Smart Living Weekly September 10, 2020

Smart L iving Your Better Quality of Life Magazine • Rockford Region/Beloit/Freeport 95¢ • September 10, 2020

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Right in Our Region

Autumn at the Arboretum Returns!

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AFTER

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In This Issue Right in Our Region ........................Cover & p. 16 Autumn at the Arboretum Inspiration & Worship ......................................12 Is Unity Possible?

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Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Bill Hughes Executive Editor/Web Editor Chris Linden Managing Editor Lindsey Gapen Lukas Assistant Managing Editor Jermaine Pigee Editor Emeritus Janine Pumilia Multimedia Editor Sara Myers Graphics Director Blake Nunes Graphic Designer Samantha Behling Contributing Writer Peggy Werner, Paula Kalivoda Furniss General Sales Manager Brent Hughes Sales Manager Brad Hughes Advertising Sales Representatives Brian Hughes, Jeremy Jones, Nita Lasky, Sherri Saleh Administration & Circulation Manager Lisa Hughes Distribution Kelly Fairbairn Website www.SmartLivingWeekly.com Published by Hughes Media Corp.

222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104 (815) 316-2300, Fax: (815) 316-2301 lhughes@northwestquarterly.com Smart Living Weekly.

Copyright 2020 by Hughes Media Corp., 222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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Industrial Roots A

s a Rockford native, I’ve long understood the importance of our manufacturing sector. While growing up, my friends’ parents worked at places like Ingersoll, Chrysler, Woodward Governor and National Can. What I didn’t understand, ‘til recently, is that our reputation as a manufacturing hub stretches back to pioneer days. The area’s first water-powered industrial district arose in 1837 when New England pioneer William Talcott and his sons hand dug a millrace along the western edge of Rockton. By 1838, they’d opened the region’s first sawmill and a gristmill. These attracted settlers from a 100-mile radius who planed their timber for home building and ground homegrown grain for bread baking. Other industries soon followed on that Rock River millrace.

By 1851, local businessmen pooled funds to build Rockford’s much larger Water Power Company. It powered John H. Manny’s reaper plant. Suppliers flocked to Rockford to make and sell parts to Manny. Demand for his farm implements exceeded the labor supply for a time and more farm-related plants settled here.

By the late 1850s, we also manufactured carriages, pumps and windmills. We ran foundries, tanneries, blacksmith shops and more mills. Yankees were joined by Irish, Italian and Swedish immigrants. The latter brought furniture-making skills and revolutionized the knitting machine, making Rockford a hosiery and furniture manufacturing capital.

Foreseeing depletion of local forests, business leaders expanded industries that had served furniture makers. These included fasteners/hardware, piano, mirror/glass and sewing machine makers, forerunners of BorgWarner, Rockford Tool, Sundstrand and more.

I learned this while researching an article about the Talcott family for our next issue of Northwest Quarterly Magazine (NWQ).

The new issue also contains an article by Jon McGinty about the old Ziock Building (now Embassy Suites). Too, we salute Local Manufacturing. “Made in Rockford, Ill.” still carries weight around the globe.

So, grab a new NWQ, cozy up and learn about your hardworking region. Have a great week! ❚ Janine Pumilia SLW Editor

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I  W

Is Unity Possible?

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an’t we all just get along?

If we choose to view one another as God does, the answer is “yes.” There’s no hatred based on race, gender, age, health, wealth, etc., when we view one another through God’s eyes. Each of us is precious.

The Book of Acts reveals how difficult it was for the early church to wrap its head around this concept of equality. In the Old Testament, God favored certain people. It wasn’t His ideal way to operate, however.

God wanted to bridge the distance caused

by Adam’s disobedience (Romans 5:19) and to make peace with all who choose to believe. That universal reconciliation was made possible through Christ. (2 Cor. 5:18) The New Testament teaches that favoritism on our part is a sin. We’re to love all people and treat them well. (James 2:1-3, 9) Scripture also teaches that our views should never be shaped by cultural norms that are at odds with Christ’s. Kings, presidents, preachers and other cultural icons come and go and are fallible. Only Christ’s kingdom endures forever. In it, there’s no place for hatred. (Eph.4:31).

We’re to imitate Christ. (Eph. 5:1 & 2).

Each of us is made in God’s image, which is spirit. Spirit has no gender or race.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28).

God cares about whether we accept the Gospel and live it (Romans 10: 9 & 10), not about our superficial differences. He sees our hearts. (I Sam. 16:7).

Being reconciled to God through Christ binds us together as one family, but we must guard that precious unity. Jude warns of those who “slip in” and divide us for personal gain, in verses 17-19: “These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage …

These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”

Can’t we all just get along? We can if we decide to. ❚ – Janine Pumilia 12

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R  O R

Enjoy Autumn at the Arboretum Oct. 11 to 18

By Peggy Werner lehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden invites the public to celebrate the changing seasons at its annual Autumn at the Arboretum, this year expanded to a week-long event.

The free community celebration, in the past held for one day only, will be observed for an entire week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11-18. It will include smartphone guided tours of fall colors and points of interest on the paths, trails and gardens throughout the 155-acre arboretum at 2715 S. Main St. in Rockford.

Children’s activities will include a straw maze and a self-guided scavenger hunt. In addition, videos about the arboretum and nature education will be available each day on Klehm’s website, Facebook page, YouTube and other social media.

It’s the first onsite event since the

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COVID-19 restrictions began last March and has been carefully planned with safety in mind, says Executive Director Alex Mills.

“We’re so excited to be able to hold this event in such a way that we can promote social distancing and avoid large crowds, while still having small groups of families and visitors viewing, learning about and engaging with the autumn season’s different displays of beauty,” says Mills. “With activities that can be done at the arboretum or at home, this event has something to offer everyone.”

Mills says the arboretum staff has been hard at work all summer devising a plan to get people safely engaged in learning and exploring. Activity stations will be spaced far apart, people will take turns, and there will be enough options to keep people moving around, allowing for

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social distancing.

Klehm staff members hope the selfguided phone tours and virtual learning sessions will be so well received that they’ll continue as part of regular Klehm programming, even when all pandemic restrictions are lifted. People can walk around and scan codes to learn more about something they see, going at their own pace. The tours take between 45 and 60 minutes on the paved paths and will draw people’s attention to new plantings and interesting features at the arboretum.

The virtual lectures on the website and through other forms of social media are meant to inform, but also to encourage people to get outside and explore the outdoors, he says.

“The arboretum is beautiful yearround, but especially in the fall. We just want people to see what we have, while

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learning a lot and making memories with family and friends,” Mills says.

Since traditional summer programs and other events were cancelled because of the pandemic, people have been forced to find new ways to be inspired, entertained, and to interact with the world.

For most people, that means getting outdoors. Like other nature centers, Klehm has seen an increase in visitors and memberships this summer, even

without the regular programming.

“We’re fortunate in that, when people can’t do other things, they come here.

It’s been great. A lot of people have come for the first time and from a wider area.

They just really appreciate being able to get out and do something interesting. Because things have slowed down for all of us, people have had the time to explore what’s in their own backyard and community.”

Visitors to Autumn at the Arboretum will take in the sights, sounds and fragrances of fall.

Changing shapes and colors of autumn include grass garden plumes, Red Flame grass, crabapple fruit, winterberry, asters and mums, in addition to more than 500 species of trees, shrubs and vines on the property.

Restrictions caused by the pandemic have altered operations at Klehm, with seasonal employees and volunteers now working individually or in small groups.

The Visitor’s Center recently reopened.

This free event is made possible by the Dean Alan Olson Foundation, Midland Wealth Management and Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Klehm is Rockford’s “living museum,” and operates as a private, not-forprofit membership-based organization supported through dues, donations, sponsorships, grants, fundraisers and subsidies, in partnership with the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County. ❚

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