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A political newcomer is bid for Rock Island mayor.

And a new resource for families to turn to for the early education of their children in the city's.

We'll.

on April 1st, Rock Island voters will head to the polls to cast their ballot in the race for mayor.

Now, while Moline mayor and East Moline mayor are running unopposed, that's not the case in Rock Island.

Incoming mayor Mike tomes has a challenger, Ashley Harris, a veteran, a father, grandfather, UAW member and Community Caring Conference neighborhood organizer.

We talked to him about his priorities.

Mr. Harris, welcome.

It's so good of you to join us.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and why you decided to run.

Well, nice to meet you, sir.

Good morning, quad Cities.

My name is Ashley Harris.

You know, I'm born and raised here in Rock Island.

I went to school here when I graduated from high school.

I went off to the military, sir, for years, and then came back home every since then, which has been, you know, some time ago.

Ever since then, I've been, union member, union worker for knocking on 22 years now.

And you know, what made me run is, you know, to give Rock Island the chance to be a city of opportunity, a vibrant city of opportunity.

We have a lot of potential here.

However, I think that we're stuck in a state of stagnation, and we need a leader, to step up, you know, with a sense of urgency.

You know, because we do have pressing issues here, a lot of possibilities, but some pressing issues.

And it's going to take someone with a sense of urgency to address those.

So that's what bring me here, sir.

What do you see as the the biggest problem as you see it, I mean it.

Rocky has always had a bit of an issue as far as collecting taxes.

You don't have much of a retail base.

Yes, yes.

And that's always been a key problem.

Well, you know, a lot of things, this, this is like, an octopus.

It has a lot of arms, a lot of tentacles, and also like an onion, a lot of layers to peel back.

You know, one thing about Rock Island, it's not the main thing, but it affects all areas of Rock Island is our perception.

You know how people perceive Rock Island.

It's it affects it affects our bottom line.

You know, a lot of different sectors from developers wanting to come invest here, from people wanting to move here from area employers bringing in talent.

Hey, where would you where would you like to live?

You know, Rock Island is not is usually not at the top of the list.

So when you when when you when you think about things like that, we are at a disadvantage.

Just off that alone, please.

When you talk about perception, a lot of it also has to do with crime.

Absolutely.

Or poverty.

When you talk about crime.

Yes.

The police department had announced that last year, violent crime was down.

I want to say 7%.

9%.

That's significant.

It may be real, but you're saying the perception is still there?

Yes.

And and even and even with those numbers, I want to be careful with that.

As, a man of the people, because I'm not going to be tied into those numbers that can be manipulated, if you will.

Besides 9% up or down, it's not a lot.

You can only tell the difference on paper.

And the next year could go back up.

Yes.

And and the reason and the reason I'm not saying those numbers are good and bad, because just this year alone, we've had two deaths, we've had two deaths.

So how can I be a man of the people saying anything good about those numbers when I'm still heartbroken over that, when we still have families in mourning and devastation behind that, there's no way I can get in front of a camera, in front of the city saying anything bad when we still have that.

So when we can eliminate our violent crime, our gun violence.

When we can eliminate, the deaths of our citizens, by crime, then I'll say good things about whatever number you have on there.

But until then, you know, we still have work to do, sir.

And there's been a lot of work so far.

Yeah.

What do you see that needs to be done?

That hasn't been done already?

Well, as far as far as, crime is concerned, you know, we can step more into, protection, you know, and and what I mean by that, like, for instance, the Gvi program, that Rock Island has, the group violence intervention, you know, what they do is they take they take a proactive approach off of, perceived history of, of the people involved, however, even besides the violent, the, the violent offenders or the offenders I want to focus on, the neighbors, the neighborhoods, because a lot of neighbors know about problem areas and problem houses.

It may be, excuse me.

It may be, you know, a lot of foot traffic at this particular house.

Oh, that looks like a hot spot.

Well, eventually that hot spot is going to turn.

It could potentially turn into other problems.

People hanging around, drugs, violence, if you will.

So when we, when we encourage neighbors to, be a good watchful eye, you know, there's a difference between snitching and telling.

Big difference.

You know, I'll explain that at another time.

But when, when when we get more neighbors involved to the pro action, then then then that will all in itself, increase in gvi.

And we can bring down all crime when we think of progress, I think we sometimes think of brick and mortar.

But you're saying the building of neighborhoods.

Yes, is even more important.

Which brings me to the West End revitalization.

Because that is a multiyear plan.

Yeah.

And it's really starting as we're not going to walk in with assumptions.

We want to learn what's going on.

Yeah.

And then we want to build from the ground up.

Well, you know, you're absolutely right.

And the original mission for the West End revitalization project was to create an area to where people would want to move to, to where people wouldn't want to move from to where the home values there are increasing.

Well, for that, for that, you know, it doesn't.

You know, we don't have to waste a lot of time on the surveys and, and, and all the, all the busy work that goes on with it.

You know, I have patience.

But then again, I don't, if you know, the right people are involved, you know, I have absolute confidence that the right people are involved.

But but, you know, we we need to get more potent.

We need to get more aggressive with our approach.

As far as that.

You know, we're halfway through, a three year project with that.

So to to to stick to the mission, sir, we need we need education, training opportunities in that area.

We need services in that area.

You know, we cannot we cannot revitalize if we're still considered a desert.

You understand what I'm saying?

So, you know, as far as that, you know, we still we still have work.

But like I said, you know, we need to bring employment opportunity, education opportunity.

And, you know, mostly, mostly the neighborhood coming together, you know, to, to, to clean up the grounds, you know, area beautification and, and all and all of that in itself will reduce crime.

And as well, we also have to increase the tax base.

Of course.

Yes.

We need community like rock.

Yes we do, which does not have a very strong retail component to it, which has always been a bit of a detriment.

And past, city councils and mayors have all tried to do something.

Yes.

Whether it's Walmart that didn't work or whatever.

Well, the latest, as you know, is that development that's over by, jammers.

Yes.

The, cannabis, dispensary as well as a truck stop.

Sure.

They're moving forward with it.

Some people don't like that because of the wetlands they want better protected.

How would you have gone about that particular issue?

Well, for one.

For one, I do agree, you know, with the development, it, I, I, I won't, I won't frown on any developer or any investment in the city.

I'll never go against that.

However, you know, with with with with pertaining to the Eagles.

I heard, I heard a lady speak at the city council meeting, and I believe she was from.

Don't quote me, but the Sierra Club, perhaps.

And she was saying that that the Eagles people coming to see the Eagles, you know, it's a it's a multimillion dollar a year industry that, that that this area gets money from that.

And she was saying that's economic development.

But I beg the question on how is Rock Island benefiting from that.

Are all these people staying at hotels in Rock Island?

Are all of these people, getting gas and food in Rock Island?

Are they just coming to see the Eagles and then going off into the sunset off of Davenport and Moline?

So, so, so so that's very important that that we can identify if there is a way that we can get some true economic development from that.

And also I heard another gentleman speak on, he was saying that if we build the truck stop, if we build a dispensary, then there would be no way for us to have the Eagles there as well.

Well, you know, I would like to have deeper, deeper conversations on that and to get a professional opinion.

Now, I hate to sound like an engineer, however, if there's a way that we can kind of of envelope that protect that or a way of creating a similar place, a similar nesting ground that's within that vicinity, pretty much moving the area slightly.

I'm open to all I'm open to all discussion because ultimately I would like a win win situation out of this if we can get economic development from both ends.

I'm, I'm all for that.

But right now, I've just haven't been in the right conversations to, to to to really have, a more educated opinion on that one other area that Rock Island really needs growth, of course, is housing as well.

And the search for affordable housing is difficult in any community.

Yeah, Rock Island included.

Do you have a solution?

Obviously nobody has a solution.

But do you have a plan or an idea of how affordable housing could be improved in Rock Island?

Well, if we if we if we just focus on the principle of things, for one, we need to focus on our social infrastructure.

A lot of things, when we focus on them, the principles, we don't have to worry about the other things like people with, for, for, for one, we need to increase our population here in Rock Island.

We need to increase our population.

So when we develop, and industry hub for something, when people want to come here to work, then then investors, developers, private citizens, they will work out the housing situation.

You know, that's that's nothing that that that I need to take this with a grain of salt.

It's nothing that I need to worry about right now, because when we stick to the to the more pressing principles that will work itself out.

When you talk about the pressing principles.

Yes.

And and let's end it with that.

What is your number one priority?

What do you think it is?

Is the first job one that you have to do.

Well, social infrastructure, identifying everything that makes a city attractive.

Our schools, our hospitals, safe neighborhoods, and, and just as important as with that is employers.

We need employers here to the area.

You know we've just been deemed a port district, this time last year roughly.

And that allows us, opportunity.

We need to strike while the iron is hot.

You know, we need to take that momentum.

And that can also help us develop Rock Island into a hub for something.

Also, what I learned is this is a heavy Uniontown just in Rock Island alone.

We have, a little over ten locals, you know, from the trades.

You know, we have we have local UAW as well.

We need to tap into that.

You know, we need to identify how Rock Island could be attractive to a corporation that wants to increase their global footprint.

You know, not to run on and on with this, but, you know, John Deere John Deere is a great company.

You know, in this area are only fortune 500 company.

However, you know, they moved a little work around manufacturing went down south.

So they justify that as staying competitive, increasing their global footprint.

You know you know and the world's market.

Well I beg the question with them, union officials and and, and other stakeholders, how can Rock Island be attractive to companies and corporations like that?

And, and, and I bring up again with the port district, you know, we have opportunity to grow off of that.

So when we can develop a new identity, turn into a hub for something, for one, people will come, we'll have money here.

Our residents will have money to invest in retail or any other mom and pop business that they want to start and, and, and, and the housing market, whether it's affordable or market share or market share.

That the market will adjust for that.

And right now, you know, I'm not focused on that because like I said, we have more important things to worry about.

Our thanks to Rock Island mayoral candidate Ashley Harris.

And earlier this month, we talked with incumbent mayor Mike tomes.

And you can see that interview on our website at wqpt.

Dot org.

Once again, the election Tuesday, April 1st.

The polls open at six in the morning.

Western Illinois University Quad Cities has just taken a big step toward the further development of the wiU Bilingual Early Learning and Family Center.

It could help meet a crucial need for the preschool needs of children, parents and adults who want to go into that field as a career.

We talked with Eduardo Perez, the new director of the wiU center.

So you have a new name.

It is the Western Illinois University bilingual early learning and Family Center.

Tell me about because we've talked about this as generalities, and now it's really becoming a reality.

How exciting is this right now?

It's very exciting to be able to at this, to be at this point of our journey as WSU, as, the Quad Cities community and, to be able to open our doors for, for families and young children to have access to that so well need it, high quality daycare and preschool programs.

And there's a big difference between, early child, childcare and preschool.

It's different.

And they're coming together at this location.

It is coming together because when we talk about early childhood education, we are talking about children who are from, six months old through five years old.

And then, so that's the ages that we are going to be serving.

But early childhood education in a, school district that goes up to second grade.

So from zero through eight years old, that's early childhood education.

And to be able to have those different ages at our place.

It will be it will be great to have that, vertically alignment so that when students are developing in one stage, we can continue fostering the second and the third in the following stage all the way so that they are ready to, to attend, kindergarten.

Well, I want to there's two things I really want to get to.

One is the educational aspect.

The other one is the need for child care in the Quad Cities.

And let's start with that.

How will this center help the community in both aspects?

Well, as far as the families as well as family.

So we have, learned through research that what the bringing of children are, you know, all the processes, all the developments that are happening, connecting, you know, making connections from areas of cognitive to linguistic to social, emotional to physical.

All of those things are happening within that period of time.

So it is so critical to have programs that truly understand that process and to have that available for families who in many instances, don't have access to, paying a, you know, an expensive daycare, for example.

But yet they have the need to go to work and provide for their families.

So having something like our center in that community offers that opportunity for, for for parents and families to have a high quality program while they can go to work.

For, yes, for different reasons.

We are at the heart of, the Moline, community.

But also so integrated into the Quad Cities community, right, so that families from different areas, from different neighborhoods.

As you know, I recently moved from Aurora to the Quad Cities.

So every time I go out, I am driving through different streets.

It's like, oh, look at that building.

Oh, look at that house.

But also knowing and learning all the different dynamics of all the different neighborhoods within the Quad Cities.

So being right there by the end of the neighborhood gives us that, reach to all of these different neighborhoods.

At what point are you at right now as far as the development?

You've got a location.

You just got approved, basically.

As far as what licensing?

And so now it's the hiring process.

So we are in the process of hiring staff, which is a very exciting process.

We are, meeting different individuals who are also passionate as we are and, learning from their philosophy and see how that aligns with our pedagogy.

And so finding and selecting that team that will continue fostering this idea of serving families through childcare and preschool education.

And that leads me into the second part.

And that's Western Illinois University's role, right, in this, in this program.

Because, we've always been trying to train the next generation of early childhood, educate hours, or our daycare people or anybody that can try to alleviate the great need there is for early childhood care.

How does western how does that pipeline now work?

So, Western has it's a, great channel, this, metaphor of Catholic right, to help individuals who are passionate about teaching young children and then connecting them to the different, resources and places that they can have in order for them to apply what they have been learning through Western.

So we have programs such as, you know, perimeters that also, in a way, collects, identifies those individuals that can go through these pipeline and then through the programs at Western, then connecting them to, for example, our center, they can continue developing those, theories and, and strategies, continue seeing how research based, research based practices really happen in a, in a classroom.

Because it happened to me when I was finishing my program, in early childhood Education, where you read all of these theories, but what happens when you go into the classroom in you're in front of children.

So I think Western is doing this great thing where, it's not only about theory, but the actual practice, which is so critically important.

How soon would it be that it's going to be fully up and running?

So it's going to be soon.

In terms of, specific date, it's hard because, you know, we have different moving elements right now.

Like for example, hiring that, we are the ones we have.

Higher staff will have a better idea on a specific date.

What about applications?

Should families be looking at that right now?

Because, I mean, you want to get in as soon as possible.

Is now the time to start looking at that?

Yeah.

So we have a, on our website, a QR code where families can just go and fill out this entrance form.

And then from there will, you know, we are at that point where we can, start connecting with families.

Let's talk about early childhood education, which is an area of expertise for you as you as you've been studying.

We know that the young that a child gets involved either with other peers or in a classroom setting, the better it is.

But those opportunities aren't always there, particularly for, people who don't make a lot of money.

As you said, there's, there's some expensive places and it's very easy to get into those.

But for people that don't have a lot of money, it's very difficult.

And they fall further behind.

Yes.

That's, The sad part of the story.

Right.

Because when families don't have those type of resources and access to this type of education, because of that critical time, that critical period of of developing children are missing those opportunities to engage with other students, to develop or to develop language, to develop social emotional skills, which are so important because when we think about those, those skills sometimes are not value or seen by adults.

But when we are able to connect that those early years to adulthood, to careers and professions, then we see that what happened here now it's affecting our workforce.

So when we have programs that are doing, problem solving that are doing, communicating in, like our center in more than one language.

And we welcome, multilingual, multicultural, settings.

So students are used to engaging and working, collaborating with different types of people so that that is going to carry on all the way to adulthood when they are seeking for a job.

And at the end, all of these efforts are going to pay off for our own benefit as a community, because at the end, you know, we we look 20 years from now, 25 years from now, we now individuals who are better prepared for the jobs of that time, plus also building stronger people because they'll be more confident, they'll know, you know, to ask questions, how to learn, how to improve themselves and to be more confident.

Definitely.

I've seen it as a kindergarten teacher, which I was for about eight years.

I was able to, I work in a two way immersion classroom.

And what that means is that I had monolingual English students and monolingual Spanish students that would come into my classroom.

Some of them didn't speak in Spanish, and some of them didn't speak any English.

And then I had another group that were simultaneous bilingual.

So they understood and they spoke both languages.

So all of these, these dynamic was, seen through the lens of language acquisition and play with instruction.

And when students felt confident, they felt safe, they felt, welcome.

They just flourished.

They used, all the skills that you probably didn't see in the setting where it's, I don't know, more from a few decades ago where it was the students were not allowed to use their, mother tongue or their home language.

Right.

Or they were not able to to play because it was school and it was more academic center.

Well, through play, we do academics and we develop literacy, but from a different perspective.

And because they feel confident on who they are so they can bring or they can bring up all of their skills, all of their strengths into this classroom.

So I want to get it right again, that wiU Bilingual Early Learning and Family Center.

Yes.

What do you hope that it accomplishes?

We are hoping to we are hoping to accomplish exactly that as our pedagogy is rooted in theories.

Us such as, Amelia and Waldorf, which, allow students to explore, to imagine, to think, to, problem solve, to explore nature, to question, to inquire.

I mean, if we if we're talking about goals of one year, goals of, you know, the next six months when students are in our classrooms so that students can develop those skills that are going to hold onto the next stage of their development.

But like I mentioned before, if we're thinking about the long run, we, we are doing something great.

We're doing something that it's it's it's so important and so and so critical for our community because we are developing, as I mentioned in another interview, we are, shaping our community by doing this.

Right.

We might have the next, measure of money.

We might have we have the the future mathematicians.

We have the future, authors and writers and artists and firefighters.

And how much we invest now is going to be how much we get in return, 20, 25 years from now.

Our thanks to Eduardo Perez, the director of the Western Illinois University Bilingual Early Learning and Family Center in Moline.

On the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile device and streaming on your computer.

Thanks for taking some time to join us.

As we talk about the issues on the city's I am VCU.

We've always been here for you.

You are and always will be our top priority.

We care about your financial health and we are here.

I am.

VCU is a proud supporter of Wqpt.

Public affairs programing on Wqpt is brought to you by the Singh Group at Merrill, serving the wealth management needs of clients in the region for over 35 years.

This program was made possible by viewers like you.

Thank you.