Winners for Governor's Home Town Awards Honored By JAY HEDGES, Director, Department of Commerce & Community Affairs

Mason City Mayor Wilbur Renken with Governor's Cup.

MASON CITY TAKES
THE GOVERNOR'S CUP

Winners of the eighth Annual Governor's Home Town Awards were honored recently at an awards banquet in Springfield.

The 1989 winner of the Governor's Cup is Mason City, a rural community in Central Illinois. Their project raised enough money over a five-year period to build a licensed, accredited nursing home. All told, volunteers in the community raised more than $730,000. Their efforts were rewarded last February, when the first resident moved into the new building, capable of housing and caring for 99 residents.

Illinois' Governor's Home Town Awards Program gives formal recognition to outstanding community volunteer projects and encourages Illinois communities and citizens to contribute to their own economic progress and quality of life.

The Department of Commerce and Community Affairs administers the program, in cooperation with the Department on Aging and the Governor's Office of Voluntary Action. Volunteer judges, in teams of two, reviewed the applications in ten population categories. They chose to visit 90 sites from 211 projects submitted.

Winning projects were grouped by population. In each group, Awards were presented in one general category and three special categories, including (a) youth involvement, (b) senior activities, and (c) economic development.

Winners by each population category were:

Category 1 (population to 1,099)

General: Shabbona, first place; East Carondelet, second place; Ellisville, third place; Tower Hill and Victoria, honorable mention. Cortland, first place, Economic Development; Towanda, first place, Youth Involvement; Tower Hill, first place, Senior Involvement. Honorable mention: Ellisville and Victoria.

Category 2 (population 1,100 to 2,799)

General: Mason City, first place; Princeville, second place; Altamont, third place. Honorable mention: Edinburg and Tilton. Mason City, first place, Economic Development; Altamont, first place. Youth Involvement; Mason City, first place. Senior Involvement. Honorable mention: Manito and Blue Mound.

Category 3 (population 2,800 to 5,999)

General: Frankfort, first place; Sparta, second place; Johnston City, third place. Honorable mention: Christopher and Manteno. Dwight, first place. Economic Development; Sparta, first place. Youth Involvement; Manteno, first place, Senior Involvement. Honorable mention: Flora, Manteno and Fox Lake.

Category 4 (population 6,000 to 9,999)

General: Beardstown, first place; Olney, second place; West Frankfort, third place. Honorable mention: Algonquin and Dupo. Jerseyville, first place. Economic Development; Sycamore, first place, Youth Involvement; Pana, first place, Senior Involvement. Honorable mention: Beardstown, Metropolis and Cary.

Category 5 (population 10,000 to 14,999)

General: Harrisburg, first place; Herrin, second

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place; Riverdale, third place; Bourbonnais and Winnetka, honorable mention. Rock Falls, first place. Economic Development; Taylorville, first place, Youth Involvement; Hazel Crest, first place, Senior Involvement; Effingham, (in both Economic Development and Youth Involvement) and Cumberland County, honorable mention.

Category 6 (population 15,000 to 20,999)

General: Deerfield, first place; Palos Hills, second place; Macomb, third place; Rolling Meadows and Sterling, honorable mention. Robinson, first place, Economic Development; Jacksonville, first place, Youth Involvement; Rolling Meadows, Dixon and Palos Hills, honorable mention.

Category 7 (population 21,000 to 35,999)

General: Tinley Park, first place; Galesburg, second place; Niles, third place; Freeport and Villa Park, honorable mention. Oak Forest, first place, Economic Development; Elk Grove Village, first place, Youth Involvement; Highland Park, first place, Senior Involvement; Carbondale, Tinley Park and Glenview, honorable mention.

Category 8 (population 36,000 to 54,999)

General: Hoffman Estates, first place; Danville, second place; Wheaton, third place; Mt Prospect and Lombard, honorable mention. Mt. Prospect, first place, Economic Development; Lombard, first place, Youth Involvement; Danville, first place, Senior Involvement; Lombard and Danville, honorable mention.

Category 9 (population 55,000 to 138,999)

General: Evanston, first place; Arlington Heights, second place; Peoria, third place; Joliet and Peoria, honorable mention. Decatur, first place, Economic Development; Peoria, first place, Youth Involvement; Des Plaines, first place, Senior Involvement. Joliet and Schaumburg, honorable mention.

Category 10 (population over 139,000)

General: Chicago, first place; McHenry County, second place; Chicago, third place. Chicago and Cook County, honorable mention. Chicago, first place, Economic Development; Rockford, first place. Youth Involvement; Winnebago County, first place. Senior Involvement. Chicago, honorable mention.

For additional information or to receive the 1990 Governor's Home Town Awards Application/Guidebook, please contact Bob Glatz at the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs on the Local Government Hotline 1-800-562-4688 (LOC GOVT). •

Page 20 / Illinois Municipal Review / August 1989