HR0331 LRB094 11946 CSA 44666 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, On May 1, 2005, Donald L. Baker will celebrate 40
3 years as Mayor of Peru; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Mr. Baker was born in Peru on October 23, 1929; he
5 graduated from LaSalle-Peru Township High School in 1947 and
6 from LaSalle-Peru Junior College in 1949; he attended Bradley
7 University and, after graduation in 1959, he and six others
8 formed Complete Industrial Enterprises, Inc. (CIE), a
9 wholesale electrical supplier; he is now President and
10 Treasurer of CIE; and
 
11     WHEREAS, He has been married to his wife, Anne, for 24
12 years; he has three children, Lee Ann Clary, husband Phil;
13 Donald L. Baker, Jr., wife Suzanne; and Robert F. Baker, wife
14 Renee; and 11 grandchildren; and
 
15     WHEREAS, He was alderman of the Fourth Ward in Peru from
16 1957 to 1961; he became mayor in 1965; in 1995, a flag flew on
17 the Capitol to honor his 30 years as Peru's mayor; and
 
18     WHEREAS, His vision has helped shape the growth of Peru;
19 during his tenure, the city has seen the construction of Peru
20 Mall and the Illinois Valley Regional Airport, along with many
21 major industrial improvements like United Steel Deck and James
22 Hardie Corporation, as well as the purchase of Perurail in
23 1988, the railroad track that runs across the city's north
24 side; as a result, the city has a number of prospects looking
25 at sites along the track, and the unique ability of businesses
26 to transport from Peru by rail, highway, or river helps attract
27 even more businesses; in 1992, his dream came true when the
28 city sold $24 million in municipal bonds to build and establish
29 a hydro-electric plant at the Starved Rock Dam; today, the
30 plant provides 83 percent of the power needs of the citizens of
31 Peru; and
 

 

 

HR0331 - 2 - LRB094 11946 CSA 44666 r

1     WHEREAS, Not only has there been an abundance of industrial
2 developments, Peru has seen many commercial improvements and
3 residential growth; Mayor Baker's tenure has also witnessed the
4 redevelopment of Peru's downtown, which added overall beauty
5 and commercial growth to the city; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Mayor Baker's accomplishments, his leadership
7 skills, and his commitment to the city have earned him the
8 respect and admiration of the community; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11 we congratulate Mayor Baker for his many years of exceptional
12 service to the City of Peru and extend to him our best wishes
13 for many more years of continued success and happiness; and be
14 it further
 
15     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16 presented to Mayor Donald L. Baker as an expression of our
17 respect and esteem.