HR1155 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1155 LRB097 21872 GRL 70566 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, "The Enterprise" has brought the people of the community of Plainfield, Illinois together every week for 125 years; the paper was first published on August 10, 1887; and

WHEREAS, 1887 is an important year in Plainfield's history; in that year, a steam whistle echoed over the prairies and a short line ancestor of what was eventually known as the Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern Railway, which had begun to offer service from Joliet to Normantown, began to be knitted into other railroad tracks stretching from Indiana to near Waukegan; and

WHEREAS, Local farmers began to bring their crops to Plainfield for shipping, and to shop in Plainfield for the goods needed to clothe and supply themselves and their families; such a thriving new town on the Illinois farm fields needed a weekly newspaper to tell it more about itself; and

WHEREAS, When "The Enterprise" was first published, the technology of newspaper production was shifting from handset type to newspapers printed with linotype technology, involving the setup and layout of stories printed from type metal cast at the print shop; more revolutions have taken place since that long-ago day; the changes in our daily lives that have happened from 1887 until 2012 defy human comprehension and point out the essential importance of an institution, such as "The Enterprise", that can provide continuity to the lives of the members of our families and communities; and

WHEREAS, The continuity and stability shown by "The Enterprise" became an unforgettable asset on August 28, 1990, when the community was victimized by one of the most tragic weather incidents in the history of Illinois; the first and so far only F5-level tornado ever to touch down in the greater Chicago area tore through Plainfield, causing the deaths of 29 Illinoisans and injuries to an estimated 350 of their neighbors; the victims and survivors of this incident are remembered and honored to this day; and

WHEREAS, In the years since 1990, the Plainfield area has undergone a revolution even more filled with impact than any storm of nature, with tens of thousands of new residents joining hands to commit themselves to the municipality of Plainfield and the housing subdivisions in and around it; and

WHEREAS, Plainfield's reputation throughout the greater Chicago area as an attractive location to raise a family, go to school, buy a home, drive to a job, and live a successful life as a mature Illinoisan, has created new joys and challenges for this community, its schools, its churches and places of religious worship, its health care providers, and its other local institutions, of the type which only a newspaper can cover and represent; and

WHEREAS, The community institutions and professionals of Plainfield, its schools, churches, scouting groups, senior citizens' organizations, ombudsmen's desks, and helping professionals, will continue to look to "The Enterprise" to "get the word out" about the joys and challenges of the community of which they are a part; and

WHEREAS, The annual Plainfield Fest in downtown Plainfield is scheduled to include, on July 21, 2012, an observance and celebration of the 125th birthday of "The Enterprise"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend "The Enterprise" upon 125 years of useful life and service to the community of Plainfield, northwest Will County, and eastern Kendall County; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Publisher Richard Masterson, of "The Enterprise", as a signal of the General Assembly's support for the work the newspaper's owner, publisher, executive staff, employees, and contractors have done and continue to do for the community of Plainfield and the people of Illinois.