. Apatoff, M.D., director of Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Care and Research Center at New York-Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. “Twenty years ago there weren’t really any treatments for MS, we were fumbling around with corticosteroids as the mainstay in immune intervention. Now we have become more sophisticated and developed new therapies which have fewer side effects than steroids but still control the inflammation.”

Multiple sclerosis patients aren’t the only ones who should be feeling optimistic about their diagnosis. For although there is currently no cure for any of these diseases, the future looks promising. “As we unravel the mysteries of the immune system and identify the genes that are passed on in families,” Gaspari says, “we may be able to develop therapies that can be used long-term or that actually cure these disorders.”

For more information, visit www.ama-assn.org/go/briefings.

Enchante ‘Autumn in Paris’ raises more than $2,000 for United Way

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Three local boutiques recently presented a check in the amount of $2,280 to United Way of the Rock River Valley. The money was raised at the first annual style show Enchante “Autumn in Paris,” held at the Clock Tower Resort’s elegant Bristol Room (formerly Figg’s Cafe) and was hosted by Carlotta’s at the Clock Tower, Rhomberg Fur & Leather Gallery and Sarah McClelland Apparel, Inc.

“We were looking for a way to showcase our fabulous fall fashions and benefit the community at the same time,” said Sarah McClelland of Sarah McClelland Apparel. “When we called United Way, we learned of the variety of programs they support throughout the community. We knew that we could do the most good with this relationship.”

United Way solves the community’s most pressing problems with innovative initiatives and dynamic partnerships with agencies and others. United Way annually raises more than $6.3 million with nearly $5 million given back to the community. For more information, visit the Web site at www.unitedwayrrv.org.

Take a Break, Mr. Mayor: I’m not surprised Rockford Mayor Doug “Opie” Scott would keel over at one of his many press conferences last week. The guy needs to slow down a little.

He was ripping around the city pretty close to the speed of those winds that raked Rockford July 5, causing millions of dollars of damage and leaving some people without power for almost a week.

The mayor was trying to put the city back together while at the same time trying to carry on with regular duties—meetings, the stress of worrying about being No. 3 instead of No. 2, appearing at the airport, chasing here, there and everywhere. Take a break, Mr. Mayor. Go fishing for a few days, or whatever it is you do to relax.

Rockford still will be here. We’ll be No. 3, but we’ll still be here. If those winds didn’t blow us off the map, we’ll survive pretty much anything this side of nuclear holocaust.

The winds, by the way, could have been as high as 100 mph, with gusts between 60 and 80 mph, according to various reports.

There’s little doubt the cleanup bill will run into the millions. ComEd’s bill will be BIG. The utility had 219 electrical construction crews—some from out of state—and 59 tree-trimming crews in here to restore power to an estimated 85,000 homes and businesses.

The city of Rockford also will have a big bill, and before his collapse, Scott said he talked to his old buddy, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, about some state help. The feds ought to kick in some money, too.

Being the Forest City, we have a lot of trees, including on our golf courses and in our parks, and Rockford Park District really took a hit, losing somewhere around 1,200 trees. Ingersoll golf course had to be shut down to allow for cleanup.

And that big, old burr oak tree in Sinnissippi Gardens, it’s gone. Someone laid flowers at the site of the downed tree; WTVO-TV-17 had footage of the flowers. The tree was believed to be 150 years old … 150 years old.

Rockford barely existed when it started to reach for the heavens. It was honored as a millennium tree when we entered the new century. Mother Nature can brew up some fury when she has a mind to, and she doesn’t care what gets in her path. She certainly doesn’t respect old age.

A lot of people praised local radio station WNTA-AM-1330 for the job it did after the storm hit, and that praise was deserved. But I also thought the local daily rose above itself and did a very good job of storm reporting—as did WTVO once it got back on the air that Saturday afternoon.

Poor WIFR-TV-23. Its transmission tower was felled by the storm, and it was still off the air a week later—except to subscribers to Insight Communications cable system, which includes Rockford, Belvidere, Freeport and parts of Ogle County.

According to WIFR’s Web site, it was sending its signal to Insight, and still was broadcasting over the air on a temporary low power tower and transmitter. But it was not on Charter Communications cable, which serves northern Winnebago County and other nearby areas.

WIFR called the downed tower a multi-million-dollar calamity, and said a new tower will take at least six months to design and construct.

One of the worst things I read about outside of the Rockford area was reported by the Waukegan News-Sun: Two North Shore Sanitary District pumping stations in Lake Bluff-North Chicago and Lake Forest lost power … after violent storms cut power lines, causing more than 366,000 gallons of raw sewage mixed with storm water to spill into Lake Michigan.

The Lake Bluff pumping station also experienced a 300,000-gallon raw sewage spill during a storm last summer, the paper said.

That is not what Lake Michigan needs.

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113 and Still Going: The oldest person in Illinois is Mary Crombie of Dixon. She was born July 6, 1890, and marked her 113th birthday a week ago last Sunday. Mayor Jim Burke proclaimed July 6 as Mary Crombie Day in Dixon.

The Dixon Telegraph found some interesting data: She is the fourth-oldest person in the United States and the ninth-oldest person in the world, according to Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group. The oldest woman is 115-year-old Kamato Hongo of Japan. The oldest man is Yukicki Chuganji, 114, also of Japan.

The oldest person in the United States is Elana Slough of New Jersey. She turned 114 July 8.

Mary Crombie had a twin sister who lived to be 94 and a brother who lived to be 100.

Mary Crombie, by the way, is a really longtime Chicago Cubs fan. She was 18 the last time the Cubs won a World Series. I’d say she has waited long enough for the Cubs to do it again.

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Encouraging Economy: For a change, there is some good economic news across northern Illinois, from west to east:

Louis Goikas, president and CEO of a company called Savanna Depot Technologies Corp., wants to use the vacant ammunition bunkers at old Savanna Army Depot as a secure “server farm” to store data for financial institutions and others. He formerly worked for IBM’s data management division and says it can be done. He hopes to hire 150 employees by March—and projects a work force of more than 2,000 by August 2006.

U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, the Egan Republican, said last week that $7.5 million is included in the House-approved defense bill to establish a public-private manufacturing research center in the Rockford area. It would involve businesses and universities in this area and elsewhere in Illinois, and Manzullo said House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois is behind it.

McHenry County developer Joseph Buralli has signed a contract to buy the vacant Motorola plant in Harvard and turn it into a six-story indoor water park, convention center and resort complex. Buralli said he plans to open the indoor water park next summer. He also is trying to build a hotel and indoor water park in Huntley. Both projects likely would impact Rockford’s Magic Waters.

‘Holly and the Ivy’ named Carol of the Year 2002

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DEKALB—Musical historian William Studwell has selected a pair of 300-year-old carols for the honor of Carol of the Year 2002.

Leading the list is an English carol composed around 1700, “The Holly and the Ivy.” Also from that era is the French-born “Patapan,” an early predecessor to the 20th century Christmas hit, “The Little Drummer Boy.”

Studwell is a professor emeritus from Northern Illinois University who has selected a top carol each year since 1986. Recognized as one of the world’s leading scholars of Christmas music, he has written four books and more than 50 journal articles on the topic. He is also the editor of the acclaimed Millennia Collection of Christmas music from Sony.

“The Holly and the Ivy,” which Studwell classifies as a folk song, was composed in the Gloucestershire region of western England. That area has a history as the birthplace to many classic Christmas carols including, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “The First Noel.”

“It’s a very aesthetic, gentle song, and rather ethereal,” says Studwell. “I think it’s getting a little lost nowadays—it doesn’t swing or pound—it is kind of an anachronism. It is a favorite of many people, but many others seem to have never heard of it.”

“Patapan,” also composed around 1700, is little known to many, but may have been the inspiration for “The Little Drummer Boy,” which was written in 1941.

Bernard de la Monnoye, whom Studwell has dubbed the “carol poet laureate of the Burgundy region of France,” wrote the song, which urges a little boy to play his drum to add to the festiveness of the holiday. His other lesser-known Christmas compositions included “Cheerily Wife! The Devil is Dead!” and “Tantara! Mighty God!”

The tune of “Patapan” may have been borrowed from a folk song popular at the time, but that does not diminish the piece in Studwell’s mind. “A bright, under-known classic, exhorts little Willie to get his drum and tap-tap-tap on it. It is a brisker and richer predecessor to “The Little Drummer Boy,” a song of which Studwell is less fond, and one that never made his Carol of the Year list.

Studwell began researching Christmas carols in 1972 when he created a pamphlet about “O Holy Night” as a gift for a family member. Since then, he has researched and written about hundreds of carols and has conducted more than 300 media interviews on the topic for newspapers, radio and television. He is also a champion of other musical genres that he believes are under-appreciated and has written extensively on college fight songs, state songs, patriotic music and circus music, becoming a nationally recognized expert in each of those fields.

If you ever thought about getting treatment for back and neck pain, now might be the time to do it. Helping Hands Chiropractic of Northern Illinois, which specializes in helping residents ease pain, has opened a new office building at 4855 E. State St. in Manhattan Plaza, Rockford. Dr. Chuck Roessler, who recently relocated from Atlanta, Ga., heads the back pain center. Dr. Roessler has four years of experience and is a diplomat of the Illinois Chiropractic Society, The American Chiropractic Association and National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

The hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-7 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment only.

According to Dr. Roessler, “Most Rockford residents don’t understand what a chiropractor does, so this clinic is also an educational resource center for pain sufferers.”

For an appointment, call Helping Hands Chiropractic of Northern Illinois at 399-3132.

Rockford Art Museum offers trip to Michelangelo exhibition

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Rockford Art Museum has scheduled a trip for museum members to view the exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago titled, “The Medici, Michelangelo, and the Art of Late Renaissance Florence,” on Friday, Jan. 10, 2003. This exhibition includes drawings and a sculpture by Michelangelo, sculpture by Cellini and Giambologna and paintings by Bronzino, Pontormo and Salviati.

The emphasis of the exhibition is the influence of the Medici families’ patronage on the extraordinary works of art produced in Renaissance Florence during the years the city was governed by the Medici family, 1537 to 1631.

The members-only trip includes round-trip chartered bus transportation to the Art Institute of Chicago with refreshments and an audio tour of the exhibition. The cost is $40 per person. To reserve a space on the trip, send a check to the Museum by Jan. 3, 2003, to Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61103. Lunch is not included in the cost.

Departure from the Riverfront Museum Park parking lot is at 9 a.m. with a return scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Museum memberships are available for $25 for individuals and for families $35.

For more information, contact Education Director Lorie Langan at 972-2880.

Despite all the flag waving hoopla, such as when President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier just off San Diego, and all the gushing praise of our military, the troops are less than thrilled with this administration.

That is especially true of those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. That dissatisfaction was openly and bluntly expressed in a recent editorial in The Army Times.

The Army Times is the successor to The Stars and Stripes of World War II fame. That, you may recall, was where Bill Mauldin published his pointed cartoons of “Willie and Joe,” a couple of battle-weary GIs reflecting on the folly of war.

Willie and Joe would be appalled if they saw the treatment of our troops at the hands of the Bush crowd. The Army Times called it “nickel-and-dime treatment.”

“For example,” said the newspaper, “the White House griped that various pay-and-benefits incentives added to the 2004 defense budget by Congress are wasteful and unnecessary, including a modest proposal to double the $6,000 gratuity paid to families of troops who die on active duty. This comes at a time when Americans continue to die in Iraq at a rate of about one a day.”

So if you’re in uniform in Iraq or Afghanistan, your life is not worth $6,000 in the administration’s view. And that’s not all.

The Bush crew already announced that as of Oct. 1, it wants to roll back small increases in monthly imminent-danger pay from $225 to $150. The family-separation allowance also would be cut from $250 to $100. That’s for Americans getting shot at in combat zones.

While the compassionate conservatives rammed through hefty tax cuts for their wealthy friends, they somehow couldn’t find time to pass some lesser ones that would help military homeowners and reservists, who must travel long distances for training, as well as parents sent to combat zones.

This pettiness even reaches to basic pay. While the Bush defense budget for 2004 would grant higher raises for some ranks, it also would cap increases for enlisted men (E-1 and E-2) and officers (O-1) at 2 percent. The average raise is 4.1 percent.

The Senate wants no part of those provisions and rejected that part of the bill, while the House backs Bush. The Senate would grant 3.7 percent pay hikes at the minimum and greater raises for some others.

Bush’s latest slap in the face to our uniformed men and women is his $9.2 billion military construction request for 2004. The House Appropriations Committee’s military construction subcommittee has approved that figure, which is $1.5 billion less than this year’s budget.

To top that, the subcommittee voted to trim construction spending by an additional $41 million next year.

Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., tried to restore $1 billion of the cuts by paring down the recent tax cuts for the very rich; that is the approximately 200,000 Americans who earn more than $1 million a year.

He proposed to give them a tax break of $83,500 instead of the planned $88,300.

Republicans on the committee quickly killed that idea, and the prospects for any improvement do not look very good.

Some congressmen are angered by the administration’s attitude and actions. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, pointed to a House resolution last March that pledged unconditional support for service members and their families. He said, “American military men and women don’t deserve to be saluted with our words and insulted by our actions.”

The Army Times editorialist put it in a more direct and salty fashion. “Translation: Money talks, and we all know what walks.”

The Christmas Cup at YAT

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Young American Theater, a division of New American Theater, is presenting The Christmas Cup now through Dec. 22 as its holiday production.

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13, 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14 and 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15; also, 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 20, 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 21 and 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 22. Admission for all shows is $8 regular admission, $6 student/senior and Main Stage subscribers.

In this play, you journey with Ann Megan McCallie, or Little M (as she prefers to be called), and see the world through a child’s eyes. Little M impulsively spends all of her hard-earned money for a worthless, battered, tin milkshake cup that she sees at an auction. Her grandmother helps her find the perfect use for the cup and teaches her to find beauty when it seems impossible. Learn with Little M the joy of giving this Christmas season.

Young American Theater (YAT) is a youth theater troupe consisting of high school students from all over the Rock River Valley. It was formed in 1976 as a response to Rockford school system budget cuts that eliminated extracurricular activities for a time. Eventually, school plays were added back to the budget, but response to YAT was so strong that it continued and has become even stronger. Working together with professional staff at NAT, YATers learn about theater first-hand through workshops and productions. Today, YAT is a 28-member strong organization. Over the years, YAT graduates have gone on to become lawyers, dental hygienists, teachers, and top professional writers, directors and actors.

Has your pharmacist ever asked you about substituting a generic drug for your regular prescription? Here’s what you should know before you answer that question: Pill coatings, colorings or shapes may vary, but the active ingredient in a generic drug is chemically identical to the brand-name drug—and all generic drugs undergo rigorous testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

When a patent expires on a brand name drug, a generic manufacturer can apply to the FDA for permission to produce that drug. Generic drugs must meet the same stringent requirements and inspections for dosage strength, manufacturing controls and labeling, and must produce the same clinical results as the brand name medication.

However, since generic manufacturers don’t spend as much for research and development, clinical testing, advertising, sales or marketing, their products can be sold at lower prices—sometimes as much as 75 percent less. Many familiar drugs, such as ibuprofen and prednisone, were once brand-name prescription drugs.

“Generic formulations have a long track record and have been proven safe and effective,” said Marissa Schlaifer, R.Ph., M.S., director of Pharmacy Affairs for the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy in Alexandria, Va. “About 50 percent of all prescriptions now filled are for generic medications.” Ask your doctor if switching to a generic might be appropriate for you. Or, ask your pharmacist for more information about what generic equivalents are available for your prescriptions. Generic drugs are not only just as safe and effective as brand name drugs, they can help improve the health of your checkbook, too.

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy is a professional association of pharmacists who work in managed care organizations. AMCP’s vision is improved quality of life through affordable and accessible medication therapy. Learn more at: http://www.amcp.org, or call (800) 827-2627.