LaSalle business group thanks city for support of free Blues & Jazz street festival

Chris Duncan, a LaSalle Third Ward resident speaking for the LaSalle Business Association, told the LaSalle City Council that the city’s public works, police and fire departments and city officials played “a massive” role in keeping the association’s free two-day Blues & Jazz in the Streets event running this year. “It only remains free because of the generous support from our sponsors and because of the massive contribution we receive in labor and materials from the city of LaSalle,” Duncan said.

Duncan said the city donated a main tent that saved the association roughly $4,500 in rental costs and provided stage equipment, picnic tables, bleachers, lighting, trash containers, crowd control and a beer cooler. He singled out Superintendent of Public Works Kevin Fay and staff members John Arbisi, Patrick Watson and Dave Alterri, along with Fire Chief Janek and Police Chief Smadzinski, for special recognition.

The association also credited Mayor Grove for promoting the event on radio, social media and the city phone-alert system and for making a personal donation, and said City Attorney Jim McFedran’s law firm made a donation. A promotional partnership with Live It Up LaSalle and organizers Brent Bader and Kurt Bedai drew attendees from out of state, Duncan said; he relayed that a group of about 10 people traveled from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and stayed downtown to attend after seeing promotional material on Facebook.

City officials and council members who spoke during the meeting praised the event attendance and the long-term savings the city has realized from purchasing its own stage and tents. Council members and the mayor thanked event organizers for promoting downtown businesses and noted the event’s 19-year history.

The remarks occurred during the meeting’s public comment period; no formal council action was taken on the event during the meeting.