093_HR0510 LRB093 13176 KEF 18442 r 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 3 Representatives wish to congratulate J.R. Black of Kankakee 4 on being nominated to the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame; and 5 WHEREAS, Mr. Black is being honored for well over three 6 decades of conservation work on the Kankakee River; his 7 induction brings it to an even dozen since it was organized 8 three years ago; he has been nominated each year since 2001; 9 and 10 WHEREAS, Mr. Black continues to chair the Kankakee River 11 Basin Partnership he helped create in 1997 and was 12 instrumental in winning $1.8 million in State grants for 13 local ecosystem restoration work; he's also organized the 14 "Adopt-A-River-Mile" programs aimed at removing debris from 15 56 miles of the river year round; he has championed a 16 stocking program to revive the rivers walleye; and 17 WHEREAS, In addition, he has served as a Statewide 18 delegate to all four of Illinois' Conservation Congresses and 19 was named to Governor Jim Edgar's Land and Water Task Force; 20 and 21 WHEREAS, Mr. Black is the founder of the Kankakee River 22 Valley Fishing Derby, and served 12 years as chairman and 23 remains a part of the derby steering committee; he is a 24 charter member and executive director of the Northern 25 Illinois Anglers Association and a life member of the 26 Kankakee Valley Whitetails Unlimited and the 27 Bradley-Bourbonnais Sportsmen's Club; and 28 WHEREAS, Mr. Black is a former football coach and 29 athletic director of Kankakee Westview High School and is now 30 retired as the special populations coordinator at the 31 Kankakee Area Career Center; and -2- LRB093 13176 KEF 18442 r 1 WHEREAS, Mr. Black's introduction into the Illinois 2 Outdoor Hall of Fame will take place on February 20, 2004 at 3 the Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace; therefore, be it 4 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 5 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 6 we congratulate J.R. Black on his induction into the Illinois 7 Outdoor Hall of Fame and wish him good health and happiness 8 in all of his future endeavors; and be it further 9 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 10 presented to J.R. Black as an expression of our respect and 11 esteem.