Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity of attending groundbreaking ceremonies at both Deerfield High School as well as Highland Park High School.

Two of my summer interns, Danny Goldberg and Lily Zacharias (pictured left), helped me break ground for these projects.

Danny Goldberg is an incoming senior at Deerfield High School and is interested in international relations as well as political science. Danny is currently one of the varsity hockey captains, lacrosse captains, student council representative, physical education leader and the news editor of the school newspaper. He hopes to one day have a career in either law or politics.

Lily Zacharias, incoming senior at Deerfield High School, is interested in political science and international relations. She is currently on the leadership team of the Deerfield High School Model United Nations team and is the president of the Deerfield High School Straight and Gay Alliance. Lily hopes to one day pursue a career involving political or international diplomacy.

Nearly 50 employers from across the region teamed with Senator Julie Morrison and Congressman Brad Schneider last Thursday to connect job seekers with openings in a variety of fields.

“With hundreds of job openings available, being able to match people with their interests and needs was definitely worthwhile,” Morrison said.

The job fair featured a diverse array of companies and organizations, including those in the insurance, banking and health care fields, as well as temporary staffing agencies, service positions and state agencies – all of whom are looking to hire now.

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting with students and teachers from Everett Elementary School in Lake Forest.

I would like to thank all of the students who welcomed me into their classroom as well as Ms. Oh, Information Literacy Instructor.

Thank you Everett School for your warm hospitality!

To see more pictures from my visit to Everett Elementary, please visit my Facebook page.

“We require people who drive cars to earn licenses. It’s only reasonable to require boat operators to have some basic training. We require people to use headlights when they drive at night. Flying flags when you’re towing an inner tuber or water skier serves the same purpose.” - Senator Julie Morrison

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison’s (D-Deerfield) water safety plan – the product of months of hearings, a careful study of other state’s best practices and bipartisan compromise – passed the Illinois General Assembly. It now goes to the governor for his consideration.

“A few commonsense safety precautions can help keep Illinois’ waterways safe for children and families,” Morrison said. “We require people who drive cars to earn licenses. It’s only reasonable to require boat operators to have some basic training. We require people to use headlights when they drive at night. Flying flags when you’re towing an inner tuber or water skier serves the same purpose.”

The first part of the package is Senate Bill 2731, which requires boats that are towing inner tubers, water skiers or others to fly orange flags. Several other states, including Illinois neighbor Missouri, already have similar laws. Orange safety flags are widely available for $10 or less.