[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2399]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING GERALD R. BENNETT, MAYOR OF PALOS HILLS, IL, 25TH CELEBRATION 
                           IN PUBLIC SERVICE

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                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2006

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mayor Gerald R. 
Bennett of Palos Hills, IL. Mayor Bennett has given 25 years of public 
service to the Palos Hills community.
  As a native of Chicago's southwest side, Mayor Bennett attended 
Brother Rice High School. He then continued his education at Lewis 
University of Joliet and graduated from the University of Illinois--
Chicago.
  Mayor Bennett began his public service in 1979 by serving as alderman 
from the Second Ward of Palos Hills. Upon the completion of his term he 
was elected as mayor of Palos Hills in 1981, a position he has 
continued to serve for the past 25 years.
  As mayor, Mr. Bennett has transformed the city of Palos Hills into a 
progressive community which seeks to unite all of Chicago's southwest 
suburban towns. Because of his exemplary leadership, Mayor Bennett has 
served as founder and president of the Southwest Conference of Mayors 
for the past 23 years. He is also the chairman of the Board of 
Southwest Central Dispatch, an intergovernmental police and fire 911 
service.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the many 
achievements of Mayor Gerald R. Bennett. It is my honor to acknowledge 
Mayor Bennett for his outstanding leadership and commitment to public 
service, in the city of Palos Hills and the Third Congressional 
District of Illinois.

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