An abandoned Illinois Railway bridge just south of downtown Rockford will get new life as a bicycle/pedestrian path. The repurposed bridge will connect a planned hotel development with the indoor sports complex set for the former Ingersoll Building, a plan championed by State Senator Steve Stadelman.

"This plan is yet another step in making downtown Rockford a more vibrant place to live and work," said Stadelman, the vice chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. "By adding this important piece of infrastructure, residents and visitors alike will see an immediate benefit."

The cost of the bridge refurbishment is about $925,000 and is funded by the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, a state program that uses federal money for such projects. The bridge also is part of a longer-term plan to further increase bicycle connectivity in the Rockford area. City engineer Matthew Vitner says the bridge also will connect with bicycle paths from the across the river to Davis Park as well as eventually becoming part of the Grand Illinois Trail.

Construction on the bridge is expected to begin this summer and finish by the end of the year.

ROCKFORD – Thanks to the efforts of Senator Steve Stadelman, Lifescape Community Services Inc. is announcing that they have been awarded a $45,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to purchase a new blast freezer. The new freezer will allow Lifescape, which delivers more than 20,000 meals annually through the Meals on Wheels program, to freeze its own meals instead of having to go through a third party to have them frozen. This will allow the agency to save money and keep seniors living independently in their own homes.

The state also looks to save substantial dollars thanks to the new freezer. On average, Illinois spends $48,000 annually for every person who lives in a nursing facility, as compared to only $12,000 for every person who receives in-home services.

"We are grateful to the state of Illinois, especially Senator Stadelman," said Lifescape Executive Director Carol Green. "The savings we will realize with this blast freezer will allow us to better serve our clients."

The freezer couldn't come at a better time, as Lifescape expects the demand for frozen meals on weekends and holidays to rise by nearly 20,000 this year and state funding becomes scarcer.

"It's becoming more difficult to find state funding for local projects, but keeping our seniors healthy and comfortable in their own homes is important work," Stadelman said. "Lifescape Community Services is a well-respected agency, and I'm confident this grant is a great investment."

Lifescape Community Services is Illinois' top source in Winnebago, Boone, Ogle and Lee counties for providing services to older adults, allowing them to independently remain in their own homes.

ROCKFORD – Mary Klemm walked out of Monday's utility bill clinic with potentially an extra $20 a month in her pocket.

An adviser from the Citizens Utility Board walked Klemm through her options for keeping her land line and finding a better deal. Turns out her current provider charges her a monthly fee to generate a long-distance bill even if she didn't make any calls.

"She gave me information that as a consumer, I didn't know -- and that's going to save me money. I'm old school. I don't want to pay for what I don't use," said Klemm, who is now going to work further with CUB to lower her cell phone costs.

Klemm's success story was one of several coming out of the utility bill clinic sponsored by state Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) and the Citizens Utility Board. Advisers from CUB were on hand offering one-on-one analysis of gas, electric and landline phone bills; information on spotting billing errors; and incentives designed to help people improve energy efficiency.

Alice Stacionis of Rockford said her CUB adviser explained the process for selecting an alternative electricity provider, which she anticipates will lower her bill. How much depends on her choice.

"I've always known CUB was working on our behalf," Stacionis said. "This helped me understand a lot of things I hadn't really been paying attention to."

Senator Stadelman arranged Monday's clinic in an effort to better inform local consumers about their choices and potential savings.

"Whether it's winter or summer, utility bills can add up, especially for people on a fixed income," Stadelman said. "I think many people were pleasantly surprised to learn the amount they could save with a few simple changes."

If you are looking to reduce your utility costs, koin me and experts from the Citizens Utility Board for a Utility Bill Clinic at 11 a.m. August 11 at the Zeke Giorgi Center. See the flyer below for more information.

stadelmanCUB.pdf (click to view; right-click and select "Save Target As.." or "Save Link As..." to download)