Rockford Mayor report – 11/05/2024-

I want to thank the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and the Historical Society for the great events that happened on October 26th. The day started with the dedication of the Ohio Historical Society sign that honors both Anthony Shane (Our Village founder) and John Chapman or better known as Johnny Appleseed. This sign is located on Hedge’s Park along US 33 and is two sided – unlike most historical signs. We had the privilege of having one of Anthony Shane’s descendants come from South Carolina to speak and visit our town. Her name is Kathy Jo Higgins she drove up for this event, bringing with her items that she wanted to donate to our museum.

After that Rocktoberfest was enjoyed by many people of all ages, as it offered many activities throughout the village. During this time, they presented the Citizen of the Year award to Amy Noll, as we congratulate her for all that she had done for the Village of Rockford.

I want to thank the Rockford Fire Department for sponsoring the Halloween costume judging at the firehouse. As it was a good time for all ages that were involved and watching. The Fire department also flushed all the villages fire hydrants this past Sunday. That was a volunteer effort on their part to maintain our fire hydrants and keep our property insurance as low as possible.

Changing topics, you may have heard by now that we have experienced an unwanted visitor to our town, and they have sticky fingers. We want to encourage you to make sure that you have everything locked up and secured as best as possible to detour visitors like them from paying anyone a visit. Police are utilizing tactics to ward off any further events like this. So, if you see or hear something that isn’t quite right, report it by calling 911. We need to help each other in protecting our family, neighbors, and friends.

We would also like to remind you that burning leaves, or any type of trash, is not allowed in the village limits. You are allowed to burn in a firepit, as long as you are cooking with it, and it’s being supervised properly. Keep in mind we are in the midst of a drought, and we use good judgement when we burn anything.

Given today is our general election day, we want to thank all the veterans that have given us that right and the freedoms that we enjoy today. Without them being strong, we might not have the freedom to vote. Next Monday is Veterans Day. Please thank every veteran that you see for their service and dedication to our country, as they have earned that respect.

Finally, remember it is better to ‘Give more than you take, and you will receive more than you give.’

God bless you,

Thank you,

Mayor Searight