5/5/2018
RRStar

Whether the city of Rockford should adopt a residency requirement for new nonunion city employees is the wrong question. The question should be why WOULDN’T they want to live here? It seems too many city employees think this is a great place to work, but not to live. Mayor Tom McNamara said a majority of city employees live outside city limits, and that 47 percent of city employees live in the city. Many of us consider Rockford a desirable place to be and love it here. Having made the choice to live here — and to stay — we have a duty to enthusiastically promote the city’s assets and faithfully address its shortcomings. Too many of us focus on the latter and discount the former. We shouldn’t — and won’t — gloss over the community’s problems, but we shouldn’t ignore the community’s strengths, either. Here are just some of the reasons we love our city. • Our neighbors: Rockford residents look out for one another. It seems every strong neighborhood has an advocate who keeps an eye on your house and your kids to make sure everything’s OK. Rockford needs stronger neighborhoods overall, but let’s thank the engaged citizens who are working to make their neighborhoods better. • Success stories: Emily Bear and David Rydell are two Rockford natives who received the Order of Lincoln — the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service — on Saturday during the Lincoln Academy of Illinois’ 54th Annual Convocation. There are other people who are tops in their field who still call Rockford home or who have made Rockford their home. • Volunteers. Rockford residents rise to the occasion when there’s a need. The annual Sharefest is just one example. Thousands have volunteered for Sharefest over the years, first in schools, then downtown and last year at Levings Lake. Lockwood Park will benefit from Sharefest this year. Volunteers also improve the United Way, churches, schools and all kinds of nonprofit agencies. • Rockford Park District. The Rockford Park District is the third-largest park and recreation system in Illinois. It has 177 parks and facilities, 4,896 acres of land, 82 playgrounds maintained by Park District staff, 1,500 acres of natural areas, 216 improved athletic fields, and 18 canoe and boat access points. Magic Waters, Alpine Hills Adventure Park, the West Rock Wake Park at Levings Lake and the UW Health Sports Factory give residents and visitors alike plenty of places to have fun. The Park District tends to be the No. 1 answer when people ask what they like best about living in Rockford. • Museums. The Discovery Center is one of the top children’s museums in the country. Burpee Museum of Natural History is home to Jane, the the world’s most complete and best preserved juvenile T rex. That’s pretty cool, as are the unique exhibits throughout the museum. • Vibrant downtown. And it’s getting better as construction continues on the long-awaited Embassy Suites and Rockford Conference Center that will occupy a transformed Amerock building. Rockford City Market is THE gathering spot for 20 weeks of the year. We expect an indoor market that’s under construction to be just as popular. Events such as Stroll on State bring thousands of people to the heart of the city. Peter Kageyama, author of “For the Love of Cities” and keynote speaker at the 2016 Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau annual luncheon, said that the more people love their city, the more they’ll want to be involved and the better it will become. We need to spread the love. There are folks at work, at our places of worship, in our schools, in the grocery stores — really, everywhere — who can’t find anything nice to say about this area: Rockford is uneducated, violent and poor. Throw in high property taxes and you have a recipe for despair. That’s not how we look at our city. Rockford has a lot to be proud of and there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in the city you love, the place you call home. Channeling our inner Mr. Rogers: “Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?”


For More Information:
http://www.rrstar.com/opinion/20180505/our-view-rockford-is-good-place-to-live-and-heres-why