In addition to being the home of Cheap Trick, Rockford has long been known as one of the worst places in the country in which to live. Magazines listing Madison at the top of livable cities lists often placed Rockford at the very bottom. Some Madisonians venturing to Chicago have been known to sing a re-configured version of R.E.M.'s "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" as they drove past the Rockford exits on the Interstate.
Rockfordians were clearly unhappy with their reputation and have set about to fix it. They are expanding their airport and marketing it to travelers who are fed up with Chicago's O'Hare, their children's museum is considered by many to be the best in the region and its convenient position between the growing Madison metro area and Chicago means plenty of potential for economic growth. Certainly, Rockford is carefully watching plans for high-speed rail between Chicago and Minneapolis via Madison.
A regular diplomatic entourage arrives on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. from Rockford on Wednesday afternoon, including that city's mayor, Larry Morrissey.
MAYOR CIESLEWICZ WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Monday, September 24, 2007
9:00 a.m. Welcome at Problem Oriented Policing Conference (Monona Terrace)
10:00 a.m. Policy staff meeting
11:00 a.m. Andrew Statz
12:00 noon Speak at UW-Madison Retirement Association luncheon (Covenant Presbyterian Church, 326 S. Segoe Road)
1:30 p.m. Tour of UW American Family Children's Hospital
3:00 p.m. Taping of "The Mayor's Report" (MMB 260)
4:30 p.m. Board of Estimates (MMB 260)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
9:00 a.m. Alcohol Policy Coordinator final candidate interviews 2:00 p.m. Lunch with Michael Blumenfeld 3:30 p.m. Stephanie Cronin and Janet Piraino 4:30 p.m. Jesse, Marnie, and Anna Wickizer 4:45 p.m. Tom Neujahr, Brad Binkowski, Ald. Mike Verveer, Mark Olinger, and Joel Plant 6:00 p.m. DANISCO grand opening (3329 Agriculture Drive) 7:30 p.m. Speak at WISPIRG annual kick-off event (UW-Madison, Birge Hall)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
9:00 a.m. Speak at Building Trades weekly meeting (Labor Temple)
10:00 a.m. Staff meeting
2:30 p.m. Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey, Rockford City Administrator Jim Ryan, Rockford Area Transportation Study MPPO Director Steve Ernst, Dave Trowbridge, and Joel Plant (Mayor's Conf. Room)
4:00 p.m. Ald. Tim Gruber, Howard Erlanger, Larry Nelson, Si Widstrand, Al Larson, and Janet Piraino
6:00 p.m. Streetcar Study Committee final meeting (MMB 300)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
7:30 a.m. 105.5 Triple M New Music Review (7601 Ganser Way)
8:30 a.m. Breakfast with Ald. Joe Clausius
10:00 a.m. Chief Debra Amesqua, Joe Conway, Mario Mendoza, Andrew Statz, and Joel Plant
11:00 a.m. Sharon Williams
3:30 p.m. Ald. Larry Palm, Dane County Supervisor Tom Stoebig, Bob Narf, Andy Olsen, Steve Brist, and Joel Plant
4:30 p.m. Common Council leadership meeting
5:45 p.m. Habitat for Humanity 20th anniversary reception (Alliant Energy Center, Exhibition Hall)
7:00 p.m. Speak at Wexford Village Neighborhood Crime Watch Group meeting (Alicia Ashman Branch Library)
Friday, September 28, 2007
Vacation
