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093_HR0455
LRB093 12910 HSS 18120 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of
3 the State of Illinois would like to congratulate James T.
4 "JT" Somer on the occasion of his retirement as Salem Fire
5 Chief after 30 years of service with the Salem Fire
6 Protection District; and
7 WHEREAS, Chief Somer was born on September 21, 1948 to
8 James D. and Jewell Somer in Salem; he graduated from Salem
9 Community High School in 1966 and Lambeth College in Jackson,
10 Tennessee in the early 1970s; he served in the Air Force as
11 an officer after college; in 1976, he returned to Salem and
12 opened Somer Real Estate; and
13 WHEREAS, Chief Somer married Janis Staser Somer on July
14 22, 1994; he is the father of James Robert "Rob" Somer and
15 Elisabet Ann Somer Murray; the stepfather of Jennifer Suzanne
16 Bradshaw and Beth Ann Rysavy; the step-grandfather of Sarah
17 Beth Bauer, Casey Jo Bauer, and Jonathan Staser Bradshaw; and
18 the soon-to-be grandfather of one who is on the way; and
19 WHEREAS, During his tenure with the Salem Fire Protection
20 District, Chief Somer has led the way in several areas
21 including updating equipment, updating training, remodeling
22 of the fire station, beginning the planning and construction
23 of a new training facility, and guiding the fire department
24 to an ISO Class Rating of 4; and
25 WHEREAS, Chief Somer has served on many fire
26 service-related committees at the state level including the
27 Medal of Valor committee and the advisory committee; he is on
28 the board of directors at Salem Township Hospital, is a past
29 president of the Salem Industrial Business Committee and the
30 Salem Chamber of Commerce, was listed in the Hall of Fame of
31 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in 1994, and is very
32 involved in the economic development of Salem; in 1992, he
-2- LRB093 12910 HSS 18120 r
1 was Salem's Man of the Year, and he has been the recipient of
2 many awards from the City of Salem over the years; and
3 WHEREAS, During his retirement, Chief Somer hopes to have
4 time to pursue some of his hobbies including golf, fishing,
5 hunting, and carpentry; therefore, be it
6 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8 we congratulate Chief James T. "JT" Somer on the occasion of
9 his retirement as Chief of the Salem Fire Protection
10 District, and we thank him for his faithful service to the
11 safety of the citizens of Salem and the State of Illinois;
12 and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to Chief Somer as an expression of our respect and
15 esteem and with our best wishes for a peaceful and relaxing
16 retirement.
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