Joliet's 3 New Coins Will Boost City Pride: Capparelli

JOLIET, IL — When Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker visited Joliet in May, Joliet City Councilman Joe Clement was waiting to greet the governor at the bottom of the staircase inside Juliet's Tavern. During their friendly exchange, Clement gave Pritzker one of Joliet's new commemorative coins.

Pritzker returned the gesture by digging into his pocket and handing Clement one of the governor's own specialty coins. From there, the governor's coin was given to Joliet City Manager Jim Capparelli, who now has a growing collection of commemorative coins inside his city manager's office at City Hall.

Joliet Patch recently interviewed Capparelli, who is now in his second full year as city manager. He was a lawyer in private practice and a retired U.S. Army colonel before taking over Joliet's City Hall. He said the concept of "challenge coins" goes back to his time in the military.

"I think it's a neat addition and if you see someone that flashes a coin, you can rest assured they did something that reflects on the city of Joliet positively," Capparelli told Patch.

Capparelli estimated that Joliet spent about $1,500 from the city's operating budget to design and produce its first batch of "Challenge Coins."

He said that challenge coins were a popular form of camaraderie and pride in the Army's Special Forces unit.

Capparelli said Joliet's three challenge coins were all specially designed. The backside of the city of Joliet coin shows a downtown drawbridge, signifying Joliet's connection with water.

"I thought they turned out well," Capparelli said. "I'm pleased to start a new tradition for the city of Joliet."

This spring, Capparelli had Joliet's first-ever challenge coin created.

He said about 300 coins with the city of Joliet logo were created, plus another 100 each that were specially designed for the Joliet Police Department and for the Joliet Fire Department.

He said that the police chief and fire chief have discretion whether someone at their respective department deserves a "challenge coin" for going above the call of duty.

Likewise, the Joliet City Council will hand out the challenge coins to Joliet citizens who do something extraordinary that enhances the image of Joliet, Capparelli explained.

For instance, a Joliet resident might be awarded a challenge coin upon receiving a neighborhood preservation award from the city, Capparelli said.