Today, WNIJ host Jason Cregier is joined by Kevin Haas, Managing Editor of the Rock River Current.
The two discuss recent Stateline news items such as Rockfords Davis Park renovation proposals, the Belvidere City Council voting to nix its grocery tax, and where to buy the stock of food from the cancelled Alpine Brat Days.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Jason Cregier: I was reading your story earlier today about Rockford awarding Davis Park a hefty sum of money for renovations. What projects are being considered for the funds to go towards?
Kevin Haas: Davis Park has been talked about for years and years. The city has said it is ready to move forward with a major phase that would make a skatepark, a playground, a parking lot with electric vehicle accommodations, create some paths, some lighting.
The hang up is the ultimate vision for planning a concert stage, restrooms, and some concessions. That part of the project is over budget.
Right now, the Rockford City Council is trying to figure out what to do. Do they go through with the seven point six-million-dollar first phase and figure something out for the second phase? Do they start from scratch? At the council meeting Monday, an alderman came forward and asked for a delay so some behind the scenes work can be done to try and find the best path forward.
Is the timeline for this project open ended?
That is a good question; the goal was to do construction now so that whatever work they do this year is done ahead of the Ironman 70.3 half triathlon held in Rockford in June of 2026.
Ironman has a big presence in Davis Park, so it is not possible to have the event there if it’s a big construction zone.
A decision needs to be made soon to leave time for that work, or it will need to be delayed by an entire year in between the Ironman events.
Earlier this week the Belvidere City Council unanimously agreed to not extend the 1 percent grocery tax that expires after January 1. What was their reason for that decision?
Belvidere felt like they could get by without the 600,000 plus dollars they get from the grocery tax.
Belvidere Mayor Clint Morris really set the tone for it because he presented it to the council for a vote, while at the same time, saying that he wanted the council to deny it (the grocery tax).
Morris felt there are not a lot of opportunities to take a tax away from residents and ease the tax burden. He also felt like it is one of the taxes that hit people hardest. You don’t own a home, so you don’t pay property tax, or maybe you use public transportation, so you do not pay gasoline tax. Morris feels like since everyone buys food, everyone pays a grocery tax. His thought process was also shared by some of the alderman when they voted down the 1 percent grocery tax.
Recently the Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days were cancelled due to severe weather around the Stateline area. What is the plan now to unload their surplus of food?
The Kiwanis ordered 29,000 brats, and that does not even factor in all the chips, hot dogs, and cookies. Luckily, when the storms swept through and destroyed all the tents, grills, and equipment, the food items were in cold storage at Woodman’s grocery store.
The plan now is to sell their uncooked and packaged inventory. This Friday and Saturday the brats may be purchased at Blain’s Farm & Fleet, 7300 E. Riverside Blvd.
Well, there we go, you can have your own little at home version of Brat Days.
That is Kevin Haas, Managing Editor of the news site Rock River Current. Kevin, thanks for joining us today.
Thank you, Jason.
