HR0680

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The city of Mt. Vernon has won a 2005 Governor's 
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Home Town Award for its Veterans Memorial Project; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Governor's Home Town Award program recognizes 
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citizens of Illinois who give unselfishly of their time, money, 
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and effort to make their communities better places to live and 
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work; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Three veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, David 
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Keen, Howard Phillips, and Alfred Bean, saw the need for a 
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permanent memorial to honor the men and women of Jefferson 
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County who have given their time and talents and, in some 
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cases, their lives in military service; the three men, having 
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heard from many veterans that such a memorial was long overdue, 
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determined that the Mt. Vernon City Park was an ideal location 
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for honoring the county's veterans; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The people of Jefferson County felt the same way 
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as the original planners, and a groundswell of support began 
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almost immediately; the Mt. Vernon and Jefferson County 
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community embraced this program fully; a  committee of 
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individual volunteers representing various veterans groups, 
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active military personnel, individual veterans, and interested 
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citizens began the task of turning this dream into reality; the 
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group worked tirelessly to raise the needed funds to purchase a 
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monument and place it on the grounds of Veterans Park; no 
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public funds or grants were used for this project, which was 
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totally supported by volunteers and citizens; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The committee and volunteers participated in 
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fundraising activities, sold individual memorial bricks for 
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the walk path, provided labor and materials for the monument 
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and the beautifully landscaped grounds surrounding it; 
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volunteers continue the upkeep of the memorial by washing the 
 


 






HR0680
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monument and providing maintenance of the landscaping; they 
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also assist with events  held at the memorial; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Local citizens appreciate what the memorial 
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represents and take great pride in keeping the area a beautiful 
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place of remembrance; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we recognize the city of Mt. Vernon for winning a 2005 
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Governor's Home Town Award and we congratulate David Keen, 
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Howard Phillips, Alfred Bean, and the citizens of Mt. Vernon 
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and Jefferson County for creating and maintaining the Veterans 
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Memorial; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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presented to the Mayor of Mt. Vernon and to David Keen, Howard 
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Phillips, and Alfred Bean.