Rockford, Illinois | January 25, 2017 | Vol. 24, No. 15 NELS AKERLUND Hundreds of Great Homes Inside This Issue! Check out the Gambino Home Guide and visit GoGambino.com 815-282-2222 COLOR 2 | The Rock River Times | RockRiverTimes.com | January 25, 2017 RockRiverTimes.com In Brief January 25, 2017 | Vol. 24 | No. 15 Inside this issue Trump dogged by his own insecurities Index Donald Trump holds the most powerful office in the world. But he’s dogged by News insecurity over his loss of the popular vote in the election and a persistent Headlines — 4-11 frustration that the legitimacy of his presidency is being challenged by Local History — 34 Democrats and the media, aides and associates say. Sports — 37-40 Trump’s fixation has been a drag on the momentum of his opening Death Notices — 16 days in office, with his exaggerations about inauguration crowds and false Classifieds & Legals assertions about illegal balloting intruding on advisers’ plans to launch Classifieds — 31-32 Frank Schier | 1954-2017 his presidency with a flurry of actions Government Notices — 18 on the economy. His spokesman Sean Spicer has twice stepped into the fray Public Notices — 18-26 NEWS Pages 4-5, 11 himself, including on Tuesday, when he doubled down on Trump’s false claim Real Estate Notices — 26-30 that he lost the popular vote because 3 million to 5 million people living in the Vibe Entertainment U.S. illegally cast ballots. “He believes what he believes based Vibe News — 12-13 on the information he was provided,” said Spicer, who provided no evidence to Vibe Calendars — 14-15 back up the president’s statements. All 50 states and the District of Columbia Crosswords/Sudoku — 17 & 30 have finalized their election results with no reports of the kind of widespread Horoscopes — 16 fraud that Trump is alleging. If the president’s claim were true it ABOUT US would mark the most significant election The Rock River Times has a circulation of fraud in U.S. history — and ironically, 22,000 free newspapers in the Rockford, would raise the same questions about Ill ., metr opolit an area by T hir d Cl as s mail Trump’s legitimacy that he’s trying to an d thr o u gh m o r e th an 2 ,9 0 0 co mm er cial Senate hammering out budget deal avoid. Yet Spicer repeatedly sidestepped outlets. The weekly newspaper is questions about whether the Trump distributed every Wednesday. First-class administration would investigate the deliver y is $55 for 26 weeks or $10 0 for 52 STATE Page 6 allegations pushed by the president. weeks; home deliver y is $ 4 5 for 26 weeks “Anything is possible,” he said. or $78 for 52 weeks. CONTACT US State asks Congress for M a i l : T h e Ro c k R i v e r T i m e s , 12 8 N . C h u r c h caution on healthcare St., Rockford, IL 61101 | Phone: 815- Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration 964-9767 | Fax: 815-964-9825 | E-mail: has sent a letter to GOP congressional [email protected] | Online: leaders asking them to avoid “hasty” rockrivertimes.com | Office hours: 9 or “incomplete” action as they proceed a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, CST with a planned repeal of the Affordable COPYRIGHT NOTICE Care Act. All material herein is the sole property The Jan. 17 letter says Congress and of The Rock River Times. No reprint, the states “must work together” to reproduction or other use of any of the achieve “important reforms” in health materials contained herein is permitted care policy. The letter is signed by Acting without the consent of the publisher or his Illinois Insurance Director Jennifer duly appointed representative. Hammer, who was appointed by the THE ROCK RIVER TIMES Republican governor one month ago. is a proud member/affiliate of: Trump’s war on the environment The letter comes as Republican lawmakers face pressure from NEWS Pages 8-9 President Donald Trump to quickly repeal and replace the health law and as Republicans continue searching for a proposal on which they can agree. The letter urges Congress to provide PUBLISHER & LEGALS EDITOR “certainty and stability” to people covered through the health care law. JOSH JOHNSON It does not call for repeal, but says the law’s “major structural flaws” have MANAGING EDITOR resulted in higher insurance rates. In Illinois, the average rate increase SHANE NICHOLSON on the health law marketplace is 45 percent for 2017 coverage. SALES MANAGER Rauner said last week he had doubts about turning Medicaid over to the DONNA GEORGE states in the form of block grants ILLUSTRATOR because of what he called past mismanagement of the Medicaid DEREK DROESSLER Glass leads Hogs through road wins program. He also expressed caution about repealing the law “with nothing EDITOR IN MEMORIAM SPORTS Page 39 to replace it.” FRANK SCHIER –Wire reports The Rock River Times | RockRiverTimes.com | January 25, 2017 | 3 GOODBYE FRANK Goodbye, Dear Friend. We will miss you immeasurably. We always thought we’d have more time together. You’ve been an enormous, important part of our lives! You were an inspiration standing up for what was right. The best way to honor you will be to continue the work you started. You knew how to work hard, but you also knew how to embrace life and have fun. You made us laugh. Whether or not we disagreed, you always stood with us. You’ve been a true friend! You’ll always be in our hearts. We love you! Bob, Sonia & Lin Vogl The Illinois Renewable Energy Association 4 | The Rock River Times | RockRiverTimes.com | January 25, 2017 Frank Schier | 1954-2017 LARGER THAN LIFE By John Guevara He challenged me on the health risks of Contributor marijuana. I mentioned my view, saying long rank Schier was a lion. He was larger term controlled studies need to happen so we than life. We were like night and day, can know for sure. He sparred with me over it on national politics especially. Even at for awhile and I remember him taking a drink Fthe local level, in the past few years especial- looking at me and saying, I guess youre alright. ly, there were a couple areas we didnt see eye A few years later we sparred again. is to eye. time it was about riverfront tax credits. I We disagreed about marijuana legaliza- made a comment where I said the credits tion. For years, I had considered myself one were initially intended to encourage devel- of the few republicans in favor of marijuana opment, not permanently subsidize it. My legalization and by that I mean, I was for thought was there should be a review process legalization in the case of speci c medical to determine the health of the river front treatments to be measured in controlled community in which the credits are available studies for e cacy, adverse events, and cost and whether businesses can transition from e ectiveness to start. the credits on a sliding scale. And thats when I remember one night at Vintage when he asked me which business owner currently Frank walked in. It was less than a year a er bene ting from the tax credit would I like my divorce and I found it easier to enjoy a to tell shouldnt be receiving it anymore. I cocktail at a bar than to sit alone in an empty stammered my way through the exchange house. Frank sat, looked me up and down and hurriedly made a red-faced exit. and said, Youre the County Board guy I Looking back, I cant tell if our run-ins endorsed. were more about issues or about us. In his He was right. I was the county board guy own way, I think Frank was taking measure he endorsed. And he lit into me on spending, of me, and that he was as interested in how I especially host fees and one cent sales taxes. think as he was in what I thought. He wanted As we verbally fenced over revenue streams to know if I was the kind of person he should and expenditure preferences, he settled on continue to support. marijuana as a source of both revenue and I last saw him shortly a er losing my most cost savings. Tax weed for the money and recent race for County Board. He was gra- save on police and incarceration costs. cious, and thanked me for my service. I had I told him that would make sense if the no idea it would be the last time we spoke. money werent absorbed into general funds ank you Frank, for your service to our and if it were true that marijuana was safe. community. You were a lion. Godspeed, sir. I If marijuana saved Californias budget, why dont know whats next for me, but I do know were they always running a de cit this: I wont let you down. “I worked with Frank running on for bringing people together. general. As your friend I will miss imprint on it somewhere. Your those nights of literally cutting the bar when he was managing I will forever remember your the long nights of conversation, ‘make it happen’ attitude along and pasting (with wax) our fi rst Harper’s Weekly (later called great holiday and boat parties, drink and fellowship. Rockford with the snarky remarks will be editions. In trade Frank published Cubbie’s, I think). a few years later your passion and intellect, your just ain’t gonna be da same.