Latest / WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio / Talk Line: Melinda Jones talks summer events in Rock Falls

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Talk Line: Melinda Jones talks summer events in Rock Falls · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

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  Speaker 1: All right, Waking Crew, you're back with us here on
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  Speaker 1: FM ninety five to one and AM fourteen sixty WIXN.
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  Speaker 1: You're here for your second round of four of talk
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  Speaker 1: Line this morning, and I'm joined in the booth for
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  Speaker 1: my first time since taking over at the legendary Steve
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  Speaker 1: Marco Studios. It's Melissa Jones from Rock Falls Tourism here
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  Speaker 1: to give us the latest updates on these upcoming rock
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  Speaker 1: Falls events. It's my favorite time of year. It's all
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  Speaker 1: popping off, Melinda, and I can't wait for what we
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  Speaker 1: got coming.
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  Speaker 2: I know. It's an exciting summer just all over the
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  Speaker 2: Lee County and Whiteside County. It's awesome.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's going to be fantastic.
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  Speaker 1: And you're leading off today with I love music that's
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  Speaker 1: just near and dear to my heart, live entertainment, and
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  Speaker 1: so it wouldn't be rock Fall Summer without the bels
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  Speaker 1: and Music Fest.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. And this is our fifth annual.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, I can't congratulations.
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  Speaker 1: I know.
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  Speaker 2: So we've had really, you know, four great years. We've
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  Speaker 2: had great drum clinics with Well Freda Reyes, Steve Smith.
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  Speaker 2: Last year was Buddy Buddy Rich, Greg patter So this year,
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  Speaker 2: We've got Josh Stuffy who actually helps me with the
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  Speaker 2: Belson Music Fest, and so he is a percussionist. He
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  Speaker 2: teaches percussion down in the Quad Cities, and so I
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  Speaker 2: was like, why don't you do a clinic and he's like,
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  Speaker 2: I don't know, and I'm like, you teach it, you
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  Speaker 2: know it, you know Louis, you knew Louis Belson, you
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  Speaker 2: know the tricks from him. And he's like, okay, I'll
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  Speaker 2: do it. So, so Josh Stuffy is going to be
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  Speaker 2: our drum clinic and that's Healthy McCormick event Center at
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  Speaker 2: eleven thirty on June sixth awesome. And then following that
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  Speaker 2: we have four bands that will perform starting at one
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  Speaker 2: o'clock at the RBNW Park and that is Josh Shtuffy
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  Speaker 2: and the black Hawk Broadcasters. So Josh knows a lot
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  Speaker 2: of Louis Belson's music and so he'll be doing a
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  Speaker 2: couple of patriotic songs too, because we're a celebrit in
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  Speaker 2: the two fifty. Then we've got three clock to Crook
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  Speaker 2: Cactus Band. They're from Quad Cities. They played Latin and Rock.
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  Speaker 2: Five o'clock is John Rush and Dogging Out they play
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  Speaker 2: more like Chicago blues, tight News. Okay, they're a fun group.
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  Speaker 2: And then seven o'clock they're from Quite Stays too. And
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  Speaker 2: then seven o'clock we've got Rare Element and they're from
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  Speaker 2: Wisconsin and they play a lot of funk music. So guys,
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  Speaker 2: really really good.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, a little something for everybody. I love that you're
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  Speaker 1: mixing it up. Yes, So yeah, live music and entertainment
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  Speaker 1: is one of the few things I gladly opened my
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  Speaker 1: wallet for in getting out to and this is awesome.
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  Speaker 1: I'm so glad that the way the music festival has
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  Speaker 1: been growing for rock falls over there, because these are
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  Speaker 1: one of those things where you guys are going to
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  Speaker 1: be celebrating your fiftieth I hope. So you know what
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  Speaker 1: I mean, We're going to be having to to redirect
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  Speaker 1: traffic in some senses. Yes, and RB and W talk
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  Speaker 1: about a fantastic space. It's beautiful, the stage is set
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  Speaker 1: for live entertainment. That's wonderful. And I'm actually on June second,
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  Speaker 1: I'm marrying my second couple out there. Okay, A lot
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  Speaker 1: of couples have gone over there and wanted to do
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  Speaker 1: wedding celebrations because it's just such a having that backdrop
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  Speaker 1: of the river and the beautiful stonework around. It's an
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  Speaker 1: awesome space and there's always something great going.
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  Speaker 2: On down there. Yeah, definitely with the sculptures there too.
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  Speaker 2: Now we have restrooms.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, so I know. My wife asked me the other day.
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  Speaker 1: She's like, because it had been a while since she
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  Speaker 1: had been over there, and she was like.
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  Speaker 3: When did that pop up?
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  Speaker 2: About two years? Last year was our first full year
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  Speaker 2: of youth.
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  Speaker 3: That's why I told her.
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  Speaker 1: I said, honey, I'm pretty sure that that's been there
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  Speaker 1: for a little bit, and she was like, it's just
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  Speaker 1: one of those things.
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  Speaker 3: So yeah, I love it.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, speaking of summer, we've got the Salute
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  Speaker 1: to America two fifty.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, so we wanted to go big with this. It
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  Speaker 2: first kind of started slow when I was first doing
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  Speaker 2: it because I really wanted a Revolutionary War re enactment.
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  Speaker 2: I couldn't get it. I found out that you had
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  Speaker 2: to book those two years ahead for the two fifty. Really,
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  Speaker 2: so I missed my whole chance on that. I'm looking
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  Speaker 2: at this like last fall, Oh it's two fifty next year. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: that was my fault. But there's only like one group
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  Speaker 2: to two groups in the Midwest. All the rest are
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  Speaker 2: from out east, and it would have cost it quite
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  Speaker 2: a bit of money get them out here. But we're
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  Speaker 2: really happy with what we came up with. Two full days,
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  Speaker 2: free event, family friendly, educational music going on. And one
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  Speaker 2: of the key features is having Abraham Lincoln come. So
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  Speaker 2: he's going to be here. He comes from Michigan. It's
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  Speaker 2: Kevin Wooden. He's actually been to Sterling before. He's done
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  Speaker 2: speeches over at the Sterling Rockfalls Historical Society and stuff,
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  Speaker 2: so he's very familiar with Rock Falls and Sterling and
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  Speaker 2: so he will be there from ten to three on Saturday.
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  Speaker 2: He'll do meet and greets, take pictures with anybody, and
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  Speaker 2: then after one o'clock we will he's going to do
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  Speaker 2: a speech. So and then we have General Lee and
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  Speaker 2: General Grant and they're gonna set up camp like what
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  Speaker 2: they did in the Civil War era, and they will
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  Speaker 2: be there from Friday through Sunday morning, and they're going
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  Speaker 2: to stay all night at the RBNW park And so
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  Speaker 2: you can come up and talk to them anytime you
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  Speaker 2: want and take pictures and see how they did. You know,
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  Speaker 2: they're gonna to cook their meals there everything, so it'll
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  Speaker 2: be really cool to see that, and especially kids to
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  Speaker 2: learn what it was like to see it firsthand. Like yeah,
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  Speaker 2: and then they're going to also do speeches after one
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  Speaker 2: o'clock after President Lincoln. And then we've got Taylor's Battery.
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  Speaker 2: They're the first Illinois Artillery Company, and they're going to
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  Speaker 2: bring a cannon and some other artillery and they're gonna
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  Speaker 2: shoot the cannon off probably once every hour. So I've
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  Speaker 2: been get ready for that one.
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  Speaker 3: Now is this firing like an actual cannon?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, it's there's an old cannon.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: I don't think they can do the ball, Like, okay,
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  Speaker 2: that's what I like. Are So No, it's a blank
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  Speaker 2: but yeah, but it's still the big loud ye.
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  Speaker 3: So yeah, that's awesome.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. And then we have a doctor. He was a
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  Speaker 2: surgeon in the one hundred and eighth Illinois Infantry Hospital
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  Speaker 2: and in the during the Civil War. So this person
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  Speaker 2: portrays uh Major Red Richard Conover and he's bringing a
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  Speaker 2: whole disp I have medical instruments that were used in
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  Speaker 2: the field, and he's got stories. He knew how they
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  Speaker 2: use this and what they did, and like he was
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  Speaker 2: telling me some of the stuff and I was just
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  Speaker 2: intrigued with it, but you know, to hear what all
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  Speaker 2: those instruments were for and how they treated them in
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  Speaker 2: the field. You know, who was the most important person
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  Speaker 2: that they were going to take care of rather than
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  Speaker 2: this person or this injury was more important than this one,
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  Speaker 2: and they'd leave them by the tree, and if they
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  Speaker 2: didn't have time for them, they'd set them by the
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  Speaker 2: tree and then they you know, take care of the
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  Speaker 2: more injured and then they come back and get that one,
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  Speaker 2: hoping that they were still alive. But he had some
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  Speaker 2: really good stories, so I makes just to hear him.
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  Speaker 2: And then at eleven o'clock Rock Valley Barbershop, course, they're
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  Speaker 2: going to do a couple of patriotic songs at the
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  Speaker 2: RBMW stage. And then at twelve o'c or one o'clock
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  Speaker 2: one o'clock on Saturday, we're having students read the Declaration
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  Speaker 2: of Independence, so I want to get that in there,
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  Speaker 2: and then that I'll follow by Abraham Lincoln, General Lee,
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  Speaker 2: General Grant, and then about three o'clock will have the
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  Speaker 2: Rock River Stomp River, Yeah, river country stop, that's what
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  Speaker 2: country stund blind dancing and so, and then that'll finish
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  Speaker 2: it out. Until like seven o'clock will be the Rock
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  Speaker 2: River Jazz Band and they're going to do a whole
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  Speaker 2: patriotic concert. So that's all. Saturday starts about nine thirty,
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  Speaker 2: goes to like four, and then come back at seven
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  Speaker 2: for the concert.
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  Speaker 3: Wow, that is a full day. Yeah, yes, I'll be
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  Speaker 3: sleeping good at the end of that night.
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  Speaker 2: But then I gotta get back up on Sunday and
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  Speaker 2: we have yes. Yeah, So Sunday we're waiting until like
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  Speaker 2: one thirty because our bidy goes to church and stuff.
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  Speaker 2: So one thirty we'll have the American Legion of Rock
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  Speaker 2: Falls post colors, and then Aliah Haynes will sing the
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  Speaker 2: national anthem and she's got this beautiful voice. She's a
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  Speaker 2: Rockfeld High School graduate. She sang when we had the
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  Speaker 2: Traveling Memorial Vietnam Memorial.
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  Speaker 3: Wont okay.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, So, and then the one forty fourth Army Band
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  Speaker 2: will perform at two o'clock and we'll have an ice
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  Speaker 2: cream social. We've got about five or six churches and
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  Speaker 2: organizations joining and on that main squeeze will be there,
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  Speaker 2: so and then around out the Salute to America.
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  Speaker 3: That's that's the perfect way to end a full weekend there.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 3: I love that.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, so mark that on your calendar's plan to get out.
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  Speaker 1: As I always tell you on this show, you may
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  Speaker 1: get tired of hearing it, but I never get tired
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  Speaker 1: of saying it. There's always something to do in the
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  Speaker 1: Sauk Valley if you just get your butt out there
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  Speaker 1: and join your community.
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  Speaker 2: Correct.
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  Speaker 1: And so you had kind of added to the list,
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  Speaker 1: and I was very happy that to hear that this
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  Speaker 1: event is coming, is coming back sick the bag.
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  Speaker 2: Yes. So we just got called about a week and
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  Speaker 2: a half ago and they were like, hey, we had
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  Speaker 2: a change of plans. Would Rock Falls want to be
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  Speaker 2: a checkpoint again this year? I'm like, okay, when is this?
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  Speaker 2: Oh it's June fifteenth. I'm like, oh, okay, well I
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  Speaker 2: have June thirteenth or fourteenth, Salute to America. This is
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  Speaker 2: on Monday. Yes, it is Monday. People keep questioning me
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  Speaker 2: it's Monday. But they race and Byron drag race and
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  Speaker 2: then they drive to Cordova and they're making rock Fall's checkpoint.
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  Speaker 2: So all these cars, three hundred plus cars have to
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  Speaker 2: come to rock Falls, have to do a checkpoint. What
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  Speaker 2: their checkpoint is? They have to take a picture of
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  Speaker 2: somewhere downtown that they were there, And so we're gonna
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  Speaker 2: have a DJ. We're gonna just party it up and
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  Speaker 2: you know, come down check out the cars. You know.
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  Speaker 2: Kletus McFarlane's supposed to come in there, Alex Taylor is
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  Speaker 2: supposed to come in there. So some of the big
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  Speaker 2: names of sick will be there. So be sure, come
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  Speaker 2: on down there and party with us and party with them.
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  Speaker 2: And they'll start coming in probably about eleven am, but
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  Speaker 2: but after two and three will be the heaviest traffic.
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  Speaker 2: So if wanting to take the day off, you can
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  Speaker 2: work part of the day.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, take part of it. Take take your
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  Speaker 3: lunch break for that day call off. Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: So yeah, so we'll have DJ cabyer Ala. We will
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  Speaker 2: not have the burnout this year though, because of time constraint.
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  Speaker 2: I can't pull that off with everything, so you know,
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  Speaker 2: it'll be fine. Still come down there. I'm sure those
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  Speaker 2: guys will still do some burnout.
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  Speaker 1: Oh are you gonna tell me that many of them
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  Speaker 1: coming through with them car A couple of them are.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, they will. They like to show off, you know,
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  Speaker 2: and they're skilled drivers so that we can trust them,
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  Speaker 2: you know. So we just don't want to tear up
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  Speaker 2: all their streets. But sure, you know, but I'm they're good.
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  Speaker 2: They're good guys, they really are. And women because Alex
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  Speaker 2: is a woman.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and speaking of cool cars, cool vehicles, would be
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  Speaker 1: remiss if we didn't talk about Touch a Truck.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Touch Truck, the big one, the Saturday May thirtieth.
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  Speaker 2: I think it starts at nine ninety three.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: John Watts does an incredible job of getting this together
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  Speaker 2: and all his sponsors and over one hundred and seventy vehicles.
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  Speaker 2: There's big name ones. There's like the Kit from night
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  Speaker 2: Rider Rider, there's you know.
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  Speaker 1: The Acto one from Ghostbustersbusters yep.
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  Speaker 2: So all those big name cars will be there. Monster
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  Speaker 2: trucks he'll have there, and then of course all your
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  Speaker 2: fire trucks. Helicopter's coming. So you got a lot to
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  Speaker 2: see and it's free and there's of giveaways, so love.
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  Speaker 1: A good giveaway. But I mean just a night awesome
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  Speaker 1: could good free event. It isn't just for kids, but
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  Speaker 1: it's perfect to bring your kids to. I mean, they
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  Speaker 1: love this, but I'm telling you, as an adult, you're
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  Speaker 1: going to get caught up in looking at these different vehicles.
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  Speaker 1: And machines and just kind of being in awe of
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  Speaker 1: all of it. It's a great day out with everybody.
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  Speaker 1: You get to, you know, go out there, get some
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  Speaker 1: great food when you're done, and then your kids are
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  Speaker 1: going to sleep good. You're going to sleep good again.
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  Speaker 1: There's always a good time to be had in the
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  Speaker 1: Sock Valley. You just got to get out and join us.
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  Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, yeah, you know. And most everything's always free. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: pretty much any event I do is free, So it's free.
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  Speaker 2: When you touch Tuck is free. So come on out.
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  Speaker 2: It's not gonna cost you any money unless you want
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  Speaker 2: to eat.
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  Speaker 3: So I love it.
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  Speaker 1: You guys are always keeping the summer fun. Anything else
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  Speaker 1: you want to share? What we got a couple of minutes.
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  Speaker 2: No, I think we're good. I just think all my sponsors.
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  Speaker 2: We have some really great sponsors this year. You know,
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  Speaker 2: our diamond sponsors are Sotck, Valley Bank, and Johnson Oil.
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  Speaker 2: But yeah, just thank you to every one of them,
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  Speaker 2: because without them, we wouldn't be able to do these
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  Speaker 2: and they wouldn't be free events.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, thank you sponsors. I appreciate that.
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  Speaker 1: I love a good free event, So thank you to
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  Speaker 1: you guys for and gas for all of that. And
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  Speaker 1: if anybody wants more information or needs a recap on
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  Speaker 1: what we've talked about today in the events you have
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  Speaker 1: lined up, where's the best place to do that?
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  Speaker 2: You can go to our Facebook page visit rock Falls.
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  Speaker 2: Also our website visit Rockfalls dot com and there's calendar
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  Speaker 2: of events. They'll tell you everything for strolling rock Falls.
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  Speaker 1: What's going on there? You go look it up on
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  Speaker 1: their website. Better yet, follow them on Facebook. You can
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  Speaker 1: have them events, you know, hit the interest button like
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  Speaker 1: I like you to remind me because my memory is terrible,
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  Speaker 1: I know.
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  Speaker 3: And get out there with us.
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  Speaker 1: Melinda, thank you so much for taking time to share
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  Speaker 1: this and for putting it all together, you and the whole.
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  Speaker 3: Crew down that Rock Falls Tours and we appreciate it.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you. We we love doing it.
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  Speaker 1: So Melinda will be back for future updates because the
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  Speaker 1: summer of fun and the year ahead isn't going to
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  Speaker 1: stop with just these events. They'll be more. Melinda, thank
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  Speaker 1: you again.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you,