Celebrate the Arts | Womanspace 50th anniversary fundraiser
What: Womanspace will hold its 50th anniversary fundraiser celebrating connection, empowerment, creativity and transformation through the arts. Enjoy a vibrant art raffle featuring work by Rockford artists John Verl McNamara, Bill Burns and Gordie Johnson. There is also a silent auction with works from over 30 artists in the Womanspace community, hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar. Former TV anchor Whitney Martin of Made for Rockford will emcee the event. All proceeds benefit Womanspace.
When: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8
Where: The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club, 5151 Guilford Road, Rockford
Info/register: Go HERE
Rockford mourns, honors those killed in attack
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — When Shon Wilson and Tyson Parks were around the Schupbach family, they said it felt like it was their family, too.
On Thursday, they said they didn't know what to feel.
Jacob Schupbach, 23, and his mother Romona Schupbach, 63, Jenna Newcomb, 15, and Jay Larson, 49, were killed Wednesday afternoon in a mass stabbing and attack that spanned across several homes in a southeast Rockford neighborhood. Seven others were injured in the attack.
"I don't know how to feel about this. I'm empty inside," said Wilson, who has been friends with the family for about a decade. "They had their whole lives ahead of them and (were) taken for no reason. I can't accept this."
Christian Soto, age 22, has been charged and jailed in the killing spree.
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Wilson and Parks were among hundreds who gathered Thursday near the corner of Charles Street and Hillcrest Road for a prayer vigil and display of support for those who were killed and injured in the attack.
"I just consider them golden-hearted people," Parks said of the Schupbachs. "My last name is Parks, and they made me feel like a Schupbach."
Parks, who met Jacob Schupbach as a freshman at East High School, said he was funny and caring. Schupbach had long talked about fixing up an LS2 Saturn to turn it into a race car.
"He was loving and goofy," Parks said. "Everything out of his mouth was something funny, but he also cared for people. Even people who did him wrong, he still low key had a soft spot for them."
Processing tragedy
Religious and political leaders, as well as co-workers, classmates and friends of the victims joined together Thursday afternoon to mourn the losses and care for one another.
They also offered prayers and support for the family of Jason Jenkins, an 18-year-old Auburn High School student who was killed Sunday when he was fatally stabbed while working at Walmart by a man who authorities say he did not know.
"Our focus today and in the coming weeks, as mayor of Rockford, is taking care those directly impacted and our community at large," Mayor Tom McNamara said at news conference earlier in the day. He reiterated a similar message at the vigil.
McNamara said the vigil was a display of Rockfordians caring for one another and working to pick each other up in the wake of tragedy. He was emotional Thursday morning during a news conference at a Rockford police station as he read the names of the people who died.
"We, as a community, we're still processing the exceptional loss of Jason Jenkins," McNamara said. "His family and loved ones have been on our minds and in our hearts since Sunday."
He said Jenkins and his family also need to be lifted up.
"He was a church-going young man. He was a man of many accomplishments who would set goals. He was loved by all who knew him," McNamara said. "His family wants people to know that he was more than just this victim, he was exceptional."
Teen died saving others
White crosses adorned with light blue hearts were lined up at the vigil Thursday for people to leave messages for the families of the victims, or messages of remembrance about those who died.
One, left for Newcomb, a 15-year-old sophomore at East High School, simply read, "I hope you have a good time in heaven."
Jace Nguyen, a 17-year-old junior at East, said Newcomb could be quiet when you first met her but she was talkative, sweet and funny once you got to know her. Nguyen and Newcomb met at dance tryouts and had been friends and teammates ever since. Newcomb was also a basketball and softball player. She was killed while home during spring break.
"It's absolutely shocking," Nguyen said. "I said bye to her right before break, and I expected to come back to see her. It's a bad dream. I just hope she would come back to school."
Newcomb and a friend were watching a movie in the basement of her Cleveland Avenue home when Soto stormed in, asking about the location of a gun. Newcomb's sister joined them in the basement to warn them a man had broken into the house. He then went to the basement with one of Newcomb's softball bats and started swinging at all three girls, Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley said reading from charging documents. The normally stoic prosecutor's voice quivered as he read the details.
McNamara said during a news conference that Newcomb's family wanted people to know that she died saving sister and friend.
"It just proves everything I knew about her before: She protects. She's always there for people when you need them," said Madison Owens, a sophomore at East High School and softball teammate of Newcomb. "She had a lot of love in her heart."
Owens, who was among several teammates and coaches to attend the vigil, said she last saw Newcomb at practice on Tuesday and they were preparing for their next game against Harlem on April 8. She said it will be an emotional game as Newcomb's teammates play in her honor.
"Playing sports is therapeutic, being able to get your energy out, but (also) playing in someone's honor like you would have wanted them to do if you had passed," Madison said.
'A ray of positivity'
Larson was killed while conducting his mail route on Winnetka Drive. He suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack, and then Soto ran over him with a pickup truck, according to charging documents.
Lawrence Steward, president National Association of Letter Carriers branch 245 in Rockford, said that Larson was the quintessential postal worker because of his love of the job and how he cared for the people on his route.
"Jay was a carrier if you made a carrier in a lab," Steward said. "Every station Jay worked at he eventually had the biggest route in the station because he would finish his route the way it was made and they would add to it and they'd add to it and they'd add to it. He'd always end up with the biggest route but he loved doing his job."
Steward said that his father had always taught him to live his life so that nobody had to lie at his funeral. He said Larson did just that, and was "a ray of positivity everywhere he went."
"Jay lived (so that) nobody has to lie about how much they loved him," Steward said.
'Dark days'
Rosecrance is offering free counseling services for anyone who needs it Friday at Flinn Middle School. Police Chief Carla Redd said numerous people showed up for the first day of the service on Thursday, "to the point where they had to call in extra counselors."
Redd delivered a short, emotional speech during Thursday's vigil, saying that the police department is hurting too.
"This cuts you at the root," she said. "I can't imagine what the families are going through. The officers that had to be the first ones on scene, and see the victims in those conditions, this is not easy."
"I'm a Rockfordian born and raised, and such a tragic event does not define, does not represent this community."
Soto made an initial appearance in court Thursday afternoon, but a hearing on a petition to detain him until his trial was postponed at the request of the defense until Tuesday. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted murder and two counts of home invasion. He claimed to police that he was given drugs laced with an unknown narcotic that made him paranoid and erratic.
McNamara said people from across the country have reached out to him to offer support after the killing spree became national news.
Among them was President Joe Biden, who released a statement saying he was praying for those killed and wounded by the senseless violence.
McNamara said Rockford has faced difficult times before, and the people here always respond by coming together. He said the city would dig into the details in the coming days and weeks to look for solutions, but for now he urged people to take a simple step with one another: "Be kind."
"The trauma of this magnitude impacts all of us," McNamara said. "These are dark days, but we as Rockfordians will get through this."
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Community Foundation announces finalists for 2023 Excalibur & Excelsior Awards
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois on Tuesday announced the finalists for the Excalibur and Excelsior awards for community service.
The announcement comes one month before a ceremony will be held to announce and honor the winners on Dec. 14 at Prairie Street Brewing Co., 200 Prairie St.
The annual awards were created by the Rockford Register Star in 1971 and given each year through 2021. After a hiatus last year, the Community Foundation took over the honors and is restarting the tradition in partnership with the newspaper and the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence.
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This year, the foundation will also bestow four new awards honoring "Community Champions" from each of the four counties it serves: Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago.
The winner of the Excalibur Award, which is presented to an individual who exemplifies community service, receives $1,000 for the charity of their choice. The winner of the Excelsior Award, which was created in 1979 and goes toward an organization, gets $2,500.
Here are the nominees.
Exalibur Award finalists
Mary Ann Abate: The retired vice president of public policy at Rosecrance now serves as president of the Winnebago County Mental Health Board. She was an advocate and partner in developing the Winnebago County mental health court and implementing the National Suicide Preention Lifeline (now known as 988) to Winnebago and Boone counties. She was also instrumental in bringing crisis intervention training to Winnebago County. She also serves on boards with board service with Easterseals, Carrie Lynn Advisory Board, NAMI Northern Illinois, Community Mental Health Tax Force and the behavioral health leadership team of the Rockford Regional Health Council.
Armando Cardenas: The first executive director of the 4-S Center, now known as La Voz Latina, is self-employed as the sales and marketing director for Affordable Insurance & Tax. He is the founder of Domingos En El Parque at Levings Park, a founding member of the Rockford Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and serves on boards with the Friends of the Coronado and the Rockford Area Arts Council. He also advocated for the first bilingual program and the mariachi music elective at Rockford Public Schools.
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James Rhyne: The executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Freeport and Stephenson County is also the leader of the “Uncomfortable Conversations” program, and the creator of the YIELD program providing avenues of entry into skilled trades. He was an advocate for the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Campus and developed numerous enrichment programs for area youth. His board service includes Highland Community College, Freeport School District, The Foundation for Northwest Illinois, Freeport Noon Rotary Club and NAACP.
Excelsior Award finalists
Golden Apple Foundation of Rockford: The nonprofit sets out to inspire, celebrate and support educational excellence. The local chapter was founded by Don Zimmerman and Dr. Richard Novak with a goal of mobilizing volunteers to recognize excellence in teaching. The organization is now led by Jennifer Stark, executive director. Golden Apple has honored more than 200 educators and awarded more than $238,000 in classroom grants.
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Hoo Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center: The nonprofit, which was founded by Karen Herdklotz, is dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned wildlife. It also works to educate the community about the importance of preserving natural resources. Hoo Haven started as a small, part-time endeavor at Karen and Steve Herdklotz's home and has grown into one of the largest state- and federally-licensed wildlife rehab centers in the region. It's housed on a 20-acre property near Durand and has an on-site surgery center. It cares for about 1,000 birds and animals each year and is a designated Regional Eagle Recovery Center, having cared for 150 eagles since 2004. It conducts more than 150 education programs on and off-site each year.
Rockford Promise: This nonprofit founded in 2006 provides full-tuition scholarships to qualified Rockford Public Schools graduates. What started as an all-volunteer endeavor awarding small scholarships has grown to support 400 active students. Rockford Promise also connects its scholars to mentorship services and employs academic mentoring specialists at each partner campus (Rock Valley College, Northern Illinois University, Rockford University). Rockford
Promise is also launching internship and job shadow programs.
Know before you go | Excalibur & Excelsior Awards
When: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023
Where: Prairie Street Brewing Co., 200 Prairie St., Rockford
Cost: Free and open to the public, but RSVPs are required.
To RSVP: excaliburexcelsior2023.eventbrite.com
Info: excaliburexcelsior.com
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
New Brooke Road Community Center to serve as a hub for neighborhood needs in southeast Rockford
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Brooke Road United Methodist Church didn't so much create a community center as it did allow one to evolve from within.
For years, the church leadership pondered what to do with empty Sunday school classroom spaces. They listened to the needs of the southeast Rockford neighborhood surrounding the church, and in many cases simply opened their doors for community groups to come in and do the work themselves.
"Mostly what we do here is give the keys to the groups that run the programs themselves and just needed the space," Pastor Violet Johnicker said. "Because it's not programs that we're coming up with — it's stuff that the neighbors have said that they need and want, and that they want to run themselves — things have been really successful because they're organic."
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Brooke Road Community Center, 1404 Brooke Road, celebrated its official opening Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the United Way of Rock River Valley, Rockford Chamber of Commerce, state Rep. Maurice West, state Sen. Steve Stadelman, Mayor Tom McNamara and Alderwoman Aprel Prunty, among other dignitaries.
You don't have to be a part of the congregation to use the community center, and it is open to people of all faiths and those who don't practice any religion.
The center was already alive with activity even before opening day because of the work by community groups filling the space. There are Zumba classes, a little free food pantry, a computer lab, Spanish-language services including an Alcoholic Anonymous class in Spanish, a room for the Girl Scouts and immigration services.
Now, Kristin Cottrell is leading the next phase for the center as its manager. She has a background in child welfare and family support services and experienced first-hand the need for the type of services the center will provide. Cottrell said she grew up in extreme poverty in the same neighborhood where the center is now.
"110 Brooke Road. That house doesn't even exist anymore. It's knocked down," Cottrell said. "It's just coming back home and knowing the needs."
Cottrell is integrating several new programs, including some that are part of United Way's effort to boost child literacy rates in the county.
Next week, they're starting a homework club for third through 12th graders that will give them access to the WiFI, computer lab and printers they may need for school. Tutoring will be incorporated into that soon, Cottrell said.
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Later this month they'll launch Reader's Night In, a parent drop-off program where children pre-kindergarten through 12th grade can join a book club, read or tackle crafts around literacy.
There will also be art therapy classes and other activities for all ages.
"Basically what we're doing here is a social and emotional well-being hub," Cottrell said. "We're creating that sense of community again with very safe and open spaces and minds."
Brooke Road UM identified the need for the center after Ken-Rock Community Center moved from 11th Street, near Brook Road, to Adams Street in the central city a few years ago. The Rockford Public Library also closed its 11th Street branch about three years ago.
"It's really been a resource desert here for a while, and we're just trying to fill some of those gaps," Johnicker said.
Many of the programs at Brooke Road Community Center are in Spanish, and the congregation has a growing number of people from Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other African countries who worship in Swahili on Sundays at noon.
“Being able to read is life-changing, but for parents who are learning to read in English themselves or are so busy caring for their families by working two jobs or more, it can be a real challenge to spend time reading with kids," Johnicker said. "Our intergenerational, volunteer-driven approach will make a big difference for kids here. As we develop our methods, we’re writing a how-to guide for other faith communities that would like to replicate literacy programs like this in their neighborhoods."
Northern Illinois Justice For Our Neighbors will have two community navigators at the center to help people with citizenship classes, driver's license services, registering for school, child care and other necessities. Rock Valley College will also have its pre-citizenship class for seniors, Cottrell said.
“Seeing the excitement for the center and the willing support already makes me so proud of Rockford. This community deserves safe spaces to learn and grow, and to teach us how to connect again after the pandemic," Cottrell said. "I am so looking forward to seeing all of the individuals and families coming together here, gaining a sense of hope, consistency and community like we haven’t been able to see in awhile."
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days dates announced for July 21 and July 22
By Chelsea Meyer
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — It’s not just the mustard, ketchup or buns that make up Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days — it’s the community.
Karen Tilly, who serves as the public relations chairperson for Alpine Kiwanis, said they ordered 22,000 brats to be served at last year’s event.
Besides brats, which are the highest number of requests, They will also have Johnsonville hot dogs, a veggie-vegan bratwurst and a veggie BBQ.
Both of those will be made separately from the rest of the products and on a separate grill.
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The two-day event will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, July 21 and July 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at two locations: U-Haul at the corner of East State Street and Mulford Road and Blain’s Farm & Fleet, 7300 E. Riverside Blvd. in Loves Park.
At both sites, you can enjoy your meal with live entertainment. There is also the option to drive-thru or walk-up to grab your brats.
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $7 and on-site for $8 and include your choice of Johnsonville brat, all-beef Johnsonville hot dog, meatless BBQ, vegan/vegetarian brat, and Mrs. Fisher’s chips plus Pepsi product or water.
All proceeds from Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days are given directly to local nonprofits and area youth for scholarships. Alpine Kiwanis Club has given more than $2 million to support our community over the past 51 years.
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KFACT, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful, Children’s Safe Program, YMCA, YWCA, are just a few of the nonprofits that this event has helped out in previous years.
“So all that money goes back into the charity, just to give out, and included in what we give out is we give scholarships to high school seniors from that pot of money,” Tilly said during an interview last year on the B103 Morning Routine. “So then starting in October, after Brat Days, we’ll start taking requests for the rest of the year through next spring to give out all the money that we earned this year to agencies and to scholarship winners.”
If you’re a nonprofit looking to benefit from the money raised from Brat Days, or if your senior is looking to apply for the scholarship, head over to alpinekiwanis-il.org to make a request. All requests will be reviewed after the 51st Annual Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days and announced in 2024.
Know before you go | Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days
When: Friday, July 21 from 11 a.m. -7 p.m. and Saturday, July 22 from 11 a.m. -6 p.m.
- Take your brat to work: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday at Blain’s Farm & Fleet only.
Where: Blain’s Farm & Fleet, 7300 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park; U-Haul, corner of East State Street and Mulford Road
Preorders: For orders of 25 or more, call 779-348-0882.
For more information: Go to alpinekiwanis-il.org or Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days on Facebook for more info.
Rockford organization focuses on cure, not response to violence
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
ROCKFORD — Tony Turner is challenging people to change the way they think about stopping crime.
Alarming spates of violence like the city endured this week can prompt fear and focus on short-term fixes, but Turner wants attention given to the root causes of crime such as childhood trauma or inequality.
"We always say, 'What do we do to fix it?' We never say, 'What do we do to prevent this from happening?'" said Turner, the founder of 815 Stop Killing, a grassroots group that works to interrupt the cycle of violence that often starts with young victims.
815 Stop Killing, an offshoot of Turner's mentorship and life-coaching business Conscious Coaching, launched in 2019. You may have seen its signs in yards and business windows around the city.
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Like many organizations, its outreach efforts were stifled by the coronavirus pandemic. Turner is recommitting this year to expanding the group's efforts and connecting with other grassroots groups to work toward a common goal. He and his partners in Urban Intellectuals 815 have a newly opened suite on Riverside Boulevard that can serve as a meeting place for other groups with similar goals.
Turner's mission is to connect people to services they need, such as conflict resolution coaching or mental health resources, so they can heal from past trauma. Police and city officials in Rockford for several years have said that the large majority of young people arrested for violent crimes were previously victims or witnesses to abuse themselves.
"How do we redirect what's been going on? We can no longer treat it, we have to start finding ways to cure it," Turner said. "I'm not trying to solve crime, I'm trying to heal people."
This week's violent outbreak serves as another reminder to focus on the mission, he said. Six people were shot in three separate shootings in a span of three and a half hours Tuesday night. The victims include a 28-year-old man and 38-year-old man who died from their injuries.
"Unfortunately we can't change what has happened, but what are we doing to prevent that from happening again?" Turner said. "That's what I would challenge and ask anyone: What are we doing to prevent it?"
'Not acceptable'
There have now been 119 people shot in the city this year and 19 homicides. There were 36 killings in the city last year, the most on records going back to 1965.
"I understand for some it’s frightening, for some it’s concerning, for all of us it’s not acceptable,” Mayor Tom McNamara said in an interview with Steve Summers that airs Saturday on 95.3 The Bull, a partner with the Rock River Current.
The Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence & Human Trafficking Prevention includes a team that works to identify children who experienced violent trauma at home and develop pathways to restoration. Earlier this year, the City Council agree to use part of its American Rescue Plan funding to expanding juvenile outreach and crime prevention efforts to provide help for youth exposed to violence.
“Really for the first time in our community we’re making a concerted, diligent effort to swim upstream to stop the pipeline of criminals in our community," McNamara said. "We have to get to young kids who have been impacted by some form of trauma — often trauma due to violence in their own household at a young age."
Children often don't have an outlet to process that trauma, "and they end up displaying that trauma and it manifests itself into violence that’s taking place in our streets today,” McNamara said.
Turner says he can serve as a connector between people who need those services and the agencies that offer them.
"It's great to have those programs, but we need connectors to them," Turner said. "We're only as good as the network we have."
Get involved | 815 Stop Killing
Anyone interested in getting involved in 815 Stop Killing, displaying one of its signs or using the Urban Intellectuals space on Riverside Boulevard can email Tony Turner at consciouscoaching815@gmail.com.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.
Community-focused church moves into former On the Curve restaurant in Machesney Park
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
MACHESNEY PARK — A restaurant that closed amid the coronavirus pandemic will be the new home for GPS Faith Community, a congregation that has spent the past decade worshiping at space inside an industrial park along North Second Street.
GPS Faith Community celebrated its final service at 10714 N. Second St. on Sunday. It plans to start service in mid to late October after making some renovations to the former On the Curve, 11189 Forest Hills Road. This Sunday's services will be held at Puri Pavilion at Rock Cut State Park and it will be held online Oct. 10.
The church's new home puts it closer to neighborhoods and could help it better connect with its community than it could in the industrial park.
"The space is just perfect to transform into a church and into a space to be a community building," Pastor Brandon Nelson said. "This is not our space we're stepping into: It's for our community. It's for anybody that longs to connect with each other and to find God's love."
On the Curve, which was previously Hawk's View restaurant, closed as a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, Village Administrator James Richter II said.
"They were really our sole casualty," Richter said. "We didn’t lose any other restaurants."
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The restaurant's banquet facility is perfectly suited for church services, Richter and Nelson said.
GPS, which stands for God's People Serving, was birthed from Grace Lutheran Church in Loves Park. It was initially located at the AMC movie theater in Machesney Park before moving to rented space along North Second Street.
"It was time to find a home," Nelson said of purchasing the former On the Curve.
GPS Faith Community is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It's designed to be inclusive, diverse and contemporary in its worship style.
"No matter what your background is, God's love is for you. We are open and welcoming and we will empower you in all forms and fashions of life and ministry," Nelson said. "We love to serve our community. We love to be a part of it and care for all people."
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This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.
