Winnebago County News

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Paul Gorski and WinnebagoCountyNews.org to you and your family.

U.S. Cellular is offering a wide variety of smartphones for a penny this Black Friday weekend. Check it out at:  http://www.uscellular.com/ . Paul Gorski Editor, Winnebago County News

Hi, I was passing the Olympic Restaurant on N. Main and saw sign for "Buy $100 in gift card get $20 free" or something like that. Sounded like a good deal. You might want to check it out. Looked like it was good today, Friday, Nov. 28 only. Paul Gorski Editor, Winnebago County News

Rockford's own River City Sound chorus, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, is competing for international honors today, Thursday, November 6, 2014. Watch our local chorus perform on the international stage at 10:26 AM by visiting:  http://sweetadswebcast.com . They only perform two songs, so tune in before 10:26 AM so you do not miss a note. Watch River City Sound perform in international competition: Date: Thursday, November 6, 2014 Time: 10:26 AM (tune in before that!) Where:  http://sweetadswebcast.com Thank you!

Please vote for Bob Springer for Winnebago County Sheriff. Springer has over 30 years of local law enforcement experience. Read more about Springer's experience at: http://www.springerforsheriff.com/about/ Also, please vote for Margie Mullins for Winnebago County Clerk. Mullin's staff provides excellent customer service and she has the experience needed to manage the clerk's office. Experience counts! Thank you, Paul Gorski Learn more about other candidates on the Tuesday ballot at: http://www.winndems.org/candidates.html Post by Bob Springer For Sheriff .

The UAW is offering rides to the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, 2014.  Rides to the polls are available to residents of Boone and Winnebago counties by calling 815-962-0601. Call 815-962-0601 for your ride to the polls this election year!

Please vote for Cheri Bustos or Randall Wayne Olsen for Congress. You will only see one of these candidates on your ballot, depending where you live. Look for their names and vote for Bustos or Olsen for U.S. Congress. Randall Wayne Olsen , Candidate for U.S. Congress, 16th Congressional District of Illinois (Please note this is not Randy Olson, current forest preserve district member.) Cheri Bustos, Candidate for U.S. Congress, 17th Congressional District of Illinois Visit this page for more information on other local candidates: http://www.winndems.org/candidates.html Thank you!

Please vote for Bob Springer for Winnebago County Sheriff. Springer has over 30 years of local law enforcement experience. Read more about Springer's experience at: http://www.springerforsheriff.com/about/ Learn more about other candidates on the Tuesday ballot at: http://www.winndems.org/candidates.html Post by Bob Springer For Sheriff .

Please vote for Margie Mullins for Winnebago County Clerk. Mullin's staff provides excellent customer service and she has the experience needed to manage the clerk's office. Learn more about other candidates on the Tuesday ballot at: http://www.winndems.org/candidates.html

Dear Friend,  Join us for a Get Out The Vote Rally this Monday. Governor Pat Quinn and Senator Dick Durbin will be traveling across Illinois to rally for Democrats. Click here to find out  the exact times and locations for events throughout the state. Where:  Chicago, Rockford, Quad Cities, Peoria, Champaign, Marion and Metro East When:  Monday, Nov. 3 from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm *Rockford event starts at 11:15 am, please arrive by 11 am. Rockford Airport, Observation Court, 2 Airport Cir, Rockford, IL 61109 Times and locations: http://tinyurl.com/GOTVRallyRSVP Please RSVP to be notified of any schedule changes. Please come out and bring your troops. We are depending on you for a strong presence. Thank you so much for your help in this final GOTV push. We look forward to seeing you Monday! Sincerely, Team Quinn

The UAW is offering rides to the polls during early voting. Rides to the polls are available to residents of Boone and Winnebago counties by calling 815-962-0601. Rides are offered weekdays 10 AM to 2 PM. Call 815-962-0601 for your ride to the polls this election year!

The following is an email that I received from the Rockford Newspaper Guild... Friends of Journalism, On Monday Oct. 27 there’s a national protest against GateHouse Media, the owner of the Rockford Register Star. Employees have gone seven years without raises, and many jobs have been outsourced or eliminated under GateHouse ownership. We are negotiating our first contract. You will not see pickets outside the Rockford Register Star tomorrow. The Rockford Newspaper Guild has chosen to do virtual picketing through social media. We need your help.  Please visit  http://www.transformrrstar.com . Share a link on your Facebook page and other social media to our site and tell your friends that you support strong, courageous journalism and the local professionals who create it. Encourage them to support it, too. Forward this email to friends, family and coworkers. At the bottom of our web pages you’ll see links that will allow you to automatically Tweet to company mana...

NANCY I. FOLTZ, 79 LOVES PARK - Nancy I. Foltz, 79, of Loves Park died Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, at home, surrounded by her children. Born Jan. 29, 1935, in Rockford. Married Aaron E. Foltz on Aug. 2, 1952, in Belvidere; he died Sept. 30, 1992. Employed by Woodward Governor, retiring in 1992. Retired from Rockford Memorial Hospital in 2000. Survivors include daughter, Lori Carlson of Rockford; sons, Gregory (Linda McElmeel) Foltz and Michael Foltz, both of Loves Park, and Kenneth (Susan Myers) Foltz of German Valley; grandchildren, Allen Foltz and Nicole Bergren; great-grandchildren, Salvador and Eli Stoneberg; brother, Sidney (Cyndi) Haffenden; sister, Rebecca (Brian Edwards) Haffenden; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Predeceased by parents, Edna and Daniel Haffenden; and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Private celebration of life at a later date. Cremation rites accorded. Arrangements by Delehanty Funeral Home, Ltd., 401 River Lane.

Cheris Bustos (for U.S Congress!) is in Rockford, IL today, Monday, October 20, 2014 at the UAW Hall. UAW Hall 112 N 2nd St Rockford, IL 9 AM until 10 AM.

This walk to support Alzheimer's research already occurred this Saturday morning, but you can still support Alzheimer's research. http://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=5089&pg=entry 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer's - Rockford Saturday, September 20, 2014 Add to calendar Registration at 8am | Ceremony at 9:30am | Walk at 10am Route Length: 2.25 miles Thank you to our 2014 champions, teams, walkers and donors! Online registration is now closed, but you can still register in person on Walk day. Online donations can be made through the end of the year - don't forget to check and see if your employer will match your donation . http://www.matchinggifts.com/walk/

There will be entertainment, food and activities for the entire family at the 2nd annual Winnebago County Diversity Concert in Davis Park, Rockford, today, Saturday, September 20, 2014. Admission is free! The program runs from 1 PM until 7:15 PM, Saturday, September 20, 2014. There will be a wide variety of artists performing so come on down to Davis Park to enjoy this free concert event. Bring the family!

The Cherry Valley Township board is seeking qualified candidates to fill the vacancy in the office of Cherry Valley Township Highway Commissioner. The appointee must be of legal voting age, affiliated  with the Republican party, and a resident of Cherry Valley Township. To be considered for the position please send or drop off a letter of interest and a resume at the township offices at: Cherry Valley Township 4875 Blackhawk Rd Rockford, IL 61109 This paperwork must be received at the township office by September 26, 2014.

Pat O'Donnell, who had served as Cherry Valley Township Highway Commissioner since 1979, passed away September 4, 2014 after a brief illness. Pat was loved by many. My condolences to Lois and family. Services are being held today, Tuesday, September 9, 2014.  More information about the services at: http://fitzgeraldfuneralhome.tributes.com/obituary/show/Pat-O-Donnell-101664089

12U Rockford Big Dogs travel baseball team tryouts Saturday, Sept 6, 2014 12u Whitledge will host their tryouts on September 6th at 10 am. Tryouts will be at Haws Park in Roscoe, 11588 Cedarbrook Rd. Call 815-289-3479 with any questions. For registration and more information, visit: http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=ROCKFORDBIGDOGS&t=c&s=baseball&p=registration Please fill out registration form "12u Whitledge" and http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u=rockfordbigdogs&s=baseball&t=c

Meet John Doe: Labor unions gave us Labor Day and longer life spans By Paul Gorski According to the U.S. Department of Labor website,  http://www.dol.gov/laborday/history.htm : “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. … The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on Sept. 5, 1883.” This history was apparently news to some Rockford City Council members as they recently debated whether to issue a permit for this year’s Labor Day Parade. Yes, organized labor worked to create and sponsor the Labor Day holiday for more than 100 years... Read the full article at...

Tech-Friendly: Should I upgrade my Mac OS X? By Paul Gorski Reader Nicole Montgomery asked for my opinion whether she should upgrade her Mac OS. Read her request and comments at http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/07/01/tech-friendly-apple-releases-security-updates-and-bug-fixes-for-mavericks-and-ios-7/ . Apple updates the Mac OS very often, issuing a major upgrade about every 18 months, with minor patches in between. Sometimes these upgrades are not so “major,” but do bring a few useful new features or bug fixes. Over the past few years, these upgrades have fixed, or created, problems with the Mail.app, Wi-Fi connectivity, and corporate file server connections. More often, Apple updates a service, like iCloud, or an app, like Pages or Keynote, that requires a Mac OS upgrade, whether you want to upgrade... Read the full article at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/08/26/tech-friendly-should-i-upgrade-my-mac-os-x/

Robert Alan Yeske, 62, died August 26, 2014. Memorial celebration service at 2 p.m. Saturday August 30, 2014 at Faith Center, 4721 S. Main St. Rockford.  Visitation from 1 to 2 p.m., Saturday, August 30, 2014. Memorial service at 2 p.m.,  Saturday, August 30, 2014 Condolences to the Yeske family from Paul Gorski and family. See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rrstar/obituary.aspx?n=robert-yeske&pid=172284655

Stadelman reports on passenger rail progress at town hall meeting ROCKFORD – Anyone interested in learning more about passenger rail service between Rockford and Chicago is encouraged attend an Amtrak Town Hall Meeting hosted by Illinois Senator Steve Stadelman. Senator Stadelman, D-Rockford, has invited Illinois Department of Transportation experts to give a 45-minute report on the status of the $223 million project. A question-and-answer session will follow. AMTRAK TOWN HALL MEETING 5:30-7 PM, WED., AUG. 27 Zeke Giorgi Center Auditorium 200 S. Wyman St., Rockford, IL
 “Passenger rail service to and from Chicago holds tremendous potential for economic growth and enhanced quality of life in the Rockford area,” Stadelman said. “The public is excited about the prospect of a rail link with Chicago, and I think it is important to keep the public fully informed and to involve as much public input as possible.” Construction is expected to begin in October 2014, with one dail...

By Paul Gorski U.S. Cellular (USC) recently began selling the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 tablet, and I used the tablet for almost two weeks. It took me a few days to appreciate the strengths of this tablet, but I now see why some people like their tablets so much. Since my revelation stems more from the experience rather than the hardware, my review will focus on the experience first, the hardware last... Read the full Rock River Times article at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/08/12/tech-friendly-review-of-the-samsung-galaxy-tab-4-10-1-tablet-from-u-s-cellular/

By Paul Gorski Please vote this fall — do not let a small group of vocal voters control the election this November. Less than 20 percent of the registered voters in Winnebago County voted in the spring primary elections. Worse, less than 15 percent of the registered voters in Rockford cast a ballot in the primaries. Primary voters decided some of the races. This means a small group of residents decided who is going to hold local office, or at least, advance to the next step in the election process... Read the full Rock River Times article at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/08/13/meet-john-doe-take-control-of-your-local-government-and-vote-in-the-november-election/

By Paul Gorski The basic premise of my article “Meet John Doe: Climate change is not global warming, and neither are hoaxes” from the June 18-24, 2014, issue was that the measurements and arguments used to support the belief that the Earth’s climate is rapidly changing are not part of an elaborate hoax or lie. What purpose would that hoax serve? Readers responded. One reader replied with an explanation... Read the full Rock River Times article by Paul Gorski at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/07/30/meet-john-doe-climate-change-is-not-global-warming-and-neither-are-hoaxes-part-two/

By Paul Gorski I am writing this article with the global climate change naysayer in mind. Some people seemed confused about climate change, global warming, the facts surrounding these topics, and the scientific theories used to explain these phenomena. I have read some odd articles and/or comments in local and national news sources discussing climate change, so I thought I would clarify some of the key points... Read the entire Rock River Times article by Paul Gorski at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/06/18/meet-john-doe-climate-change-is-not-global-warming-and-neither-are-hoaxes/

The new  Rock River Times  website ( http://www.rockrivertimes.com ) is easy to read and navigate on your laptop, desktop and mobile devices, but you may also read the full print version in all of its four-color glory online as a page flip document. Page flip, or page turner software, allows publishers to convert electronic versions of their print publications into virtual, turn page by page books, magazines and newspapers... Read the full Rock River Times article at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/07/29/tech-friendly-read-the-full-print-version-of-the-rock-river-times-as-a-page-flip-document-on-issuu-com/

ROCKFORD – Illinois Senator Steve Stadelman is taking his free 3-on-3 youth basketball tournament outdoors and moving the competition to Labor Day in hopes of beginning its transformation to a large, Gus Macker-style event. Boys and girls in 3 rd through 8 th grades will compete on courts at Davis Park, with the first games tipping off immediately after the Labor Day parade, Stadelman announced at a news conference today. The outdoor location and switch from Saturday of Labor Day weekend to the Monday holiday allows “Senator Stadelman’s HoopStars” to grow in its second year; more than 125 players took part in 2013 on indoor courts at Patriot’s Gateway Center. “We’re taking HoopStars to the streets in 2014 – not literally, but in the spirit of Gus Macker,” said Stadelman, referring to the popular adult 3-on-3 tournament that took place in the streets of downtown Rockford for many years. “The tournament’s goal,” he said, “remains the same -- to provide a positi...

From The Rock River Times... Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) has signed a new state capital construction bill that invests $1.1 billion in road and bridge projects to improve transportation and create jobs and boost economic development across Illinois, including northern Illinois... Read the full story at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/07/23/governor-signs-1-1-billion-capital-construction-bill/

From The Rock River Times... The Democratic Party has selected Litesa Wallace to fill the remainder of Rep. Chuck Jefferson’s unexpired term in the 67th District of Illinois... Read the full story at:  http://rockrivertimes.com/2014/07/30/litesa-wallace-selected-to-succeed-chuck-jefferson/ Congratulations to Litesa Wallace!

Winnebago County Democrats Prepare to Select New State Representative ROCKFORD, Illinois. – The Winnebago County Democratic Party will begin an open selection process to appoint a new state representative this week. A committee will accept applications and conduct interviews in order to fill the seat vacated by state Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, who announced his retirement earlier this month.   “We are committed to finding a state representative who will continue to speak up for the needs and concerns of Rockford residents, and the best way to do that is to make sure residents have the opportunity to participate in the process,” said Winnebago County Democratic Chairman Charlie Laskonis. “By soliciting resumes and interviewing top candidates, we can ensure that our next state representative reflects the values and diversity of our community.” Last evening at our regular monthly central committee meeting party members selected two precinct com...

July 16 th , 2014 For Immediate Release Contact: Zach Koutsky  630-269-3826  or  zach@mikeforillinois.com Illinois Education Association Endorses Mike Frerichs Cites Frerichs’ longstanding advocacy for public education in endorsement Champaign, IL-  This week, members of the Illinois Education Association, the state’s largest education employee union with over 130,000 members across Illinois will join Sen. Mike Frerichs (D-Champaign) in Moline and Rockford and announce their endorsement of Frerichs for state Treasurer. Thursday, July 17 th ·     Moline, IL-  1:00pm-1:45pm, IEA Moline Office,  1530 46th Avenue, Suite 1 Moline, IL 61265 ·      Rockford, IL-  5:00pm-5:45pm, IEA Rockford Office, 7029 Rote Road, Rockford, IL 61107 “I am honored to have the IEA’s 130,000 members support me in my race for Treasurer. I have campaigned in every corner of Illinois on the need for investment in our people and our...

Dorothy Turner, Democratic 17 th District State Central Committee woman, held a press conference this past week to address concerns raised by her constituents about the process to appoint retiring State Representative Chuck Jefferson’s replacement. Turner reminded the media, public and local party officials that in regards to elections and appointments the state Democratic central committee bylaws promise: (e) The Democratic Party of Illinois shall publicize fully and in such a manner as to assure notice to all interested parties a full description of the legal and practical procedures for selection of Democratic Party Officers and representatives on all levels. Publication of these procedures shall be done in such fashion that all prospective and current members of the Democratic Party of Illinois will be fully and adequately informed of the pertinent procedures in time to participate in each selection procedure at all levels of the Democratic Party organ...