Monday, March 25, 2013
Brian Novak says Skokie’s goals should be community driven and talks about the need for fresh ideas on the village board.
Brian Novak has lived in Skokie for almost eight years, stating that he came to the village from Chicago in 2005. A former small business owner and attorney by trade, Novak said he’s worked in a variety of charitable and volunteer positions in Skokie. He’s served on School District 73.5’s school board, volunteered for Home Delivered Meals and was appointed by the mayor to serve on the Chamber of Commerce’s economic development committee. He also served as vice chairman for Skokie Voice, among other things. Novak, 39, said his family moved to Skokie specifically because of the location, the reputation of the schools and the diverse community. “My vision in Skokie is one that our community drives our goals,” he said. “I think it’s important …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Caucus Party candidate Michele Bromberg told Skokie Patch that crime in Skokie has not changed, citing recent statistics showing that crime is down in the village.
If elected, Caucus Party candidate Michele Bromberg will be the most tenured trustee along with trustee Randy Roberts. Bromberg, the nursing coordinator for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, also serves on the Commission of Family Services, Board of Health and Consumer Affairs. Bromberg has been a trustee since 2001. A Skokie resident since 1993, Bromberg said crime in Skokie has not changed. "I believe Skokie is as safe as it was 10 years ago," she said. "You have to look at outcome research data. Putting 20 more officers out there will not help us. What could help, is more citizen involvement with community block watches. That is helpful." To date, no Caucus Party member has acknowledged that crime is …
Monday, March 4, 2013
Trustee candidate Lisa Lipin is trying to do what hasn't been done in more than five decades: Get elected to a trustee position for the Village of Skokie as an Independent.
Spend some time with Lisa Lipin and you'll quickly realize that she's part super mom, part grass-roots activist, hungry for change. Lipin, a 22-year Skokie resident who is running as an Independent candidate for trustee this April, has been vocal on a wide range of issues - from crime to improving communication between residents and village government. Some might say Lipin took action on July 24, 2010, when the newly-founded Skokie Voice hosted an open town hall meeting at Niles West High School. That night, the parking lot was slammed, and just about every seat at the Niles West auditorium was taken. Go back seven years, however, and you'll see how Lipin took action when her then 5-year-old son Andrew nearly died after playing with a yo-…
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Caucus trustee Edie Sue Sutker has some new ideas that she'd like to see implemented in Skokie.
Caucus Party trustee Edie Sue Sutker is a product of the Skokie school system. She is seeking reelection this April. She attended Devonshire, Old Orchard Junior High and Niles North High School. A village trustee since 2004, Sutker is following in her parents' footsteps by serving her community. She is currently a licensed clinical social worker at Jewish Child and Family Services. Sutker said she’d like to continue to build on existing efforts and implement new ideas. "I would love to see us use new technology,” Sutker said. “I think people should be able to get a [Skokie Police Department] app on their phone. It would make it easier for residents to give police tips or report crimes.” Sutker also added that she’d like to see security …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Since moving to Skokie in 1987, Caucus Party candidate Randy Roberts has been involved with the village. He's been serving as a trustee since 2001 and is seeking re-election come April 9.
Randy Roberts has been serving the village in a multitude of ways since moving from Evanston to Skokie in 1987. Besides being a trustee since 2001, he’s a liaison to the public safety commission, a member of the environmental commission and has served on the beautification commission in the past. Prior to that, he worked as a Cook County prosecutor for 30 years. He’s also Skokie’s delegate to the Northwest Municipal Conference, which meets with neighboring villages once a month to discuss common problems or get lower rates on high-ticket items such as fire trucks or salt, for example, in bulk with neighboring towns. Indeed, Roberts is a busy man, and he’ll be even busier as the April 9 elections draw near. The trustee shared a variety of …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Twenty or 30 years ago, a candidate like Ilonka Ulrich likely would have never been able to run for village trustee, she said. But time has changed things, and the Skokie resident is excited to run this April.
Spend a few minutes with Ilonka Ulrich and you'll realize she's juggling a dozen things at once. Ulrich, who is a single mom, lawyer and of Latin-American descent, said the political world would have "never considered a person of my status running for village trustee 20 or 30 years ago." Ulrich is one of six Caucus Party candidates running for village trustee on April 9. All in all, there are nine contenders, with the other three running as Independents. "You have four women running and that just shows the progression of the Caucus Party," Ulrich said. "I think the mayor is very progressive and conscientious in who is choosing to run with him." Ulrich moved to Skokie from West Rogers Park about 11 years ago, when her son was only two. She …
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The mayor shouldn't have a problem seeking another term this April as he is running unopposed this April.
Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen will be running unopposed this April, the Skokie Review reports. Hilaire Fuji Shioura was kicked off the ballot on Jan. 11 by the Election Board. The board said that Shioura's nominating papers were incomplete, the publication reported. There were a total of four objections made by trustee Randy Roberts and Don Perille as well as Village Clerk Marlene Williams, the Skokie Review reported. On April 9, all six trustee seats will be open. There are a total of nine candidates running for trustee. To read Patch's coverage on the candidates, click here. To read the Review's story, here.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Ralph Klein is one of nine candidates vying for a trustee position this April. See what Klein has to say about crime, economic development and the village in our interview.
Born and raised in Skokie, Ralph Klein wants to bring his business expertise to the trustee level. For more than 30 years, Klein has owned and operated his own printing company in Logan Square. He is currently chair of the Skokie Zoning Commission and served as the chair of the Skokie Caucus Party in the past. Klein, a product of the Skokie school system and Niles East graduate, said he believes Skokie’s long and short-term goals lye in economic development. “The long-term goals are related to the short-term goals,” Klein said. “You want the value for your tax dollars. Right now, economic development and maintaining revenue streams is the only way we can keep ourselves viable.” One of the areas Klein touched on was West Dempster, which is …
Monday, January 7, 2013
Karen Gray-Keeler is one of nine candidates vying for a trustee position this April. See what Gray-Keeler has to say about crime, economic development and the village in our interview.
Karen Gray-Keeler is in a unique position. The former Caucus Party president is seeking her first term as a Skokie trustee. However, Gray-Keeler is already filling in as an interim trustee for Michael Lorge, who recently became the village’s corporate counsel. Gray-Keeler will be serving the community until the April elections. After that, nine candidates will be seeking one of the six seats available. Gray-Keeler, a Skokie resident for more than 25 years, is hoping she can continue to serve the village beyond her interim. “I am very, very new as a trustee,” Gray-Keeler said. “So far, I've had one meeting and I've been meeting with a lot of different people.” The mother of three also served on the plan commission and added that the …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Brian Novak and Lisa Lipin are both running as independents for trustee positions in the Village of Skokie this April. The Caucus Party has held all six trustee seats for more than 50 years and haven't faced an independent-opponent since 1993.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- George Slefo
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Caucus Party has held the six trustee positions in the village for more than half a century. David Gleicher and Michael Rosenberg were the last independents who ran for trustee. That was in 1993 and both of them lost. Almost two decades later, however, two new independents will be trying to change village history and be the first non Caucus Party elected trustee in more than 50 years. Lisa Lipin and Brian Novak are both Skokie residents known for being active in the community. On Lipin's end, she founded and currently chairs Skokie Voice, a grassroots organization aimed at improving communication between the village and residents. Meanwhile, Novak is currently a board member of Skokie School District 73.5 and sits on the village's …
David Zornig
11:53 am on Monday, April 8, 2013
I think Lorel's question is a rhetorical one. Of course any newly elected Independents are going to work with the existing majority. It's a given. They'll do so by not walking in the door each day, with the predetermined mindset of the status quo. And bring fresh insight to issues that seem to regularly get sugar coated, to protect that majority. Asking how, is kind of an indirect way of implying… more ›