Craig Morgan, American country music artist and military veteran, headlines the entertainment in the Grandstand on Saturday night, July 18. For a complete list of activities at the fair, go to http://www.stephensoncountyfair.org/
The Weather Channel used to be a great source for national and local weather information. What a joke today! Last year the Channel started naming winter storms with a recent one being Linus. You wake up to a blizzard and see two individuals who seem almost gleeful in the way they describe the recent blizzard. You wonder if they will act the same way when a hurricane hits the Southeastern United States. I certainly hope not. If you wake up at night, and want to check on the weather – forget it. Shows run all night on prospecting, trucking, and everything but the weather! Then morning comes and guess what – you get to watch “Wake up with Al Roker!” Personally, I would prefer not to wake up with Al Roker, but NBC (owner of the Weather Channel) must think we want this type of entertainment the first thing in the morning. Perhaps, the morning show name could be changed to “Wake up with Al and Brian” and Brian could tell combat stories! It would probably be a hit because you don’t want too much reality the first thing in the morning!
Your car is getting older and you think it may be time to buy a new car. Having been fairly happy with present car, you go to the dealer who sold you the car. You indicate you would like to trade in your present car for a new model of the same car. All of the service on your car has been done at the dealership. You know you paid a premium for the service over the years, but you thought it would be worth it when you got ready to sell it or trade it in. Dream on! While you go for a test drive, the dealer appraises your car. When you get back, the sales person sits down with you and gives you the cost of the new car which has only been discountly slightly. You are told there is great demand for this model! Now the sales person says, I know you will not be happy with the value placed on your car. You are then given the amount the dealer will give you for your car which is substantially less less than the Kelly Blue Book trade in value. Shocked, you ask why so low? Then the sales person gets the used car person (they always work in tandem), and you are told that the market for your car is not good since only four wheel drive vehicles with snow plows are selling at this time. In disbelief you say you sold me this car and now you tell me it is worthless! They say nothing and you leave in shock. So much for buying a new car!
If you plan on going to Florida, it is rumored that Homeland Security is considering issuing a travel warning for Florida warning visitors to be careful in Florida and especially to avoid the following:
Do not text in movie theatres. Texting can aggravate other people watching the movie, and these people could feel their lives are threatened. In self-defense, they could shoot you.
Do not play loud music in your car. Loud music can aggravate people in other vehicles, and these people could feel their lives are threatened by the loud music. In self-defense, they could shoot you.
If you see Mickey Mouse, do not fondle his ears. Such conduct can aggravate people, and these people could feel their lives are threatened. In self-defense, they could shoot you.
In summary, if you are in Florida, the best policy would be to stay in your room or if you must go to the beach, be quiet and do not text or play loud music. If you just use some common sense, you can survive a trip to Florida
Freeport School District has cancelled classes for eight days this winter due to cold and snow. Only five emergency days were included in the schedule, so the District should make-up three days. The district does not want to make up the days, so it is asking for waiver from the regional superintendent. This way they do not need to hold classes for three additional days and will get state aid as if they were holding classes. If one is running a failing business like this school district, I would think you would want to work every day possible. So much for caring about educating the children in this District.
This is the same District that is increasing its tax levy 1.83% and also wants a special 1% sales tax added to the present sales tax.
This is the same District where the most of students are in failing schools which do not meet state averages.
What does it all mean? This administration gets an F for educating the students in this District, but it does get an “A” for finding excuses not to hold classes or to make-up cancelled classes!
John Philip Sousa IV (the March King’s great-grandson) will narrate a band concert at the Masonic Temple in Freeport. James Ripley, director of bands at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin will conduct this special night of music. An ensemble composed of Highland Community College Concert Band members, area band directors and their students will serve as performers.
The purpose of the event is to celebrate contributions to the cultural life in Northwest Illinois and to join together in Freeport at the Masonic Temple to cultivate further interest and commitment to Highland Community College and the Friends of the Fine Arts organization.
The concert will take place at 7:30 pm Saturday, February 22 at the Masonic Temple Auditorium in Freeport, Illinois.
All tickets are $10 for general admission seating and may be purchased by calling 815.599.3718 or visit http://www.highland.edu/news_events/eventdetail.asp?id=80
Photo of John Philip Sousa from Library of Congress c. 1900
It may be cold in the Midwest and much of the country, but our neighbors to the south in Florida are enjoying a warm winter. In fact the above picture was taken of flag flying from a house in Florida – note the palm trees in the background! Do they really have to rub it in?
Winter activities in the Freeport Parks include ice skating, ice hockey, sledding, and cross Country skiing. The ice skating and hockey are Read Park while the sledding is at Krape Park.
At Oakdale you can enjoy cross-country skiing, and if you don’t have skis (or snowshoes), you can rent them for the weekend at the Park District main office in Read Park. Go to the Park District website for details at http://www.freeportparkdistrict.org/ and look under programs, winter activities.
And don’t forget snowmobiling –
There are over 300 miles of marked trails for snowmobiling in Northwest Illinois, including on the Jane Addams Trail between Freeport and Wisconsin. Detailed trail maps are available at the Freeport/Stephenson County Visitors Center, 4596 US Highway 20 East, Freeport. Call 800.369.2955 for snowmobile conditions.
The Weather Channel at one time really did give the weather. Since it was purchased by NBC in 2008, it has in recent years become just another source of entertainment. When you turn on the channel to get the weather, you often just get programs on topics only marginally related to the weather such as one of its newest programs dealing with prospectors. During the recent cold weather in the Midwest, the weather persons had a field day in their warm studios in Atlanta talking about the cold weather. Terms such as “killer cold” were thrown around by individuals who looked like the coldest weather they had even seen was the morning frost on their cars in Atlanta. The U.S. Weather Bureau names hurricanes, but not winter storms, so the Weather Channel decided that America needs to name its winter storms. What a joke! The last winter storm was named Ion – so the Weather Channel could then say – “Ion Blasts Plains.” For most of us it would be enough to say – It looks like another cold, snowy and windy day tomorrow – dress warmly. The Weather Channel would say – It looks like another killer day where you will die in minutes outside with the snow making travel impossible and the winds are so strong that you will be unable to walk. Give America a break and go back to reporting the weather!
Eric Sorenson of WREX TV in Rockford is presently number two in the voting which ends January 17.
Weatherist which is sponsoring the contest will be donating $500 to the winning forecaster’s favorite charity – and Eric’s favorite charity is Freeport’s own Friends for Ever Humane Society.
Let’s get voting because he is presently a few thousand votes behind.
Vote for Eric at http://weatherist.com/blog/2014/01/06/vote-for-americas-favorite-weather-forecaster
Good Day Illinois - Happenings in Northwest Illinois 