10th News: Building Bridges
Every so often, you work on an idea that, when implemented, exceeds your highest hopes. Such was the case last week when more than 150 Stevenson High School students gathered for the first of what I hope is many “Building Bridges” programs. Former Senator Mark Kirk (a Republican) and I (a Democrat) sat with the students for a vibrant conversation on various topics. The idea was to demonstrate that people of different political persuasions can not only talk to each other but find a lot of common ground to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our country.
Topics ranged from the importance of civility to bipartisan cooperation and even friendships across the aisle in the context of today’s polarized politics. You can read about the event in the Chicago Tribune here.
The idea of this event came to me when partnering last summer with Senator Kirk to relaunch the popular Abuelitas program. Then-Representative Kirk launched the program around 2005 to help families navigate the complex visa process and reunite with families in the Tenth District. You can read more about that ongoing partnership here.
To bring “Building Bridges” to life, I reached out to Dr. Andrew Conneen, a government teacher at Stevenson High School, who has long recognized the importance of engaging our young people in political discourse and developing their ideas for good governance. I want to thank Senator Kirk and his wife Dodie, Dr. Conneen and the good people at Stevenson, and of course, the students who enthusiastically joined us for an incredibly thoughtful conversation.
A Good Week at Home
Besides the visit to Stevenson, I had many good meetings with constituents in our Lincolnshire office and traveled a bit around the district, including visits to McHenry County and Waukegan. I participated in a town hall with students at Deerfield High School as part of the Connecting Classrooms to Congress program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. And I continued my “listening tour” with elected officials—meeting with Round Lake Beach Village President Scott Nickles and his team, McHenry County Board Chair Michael Buehler and some of the county staff, and Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones.
Keep reading for more information about happenings here at home and in Washington.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Congress on Your Corner Vernon Hills This Saturday in Vernon Hills
Please join me this Saturday, April 15th, at 11:00 am in Vernon Hills for a Congress on Your Corner Town Hall. We’ll discuss the issues facing us today, and I’ll share an update on my work in Washington fighting for Illinois families.
Congress on Your Corner: Vernon Hills
Saturday, April 15th
11:00 am
RSVP here (exact location provided upon RSVP)
In anticipation of our visit to Vernon Hills, I want to share this fascinating article on the history of Hawthorn District 73, which is celebrating its centennial. From a four-room brick school built in late 1924, described as “the best elementary school in the state,” to today’s enrolment of more than 3,725 students, Hawthorn District 73 is an excellent example of how much Lake County has grown. You can read the full article here.
Constituent Meetings
As always, whether in DC or at home, I love to meet with constituents and listen to their ideas, concerns, and questions they want to share with me. This week I had the pleasure of welcoming the following folks to my office:
Honoring Max Lirtzman’s Service to our Nation
One of the many exciting and meaningful things my office does is help veterans, or their surviving families, secure replacement service medals. I recently had the pleasure of presenting to the Lirtzman family of Buffalo Grove with their father’s Bronze Star Medal. Max Lirtzman was a World War II US Marine Corps hero in the Pacific Theater. I was proud to be able to recognize his bravery and sacrifice to our nation formally and to help his family become closer to their father’s and grandfather’s legacy.
A Safe Place (Providing Services for Victims of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking)
Pat Davenport and Sheridan Shumsky stopped by the office to update me on all the incredible things A Safe Place is doing to support victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. We saw a significant increase in reported domestic violence during the pandemic, and I was saddened to learn that the numbers have remained high as life otherwise is starting to return to normal. I am grateful for the good people at A Safe Place and the vital work they do every day.
Jeffrey Miller, Executive Director of Chicago Executive Airport
I had a good meeting with Jeffery Miller, Director of the Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling. We chatted about what’s happening in the world of general aviation, and he shared details about the goings on at the airport. We also reminisced about the annual Rock the Runway 5k, which I look forward to every year.
Hatchery Park in Spring Grove
I joined Dr. Ron Erdmann, President of Friends of Hatchery Park, Laura Furmet, Secretary, and Village of Spring Grove trustee Bob McMahon to learn all about the goals and mission of the park’s leadership. Fun fact: Hatchery Park was the first designated fish hatchery in Illinois and was dedicated by Governor Horner.
Connecting Classrooms to Congress
The Department of Education has a program working to bring the government closer to students. Aptly named Classrooms to Congress, the concept is for students to spend three weeks studying an issue in detail. With the newfound understanding, they finish the course with a virtual town hall featuring their Representative to ask questions and share perspectives. I paired up with Deerfield High School students to have a deep conversation about raising the federal minimum wage and other topics of interest.
Youth Conservation Corps in Waukegan
I visited the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) in Waukegan. I got a tour of the facility and then had a sit-down conversation with the students. I was impressed by their questions and their commitment to advancing themselves and their community. I am proud to be a champion of the Department of Labor’s YouthBuild program, which YCC is a part of.
CONTINUING MY 10TH DISTRICT LISTENING TOUR
Round Lake Beach Mayor Scott Nickles and Team
I had a nice lunch with Mayor Scott Nickles and the officials from Round Lake Beach to talk about developments and needs in their community. Many good things are happening in the town, and the Mayor has a wonderful team.
McHenry County Farm Bureau
After redistricting, a sizable part of McHenry County is now part of the 10th District. I am excited about the new territory because it includes many farms and agricultural-related businesses. To learn more about their priorities and our farmers' distinct issues, I sat down with the McHenry County Farm Bureau for lunch and discussed how we could better support our farmers. Thanks to everyone who joined and the Bull Valley Country Store for hosting us. (And for providing ice cream!)
McHenry County Chairman and Administrator
I concluded my day-long tour of McHenry County in Woodstock (not in my district, but it is the County Seat). There I had a very informative meeting with County Chairman Michael Buehler and County Administrator Pete Austin.
State Rep. Daniel Didech
Rather than go to him, State Rep. Daniel Didech brought his seven-month-old daughter, Violet, into the office. I always enjoy talking to Rep. Didech, but Violet really stole the show.
Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones
It was great catching up with Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones. We discussed his vision for the township and some impressive programs he’s implemented since assuming his position three years ago. (By the way, not sure what the lighting is doing to my jacket in this picture!)
On a different note, I am pleased to share that my team will begin holding Neighborhood Office Hours at the township office every Monday from 9 am – 5 pm, starting April 17th. You can learn more about that here.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON
Big Help Replacing Lead Pipes
With Members of Congress working in our home district through the holiday season, things are pretty quiet in the Capitol. But we did get some good news from Washington last week.
We learned that the EPA would be heeding my call to adjust their formula for allocating funding for lead pipe replacement to the states based on need rather than population. Illinois has more led pipes than any other state, so this decision will bring more than $230 million to Illinois this year.
You can read my full press release on this here.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY
Please visit my website to find resources available for everything from saving money on your internet bill to locating your local food bank, various help lines, and even help Ukrainians refugees fleeing the war.
CONSTITUENT SUCCESS STORIES
I want to share with you another constituent casework success story. Navigating the federal agency bureaucracy can be challenging, but my excellent casework team in Lincolnshire is ready to help you. If you need help with a federal agency, fill out a Privacy Release Form or call my Lincolnshire office at (847) 383-4870 so my casework team can assist you.
In Closing—
As people worldwide celebrate Ramadan, Passover, and Easter holidays, I thought I would share a fascinating story from the Holy Land. Everyone knows the story in the Bible of the Good Samaritan, but did you know that Samaritans still exist today? It turns out there are two small communities, one in Holon, Israel, and one on Mount Gerizim in the West Bank. In fact, the Samaritans are the only people to possess both Palestinian and Israeli identity cards.
You can read the full article here.
Stay strong, stay safe, stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress