Patch User Profile for Elaine Johnson

Email: elaine@patch.com

Phone: 630-433-0082

Hometown: Rockford, IL

Birthday: May 10

Bio: I moved to Downers Grove 16 years ago with my husband and two-year-old son, forsaking Chicago for the comforts of suburbia.We have never regretted the combination of choice and happenstance that brought us to this lovely, friendly village.

Prior to that, I'd spent several years avidly pursing my journalism career. I worked my way up the ladder from a tiny daily in Belvidere, IL, to the Dubuque, IA, Telegraph Herald, the Kansas City Star and the New York Bureau of the Wall Street Journal. After leaving the Journal, I freelanced for a variety of publications including Cosmopolitan magazine, the Boston Globe, Chicago Woman and West Suburban Living.

By the time our daughter was born, I was happily dug into Downers Grove and willing to put my career aside in order to spend time volunteering at school and in the community. In 2003, I returned to writing as the "View from Downers Grove" columnist for the Sun. The column inspired me to become a more informed citizen, which in turn prompted me to launch a newsblog, DGreport.com, in 2007.

I'm looking forward to bringing my perspective as a long-time resident and my experience as a newspaper and digital journalist to Downers Grove Patch. One of my favorite parts of the job is meeting my readers and fellow residents and debating local issues--so consider that an open invitation!

And when I'm not writing or attending meetings, you'll find me cooking a mean risotto, reading, enjoying my garden from the hammock, walking around my neighborhood, and spending as much time as possible with family and friends.

At Patch we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. We hope that the knowledge that their beliefs are on the record will cause them to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in that mission, please let us know.

Politics: I describe myself as a disgruntled Independent. I'll pull whatever primary ballot suits my interest in any given year and I try hard to find candidates worth voting for. However, like many of you, I've grown increasingly frustrated by the rampant partisanship that is poisoning government at all levels and splintering our citizenry, as evidenced by the talking heads who nightly pander to their like-minded minions. Still, I hold fast to the belief that we the people can exercise our will--if only we would get involved and demand the kind of government we can believe in.

Religion: I'm a Lutheran by birth, an Episcopalian by marriage and a Christian by choice. The older I get, the less denominational labels matter and the more valuable the substance of my faith becomes. I'm not in the church pew every Sunday, but my faith constantly informs my world view, and on a good day, my behavior.

Local Hot-Button Issues: Downers Grove is grappling with several of these issues. Among them:

* A village budget that is under severe pressure from increased administrative costs and eroding sales-tax revenue and which has sparked considerable discussion on whether the village can or should seek to provide much beyond "core" services.

* Stormwater problems that continue to impact many village residents.

* An elementary school district that is owed more than $1 million by the state and which faces its own budgetary pressures. The district also has faced questions about $3 million that was left over from a $1o million life-safety bond issue.

* A park district and high school district that recently clashed over updates to long-standing facilities agreements.

* a high school district that must decide what to do with more than $14.2 million in proceeds from the sale of land to Woodridge--a sale that was in dispute for years until a U.S. Appeals Court ruling upheld Woodridge's right to purchse the 45-acre parcel through eminent domain.

Expect many of these issues, and more, to figure prominently in the Spring 2011 election campaign. And given Downers Grove's recent history with hotly contested elections, the election may itself become a hot-button issue.