BICENTENNIAL PLANNING MEETING – OCTOBER 20, 2014

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BICENTENNIAL PLANNING MEETING – OCTOBER 20, 2014

BICENTENNIAL PLANNING MEETING

VILLAGE OF ROCKFORD

OCTOBER 20, 2014

 

Present was Norm VanTilburg, Dee VanTilburg, Mike Riley, Janet Riley, Roy Thompson, Mona Thompson, Twyla Hayes, Marie Miller, Mike Schumm, Nancy Leighner, Barb Pedroza, Dan Henkle, and Jeff Long.

Norm led the meeting and reviewed last meeting and asked for additional input.

Discussion on mural on side of fire station. The Fire Department has given permission for the mural. Marty Lentz and Nancy Leighner have checked murals in other entities.  Twyla has experience from working with Union City.  To have a professional artist who will spend time researching our history to come up with items to be on the image and creating the mural would be approximately $5,000. In addition the bare block would need to be sealed. Bryan Sutton has said he would work with us and Jeff offered Village help so it can be correctly sealed, not sure of the additional cost.  The thought is to get this process started as a project leading up to the celebration with a finishing touch to be done during the bicentennial year.  Twyla will get in touch with the artist and invite her to our next meeting.

Once again it was discussed to not have just one event but celebrate throughout the year. Maybe have a community New Years Eve event to kick off the celebration. Maybe the Lions club would have that years Variety Show theme for the Bicentennial.

A Grand Parade and main Celebration could be in conjunction with the annual community days. Theme would attract more floats to the parade.

Rockford Recreation maybe host old time baseball tournament and research how baseball has been a big part of the community’s history.

The quilting club has shown interest in making quilts for the celebration which could commemorate and possibly be part of fund raising as there will be a need for money to have our celebration.

Norm has contacted the Leota Braun Foundation and they would be willing to be the collection avenue for donations and money raised for the events.

Thought is that maybe local artists could develop prints that could be sold yearly leading to the bicentennial that could be sold as a money raiser.

Veterans Memorial Park was discussed and mentioned that lady at willshire had much information concerning this area,

Something pertaining to the old Railroad Depot as the railroad was very important in our early history.

Thought it would be a good idea to involve Harry Frech as he has done much research on our history.

Stacy Ford does presentation of her historical hats.

Nee youth involved and probably start now with 6-8th grades as they will be here in 2020.

May have a outside movie night as that was a big event for the community in days gone pass.

Talked about forming an executive committee to steer us and keep on track for the planning but involving many for different items, It was mentioned that Dan Henkle was on the committee for the 1970 sesqucentennial.