HR1020 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1020 LRB097 21323 KXB 69132 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize Jan Smith for her achievements as an environmental activist; and

WHEREAS, She has demonstrated her dedication, passion, and volunteerism to protecting the planet and sharing her love of Mother Earth with others; and

WHEREAS, She and her husband have lived in the same house near Armstrong Park in Carol Stream since they moved there in 1963; her garden is filled with flowers and vegetables, and fertilized with homemade compost from leaves and grass clippings; she also has 2 earthworm farms that she feeds with food scraps; and

WHEREAS, She spent 15 years as a part-time seasonal gardener for the park district, during which time she became known for her love of native prairie plants; the Carol Stream Park District dedicated a park in her honor; she is involved with the DuPage Organic Garden Club, which she founded 41 years ago on Earth Day, and serves on the board of the Greater DuPage Chapter of the Wild Ones, a nonprofit group dedicated to natural landscaping; and

WHEREAS, Before the community had convenient recycling bins, she and other members of the Carol Stream Woman's Club started a modest recycling drop-off spot in 1970; she, along with others, transported glass they collected all the way to the nearest recycling facility in Plainfield; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, she brought a federal grant opportunity to the attention of local officials that resulted in the village getting $173,000 for energy-saving projects, including upgrades to the water treatment plant and installation of 10 LED streetlights; and

WHEREAS, When the Carol Stream Park District first considered building a new recreation center, she led a petition effort requesting officials to pursue LEED certification for energy-efficient design and the park board agreed; today, she heads a local chapter of the Cool Cities Coalition, a nationwide outgrowth of the Sierra Club that seeks local solutions to global warming by partnering with government officials, businesses, and community groups; and

WHEREAS, She, along with the local Cool Cities chapter, encouraged the village of Carol Stream to partner with the Citizens Utility Board and its Energy Saver program to allow residents to track home electricity savings online; as a result, the Citizens Utility Board gave the village 500 compact fluorescent light bulbs to give to residents; and

WHEREAS, When she has an issue in mind, she goes all out in a civil and polite way; she is always kind in her approach and she is persistent; what distinguishes her from other activists is she is able to create strong and personal relationships with local officials; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Jan Smith for her dedication to the environment and environmental issues and wish her the best in all her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Jan Smith as a symbol of our respect and esteem.