Thursday, October 06, 2005
Special to suffredin.org

Chicago – On October 6, 2005, the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County approved a resolution to name the site of the old polo field on Woods Streetin Harms Woods after former Commissioner Calvin R. Sutker.  The site is across the street from where the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center will be built.  The site will be known as the Calvin R. Sutker Grove. 

The resolution was introduced and sponsored by 13th District Commissioner Larry Suffredin.  President John H. Stroger and all Commissioners joined the resolution as co-sponsors.  The resolution recognizes the numerous contributions Mr. Sutker has made to his community and his life-long commitment to the people of Cook County. The full text of the resolution follows.

Commissioner Suffredin commented, “I was pleased to sponsor this resolution in honor of Mr. Sutker’s community contributions and in particular, his work to obtain the land where the Holocaust Museum and Education Center will be located.”

The naming ceremony will be set for a date in the near future. 

Resolution Text:

RESOLUTION

Sponsored by

THE HONORABLE LARRY SUFFREDIN, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER

Co-Sponsored by
THE HONORABLE JOHN H. STROGER, JR., PRESIDENT, JERRY BUTLER, FORREST CLAYPOOL, EARLEAN COLLINS, JOHN P. DALEY, ELIZABETH ANN DOODY GORMAN, GREGG GOSLIN, CARL R. HANSEN, ROBERTO MALDONADO, JOSEPH MARIO MORENO, JOAN P. MUPRHY, ANTHONY PERAICA, MIKE QUIGLEY, PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS, AND BOBBIE L. STEELE, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS
Honoring Calvin R. Sutker &

Naming the Site of the Old Polo Field on Woods Street in Harms Woods in His Honor

WHEREAS, Calvin R. Sutker has been a life-long resident of Cook County; born in 1924, he grew up in Chicago’s 24th Ward and has called Skokie home for more than forty years; and

WHEREAS, Calvin Sutker, known as Cal to his friends and colleagues, has had a distinguished political career and has always prioritized public service to his community; since 1965, Mr. Sutker has held numerous appointed and elected positions in local, county, and state government; and

WHEREAS, first elected to public office in 1965 as a Skokie Village Trustee, Cal Sutker went on to serve as State Representative for the 56th District from 1985 to 1991 and Cook County Forest Preserve Commissioner and Cook County Board Commissioner of the 13th District from 1994 to 2002; and 

WHEREAS, Cal Sutker has continuously served as the Niles Township Democratic Committeeman since he was first appointed to the position in 1973; he went on to win re-election to the position eight times and remains a driving force behind Skokie’s Caucus Party and the Niles Township Caucus Party; and 

WHEREAS, in additional to serving as an elected official, Cal Sutker worked as the chief hearing officer for the Illinois Secretary of State and as the chief attorney for the Forest Preserve District; and

WHEREAS, over the course of his career, Cal Sutker was involved in numerous public policy initiatives and debates; one important accomplishment came early in his career when as a Skokie Trustee he helped pass the Village’s fair housing ordinance; and

WHEREAS, Cal Sutker was instrumental in helping the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center establish itself in Skokie to educate the public on the evil that caused the Holocaust; and

WHEREAS, as a Cook County Commissioner, Cal Sutker was instrumental in getting Cook County to sell land to the Village of Skokie so that it could become the site of the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center; the new location will enable the Museum to continue its educational mission and expand its outreach; and

WHEREAS, Cal Sutker, as a Cook County Forest Preserve Commissioner, was instrumental in negotiating an intergovernmental agreement between the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and the Village of Skokie for the development of a parking lot to be used by both the Forest Preserve District and the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center; the new parking lot will be located on Woods Street in Harms Woods at the site of a former polo field; and

WHEREAS, Cal Sutker was a dedicated elected official and state and county employee who worked diligently with officials, governmental agencies, businesses, and civic organizations at the local and state levels; and

WHEREAS, Cal Sutker is respected and admired by his many friends and colleagues for the longevity of his political career and his countless contributions to his community.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County does hereby recognize Calvin R. Sutker’s life-long commitment and dedication to the people of Cook County; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County declares that the site of the old polo field on Woods Street in Harms Woods will be named the Calvin R. Sutker Grove; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to Calvin R. Sutker as a symbol of this auspicious occasion and let it also be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body.