Kachel Exits Stage Left as Rippy's Sworn in as New Village Trustee

A small reception was held during a break in the Plainfield Village Board meeting to celebrate one trustee's departure and another's new tenure.

Plainfield Village Board members said goodbye to their colleague Larry Kachel Monday night and welcomed newcomer Dan Rippy to their ranks. Kachel, who was appointed to the board two years ago, opted not to run in the April general election. Rippy, a Joliet-based lawyer, was elected as were incumbents Paul Fay and Bill Lamb. All three men were sworn in Monday by village Clerk Michelle Gibas, and a small reception with cake and punch held in their and Kachel's honor.

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You Choose: Election 2011

Watch TV Interviews with the Village Board Candidates

Plainfield TV talks issues with the men running for three trustee spots; Plainfield Patch editor Karen Sorensen among those asking the questions.

Want to see first hand what the candidates for village board have to say about the issues facing Plainfield? Check out a series of interviews done by the Plainfield Television Group with incumbents Paul Fay and Bill Lamb and challengers Dan Rippy and Mark Chmura. The interviews can be seen on the TV group's "On Demand" Web site, Plainfieldtv.com (click on the campaign button), or they can be view on Plainfield Channel 6 at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday every weekend prior to the April 5 election. The four are seeking to fill three board seats. Interviews were conducted by former Village Manager Terry Burghard; Bill Alstrom, host of Plainfield TV's "2 on One" with Burghard and Wheatland Township deputy clerk; and Karen …

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You Choose: Election 2011

Village Board Election: Bill Lamb Answers Our Questions

Plainfield village and School District 202 candidates running in the April 5 election answer questions posed by Plainfield Patch.

PLAINFIELD VILLAGE TRUSTEE ELECTION QUESTIONNAIRE Name: Bill Lamb (William B. Lamb) Address: 13431 Lakeshore Drive, Plainfield, IL  60585 E-mail Address: billeileenlamb@aol.com Age: 73 Marital status: Married Name of spouse: Eileen Lamb Name, ages of children: William D. Lamb, 46; Karen Lamb McMillan, 45; Daniel Lipscomb, 30 Education: Doctorate degree, chemical engineering, University of Delaware; master's degree, chemical engineering, University of Delaware; bachelor's degree, science and engineering, Princeton University; high school diploma, Evanston Township High School Profession and employer: Retired; previous chemical engineer, manager (films business, sales, plant technical, quality, technical service and product development, …

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Downtown Historic District's an All or Nothing Deal, State Official Says

Businesses can't be left out of the district simply because they don't want to be part of it, village officials are told.

If the village wants to create a downtown historic district, it can’t selectively draw boundaries so businesses that don’t want to be part of it can be left out, the Plainfield Village Board was told Monday. Catherine O’Connell, manager of local government services for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, said it’s ultimately a “majority rules” scenario because a district represents a uniform collection of buildings linked together to protect the historical integrity of an area. “We can’t gerrymander a historic district around property owners who don’t want to be in it,” she said. Or rather, you can, but the state is not likely to certify such a district and thus those in it won’t be eligible for federal tax breaks and the village …

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Arizona Shooting Prompts Trustee to Push for Village Hall Metal Detectors

Paul Fay says the device would offer needed protection for elected officials, but the concept is opposed by at least two board members.

Plainfield Trustee Paul Fay says a metal detector is needed at village hall to prevent a shooting similar to that in which an Arizona congresswoman was gravely injured and six people killed. Fay, who broached the subject with fellow board members this week, said it’s a sad commentary on the current state of the world but precautions are necessary. “I am very serious about this,” he said. “There are too many incidents of this kind in our culture.” Fay’s idea would be to install an unmanned monitoring system at the front door of village hall, 24401 Lockport St. Village employees would be trained on how to handle a situation in which it was activated, and a police officer attending village board meetings could do the same thing after hours, …

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