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Candidates Running for Mayor, Clerk and Trustee of Grant Park  Share
Name: Robert A. Schurman Candidate running for Mayor Address: 303 Esson Farm Rd., Grant Park, Il 60940 Phone: 815-456-6931 Community Involvement: Mayor eight years, 2001-2009; village trustee eight years, 1985-1988, 1996-2001; member of Momence Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Deacon the last four years; charter member of Grant Park Chamber of Commerce; a founding member of Grant Park Historical Society; member of Grant Park Lions Club; Captain on the Grant Park Fire Department (retired, 25 years of service).
Professional Background: Senior Customer Service Rep., Xerox Corp., 35 years. Education: Illinois State Fire Marshall's Office, Fire Fighter II, 1983; Fire Instructor I, 1984; DeVry Institute of Tech. 1972; Grant Park High School 1970. Family: Married 36 years to Linda; twin daughters and son-in-law, Jamie, Jenny and Brian Biesterfeld. Why did you decide to run for this position? What do you hope to accomplish? I'm running for the position of Mayor because I would like to complete the projects that we have laid the ground work for over the past eight years, some of which are: separation of the storm and sanitary sewers (reducing flooding), start the planned Senior Housing project, bring a grocery store back to town, to name a few. What do you see as the most important issues in the near future? What are the most important issues in your campaign for office? I feel the most important issues that need to be addressed are rebuilding the trust in the village board and the police department among the group of residents that have lost their confidence in these two organizations. The village's pride needs to once again shine. We need the residents all pulling together in these tough economic times, before we can expect to move ahead. What can the village do or what does the village want to do to attract developers? What type of development is most desirable, appropriate for the community? The village board and I have annexed over 1700 acres into the village limits, so that the village could have better control of what is developed around the village. We have also adopted a TIF district to aid in attracting development. I feel we need quality residential development to support our current and future businesses. These developments should include a mix of conventional areas, conservation-based areas and larger estate sized areas; all tied together with walking and bicycle trails. How can the governmental body you're running for maintain or improve the quality of services it offers? Identify strong points and / or weak points in its services. We must plan for the future. In the past eight years as mayor, we have updated the village's Subdivision and Zoning Ordinances, annexed property, created the TIF district, improved the quality of our water with the sale of the water system to Aqua Illinois Water Co.; and purchased an additional 57 acres of land by the sewer plant for future expansion. In addition to all these actions, though, I feel we need to keep the lines of communication open. The public needs to be constantly informed of current or planned services. As mayor, I have started the practice of sending out quarterly newsletters and have regular Saturday morning office hours (the only mayor in Kankakee County doing so). All this is to make it more convenient for the residents to pay their bills and question / offer suggestions to the mayor about any subject that concerns them at the time. Name: Laura Veldhuizen Candidate for Mayor Address: 309 Esson Farm Road, PO Box 366, Grant Park Phone: 815-465-6557 or 815-922-3663 Community Involvement: includes serving on Grant Park Village Board as trustee, 2003-2007; Grant Park Fire Protection District, 1998-2009; as a Paramedic Registered Nurse and certified Firefighter 2; current member of Crete Chamber of Commerce through Village Woods in Crete; a member of Beecher Community Church, serving as organist/ keyboardist/ musician; and member of Grant Park Fire Protection District Ladies Auxiliary. Past community service also includes leader of Grant Park Newcomers 4-H club for eight years, Adopt-A-Highway organizer for Grant Park PTO and Newcomers 4-H Club for five years and president of Grant Park PTO three years. Currently, a certified CPR American Heart Association instructor. Current Employment: Providence Life Services at Village Woods in Crete, as the community manager. Village Woods is a Senior Retirement Community which includes Independent living and Licensed Assisted Living for 143 residents on 40 acres in Crete Township, along Route 394. A Registered Nursed since 1994, I have served as a nurse in a wide range of capacities, each of which has improved my skills professionally and personally. In addition to nursing, I recently graduated from Governors State University with a bachelor of arts degree, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies and a minor in Business Administration. I am able to see how serving in management positions since 2003, between nursing and business, has prepared me to serve the Grant Park community using my experience in the Healthcare field, strengthened by Business Administration and Management field. Family: I have been married to John Veldhuizen for 27 years and we raised four children together; Jacob, Danielle, Katy and Kristin. My husband John has served on the School Board of Grant Park for the past 16 years. We share a dedication to serving the community we live in. Why did you decide to run for this position? What do you hope to accomplish? My decision to run for mayor was led by the desire to serve the people of Grant Park. I plan to accomplish an improvement in the Main Street areas, support healthy business growth while maintaining Grant Park's rural charm, remembering why people chose Grant Park as a place to raise a family or retire. What do you see as the most important issues in the near future? What are the most important issues in your campaign for office? The most important issues in the near future are building a fiscally sound commerce base, assessing the needs of the community and prioritizing those needs in preparation for action. Important issues in my campaign for office are communication to the public and within the local governing bodies and assessing the needs of the community with a community-minded approach. What can the village do or what does the village want to do to attract developers? What type of development is most desirable, appropriate for the community? To attract developers, communication must be clear, consistent and persistent. The type of development that is most desirable is that which meets the needs of the community first, then the goals of the business owners should match the cultural goals of the community. How can the governmental body you're running for maintain or improve the quality of the services it offers? Identify strong points and/or weak points in its services? The governing body of the village is able to maintain or improve the quality of service when it chooses to be educated about the issues before them. A strong point of effective service is implementing cost effective, consistent and intelligent work plans. Considering the ability of the public to sense a dysfunction in their elected officials service and communication, it makes good sense to be an elected official that focuses on fair and balanced communication among other elected officials and with the public served. Name: Kenneth W. Erickson Candidate for Trustee Address: 107 N. Maple St. Grant Park Home phone: 815-465-2425 email: ksdhl@sbcglobal.net Community Involvement: Building committee for St. Peter's United Church of Christ, Grant Park; American Legion; and Trustee for the Village of Grant Park. I was also the village representative to the Trim Creek Watershed Planning Project. Professional background: Eighteen-year career as a survey crew chief, Master Sergeant (retired) in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. My education includes; A.A.S. in Construction Technology and an A.A.S. in Communications Operations Technology. Family: My wife, Sandy, and I have three great children, Daniel, Heather and Laura. We have lived in Grant Park for 18 years and are more connected to this community every day. Why did you decide to run for this position? What do you hope to accomplish? I am running for this position so that I may continue my work on the Ordinance and Sewer committees to bring our zoning ordinance and sewer facilities up to date to meet the needs of the future. I also want to bring growth to this community in a positive way that the residents will be proud of. What do you see as the most important issues in the near future? What are the most important issues in your campaign for office? The most important issues in the near future are how are we going to handle future growth, and what can we do to increase revenue for the village without raising taxes? So many people have great ideas on how to improve the village, but we are severely limited by our revenue. What can the village do or what does the village want to do to attract developers? What type of development is most desirable, appropriate for the community? A major move to attract growth was the creation of the TIF district. This will make the village more attractive and give the board another ''lever'' to control what kind of development takes place. With up-to-date zoning, subdivision and conservation ordinances in place, we can encourage residential, commercial and industrial growth. A balanced mix of development will provide housing, local jobs and increased revenue. The next project will be a conservation design ordinance. This will encourage builders to take advantage of natural features of the land to create vastly superior developments. How can the government body you're running for maintain or improve the quality of the services it offers? Identify strong points and/or weak points in its services? Improving communication with the community is essential. A monthly newsletter would be very helpful in achieving this. A village Web site would be set up to reach out to both the residents of Grant Park and people beyond the village to make everyone aware of things happening in Grant Park. Name: Scott T. Dillman Candidate for Clerk Address: 312 W. Taylor St., Grant Park Phone: 815-465-6038 Community Involvement: Grant Park School Board (6 years); current Technology Committee of Grant Park Schools; I.H.S.A baseball and softball umpire (20 years); Grant Park Planning Board (8 years); treasurer for Grant Park Chamber of Commerce; Captain and member of Grant Park Fire/EMS Department (34 years). Professional Background: Been in retail trade most of adult life, since 1981; manager of family True Value Hardware Store. Education: graduated from Grant Park High School and received an associates degree from Kankakee Community College. Family: married to Sue; sons, Michael and Andrew, daughter-in-law, Jessica. Why did you decide to run for this position? What do you hope to accomplish? A way to serve the community that I have lived in all my life. To continue the work our current clerk, who is retiring, has done so well. What do you see as the most important issues in the near future? What are the most important issues in your campaign for office? Don't really have any issues. What can the village do or what does the village want to do to attract developers? What type of development is most desirable, appropriate for the community? The retirement center will be a welcome addition for our citizens. If we grow, a grocery store would be nice, and the rest will come with additional population. How can the government body you're running for maintain or improve the quality of the services it offers? Identify strong points and/or weak points in its services. As far as I know, the current clerk has been doing a fine job. I just want to continue his work. Name: Warren Wessman Candidate for Trustee Address: 48 Lake Metonga Trail, Grant Park Phone: 815-465-2342 Community Involvement: Village Trustee 2001-2004; re-elected Trustee, August 2005-2009; I have previously served on a street and alley committee, building and grounds committee, ordinances and insurance, and finance committee; I am the chairman of the Police Committee; I have been actively responsible for the growth of the Christmas Day dinner held at the Legion in Grant Park. I have also been responsible for directing donations of the UPS turkeys. I have been a volunteer for Dixie Dash and October Fest; an active member of the Momence Anchor Club; Member of St. Peter's United Church of Christ. Profession Background: I am a 10-year veteran engineer of the Grant Park Fire Department; employee of United Parcel Service as a diesel mechanic; active member of the Automobile Mechanics Local 701 for 30 years; presently, Village Trustee. Education: High school diploma from Thornridge High School; graduated from Detroit Diesel School; graduated South Suburban College as a welder; certification for UPS as diesel mechanic and collision repair. Family: I have been married 29 years to Denise Wessman, who is a registered nurse at St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center in Dyer, IN. My wife is also involved in the community as a Library Trustee for the Village of Grant Park. I have one child, Nicole Wessman who is 26 years old. Why did you decide to run for this position? What do you hope to accomplish? I am seeking the office as a village trustee because I wish to help the community of Grant Park in any way that I can. I have previous experience as a Trustee and feel that I can contribute to the progress of the board and the town of Grant Park. What can the village do or what does the village want to do to attract developers? What type of development is most desirable, appropriate for the community? Grant Park is a developing community. With that being said, I think it is of the utmost importance to encourage commercial and residential growth in a positive tone that fits the character of Grant Park. Maintaining and improving residential roads while adhering to the constraints of a budget is a challenging goal. The continued safety of our community with the growth and development is necessary for positive growth of our community. Our town will be continually facing new challenges with its development. It is my goal to ensure these challenges are met for the good of the community. This town needs to be maintained as a community everyone would love to raise their families in for generations. It is a community to be proud of. I feel, as a re-elected Trustee, I can help our community meet these challenges.
Unity Party candidates Name: Fred (J.R.) Meyer Jr. Candidate for Mayor -Serves as Trustee on Grant Park Village Board -Committees: Insurance and Ordinance (chair); Park Board; Sewer -Served as government liaison for the Grant Park Chamber of Commerce -Manager of Ready-Mix Operations for Gleaner Lumber and Ready Mix -Certificate from the American Concrete Institute -Life-long resident of Grant Park and graduate of Grant Park High School -Hundred Club of Kankakee member -Married to Dana for 14 years Name: Audrey C. Lehnert Candidate for clerk -Strong clerical and organizational skills -Retired; was employed by Kankakee County Title and Trust Co. -Life-long resident Grant Park and graduate of Grant Park High School -Member of St. Peter's United Church of Christ; Shepherd; mission board; served on church council as secretary for three years and other committees -Family: married to Daren for 44 years. Three children and five grandchildren Name: Richard W. (Dick) Boicken Candidate for Trustee -Graduate of Grant Park High School, Greer Shop Training in Autobody and Refinishing and Dale Carnegie Course in Effective Speaking and Human Resources; 26 years-plus owner and operator of Dick's Body Shop in Grant Park -Served on village board 1993-1997 -Served on Grant Park School Board 1978-1985 -Member St. Peter's UCC: Served on council - one year as president; other committees -20-year member of Lions Club; held all offices -Family: wife, Josie; married 47 years; two children, five grandsons -Lifetime area resident; Grant Park resident for 38 years Name: Christopher D. (Chris) Morse Candidate for Trustee -Employed by Kankakee Area Career Center as Collision Repair Instructor -Owner/General Manager of Lawn Care Service; Skills USA Advisor -Graduate of Momence High School, Wyoming Tech Institute, PPG Paint School, Dale Carnegie course in Effective Speaking and Human Resources (grad asst. 1991) and Kansas Jack National Training Center -Village resident for 11 years -Family: wife, Jill; children, Austin (9) and Brandon (6) Name: William J. Reichel Candidate for Trustee -Charter member of the GP Chamber of Commerce -Member Village Park Board -Employed by R.O. Reichel & Sons Trucking and Excavating as equipment operator; working for my family and as an owner for over 20 years. -Village resident for 13 years-plus, Elks member for 19 years; NRA; Illinois Farm Bureau -Member of St. Peter's United Church of Christ -Family: married to Lisa for 12 years; children: Kody (11), Kurt (9), Karl (6) and Kate (3) Why did you decide to run for this position? What do you hope to accomplish? The Unity Party was organized to provide honest, responsible and open government for the residents of the Grant Park. All of the party candidates have expressed a sincere desire to be of service to the Grant Park community. They bring their own ideas, as well as ideas and concerns from many community members, to shape their agenda. What do you see as the most important issues in the near future? What are the most important issues in your campaign for office? -Spend tax dollars wisely and be accountable to taxpayers -Develop a Web site and prioritize communication between village government and residents -Address citizen's concerns responsibly -Develop long- and short-range plans for controlled growth of our village -Restructure police department procedures -Implement a progressive discipline policy for all village employees -Address village environmental issues -Update capital assets inventory for insurance purposes and to control costs -Adopt improved accounting procedures -Provide oversight of funds in all departments -Plan and implement infrastructure improvements What can the village do or what does the village want to do to attract developers? What type of development is most desirable, appropriate for the community? The village board, with assistance and input from our citizens, needs to have short- and long-term planning in place. When presented with plans for any commercial, residential or industrial development, our village government needs to be ready to decide what, if any, proposals are in the best interest of our community and residents and provide sustainable growth to the village. How can the governmental body you're running for maintain or improve the quality of the services it offers? Identify strong points and/or weak points in its services. All government officials, in order to maintain governmental trust, need to ask themselves consistently whether their decisions are in the best interest of the village and its residents and then to act accordingly. When members of village government bring integrity, openness, and willingness to serve to their positions, residents will be able to have trust and respect for the quality of services they are receiving. Russell Publications publishes several community newspapers each week, serving Will, Kankakee, and Cook counties.
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