Monday, March 18, 2013
Michael Lambert challenges Mayor Mike Collins, while Tom Breier makes a try for the park board and David Schmidt hopes to keep his post as a library trustee.
After election challenges knocked several candidates off the ballot this winter, three candidates are trying their luck as write-ins. Michael Lambert said he filed in late January to run as a write-in candidate for mayor after resident Jeff Schmitt challenged his nominating petitions and he was removed from the April 9 ballot. “I’m continuing because I still believe in why I chose to run in the first place,” Lambert said. He’s challenging incumbent Mike Collins, who also faced an election challenge but won his bid to stay on the ballot. Read: Plainfield Mayor Stays on April 9 Ballot; Lambert Loses Election Challenge “I think Plainfield deserves a choice in who’s leading their community,” Lambert said. Lambert has established a campaign …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
A look back at the park district's 45-year history.
The Inquiry As the Plainfield Township Park District marked its 45th anniversary, a faithful Patch reader of this column inquired about the history of the local park district. This is the final installment of a four-part series about the Plainfield Township Park District. The Facts As community needs and challenges increased, the Plainfield Township Park District commissioners realized the need for a full-time director to supervise day-to-day operations and implement long-range goals. Hired in the Spring of 1977, Ed Demarco, the first full-time director of parks and recreation, immediately was confronted with many challenges in Plainfield. In April 1977, then-Mayor Richard Selfridge began the process of including the Park District in …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
How did the park district get its start in Plainfield?
The Inquiry Recently, a Plainfield Patch reader noted that, in 2012, the Plainfield Township Park District marked its 45th anniversary. The park district explored many recreation venues for the Plainfield community as it matured into a viable local government agency. Click here to read part 1. Click here to read part 2. The Facts As a new decade unfolded, the Plainfield Township Park District entered its third full year of existence. Park commissioners laid out a plan to acquire and develop more land for public recreational use. Expansion of Park Land and Services In late 1970, the Plainfield Lions Club offered to donate a picnic shelter to be constructed at the Village Green park in downtown Plainfield. The shelter was constructed and …
Friday, January 25, 2013
A look back at the history of Plainfield parks.
The Inquiry Recently, a Plainfield Patch reader noted that, in 2012, the Plainfield Township Park District marked its 45th anniversary. On Oct. 22, 1966, voters approved the establishment of the Plainfield Township Park District. The public elected five local men as the first commissioners of the newly-formed organization. Read part one of Lambert: The Plainfield Park District The Facts The organizational meeting of the Plainfield Township Park District was held on Nov. 1, 1966. The five commissioners met in the law offices of Sam Saxon (present-day 15028 S. Des Plaines St.). Subsequent meetings were held at the village hall on Lockport Street (now demolished), Plainfield Savings & Loan (present-day J. P. Morgan Chase Bank at Illinois…
Monday, January 14, 2013
Hearings held Friday at Village Hall had two very different outcomes.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Hearings held Friday at Village Hall had two very different outcomes.
Voters will have only one box to check for village president this spring. On Friday, incumbent Mayor Michael Collins won his fight to stay on the April 9 ballot — but his challenger, Michael Lambert, wasn’t as fortunate. Despite the support of electoral board chairman Paul Fay, Lambert lost his bid to stay on the ballot after Plainfield resident Jeffrey Schmitt filed an objection claiming Lambert didn’t have enough valid signatures on his nominating petitions. At a Friday morning hearing, Plainfield resident John Ledvina — who hopes to run as a write-in Republican candidate for the mayor’s seat — was unsuccessful at ousting Collins from the ballot. Get Plainfield news delivered straight to your inbox - sign up for the free Patch newsletter…
A look back at the history of Plainfield parks.
The Inquiry Recently, a Plainfield Patch reader noted that, in 2012, the Plainfield Township Park District marked its 45th anniversary. How did the Park District come into existence and what was the District’s early history? The Facts In 1858, the potential for parks to serve as relief from worsening urban conditions was realized with the design and subsequent construction of Central Park in New York. Parks were perceived as a means to encourage orderly expansion of cities. Additionally, well-planned open space appeared to improve the economic viability of the community. In larger cities and some small towns, planned parks became sources of civic pride. However, before the Civil War, most Americans did not have access to much land that …
Developer Michael P. Guinta ended his candidacy Thursday. He and two other village candidates faced battles to stay on the ballot.
The Plainfield village trustee race just got a little less crowded. This week, local developer Michael Guinta withdrew his candidacy in the April 9 election. That leaves four candidates to vie for the three open seats. Remaining in the race are incumbents Margie Bonuchi, Jim Racich and Garrett Peck, plus Naperville firefighter and Wheatland Township Plan Commission chairman Mark Chmura. Guinta’s withdrawal comes after a Plainfield resident challenged his candidacy, claiming the wrong date appeared on several pages of Guinta’s nominating petitions and questioning the validity of numerous signatures. Sign up for the Plainfield Patch newsletter. The objection, filed Jan. 3 by Jeffrey Schmitt, claimed Guinta did not have enough valid …
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
A Jan. 11 hearing will determine whether three village candidates will stay on the April 9 ballot. A Jan. 15 date was set to hearing objections to the petitions of three library board candidates.
Mayor Mike Collins, challenger Michael Lambert and Plainfield village trustee candidate Mike Guinta will get the chance to defend their right to stay on the April 9 election ballot this Friday. Three separate hearings are scheduled for Jan. 11 to address objections to the candidates’ nominating petitions. Get Plainfield news delivered straight to your inbox – sign up for the Plainfield Patch newsletter. Collins faces a challenge from Plainfield resident John Ledvina, who claims that the mayor’s statement of candidacy omits language that states that Collins was known to the person who certified the nominating forms — which could lead to potential fraud, according to the complaint. Meanwhile, village resident Jeffrey Schmitt is objecting to …
Monday, January 7, 2013
Objections were filed Thursday in attempts to oust Collins, Lambert and Guinta from the ballot.
Both candidates for village president are facing challenges from Plainfield residents who say their nominating petitions for the April 9, 2013 election don’t pass muster. John Ledvina, a resident of the 11000 block of Chesapeake Drive, is challenging Mayor Mike Collins’ statement of candidacy, saying the form filed by the incumbent village present omits language that states that the candidate is “personally known to” the certifying officer. Collins didn’t return a call from Patch over the weekend. Get Plainfield news delivered straight to your inbox – sign up for the Patch newsletter. Ledvina’s objection asserts that the omission “results in a situation whereby a local election official, local election authority, objectors or electoral …
Sore Rear
4:29 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2013
Good point. I have seen how much of a bully Michael Lambert is. I heard he called the State Fire Marshall and tried to shutdown the wonderful Plainfield Festival last year. Shame on him and shame on Andreasen Travel for supporting him. I will no longer patronize their business. more ›