[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 192 (Tuesday, December 3, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1523-E1524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE INNOVATIVE WORK OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS IN ILLINOIS'S 
                             10TH DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 3, 2019

  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the creative 
accomplishments of our local municipalities who have gone above and 
beyond to serve our communities. Innovation is alive and well in the 
cities, towns and villages of Illinois's Tenth Congressional District.
   Some of these local achievements were recently recognized by the 
Lake County Municipal League highlighting the commitment, vision and 
ingenuity of our civic leaders.
   The Village of Mundelein, Illinois won top honors for the ``Mayor's 
Cup STEM Challenge'', established by Mayor Steve Lentz. The program 
encourages Mundelein students' interest in fields such as mathematics 
and engineering, while promoting access to higher education. More than 
1,000 students have participated, and 31 businesses have donated more 
than $80,000 to the program. Since the Mayor's Cup STEM Challenge was 
established in 2014, the program has grown significantly and serves as 
a model for how municipal governments can partner with local schools, 
students, and businesses for the greater good.
   The Village of Bannockburn was also honored for the creation of the 
Last Mile shuttle pilot program, which sought to solve the Village's 
transportation problem. The program's goal was to connect Bannockburn 
Lakes Office Complex with four Metra stations nearby and allow 
commuters a subsidized Lyft ride to

[[Page E1524]]

and from the Office complex and station. Since the creation of the 
project, more than 900 rides have been provided, and the program 
continues to see growth. The improvement earned an Honorable Mention at 
the awards dinner.
   Other Lake County municipalities made significant strides in the 
past year to bolster their local small businesses, improve public 
safety and beautify their communities. The Village of Beach Park earned 
an Honorable Mention at the awards dinner for their work with 
neighboring communities to create the Northern Lakeshore Trail 
Connectivity Plan, which would improve walking and bicycling 
connections between five northern lakeshore communities.
   We all strive to live in vibrant, healthy and dynamic communities. 
The work of these, and other, municipalities are helping to realize 
that dream.
   I proudly applaud these municipalities and the dedicated civil 
servants for their commendable efforts to serve our communities. I look 
forward to learning more about these innovative efforts, and to 
continuing to work closely together in the months ahead.

                          ____________________