State Rep. John Cavaletto attended the 50th Anniversary program of the Special Olympics at Soldier Field Midway Club in Chicago on Friday, July 20th, joined by his wife Connie Cavaletto and legislative assistant Tabitha Meador.

Rep. Cavaletto was a graduate student at Southern Illinois University when in 1963 he was part of the team who showed Mrs. Eunice Shriver the kinds of programs they were running for kids with special needs at Little Grassy Camp. Those ideas were used to help create what would become known as the Special Olympics.

Here are some of the pictures documenting this milestone...

Dr. Tim Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics and Maria Shriver talk with Rep. John Cavaletto at the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Special Olympics held July 20, 2018 in Chicago. Cavaletto told them about his work with their mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver back in the 1960's that would one day help lead to the founding of the Special Olympics.

Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago, Naoki Ito, Rep. John Cavaletto and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke.

Soldier Field's Midway Club was the location of the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Reception on July 20, 2018.

Illinois Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, Rep. John Cavaletto, and sculpture artist Richard Hunt.

Special Olympics Torch Sculpture

The Color Guard leading the Special Olympics procession

State Representative John Cavaletto (R-Salem), is pleased that four communities in his district will receive Small Firefighting and Ambulance Service Equipment Grants as part of this year’s Small Equipment Grant Program announced this week. Grants totaling $101,273.55 are being awarded as follows: Bond County: Shoal Creek Fire Protection District- $25,657.55 and Mulberry Grove Fire District- $25,485; Fayette County: Brownstown Fire Protection District- $24,451; and Marion County: Kell Community Fire Protection District- $25,680.

"These grants are important for our rural areas in Illinois to be able to provide life-saving services to our residents,” said Rep. John Cavaletto, Co-Chair of the Legislative Fire Caucus. “I encourage other fire protection districts and ambulance services to apply for these grants to keep equipment up-to-date and help protect those who protect us.”

One hundred fire departments and nonprofit ambulance services across the state received grants for the purchase of safety equipment, protective clothing, breathing apparatus and other needed tools. The money for this grant comes from the Fire Prevention Fund. The grants total $2.2 million, with each recipient receiving up to $26,000.

"This year we had over 400 fire departments from across the state apply for a grant," State Fire Marshal Matt Perez said. "The requests for grants totaled over $9 million. We had $2.2 million in funds to award and we ensured that the neediest stations across the state received the money to ensure the safety of the men and women that protect their cities. It is imperative that we continue to find ways to aid the men and women that respond first in a disaster and always put the lives of others before their own."

This year, research conducted by the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) Research Center led OSFM to evaluate new needs. The research on cardiovascular and chemical exposure risks faced by firefighters prompted the inclusion of gear washers as acceptable purchases in this year's grant application cycle. Most Illinois fire departments, fire protection districts, township fire departments, and stand-alone, nonprofit ambulance service providers were eligible to apply. All fire department, fire protection district and township fire department applicants were required to have participated in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for a minimum of two years prior to applying.

July 15th, 2 p.m. The next presentation in the Bicentennial Speaker Series will be on Sunday, July 15th at 2 p.m. in the Thorne Deuel Auditorium of the Illinois State Museum. "Building Illinois: Entrepreneurialism Flourishes, Workers Rise" will be presented by Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs Director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council. Beginning with 1850s railroad construction, Illinois boomed as an agricultural and industrial powerhouse. Familiar brand names, from Wrigley chewing gum to Swift and Armour meat products, covered the nation.  Looking at two specific industries, this presentation will cover not only the business expansion, but the workplace tensions that followed. George Pullman was a model 19th century entrepreneur, a “rags to riches” story. Yet when he was buried, his grave was concrete reinforced, to curtail desecration. What did Pullman create and what was his legacy? Illinois led the nation in years for coal production, a vital industry that fueled 19th and 20th century expansion. At the same time, the deep dark mines were a dangerous lair, creating a widespread workers’ movement for industrial democracy.   Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs Director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council, representing over 10,000 union Laborers in central and northern Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. He is a vice-president of the Illinois Labor History Society and a past-president and board member of the McLean County Museum of History. He served 18 years on the Bloomington City Council and is involved in numerous civic and community groups. In 1984 he co-authored, with Greg Koos, Bloomington’s C&A Shops: Our Lives Remembered, an oral history collection with railroad shop workers; and in 2000, Fiery Struggle: Illinois Fire Fighters Build a Union, 1901-1985.   The series is presented by the Academy of Lifelong Learning at Lincoln Land Community College and the Illinois State Museum with support from Illinois Humanities.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding under the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act Program. This program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting and assisting state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions in improving efforts to reduce violent crime through the creation of school threat assessment teams and the use of technology for anonymously reporting suspicious activity as it relates to violence in schools.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), recently published two notices for competitive grant programs for the recently approved STOP School Violence Act. Eligible applicants are limited to states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes. School districts interested in these funds should work with their counties and municipalities to apply.

STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program
Funds available for this grant program may be used to address the development and operation of school threat assessment and crisis intervention teams, and the development of technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. Applications for grants are due July 23, 2018. Further information about this grant program is available here.

STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program
Funds available for this grant program may be used to address training school personnel and educating students to prevent student violence, and training school officials in responding to related mental health crises. Grant applications are due July 23, 2018. Further information about this program is available here.

Salem....State Rep. John Cavaletto (R - Salem) honored local State champion members of the Franklin Park middle school in Salem by presenting the student-athletes with a congratulatory House Resolution on Monday. Cavaletto remarked during the ceremony that as a Salem resident, he was particularly proud to honor home-grown State champions.

Rep. John Cavaletto recently presented Franklin Park State champion track student-athletes with a congratulatory
House Resolution.

"You should all be very proud of your accomplishments in the 2018 season," Cavaletto said. "To cap off a remarkable year with these kinds of performances and successes at the State meet shows that your hard work and dedication really paid off. Congratulations."

HR 1096 passed the Illinois House unanimously on May 21, 2018. Here is a text of the resolution: 

WHEREAS, The member of the Illinois House of Representatives would like to congratulate the members of the Franklin Park Bobcat Track and Field teams for their finishes at the SIJHSAA Class L state track meet on May 12th. The boys track and field team finished second in the state and the girls team finished eleventh ; and

WHEREAS, The Franklin Park boys Track and Field team went undefeated in 2018 regular season competition, including a regional championship; and

WHEREAS, 8th grader Caden Bee won the state championship in the 110m hurdles and 400 meters, setting new school and state records in both races. He also set a new school record in the 200m race, in which he finished second; and

WHEREAS, 8th grader Caden Bee went undefeated in the 100m hurdles and the 400m over the course of the 2018 season, in addition to his three separate state championships. He was also undefeated in the 200m race until his second place finish at the state meet; and

WHEREAS, The team of Caden Bee, Caden Inlow, Cayden Harris, and Brayden Smith won the state championship in the 4x100m relay, finishing with a school-record time of 46.45. This relay team was undefeated for the entire 2018 season; and

WHEREAS, The 4x200m relay team consisting of Jonny Eyman, Caden Inlow, Eli Davis, and Brayden Smith finished second in the state, also setting a new school record time of 1:39.58

WHEREAS, The 4x400m relay team of Brayden Smith, Josh Guenard, Jonny Eyman, and Cayden Harris placed eighth in the state with a time of 3:57.89 and Bryson Quinn finished fifth in the pole vault, leaping 9’6”; and

WHEREAS, The 7th grade 4x200m relay team of Jervace Mayes, Isaak Williams, Griffin Day, and Aden Susmena placed fourth in the state with a time of 1:46.81; and

WHEREAS, Katelyn Biegeleisen won the state championship in the high jump, leaping an impressive five feet; and

WHEREAS, Katie Allen finished second in the pole vault, vaulting 8’6”. Prior to her second place finish at the state meet, Katie was undefeated in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Teyah Cape finished fifth in the 7th grade 100m race with a time of 13.15; and

WHEREAS, The Bobcats Track Team is coached by Franklin Park Athletic Director Suzie Worman, Head Coaches Alex Koebele, Tyson Moore, and Amy Brubaker, and Assistant Coaches Cory Harris, Elizabeth Smith, Andrew Miller, and Jamie Powless; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ONE HUNDRETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the boys and girls track teams of Franklin Park Middle School for all of their accomplishments at the SIJHSAA state track and field meet on May 12th; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Franklin Park Middle School as a symbol of our esteem and respect.

Funding will foster future of Illinois agriculture

Gov. Bruce Rauner joined the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture Raymond Poe to announce the release of $16M in agriculture grants. The funds being released from the fiscal year 2018 budget will fund soil & water districts, county fairs and agriculture societies, and the University of Illinois Extension services.

“These three entities provide services that are vital for the future of Illinois agriculture,” Rauner said. “From protecting our farmland for future generations to fostering agriculture careers and educating consumers, these organizations support Illinois agriculture, the backbone of our state’s economy.”

“Funding for these organizations comes at a critical time,” said Ag Director Raymond Poe. “We must continue to fund these organizations in order to sustain their key programs. I want to thank our agricultural partners for commitment to Illinois agriculture and for their cooperation in these fiscally challenging times.”

More than $54,000 will be sent to each of the 92 county fairs across the state. It will help operations at the fairs and may be prednisone used to support critical facility rehabilitation needs. Illinois county fairs are economic drivers for rural Illinois. A study from the University of Illinois shows county fairs generate more than $90 million annually and create more than 1,000 jobs each summer. In addition to providing family friendly entertainment, county fairs provide an outlet for our state’s youth to become involved and engaged in Illinois agriculture. 

Soil and Water Conservation Districts, which protects our state’s farmland through strategic conservation efforts, will receive $6 million. The 97 districts around the state play a central role in efforts to protect and sustain the viability of Illinois soil and water resources in order to preserve our farmland for future generations. The Department will be issuing more than $61,000 to each of the districts to help fund operations.

“As a result of this funding, the SWCD’s of Illinois will be better positioned to support important conservation efforts such as the statewide Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy,” said Steve Stierwalt, President of the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts. “This funding also ensures that SWCD’s have the resources needed to continue to provide important technical expertise, assistance, and cost-share agreements to not only farmers for the installation of conservation practices such as grassed waterways, filter strips, and cover crops – but also urban, suburban, and other rural landowners.”

More than 1.5 million Illinois residents take part in programs offered by the University of Illinois Extension Service. Extension provides educational assistance in the areas of energy and environmental stewardship, food safety and security, economic development and workforce preparedness, family health, financial security and wellness, and youth development. The Department of Agriculture will disperse $5 million dollars to assist the organization with its core mission.

To learn more about agriculture programs in Illinois, please visit the IL Dept. of Agriculture web site here. Remember to visit our local county fairs:

Bond County (Aug. 2 - 7)

Clinton County (July 15 - 21)

Effingham County (July 28 - Aug. 4)

Fayette County (July 15 - 21)

Marion County (July 29 - Aug. 5)

Illinois State Fair (Aug. 9 - 19)
DuQuoin State Fair (Aug. 24 - Sept. 3)

State Rep. John Cavaletto, the former basketball coach who took his Breese Mater Dei Basketball Team to the Illinois finals tournament in 1974, welcomed the Loyola University Ramblers Basketball Coach Porter Moser, Team Chaplain Sister Jean and some of the players to the Illinois House Chamber this week.

"I remember well the excitement and hard work of taking an underdog team all the way to the finals," said State Representative 'Coach' John Cavaletto. Cavaletto's colleagues in the Illinois Legislature call him 'Coach' as a respectful acknowledgement of his past work as a basketball coach at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Breese, Illinois. "These young men and Coach Moser will remember this season for the rest of their lives, and I join our entire state in congratulating them on a job well done!"

Coach Porter Moser just completed his seventh season, one of the most historic in Loyola history, as the Ramblers' head coach and has guided the team to a pair of postseason appearances in his tenure in Rogers Park, along with a No. 7 ranking in the final 2017-18 USA Today Coaches Poll. In 2015, Moser piloted Loyola to the College Basketball Invitational title in the program's first postseason berth of any kind in 30 years before steering this year's squad to the Final Four, the first time it had advanced that deep into the NCAA tournament since winning the national championship in 1963.

Also 98-year-old nun, Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt, who acts as the chaplain for the Loyola University Chicago Ramblers, became one the most recognizable figures in U.S. sports following the team’s back-to-back upset wins in the NCAA Tournament this year. Sister Jean, who has fond memories of celebrating Loyola’s last championship win in 1963, was a cult figure in Chicago sports even before she became the team’s chaplain in 1994. But she’s no mere mascot and she offers more than just thoughts and prayers. The former player and coach herself provides scouting reports, pregame speeches and post-game analysis by email, along with more spiritual guidance. Learn more about Sister Jean by clicking here to read an article by The Guardian.