HR0960 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0960 LRB095 19096 GRL 45301 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the citizens of the Village of Vernon Hills on the occasion of the village's 50th anniversary on July 16, 2008; and

WHEREAS, The Village of Vernon Hills began as an outgrowth of a small 125-house subdivision built by developers Quinn Hogan and Barney Loeb; the village was formally incorporated on July 16, 1958; and

WHEREAS, The Village of Vernon Hills grew from a few hundred residents to 5,600 during its first two decades; by 1980, the census reported a total of 9,827 people living in Vernon Hills; today, Vernon Hills is home to 23,353 people; and

WHEREAS, During the Village of Vernon Hills' early years, the village hall and police headquarters were located in the lobby of a local motel; most official business was conducted in the home of the village clerk until 1971, when village trustees purchased two portable buildings, which were located on Oakwood Road; the village's first administrator and police chief were hired in 1973; in November of 1973, the Vernon Hills Park District was formed; in 1979, a new combination police and public works building was erected at 490 Greenleaf; and

WHEREAS, In 1965, the Vernon Hills Police Department consisted of a group of village trustees serving as deputies; by 1978, it had become a force of fifteen full-time officers; today, the Vernon Hills Police Department consists of 72 men and women in a state-of-the-art building completed in March of 1992; and the Vernon Hills Police Department is the only certified department wholly in Lake County; and

WHEREAS, The former Tally Ho Country Club clubhouse served as the Vernon Hills village hall from 1980 until April of 2002, when a new 35,000 square foot village hall was completed; the new building houses the Managers' Office, the Human Resources, Finance, Engineering, and Community Development Departments, the Building Division, and the Clerk's Office, with the Vernon Hills Seniors Organization and the Interim Evergreen Branch of the Cook Memorial Library District sharing the lower level; the building was dedicated in honor of the citizens of Vernon Hills in August of 2002; the former village hall was then turned over to the Vernon Hills Park District for use as a community center, which was renamed "The Larry Laschen Community Center" on December 17, 2002 to commemorate the achievements of Mr. Larry Laschen, the former Police Chief, Village Manager, and Director of Public Safety for Vernon Hills; and

WHEREAS, The nine-hole Vernon Hills Golf Course was donated to the village by the owners of the Tally Ho properties and was opened to the public in August of 1979; and

WHEREAS, The great prosperity and growth that the Village of Vernon Hills has enjoyed is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of its fine citizens; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the citizens of the Village of Vernon Hills on the occasion of the village's 50th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Vernon Hills Village President Roger Byrne as a symbol of our esteem and respect.