12th Annual Nik’s Home Run

With passionate volunteers, creative initiatives, and city-wide projects, the Beautify Rockford movement is turning ordinary spaces into extraordinary places. Whether it’s vibrant murals, clean parks, or flower-filled streets, this initiative is proving that small changes can make a big impact.What is Beautify Rockford? Beautify Rockford is a community-driven effort focused on improving the city’s public spaces. From cleaning up litter to planting trees and supporting public art, the movement aims to create a cleaner, greener, and more inviting Rockford for residents and visitors alike. Think of it as a makeover—but for an entire city!Why It Matters A beautiful city isn’t just nice to look at—it boosts pride, encourages tourism, and improves the overall quality of life. Here’s why it’s a game-changer:Stronger Community Bonds – Neighbors working together create lasting connections.Increased Property Values – Clean, well-maintained areas attract investment.Environmental Benefits – More trees and green spaces mean better air quality and sustainability.A Positive First Impression – A welcoming city encourages more visitors and new residents.Projects Making a Difference Here are some of the incredible ways the community is beautifying Rockford:Mural Madness – Local artists are bringing blank walls to life with colorful, inspiring murals.Park Revitalization – Volunteers are restoring playgrounds, planting gardens, and making parks more enjoyable.Neighborhood Clean-Ups – Groups gather regularly to remove litter and maintain public spaces.Flower Power – Planters, hanging baskets, and community gardens are adding splashes of color across the city.CRE8IV Mural Initiative – Embracing over 44 vibrant murals across Rockford and surrounding towns. These murals bring art to unexpected places and celebrate local culture that’s worth checking out.5 Beautiful Places to Visit in Rockford If you’re looking to enjoy some of the city’s most scenic spots, check out these must-see locations:Anderson Japanese Gardens – A breathtaking oasis featuring tranquil waterfalls, koi ponds, and lush landscapes.Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens – A tropical paradise right in Rockford, with stunning floral displays and a scenic riverwalk.Sinnissippi Park & Rose Garden – A perfect place to enjoy a peaceful walk among beautiful flowers and open green spaces.Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden – A hidden gem filled with diverse plant collections, walking trails, and seasonal beauty.Rock Cut State Park – Nature lovers will appreciate the hiking trails, lakes, and wildlife that make this a local favorite.Community Gardens in Rockford Green spaces don’t just appear overnight—they’re nurtured by dedicated community members. Here are some of the community gardens making a difference in Rockford:Roots & Wings Urban Farm – A fantastic initiative that promotes sustainable agriculture and healthy food access.Womanspace Community Garden – A peaceful place where volunteers grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables for the community.City Market Garden – Located near downtown, this urban garden adds fresh produce and greenery to the heart of Rockford.La Voz Latina Community Garden – Supporting the local Hispanic community with homegrown produce and cultural connection.Church & Neighborhood Gardens – Various churches and community organizations host gardens that bring neighbors together while promoting sustainability.How You Can Get Involved Making Rockford beautiful is a team effort! Here’s how you can join the movement:Volunteer for Clean-Up Days – Join a local group for a few hours and make an immediate impact.Support Local Art – Donate to mural projects or simply appreciate the artwork by sharing on social media.Adopt-A-Spot – Take responsibility for a small public space and keep it clean and green.Plant Something! – Add flowers, trees, or plants to your yard or community spaces.Spread the Word – Encourage friends and family to participate and keep Rockford looking its best!Looking Ahead With continued community support, Beautify Rockford is just getting started. Future projects include expanding green spaces, introducing more public art, and launching sustainability programs to keep Rockford beautiful for generations to come.Final Thoughts Beautify Rockford isn’t just about making the city look good—it’s about creating a place we’re all proud to call home. Every small effort adds up, and together, we can transform Rockford into a thriving, beautiful community. Ready to roll up your sleeves and make a difference? Let’s do this, Rockford! GO LOCAL!! STAY IN THE BUZZ!!

815, get ready to ride for free! The City of Rockford and the Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD) just dropped some big news—free rides for students and adult learners! If you’ve ever scrounged for bus fare in your couch cushions or sprinted after a departing bus, this one’s for you. Reliable transportation is key to building a better future, and this initiative is a massive win for anyone hitting the books.What is the Free Ride Program? RMTD has always been there for Rockford residents, but now they’re leveling up. Before, free rides were limited to K-12 students and veterans. Now, if you’re enrolled in a local post-secondary education program or an adult GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) program, you qualify for unlimited free rides starting February 1, 2025. That’s right—no more stressing over how to get to class. Just hop on, sit back, and enjoy the ride (or take a power nap, we won’t judge).Who Are Adult Learners? Adult learners are the superheroes of self-improvement—people juggling jobs, families, and life while going back to school to earn a GED or HSE. Whether they’re switching careers, chasing new opportunities, or proving it’s never too late to learn, these folks deserve all the support they can get. And now, free transportation is one less obstacle in their way!Why This Program Matters Let’s be real—transportation costs can be a dealbreaker when it comes to education. This initiative removes that roadblock and makes it easier for students to show up, learn, and succeed. Let me spill the tea for ya:More Access to Education: No more skipping class because you can’t afford a ride!Stronger Community Connections: More people out and about, engaging with local events, and networking.Eco-Friendly Bonus: More public transit use = less traffic and pollution. Mother Earth approves!Less stress in your way: Saving time and money = One less thing to worry about and more focus on studying and achieving goals.Who Qualifies and How to Ride for Free Students with a valid student ID for the Spring 2025 semester from any of the following local institutions can ride free by simply showing their ID when boarding an RMTD bus: Rock Valley College (RVC), Rockford Career College (RCC), Rockford University, NIU Rockford, Judson, Rasmussen, U of I College of Medicine, and OSF Nursing.For those enrolled in adult GED/HSE programs at RVC, Rockford Public Schools (RPS), Goodwill, or the Rockford Public Library Adult Online High School, RMTD will coordinate with these organizations to distribute free transit passes to eligible participants.Looking Ahead: The Future of Public Transportation in Rockford This is just the beginning. As the city continues to prioritize accessibility, there’s hope for more expansions, extended service hours, and better transit options. With community support, Rockford’s transit system can keep evolving into something even greater.This isn’t just about free rides—it’s about opportunity, growth, and building a stronger Rockford. So, if you know someone who could benefit, spread the word! After all, the best things in life (and now bus rides) are free! Stay in the Buzz and as always GO LOCAL!! STAY IN THE BUZZ!!

There was another Super Bowl of sorts this past week and one of the winners was someone from the Rockford region.The Westminster Dog Show ended on Feb. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York. It drew nearly 3,000 dogs and their owners from around the world and is the largest competition of its kind in the world.Among the entrants was Emily Klarman, a 2011 Harlem High School graduate. Emily's dog, Vanish, a border collie, was the winner of the Westminster Masters Agility Championship. Vanish tore through the obstacle source in 26.49 seconds. The next fastest time was a 26.91 by a shetland sheepdog.Emily now lives in Doyletown, Pennsylvania. She went to Northern Illinois University to go into nursing, graduating in December 2020, but instead became a dog trainer for UDog Agility in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania. The Westminster show is just the latest accomplishment for Emily and Vanish. According to her Facebook page, Emily and her border collie have now competed in agility competitions in eight countries.Here's a link to the official story about Vanish's victory - www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/westminster-masters-agility-2025/.

It's not as if the Soar Awards are unknown in Rockford, it's more that perhaps the show is not celebrated enough.Started in 2016 in front of a few hundred people at the Tebala Event Center, the Soar Awards has amassed streams in the billions and is now the second biggest awards show in gospel music, annually drawing the biggest names in the genre to Rockford.As its reputation has grown so has the demand for space. After being held the past two years at the historic Coronado Performing Arts Center, this year's show on Feb. 3 beginning at 6 p.m. will be held at the Hard Rock Live at the Hard Rock Casino Rockford.Unlike most awards shows, the Soar Awards strive to honor specific artists each year for their impact on gospel music rather than focus on one-year achievements.On Monday the show will honor James Hall of New York, an international choirmaster and professor best known for his work in music and choir direction, and Percy Gray Jr., who organized the Praise II and Chicago Mass Choirs and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards in his career.The Monday night celebration also will have a heavy Rockford flavor. The Soar Awards also will celebrate Rockford natives Kimberla Lawson Roby, Fred VanVleet and Big Jim Wright. * Roby is perhaps Rockford's best selling author. She's published 28 books, the most recent in 2022, and her fans have bought more than 3 million copies.* VanVleet is perhaps Rockford's greatest athlete. He's played in the NBA since 2017, winning an NBA championship in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors and playing the NBA All-Star Game in 2022.* Big Jim Wright was an American musician, composer, songwriter, film score and record producer. A member of the vocal and instrumental ensemble Sounds of Blackness, Wright was a collaborator of production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Wright, who died in 2018, worked with some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Aretha Franklin, Usher, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige.The show is put on by Soar Radio (soarradio.com), which was launched in 2014 by James Francis as a 24-hour streaming Internet station featuring gospel and inspirational music. By 2017, Soar Radio was so well respected that it became the first gospel internet station added to the Nielsen Ratings.Now in its 11th year, Soar Radio continues to deliver great music to its audience as well as a growing roster of shows, including Francis himself doing a morning show Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Shawn Ryan has another hit on his hands.This week, season two of "The Night Agent" dropped on Netflix. It is an action thriller that was based on the 2019 New York Times bestseller by author Matthew Quirk. When it debuted in March 2023, it became the third-most-viewed debuting series on Netflix within its first four days and was renewed for a second season within a week.Ryan is the showrunner for "The Night Agent." A showrunner is the person who has overall creative authority and management responsibility for a television program.Ryan is a Keith School grad who moved to Hollywood in 1988 to pursue a writing career. He did odd jobs until first finding success as a writer with "Nash Bridges." He finally struck it big when he created "The Shield" from 2002-2008. Since then, he's created or produced "The Unit," "Lie To Me," "Timeless" and "S.W.A.T.," which launched in 2017 and is still on the air.All of these shows are top-notch. If you look at the Rotten Tomatoes review site, you will see that every one of these series has an audience score of 67 or higher. "The Shield" remains one of the highest-regarded series with an audience score of 96. Just this week, a poll by Watch and Listen magazine ranked "The Shield" as the No. 1 TV series of all time, topping shows such as "Seinfeld" (No. 2) and "Friends" (No. 4).The "Night Agent" has an audience score of 78 so far and Netflix already has picked it up for a third season. So Rockford's hitmaker will be busy for the foreseeable future. If you subscribe to Netflix, and more than 280 million do worldwide, check out the series.

One of the great things about Rockford is how accepting the city and its residents are towards all people.That was illustrated at the end of November when Rockford earned a perfect 100/100 on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index scorecard, which grades cities on their policies towards gay and lesbian residents.It's not a new thing. This is the third year in a row that Rockford earned a perfect score.“The MEI Scorecard serves as a vital benchmark, offering cities a way to track their progress and ensure accountability,” Mayor Tom McNamara said in a news release. “I’m incredibly proud that we’ve once again achieved a perfect score. This accomplishment reflects our unwavering commitment to fostering inclusivity for our employees, residents and the entire community.”It's not just a number. The Human Rights Campaign pointed to concrete policies. The city has adopted a non-discrimination ordinance for city contractors, established a Community Relations Commission to address discrimination, equity and equality issues, created LGBTQIA+ liasons for both the city and Rockford Police Department, and included transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits.Rockford truly is a city for all.

As we dive into the new year 🎉 we want to know: What are you most looking forward to in 2025? Vote below and let’s kick off the year with some local love! 💖

A popular thing to do in the final week of the year is to try to put the past 12 months into some kind of perspective.You will see plenty of top 10 lists over the next several days. We’re proposing a different question. If you were burying a time capsule what items would you put in it that would tell the person opening it that it came from Rockford in 2024?I can think of three for sure.Hard Rock Casino Poker ChipsAt the end of August, the long-awaited Hard Rock Casino Rockford opened. The 175,000-square-foot venue features nearly 1,300 slot machines, 50 table games, a poker room with six tables, a retail sports book, seven restaurants, and a 1,600-seat Hard Rock Live entertainment venue. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and country star Brad Paisley were among the first groups to perform in Rockford because of the new venue.Keys to a new houseIn April, the Wall Street Journal listed Rockford as the hottest housing market in the United States in a quarterly ranking. Rockford was the only Illinois city in the top 50. Peoria was next highest at No. 59.In 2023, the local real estate market set records for the highest annual average sale price and the highest average sale price for any month …. And the gains continued for most of 2024.The announcement was a remarkable turnaround for Rockford considering that in 2013 as much of the country was on its way to recovering from the Great Recession Rockford was No. 1 in the country in “underwater mortgages.” Just 11 years ago, Rockford had the highest percentage of homeowners who owed more on their mortgage than what their home was worth.A book from the Rockford Public LibraryWe’d have to buy the book - we wouldn’t want library investigator Joe Bookman to come after us - but something from the Rockford Public Library would have to be in the time capsule. In June, a new 66,000-square-foot, three-story library on the riverfront at 215 N. Wyman St. opened to the public for the first time.The $39 million project took nearly three years to complete.Of course, a time capsule isn’t limited to just three things. What else from 2024 would you put in a Rockford time capsule?

The third annual Blue Christmas service will have a mix of emotions on Dec. 23.The 10 a.m. service at Brooke Road UMC & Community Center, 1404 Brooke Rd., gives families who lost loved ones to opioid overdose a chance to remember and grieve together. This Blue Christmas, though, will also have a message of hope. For the first time in decades, public health data shows that drug overdose deaths are declining. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose deaths are expected to decline by more than 10% this year.The drop in Winnebago County is even more striking. There were 149 drug overdose deaths in 2023 and there have been just 63 so far this year with two weeks to go. That's a decline of more than 55%.Most experts agree that the widespread distribution of naloxone or Narcan is making a real difference. Narcan is an over-the-counter drug that treats opioid overdose by blocking opioid receptors in the body. It can be administered by injection or as a nasal spray.The Winnebago County Health Department offers free Narcan training and, since October 2022, Rockford has had several vending machines in the city give out free Narcan kits. On average, more than 200 kits are claimed monthly.While it's clear that overdose deaths are declining, it's not clear yet if drug use is falling. Still, it's a small victory worth celebrating.

Much like the actual year that Santa Claus was born - or created - isn't really clear, the year that the fiberglass Santa that sits outside of Ambrose Christmas Store first started waving to Rockford is also unclear.Its original home was Goldblatt's Department Store at 616 Hollister Ave., in the Rockford Plaza Shopping Center, which is now home to the Stockholm Inn, among others. Goldblatt's was a department store chain that started in Chicago and by 1956, when it opened in Rockford, had more than 20 stores across several states.Sometime in the late 1950s, early 1960s, Goldblatt's bought the two-piece fiberglass Santa that it would mount on a roof facing its Charles Street parking lot. Unfortunately, by the time the Santa began appearing annually in Rockford, Goldblatt's was past its peak. Retailers such as Kmart and Sears were cutting into its profits. In 1981, Goldblatt's in Rockford closed when the company declared bankruptcy.That's when the Charles Street Santa became a traveling Santa. William Lidster of Pecatonica went to the liquidation and bought Santa. For the next 16 years, Santa would bounce around. Some years it was put on display at Lidster's business, Advanced Window Systems on Windsor Road in Loves Park, and other times sitting outside the Lidster's home on Illinois Route 70 west of Rockford. Occasionally, the Lidsters would display Santa as part of the Festival of Lights at Sinnissippi Park.In 1997, the Goldblatt's Santa found a permanent home. The Lidsters reached out to Ambrose Christmas Store in Loves Park to see if there was interest and a deal was quickly reached. Now, for many people in Rockford, Loves Park, and Machesney Park, the first real sign of Christmas is when the Ambrose Santa is brought out of storage and put on display.It's a perfect marriage because Ambrose is only slightly younger than Santa. Ambrose opened in 1969 and is on its second generation of family ownership. Once you pull into the parking lot, give Santa a wave and head inside, you find more than 150 Christmas trees on display, specialty and novelty Christmas lights, collectibles, custom-decorated wreaths, and thousands and thousands of ornaments.An annual trip to Ambrose is a family tradition all its own.