It was a year marked by political give-and-take, steps toward real relief of flooding, honors for schools and passings of some longtime residents. Plus, businesses did fairly well overall.
Callero, a longtime trustee who was appointed interim mayor in 2008 and was elected mayor in 2009, is making an endorsement in the April 2013 race.
It was a year of controversy, with people lining up at village hall to protest a garbage dump, heated words over a proposed bar locating in town and people disagreeing over a referendum in District 67.
Three have filed so far in library race; two have filed for mayor in the primary; one announced candidate has not filed yet.
Two full slates of candidates showed up to file at 8:30 a.m. Monday, forcing a lottery to see which will get first billing on the ballot. Also, Trustee Joe LoVerde, who was planning a mayoral run, nixes it for health reasons.
Plows are ready to go, village's Public Services Director says. Stay indoors if possible--winds up to 60 mph may cause blizzard-like conditions.
Monday began the first day for candidates to file for office, and at least eight stepped up to turn in their paperwork.
Villages, school districts, park districts and library districts are holding elections April 9. If you want to run, you'll have to file petitions between today and Dec. 26.
Groceries and restaurants put tons of food scraps into landfills. Now, Jewel-Osco is becoming an environmental leader with a program to compost food scraps. Chipotle got a permit to do a similar program.
It's good to encourage business, but Niles has to have a plan for granting tax breaks. Otherwise it could end up hurting schools, park districts and individual homeowners. A Letter to the Editor from four Niles trustees.
Video of village board meetings will be available on the village's website, starting at noon Friday.
Dozens flocked to a pizza party to wish Dan DiMaria well in his bid for Morton Grove mayor.
One company wanted to buy a vacant property to expand in Niles, but said it needed a tax break to do so. Trustees disagreed Tuesday over whether to just give it to them or wait until they could develop criteria for which companies get tax breaks.
While some burbs have gotten into 10 percent debt by spending on big ticket items such as golf courses, according to an in-depth Chicago Tribune analysis, Niles and Morton Grove have kept debt down to tightwad levels.
Painting it as a bill about health care, not drug use, state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), who has advocated for the bill for years, said, "Nobody should fear the bill."
Morton Grove Trustee Maria Toth read a list of the village government's accomplishments at Monday's village board meeting. Trustees passed a budget with no tax increases, having held two prior workshops.
Turning Point Behavioral Health Care, which serves Niles and Morton Grove, was recently awarded a $1.2 million grant for land and service expansion. On Friday, the group hosted a packed house which included politicians and community leaders.
After a petition for term limits for Niles officials got quashed by a judge, citizen advocate Joe Makula and his attorney filed a new petition Friday. Advocating good government, it would limit officials to 16 years in office.
The budget does not contain a tax increase for taxpayers. It's similar to last year's, although the frequency of the village newsletter will increase.
Park Ridge Patch’s community event calendar lists tons of stuff to do.
Possible changes to the current Illinois pension system, as proposed by the bill, include shifting teacher pension obligations onto school districts, raising the retirement age and capping cost of living adjustments.
People who came to an Open House Tuesday to give input on a sustainability plan-in-the-making thought the suggestions on water conservation, recycling, open space, transportation, etc., were forward-thinking.
For the next two years, Nicor Gas will begin cleaning up a contaminated site near Oakton Street and McCormick Boulevard. Trucks will be travelling through both Lincolnwood and Skokie and near Morton Grove.
The three trustee candidates are familiar faces who have served on boards in Niles.
Do you travel around Niles or outside it? Water your lawn? Ride a bike? Recycle? Want to lower your electric bill? A planning agency is working with Niles on a huge environmental plan. Take a look Tuesday, 4:30 to 7 p.m.; give feedback.
As George Van Geem is leaving the village manager post to take another position, Vinezeano will step in as the village conducts a search for a replacement.
Some restaurant owners wanted to change Niles' ordinance so they could hire 18- to 21- year-old servers, explaining they're having difficulty hiring part-time servers. Some trustees raised concerns about teen drinking.
The election is heating up, with two mayoral candidates and four trustee candidates. Four candidates formed a new political party; Louella Preston, James Hynes and Mary Marusek will run for trustee for the April 2013 election.
After trustees decided not to reappoint him in May, the longtime administrator is taking a job in a neighboring village.
DiMaria, who's challenging Morton Grove Mayor Dan Staackmann, explains why he's running in the primary instead of the general election, and what his vision for Morton Grove would be.
The library board voted to levy that amount, but they could change it in December.
Rick Biagi, president of the Park Ridge Park District Board, wanted the public to have more time to react to the $7.1 million price tag, so the board will delay voting on the plan until Dec. 6. Residents can attend a Thursday meeting to learn, comment.
He will challenge Dan Staackmann for the Action Party's nomination in the Feb. 26 primary election.
On Thursday, the Park Ridge Park District will consider spending $7.1 million, but there is nothing on its website about what the money would go for. The district will ask voters for an additional $6.6 million on the April ballot.
A letter to the editor.
Andrew Przybylo and George Alpogianis distribute literature in multi-unit buildings, encouraging residents to apply to run on their ticket.
With Trustee Andrew Przybylo heading the ticket as the mayoral candidate, they are compiling a slate. Trustee Joe LoVerde has put his mayoral candidacy on hold for health reasons, but may resume it.
One upset occurred in a hot race; a school referendum made an unexpected win.
At a Morton Grove school, kids from first to sixth grade voted.
Voters said yes to the ballot question asking for repairs and improvements to the two school buildings, but turned thumbs down on a tax rate increase that would have funded operations and programming.