Illinois Government Affairs

Today marks 200 years since the First Illinois Constitution (#124 on my Illinois 200 list), which was in effect from 1818 to 1848.  The Second Constitution was in effect from 1848 to 1870 (#125).  The third was in effect from 1870 to 1970 (#126).  And the fourth and current constitution has been in effect since its adoption on December 15, 1970 (#127).

The Illinois General Assembly (#128) has 59 senators, each representing a district that is divided into two further districts, each of which is represented by one of 118 members of the House of Representatives.  The legislators currently meet in the capital city of Springfield in the capitol building (#129) topped with a silvery dome that was fully completed in 1888 (please see below).

I took this picture during a 2013 visit to the Illinois State Capitol.

Connected to the Capitol Building through an underground passageway is the Stratton Building (#130), which contains offices for the members of the General Assembly.  Other buildings in the capitol complex that house various state offices include the Norton Building (#131), the Howlett Building (#132), the Willard Ice Building (#133), the Armory Building (#134), the Attorney General building (#135), and the Illinois State Museum (#136).

The capitol building houses offices for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.  Bruce Rauner (#137) is currently serving as the 42nd governor of Illinois.  Shadrack Bond was the first governor, from 1818-1822 (#138).  The longest serving governor was James "Jim" Thompson (#139), who served for 14 years.  He has a building, the Thompson Center (#140), named for him in the Loop in Downtown Chicago that houses state offices.  Evelyn Sanguinetti is currently serving as the 47th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois and the first Hispanic woman to hold the office (#141).  The first woman to be elected to that office was Corinne Wood (#142).  The first lieutenant governor was Pierre Menard (#143).

Not too far from the current capitol building is the previous state capitol (please see below), which was in use as capitol from 1839 to 1876.

I took this photo during a 2005 visit to Springfield.

The Great Seal of the State of Illinois (#144), which is featured on the Illinois state flag (#145), contains the state motto, "State Sovereignty, National Union" (#146) on a banner in the beak of an eagle (#147).  The word sovereignty is printed upside down, to demonstrate a preference for National Union, a sentiment born out of Northern antebellum leanings toward preserving the Union.  The date of the adoption of the first Illinois Constitution, August 26, 1818 (#148), is featured on the seal.

Committing to the Holy One

The Scripture passages proclaimed for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time are very special for me:  They were proclaimed at the first Mass I ever attended at St. Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic Student Center at Valparaiso University, on Sunday, August 23, 2009.

After the heartbreak of moving away from my beloved, longtime home for the first time, I was truly invigorated by what I experienced at St. Teresa's during that one hour at 11 AM Mass.  I saw a community that was truly alive in living out faith and demonstrated the Roman Catholic Church to be a force for good in the world.

Indeed, being part of the St. Teresa's community would have a transformative effect on my life, bringing me alive in faith like never before, even as it was reminiscent of the ways in which I was brought alive in faith during my middle school years, culminating in my Confirmation in 2005.

Attending Mass at St. Teresa's for the first time was like a secondary Confirmation, confirming that even in a new environment, I would continue to practice my faith.  But it also confirmed that my faith was so strong, I would never consider not attending Mass and putting faith into action in other ways.

In the same spirit as the reading from Joshua, the community of St. Teresa's was committing itself to serve the Lord by serving college students like me.  They sacrificed themselves in supporting me, like St. Paul says Christ did for His Church, which is represented in marriage.  And aware of how God was at work in my life, I made that commitment, too.  Like St. Peter tells Christ, I turn to God, even in difficult times, because He has the words of Everlasting Life, and I truly believe He is the Holy One of God, a belief which was strengthened during my time at St. Teresa's.  And I delight to put it in action by teaching RE, which makes me eager to start a new year, ministering to a new group of students.

Dan and Ann Ruggaber truly embodied that spirit of support that St. Teresa's demonstrated in the way they showed their love for me, the kind of spiritual nourishment that God grants us, in the same spirit as He offers us the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, just as if I was their own son.  Truly the commitment they made 50 years ago has come to be a blessing for so many.  And that's why I was so delighted to be part of their Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration last weekend, even offering them a tribute. 

I am posing with Dan and Ann Ruggaber at their Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration on August 18, 2018.  One of the guests took this photo--someone who I believe was a relative.

The relationship we share continues strong because of the wonderful way our bonds were forged within the context of church community.  They, along with the rest of the St. Teresa's community, has truly brought me alive.  That's why I celebrate August 23 every year, that I may continue to rejoice in the gift of faith.

With the three-year cycle in the readings, we've come back to Cycle A for Sunday, August 26, 2018, and these readings that I heard 9 years ago at that first St. Teresa's Mass, and I rejoice in continuing to commit myself to the Lord along with all His people.

Dan and Ann: A Golden Tribute

With great joy I celebrate this day, for it was 50 years ago, on August 17, 1968, that Dan and Ann Ruggaber were married.

Now let's fast forward 41 years and 6 days later:  I moved away from by beloved home in Oak Park on August 22, 2009, to take up long-term residence at Valparaiso University upon the commencement of my freshman year there.  It was a day marked by great heartbreak, but I underwent a profound change in circumstances the following day, August 23, when I attended Mass for the first time at St. Teresa's at 11 AM:  I encountered God fully alive in a community passionately and vibrantly expressing their faith, especially in doing their part to support college students like me.

There was a reception with food and drink following Mass.  As I talked with a fellow freshman, Tyler, with whom I remain good friends to this day, a sophomore student approached us and enthusiastically encouraged us to sign up for the Adopt-a-Student program, where students would be matched with community members to be in a relationship, as a way to connect with the broader community at St. Teresa's.

I have a vague memory of having heard about this program before this moment, and I was certainly interested in signing up.  So that enthusiastic plug just gave me all the more reason to do so.

About a month later, on September 20, I picked up an envelope from St. Teresa's that informed me I had been paired with Dan and Ann Ruggaber.  The next morning, I sat down at a computer and opened up my e-mail, all ready to send them a message to introduce myself.  But, lo and behold, they had already sent me an e-mail introducing themselves, and so I responded to share about myself.  They had just moved to Valparaiso a few weeks ago during the previous summer, and because of a family connection, decided to be part of St. Teresa's.  So we had a common bond of settling in to new life in Valparaiso.

We made arrangements to have a meal together that coming Saturday, September 26.  After submitting my weekly essay for Christ College class by the noon Saturday deadline, I went to the St. Teresa's parking lot, where Dan and Ann arrived to pick me up and take me out to lunch at Round the Clock in downtown Valparaiso--I believe it was in their red car.

Thus began a very memorable relationship.  We got to know each other over that meal, with Dan even going so far as to write out the steps leading to the formula for the derivative in calculus, as he had taught math for many years after serving in the US Air Force for a stint.  Following that meal, they brought me back to campus and had me show them around the places I frequented.

One of the first things I noticed about Dan and Ann is how they live out their commitment to faith in being mindful of those in need, and striving to uphold the God-given dignity of all people.  In the prayer before our first meal together, Dan said something to the effect of asking God to keep us mindful of those who don't have enough to eat.  They have been involved in social justice efforts throughout their lives, and continue it, especially in volunteer work they do at St. Teresa's.  Dan even helped build up the Social Justice ministry, and got the community involved in many efforts, like collecting supplies for those in need.

They also embodied the spirit of active faith that is demonstrated by the St. Teresa's community as a whole in supporting students.  In the difficulties of college life, especially homesickness, they provided such comfort for me in the trappings of home life.  They often invited me over to their home for meals, which, in my mind, is the ultimate expression of being welcomed into their lives.  (We made a habit of having dinner at their home every year on Halloween, so I could help them pass out candy.)

At a certain point, I would attend 8 AM Mass with them regularly, which was a great way to experience Mass as a "family experience", with a close-knit feel within the broader community.  And after being on campus for days on end, it was nice to remember the world is full of families with young children, and retired couples, not just young adult college students and their professors.

When my birthday came around, Ann was kind enough to make a white cake for me, on my request, just like Dan enjoys for his birthday.  Indeed, they consider me their "fourth son" following after their three biological adult sons.  And as it turns out, I live closer to them than any of their three sons.

We have also been there to support one another in trying times, especially with health issues and family deaths we experienced in our own families.  One time, during my junior year, Dan took me to the South Shore Line Dune Park train station so I could go home for my cousin's funeral.  Right before I stepped out of the car, Dan told me something I will never forget as long as I live, that at the time of a funeral, it's not so much about what I say, but what really counts is that I'm there, present to those in grief.

That was one of a few times Dan and Ann gave me a ride to the train station when I couldn't get there otherwise.

We also spent time together in other ways, like attending music concerts, outings to the Indiana Dunes, and being on the same team together for the fun of trivia night at St. Teresa's.  We attended ordination Masses together at the Holy Angels Cathedral in Gary, for Father Ted and Deacon Bob.  I sometimes even traveled to Valparaiso in the summers to visit with them.

I also have shared many conversations about faith with them, which is right up Ann's alley since for many years, she did parish work.  I joined a faith-sharing group that Ann led that prepared us for the new translation of the Roman Missal back in fall 2011.  After graduating from college, I had a discussion with them about becoming a Eucharistic minister, as I pondered my worthiness to serve in that role, and their insights helped me decide to take my part in this ministry.

We kept a strong relationship going for all four years I was in college.  And they were with me all the way to the end, even attending my graduation ceremony.  (Notably, none of their own three sons, for one reason or another, attended their college graduation ceremonies.)  It was so special to have them there, to count them among the important relationships in life, right up there with my own family.

The closest I came to tears the whole day of my college graduation was when I bid farewell to Dan and Ann after we had dinner at a restaurant to celebrate.  While my time in college had reached a natural end, there were no such strong signs to signal an end to my relationship with Dan and Ann, so I felt wistful about having to leave them.

But our relationship definitely did not cease on May 19, 2013.  It has continued marvelously.  I've gone back to Valparaiso from time to time, and I always make a point to let them know I'm coming so we can arrange to visit together, which has happened most times I've come back.  It's nice that my relationship with them continues to provide a connection for me back to Valparaiso and the St. Teresa's community, beyond connections I have with those on campus.

The summer after I graduated from ValpU, they came to visit me in Oak Park, and I delighted in the opportunity to show them the place where I grow up and which shaped me so significantly.  They were so eager to be at my MLIS graduation that they pretty much invited themselves.  I was so pleased that they came, and that they could continue to join in the celebration of my subsequent achievements in life, just as I do for this Golden Wedding Anniversary for them.

So that's why I was in Valparaiso past Sunday, to attend 8 AM Mass at St. Teresa's, just like in old times.  I was there to accompany them along with Ann's sister Pat.  The four of us brought the gifts up to the altar before the Eucharist prayer, a wonderful gesture of how we've shared a relationship grounded in faith, by which we offer ourselves to be nourished by the Bread of Life and extend that nourishment, which were are pondering more closely in these weeks of August as the Gospel readings take us through the Bread of Life discourse in John 6.  Indeed, we experienced familial love together in the way that Christ made God's love real to us by becoming intimately present to us, a wonderful insight Father Chris discussed in his homily, the idea of having an intimate relationship.

After communion, Father Chris offered them a blessing before the gathered community.  I was privileged to accompany them up before the altar.  As Father Chris began, he said they could look lovingly into each other's eyes.  Clearly, while they share great love that brought them together 50 years ago, that love has not stayed between the two of them, as it has flowed forth to be a blessing to others.  Indeed, it continues to be made anew, just like it did four years ago when their first grandchild entered the world.

I also stayed around for a reception where the St. Teresa's community celebrated their anniversary, and then I continued visiting with them and Pat over lunch at their home.

They've had quite a life together, which was well represented in a collage of photos displayed in a slide show at the reception, not only in all the places they've lived, but also in all the places they've traveled, and all the work they've done and contributions they've made.

It was also notable to ponder the state of the world at the time they were married:  They had a poster with a listing of significant events in 1968, and anyone who knows anything about that year from study or from living through it knows that was a tumultous year.  Also on display was a newspaper article about their wedding.  Ann lived in a small Illinois town, and that's why the wedding made the newspaper.  The reporter noted details like the dress Ann wore, the bridesmaid's dress, and even the places from which the wedding guests came, and the dress Ann wore when they departed for their honeymoon.

With all the grandeur and splendor in the typical trappings of a wedding, there's also something very grand, yet simple and humble, about the act of two people committing themselves to each other in love before God and people.  They may not know what lies ahead, but making that commitment gives them a firm foundation for everything that goes beyond what's humanly possible.  And it's amazing to think of what God can do with such a commitment, because of how it impacts so many people beyond just the husband and wife.

Indeed, I am so blessed that we have had this relationship for the past 9 years, and that I've been the recipient of the blessings of their 50 years together.

While 50 years is definitely a milestone to mark, what makes this celebration so grand is the quality of the love Dan and Ann have shared, and the ways they have poured it forth, as an example of the love Christ has poured out for His Church that we may know God and draw closer to Him.

Dan and Ann, I commend you to the grace of God on this joyful occasion, and may the light of God's love continue to watch over you and prosper you for all the years ahead, and all who will continue to benefit from the love between you before God.

To the left of me is Dan, and to the right of me is Ann.  We are posing outside St. Teresa's following Mass, most likely taken by a fellow parishioner sometime during the Easter Season of my freshmen year in 2010.  Truly, Dan and Ann's 50 years together have been a source of joy and blessing for me, just like St. Teresa's has, because they ground their love in faith.

A New Western-style Realization of the United States

Ten years ago, on Saturday, August 16, 2008, my family and I concluded a wonderful trip to Colorado.

Every trip I've taken has had some kind of notable impact on me, and this 2008 Colorado trip was no exception, having led me to a particularly notable realization about my relationship to the United States as I neared home at the very end of the trip.  To mark this occasion, I use this blog post to share my reflection at the end of an account I wrote about the trip.

I have to say, this was a truly remarkable vacation, for a number of reasons.  Certainly the location was a great place: up in the Rocky Mountains.  Indeed, the mountains themselves made the location even better suited for a vacation like this.

What was nice about this trip was that, although we had been to the Rockies on vacation before, we had never been to this particular area in northern Colorado.  Thus, I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know another town a little better.  And we spent plenty of time exploring the town: We walked through the Lincoln Avenue Business District (and went to church in the same area), rode our bikes around the area, and got a great view of it all from the top of Mount Werner.  I also enjoyed getting to know the history of the town at the Tread of the Pioneers Museum, which I recognized this time as something really enjoyable.  Even going to church gave me a sense of the town, for while at church, the announcement was made about a special project to expand the church to suit the expanding population of the town in the past few decades.

Another wonderful excursion we had in the mountains was at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).  Being close by, I requested we go there for a day outing.  The nice thing was that we went to an area of RMNP that we hadn’t seen the last time we went there, on our trip to Estes Park.  On that trip, we focused more on exploring the eastern park of RMNP.  This time, we entered by way of Granby and Grand Lake (where there’s actually a big lake), and explored the western part of RMNP.  For sure, the most interesting thing I did was wade all the way across the Colorado River, which I hadn’t realized has its origins in RMNP.  Additionally, I liked seeing the Holzwarth Historic Site.  Our journey finally led to the point at which our explorations stopped the last time: at the Milner Pass.  Indeed, there is so much rich beauty to view in America’s national parks, and I always enjoy visiting them.

One of the best things about this vacation was when we went to Denver toward the end of the week to visit with Great Aunt Carmen and our other relatives who live in the area.  Indeed, I can remember how excited I was to see Aunt Carmen.  The excitement began to build as we left Steamboat Springs and headed east.  As we entered the western Denver metro area on I-70, my excitement began to build even more.  And it just continued as we went onto I-76, then exited onto Pecos Road, then went on Elmwood Lane.  The final rush came when we turned on to Greenwood Boulevard, and there she was, Aunt Carmen, standing out in front, talking with the neighbors—and what a rush of joyful excitement I felt when I saw her as we pulled into the driveway.

As soon as we settled into the house, I discovered something about Aunt Carmen that I hadn’t really noticed before:  She is probably one of the nicest people I know.  She was so welcoming while we were in her house, and she made sure we felt comfortable and let us settle in like our own home, letting us have whatever.  I can never remember anyone ever being so hospitable like Aunt Carmen, and it made me feel so good—so much, in fact, that I wished we could have stayed longer.

Another remarkable moment came later that day.  I remembered this tall hill whose base was at Greenwood Boulevard that went way up for a few blocks last time I was at Aunt Carmen’s house.  I decided to walk up the hill and see what I could see.  So I walked up, and the sight at the top was totally amazing.  I could see the lights of the inner city of Denver off to the south, and to the west, I could see the tops of the mountains of the Rockies’ Front Range.  Off further to the south, there were some storm clouds, and there was lightning flashing from them.  And toward the east of that, I saw a clear sky with a near-full moon.  It was a sight to behold, and one that I can only get in Denver.

The next day I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with a number of my Denver cousins.  I got to meet my newest cousin, Leonard III.  Later, we visited with a number of others at Aunt Carmen’s house, sitting the evening away, chatting and having a good time doing what Aunt Carmen says and does best: “party, party, party”.  (That makes me want to add that not only is Aunt Carmen an enormously kind person, she’s also very lively and likes to keep things upbeat, making it even nicer to be around her.)  It was so good to visit with everybody.  And it was certainly long overdue, for it had been seven years since we all last visited Denver, stayed at Aunt Carmen’s house, and visited with everyone there.  That’s what made it especially good to visit with our Denver relatives.

There was one other person we visited while in Denver, though we didn’t have the opportunity to actually see him.  It had been a few months since Great Uncle Leonard passed away.  He had been interred at Fort Logan National Military Cemetery, having been given the honor for his military service in the Korean War.  I wanted to make sure we visited his grave to pay our respects to a person I had only wished I had gotten to see a little more of.  So while we were driving around on Friday, we stopped at the cemetery and visited his grave.  I laid a few flowers I found at the Yampa River Botanic Gardens and a note on his grave.  It was an honor to do such to a veteran, having had the same sentiments about visiting Grandpa Martin’s grave at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Illinois.

The last truly remarkable moment of the vacation occurred as we headed home.  While driving into Steamboat Springs, we saw a number of signs on USFR 40 advertising the FM Light and Sons Store, which sells mainly Western-style apparel.  The signs started as soon as we left the town of Kremmling, which was about 50 miles away.  At about 25 miles away, there was a sign for a $5 Western Cowboy-style hat.  When we visited the store on Sunday, I debated whether or not I should buy the hat.  I decided to wait on it, to see how much I would spend in the next few days.  By Thursday, the day we left Steamboat Springs, I decided to buy the hat, feeling iffy about buying a tchotchke.

As we moved through the airport on the way to our flight back home, I recognized that my new hat wouldn’t fit in my luggage, so I would have to wear it home.  So I wore it onto the plane, onto the CTA bus, onto the CTA train, and then along the short walk home from the CTA station.  As I walked, I felt something inside of me, declaring that I am now a Westerner:  I may not be a Westerner by birth right, or even by where I live, but I truly felt at that moment that my experience on this vacation had made me into a true Westerner, at least an honorary one at that.  I bore this new honorary title with great feeling as I returned to my home in the land of the prairies.

But you know, what’s great is that whether I’m in the prairies, in the mountains, or anywhere in between, this is all part of America, this grand, beautiful county that I love.  And as an American, it’s all there for me to revel in, because of the efforts of those like Uncle Leonard and Grandpa Martin, who sacrificed so much to keep our country the way it is.  Now they have the high honor of lying in rest in national military cemeteries, where we come to honor them and what they did.  They made sure this country stayed in such a state, so I could truly be proud to be a part of it all.  Indeed, it’s all before me, waiting for me to step forth into it and have it.

On Thursday, August 14, 2008, on the way from Steamboat Springs, CO, to Denver, I asked Dad to pull our rental Jeep Commander over to the side of the road so he could get this photo of me posing in my FM Light and Sons hat.

P.S. If you're interested in reading the whole account, please feel free to contact me.

In Tribute to Tom Skilling and his 40 Years on WGN

The world of weather and TV broadcasting takes note of a special anniversary today, as Tom Skilling (#117 on my Illinois 200 list) marks 40 years since he started doing the weather on air on WGN-TV Channel 9 (#118) in Chicago, on August 13, 1978.

Certainly, such a long time of being on air is remarkable in and of itself.  But such longevity speaks to the passion that has continued to drive Tom Skilling in his work.  Indeed, it's hard to say if there are any who match his enthusiasm for telling people about the weather, which has definitely led to his achievement of such a milestone, all the while becoming one of the most esteemed and well-established TV meteorologists in the United States.  The SuperStation allows WGN News to be broadcasted all over the United States, and even into Canada, so, hence, he has become widely known and respected.  I sense that some of that prestige must have rubbed off on Jim Ramsey (#119), who retired at the end of 2017 as a WGN-TV meteorologist, after 42 years on the air, doing a superb job in his work.

The format of the WGN newscasts, which are hour-long, rather than 1/2 hour, give Tom plenty of time to go in-depth with his weather reports, giving a bigger picture of what's happening with the atmosphere, even delving into some of the science behind the current weather situation.  Sometimes he extends that big picture to Alaska, where he goes frequently.  It's really something to watch him go on and on.  In the time I was studying meteorology at Valparaiso University, and even afterward, I could really latch on to his discussion of the current weather.  I remember asking a professor in atmospheric dynamics class a question about something he said on the broadcast, which connected with something we were to learn later on in my junior year at ValpU.

He has done much to support emerging meteorologists, as many of my friends who went on the track into broadcast meteorology interned with him.  I even saw their names appear on the weather page in The Chicago Tribune (#120), where his face has appeared as long as I can remember.  As a boy, I would look at the weather page on a regular basis day by day, and learn much from reading the responses to questions submitted to the "Ask Tom Why" column (#121).

He's also done much for the general public outside weather broadcasting.  He's been involved with the WGN-TV/Fermilab Severe Weather Seminar (#122) that have been held annually at Fermilab (#123).  That was the first opportunity I had to see him in person.  I was pleased that my Dad drove me all the way out to Batavia on a Saturday my freshman year of high school for an entire afternoon all about weather.  And just like on camera, he was in his element hosting this seminar, helping people learn more about the science of severe weather and how to prepare for and respond to it.  He just kept going on and on after each presentation with the speaker.  He showed that same kind of spirit even when I watched the seminar on the Internet livestream in later years.

It was also moving when WGN aired a special report about his efforts to lose weight, which surely offered insights and encouragement to those in a similar struggle with weight.

And then there was his unforgettable storm chasing trip, which gave him a chance to get out of his windowless WGN office--to think of a meteorologist, especially someone as renowned as Tom Skilling, not having a window in his office.  It sure looked like a thrilling experience, and certainly took a frightening turn when a tornado chased his group in close range.

Speaking of being up close, the ValpU meteorology department was privileged to host him as a speaker in December 2012.  I didn't actually get to attend his talk because I was already booked for a field trip.  But when I returned to campus, while he had already finished his talk, he was still in the room of the presentation talking with students.  He was so kind to spend so much extra time with us, and then even pose for photos, as a number of us lined up for our turn.  Being right there in his presence and talking with him, I could truly sense his brilliance and the warmth of his personality.  It was just like in the response to a letter I sent him in 7th grade for a class assignment in which I sought information from him about how to become a meteorologist.

That's what has made it a pleasure to tune in to WGN News to hear him tell about the weather.

And that's reason for me to applaud Tom Skilling on his milestone today.

There I am, with Tom Skilling, the real deal.  My great friend Richard took this photo of me with Tom the day he spoke for the meteorology department at ValpU.  I kindly returned the favor and took a picture of Richard with Tom.