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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize the many accomplishments of
4Pontiac Township High School teacher Paul Ritter; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Paul Ritter is a dedicated and talented science
6teacher at Pontiac Township High School and has used his
7passion for science to educate and inspire hundreds of
8students; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Paul Ritter graduated from Mendota High School in
101988 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Zoology; he
11worked for the Illinois Department of Conservation as a
12wildlife interpreter before ultimately deciding to pursue a
13career in education; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Paul Ritter was the 2011 recipient of the National
15Science Teachers Association Outstanding Environmental
16Educator of the Year Award; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Paul Ritter has pioneered many innovative and
18exciting educational programs, including crayon and cell phone
19recycling and a bio-diesel program; he and his students have
20created the world's largest pharmaceutical disposal network,
21the Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal or P2D2 program, to

 

 

HR0620- 2 -LRB101 15256 MST 64798 r

1safeguard the natural health of rivers and streams, disposing
2of 6.5 million pounds of pharmaceuticals in five countries; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Paul Ritter's Operation Endangered Species
4program, developed with his students and the Illinois
5Department of Natural Resources, has sought to reintroduce
6alligator snapping turtles to their natural habitat range and
7has earned him and his students a nomination for the
8Indianapolis Prize; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In 1983, there were zero recorded alligator
10snapping turtles in the wild in Illinois; there are now 500
11turtles back in the wild due to the efforts of Paul Ritter's
12students; furthermore, they have monitored endangered
13shorebird migration and have worked to secure several hundred
14acres of farmland to create endangered species pollinator
15plots; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18we congratulate Paul Ritter on his outstanding career as a
19gifted teacher and his nomination for the Indianapolis Prize;
20and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22presented to Paul Ritter as a symbol of our esteem and respect.