Monthly Archives: August 2014

Enjoy Art in the Park Labor Day Weekend!

IMG_3399.JPGFreeport Park District and Freeport Art Museum sponsor the 7th annual Art in the Park in Krape Park, Freeport, Illinois on Sunday August 31 from 10 am to 5 pm. Enjoy beautiful Krape Park and view the fine art on display by local and regional artists. You can even purchase a wonderful new piece of artwork to take home with you! Local performing artists will take the stage throughout the day, and kids can participate in creative hands-on activities. If you are hungry, you can experience outdoor cuisine at various food vendors on site. It sounds like a perfect day!

If Historic City Hall Is The Right Choice – Let Them Pay!

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The group, Citizens for Saving Freeport City Hall, should be commended for its efforts to save a historic building in Freeport. There is only one problem – it should be done at its expense, and not the taxpayers of Freeport. Spending $4.3 million on this building is not realistic considering this city’s limited resources. This building should be donated to the Citizens for Saving Freeport City Hall, and they can then raise the money privately to rehabilitate the building. We will then find out how important it is to save the building when this group must finance it on its own.

What’s Wrong with the Freeport School District? – Everything from Low Test Scores to Almost 60% of Your Real Estate Taxes Going to the This District!

IMG_3387.JPGJanice Crutchfield, president of the Freeport School Board, on the district’s website states that the school superintendent, Roberta Selleck, will be on Administrative Assignment until further notice. In her statement the Board President states that the superintendent told a member of the media and some members of her staff that she (the superintendent) was staying home to care for her husband. Crutchfield then stated that this was not the basis for granting the leave request. See http://www.freeportschooldistrict.com/Page/1 On August 17 it was reported in the Journal Standard that Selleck was being paid during the leave and that former superintendent Peter Flynn was being paid $750 per day to lead the district. It’s nice to know that the Freeport District has this kind of money to throw around. Who cares? – certainly not this school board or administration. Just raise the tax rates so we can pay people for doing nothing!

What will happen next? Will Selleck leave the district with a big separation agreement? Don’t be surprised! Selleck previously received $239,000 under a separation agreement from her job in Adams County School District 50, Adams County Colorado in 2011. See http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/04/15/roberta-sellecksuperintendent-severance-deal/

It is said that history repeats itself, but let’s hope this is not the case with Selleck.

Last Area County Fair Starts This Week – Winnebago County Fair August 12 – 17 at Pecatonica, Illinois

IMG_3332.JPGSome of the fair events:

Tuesday, August 12
Motocross 6:30 pm

Wednesday, August 13
Rodeo 7:00 pm

Thursday, August 14
Semi-Tractor Pulls 6:30 pm

Friday, August 15
Farmer’s Class Tractor Pulls 1:00 pm

Friday, August 15
Badger State Tractor Pulls 6:30 pm

Saturday, August 16
Jamie Campbell & the Redneck Romeos 6:00 pm

Saturday, August 16
Gracia Harrison – season 3 of “The Voice”
7:00 pm

Sunday, August 17
Demo Derby
1:00 pm

For a full schedule of events go to http://winnebagocountyfair.com/index.php/fair

Governor Quinn Finally Does Something Right – Signs Bill Allowing Illinois Residents to Keep Driver’s Licenses After Routine Traffic Violations!

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Governor Quinn on August 9 signed a new law effective immediately to end the practice of posting a valid driver‘s license as security for traffic citations in Illinois. It’s about time Illinois started treating its residents like most other states where drivers can sign for a ticket keeping their driver’s licenses. Governor Quinn previously signed a bill allowing illegal immigrants to obtain Illinois driver’s licenses. If you are an al-Qaeda terrorist in this country illegally, it’s nice to know that you can get a driver’s license in Illinois – and can keep it after a traffic ticket so that you will have valid government ID when you fly next time!

Two Big Events in Downtown Freeport This Weekend – Music on Chicago Friday, August 8 and Cruise Night Saturday, August 9!

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Music on Chicago, August 8 – 5:30 to 11 pm on Chicago Avenue between Main and Stephenson Street in downtown Freeport. Enjoy Freeport’s historic downtown with this music fest featuring two bands, great food and a beer garden, plus an open air market on Chicago between Stephenson and Exchange from 4 pm to dusk the same night. This concert features “Rock on Chicago” with Big Daddy Woo Woo. The first band starts at 6 pm and the second band at 8 pm.

For more info on Big Daddy go to http://www.bigdaddywoowoo.net/Home

20140806-113531-41731687.jpgCruise Night, August 9 – 4 to 10 pm in downtown Freeport. There will be live music by Johnny Rocker on the FHN Stage, a food court offering a variety of tasty choices, and three contests: the Soundwerks Plus and Tailor Made Autoworks LLC Sound Off Contest, the Gary’s Collision & Customs Muffler Rapping Contest , and the Dan’s Route 66 Service Burn Out Contest. There will be the Pearson Antique Car Lot (by invitation only), Skinner’s Hot Rod Alley (by invitation only), a Motorcycle parking area (sponsored by A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois, Freeport Chapter), two main parking lots, the Jiffy Lube West Lot and the Total Touch Up East Lot, for the classic cars, and cruising all night long. Midwest Mobile Dyno will be offering the chance to check your horsepower. In addition, downtown restaurants Main Street Bistro, PJ’s Stephenson Street Station, and This Is It Eatery will be open. PJ’s will also offer the band The Fresh Hot Fritters playing classic rock from 8 pm to Midnight plus they will have a pulled pork sandwich meal from 11 am until 8 pm. Souvenir t-shirts and photo booth will be available at the intersection of Exchange and Chicago.

For more details go to http://www.freeportcruisenight.org/

Why Does the Freeport City Council Have Any Meetings?

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The Freeport City Council will be meeting on Monday, August 4, 2014 at 6:00 pm in the City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

The real issue is why have meetings when this council is totally incapable of understanding and addressing the issues facing Freeport. Issues come before this council and often there is absolutely no discussion. Questions are not asked. Now, this council must make a decision on a city hall building. Will this council just blindly follow the recommendation of the mayor or some commission appointed by him? We all know the answer.

If you have nothing else to do, watch the meeting. Here are some of the items on the agenda:

Report from Dave Young, Northwest Illinois Development Alliance (NIDA) covering first six months of the year. This should be interesting. Too bad the tough questions will not be asked.

2nd reading of ordinance to purchase new fire truck for $540,000 with financing through US Bank.

1st reading of ordinance dealing with garbage collection. It provides that the City, at its sole discretion, can exclude a multi-family dwelling of four or more units from this definition (residential dwelling unit), if the owner of such a dwelling provides proof to the City’s satisfaction of a long-term contractual relationship with a City approved hauler for the provision of adequate dumpsters.

For the complete agenda, go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20140804a.pdf

Annual Carroll County Fair Next Week at Schell Park in Milledgeville, Illinois with Country Music Artist, Tracy Lawrence

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The fair began on Tuesday, August 5 and runs through Saturday, August 9, and some the events are listed below.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014 – Illinois State Truck Pull and Tri County Pullers (Mini Rods) at 7:00 pm, free grandstand.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 – Tractor Parade at 6:00 pm and Badger State Tractor Pull at 6:30 pm, free grandstand.

Thursday, August 7, 2014 – Ag Olympics at 4:30 pm and Funky Munky Wrestling 7:30 pm, free grandstand.

Friday, August 8, 2014 – Country music artist, Tracy Lawrence, at 8:30 pm opening with Rout 38 at 7:00 pm. Reserved grandstand seats – $10.00. Track seating (bring your own chair) – $15.00.
See more on Tracy Lawrence at http://tracylawrence.com/home

Saturday, August 9, 2014 – Demolition Derby and new this year, Kids Power Wheel Derby.
Reserved Grandstand seats – $10.00.

For more fair information go to http://www.carrollcountyfair.info/generalinfo.html