Paris Bennett

From press release

The Works of Faith Ministries presents the Seventh Annual ’70s Gospel Concert with special guests Paris Bennett from American Idol; Ann Nesby, lead vocalist from Sounds of Blackness and four-time Grammy nominee; the national award winning ACME Missionary Baptist Church Choir; and Harlan Jefferson.

The event will revisit the tunes of some of the most inspirational gospel singers of the time, including The Clark Sisters, Shirley Caesar and others. Darryll King, radio personality for Soul 106.3 FM, will serve as the evening’s emcee.

Doors to the 7 p.m., Saturday, March 13, concert open at 5:30 p.m. at Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford. Tickets are $17-$27.

Founded by Lori Flemming in 2004, Works of Faith Ministries strives to nurture and give back to the local community. Works of Faith offers a medium for at-risk youth and families to express and showcase their gifts and talents in a positive, diverse atmosphere through performing arts and musical venues. Some of the organizations Works of Faith has helped include MELD, American Cancer Society and Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

A portion of the proceeds from the concert will be donated to local food pantries and to victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

For tickets, call Coronado Box Office at (815) 968-0595 or visit www.coronadopac.org.

Charlotte’s Web for the Performing Arts presents David Mallett in concert at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 12, at Katie’s Cup.

From press release

Charlotte’s Web for the Performing Arts presents David Mallett in concert at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 12, at Katie’s Cup, 502 Seventh St., Rockford.

From a small town in northern Maine, with a career spanning four decades, David Mallett’s music has traveled to all corners of the world. His songs have been recorded by more than 150 artists, including Pete Seeger, Alison Krauss, John Denver, Emmylou Harris, and even the Muppets. His “Garden Song” has become an American folk classic. He has performed in town halls and folk clubs across America and Europe in addition to major venues such as Barns of Wolf Trap, Newport Folk Festival, and Prairie Home Companion.

The Bangor Daily News recognized Mallett as one of the 58 most memorable Mainers of the 20th century. The readers of FOLKWAX voted him 2003 Artist of the Year and “Artist in Me” 2003 Album of the Year. He has recorded 14 albums, including The Fable True (2007) based on Thoreau’s last expedition in 1857, a spoken-word CD with accompanying music. “Mallet is a first-rate folk singer and writer. His portraits and townscapes are camera sharp, and his knowledge of his subjects is profound.”–Billboard

The Center for Sight & Hearing and Charlotte’s Web have partnered to host a sign language interpreter to join David on stage and share his music in the beautiful dance of American Sign Language.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Advance tickets are available at Rockford Area Arts Council, 713 E. State, (815) 963-6765; both of The Postal Shoppe locations, in the Edgebrook Center, (815) 397-7301 and 2205 S. Perryville, (815) 484-0940; The Kilt & Clover, 1414 N. Main, (815) 962-5458; and JustGoods, 201 Seventh St., (815) 965-8903. Tickets can also be ordered with credit card via PayPal ($1 /ticket service charge), at www.charlotteswebofrockford.org. Print your receipt and present it at the door to redeem your tickets.

For more information, call (815) 964-2238 or visit www.charlotteswebofrockford.org.

From press release

Friday and Saturday, March 12 and 13, Q98.5 WXXQ radio will hold its 18th Annual St. Jude Radio-Thon. They will ask listeners to help raise money for kids battling cancer in the stateline area along with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The Q98.5 air-staff will broadcast live for 28 hours from Center Court at CherryVale Mall. From 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Q98.5 will ask listeners to make donations or pledges to help fund the research to fight cancer and other children’s diseases.

Donations or pledges can be made by calling (888) 286-4673 or in person a the CherryVale Mall.

Q98.5 has been able to raise more than $2.6 million in the past 17 years for this worthy cause. The need is great. No child should die in the dawn of life. Donations and pledges will go a long way to help save a life.

Might Have Gone Fishing is the story of a troubled father and son relationship.

From press release

Meet Jason, age 10. He’s dealing with some tough issues. His parents have split, he’s got a bad stammer, and his dad keeps promising to take him fishing, but somehow they never go. Might Have Gone Fishing is the story of a troubled father and son relationship.

This world premiere by Rufus Cadigan was developed from an earlier one-act play that won the Edward Albee Excellence in Playwriting Award at the Last Frontier Theatre Conference.

Running March 12-28, Might Have Gone Fishing is a memory play. We see scenes between 9-year-old Jason and Pat, his erratic father whose drinking is escalating out of control. Jason’s mother, Karen, worries about her young son when he spends time with his unpredictable father. Scenes play out in the memory of 22-year-old Jason, now a college student who hasn’t heard a word from his father for 12 years. Now, Pat is trying to reconnect with his bitter, resentful son in this touching drama.

Michael Herold, last seen in AE’s production of The Dining Room, plays Jason’s father, Pat. Ensemble member Carolyn Cadigan portrays Pat’s ex-wife, Karen. Rockford College student Daniel Switzer plays adult Jason, while Salvador Stoneberg plays young Jason. David Causey appears as Gordon, one of Pat’s drinking buddies who later becomes the only adult Jason can turn to for help.

Might Have Gone Fishing runs March 12-28 in the Cheek Theatre at Rockford College. Adult language is used in the play and it is recommended for high school students and older.

Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Thursday tickets are $18. All other shows are $26, $24 for seniors, and $10 for students. There is also a 5@5 student rush ticket program where full-time students may purchase any unsold tickets at five minutes before curtain for just $5. Tickets may be purchased online at www.artistsensemble.org or call (815) 394-5004.

1 Soybean ccurd
5 Rattlesnake weapons
10 It has a low pH
14 Historical periods
15 Motionless
16 Smell detector
17 Reverberation
18 Step in a flight
19 Festive occasion
20 Damage
21 Measurer of 52 Across
23 Simple
25 Buddy
26 Feel
28 Longtime game show host Barker
31 Sprints and marathons
35 Comments of relaxation
36 Actor Irons or Brett
38 On the outside: prefix
39 Bigger than Med.
40 Unit of 52 Across
41 All Things Considered network
42 Quarterback Manning
43 Rectangular or oval
44 Printer’s instruction to ignore a correction
45 D.C. subway
47 Official U.S. lang.
48 Puts behind bars
49 Wanted poster initials
51 Large resonant disk
52 Fever
58 Republican, on some maps
61 Landed
62 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical
63 Actress Delany
64 Star Trek villain
65 Well-known
66 Does basic arithmetic
67 First or reverse, perhaps
68 Winner by ___
69 Netting

Down

1 Abound
2 Killer whale
3 Unit of 52 Across
4 Servicemen’s grp.
5 Peculiar
6 Put money in the pot
7 Close by
8 Dire
9 Razor sharpener
10 Lansbury or Cartwright
11 Winter wear
12 ___ of Capri
13 Beloved
21 Mao ___-Tung
22 Bells of St. ___
24 Donkey
26 Witch trial site
27 National Symbol
28 Notorious Starr
29 Actor-director Welles
30 Existence
32 40 Across, once
33 Push out
34 Types
36 George W.’s brother
37 Coffee cup
40 Longtime PBS host Alastair
44 ___ Francisco
46 Bird of prey
48 GI ___
50 Sports venue
51 School mark
52 Zest
53 Confederate Gen. Robert ___
54 Ms. Sorvino
55 Door-to-door sales company
56 A Jackson
57 Southwestern Indians
59 Ceases
60 Scurry
63 Beaver construction

Last week's crossword answer

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

1964: The Tribute is coming to the Coronado Performing Arts Center for one night only at 8 p.m., Friday, March 12. The world’s best Beatles tribute band will take their audience on a fantastic trip back to the era of the rock legends who will live in our hearts forever.

Rolling Stone magazine has named 1964 the “No. 1 Beatles Tribute Show On Earth.” The band’s portrayal is so musically and visually accurate that even the former president of the Beatles’ record label claims they sent “shivers down my spine!”

1964: The Tribute has been featured on national television several times with appearances on Entertainment Tonight, PM magazine, CNN, The USA Network and The Nashville Network. They consistently travel and sell out major concert venues around the world. In 2006, they sold out the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City for a record-breaking seventh time!

1964: The Tribute showcases songs from the pre-Sgt. Pepper’s era, such as “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Eight Days a Week” and “Help!” With their breathtaking ability to become the Fab Four, 1964 re-creates an early ’60s live Beatles concert down to the smallest details—authentic clothing, instruments, hairstyles and on-stage banter.

1964: The Tribute is a show you cannot miss. If you haven’t had the chance to see them before—do not pass up this one. If you’ve witnessed them before, then you know how spectacular they are and should not pass on the opportunity to experience 1964 again. It promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime event, bringing the past into the present with the most accurate, entertaining Beatles show in the world!

Tickets may be purchased at the Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford, online at www.coronadopac.org or by phone at (815) 968-0595. The cost per ticket is $29.50.

ROCHELLE, Ill.—Vince Carney Community Theater in Rochelle, Ill., is staging the musical comedy spoof on horror films Little Shop of Horrors March 12-14, March 19-21 and March 26-27. Friday and Saturday shows have 8 p.m. starts, while Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.

All shows are in Paddock Hall at Hickory Grove, 1133 N. Seventh St., Rochelle, Ill.

Little Shop of Horrors centers on a down-on-its-luck flower shop and a young clerk who discovers a new breed of plant. As the plant grows, so does his success. Unfortunately, the plant needs blood to grow, causing the clerk to make some decisions about the people he meets on Skid Row.

The movie version is a cult classic with Rick Moranis playing the part of Seymour, the flower shop clerk.

Tickets are $15 and can be ordered online by visiting vcctrochelle.org or by calling (815) 764-ACTS. Tickets will also be sold at the door the night of the show if seating is available.

The Friday and Saturday March 26 and 27 shows have a dinner theater option. Abraham’s Restaurant will have a buffet dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Paddock Hall. Tickets for the dinner theater option are $35. There will be a limited number of non-dinner tickets available March 26 and 27 as well.

Cast members include: Jacob Waddle, Misty Laws, Terry Camplain, Jeani Camplain, Laura Ruckert, Dana Cox, Ross Freier and Tim Dorgan. Renee Page is directing the show.

Rock Valley College (RVC) will hold open auditions for the 44th season of Starlight Theatre. This year’s productions include Chicago (June 2-6, July 7-11), Aida (June 9-13, July 14-18), Annie (June 16-20, July 21-25) and Rent (June 23-27, July 28-Aug. 1).

Auditions are by appointment only and will be held on the stage of the Bengt Sjostrom Theatre on the RVC main campus, 3301 N. Mulford Road, on the following days:

• Friday, March 12, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, March 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Sunday, March 14, from noon to 5 p.m.

• Friday, March 19, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, March 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Call (815) 921-2160 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays to schedule an audition appointment. You should allow approximately an hour-and-a-half for your audition. You may audition for one or all productions with one appointment.

Scripts are available for reading in the RVC Theatre Department lobby between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays or 6:30 to 9 p.m., Sunday-Thursday evenings. It will help if you have read the play or have at least seen a film version of the musical(s) for which you are auditioning.

For more information, call (815) 921-2160.

FORT ATKINSON, Wis.—The Fireside Dinner Theatre continues its 2010 season with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s smash hit, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The show runs March 11-May 2.

Every show comes with a fine dining experience, access to several boutique shops right at The Fireside, and free and convenient parking. For information about showtimes, menus and tickets, or to reserve seats, call 800-477-9505 or visit www.firesidetheatre.com.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the colorful retelling of the story of Joseph, his coat of many colors and his amazing ability to interpret dreams is a musical blockbuster of Biblical proportions! Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s award-winning musical parable features a delightful array of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock ’n’ roll, entertaining young and old alike with such hits as “Go Go Go Joseph,” “Close Every Door” and “Any Dream Will Do.”

Joseph is his father’s favorite child, and he can interpret dreams and owns an amazing coat—all to the dismay of his 11 brothers. After being sold into slavery, news of Joseph’s incredible abilities reach The Pharaoh, who appoints him to the “Number Two” post in Egypt. But what will Joseph do when faced with the decision to help the brothers who betrayed him? Fireside Theatre Artistic Director Ed Flesch directs this family friendly, high-energy production complete with a message of hope and faith.

Several regional and national talents are making their debuts on The Fireside stage. Ian Patrick Gibb will play the title role, and Kari Ringer and Sara Ruzicka will share the role of the Narrator. Fireside favorite Michael Haws will be seen as both Jacob and Potiphar, and Manhattan native Cooper David Grodin returns to The Fireside after a successful run of Those Fabulous ’50s and ’60s as the Pharoah.

Season tickets are still available for the entire Fireside Theatre 2010 season, including Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, May 6-June 27; Ring of Fire, July 8-Aug. 29; TBA, Sept. 2-Oct. 31; and A Fireside Christmas Featuring “The Child,” Nov. 4-Dec. 23.

For more about The Fireside, visit firesidetheatre.com or call 1-800-477-9505.

Recently, one of our local weathermen mentioned that “meteorological spring” began March 1. I don’t know where I’ve been for the past half century, but I never heard of this phenomenon. I went online to investigate, and once again marveled, “I learn something new every day!”

Here’s what they said about meteorological spring on the Web site Seasons.com:

“Spring astronomically begins on the vernal equinox (when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is oriented such that the sun is located vertically above a point on the equator). …The vernal equinox occurs on March 20 or March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. … Meteorological spring is the season when winter transitions into summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological spring covers the entire months of March, April and May.”

When I went to school, spring began March 21, and that was the first day you could begin wearing your new clothes and hats (yes, we girls got hats, usually made of straw, every spring to wear places like church and community events).

I recently ate at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Janesville, Wis., where they had a section of seasonal items in their nostalgic shop. Their pastel selection of spring hats, dresses, and purses for kids caused me and my gal pal to exclaim loudly: “Oh, these are so cute! Remember when we wore things like this?!”

Our husbands were forced to seek refuge in the candy section, knowing the inevitability of our arrival there—in search of chocolate—sooner or later.

This got me thinking about the concept of a spring wardrobe: what is that, anyway? Not counting my dressing-for-success years, my traditional “spring wardrobe” has been strikingly similar to my winter wardrobe, except for the elimination of the “sweatshirt and/or long underwear” layer.

In an effort to be sophisticated, I explored “How to Build a Spring Wardrobe” at eHow.com, the Web site dedicated to “How To Do Just About Everything.” One of their hints: “Start building your spring wardrobe with a crisp, white cotton shirt. It can easily be dressed up with slacks, or dressed down when you tuck it into jeans or khakis.” They also recommended getting a “sharp blazer” and a raincoat.

Seems like this fashion advice works for guys, too. Most Second Half fellas I know celebrate the season with a new Harley T-shirt, or by switching from Carhartt knit hats to baseball caps. My unofficial tips to guys:

1. Get some new, good-quality T-shirts in any color you like—your old ones probably have holes, and you can see through ’em in places. Besides, nothing impresses a woman more than a guy asking, “Honey, should I tear up this old T-shirt for rags or just throw it away?”

2. Any shirt with buttons on it—sport shirt, polo, even Henley—makes you look more dressed up, so get a couple of new ones to impress us. Any clothes with writing on ’em should be reserved for sporting events, places that cater to men, or when riding motorcycles and horses.

3. Finally, never wear sandals with socks—NEVER.

On the flip side, springtime isn’t all tulips and bunnies. Spring is tropical cyclone season, bringing horrific and dangerous storms to places on earth that are otherwise thought of as “Paradise.” And paradise isn’t the only place that spring is the harbinger of Mother Nature’s temper. Wikipedia says this about the season’s downfalls:

“Unstable weather may more often occur during spring, when warm air begins on occasions to invade from lower latitudes, while cold air is still pushing on occasions from the Polar Regions. Flooding is also most common in and near mountainous areas during this time of year because of snowmelt, accelerated by warm rains. In the United States, Tornado Alley is most active this time of year, especially since the Rocky Mountains prevent the surging hot and cold air masses from spreading eastward and instead force them into direct conflict. Besides tornadoes, supercell thunderstorms can also produce dangerously large hail and very high winds, for which a severe thunderstorm warning or tornado warning is usually issued.”

Wow, bummer! But, to be honest, I love thunderstorms; for some odd reason, they make me feel good. I discovered I’m not alone in this—Ask.com led me to the Peak Pure Air site, which explained why I feel this way:

“After a lightning storm, most of us feel invigorated and refreshed. This is because the electrical storm has generated trillions of gloriously tranquilizing negative ions that ease tension and leave us full of energy. … ‘The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods,’ says ion researcher Michael Terman, Ph.D., of Columbia University in New York.”

Read the whole article at http://www.peakpureair.com/negative_ions.htm for more interesting facts. This tells me, from a scientific viewpoint, why going to the beach in winter improves our sense of well-being. Seems like insurance should cover a trip like that, in lieu of anti-depressants!

It cheers me to celebrate the arrival of spring—not once, but twice! In spite of the dangerous weather and my clothing concerns, I think springtime is worth celebrating…right up there with my birthday and any holiday that involves eating chocolate. In that spirit, here is my gift to you—a site describing this year’s Top Chocolate Bunnies and how to buy them:

http://gourmetfood.-about.com/od/wheretobuy-gourmetfoods/tp/top10choc-bunny.htm.

Happy spring!

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@hot-mail.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Dr. Bill Gorski, president and CEO for SwedishAmerican, signs an affiliation agreement with UW Health, Madison, Wis. Photo provided

From press release

SwedishAmerican Health System and UW Health in Madison recently announced a new affiliation agreement with the goal of providing access to highly sophisticated sub-specialty health care for local patients and the opportunity to create more specialized services in Rockford in the future.

With this agreement, the two organizations will jointly work on regional strategies such as expanding cancer services in Rockford, enhancing the delivery of care, advancing medical research, growing regional telemedicine infrastructures, and achieving seamless patient transfers and referrals between the two health systems.

SwedishAmerican President and CEO Dr. Bill Gorski said he is pleased a nationally-recognized medical center understands SwedishAmerican’s commitment to quality and its leadership position in providing care to the people of northern Illinois. He added that the SwedishAmerican Board embraced this opportunity to significantly impact the health system’s regional strategies and service offerings.

“SwedishAmerican is very excited to enter into this exclusive affiliation with UW Health,” said Dr. Gorski. “Our Board and leadership team are constantly looking for ways to enhance and expand the services we provide to thousands of patients and families in northern Illinois. This initiative with UW affords us just such an opportunity.”

Dr. Gorski added this affiliation is neither a merger nor an acquisition. Rather, it is the coming together of two strong organizations who share a common vision of bringing enhanced programming to the region.

Dr. Gorski said: “UW is internationally recognized as an academic medical center, at the forefront of research, technology, education and clinical programming. SwedishAmerican is perhaps at the strongest point in our history. Our quality outcomes, market share and consumer preference are at historic highs. Together, our organizations are focused on partnering our strengths to create superior patient care experiences.” 

Donna Katen-Bahensky, president and CEO of UW Hospital and Clinics, said the affiliation with a health system the size and scope of SwedishAmerican will provide mutual benefits that will enhance patient care, medical education and research.

“As we have come to know the SwedishAmerican system, we have been impressed with the commitment of its leadership to patient- and family-centered care and evidence-based medicine,” said Katen-Bahensky. “We share a dedication to continuous improvement in patient care, and I’m excited to work with SwedishAmerican on projects we can implement together.”

Dr. Jeffrey Grossman, president and CEO of the UW Medical Foundation, said: “Our missions, values and dedication to serving our communities seem very well aligned with those of the leadership of SwedishAmerican. Collaboration across systems to support healthier population is not easy work, but we think we will have a great partner in SwedishAmerican.”

UW Health includes the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, the American Family Children’s Hospital, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation, which is the largest physician group practice in Wisconsin.

SwedishAmerican Health System includes 333-bed SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford; SwedishAmerican Medical Center in Belvidere; SwedishAmerican Medical Group, a multi-specialty group with clinics in four counties across northern Illinois; SwedishAmerican Foundation, SwedishAmerican Home Health Care; and other health care and health management subsidiaries including TriRivers Health Partners, a regional information technology joint venture with FHN in Freeport.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

All four RAMP offices will hold a Wellness & Health Fair on the following days:

Freeport: Thursday, March 11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at 2155 W. Galena Ave., Freeport. (815) 233-1128 V/TTY.

Belvidere: Tuesday, March 16, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at 530 S. State St., Suite 103, Belvidere. (815) 544-8404 V/TTY.

Rockford: Wednesday, March 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at 202 Market St., Rockford. (815) 968-7467 V/TTY.

DeKalb: Thursday, March 18, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at 115 N. First St., DeKalb. (815) 756-3202 V/TTY.

RAMP’s goal for the Wellness and Health Fair is to keep people with disabilities healthy by providing the following services for free: H1N1 flu shots provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health and administered by each local health department; vision screenings, hearing screenings, health screenings including: cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index, presentations, free amplified phone for those who quality, door prizes, refreshments and more information from other local partners. There will be a sign language interpreter on site. For more information or to request accommodations for the Wellness & Health Fair, contact your local RAMP office.

Tiffany Vondra, Stephenson County manager—(815) 233-1128 (V/TTY), tvondra@rampcil.org

Jen Jacky, Boone County manager—(815) 544-8404 (V/TTY), jjacky@rampcil.org

Rhonda Barrigas, Winnebago County manager—(815) 968-7467, rbarrigas@rampcil.org

Tina Vavra, DeKalb County manager—(815) 756-3202, tvavra@rampcil.org

Get a free hearing screening by an audiologist, and if you qualify, a free ITAC amplified phone! If you are hard of hearing or think you might be, bring your most recent phone bill and an ID with you to obtain your free amplified phone.

The Wellness & Health Fair project is made possible with funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Thank you to ITAC for being a sponsor of the event, and thanks to all the following local partners for their services: Advanced Hearing Healthcare, Lions of Illinois Foundation, FHN, Van Matre Health South, Rehabilitation Hospital, Stephenson County Health Department, Boone County Health Department, Winnebago County Health Department, DeKalb County Health Department, CERT, DART, LaVoz Latina, 1st Step Chiropractic, Rockford Health Physicians, Rockford Health System, Census Bureau, Massage Sanctuary, RMTD, Primary Eye Care Centers, NIU Speech & Hearing, DeKalb Clinic, and Dr. Michele’s Eyecare Center.

RAMP assists people with disabilities desiring to live a useful and rewarding life. RAMP empowers people with disabilities to realize there are no limits to what they can do. This is accomplished by assisting them to live independently, make changes in their lives, seek peer support, obtain resources and remove barriers that threaten their dreams of independence. RAMP advocates the implementation of current laws, promotion of needed legislation and improvement of existing systems for people with disabilities while working to diminish negative attitudes that threaten to impede equal access. RAMP advocates for and serves people with disabilities out of four offices in Boone, DeKalb, Stephenson and Winnebago counties. RAMP is a United Way member agency.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

  The Boone County Health Department is looking for participants for Women Out Walking (W.O.W.), a 12-week walking challenge for women who want to look and feel better this spring. Seventeen teams of six women will report weekly step totals and compete for fun incentives. Pedometers and walking journals will be provided to all participants.

  “This is an opportunity to make activity a health priority, while still having fun,” said the Health Department’s Director of Personal Health Services Lisa Gonzalez. “Physical inactivity is a significant health issue in this country. Through this program, we will be able to promote a healthier lifestyle and a more active community.”

          Joining the walking program is easy. Form a team of six women, choose a captain and return a completed W.O.W. registration form to the Health Department by March 12. Forms are available at the Boone County Health Department, 1204 Logan Ave., Belvidere, or online at www.boone-health.org. Space is limited to the first 17 teams to register. Funding for this program is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Women’s Health.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

BELOIT, Wis.—Beloit Regional Hospice is will offer its next two-day volunteer training program for patient support volunteers from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 20 and Saturday, March 27 at the Beloit Regional Hospice, 655 Third St., Beloit, Wis. This is an informal, interactive learning experience. Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided both day. Participants must attend both days. Registration is requested by Monday, March 15.

Hospice and Transitions volunteers are a critical component to the array of services offered in Rock, Walworth, Green, Winnebago and Boone counties.  A volunteer may provide companionship and support, such as card playing or just listening, offer respite services to families, run errands, provide light housekeeping, prepare a meal or provide local transportation. This interactive and energizing training will provide you with information about hospice care and end-of-life education including topics such as how to talk to the dying, the hospice philosophy, family dynamics and communication, pain and symptom management and spirituality. To register, contact Sherrie Swanson, volunteer coordinator, at (608) 363-7421 or volunteer@beloitregionalhospice.com.

Beloit Regional Hospice provides care for terminally-ill patients and support for their families in the counties of Boone, Green, Rock, Walworth and Winnebago. The nonprofit organization’s mission is, “To help make each moment of remaining life as full and comfortable as possible.” The hospice team is committed to helping patients choose the end-of-life care they want and need. The team includes nurses, certified nursing assistants, physicians, social workers, grief support staff, chaplains and volunteers, as well as administrative and clerical staff. You can visit their Web site at www.beloitregionalhospice.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

  The OSF Saint Anthony Center for Sports Medicine and Health Fitness is introducing a “Stability Ball Workout” class at the OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St., Rockford.

  Participants may attend the one-session class during any of the following days and times:

  Monday, March 15—3 to 4 p.m.

  Tuesday, March 16—8 to 9 a.m., 1 to 2 p.m., 5 to 6 p.m.

  Friday, March 19—9 to 10 a.m., 2 to 3 p.m.

  The cost is only $6 per class. For information and registration, call the OSF Center for Health Fitness at (815) 395-4505.

  OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, is owned and operated by OSF HealthCare, an affiliate corporation of The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, Peoria.

          The Medical Center Web site is www.osfsaintanthony.org.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

  MADISON, Wis.—While cancer prevention in the future may never be as simple as sipping green tea or eating watermelon, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) says that more specific study of nutrients and vitamins for cancer prevention is the next big frontier in cancer research.

  “In our research on green tea and a nutrient in broccoli, we’ve discovered that both appear to have some beneficial effects on certain tissues, and that they are safe. But we’re still studying whether either or both actually prevent cancer,” says Dr. Howard Bailey, professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Bailey, also a practicing oncologist, is one of the main investigators for a multi-center National Cancer Institute study of soy products, green tea, vitamin D and a compound associated with certain fruits and vegetables.

  Very few nutrients have been proven to have cancer prevention characteristics, but a handful of drugs have shown promising results in clinical trials or have been proven to prevent certain cancers. Tamoxifen, originally developed to treat breast cancer, and raloxifene, first used to prevent osteoporosis, can reduce the risk of breast cancer for high-risk women. Another FDA- approved cancer-prevention drug is the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer.

  While research on drugs for chemoprevention has made progress, Bailey says the study of nutrients lags behind. He says there are several theories about why there’s so much to learn about potential disease-prevention characteristics of nutrients.

  “Because we’ve been exposed to nutrients and vitamins for ages, any potential health advantage to consuming them is likely to be modest. Early on, we thought we could increase the effect by increasing the dose or amount of nutrient or vitamin taken. However, the old adage about ‘too much of a good thing’ may apply.”

  Bailey says he and other researchers will try to determine the level of nutrients or vitamins needed to be effective in prevention of specific cancers. He is currently researching the effective dosage of nutrients and vitamins like green tea and vitamin D for specific diseases, including bladder and prostate cancers.

  He also plans to explore the idea that a one-time, large dose of vitamin D is safe and has prostate cancer-prevention properties. For more information on clinical trials at the UWCCC, go to www.uwhealth.org/cancertrials.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

MADISON, Wis.—Would you turn your back on deep-fried cheese curls if you knew that a single serving packs in 569 calories?

People in the Dairy State will join others across the country in facing that question if Wisconsin passes a proposed law that would require chain restaurants to post nutrition information. New York City was a leader, with a menu law that went into effect in July 2008; California and Massachusetts have passed similar bills, and there is a federal version in the current health care bill.

Expect to see more such “labeling laws,” says Tom Oliver, associate director for health policy at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, as states ease their way into stronger regulation of industry and consumer behavior associated with major health problems such as obesity.

“Providing accurate information to help people choose healthier diets is a small but constructive step that government leaders are likely to try out before more controversial strategies such as taxes or bans on particular foods and beverages,” he says.

Such policies are driven by ballooning obesity rates—26.6 percent of Americans were obese in 2008, up from 15.9 percent in 1995. They’re also a response to the fact that the percentage of meals eaten in restaurants has nearly doubled to 32 percent since 1978.

“Doing a better job at preventing health problems such as obesity and cardiovascular disease is good fiscal policy as well as health policy,” says Oliver, a professor of population health sciences and an expert on health system reform. “We need to keep people healthier to slow the growth of health care costs to individuals, employers, and government programs.”

After reviewing state and local menu-labeling laws for a UW Population Health Institute publication, Tiffini Diage says that they are a matter of consumer rights.

“Consumers should have equal rights to know about their food,” says Diage, a graduate student in public health at the UW. “Why is it that when I go to the grocery store, I have a right to know the calorie and nutritional content of the packaged food I buy, but when I go to a restaurant, I don’t?”

She says the issue is especially important for people in poor neighborhoods, “nutrition deserts” where fast food may be the only choice.

So far, research on New York City’s law shows mixed results. A recent Stanford University study analyzed sales data from every New York Starbucks store, and found that the calories dropped 6 percent between January 2008 and February 2009. (Among customers who ordered more than 250 calories per purchase, calorie consumption fell by 26 percent.)

But another study, done at fast-food restaurants in poor New York City neighborhoods, found that calories per order actually increased slightly after the menu-labeling law took effect. Those results are troubling because the poor are already at greatest risk for obesity and diabetes.

“It may reflect that when people are struggling to feed their families, the priority for cheap food competes with the priority for good food,” Diage says. Menu labeling could create even bigger health disparities in the same way that anti-smoking campaigns have succeeded in convincing wealthier and better-educated people to quit, but have largely failed to help the poor and poorly educated.

Still, information can empower anyone who is trying to change his or her life for the better. Dr. Aaron Carrel, a UW Health specialist in childhood obesity and diabetes, thinks that for those motivated to eat better, calorie listing will help.

“I commonly see families who greatly underestimate the calories of foods they eat in restaurants,” he says. “And because more meals are consumed away from home, this could be important to many more people than it would have been 10 years ago.”

While choosing lower-calorie fast food is just one step toward improving health, Carrel says, “I’m a believer in the idea that small changes can add up to a big difference.”

Even if menu listings don’t create immediate change, they create awareness that some food choices are healthier. At Subway restaurants, which have voluntarily listed calories, customers on average order 54 fewer calories per meal than patrons of restaurants without menu labeling.

“In the long run, I think it will not only change purchasing habits, it will also change the foods offered on the menu,” Diage says. “I think once this information is available, people will begin demanding healthier food options.”

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

For those who hadn't picked up on Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey's (I) frequent laments regarding the need for pension reform previously, the message was difficult to miss as a recurring theme during his fifth annual State of the City address at the Coronado Theatre March 4. Photo by Stuart R. Wahlin

By Stuart R. Wahlin

Staff Writer

For those who hadn’t picked up on Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey’s (I) frequent laments regarding the need for pension reform previously, the message was difficult to miss as a recurring theme during his fifth annual State of the City address at the Coronado Theatre March 4.

“The most difficult challenge facing us, and the greatest threat to our financial ability to carry out our duties, is the horrendous pension liability saddled upon us by the state,” Morrissey told about 600 in attendance. “Without immediate pension reform, by 2011, 41 cents of every property tax dollar you send to the city will go directly into retiree pensions. Those dollars don’t help us meet any of our current needs. It’s not right, it’s not fair, and it’s crushing us.

“If a firefighter or police officer is hired at the age of 25 on Jan. 1 of this year, under the current rules and contracts, and with a modest 3 percent cost-of-living annual adjustment assumed, and no promotions, that employee will pay into their pension around $300,000 over the course of a 30-year career,” he explained. “Now, when that employee retires at the age of 55, how much do you think that the taxpayers will be obligated to pay that employee and their spouse over the course of their retirement? Well, the annual payments over those 30 years will be $5.8 million. My guess: That’s probably far in excess of any guaranteed return that any other folks in the private sector could expect.”

Following his speech, the mayor told reporters, “We would be better off if that 55-year-old, the day they’re retiring, we handed them a check for a million dollars.”

As a result of its obligation to provide annual raises for retirees, Morrissey said the city is being forced to cut its existing public safety personnel.

Morrissey told The Rock River Times: “If the stock market goes to hell in a hand basket, we still have to make the payments. And who’s guaranteeing it? We are. And what happens to the existing employees that we need to have hired to protect our city—police or firemen? We may have to lay them off so we can pay for 3 percent annual increases for retirees who retire in their early 50s. And with health care advances and the fact that a hundred percent of the benefit goes to a spouse if the employee dies—if somebody lives to be a hundred years old, you just start to see the numbers grow exponentially. So, we’ve got significant, significant challenges that aren’t totally in our control.”

Morrissey indicated pension reform is the single-biggest legislative priority for the city in Springfield.

“This is not fiction. This is a real obligation,” he added. “We simply cannot afford this unfunded mandate. It will lead to the insolvency of cities across the state of Illinois.”

Morrissey said the “elephant in the room” can no longer be avoided, and citizens must urge state legislators to change the system.

“They need to know that this will be an election issue come November, and votes will be based on this issue,” he asserted. “It’s simply that important.”

During closing remarks of the address, the mayor said: “So, when it comes to pension reform, when it comes to collective bargaining, will it be tough? You bet. Are our backs against the walls? Yeah, no doubt. But I like our chances.”

Budget, finance and operations

The mayor reported the city is at its lowest spending level since 2006. Meantime, non-union city employees have undergone a 3 percent pay decrease through furlough days, the garbage collection fee was increased, equipment purchases have been eliminated from the budget, and a hiring freeze has been imposed on open positions. Additionally, the city laid off 26 employees in 2009, while about two dozen municipal library employees have also been let go after the city pulled its longstanding annual financial support.

Despite the adjustments, the city is still in over its head.

Finishing 2009 with a deficit of about $4.5 million in the face of slumping revenues, and with the unemployment rate in the Rockford metropolitan area being the state’s highest at 16 percent, Morrissey said all facets of city government are on the table in an effort to cut costs while creating jobs in the community.

The mayor warned if the city doesn’t change its ways, it could face a $40 million deficit by 2015.

To avert that, the mayor lauded the efforts of a budget and finance advisory committee led by private sector business leaders. The group’s recommendations, first presented to aldermen in January, proposed several long-term fixes to what ails the city, including the needs for pension reform, outsourcing, greater strides in collective bargaining, and intergovernmental cooperation to improve efficiency.

Morrissey reported the city saved approximately $1 million by relying less on private contractors for snow removal, while also reversing the city’s 2005 insurance fund deficit of $2.8 million into a $2.1 million surplus through a variety of means, including higher deductibles and co-pays more in line with the private sector.

The mayor said the city’s green initiatives will also pay off by decreasing expenses. Aldermen recently approved an energy audit of city buildings, which will be performed this year.

“Make no mistake: we have no choice but to shrink our government in both cost and in size,” he said during introductory remarks. “We must leverage our citizens’ contributions so that we only employ the level of government that we can afford. No more. But we cannot withdraw. We cannot fail to invest. We must build the infrastructure and amenities that will grow jobs, keep our jobs, and help us to create new jobs. This is the new way of doing business.”

Morrissey said the new business model “relies completely on our ability to connect to our citizens” through transparency and public involvement.

“We can’t expect to solve our woes by raising taxes to pay for old bills. That would be the wrong medicine for our families, the wrong medicine for our businesses,” Morrissey added. “Our citizens are hurting. Our citizens are out of work. Our citizens rightfully demand that we manage our costs and maintain our service levels without raising taxes.”

Capital improvements and downtown investment

Since approval of the 2007 Rebuilding Rockford referendum, a 1-percentage-point sales tax increase, Morrissey said the city has been diligent in its efforts to make good on its promise to improve roads and other infrastructure on a pay-as-you-go basis.

“Through that disciplined effort, we have been able to retire significant property tax-based debt, and our property tax rate has declined accordingly,” he asserted.

The mayor also applauded the city’s investment in stormwater management and its $75 million water system upgrades slated for completion next year.

He noted federal stimulus funding has provided for additional investment. Most importantly, he noted, was the state’s passage of its first capital plan in a decade, calling it “the most robust state infrastructure plan our community has ever seen” for projects like rebuilding the Morgan Street bridge, as well as West State and Main streets.

All told, the mayor said more than $250 million from the capital plan will be invested in Rockford during the next five years.

“That means immediate construction jobs and long-term economic health and recovery,” he added. “With this much money at stake, we have the chance to truly remake much of our urban core. We need to build those livable, walkable and attractive roadways, commercial districts and neighborhoods. This is what the best cities are doing.”

Additionally, the mayor noted, the city will benefit from the state’s $60 million investment to return passenger rail service between Rockford and Chicago.

With Rockford’s train station downtown, Morrissey pressed the need to keep investing in the area. He cited the recent removal of the Main Street pedestrian mall as a step forward, while emphasizing support for the riverwalk project, as well as doing away with downtown’s one-way streets. Aldermen recently approved a $150,000 study to explore the returning of two-way traffic to streets like Main and Church.

Because of the slumping economy, however, many constituents have argued now is not the time to pursue costly projects such as the riverwalk, mall removal or traffic studies.

Asked by this publication to respond to these arguments, the mayor asserted, “Now is the absolute right time.

“We want to grow jobs. You don’t grow jobs, if you’re sitting on the state’s highest unemployment rate, by sitting back and doing nothing,” he argued. “Now, you have to be wise about how you invest. You can’t waste money like we’re currently doing in this out-of-control pension system and some of the other crazy rules we’ve had, which have been wasting money out of our general fund. But when you’ve got dedicated capital funding sources like we’ve had, when you’ve got these ITEP [Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program] grants that, if we don’t use ’em, some other community will use them, we would be moronic to not take advantage of it.

“The fact of the matter is what we’re seeing happening right now—I use the analogy of a stroke victim recovering,” the mayor explained. “We’re coming out of a real tough period. We didn’t have enough oxygen and blood getting to the brain, so we kind of collapsed in our downtown—collapsed, some would say, in the whole city, not having a heart in our downtown. I think what we’re starting to see is we’re creating the new, I guess a physiologist would call it some new neural routes. We’re reconnecting.

“Amid all the challenges, if you look nationally, one of the things you’ll find is that the type of growth that’s truly dead right now when it comes to real estate development is sprawl,” Morrissey added. “The interesting thing is there’s a whole new opportunity for this urban core redevelopment. And it happens to be, for us, there’s a number of grants that can only be used downtown.”

Asked by The Rock River Times Editor and Publisher Frank Schier why the city is spending $150,000 for a one-way street study instead of using the funds to begin implementing a return to two-ways, Morrissey explained: “I would love to not have to get approval from the State of Illinois to make those one-ways two-way again. Unfortunately, the state looks at it from this perspective: ‘It’s working fine. We’re not doing it. We’re not gonna change it unless you justify it.’

“We have to deal with the world that we’re in. I’m a pragmatist. You know, I could wring my hands all day and say, ‘We’re not gonna pay it,’ and what would happen? Nothing. I don’t want that to happen. I want to do something,” he argued. “We will transform West State, South Main, North Main, Kishwaukee, all these major state highways and corridors. It’d be unfortunate if we made all these improvements to get to downtown, and then the one-ways strangled us.”

Morrissey also announced the formation of another advisory group to focus on long-term civic design standards. The group will be led by Mike Paul, director of construction operations for SupplyCore, Inc.

According to a Jan. 20 semiannual D-2 report of campaign contributions and expenditures, Morrissey’s campaign, “Citizens for Morrissey,” owes $28,700 in debt to SupplyCore, Inc. The debt is in relation to loans given April 1, 2005 (original amount was $20,000) and May 23, 2005 (original amount as $13,500). Citizens for Morrissey has paid a total of $4,800 toward the debt.

Another advisory group, scrutinizing downtown venues, festivals and special events, released its report and recommendations March 9. The result, Morrissey hopes, will be better coordination and fewer dollars being requested of the city.

Morrissey also reiterated his support for a downtown hotel and convention center.

“This is how we will create even more construction jobs and long-term retail and hospitality jobs, and I’m looking forward to investment announcements soon,” he indicated.

With the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) poised to take over the EIGERlab, Morrissey introduced plans to expand lab operations into the city-owned Ingersoll building, as the Illinois Center for Advanced Technology, to nurture job opportunities and foster growth of new companies. The mayor said federal funding is also being sought to establish the Center for Aerospace Innovative Research in the center.

“This commercial and defense aerospace incubator facility will identify promising entrepreneurial startup aerospace and related high-tech manufacturing companies,” he explained, suggesting the center would attract companies from around the world. “This concept capitalizes on the existing cluster of world-class aerospace companies in our community.”

Public safety

Through the implementation of GPS systems, new radios and Web-based tools, the Police Department has also improved its efficiency and effectiveness, Morrissey said. He added a recent Crime Stoppers grant has made possible a new video-monitoring system for high-crime areas.

In 2009, Morrissey reported, the city had 21 fewer police officers on its payroll. To counteract the deficiency, he noted a push to place more officers on the streets, instead of behind desks.

“As a result, even though we were down those 21 officers, we were able to maintain effective street force,” he asserted. “In fact, our initial figures show that in 2009 we had the lowest overall crime rate in more than 20 years.”

Although some staffing changes have already been implemented, the city is seeking additional modifications through arbitration and negotiations.

“With the union’s agreement, our city will have an afternoon detective shift and a day-cover shift in patrol which will cover our heavy call volumes more efficiently,” the mayor reported. “We’ve also reestablished our right to hire back officers for less than a full-time shift, and we’ve reduced the number of officers and sergeants that can be on vacation at the same time, which should also help with overtime.”

Morrissey also reflected briefly on the death of Mark Anthony Barmore, an unarmed black man who was shot to death by two white police officers in 2009.

Although the city’s racial divide seems to have widened as a result of the tragedy, Morrissey remained positive.

“The civility and support displayed in the aftermath of the death of Mr. Barmore, the work of our citizens, our police officers, and our local clergy—frankly, it was a very proud moment in a very sad and difficult time,” he said, expressing optimism mediation by the Department of Justice would improve relations between police and the community.

Turning his attention to the Fire Department, Morrissey indicated efficiency has improved by installing laptop computers in department vehicles, while also cracking down on abuse of emergency calls through implementing fines. Additionally, the department began charging for alarm monitoring.

Morrissey also outlined his desire to begin a firefighter cadet program.

“This program will be an excellent recruitment and training tool, especially for minorities that have been historically under-represented on our Fire Department,” he asserted, while noting he’d also like to reinstate a similar program in the Police Department.

“Police auxiliary or cadet support can help with many activities in the city, including parades and special events, parking enforcement, and community and public relations,” he explained, indicating the part-time help would reduce spending.

“That’s why this new cadet program is being examined as a way to achieve cost savings by introducing lower cost approaches to meet our service needs,” the mayor stated. “We believe we can expand public safety and service by delivering and leveraging our full-time force with appropriate levels of volunteer and part-time cadet or auxiliary support.”

He added, “Typically, the costs are lower, because they are paid for part-time work without incurring the same pension and insurance costs.”

To drive the point home, Morrissey noted 70 percent of Rockford’s firefighters live outside of the city in communities served by similar approaches.

Because of state law, such a change must be agreed to by the union, however.

The mayor said he strongly supports privatized ambulance service to better handle the department’s resources and costs.

Of about 18,000 calls for service in 2009, he reported, only 280 were for structure fires.

“Historically,” he explained, “our department has been organized to fight fires, yet our main business today is responding to emergency medical services. We have 13 companies designed to fight fires, but only five ambulance companies. That’s why we end up driving $450,000-$600,000 fire apparatus vehicles to ambulance calls.”

The resulting depreciation and fuel costs, as well as wear and tear on city streets, are too much to bear, he added.

Education

“My wife and I know that there is no better place in the entire world to raise our children than Rockford, Ill.,” Morrissey asserted.

Arguing education is the key to job growth and prosperity, Morrissey announced the appointment of Dr. Rudy Valdez, a senior manager for Hamilton-Sundstrand, as the city’s education liaison and chairman of a community education advisory group. Valdez will serve in a volunteer capacity. Morrissey’s hope is that Valdez will help to strengthen partnerships with Rockford’s educational institutions.

The mayor also stressed a commitment to safety in Rockford’s public schools, urging students and staff who feel threatened, or have been assaulted, to contact police.

Despite recent violence in the schools, as well as drug and weapons charges, the mayor touted several positive developments, including the opening of two charter schools, with a third set to open in September.

“Charters are part of a larger, national school reform movement that will no longer accept excuses for school failure,” he indicated. “In fact, just this week, President Obama outlined his proposal to offer $900 million in school turnaround grants to states and school districts willing to take aggressive steps to turn around or close failing schools.”

To qualify, districts must be willing to either fire the principal and at least half of the staff at a failing school, or to close the school completely.

Morrissey also encouraged support of an education reform bill at the state level that would lift the cap on the number of charter schools, and another that would start a school choice program, which would provide vouchers for parents to transfer their children out of failing schools.

For the 2009-2010 school year, Morrissey noted, District 205 has walked away from the city’s truancy citation and court program used the previous year, opting instead to try its own truancy intervention program. The mayor, however, asserted his willingness to resume issuing citations if the district’s Truancy Intervention Center falls short of expectations.

Morrissey remained optimistic for an affordable city university program through partnerships of the area’s various educational institutions.

“If we are to create jobs and reduce unemployment over the long term, the path we have to follow is becoming crystal clear,” he argued. “We must become a college town.”

‘War on poverty’

Morrissey applauded the recent creation of the Joint Committee on Intergovernmental Efficiency, along with Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen (R), in an effort to reduce costs and improve results through consolidation and by eliminating duplication of human services.

Morrissey pointed to numerous state and federal regulations that bind local governments in bureaucratic “red tape.”

“We have become impossibly entangled in this web. For starters, the city is considered what they call an ‘entitlement’ community. That means that, frankly, we’re so large and so poor that we’re automatically ‘entitled’ each year to a certain amount of federal and state monies,” he explained. “But the system has become so large and so decentralized that it has become a beast that needs constant feeding. The poor need agencies for basic necessities, and the agencies need to serve the poor to justify continued funding. The system, in fact, has a built-in reason not to change—essentially, to keep that war on poverty always going.”

Morrissey argued the system lacks incentives for people to get out of poverty.

The mayor said he also looks forward to cooperation with other local governments to establish regional policies on a number of fronts.

“If we want to grow jobs, every person must have the best support that we can provide to fulfill their potential, and we can only do that when our leadership is coordinated, and when our leadership is held accountable,” he said.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Local sports promoter Mark Bjelland is bringing one of the most controversial basketball sports figures to Rockford next month. Former Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons bad boy Dennis “The Worm” Rodman will make a stop at the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery in the Clock Tower Resort.

Rodman will be at the restaurant from 6:30 until 9 p.m., Friday, April 9, to meet with fans and sign autographs. Single autographs are $60. A VIP meet-and-greet is $104 and includes a one-on-one photo and autograph. Rodman will sign glossies, mini-basketballs, regulation size basketballs and jerseys.

Rodman led the National Basketball Association in rebounds for a record seven consecutive years and owns five NBA championship rings. Since leaving the NBA, Rodman has appeared on several reality television shows and in movies, and has even tried professional wrestling. He has penned four books: I Should Be Dead by Now (2005); Walk on the Wild Side (1997); Bad as I Wanna Be (1996); Rebound: The Dennis Rodman Story (1994) .

A limit of 200 autograph tickets are available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased at the Tilted Kilt, online at www.tix.com or by phone at 800-595-4849.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Eleanor Stanlis was the founder of the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, Rockford College Music Academy and the first accredited Suzuki Method music teacher in this country. She was the wife of my mentor and friend, Dr. Peter J. Stanlis.

I didn’t know her that long in the relativity of time, 12 years; but for those years, she was the other half, plus, of Dr. Stanlis, whom I met at Rockford College, when Dr. Enam Karim asked students in an advanced grammar course to volunteer to set up Dr. Stanlis’ collections of Robert Frost photos. He shot and gathered them during a 23-year friendship with the poet, and after 1963 until the time we met about 1988. I was the only student to raise his hand in Dr. Karim’s class to volunteer; and by so doing, raised the quality of my life.

When I went to the Stanlis’ living room to compile an oral history on the photos, Eleanor was very gracious through the many interviews, sometimes buffering my lack of knowledge, “Doc’s” according grumpiness, and all the violin students and staff  coming and going.

As I graduated, went on with learning, and purchased this paper, our friendships grew, and I would continue to receive an “education by conversation” in classical music,  the arts and Frost from Eleanor and Doc together.

It helped that I liked Debussy and Revel and had a limited knowledge of the history of music from coursework at Rock Valley in the ’70s. My  sister’s college roommate, Akiko “Rabbit” Tanaka, had also given me a love of classical music, as had my mother in the 1960s. Rabbit, who ate huge salads, called me “Skunk” because of the mode of my childhood behavior.

Doc was of the same mindset as Rabbit about Eleanor’s and my discovery of our common affection for cigarettes and gin martinis, before or after dinner. He would “hurrrmph” his disapproval and go off and read or watch sports, while Eleanor and I sipped and smoked. So prim, proper, professional, and driven in her Music Academy world, she obviously liked teasing him with these small misbehaviors. We’d have two each, maximum. Then, Doc would come back and talk, or I’d go off to explore more serious misbehavior  elsewhere, with their stern, and head-shaking admonitions.

The behavior, welfare and achievement of children was a driving concern for Eleanor. “You can do better,” she constantly told me and many others. Although I and others disappointed her more than once, she always held out her hand and held up her high standards. She was unrelenting and not one to irritate in that regard. Her belief in the arts was her all-consuming passion, which she presented with grace and a soft or sharp brace of humor.

She did not find the Rockford Public Schools a laughing matter; and as former head of the Rockford College English Department, neither did Doc. She and Doc pushed me to publish many articles about arts, which I did and do to the benefit of my continuing education.

After much coordination by Eleanor, in the fourth issue of this paper, September 1993, we were still a monthly, I printed “Four Rs… Arts offer solutions.” Although my byline was on the editorial, Eleanor had provided much of the mental content. In fact, we announced the formation of a civic group. To Eleanor’s credit, the ideas still stand today. The following is what we presented:

“Studies in South Carolina, New Mexico, California and Tennessee and Japan show students involved in the Arts testing higher in standard tests, such as the SATs, and in IQ or creativity exams.

“Erick Oddleifson, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Arts in the Basic Curriculum, Inc., states that the Arts ‘awaken a passion for learning; they enhance pupils’ self-esteem, improve teacher relations and parental involvement; they reduce the need for disciplinary actions and lower suspension/dropout rates; they maintain high daily attendance; and they re-energize teachers. Above all, they increase the quality of personal performance at all levels, and they foster mutual respect among students.’

“The Arts are not for ‘weirdos’ and ‘eggheads’; the Arts are practical and offer solutions.

“The Arts can bring the immensity of the world to a classroom anywhere, something which is increasingly necessary in our shrinking world being brought about by economics and technology.

“The members of the Arts Education Coalition are convinced of the benefits of the Arts and would like to see them extended to our school system as a basic solution to many of our current problems.

“The steering committee: Members of the Coalition are: Colleen Holmbeck, Joseph Guzzardo, Eileen Michaely, Ellen Roseberg, Barbara Simon, Barbara Jo McLaughlin, Frank Schier, Mel Lundgren, Mary Phillips, Carmen Pursley, Ruth Siegfried, Nate Martin, Ronnie Latin, Martha Frantz, Eleanor Stanlis, and Steve Larsen.” That was 1993.

The editorial went on to invite the community to attend an Arts in Education seminar by the internationally-known educator Robert Culver at Rockford College. Later, the coalition organized a performance at Roosevelt Academy by students of Dorothy Paige-Turner and the Rockford College Music Academy, including Shelby Latin to try to persuade the District 205 School Supertindent Ronald Epps to implement an arts-based curriculum. He did not.

This Friday, at Court Street United Methodist Church, 7:30 p.m., the legacy of Eleanor will be celebrated along with 125 years of the Mendelssohn Club, with wonderful performances by Eleanor’s students, all coordinated by her extensively-trained successor, Marti Frantz. Eleanor will be proud. As we all watch these performances and remember Eleanor and the heritage of 125 years, let us consider what arts education could do for our children today.

If you even start to think like Eleanor, you’ll start planning, and you’ll act. I look forward to helping, hearing and printing anyone who carries forward Eleanor Stanlis’ vision. I’ll see you this Friday night and in the bright future of our education in Eleanor’s Arts. For those who believe in the power of the Arts, I quit cigarettes on Christmas Eve, but I might have a martini with you. Eleanor will be there.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Delicate Arch. The culmination of a brisk hike up 1.5 miles of slick rock, this is the well-deserved ambassador of Utah, and provides a seminal moment in any trip to Arches National Park. Photo by Jonathan Hicks

Editor’s note: The following is the third in a three-part series. Part one appeared in the Feb. 10-16, 2010, issue, and part two appeared in the Feb. 17-23, 2010, issue.

By Jonathan Hicks
Staff Writer

Arches National Park was exactly how Abbey had described it. He called it simply “the most beautiful place on earth,” and as I stared up at red rocks unlike any I had ever seen, I was hard pressed to argue. We arrived only a few hours before sunset. It was enough time to learn where the approximately 20 miles of internal road would lead us, and inspire us to wonder about what lay beyond the perch of pavement. It would be just more than three hours before the sun fell below the canyon line. That was enough time to fall in love. Actually, no, it was more than that. It was the feeling when you have found true love; when you realize you are standing next to your soulmate. It is the feeling of wanting to shout out loud how alive you feel and never wanting to be anywhere else. It is realizing that you will think about them every second you are apart. It is the notion that you want to introduce and share them with everyone you love, and all at once keep them entirely to yourself. Like true love, it happened fast and with little warning.

The hues of the rocks shifted with the fading light. Reportedly, the coldest Arches NP had been in years, this place was frozen and devoid of movement. Still, there was no question it was very much alive. The landscape had a steady, progressive breathing pattern, and its mood seemed to change with every moment and cloud that floated by. I was transfixed. Never more in my life have I found myself wishing that the sun would never set.

We would spend about 48 hours at Arches. To say that two days is not long enough to explore 77,000 acres is a gross understatement. That said, we made the most of our time, hiking mile after mile, continually seeking out new arches and rock formations. The trails were rather primitive. Kicked up by every size and style of boot, the bright red sand settled atop equally brilliant white snow. Each footpath was a tapestry of color and texture, a reward for the small number of visitors who dared set foot here outside of tourist season.

Not surprisingly, though, I found nothing made by humans that could compare to the sculptures created by nature. Delicate red sandstone had been carved out by thousands of years of weathering. I am inclined to suggest that the wind and rain imitated Michelangelo and Rodin. Then again, as I picture Landscape Arch, or Delicate Arch in my mind, there is little doubt it was artists who emulated the elements. If the evening news were one’s only knowledge source, we would no doubt label rivers and monsoons as destructive; Arches NP was the reminder that they create as much as they destroy.

In two days, I saw sunrises, sunsets and fog in the air. But most of all, I saw myself—happy. In two days, I felt rain, snow and sand in the wind. But most of all, I felt alive—truly. Two days. Two incredible days.

I missed Arches within moments of leaving. Even now, as I write weeks later, my heart hurts as I ponder when or if I will step foot again in that magical place. I contemplate the same questions as Abbey. Near the end of Desert Solitaire, he pondered: “When I return will it be the same? Will I be the same? Will anything ever be quite the same again?”

I plan on finding out.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

In the past, many people have only considered conventional medicine for every type of health issue. We are now seeing more people willing to try some form of natural therapies.

What is causing people to be curious enough to try something new? A common reason is that people know a friend or loved one who has tried some form of natural therapy and has passed on a testimony that it worked for their health conditions.

Another popular reason is that once someone has been faced with a prognosis of surgery, he or she will search for any other possibilities. Some attend a health fair or natural health presentation and decide to take advantage of a complimentary session of some form of natural therapy. Others say they chose to try a natural therapy because they have no health insurance or have extremely low income.

We see people every day who fit into one of these categories. Many come into our clinic skeptical, but willing to give reflexology a try for the first time. People are pleasantly surprised at how good the therapy feels. Many people start to smile, let out a big sigh and close their eyes.

Reflexology is a natural therapy that is safe to use all the time. Reflexology can be very effective right after a heart attack, stroke or even major surgery. It doesn’t interfere with any other therapy or treatments.

Reflexology helps the body by removing stress from the body, removing toxins and increasing circulation. Reflexology has been known to help the body heal much faster, and is also effective in reducing pain throughout the body. So, the next time someone you trust tells you what reflexology has done for their health issues, maybe you should try it for yourself and form your own opinion based on results.

I get to see many people have their health restored, and that is exciting to me. People may initially come for all different reasons, but there is only one reason why they keep coming back—because it works.

Healthy Balance Reflexology Clinic is located behind Kohl’s at 6053 Fincham Drive in Rockford. Contact us at (815) 519-4977 or visit our Web site at www.healthybalancereflexology.com.

Karla Fernet is a certified reflexologist and the owner of Healthy Balance Reflexology, 6053 Fincham Drive, Rockford (behind Kohl’s at Mulford and State).

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

This is the time of year when networks order pilot episodes of shows they might want to add to their schedules for next season. Each network orders several pilots each year, but not all of them make it to air.

If some of the most buzzed about pilots are picked up, some viewers—especially all of you Baby Boomers—may find yourselves experiencing a triple case of déjà vu.

NBC’s pilots include updates of Charlie’s Angels and The Rockford Files, two of the 1970’s most iconic series. And CBS has ordered a highly-anticipated remake of Hawaii Five-O, which originally ran on CBS from 1968 to 1980.

Shortly after ordering the Hawaii Five-O pilot, CBS announced their golden boy, Australian actor Alex O’Loughlin, has been cast in Jack Lord’s old role of Steve McGarrett. Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim has signed on as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, with Battlestar Galactica’s Grace Park playing Chin Ho’s niece. (Coincidentally, Battlestar Galactica was arguably one of the most successful remakes of any series in history.)

It’s about time O’Loughlin got a break. CBS canceled his first series as a lead actor, Moonlight, in 2008. The next year, he did a memorable guest stint as a serial killer on CBS’s Criminal Minds, and last fall he landed the starring role in another CBS series, Three Rivers. (He also co-stars with Jennifer Lopez in this spring’s feature film, The Back-Up Plan, which—you guessed it—also has a connection, it’s produced by CBS Films.)

I haven’t heard any casting news concerning Charlie’s Angels yet, but NBC recently announced that Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding) will be tackling the role of Jim Rockford for the pilot. Talk about big shoes to fill. The success of the original series was largely the result of James Garner’s quirky charm.

There are other possible remakes in the mix—CW’s reworking of La Femme Nikita could well end up accompanying their “re-imaginings” of 90210 and Melrose Place, of the latter is even renewed. And NBC had been discussing a U.S. version of the immensely successful British series, Prime Suspect. Actually, it was more like a series of mini-series, all starring Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison. That seems to be on the back-burner, perhaps because it would be next to impossible to try to best Mirren’s Emmy-winning performance.

Paula Hendrickson is a regular contributor to Emmy magazine and Variety, and has been published in numerous national publications, including American Bungalow, Television Week and TVGuide. Send in your suggestions to tubetalking-paula@yahoo.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Eric Conklin, a foremost reef ecologist, will speak about "Coral Reef Ecology: Why it Matters" March 16 at Rockford College. Photo provided

From press release

Eric Conklin, a foremost reef ecologist who has done extensive research in Hawaii, will speak at Rockford College at 4 p.m., March 16, in Starr Science room 207. The talk is free and open to the public.

Dr. Conklin is a researcher at the University of Hawaii and has studied the pristine atoll of Palmyra, which is about 1,000 miles south of the Hawaiian Islands. He has written for the Nature Conservancy magazine, most recently about a giant vacuum that cleans contaminants from reefs. Title of his talk is “Coral Reef Ecology: Why it Matters,” which also includes slides of the reefs he studies.

The talk is hosted by the Rock River Chapter of the American Chemical Society. For more information, call the Rockford College box office at (815) 226-4100. 

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

University of Illinois Extension Specialist Dan Anderson said, "We visited their farms, helped them identify weed-management issues, and developed some strategies to help solve the problem. Photo courtesy of www.plant-shed.com

From press release

  URBANA, Ill.—University of Illinois Extension is looking for organic and sustainable farmers with weed problems to participate in on-farm research.

  “In 2009, 15 Illinois farmers participated in the project,” said Dan Anderson, University of Illinois Extension Specialist. “We visited their farms, helped them identify weed-management issues, and developed some strategies to help solve the problem.”

  This year, Anderson hopes to have a total of 20 participants in the program.

  Anderson said that across the Midwest, organic and sustainable farmers report that managing perennial weeds without chemicals is one of their most difficult challenges.

  “We hope to help organic and sustainable ag farmers improve their skills and practices in managing perennial weeds using integrated management approaches,” Anderson said.

  To participate in the program, farmers must be currently farming in Illinois or in neighboring states within close proximity of the Illinois border.

  “We are looking for sustainable and organic farmers interested in learning methods to cope effectively with perennial weeds in their grain or vegetable systems,” Anderson said. “We’ll be looking at an applicant’s farming system, farm location, and how open they are to innovative approaches to managing perennial weeds.”

  All applicants will receive a packet of material on a number of ideas for integrated management approaches to controlling perennial weeds in crop and vegetable farming systems. These might include cover crops, tillage, soil balance, flaming, scouting/early removal (by hand or tillage), rotations, mowing/fallow or hay rotation, livestock/rotation, sprays (organic), biological control (release of beneficial, predatory insects or organisms), and optimizing competition from growing crop.

    Participating farmers will be chosen from the applicant pool. Those chosen will be contacted by the on-farm research coordinator to develop and finalize plans for their on-farm project.

    Anderson stressed these on-farm research projects are a win-win situation. “The participants will each receive $500 per year of participation, but more important, they will benefit from getting the latest research-based info on managing perennial weeds without chemicals and one-on-one assistance in developing a viable on-farm research project.”

  To apply, visit http://asap.sustainability.uiuc.edu/org-ag/, scroll down and click on “2010 Mini Grants! Apply NOW,” or contact Dan Anderson at (217) 621-7974; aslan@illinois.edu.

  The mini-grant program is supported by funding from the North Central Region—Sustainable Agriculture Research Education Program.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

The Friday, March 12, concert at Court Street United Methodist Church will contain more than just a celebration of the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center and the legacy of Eleanor Stanlis. The event will feature two world-renowned violinists, Margaret Batjer and Shelby Latin Harris, who got their start here in the Forest City and studied under Stanlis. One is her daughter.

Since leaving Rockford to start their professional journeys, both women have reached world-class status and have performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in music.

The winner of the 2009-2010 Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center Adult Starr of Excellence Award will also be announced during the concert.

Margaret Batjer

Margaret Batjer is the daughter of Eleanor Stanlis, who founded the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra and the Music Academy of Rockford College. Under her mother’s guidance, Batjer was a 15-year-old Eisenhower Middle School student when she was selected to solo with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Since her break, the violinist has made significant waves in the industry and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Today, Batjer teaches at the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music, a position she’s held since 2005. From 1998 until joining the Thornton faculty, Batjer was the concert master of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

As a performer, she’s been a touring soloist, working extensively throughout Europe and the United States. Known as an elite instrumentalist, Batjer has played with the famous Accardo Quartet and performed a score of festivals and theaters such as the famous La Scala Theater. She also teaches at the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music.

As a recording artist, Batjer has made records for a score of labels such as EMI and Nuova. She’s performed and recorded with Yo-Yo Ma, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe after being trained at the Curtis Institute of Music under famed instructors Ivan Galamian and David Cerone. Batjer also has performed with the Philadelphia and New York String Seminar orchestras and the Halle Symphony Orchestra at the Gewandhaus. She has also appeared as a soloist throughout Europe with groups including the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Halle Symphony Orchestra at the Gewandhaus. Batjer is a member of the La Jolla Music Society.

Shelby Latin Harris

Also a Rockford native, Shelby Latin Harris began playing the violin at age 2, when she started taking kid-friendly lessons at the Music Academy of Rockford College, studying under Eleanor Stanlis. Latin Harris stayed with the academy for 17 years. As a young violinist, Latin Harris attended years of music camps and spent hours practicing her craft. Latin Harris started playing violin after watching her mother, a violinist with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra.

After graduating from Auburn High School, Latin Harris, 28, earned degrees from the Indiana University Conservatory of Music. Today, she is known for her dedication and renowned musicianship throughout the United States.

For more than a decade, Shelby Latin Harris has been a member of the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, which is based in New York City and Detroit. Aside from her work as a violinist, Latin Harris helps promote chamber and classical music among Latino and African-American youth as part of the Sphinx organization.

Measure 5, Music Academy of Rockford College Flute Choir

Measure 5 is an advanced touring and performing ensemble composed of 20 string and piano students (ages 13 to 18). The group is directed by Rachel Handlin, who also serves as concert master of the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra and string director of the Music Academy of Rockford College.

The Music Academy of Rockford College Flute Choir is led by Stephanie Pedritti. The choir and Measure 5 play several pieces, one together. The two groups will perform “Suite for the Sweets” Friday as part of the celebratory concert.

Eleanor Stanlis

Eleanor Stanlis began teaching a group of four children in 1974, eventually growing the roster to 30. She became Suzuki-certified a few years later. A music teacher at Rockford College, Stanlis and colleague Walter Whipple proposed to the administration sponsoring a community school of music. The idea spawned the Music Academy of Rockford College in 1985. She founded the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra in 1987.

Throughout her career, Stanlis has been bestowed countless honors and awards for her musical contributions to the Rockford community, including the Mendelssohn Club Starr Excellence Award, Rockford Rotary Club Service Above Self Award, Mayor’s Arts Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Rockford Area Music Industry.

Stanlis graduated from Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and Hardin-Simmons University in Texas. She died in 2000.

If you go

What: 125th anniversary of the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, and musical tribute to Eleanor Stanlis

When: Friday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Court Street United Methodist Church, 215 N. Court St., Rockford

Tickets: $25 for adults, $15 for students. Tickets are available by calling (815) 964-9713 or visiting mendelssohn.org.

Youth outreach with Margaret Batjer

Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center presents a youth outreach with Margaret Batjer, violin, at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 13, at Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center.

 From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

IceHogs' newly-acquired defenseman Nick Boynton plays the puck in the defensive zone. A 10-year veteran, Boynton has registered more than 500 career games in the NHL. Photo by Todd Reicher

By Todd Reicher

Sports Columnist

Rockford continued to rack up points as the IceHogs won two of four games last week, gathering 5 points.

The ’Hogs’ first game of the week was Wednesday, March 3, as the Lake Erie Monsters came into town. Just 31 seconds into the game, Lake Erie forward T.J. Hensick grabbed a loose rebound in front of Corey Crawford and popped a shot into the back of the net for an early lead.

Four minutes later, Bracken Kearns blasted in a short-handed goal with a great assist coming from Jack Skille, who showed great patience as he feigned a shot, confusing the back-checking Monsters to skate past the passing lane.

On the same power play opportunity, Justin Mercier helped the Monsters regain the lead, getting a shot past Crawford, who was playing for a shot by the assisting Randy Rowe.

The only score in period two belonged to Rockford as Evan Brophey tallied his 12th goal of the season. The score came off a blocked shot from Pete MacArthur, which caromed off Monsters net minder John Grahame into the waiting stick of Brophey.

Defense stood tall in the third period, holding Lake Erie to only five shots on goal. Just more than halfway through the period, Rockford’s Brian Bickell scored on the power play, giving the ’Hogs a 3-2 edge. Lake Erie pulled Grahame with 80 seconds left in the game, but the ’Hogs’ defense refused to relent, as Rockford shut down the man advantage, securing the win.

Friday, March 5, the Texas Stars hosted Rockford for the first game of a five-game road trip for the ’Hogs. Texas has proven a tough opponent for Rockford this year, as the ’Hogs are just 1-3-1-0 in five games versus the Stars.

The first period belonged to Rockford as MacArthur and Derek Nesbitt both found the back of the net. One of Rockford’s newest members, Nick Boynton, scored his first point for the ’Hogs, assisting on Nesbitt’s goal. Boynton, who is a 10-year NHL veteran playing more than 500 games, was playing his second game in an IceHogs sweater.

Boynton was picked up by the Chicago Blackhawks from the Anaheim Ducks Wednesday morning, March 3, and skated with the ’Hogs later that afternoon in his first game for the team.

“I’m happy to be here and helping any way I can,” Boynton said of his recent arrival. “I’ve played with Cully (’Hogs’ defenseman Jassen Cullimore) and Toivonen (Rockford’s newly-acquired goalie Hannu Toivonen), which helps the transition. This team makes it easy.”

Texas answered with three goals in the second period, giving the Stars a 3-2 edge.

Rockford evened the score at 3 when Matt Keith beat goalie Matt Climie. Danny Richmond and Jake Dowell were credited with assists on the goal. With no additional scoring in the third, Rockford was guaranteed a point by getting the game to overtime.

However, the Stars would score the game-winner in overtime as Travis Morin beat Crawford with a hot shot over his left shoulder.

Games two and three of the road trip took place in San Antonio as the ’Hogs faced the Rampage for Saturday’s and Sunday’s games.

Saturday’s (March 6) game had the ’Hogs starting off hot as the ’Hogs had a three-goal first period with scores by Keith, Nesbitt and Bracken Kearns.

Both teams lit the lamp once in the second. The first of the scores came when Rampage captain Jeff Hoggan scored 8 minutes into the second. Rockford’s goal came 4 minutes later when Nesbitt netted his second of the game, bringing the lead to 4-1 after two periods.

The score would remain the same, thanks to excellent goaltending by Rockford’s newly acquired tender Toivonen, who stopped 32 of 33 shots he faced.

Rockford and San Antonio faced off again Sunday, March 7, in the second game of the back-to-back series. This game had a completely different feel compared to the previous game. Only two penalties were called the previous night, both on the Rampage, and more than 30 infractions were marked Sunday, including game misconduct penalties that ejected ’Hogs players Boynton and Kyle Hagel, and well-known San Antonio goon Francis Lessard for the game.

Crawford’s recent struggles continued, as he gave up four goals this game before being pulled in the second period in favor of Toivonen. This was the fifth time Crawford has given up four or more goals in his last eight starts.

The score was knotted at two after the first with Rockford scoring the first two, and the Rampage answering with two of their own later in the period.

San Antonio tacked on three more goals in the second, taking a commanding 5-2 lead into the third period.

Rockford hoped to cut into the lead in the third, but was unable to amass any additional scoring. San Antonio tacked on two more goals later in the third to hand Rockford a deflating 7-2 loss. With the loss, Rockford picked up 5 out of a possible 8 points this week.

Rockford’s next games take place Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, as the ’Hogs play a two-game series in Manitoba against the Moose, ending their five-game road trip. Rockford comes back home Sunday, March 14, when the ’Hogs battle the Houston Aeros.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

When Billy Idol first hit MTV as a solo artist in the early ’80s, the industry wasn’t sure what to make of him. Stuck somewhere amid the sounds of rock, pop and punk, Idol’s swagger and sound blazed a unique trail that even some of his predecessors couldn’t dream of.

Now in his 50s, Idol has found himself with some of the same fans he mustered in ’82 when a self-titled debut spawned “White Wedding,” “Dancing with Myself” and “Hot in the City.” The former Generation X singer still basks in his punk roots, yet has managed to produce enough organic material that thwarts attempts to corner him as an ’80s act. Idol continues to prove he’s as contemporary as any new act out there.

A July 2009 show at Chicago’s Congress Theater set the stage for Billy Idol’s latest collection—a12-track piece of video history from, arguabley, one of the most identifiable acts in history. Shot for an episode of the PBS series Soundstage, the performance spawned In Super Overdrive Live, a DVD and Blu-ray collection is pure Idol—nothing added, and raw.

With just more than three months out, In Super Overdrive Live includes a longtime crack team Idol fans have come to know for delivering a solid live Billy Idol sound that rarely wavers from original recordings. The 70-minute disc features right-hand man Steve Stevens (guitar), Derek Sherinian (keyboards), Stephen McGrath (bass) and drummer Brian Tichy, who has worked with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Slash and is now touring with Foreigner.

The Eagle Vision recording was superbly done, capturing a sweat-filled energy in the famed theater as Idol works through ahead-of-their time classics like “Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without a Face” and “Flesh for Fantasy.” In Super Overdrive includes new tracks and tunes Idol rarely performs live. “Super Overdive” and “Scream” are usually only dusted off for special shows, while “Cry” and “Touch My Love” were arranged for the project and could hint at a new Billy Idol studio album. While nothing has been officially announced, Idol is scheduled to join AC/DC, Rage Against the Machine, Aerosmith and others at the June 11-13 Download Festival at Donington Park (U.K.).

While a few tracks form the original Chicago show didn’t make the Overdrive Live project, the disc is a great buy, especially for those who own the 2001 Storytellers DVD.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

  GREENFIELD, Mass.—Reading, writing, arithmetic, and now, the fourth R: real food. This spring, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) is helping schools access and offer students more organic food with a national contest to award a winning school with an organically-grown garden or an organic vending machine.

  With its “Organic. It’s Worth It in Schools” initiative, launching, the OTA—which represents more than 1,400 organic food and product companies—is calling on teachers, parents, students, educators and others to vote for their favorite school to win an organic garden complete with seeds, soil and expert gardening support; or a fully-stocked vending machine, which can feature organic items like milk, fruit, cheese, yogurt and snacks.

  Through May 1, individuals visit www.OrganicItsWorthIt.org and enter the school name and address while at the same time “voting” by signing up for an electronic newsletter featuring organic tips, recipes, news and more. A school must receive a minimum 1,000 votes (or newsletter sign-ups) to win. (Full details on rules and regulations are at www.organicitsworhit.org/join/current-campaigns.) The winning school selects the garden or vending machine for installation in the 2010-11 school year.

  “Organic food is the only food certified by the USDA to have no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, irradiation and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). And, organically-grown gardens use no harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers on the soil,” said Christine Bushway, executive director of OTA. “We know schools in large cities and small towns work hard to promote healthy food and environmental stewardship. With ‘Organic. It’s Worth It in Schools,’ we want to provide them with one more tool to help them along.”

  The site also features tools and information for schools, parents and students to advocate for more organic food in schools, as well as information about the healthful, economic and social benefits of organic food and gardening.

  “Be honest; our children are at the heart of our worlds. Because we care, they influence the schedules we keep, the cars we buy, the entertainment we consume and the food we purchase,” said Stanford pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene. “But when we send our kids off to school, we have little control over what they eat. The more we can provide healthy organic food and organic gardening in schools today, the further we can go in ensuring a healthy future for our kids and our soil.”

  The Organic Trade Association is conducting the initiative as an extension of its first-ever national consumer education and awareness campaign, which launched in March 2009. “Organic. It’s Worth It” is an online outreach effort highlighting the benefits of organic food, farming and home products.

Organic Trade Association

          Founded nearly 25 years ago, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its more than 1,400 members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy. See www.ota.com.

 From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Starting Plants From Seeds—Saturday, March 13, 9 a.m.-noon: Growing your own plants can be a cost-effective and fun activity for your family. Join Klehm Arboretum’s Horticulture Director John Moors as he shows you everything a first-time gardener needs to know about growing plants from seeds. He’ll discuss propagation, equipment needs, timing, lighting, transplanting and mail order resources that will help you grow strong, healthy plants. Cost: $16 non-members; $14 members.

Klehm Volunteer Rally—Saturday, March 13, 9 a.m.-noon, free: Cure your cabin fever by coming out to Klehm to learn about the many volunteer opportunities available. From hands-on tasks in the gardens and grounds to one-day help with one of Klehm’s special events, choose from an array of volunteer positions for individuals of all ages and abilities. Even a few hours a month will make a difference. If you have an interest, there’s a place for you!

Basic Vegetable Gardening—Saturday, March 27, 9 a.m.-noon: Join Klehm Arboretum’s Horticulture Director John Moors to learn the basics of creating a chemical-free and productive vegetable garden. Topics include amending your soil, organic pest control, composting, mulching, crop rotation and how to begin the transition from traditional to organic gardening.

Register online at www.klehm.org or call (815) 965-8146.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

I recently joked that there should be a sport where bowlers compete on ice instead of on the normal wooden or synthetic lanes. Someone must have been listening. Although it’s not exactly what I was talking about, it’s close. Soon, fans can go bowling with members of the Rockford IceHogs.

From 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, March 21, at Cherry Bowl in Cherry Valley, the IceHogs are hosting a bowl-a-thon for charity. The ’Hogs Bowl-A-Thon will benefit Huntington’s Disease and all proceeds raised that afternoon will go to the Huntington’s Disease Clinic at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford.

“Huntington’s Disease has affected me and my family as my dad and brother both have it,” said IceHogs captain Jake Dowell. “Any way to raise awareness and help find a cure for it is great. I appreciate the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford helping us with this benefit, and hopefully we can raise a lot of money for their new Huntington’s Disease Clinic.”

Registration is $40 per bowler or $150 per team of four. Fans can sign up for the IceHogs Bowl-A-Thon at any IceHogs home game at the Rockford MetroCentre at the U.S. Cellular Fan Zone, or by calling Nate Haeni at the IceHogs office at (815) 847-6381.

All registered bowlers will receive three games of bowling (nine pin), shoe and ball rental, goodie bag, a raffle ticket and access to the exclusive autograph session with the IceHogs players following the bowling. Plus, the first 100 bowlers, or 25 teams, to register are guaranteed to be matched with an IceHogs player or coach. The deadline to register is 5 p.m., Friday, March 12.

Raffle prizes include a team autographed stick, a pair of tickets to the final four IceHogs regular season games, Blackhawks tickets, Ice Box Seats, eight tickets to a club box and access to the Dental Dimensions Club Lounge and four framed photos of IceHogs players, courtesy of team photographer Greg Hamil.

Fans interested in attending the event but not interested in bowling can purchase a $10 ticket that includes a raffle ticket and access to the autograph session.

The IceHogs will hold a Premium Raffle as well. The Premium Raffle tickets will be good for a suite night at an IceHogs game, a chance to win one of two game-worn IceHogs jerseys or a pair of 20-Pack tickets for the 2010-11 season. Premium Raffle tickets will be sold for $5 or five for $20.

If you have any questions regarding the IceHogs Bowl-A-Thon, contact Haeni at (815) 847-6381.

Doug Halberstadt can be reached via e-mail at Dougster61@aol.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Photo provided

By Edith McCauley

Theater Critic

The Beatles will be in town Friday, March 12, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center. In an interview with Mark Benson, who is John Lennon in 1964: The Tribute, we discussed at length his musical career, the formation of the group and their 26 years of dedication to the “Fabulous Four” and their incomparable contribution to a genre of an era that continues to this day.

Mark grew up in a family whose love of music was essential. His mother and father were active in their church and sang in the choir. Mark began playing instruments at an early age, and by his teens had chosen the guitar as his focus. With several friends, he organized his first band. I asked when they received payment for a performance. It was before he began high school. Although minimal, he realized that audiences would actually pay to hear their music.

Contemporary songs and the music of the ’70s and ’80s played in small venues carried them through the early years, and by 1984 the group decided to expand their repertoire. Having grown up with the Beatles, they formed a band that duplicated their look and their songs. The bass player even learned to play with his left hand. Three of the original band are in the current group.

During the past 26 years, they have performed throughout the country, from Carnegie Hall to Red Rocks outside Denver. Mark says: “I am blessed to have been involved in a career that I so love. Our shows are basically love songs, and there are no rude lyrics or movements. Looking out at the audience, I see three generations together. This is a genre for all ages. This has been a lifelong job.” We both agreed that having work that we look forward to every day is a real gift.

Mark’s home base is Akron, Ohio. The group is on the road year-round with a holiday and summer break. His daughter is pursuing a career in dance, attending school in California. She has had a professional appearance at one of the awards shows at the Kodak Theater, so the tradition continues.

THREE GENERATIONS OF BEATLES FANS: Granddaughter Liz Kilty (rear, from left), grandmother Edith McCauley and daughter Mary Kilty pose with cardboard cutouts of Ringo Starr (front, from left), John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison at BeatlesFest in Chicago in 1995. Photo provided

Personal note: My granddaughter, Liz, has been a Beatles fanatic since she was in grade school. BeatleFest in Chicago was an annual event. She and my daughter plan to attend Friday’s show—another three generations in the house. Mark will be pleased. The greatest compliment the band has ever received was a demand from a patron asking for his money back. “I did not come to hear a tape of the Beatles’ music,” the disgruntled patron was reported as saying.

Tickets are available by calling (815) 968-0595 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. I’ll see you there.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Belvideere's Bobby Pester goes up for a jump shot over a Freeport defender during the opening round of the Class 3A regional held at East High School. Freeport defeated Belvidere and Belvidere North to win the regional. Photo by Matt Nestor

By Matt Nestor

Sports Columnist

The good news for the Jefferson J-Hawks is they cruised through their IHSA Class 4A regional at Crystal Lake South to move on to the sectional at Boylan.

The bad news is they lost a key piece along the way.

Senior Mario Manns returned for the J-Hawks, and Jefferson started off with a 47-43 victory over Huntley in the first round. They won the regional with a 57-44 victory over Crystal Lake South.

On their way to the regional championship, however, senior Mershon Wilkes hurt his knee and is lost for the season. Wilkes was one of the J-Hawks’ leading scorers, and his absence will be felt in the sectional round.

The Freeport Pretzels have been on a roll for almost a month straight now. The Pretzels won four straight to end the regular season, including a shocker at Boylan.

They have continued the roll into their Class 3A regional, dominating both Belvidere schools at the East regional on their way to the regional championship.

The Pretzels kicked off the regional with a resounding 72-33 victory over the Belvidere Bucs in the first round. Seniors Jalen Carroll and Austin Davis were on fire from the outside, and the Pretzels used pressure defense to create easy baskets all game long.

They followed that up with a strong fourth-quarter push, outscoring Belvidere North 14-7 in the final quarter to earn the regional championship with a 47-40 win over the Blue Thunder.

DeKalb awaits Freeport in the next round. The J-Hawks will be at the Boylan sectional, where they will face Bartlett.

Share your thoughts with Matt Nestor via e-mail at sportsnest@gmail.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

"Crow," by R. Scott Long. Image provided

By Patty Rhea

Curator, Rockford Art Museum

If you haven’t had a chance to drive down the recently-opened block of North Main Street in downtown Rockford, time is of the essence…wait no longer.

Thirty-three years…this is certainly something to celebrate! The much-anticipated opening of the pedestrian walkway is a bit like the tale of the Tortoise and the Hare: Perseverance triumphs, although it can take a while.

Take in a bit of local culture and stop to savor Kortman Gallery’s popular exhibit So What?, celebrating new work by local artist R. Scott Long, as it heads into its final weekend (on display through March 13).

Rockford resident Scott Long’s innate skill as a draftsman is evident in this whimsical exhibition of drawings. The show is composed of more than 60 works in varying scale, including diminutive pieces that resemble intimate greeting cards. Uniquely, the artist uses vintage sewing machines to render the works in thread, a process Long developed over a two-year span. Thread is used to shade the form, much like charcoal is used in a traditional drawing. Many of the drawings are then sealed in thin layers of translucent wax, imparting a dreamlike quality to the work.

For many years, Long has been known for his work as a sculptor. He has also worked in tandem with bead artist Betsy Youngquist, bringing life and movement to her animal forms with his preparatory carving and detailed intricacies. Recently, he has experimented with casting glass, adding elements that further narrate and embellish his and Youngquist’s artistic collaborations. His fascination with this medium is also apparent in this show at Kortman Gallery. Bits of cast glass, some resembling translucent sea coral, are beautifully incorporated in a selection of new pieces.

The artist understands the beauty of minimally-conceived compositions. Less is certainly more for Scott Long. Negative space is as critical as positive space. Long’s use of line, often meandering, is playful, humorous and just plain fun. A keen interest in nature is evident in the subject matter presented…animals of every shape and size spring forth…birds, bears and frogs come to life in these inspired creations. Price range for the work varies with the size; many are quite affordable and available for less than $100. Hard to beat for original art!

R. Scott Long’s So What? exhibit runs through Saturday, March 13. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Kortman Gallery is upstairs at J.R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 N. Main St., downtown Rockford. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call (815) 968-0123 or log on to www.jrkortman.com.

Contact RAM Curator Patty Rhea at prhea@rockfordartmuseum.org.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

From press release

  Students in Rockford Public Schools are beginning to rally around the Million Meals for Haiti project being coordinated by Sharefest, the volunteer coalition that helps refurbish schools each summer.

  An all-school “Quarters for the Quake” campaign started Tuesday with the arrival in each building of 5-gallon water-cooler bottles affixed with the campaign logo. Money raised through the quarter drive will go toward the cost of the million meals being packaged by volunteers with Sharefest, a charitable arm of Heartland Community Church.

  Rockford’s four traditional high schools also will serve as packing locations–East and Auburn on March 11 and Guilford and Jefferson on March 12. During the day, students will assist in mixing the rice, powdered soy and dried vegetables, sealing the contents in plastic bags and boxing the meals for shipment. From 4 to 8 p.m., the schools will be open to community members who wish to help package meals. The project concludes with packing sessions Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14, at Heartland Community Church.

  Superintendent LaVonne M. Sheffield said the collaboration provides a real-world lesson for students in the value of community service. “If every student donates one quarter, Rockford schools can underwrite the costs of more than 125,000 meals for the people of Haiti,” she said. “And that says nothing of the many hands we can provide to help lighten the load as far as the packing is concerned.”

  Each package costs $1 to produce and provides one meal for 17 people; nearly 30,000 students are enrolled in Rockford schools. Students at Lathrop Elementary School came up with “Quarters for the Quake” as the name for a collection that has already taken place.

  For more information, call Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) at (972-4357 (HELP).

 From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Miracles can happen.

In one of the most exciting starts to free agency in recent memory, the Chicago Bears landed not one, not two, but three key free agents to help the team in its 2010 campaign.

In the days preceding the start of NFL free agency, rumors began to swirl that the Bears were interested in Julius Peppers, the 30-year-old defensive end from the Carolina Panthers. If you’re anything like me, or have followed the Bears closely in recent years, you probably just shrugged these reports off.

The thought of the Bears actually signing Peppers, the top free agent in an uncapped year, is almost incomprehensible; yet, at the stroke of 11:01 Friday evening, March 5, the Bears sent an offer to Peppers that was good enough to get him on an airplane headed to Chicago. Actually, Lovie Smith flew to Carolina to pick Peppers up and bring him to Chicago.

Brilliant. Genius. Well done, Bears.

The Bears made it clear when Peppers committed to meeting with them that he would not be leaving Chicago without his signature on a contract. They were determined to get this deal done. He was their guy, and because of that, Peppers received the largest deal in free agency—a six-year deal that could be worth up to $91.5 million.

Peppers has registered at least 10 sacks in six of his eight NFL seasons, including a career-high 14.5 in 2008. In 2009, Peppers added to his stat sheet by registering 10.5 sacks, giving him 25 for the two years—a feat no Chicago Bears player has done since Richard Dent did it in 1986-1987.

And Peppers wasn’t even the only free agent the Bears had their eyes on.

Running back Chester Taylor, the seasoned veteran from Minnesota, signed with the Bears shortly before the team announced they had landed Peppers. Taylor is entering his ninth season in the NFL, and has backed up the illustrious Adrian Peterson for the past three seasons.

Also on the Bears docket for last Friday was nine-year veteran Brandon Manumaleuna. Manumaleuna, 6-foot-2, 295-pounds, played under offensive coordinator Mike Martz in St. Louis and is considered one of the best blocking tight ends in the league.

The Chicago Bears shocked the world last weekend. They needed to be active and aggressive in free agency with no first- or second-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft. They did what they needed to do.

Share your thoughts with S.C. Zuba via e-mail at samuelczuba@yahoo.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010

Mario Donaldson shoots a jumper against Auburn in the regional semifinal game. Donaldson scored 12 against Auburn and 42 for the entire regional. Photo by Matt Nestor

By Matt Nestor

Sports Columnist

The gym at Harlem High School was packed. Half the crowd was chanting “Super Mario.”

Hononegah senior Mario Donaldson had just hit a three and was trying to will his team to victory in the IHSA Class 4A regional championship at Harlem.

Twice Hononegah had the Boylan Titans behind the eight ball in the regular season. And after Donaldson’s three gave him 29 points so far in the game, it seemed like he was going to get the job done.

But the Titans had a secret weapon just for a player as hot as Donaldson. While he scored 30 points to lead all scorers, that final three was the only basket he scored when Boylan put Steve Thomas in the game to guard him.

And with the season on the line, Thomas made sure Donaldson wasn’t going to end it for Boylan, stopping him down the stretch and helping the Titans to a 79-66 regional championship victory.

“I was just trying to slow him down,” Thomas said of his defense. “Mario is a great player. We just tried to contain him any way we could. My teammates felt that I could do it, and I just stepped up and did it.”

Senior Nick Bauch of Boylan goes up for a shot during the IHSA Class 4A regional championship against Hononegah. Bauch scored 16 in helping the Titans to the regional title. Photo by Matt Nestor

Thomas did more than just slow down Donaldson. He denied him the ball and forced him into a couple of bad misses down the stretch to help keep the Indians at bay.

“Of course, Mario played a tremendous game,” Boylan coach Steve Goers said. “I told Steve Thomas before the game that if we have a match-up and we’re not guarding, then you’re going in the game and guarding him most of the game. What you try to do is prepare your team mentally for what to see and what to look out for so they can take care of business.”

The Titans were fully prepared on the offensive end as well. As they have had for almost every game this season, the Titans entered with a major size advantage, and they took full advantage of it with their season in jeopardy.

Boylan was aggressive with their size all night, attacking the basket and forcing Hononegah to foul for much of the game. The Titans shot 43 free throws for the game, making 36 of them on their way to victory.

“We knew we had the height advantage,” Boylan’s Nick Bauch said. “And it didn’t matter who got it inside, we knew we had to take care of business.”

But more important than anything for the Titans, the victory gives them a chance to host the sectional round, with their first game coming against a Barrington team they have already defeated this year.

“It’s a great feeling to come in here and take care of business,” Goers said. “We wanted to get it back to Boylan for the sectional tournament.”

It was a tight regional altogether. Guilford outlasted Harlem in a play-in game, and then the following night stuck with Boylan until the final minute before falling to the Titans.

The Boylan Titans gather as a team in preparation for their regional final game against Hononegah. The Titans hit 36 free throws en route to a 79-66 victory. Photo by Matt Nestor

The next night saw Hononegah’s Andrew Tapley hit five threes, including a big one late, to help the Indians come from behind to knock off the second seed Auburn Knights.

Share your thoughts with Matt Nestor via e-mail at sportsnest@gmail.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, issue

The Rockford Area Arts Council urges the public to consider honoring an exceptional student or star educator with much-deserved arts recognition by submitting a nomination for a 2010 Mayor’s Arts Award. Nomination forms are due to the Arts Council no later than March 15.

Nominees will be evaluated on the basis of the breadth and depth of their work and its impact on the Rockford area. Awards will be given for Exceptional Student of the Arts, honoring a high school-aged student’s artistic talent and community involvement in the arts during the student’s high school years, and Star Educator, honoring an educator, specialist or instructor who has enriched lives, inspired excellence, introduced children to the arts or expanded opportunities for children to learn through the arts.

Awards will be presented at the Family Arts Festival, Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 11.

Nomination forms are available at the Rockford Area Arts Council or may be downloaded at www.artsforeveryone.com.

The Rockford Area Arts Council supports, promotes, and develops the arts for everyone in the northern Illinois region. The Arts Council is guided by the vision of a community in which everyone enjoys and participates in the arts—and a community in which successful artist and arts organizations contribute to the vitality of the economy and quality of life.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Area jumpers compete during the high jump competition at the Second Annual Hononegah Track & Field Classic. Featuring 26 schools in all, the Classic is one of the largest indoor track events in the state. Photo by Matt Nestor

By Matt Nestor

Sports Columnist

The 2010 high school track season got off to a strong start with one of the largest indoor events of the season.

Twenty-six schools came to Hononegah to compete in the second annual Hononegah Track & Field Classic. The event took place indoors inside the dome on campus.

Several area schools were among the teams competing and gave strong showings as the season begins. Belvidere North and Hononegah both finished in the top 10 of the team standings, with the Blue Thunder seventh with 33 points, while the Indians were 10th with 30.

Centrena Simmons of Belvidere North helped get to the seventh-place finish, with strong showings in several events. She tied for second in the high jump and also finished 10th in the 200-meter dash.

Baily Murphy also did well for the Blue Thunder. She finished second in the 200-meter low hurdles and 10th in the 55-meter high hurdles.

Murphy also helped North dominate the pole vault, where she took first, and teammate Ashley Graff was second. Gloria Young was eighth in the event for the Blue Thunder as well.

Hononegah’s Courtney Clayton was one of the standouts of the entire meet. She placed in four different events.

Clayton won the 400-meter dash with a meet record time of 1:01.21. She was also fifth in the 55-meter dash, and seventh in the 200-meter dash. She also ran the third leg on the 4×400-meter relay, where Kelsey Laska, Sabiyah Minor and Mandy Coleman helped for a sixth-place finish.

Downers Grove North won the meet with 114.50 team points overall. They were able to dominate the relays, winning three of the races among their strong finishes.

Aurora West was second with 103 points. They were led by the biggest star of the day.

Shanice Andrews won the triple jump, the 55-meter high hurdles and the 200-meter low hurdles. Andrews also finished second in the long jump.

Kellion Gordon of Niles West was also one of the biggest stars of the events. She won the 200-meter dash and the 55-meter dash.

Share your thoughts with Matt Nestor via e-mail at sportsnest@gmail.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Patty Bachmann (left) and Jody Deery, Hispanic Gallery and Irish Gallery honorees, respectively, at Ethnic Heritage Museum's Women's History Month celebration March 7. Photo provided

From press release

There are amazing stories of women in history. This month, the Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S. Main St., Rockford, recognizes local women who have an outstanding record of accomplishments in the community. These are Rockford women who epitomize volunteerism, citizenship and a strong cultural connection to the community.

Sunday, March 14, Polish Gallery, Serafina Vanek—Vanek is a survivor of World War II in Poland. She recently shared her stories at the museum with an oral history program. A member of St. Stanislaus, she has written two poetry books and a biography in her Polish language. The writings tell about her experiences during this time in Poland.

Time: 2-4 p.m. Community welcome! Donations accepted. Tasty treats are available.

Sunday, March 21, Italian Gallery, Circuit Judge Lisa Fabiano—Honorable Lisa Fabiano is a Rockford native and Guilford High School graduate. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1985 and went on to attend law school at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. After receiving her JD in law in 1992, she served from 1993-98 as law clerk for Judge Stanley J. Roszkowski, U.S. District Court for Northern District of Illinois. Fabiano has written articles for NIU School of Law’s The Law Review. She has also been in private practice for 11 years with the Fabiano law offices in Rockford. The Hon. Lisa Fabiano was elected circuit judge for the 17th Judicial Circuit in 2008. She volunteers on the board of the Greater Rockford Italian American Association (GRIAA) and the Advisory Board of the Ethnic Heritage Museum.

Time: 2-4 p.m. Community welcome! Donations accepted. Special Italian treats Fedeli style are available.

Sunday, March 28, Lithuanian Gallery, Joseph Valaitis—Carol Valaitis is a retired teacher of gifted students, former director of Speech Pathology at Mercy Hospital, and an active community volunteer serving in the area of Gifted Education (Illinois Association for the Gifted). A member of Holy Family Parish and Rockford Catholic Women’s Guild, she is involved in women’s issues and is president of the board of directors of Womanspace. She is married 40 years to Dr. Joseph Valaitis and is a Rockford resident of 33 years. Her adult children are 100-percent, fourth-generation Lithuanian Americans.

Program: Carol Valaitis will join with her friend, Martha Schapals from McHenry, Ill., to share their recent trip experiences in Lithuania. They will have artifacts on display from this trip and items of Lithuanian history collected through the years.

Time: 2-4 p.m. Community welcome! Donations accepted. Tasty treats are available.

In addition to these special Women’s History Honoree Celebrations, visitors can enjoy the African-American Gallery displays of African-American Life in the 1800s post-Civil War. A collection of Rockford College President Dr. and Mrs. Robert Head’s family artifacts from this time period are on exhibit.

Another stop is the Italian Gallery’s Carnevale display, which represents the beautiful Italian costumes worn during the 1800’s city-wide festivals. On display will be masks purchased in Venice, “Queen of the Adriatic.”

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

By Gale Ketteler

Womanspace presents the Rockford debut of Creating Buddhas: The Making and Meaning of Fabric Thangkas. Guests of all ages can join us this Saturday, March 13, at Anderson Gardens for Isadora Gabrielle Leidenfrost’s film on this Tibetan art form. The movie explores Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, a rare female thangka maker from the United States. Don’t miss this story of her life-changing nine-year apprenticeship in Dharamsala, India (home of the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan government), the intricate step-by-step process of producing a fabric thangka, and their history and importance for Tibetans. Admission is $20 and includes an exhibit of locally-owned painted and fabric thangkas, the film (followed by a conversation with Leidenfrost), plus a Tibetan prayer flag craft to take home. Seating is limited, so register today!

Meanwhile, back on campus, our art galleries are host to two wonderful exhibits. WomanSpeak in Gallery 1 is in honor of Women’s History Month and features art inspired by the words of strong females—our kind of gals! Jhoole Weavers (pronounced ju-LAY) in Gallery 3 is photography by Rockford native Hannah Warren and the gorgeous textiles produced at the Jhoole Weavers’ Cooperative, a fair trade women’s collective she founded in India. Proceeds from purchases will benefit both Jhoole and Womanspace. Items include note cards of Warren’s beautiful photographs of the weavers, silk and cotton sari scarves, and framed Jhoole silk fabrics. This exhibit is presented in collaboration with Rock Valley College Students in Free Enterprise, and is partially supported by a grant from the Rockford Area Arts Council, which receives support from the City of Rockford, the Illinois Arts Council and its members.

World religion exploration continues with a Lunch and Learn March 17, presented by Sarah Woestman of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. March 18 features a Dorothy Bock art lecture about Frida Kahlo-Revolutionary Artist, and Bookgirl, our Junior Member program for girls ages 9-13, with Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. Honor women and the approach of spring at both Celebrating our Foremothers March 20 and our Queen of Heaven group Equinox gathering the next day. The Supper and Film March 22 will be the night you resolve to never miss another election. Iron-Jawed Angels is an amazing movie starring Hilary Swank that chronicles the women’s suffrage movement from 1912-1920. Gather with us March 26 for a free Fun Night for Adults. Bring your favorite game, refreshments to share, and make some new friends! Then, relax the next morning as Una Ryan teaches Restorative Yoga. Liz Fiorenza of Wind Ridge Herb Farm presents Herbal Teas and Tinctures March 29 for a natural and organic approach to wellness. Looking ahead to April, we have a documentary film about Aldo Leopold and the Wild Prairie Orchids and a workshop for those entering the life phase of caregiver for aging parents. You don’t need to be a member to do any of this, so please visit our Web site to learn more.

Gale Ketteler is program coordinator & marketing specialist at Womanspace, a not-for-profit founded in 1975, and located on a 7-acre campus a half-mile west of Rock Valley College off Spring Brook and Applewood at 3333 Maria Linden Drive in Rockford. Regular office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Info at (815) 877-0118, gale@womanspace-rockford.org or www.womanspace-rockford.org.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

It was a little more than a month or so ago that I wrote a column praising the great play of the Northern Illinois University (NIU) men’s basketball team. At that time, they were the hottest team in the state and vying for first place in their conference. I must have hexed them.

The Huskies’ season is now officially over, and my, how things have changed. They finished with a woeful 10-20 record. The Huskies lost to Eastern Michigan University 65-59 in the first-round of the FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Tournament at EMU’s Convocation Center last Sunday afternoon, March 7, to conclude their 2010 schedule.

NIU’s Head Coach Ricardo Patton maintained a positive attitude despite his team’s nosedive. He said: “We were ready to play today, but obviously came up short. I thought (Xavier) Silas did a nice job; he didn’t settle for the three-ball, and our guys were resilient. We came here on a mission to win the ball game. We had two more field goals than them, had one more three, and out-rebounded them by 12 with 11 offensive rebounds. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the free throw line enough to pull this thing out in the end.

“We return our top-10 scorers next season, but we need to get tougher and grow up as a team a lot in the off-season,” Patton added. “We need to play better on the road, find ways to throw the first punch instead of withstanding it, and get stronger. Help is also on the way with some good young players—we’ll get started on making this team better right away. I’m excited about next season, and am confident we’ll put a product out on the floor that our fans will be proud of.”

Northern Illinois is set to return 13 players from its 2009-10 roster to next season’s team, including 96 percent of its scoring, 90 percent of its rebound totals and 94 percent of its assist output. The Huskies will also welcome at least two newcomers, redshirt freshman guard Antone Christian and incoming freshman forward Nate Rucker, who signed with NIU last November.

Next year, I won’t be so hasty to sing the Huskies’ praises. No more Huskie hexes from yours truly. Maybe they’ll respond by winning a few more games than they did this year. That seems like a fair deal to me.

 From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Founded in 2005, the objective of Rockford Operetta Party is to provide the Rockford area with the opportunity to attend or participate in light operas of genuine artistic merit.

Thursday, March 11, and Saturday, March 13, the Rockford Operetta Party will present a concert of Edwardian light opera titled “Sunsets and Edelweiss.” This program will feature a reading of “A Welsh Sunset,” by Philip Michael Faraday; selections from “The Mountaineers” and from “Two Merry Monarchs,” which was first presented at the Savoy Theater in London March 10, 1910.

Scott Farrell is the director of the Rockford Operetta Party and has performed with a number of choirs and performing groups in the Rockford area. Those groups include: Sveas Soner, NIU Concert Choir, Rock Valley College Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, the Mendelssohn Chorale, Byron Civic Theatre and RVC Studio Theatre. Steve Lilja serves as a performer in the Maywood Evangelical Free Church orchestra and as performer and guest conductor of the Rockford Christian Fellowship Band.

In addition to being a composer, arranger, trombonist and vocalist, Kelly Beaman is director of music at First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago. Beaman has a bachelor’s of music in composition from Illinois Wesleyan University, a master’s of music from Northern Illinois University, and a master’s of business administration from Rollins College. Performers include Lorie Parker-Weinrich, Erica Reed, Sue Lewis, Vicki Marcum, Giovanni Grimaudo, Kurt Schoening, Kelly Beaman and Michael Carlyle.

Performances will be at First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago, 208 W. Winnebago St., Winnebago, Ill. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, please e-mail rockfordoperetta@gmail.com.
The production is affordable for the whole family: adults, $9; seniors and children, $6; previous cast members, $5. Please call or e-mail for tickets or additional information: (815) 639-9753, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Friday, rockfordoperetta@gmail.com, http://www.rockfordoperettaparty.synthasite.com.

This group is passionate about making opera appeal to all!

Annie O’Keefe is executive director of the Rockford Area Arts Council.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

GALENA, Ill.—Escape for a culinary weekend retreat at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, 444 Eagle Ridge Drive, Galena, Ill., as the resort hosts its annual Wine Lovers’ Weekend, March 26-28. This weekend is filled with wine-centric tastings, luncheons, dinners, and seminars featuring some of the world’s top names in the wine industry.

Notable participants of Wine Lover’s Weekend at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa include the following:

→ J. Patrick Henderson, winemaker, Kenwood Vineyard in Kenwood, Calif. Henderson will be hosting the Friday night “Call of the Wild” Jack London Dinner as well as holding a seminar Saturday, March 27, about how to Taste Wine Like the Pros. Henderson is a graduate of the viticulture and enology program at the University of California at Davis, and is a member of The American Society for Enology and Viticulture.

→ Jeff Stewart, winemaker, Buena Vista Carneros Winery in Sonoma, Calif. Stewart along with Jorge Hernandez of J. Vidal-Fleury will be hosting the Saturday night Dueling Wineries Wine Dinner. Stewart’s fascination with the French lifestyle and wine culture is what led him to pursue a career in wine. Stewart, like Henderson, is also a graduate of the viticulture and enology program at the University of California at Davis.

→ Jorge Hernandez of J. Vidal-Fleury in the Rhone Valley, France. Hernandez will be joining Jeff Stewart of Buena Vista Carneros Winery in hosting the Saturday night Dueling Wineries Wine Dinner and leading a seminar Saturday titled, “The Judgment in Paris.” Hernandez has been a wine educator since 1983, and also writes and records fine wine radio spots that are broadcast weekly in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

Other dining opportunities and sessions include a Beer, Cheese & Brothers Ale Tasting with Jim and Jason Ebel of Two Brothers Brewing Company in Naperville, Ill., Cab in the 1990s seminar with Mickey Schofield of J.W. Deutsch, Wisconsin’s Finest; Korbel Brandy luncheon featuring Rex Clarke from Korbel Brandy, Mr. Mixology session with Certified Sommelier Steven Curtis, Templeton Rye after dinner tasting, The Bubbly Cellar Sunday Brunch and The Winemaker Panel. For times, details and more, call (800) 892-2269.

Available Thursday, March 25, Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa will offer a Bacchus Cellar Dinner featuring five wines from Wine Spectator’s Top 100 of 2009 to kick-off Wine Lovers’ Weekend. The dinner is separate from the Wine Lovers’ Weekend Package. Tickets are available for $80 per person if you book the Wine Lovers’ Weekend Package. Those guests will also receive 40 percent off their room rate for Thursday, March 25. To book this reservation, call (800) 892-2269.

Wine Lovers’ Weekend Package

Guests who are interested in attending this weekend getaway can book a Wine Lovers’ Weekend Package that includes two-night accommodations, sponsored meals and beverages, admission to all scheduled wine seminars and tastings, and a ticket to the Grand Tasting Event that takes place at the Galena Convention Center Friday, March 26. Package rates start at $489 per person, excluding tax and resort amenity fee, and can be booked by calling Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa at (800) 892-2269.

Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa

On 6,800 acres amid the rolling hills of northwestern Illinois, Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa is a full-spectrum resort recognized nationally by outlets including Wine Enthusiast, Midwest Living, and Travel + Leisure Golf. The property provides a superior golf experience with 63 holes on four acclaimed courses. The resort offers distinctive dining options including The Woodlands Restaurant & Lounge and Spikes Bar & Grill, both catering to guests and locals alike.

Amenities on the property include the tranquil Stonedrift Spa, state-of-the-art fitness center with an indoor pool and sauna, along with an endless array of seasonal outdoor activities including hot-air balloon rides, horseback riding, cross country skiing, sledding, ice skating, biking and hiking on miles of trails and fishing and boating on the 220-acre Lake Galena.

For reservations or more information, call (800) 892-2269 or visit online at www.eagleridge.com.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Vinyl Voodoo – Mary’s Place, 602 N. Madison St. 10:30 p.m. Free. Every Wed. Info: 815-962-7944.

1st Entertainment Karaoke – Club Impulse, 132 W. Grand Ave., Beloit, Wis. 6p.m.-2 a.m. Every Wed. Info: 608-361-0000.

Rob Tomaro Jazz Trio w/Special Guest Artist – Café Belwah, Beloit Inn, 500 Pleasant St., Beloit, Wis. 6-10 p.m. Free. Every Wed. Info: 608-363-1110.

KJ Laurie & 5 Star Karaoke – Shooter’s Bar & Grill East, 7171 CherryVale Blvd., Cherry Valley. 9 p.m. Info: 815-332-5229.

Reggae Night with DJ Tommy Tsunami – Bar 3, 326 E. State St. Info: 815-968-9061.

Open Mic Night – The Hope & Anchor, 5040 N. Second St., Loves Park. Info: 815-633-2552.

Via Audio, Pattern is Movement – The House Café, 263 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb. Info: 815-787-9547.

Thursday, March 11

Open Stage – Mary’s Place, 602 N. Madison St. 9:30 p.m. Free. Every Thurs. Info: 815-962-7944.

The Monday Morning Dixie Band – fibs, 105 W. Main St., Rockton. 6-9 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-624-6018.

Madman John & 1st Entertainment Services Karaoke Contest – Shooter’s Bar & Grill, 4007 E. State St. Info: 815-399-0683.

DJ/Hip-Hop – Chubby Rain House of Tunes, 4210 Countryside Estates Drive, Poplar Grove. 8 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-765-1884.

Karaoke – Krypto Music Lounge, 308 W. State St. Every Thurs. Info: 815-965-0931.

Harlan Jefferson & the White Chocolates – Rockton Inn, 102 E. Main St., Rockton. Info: 815-624-8877.

Acoustic Open Stage with Boulas – Cronies Grill, 9032 N. Second St., Machesney Park. Every Thurs. Info: 815-282-2262.

KJ Monte & 5 Star Karaoke – JD’s Sports Bar & Grill, 908 W. Riverside Blvd. 9:30 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-639-9488.

Karaoke w/Mike – Scoobie’s Redneck Bar & Grill, 2942 11th St. 9 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-742-9511.

DJ/Karaoke – Whiskey’s Roadhouse, 3207 N. Main St. Info: 815-877-8007.

Latin Night – Bar 3, 326 E. State St. Every Thurs. Info: 815-968-9061.

Friday, March 12

Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra featuring Violinist Margaret Batjer – Court Street United Methodist Church, 215 N. Church St. 7:30 p.m. Info: 815-964-9713.

David Mallett – JustGoods, 201 Seventh St. 7:30 p.m. Info: 815-543-7627.

Pistol Pete – Big Cities Lounge, 905 E. State St. Info: 815-965-6026.

Shannon Curtis & Roxi Copland – Brio, 515 E. State St. Info: 815-968-9463.

Kerry Atoms – Mary’s Place, 602 N. Madison St. Info: 815-962-7944.

Kirkland – Big Al’s Bar, 610 N. Bell School St. Info: 815-398-6411.

FNR – Chubby Rain House of Tunes, 4210 Countryside Estates Drive, Poplar Grove. Info: 815-765-1884.

The Blueheels – Krypto Music Lounge, 308 W. State St. Info: 815-965-0931.

Vintage Vinyl – Shooter’s Bar & Grill East, 7171 CherryVale Blvd., Cherry Valley. Info: 815-332-5229.

Joey – Northwoods Bar & Grill, 200 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park. Every Fri. Info: 815-636-8560.

Line Dancing with Kelly – Boonie’s Roadhouse, 7940 S. Main St. Info: 815-962-1567.

Bob Affholder & Karaoke – Rockton Inn, 102 E. Main St., Rockton. Info: 815-624-8877.

Madman John & 1st Entertainment Services Video DJ Show – Club Impulse, 132 W. Grand Ave. Beloit, Wis. Info: 608-361-0000.

DJ – Sports Page Bar & Grill, 3907 Broadway. 9 p.m. Info: 815-399-3185.

DJ – Miranda’s Pub & Grill, 6116 Mulford Village Drive. 9 p.m. Free. Info: 815-381-0073.

DJ – Oscar’s Pub & Grill, 5980 E. State St. 9 p.m. Free. Info: 815-399-6100.

DJ – Manor Nightclub, 293 Executive Pkwy. 9 p.m. Free. Info: 815-394-0077.

DJ – Brewsky’s, 4414 Charles St. 9:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-399-9300.

DJ – Cousin’s Bar & Grill, 510 S. Perryville Road. 9:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-316-2660.

DJ – RBI’s, 3870 N. Perryville Road. 9 p.m. Info: 815-877-5592.

DJ – Tad’s, 10 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park. 9 p.m. Info: 815-654-3500.

DJ – The Office Niteclub, 513 E. State St. 9 p.m. Info: 815-965-0344.

DJ Jonny – Shooter’s Bar & Grill, 4007 E. State St. 8 p.m. Info: 815-399-0683.

DJ – Casey’s Pub, 77307 N. Alpine Road. 10 p.m. Free. Info: 815-316-2274.

DJ Mark & Lana – FIBS, 105 W. Main St., Rockton. 9:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-624-6018.

DJ – JD’s Sports Bar & Grill, 908 W. Riverside Blvd. Info: 815-639-9488.

DJ/Karaoke – Whiskey’s Roadhouse, 3207 N. Main St. Info: 815-877-8007.

DJ/Karaoke – Jayne’s Place, 2229 Anderson Drive, Belvidere. Info: 815-544-5153.

DJ Foley – The Breeze Sports Bar & Grill, 3801 N. Perryville Road. 9:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-633-4141.

RPM’s DJ Service – Backstop Bar & Grill, 1830 Union Ave., Belvidere. 8:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-547-8100.

Saturday, March 13

Seventh Annual 70s Gospel Concert – Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 Main St. 7 p.m. Info: 815-965-0049.

Andean Music Concert – Hilltop Ministry Center, 8301 Mitchell Road, Roscoe. 2 p.m. Info: 815-885-4606.

LowDown Brass Band, Joe DiZillo, Illamental – Otto’s Nightclub & Underground, 118 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb. Info: 815-758-2715.

Beyond Threshold CD Release Party – Mary’s Place, 602 N. Madison St. Info: 815-962-7944.

Missing Links – Shooter’s Bar & Grill, 4007 E. State St. Info: 815-399-0683.

Hillbillie – Shooter’s Bar & Grill East, 7171 CherryVale Blvd., Cherry Valley. Info: 815-332-5229.

Mark Reed & Waddy – East End Tap, 9042 Rte. 72, Stillman Valley. Info: 815-645-8820.

Acoustic Millennium Band – Booties Main Tap, 411 Main St., Pecatonica. Info: 815-239-2126.

Shifty Shafer – Pee Wee’s Pub, 9461 N. Second St., Roscoe. 7 p.m. Info: 815-282-9448.

Matthew Santos – Krypto Music Lounge, 308 W. State St. Info: 815-965-0931.

X51– Rascal’s, 5223 Torque Road, Loves Park. Info: 815-636-9207.

Jin and Tonic – Big Al’s Bar, 610 N. Bell School St. Info: 815-398-6411.

No Dice – JD’s Sports Bar & Grill, 908 W. Riverside Blvd. Info: 815-639-9488.

Never Was, Fist to the Sky – Bar 3, 326 E. State St. Every Thurs. Info: 815-968-9061.

Stone Free – Grant Park Tavern, 3015 Kishwaukee St. Info: 815-397-9819.

Smokin’ Gunz – The Grove, 100 E. Grove St., Poplar Grove. Info: 815-765-1002.

Roundhouse – Chubby Rain House of Tunes, 4210 Countryside Estates Drive, Poplar Grove. Info: 815-765-1884.

The Aardvarks – Cherokee Pub, 225 W. Main St., Freeport. Info: 815-233-9356.

Bullet – Scoobie’s Redneck Bar & Grill, 2942 11th St. Info: 815-742-9511.

IRON CROSS – Rocky’s Bar & Grill, 5314 N. Second St., Loves Park. Info: 815-877-0378.

Shuvlhed – Fifth Alarm Firehouse Pub, 120 N. Union St., Byron. Info: 815-234-7000.

The Sensations – Hope and Anchor, 5040 N. Second St., Loves Park. Info: 815-633-2552.

Open Stage Night – Northwoods Bar & Grill, 200 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park. Info: 815-636-8560.

DJ – Swilligan’s Pub, 200 N. Church St. Info: 815-965-6414.

DJ – Oscar’s Pub & Grill, 5980 E. State St. 9 p.m. Free. Info: 815-399-6100.

DJ – Manor Nightclub, 293 Executive Pkwy. 9 p.m. Free. Info: 815-394-0077.

DJ – Brewsky’s, 4414 Charles St. 9:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-399-9300.

DJ – Cousin’s Bar & Grill, 510 S. Perryville Road. 9:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-316-2660.

DJ/Karaoke – Jayne’s Place, 2229 Anderson Drive, Belvidere. Info: 815-544-5153.

DJ – Casey’s Pub, 77307 N. Alpine Road. 10 p.m. Free. Info: 815-316-2274.

DJ Mark & Lana– FIBS, 105 W. Main St., Rockton. 9:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-624-6018.

DJ with Double D – The Breeze Sports Bar & Grill, 3801 N. Perryville Road. 9:30 p.m. Free. Info: 815-633-4141.

DJ Trevis Christensen – Rockton Inn, 102 E. Main St., Rockton. Info: 815-624-8877.

Sunday, March 14

Karaoke Joni, Madman John & 1st Entertainment Karaoke Show – Club Impulse, 132 W. Grand Ave., Beloit, Wis. 6:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Every Sun. Info: 608-361-0000.

Maxine Holler – The Gun Club, 1122 E. Colley Road, Beloit, Wis. 5 p.m. Info: 608-362-9900.

The Queen Killing Kings, Audrio, Midmost – Otto’s Nightclub & Underground, 118 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb. Info: 815-758-2715.

Monday, March 15

Vinyl Voodoo – Mary’s Place, 602 N. Madison St. 10:30 p.m. Free. Every Mon. Info: 815-962-7944.

Movin’ Mondays: Open Turntables Night – Club 505, 505 E. State St. Every Mon. Info: 815-962-3354.

1st Entertainment Services Karaoke Workshop and Recording Night – Club Impulse, 132 W. Grand Ave., Beloit, Wis. 6 p.m. Info: 608-361-0000.

Dave Potter & The Alley Kings Open Blues Jam – Suds O’Hanahan’s Irish Pub, 435 E. Grand Ave., Beloit, Wis. Info: 608-369-1933.

“The Magic Behind the Movies” – Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St. Info: 815-720-4856.

Tuesday, March 16

Open Stage – Mary’s Place, 602 N. Madison St. 9:30 p.m. Info: 815-962-7944.

Harlan Jefferson – Big Al’s Bar, 610 N. Bell School Road. 6:30-10:30 p.m. Free. Every Tues. Info: 815-398-6411.

Kamikaze Karaoke – Krypto Music Lounge, 308 W. State St. 9 p.m. Every Tues. Info: 815-965-0931.

After Work Mixer/All City Jam – Big Al’s Bar, 610 N. Bell School Road. Mixer 5:30-7:30 p.m., jam follows. Free. Every Tues. Info: 815-398-6411.

KJ Laurie & 5 Star Karaoke – Pee Wee’s Pub, 9461 N. Second St., Roscoe. 7 p.m. Info: 815-282-9448.

Open Stage Night – Red Lion Ale House, 501 E. State St. Every Tues. Info: 815-963-0099.

Please have your free listing in to The Rock River Times the Thursday preceding our Wednesday publication. Call (815) 964-9767 to report any inaccuracies in these calendars.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Rockford Art Museum – 711 N. Main St. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m. Free for everyone every Tues. Info: 815-968-2787.

Kortman Gallery – 107 N. Main St. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Info: 815-968-0123.

Funktional Arts – 412 N. First St. Furniture & sculpture. Info: 815-969-7942.

Village Gallery – Stewart Square. Artists’ co-op. 45 artists. Open Wed.-Fri., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Info: 815-963-ARTS.

Bonzi Productions Theatre Group – Family theater, plays, musicals. Info: 815-394-8987.

Wright Museum of Art – 700 College St., Beloit, Wis. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tues.-Sun. Info: 608-363-2677.

Logan Museum of Anthropology – 700 College St., Beloit, Wis. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tues.-Sun. Info: 608-363-2677.

Galena Artists’ Guild Gallery – 324 Spring St., Galena. Thurs.-Mon., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Info: 815-777-2870.

NIU Art Museum – Hall Case Galleries, 1201 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb. Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat., noon-4 p.m. Free. Info: 815-753-1936.

Rockford College Art Gallery – Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Tues.-Wed., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat., 3-6 p.m. Free. Info: 815-226-4034.

Womanspace New Dimensions Art Gallery – Womanspace, 3333 Maria Linden Drive. Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Info: 815-877-0118.

Beloit Fine Arts Incubator – 520 E. Grand Ave., Beloit, Wis. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Other hours by appointment. Info: 608-313-9083.

Monroe Arts Center – 1315 11th St., Monroe, Wis. Info: 608-325-5700.

ArtSpace West – 1426 N. Main St. Tues.-Fri., 3-8 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Info: 630-546-4727 or 815-988-1501.

Age Quake Theatre – Plays for and about those 55 and older performed in the greater Rockford area. Info: 815-398-8090.

A Movable Feast – Edgebrook Center, 1641 N. Alpine Road. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Info: 815-227-0102.

Jarrett Center – Byron Forest Preserve District, 7993 N. River Road, Byron. Info: 815-234-8535.

Cholke Photography & Fine Art Gallery – 2211 E. State St. Fri., 7:30-10 p.m.; Sat., 4:30-10 p.m.; Sun., 2-5 p.m. Free. Info: 815-226-9398.

Freeport Art Museum –121 N. Harlem Ave., Freeport. Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., noon-5 p.m. Featuring: Silent Echoes through July 11. Info: 815-235-9755.

DeKalb Area Women’s Center – 1021 State St., DeKalb. Fridays 7-9 p.m. Info: 815-758-1351.

Ingrid Dohm Studio Gallery – 839 N. Perryville Road. Appointments/Info: 815-519-6492.

Midtown Marketplace – 203 Seventh St. Info: 815-961-1269.

The Gallery At JustGoods – 201 Seventh St. Currently seeking local artist to present works in the Community/Art room. New art shows monthly. Info: 815-965-8903 .

Wednesday, March 10

Poetry for the Soul – Bar 3, 326 E. State St. Info: 815-968-9061.

2010 Rockford Midwestern – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

The World Through a Woman’s Eyes in 2010 – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Young Artists Show: High School Division – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Rock Valley College Juried High School Art Show – Rock Valley College, Estelle M. Black Library, 3301 N. Mulford Road. Info: 815-921-3355.

Cedar Marie & Rachel Bruya Walker Art Exhibition – Rockford College, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-226-4000.

Thursday, March 11

Poetry & Open Mic Night – Borders, 199 Deane Drive. 7 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-399-2898.

Scottish Folk Dancers – 2110 Birchwood. 7:15-9 p.m. Every Thurs. Beginners welcome. Info: 815-229-0107.

Poetry & Open Mic – The Lyric Live, 3023 N. Rockton Ave. 7-9 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-519-8458.

2010 Rockford Midwestern – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

The World Through a Woman’s Eyes in 2010 – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Young Artists Show: High School Division – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Rock Valley College Juried High School Art Show – Rock Valley College, Estelle M. Black Library, 3301 N. Mulford Road. Info: 815-921-3355.

Cedar Marie & Rachel Bruya Walker Art Exhibition – Rockford College, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-226-4000.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – The Fireside Theatre, 1131 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, Wis. Info: 800-477-9505.

Friday, March 12

2010 Rockford Midwestern – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

The World Through a Woman’s Eyes in 2010 – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Young Artists Show: High School Division – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Rock Valley College Juried High School Art Show – Rock Valley College, Estelle M. Black Library, 3301 N. Mulford Road. Info: 815-921-3355.

Cedar Marie & Rachel Bruya Walker Art Exhibition – Rockford College, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-226-4000.

David Menart: Confessions of an Inkslinger – Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St. Noon. Info: 815-623-8676.

Artists’ Ensemble: Might Have Gone Fishing – Rockford College, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-394-5004.

Little Shop of Horrors – Paddock Hall at Hickory Grove, 1133 N. Seventh St., Rochelle. 8 p.m. Info: 815-562-4336.

Saturday, March 13

2010 Rockford Midwestern – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

The World Through a Woman’s Eyes in 2010 – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Rock Valley College Juried High School Art Show – Rock Valley College, Estelle M. Black Library, 3301 N. Mulford Road. Info: 815-921-3355.

Cedar Marie & Rachel Bruya Walker Art Exhibition – Rockford College, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-226-4000.

Young Artists Show: High School Division – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Artists’ Ensemble: Might Have Gone Fishing – Rockford College, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-394-5004.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – The Fireside Theatre, 1131 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, Wis. Info: 800-477-9505.

Little Shop of Horrors – Paddock Hall at Hickory Grove, 1133 N. Seventh St., Rochelle. 8 p.m. Info: 815-562-4336.

Sunday, March 14

2010 Rockford Midwestern – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

The World Through a Woman’s Eyes in 2010 – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Young Artists Show: High School Division – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Cedar Marie & Rachel Bruya Walker Art Exhibition – Rockford College, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-226-4000.

Artists’ Ensemble: Might Have Gone Fishing – Rockford College, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-394-5004.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – The Fireside Theatre, 1131 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, Wis. Info: 800-477-9505.

Little Shop of Horrors – Paddock Hall at Hickory Grove, 1133 N. Seventh St., Rochelle. 2 p.m. Info: 815-562-4336.

Monday, March 15

Poetry for Change – Bless the Mic – Your Solelution, 323 N. Church St. 8-10 p.m. Every Mon. Info: 815-969-7359.

2010 Rockford Midwestern – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

The World Through a Woman’s Eyes in 2010 – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Young Artists Show: High School Division – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Cedar Marie & Rachel Bruya Walker Art Exhibition – Rockford College, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-226-4000.

Rock Valley College Juried High School Art Show – Rock Valley College, Estelle M. Black Library, 3301 N. Mulford Road. Info: 815-921-3355.

Tuesday, March 16

International Poetry Reading – Pearson Hall, Beloit College, 700 College St., Beloit, Wis. 7 p.m. Info: 608-363-2137.

2010 Rockford Midwestern – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

The World Through a Woman’s Eyes in 2010 – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Cedar Marie & Rachel Bruya Walker Art Exhibition – Rockford College, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Info: 815-226-4000.

Young Artists Show: High School Division – Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St. Info: 815-968-2787.

Rock Valley College Juried High School Art Show – Rock Valley College, Estelle M. Black Library, 3301 N. Mulford Road. Info: 815-921-3355.

Please have your free listing in to The Rock River Times the Thursday preceding our Wednesday publication. Call (815) 964-9767 to report any inaccuracies in these calendars.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

Burpee Museum of Natural History – 737 N. Main St. Mon.-Fri.; noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Donation days every Mon. Info: 815-965-3433.

Discovery Center Museum – 711 N. Main St. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Info: 815-963-6769.

Tinker Swiss Cottage – 411 Kent St. Tours 1, 2, 3 p.m., Tues.-Sun. Info: 815-964-2424.

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden – 2715 S. Main St. Tues.-Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Info: 815-965-8146.

Anderson Japanese Gardens – 318 Spring Creek Road. Info: 815-229-9390.

Memorial Hall – 211 N. Main St. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.Mon-Fri., or by appointment. Info: 815-969-1999.

Camp Grant – 1004 Samuelson Road. 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Tues.-Sat. Restaurant on premises. Info: 815-395-0679.

Lewis Lemon Community Center – 1993 Mulberry St. Mon.-Fri., 5:30-11 p.m. Free. Info: 815-987-8800.

Ethnic Heritage Museum – 1129 S. Main St. Sun., 2-4 p.m. Info: 815-962-7402.

Pine Tree Pistol Club – Info about club & classes: 815-874-7399.

Graham-Ginestra House Museum – 1115 S. Main St. Sundays, 2-4 p.m. Info: 815-968-6044.

Midway Village – 6799 Guilford Road. Mon.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Info: 815-397-9112.

Stone Quarry Recreation Park – 6845 N. German Church Road, Byron. Mon.-Fri., 4-8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., noon-8 p.m. Info: 815-234-8900.

Health Classes/Seniors Meetings/Support Groups – OSF Saint Anthony Center for Health. Call for specific meetings/dates/info: 815-395-4505.

Support Groups/Youth Drop-in Hours – Diversity of Rockford, 117 S. Third St. Free. Weekly. Call for specific meetings/dates/info: 815-964-2639.

Alcoholics Anonymous – Call for locations/times/info: 815-558-4582, 815-227-4633 or 815-968-0333.

Narcotics Anonymous – Call for locations/times/info: 815-964-5959 or 888-656-7329.

Support for Retired Grievers – Zion Lutheran Church, 925 Fifth Ave. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Every other Wed. Call for dates/info: 815-636-4750.

Overeaters Anonymous – Various locations/dates. Call for prices/info: 815-397-8512 or 815-547-5932.

Rockford Public Library Used Book Shop – Rockford Public Library, 215 N. Wyman St. Mon.-Wed., Noon-6 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Info: 815-965-7606.

Ken-Rock Community Center – 3218 11th St. Various activities throughout the year. Info: 815-398-8864.

Womanspace – 3333 Maria Linden Drive. Various activities throughout the year. Info: 815-877-0118.

Heritage Farm Museum – 8059 N. River Road, Byron. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Info: 815-234-8535, ext. 217.

Poplar Grove Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum – 5151 Orth Road, Poplar Grove. Open weekdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Info: 815-547-3115.

Rock River Valley Blood Center – 419 N. Sixth St. Mon.-Thurs., 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Fri., 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Info: 815-965-8751 or 866-889-9037.

Kishwaukee Valley A.B.A.T.E. Meeting – V.F.W., 2018 Windsor Road, Loves Park. Second Sunday of each month, 2 p.m. Info: 815-544-3088.

Open Doors – Court Street United Methodist Church Chapel, 215 N. Court St. 12:30-1 p.m. Every Wed. Enter north end. Info: 815-962-6061.

Historic Auto Attractions – 13825 Metric Drive, Roscoe. Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Info: 815-389-9999.

Angelic Organics Learning Center – 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia. Various classes & activities throughout the year. Info: 815-389-8455.

Byron Museum of History – 106 N. Union St., Byron. Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Info: 815-234-5031.

The Bridge Center of Rockford – 4861 American Road. Games & classes for beginners through experts. Info: 815-873-9334.

Becca’s Closet – One In Christ Church, 1502 Parkview Ave. Accepting donations of gently-used formal wear. Donations accepted Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at: Machesney Park City Hall (300 Machesney Road), Classic Formal Wear (Colonial Village Mall), United Way of Rock River Valley (612 N. Main St.), Crusader Clinic (1200 W. State St.) & Harlem Roscoe Fire Station (Bridge & Main streets, Roscoe). Info: 815-289-3551.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off – Rock River Water Reclamation District, 3333 Kishwaukee St. Sat., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., noon-4 p.m. Info: 815-387-7400.

Club Round: A Clubhouse for Round People – 7120 Windsor Lake Pkwy., Suite 202, Loves Park. Various activities throughout the year. Info: 815-639-0312.

Rockton Township Historical Society Museum – Corner of Blackhawk Blvd. & Green St., Rockton. Open for tours every Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Info: 815-624-4830.

Having Trouble Hearing on the Phone? – Center for Sight & Hearing, 8038 Macintosh Lane. Mon.-Fri. Free amplified phone program. Must be Illinois resident and have standard phone service. Application/info: 815-332-6800.

Stretch & Belly Dance Combo Beginner’s Class – Club Round, 7120 Windsor Lake Parkway. 7:30-9 p.m. Classes every Mon., Wed. & Fri. Registration/info: 815-639-0312.

Adventure Club – Jarrett Center, Byron Forest Preserve District, 7993 N. River Road, Byron. 9-11 a.m. or 1-3 p.m. Ages 3-6. Info: 815-234-8535, ext. 200.

Representative Ron Wait Office Hours – Zeke Giorgi Building, 200 S. Wyman St. Every Thursday. 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Info: 815-987-7483.

Toddler Time – Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 2001 N. Alpine Road. 9:15 -10:15 a.m. Every Mon. and Tues. Free. Info: 815-399-3171.

Wednesday, March 10

Weekly Preschool Storytime – Cherry Valley Public Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley. 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Ages 3-5. Every Wed. Info: 815-332-5161.

Bingo – Baltic Star Lodge, 1524 Ninth St. Doors open 9 a.m., first bingo 11:45 a.m. Every Wed. Info: 815-965-8132.

Preschool Story Time – Beloit Public Library, 409 Pleasant St., Beloit, Wis. Every Wed. 10 a.m. Ages 3-5. Info: 608-364-2915.

Lapsit Storytime – Beloit Public Library, 409 Pleasant St., Beloit, Wis. Every Wed. 10 a.m. Ages 12-24 months. Info: 608-364-2915.

Garden Tour – Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 2715 S. Main St. 1, 2 & 3 p.m. Riding tours, reserve a week in advance. Self-guided walking tours also available. Info: 815-965-8146.

Pre-Read – Cherry Valley Public Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley. 9:30 a.m. For children ages 3-6 and a caregiver. Info: 815-332-5161.

Creature Feature and Music Nights – Otto’s Nightclub & Underground, 118 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb. Every Wed. Info: 815-758-2715.

Cheerleading Class – Ken-Rock Community Center, 3218 11th St. 6-8 p.m. Info: 815-398-8864.

Gentle Yoga – OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. 12:10 p.m.-12:55 p.m. Info: 815-395-5036.

Comedians Steve Gillespie & Mike Mayfield – Whiskey’s Roadhouse, 3207 N. Main St. Info: 815-877-8007.

16th Annual Youth Groundwater Festival – Rock Valley College, 3301 N. Mulford Road. 9:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Info: 815-720-4133.

Thursday, March 11

Comedy Night – Chubby Rain House of Tunes, 4210 Countryside Estates Drive, Poplar Grove. 9-11:30 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-765-1884.

Swing Dancing – St. Edward Church, 3004 11th St. 8-10:30 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-914-7441.

Support for Grief After Suicide – Zion Lutheran Church, 925 Fifth Ave. 7 p.m. Free. Every other Thurs. Call for schedule/info: 815-636-4750.

Shall We Dance Ballroom Dance – Rock Valley College, 3301 N. Mulford Road. Beginners 6 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced, 7 p.m. Every Thurs. Info: 815-718-1814.

A Ministry of Restoration Bible Study – Montague Branch Library, 1238 S. Winnebago St. 5:30 p.m. Every Thurs. Prayer every Tues. 6:30 p.m. For prayer or info: 815-966-6322.

Pre-Read – Blackhawk Fire Station, 4919 Blackhawk Road, Cherry Valley. 10:30 a.m. For children ages 3-6. Info: 815-332-5161.

Wee Read – Blackhawk Fire Station, 4919 Blackhawk Road, Cherry Valley. 9:30 a.m. For children up to age 3 and a caregiver. Info: 815-332-5161.

Kids Craft Night – Cherry Valley Public Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley. 6 p.m. Info: 815-332-5161.

Gentle Yoga – OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. 9 a.m.-10:15 a.m. Info: 815-395-5036.

Look, Listen & Learn Storytime – Rockford Public Library East Branch, 6685 E. State St. 11 a.m.-noon. Info: 815-965-7606, option 5.

Girls Group – Rockford Public Library Lewis Lemon Branch, 1988 Jefferson St. 2:30-3:30 p.m. Info: 815-965-7606, option 5.

Wellness & Health Fair – Freeport RAMP office, 2155 W. Galena Ave., Freeport. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Info: 815-233-1128.

Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program – La Voz Latina, 412 Market St. 5:30-7 p.m. Info: 815-262-0206.

Friday,March 12

Gentle Yoga – OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. 12:10 p.m.-12:55 p.m. Info: 815-395-5036.

Drop-In Storytime – Rockford Public Library Main Branch, 215 N. Wyman St. 10:30-11 a.m. Info: 815-965-7606, option 5.

Spotlight on Our Solar System – Byron Forest Preserve District, 7993 N. River Road, Byron. 7-9 p.m. Info: 815-234-8535, ext. 200.

Rockford Amateur Radio Association Monthly Meeting – Saint Anthony Medical Center, Foundation Room, 5666 E. State St. 7 p.m. Info: 815-885-3926.

Q98.5/St. Jude Radio-Thon – Cherryvale Mall, 7200 Harrison Ave. 5 a.m.-7 p.m. Info: 815-399-2233.

Saturday, March 13

Public Ice Skating – Carlson Arctic Ice Arena & Indoor Playground, 4150 N. Perryville Road, Loves Park. Info: 815-969-4069.

Weiskopf Observatory Public Viewing – Byron Forest Preserve District, Weiskopf Observatory, 7993 N. River Road, Byron. Every Sat. Info: 815-234-8535, ext. 216.

OSF Saint Anthony Golf Conditioning Program – OSF Saint Anthony Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. 9 a.m. Info: 815-395-4604.

Webkinz – Rockford Public Library Montague Branch, 1238 S. Winnebago St. 2-4 p.m. Info: 815-965-7606, option 5.

Starting Plants from Seeds – Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 2715 S. Main St. Info: 815-965-8146.

Rockford Rampage vs. Bleeding Heartland Flatliners – Indoor Sports Center, 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. 7 p.m. Info: 815-871-4859.

RoRo Expo – Hononegah High School Dome, 307 Salem St., Rockton. Info: 815-623-9065.

Rockford Postage Stamp Show – Forest Hills Lodge, 1601 W. Lane Road, Loves Park. Info: 815-670-5869.

Irish Marching Society’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Party – Riverview Ice House to former Armory on N. Main St. 3 p.m. Info: 815-608-3299.

Spring Tea Party – Byron Forest Preserve District, 7993 N. River Road, Byron. 3-4 p.m. Info: 815-234-8535, ext. 200.

Brownie Try-It: Colors and Shapes – Byron Forest Preserve District, 7993 N. River Road, Byron. 1-3 p.m. Info: 815-234-8535, ext. 200.

Kid Concert: Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful – Byron Forest Preserve District, 7993 N. River Road, Byron. 3-4 p.m. Info: 815-234-8535, ext. 200.

Golf Conditioning Program – OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. Info: 815-395-5036.

“From Chaos to Order” Depression Seminar – The Overflowing Cup, 306 State St., Beloit, Wis. 3-5 p.m. Info: 608-365-0365.

Q98.5/St. Jude Radio-Thon – Cherryvale Mall, 7200 Harrison Ave. 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Info: 815-399-2233.

Creating Buddhas: The Making and Meaning of Fabric Thangkas – Anderson Japanese Gardens, 318 Spring Creek Road. 9 a.m.-noon. Info: 815-877-0118.

Sunday, March 14

Good God Questions – Zion Lutheran Church, 925 Fifth Ave. 9:15 a.m. Every Sun. Free. Info: 815-964-4609.

Brew ’n’ View Movie Night – Krypto Music Lounge, 308 W. State St. 7 p.m. Every Sun. Info: 815-965-0931.

“The Way” – Trinity Lutheran Church, 200 N. First St. Every first & third Sun. 5 p.m. Info: 815-963-4446.

Huntington’s Disease Support Group – OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, 5666 E. State St. Second Sun. of each month. 2-4 p.m. Info: 815-395-5036.

African-American Life Post Civil War, Celebrate Carnivale, Celebrate Women’s History Month – Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S. Main St. 2 p.m. Info: 815-962-7402.

Fifth Annual Shamrock Open Basic Skills Figure Skating Competition – Carlson Arctic Ice Arena & Sapora Playworld, 4150 N. Perryville Road, Loves Park. Info: 815-987-8800.

Behind the Scenes Tours – Midway Village & Museum Center, 6799 Guilford Road. Info: 815-397-9112.

An Afternoon with Pieta Brown – Severson Dells Nature Center, 8786 Montague Road. 2:30-4 p.m. Info: 815-335-2915.

Rockford Postage Stamp Show – Forest Hills Lodge, 1601 W. Lane Road, Loves Park. Info: 815-670-5869.

17th Annual Mid America Kart Club Swap Meet – Harlem Community Center, 900 Roosevelt Road, Machesney Park. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Info: 815-289-3479.

Critter Camp: Sugar Gliders & Kinkajous – Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main St. Info: 815-965-3433.

IceHogs vs. Houston Aeros – MetroCentre, 300 Elm St. 5 p.m. Info: 815-968-5222.

Monday, March 15

Pub Quiz – Krypto Music Lounge, 308 W. State St. 5-8 p.m. Every Mon. Info: 815-965-0931.

Wee Read – Cherry Valley Public Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley. Every Mon. 9:30 a.m. For children younger than 3 w/adult. Info: 815-332-5161.

Chocolate City Nightlife – Bar 3, 326 E. State St. 9 p.m. Every Mon. Info: 815-621-4319.

Wee Read – Cherry Valley Public Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley. 9:30 a.m. For children up to age 3 and a caregiver. Info: 815-332-5161.

“Go” Game Club – Beloit Public Library, 409 Pleasant St., Beloit, Wis. 6:30 p.m. Ages 8 and older. Every Mon. Info: 608-364-2915.

Gentle Yoga – OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. 12:10 p.m.-12:55 p.m. Info: 815-395-5036.

Sunset Storytime – Rockford Public Library Main Branch, Little Theater, 215 N. Wyman St. 6:30-7:15 p.m. Info: 815-965-7606, option 5.

Stability Ball Class – OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. Info: 815-395-5036.

Small Business Disaster Preparedness Workshop – EIGERlab, 605 Fulton St. 6-7:30 p.m. Info: 815-987-7433.

Tuesday, March 16

“Group Hope” Depression Support – Grace Episcopal Church, 10 S. Cherry St., Freeport. 7-8:30 p.m. Every first and third Tues. Info: 815-235-6171.

Barks & Books – Cherry Valley Public Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley. 6 p.m. Info: 815-332-5161.

Family Story Time – Cherry Valley Public Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley. Every Tues. 6:30 p.m. Info: 815-332-5161.

Edgar Cayce A.R.E Meetings – Highland Place, 2222 E. State St. Every other Tues. 7-8:30 p.m. Info: 815-234-2394.

Babysitting Class – Ken-Rock Community Center, 3218 11th St. 6-8 p.m. Info: 815-398-8864.

Gentle Yoga – OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. 9 a.m.-10:15 a.m. Info: 815-395-5036.

Heart Smart for Women Class – Byron Public Library, 100 S. Washington St., Byron. Noon-1 p.m. Info: 815-732-7330, ext. 279.

Family Skate – Carlson Arctic Ice Arena & Sapora Playworld, 4150 N. Perryville Road, Loves Park. 8 p.m. Info: 815-969-4069.

Sunset Story Hour – Rockford Public Library Rock River Branch, 3128 11th St. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Info: 815-965-7606, option 5.

Sunset Story Hour – Rockford Public Library East Branch, 6685 E. State St. 6:30-7:15 p.m. Info: 815-965-7606, option 5.

Kids Club: Crafts & Fun! – Rockford Public Library Rockton Centre Branch, 3112 N. Rockton Ave. 4-5 p.m. Info: 815-965-7606, option 5.

Stability Ball Class – OSF Center for Health, 5510 E. State St. Info: 815-395-5036.

“Coral Reef Ecology: Why it Matters” – Rockford College, Starr Science room 207, 5050 E. State St. 4 p.m. Info: 815-226-3374.

Home School Class – Convection: A Current Event – Observing Current in Water – Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main St. 4 p.m. Info: 815-965-3433.

Dragons of the North: The World of the Viking Longships – Burpee Musuem of Natural History, 737 N. Main St. 7:30 p.m. Info: 815-209-0503.

Youth Softball Program Registration – Ken-Rock Community Center, 3218 11th St. 6-8 p.m. Info: 815-398-8864.

Please have your free listing in to The Rock River Times the Thursday preceding our Wednesday publication. Call (815) 964-9767 to report any inaccuracies in these calendars.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

On a motion by Ald. Doug Mark (R-3), members of the Rockford City Council agreed to a one-week layover of the city’s proposed $110 million spending plan for 2010.

Although the proposed budget is balanced, aldermen will continue discussing additional adjustments, such as the possibility of raising fees and fines related to liquor licenses.

Positions left open in 2009 will remain open in 2010, and capital expenditures have been eliminated as the city continues to struggle with slouching revenues.

The deadline for passage of the budget is March 31.

Resolutions

→ Approving an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for improvements along East State Street, between Seventh Street and Fairview Boulevard. Of the estimated $2,323,000 project cost, the city’s share is $48,760.

→ Approving an agreement with IDOT for Phase II engineering and land acquisition related to the roundabout project at North Main and Auburn streets. The state is providing $425,000 for engineering and $1 million for land acquisition. Ald. Ann Thompson-Kelly (D-7) voted “no.”

Ordinance

→ Approving the sales of the city’s four remaining Shopstead program units at 1708, 1712, 1718 and 1720 W. State St. The units will be taken over by tenants operating businesses in the strip mall.

Committee reports

→ Awarding Northern Illinois Service $5,340 and $10,970 for demolitions of 2224 N. Court St. and 1609 Clifton Ave., respectively. The report also awarded J.D. Mark $10,100 for the demolition of 1505 Clifton Ave.

→ Awarding $330,589.82 to William Charles Construction, of Loves Park, for the second phase of Day Avenue reconstruction.

→ Awarding $352,024.52 to William Charles Construction for Hecker avenue reconstruction.

→ Rescinding a previously-awarded bid for commercial garage labor, and awarding the bid instead to Fran Kral for a labor rate of $70 per hour.

→ Approving the sale of vacant lots at 416 and 420 N. Avon St. for a minimum bid of $7,800.

→ Awarding Carahsoft Technology Corporation, of Reston, Va., a $24,349.20 bid for a three-year Symantec anti-virus renewal for city computers.

→ Approving the extension to April 1 of an intergovernmental agreement with Winnebago County Animal Services for animal control. The city continues contracting with the county on a month-by-month basis while a long-term contract is being negotiated.

Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen (R) announced Jan. 27 an ongoing investigation at Winnebago County Animal Services regarding an allegation of the mishandling of funds.

Public comments

River District Association Executive Director Kimberly Wheeler Johnsen thanked aldermen for approving $332,715.24 March 1 to McClure Engineering Associates for design and construction engineering related to the riverwalk project.

During the March 1 meeting, Ald. Pat Curran (R-2) was unsuccessful in his attempt to delay the project to seek an alternate design for the bridge portion of the endeavor. Aldermen chose to plod ahead with the project, citing a need to complete the riverwalk in conjunction with an expansion project at the nearby museum campus.

“This is a significant step in moving the project forward at a crucial time,” Johnsen said. “A delay would result in a negative snowball effect on multiple organizations, efforts and expenses.”

Johnsen also defended other downtown expenditures related to streetscaping and a study of one-way streets as important factors in attracting new investment, as well as to create jobs.

Dr. Alan Brown, executive director of the Burpee Museum, delivered similar sentiments.

Brown reported that during the museum’s PaleoFest the prior weekend, visitors expressed excitement when viewing conceptual drawings of what the riverwalk will look like once completed.

“I remember one person from Wheaton saying, ‘We’ve been coming here every year, but we will always continue to keep coming back,’ because the impact that they see this facility and riverwalk having on our community,” Brown asserted, noting the museum expansion project is expected to be completed in June. “The riverwalk is just going to enhance what we’re trying to do there.”

Community activist Prophet Yusef offered a number of suggestions for the revitalization of downtown, including more lighting, movie theaters, cooperation between charitable organizations for a downtown bingo hall, weekly events spotlighting veterans at Memorial Hall, keeping the library open seven days per week, ice cream and pizza parlors, and walking beats for police officers in the neighborhood.

Local businessman and downtown property owner Jeffrey King described the downtown area as being rich in opportunities.

“But unless this community makes a conscious decision to also invest, it will make it much more difficult, not only for me to make further investments downtown, but to put the time and energy into the investments I already have, to improve them,” he explained. “I know it takes courage to move forward on projects when a vocal minority is out there—and I hear it strong, very strong. I truly believe that now is the time to rally behind a long-term action plan. To continue to show our community what we want to make Rockford—a sought-after destination for both living and working—I would encourage you, our leaders of our community, to continue to invest your time, your energy and our tax dollars into the downtown corridor.”

King assured aldermen that private investors will follow their lead.

Proclamation

Mayor Larry Morrissey (I) proclaimed Irish Marching Society Week in honor of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Absences

Aldermen Joe Sosnowski (R-1), Pat Curran (R-2) and Linda McNeely (D-13) were absent.

 From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue

This is your chance to help make sure an Illinois-based solar industry with growth of businesses and jobs can occur. Please contact your state legislators now to let them know you support this legislation. Voting on these measures will come as soon as Wednesday, March 10, and please forward to anyone else you think is supportive of solar power in Illinois.

Please send this out as an e-mail widely, and make sure to tell people how important it is that they help out.

Illinois Clean Energy Coalition
Senate update

Senate Bill 3686 and Senate Bill 3426 were not heard by the Senate Energy Committee Wednesday, March 3. We expect them to be called either this Wednesday (March 10) or the following Wednesday (March 17).

It is critical that committee members hear from you in support of these bills before the hearing. The utilities are actively working to kill the bills in committee. Please reach out early this week to tell committee members how important these bills are to building a strong renewable energy industry in Illinois.

Names, phone numbers, and bill summaries are below.

House update

House Bill 6013 and House Bill 6202 will also be heard in House committees this week.

Three very important bills are under consideration in Springfield this legislative session (see bill summaries and fact sheets below).

The legislative session is in full swing. The bills have strong sponsors lined up and have been assigned to committees. We’re enthusiastic about prospects for making game-changing progress this year to develop renewable energy markets in Illinois, but your support is needed to get the bills over the finish line.

We have two specific requests for coalition members this week:

(1) Call the Senate Energy Committee members listed below and ask them to support S.B. 3686 and S.B. 3426 (see bill summaries below). The Energy Committee meets this Wednesday at 9 a.m., so please contact members as soon as possible.

→ Sen. Mike Jacobs: (217) 782-5957

→ Sen. James Clayborne: (217) 782-5399

→ Sen. Iris Martinez: (217) 782-8191

→ Sen. Antonio Munoz: (217) 782-9415

→ Sen. Donne Trotter: (217) 782-3201

→ Sen. Dale Risinger: (217) 782-1942

→ Sen. Kirk Dillard: (217) 782-8148

→ Sen. John Jones: (217) 782-0471

→ Sen. Carole Pankau: (217) 782-9463

→ Sen. Dave Syverson: (217) 782-5413

→ Sen. Tim Bivins: (217) 782-0180

The following Energy Committee members have already signed on as bill sponsors, so please thank them when you call:

→ Sen. David Koehler: (217) 782-8250

→ Sen. Ricky Hendon: (217) 782-6252

→ Sen. Emil Jones III: (217) 782-9573

→ Sen. Michael Noland: (217) 782-7746

→ Sen. Martin Sandoval: (217) 782-5304

See the Illinois Board of Elections’ Web site at http://www.elections.illinois.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1 to look up your own state senator by ZIP code and contact her/him as well.

(2) Send us project case studies that we can use to illustrate the job and economic development potential of renewable energy for the state of Illinois.

S.B. 3686 and H.B. 6013 background

Illinois’ Renewable Energy Standard (RES) requires that by 2015, 6 percent of the renewable energy credits purchased must come from solar power and establishes a preference for renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by projects in Illinois. The in-state preference is scheduled to expire in 2011. S.B. 3686 and H.B. 6013 would extend the in-state preference for renewable energy and gradually ramp up the use of solar energy as a portion of the RES requirement between now and 2015, creating jobs immediately.

See http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=3686&GAID=10&SessionID=76&LegID=51876.

S.B. 3426 and H.B. 6202 background

Illinois’ net metering rules only allow retail-to-retail rate net metering on renewable energy systems of 40KW or less. Power exported to the grid from systems larger than 40KW are credited at the lower, wholesale rate (at about 40 percent discount). S.B. 3426 and H.B. 6202 would increase the size of renewable energy systems eligible for net metering at the retail rate up to 2MW, allowing commercial, industrial and institutional players to receive full retail rate credit for the renewable energy they export to the grid.

See http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3426&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=51302&SessionID=76.

S.B. 2505 background

The up-front costs of energy-efficiency and renewable energy systems often prevent installations from occurring, even when the longer-term value of energy savings is worth the investment. S.B. 2505 authorizes local governments to set up Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs. Using the PACE model, a local government could use its bonding authority to provide loans for energy upgrades for homes and businesses that opt to participate. Property owners would pay back the loans as a special assessment on their property tax bills over time.

See http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=2505&GAID=10&SessionID=76&LegID=49101.

Thanks for helping put people to work building renewable energy in Illinois today!

Editor’s note: Mark Burger of Kestrel Development Company supplied this information to The Rock River Times.

From the Mar. 10-16, 2010 issue