2018/06/04 - Mayor's Column: What a Great Weekend!

“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
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What a busy weekend! In addition to the fantastic weather and major tournament at the Family Sports Park, this weekend was packed full of events that were great for O’Fallon and the surrounding area.

On Saturday morning, I attended a celebration at Scott Air Force Base. A large crowd was on hand to recognize the outstanding service of the men and women of the 126th Air Refueling Wing. Governor Rauner and Congressman Mike Bost were two of the elected officials that were on hand. Governor Rauner proclaimed June 2, 2018 as 126th Air Refueling Wing Day in honor of the men and women in this exceptional unit.

This event was important for Scott Air Force Base and the surrounding communities. Scott AFB continues to attract new missions and personnel, and the existing missions at Scott AFB keep being recognized for their performance.

Shortly after the event at Scott Air Force Base, many of us traveled to the Fire Department Headquarters in O’Fallon, where the City of O’Fallon, in partnership with the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois and the O’Fallon-Shiloh Chamber of Commerce, hosted a roundtable discussion with Governor Rauner and local businesses. 

The Governor, Congressman Bost, Colonel Leslie Maher, 375th Wing Commander, and State Representative Charlie Meier were a few of those in attendance. The room was full of successful businessmen and women, local elected officials, and policy shapers. The round-table was an open, non-political, discussion about how to help businesses in O’Fallon and the State of Illinois grow.

I believe that it is a priority of the City to help grow our business community. The City of O’Fallon will do whatever it can to help O’Fallon businesses be successful. Discussions, and partnerships, between the State of Illinois, the City of O’Fallon, and local organizations that support business growth is important.

On Sunday morning, I had the honor of being part of the grand opening for the new sanctuary at New Life in Christ Interdenominational Church. The event was well attended.

Last but not least, on Sunday, the local O’Fallon VFW Honor Guard presented the colors at VFW Day at the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. It was especially exciting because the National Commander-In-Chief Keith E. Harman, and the Illinois State Commander, Jeffrey Hastings, were both in attendance.   

The local group did a great job representing O’Fallon, and they not only helped cheer on a winner, but nearly saw a no-hitter!

What a great weekend!

As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!