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SJ0061 |
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LRB095 12432 KXB 37526 r |
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| SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly join |
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| together in honoring the memory of Donald E. Stephens, Mayor of |
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| the Village of Rosemont, who passed away on April 18, 2007; and
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| WHEREAS, Donald Stephens was the first and only chief |
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| executive of Rosemont; he was serving his 13th term as mayor, |
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| believed to be the longest serving incumbent mayor in the |
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| country; under his leadership the Rosemont community became one |
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| of the most progressive and successful municipalities in the |
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| State of Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, Donald Stephens was elected president of the |
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| homeowner's association in the 1950s and began to see the |
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| potential in living close to O'Hare Airport; he was able to |
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| incorporate the village in 1956; and
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| WHEREAS, He oversaw the building of one of the first Hyatt |
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| Regency hotels in his community; eventually 14 hotels would |
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| make Rosemont their home; he oversaw the creation of the O'Hare |
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| Exposition Center in 1975 (changed in 2000 to the Donald E. |
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| Stephens Convention and Conference Center), now one of the top |
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| ten centers in the country, the Rosemont Horizon in 1980 (now |
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| the Allstate Arena), home to the DePaul Blue Demons, the |
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| Chicago Wolves, and the Chicago Rush sports teams, as well as a |
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SJ0061 |
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LRB095 12432 KXB 37526 r |
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| venue for major music concerts and festivals, and the Rosemont |
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| Theatre, a 4,000 seat venue that is home to the Chicagoland |
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| Pops Orchestra of Rosemont; and
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| WHEREAS, At the time of his passing Mayor Stephens was |
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| creating Rosemont Walk, a $500 million entertainment district |
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| that will include a movie theatre megaplex, three new hotels, |
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| the biggest water park in the State, nationally famous |
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| restaurants, and many more businesses for the community; and
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| WHEREAS, The passing of Mayor Donald Stephens will be |
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| deeply felt by those who knew and loved him, especially his |
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| wife, Katherine; his brother, Arthur; his son, Donald E. |
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| Stephens II, his son, Mark Stephens; his daughter, Gail |
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| Stephens; his son, Bradley Stephens; his grandchildren, Donald |
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| E. Stephens III, Christopher R. Stephens, Bradley Stephens, |
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| Jr., Brittany Rosemont, Jacqueline, Michelle, Kaila, Tiana, |
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| Racquel, Mark Richard, Mark Donald, and Danny; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL |
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| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| CONCURRING HEREIN, that we mourn, along with his family, |
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| friends, and the Rosemont community, the passing of Mayor |
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| Donald E. Stephens; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |