Ryan: $155,000 in Illinois FIRST Projects for Suburban Cook County

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan announced today that he is releasing $155,000 in Illinois FIRST funding for projects in suburban Cook County, including $50,000 to the Cook County Forest Preserve to make improvements at Whealan Pool.

A basket room will be converted into men's and women's locker rooms. Circulation patterns will be re-worked and new partitions, doors, floor drains, light fixtures, benches and lockers will be installed.

This Illinois FIRST project was initiated by State Sen. Walter W. Dudycz, R-Chicago.

Other Illinois FIRST grants announced by Ryan:

• $40,000 to the Maywood Park District to purchase a bus, equipment and to make improvements at Bosco Park.
  This project was initiated by State Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-Maywood.

• $20,000 to Chase House to help support its adult education, job training and literacy classes in the Austin community.
  This project was initiated by State Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford, D-Maywood.

• $15,000 to the Citizens Center for United Services to help support its Food Assistance in the Home program.
  This project was initiated by State Rep. George F. Scully, D-Flossmoor.

• $10,000 to the Bellwood Neighborhood Watch Scholarship Fund to provide college scholarship awards.
  This project was initiated by Lightford.

• $10,000 to the Oak Park Park District to purchase two portable aquatic lifts.
  This project was initiated by Yarbrough.

• $5,000 to Community Response, a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to providing comprehensive support services for individuals with HIV/AIDS, to help support its Residential Services program.
  This project was initiated by Yarbrough.

• $5,000 to Concerned Citizens, Inc., to help pay utility and rent costs at the Mother's House Homeless Shelter.
  This project was initiated by Yarbrough.

  Illinois FIRST funds are not part of the state budget's General Revenue Fund. Recently, lagging tax collections brought on by a slowdown in the national economy and the terrorist attacks of September 11 have forced the governor to order spending cuts in the General Revenue Fund that amount to less than 2 percent of total spending. Illinois FIRST monies are derived from separate accounts in the state budget -- the Road Fund and the Fund for Illinois Future -- as well as through the sale of state bonds.