DiMaria has gone on record as saying he wants the boobies dive, Tilted Kilt, in Morton Grove. He doesn't understand why this village was ranked first and third in two highly respected publications. What does an establishment like that say to our MG girls?

The Rat Pack party of MG is officially endorsing Dan Staackmann for another term for mayor of Morton Grove. Ineptitudes aside, the man will admit mistake and correct course. We feel he genuinely has Morton Grove's best interest at heart and that's all we can ask in a mayor.

The rest of us have to get off our butts and contribute a bit more to improve the greatest community in the United States (officially).

I thank Mrs. Coursey for her over 35 years of service to Morton Grove, and her son who until recently also served with her on the Park Board. Family is a wonderful thing and give us people to support and get through life with. But I do have a different view about family and the electorate. Mr. DiMaria and Mrs. Coursey can have the perfect families, but as elected officials they have a bigger family to be concerned with too, the people who elected them into office and the community at large. Having good family values should not be the only criteria when selecting someone to lead and operate the village or parks. We should look at their record and plans, not hollow promises of what they will do if elected especially when one has already had years to accomplish something in office like Mr. DiMaria. Our economy has stretched all our resources, yet the village found a way to serve more seniors with improved services under Mayor Staackmann. Mrs. Coursey's complaint rings hollow on this point. What has the Park District done to improve services to the village without raising our taxes? The Park Board is well know in this town as not cooperating with others and has a bad reputation for not being able to keep qualified professional directors hired (how many have changed in the last few years now?) I applaud all for raising nice families, but elected officials must be focused on those whom do not share blood relations. For the good of all, vote for Staackmann on February 26.

I wonder why Eileen Coursey is now championing those issues for Mr. Di Maria that she has not been supporting in the past? Our Park District is an island within our own village and does not listen to the residents. Commissoner Coursey tossed away our beloved Morton Grove Days celebration which was saved by our current Mayor Dan Staackmann. The Park District Board she sits on stopped all senior programming years ago and as far as I know as never been to a Commission on Aging Meeting. Before you tell others to look ahead, maybe we should take a moment to all Look back on the last three decades of her Park Board record. It was practically broke and only to be turned around in 1987 with the election of Doug Steinman and Dan Staackmann who hired Gary Balling. Dan Staackmann has the qualities we need as our Mayor who has proven his ability when he made the Park District solvent which he is now doing for our village. I will vote for Dan Staackmann for Mayor on February 26 and will not be voting for Eileen Coursey for Park Board in April.

Seniors? Sorry Mrs. Coursey, but what do you know about the seniors in Morton Grove? I know you may be old, but you haven’t participated in our “senior“ world in a long time, if ever. In your over-extended role on the Park Board, you have been appointed to the Commission on Aging, but haven’t attended a meeting in at least a decade – what would you know of seniors, what we want, and how well we think we are being served in our community?
I am a senior, I go to programs at the senior center, I have for many years, and I have to say – I love it!! There are many more programs there now than there were a few years ago. They are much better, too. And I am very excited that there will soon be even more services available to Morton Grove residents at our senior center than ever before.
So don't say you think seniors have been "hurt" - you are wrong. More qualified people are offering better programs and better services. And those of us that actually go there and take part in the programs and use the services will happily tell everyone we know that things are better now than they were before. And it is a very serious threat to the seniors of Morton Grove for some people outside our world, like you or Mr. DiMaria, thinks we have been "hurt" and things will go back to how they were before. It scares me to death that things will go back to the way they were four years ago at the senior center. Please don't let that happen!

Been in town here for a while too and the notion that the village is hurting seniors is pure hogwash Mrs.Coursey! Go to the Civic Center, lots more going on now than ever before. Pay attention and tell the truth, Increased taxes are what would hurt seniors a lot and all residents too being squeezed out of homes by schools and park board increases on our property tax bills. Staackmann has balanced the budget at the village (and at the Park Board before the group took over) and has done a lot to improve services and keep streets free of snow, ambulances at our doors when needed and an alert police force, the real job of village government. Mayor Staackmann clearly deserves another term to keep up the good work. I still have not heard much more than vague promises from Dimaria or his supporters. God bless those with a great family, but if I'm not related to you, then will I get the same services as well? As for cooperation, think anyone on the Park Board should take a long look in the mirror before commenting on that topic considering things like Morton Grove Days and their ever increasing taxing of us.

There is one recent issue that I think the Park Board did listen to the residents. After the village tried to take away the park near Golf and Waukegan for a car dealership, the Park Board listened to the nearby residents and took a firm stand to not let that happen.
As far as seniors being better off, I don't think so. Although I do not frequent the Senior Center, I am hearing that there are bigger charges for things like room rentals
with the new administration. Possibly meals are more expensive. My gripe is with the withdrawel of senior subsidies, like the charges for water. Somehow, Mayor Staackmann told us there was no money in the general fund to support these kinds of subsidies, yet he found over a million dollars there to put a downpayment for the relocation of the police department. I think seniors in Morton Grove are at the bottom of the priority list.

Every voter "understands the need to maintain and improve services without further burdening taxpayers." As the 2013 elections approach, I look forward to learning what candidates in the upcoming elections propose, and promise, as means to achieve this need and make this understanding a reality.

My name is Dan Ashta, and I am a candidate for Morton Grove Park Board Commissioner; the election is on April 9, 2013. Between now and then, as well as after the election, I look forward to exchanging views as to how we, as a community and government, can and will maintain, and improve, the high quality of life, products, and services, Morton Grove provides, without general tax increases.

With attention, cooperation, and effort, we can make the most of our resources and live well. I believe that the Park Board, along with the Village Board, can play a major role here. So, I am volunteering to serve a 6-year term as a Commissioner on our Park Board. I aim to listen to and learn from members of the entire community. I also have realistic ideas as to how we can use resources we already have to both generate revenue and grow the intangible values we pride.

I encourage all voters to ask each candidate, for any office, what he or she intends to do to meet the needs of the community without increasing general taxation. I welcome the opportunity to share views and to make effective contributions that will help Morton Grove meet our needs and high expectations.

Joe, thanks for your response. Are you asking me to share ideas here and now?

When I read the comment about understanding the need to maintain and improve without raising taxes, I felt an urge to respond with my comment: that all voters want the best possible without raising taxes; and all candidates, whether running for local, state, or federal, offices, say they understand.

The mayoral primary is coming at the end of this February. I am interested in what our mayoral candidates propose and promise as a means to achieve this end. I urge all our mayoral candidates to elaborate on this, and I encourage my neighbors to inquire along this avenue. The Park Board election is in April, and I look forward to both hearing ideas on park business and speaking mine, after the February mayoral primary.

I commented that I am running for Park Board because I saw some park-related comments. I realized, at the time I posted, that saying what I said without elaboration could sound like mere rhetoric to thoughtful readers. However, this e-forum we are on rigidly limits the length of comments, which prevents elaboration.

I am glad that you are interested in Park Board, and that I got your attention. I hope your invitation to speak remains open to a time after the mayoral primary and places beyond the limits of this forum. I also hope it includes an opportunity to listen to what ideas you may have.

Thanks again for your commentary. Let's talk more soon.

Wow Mark, you sure were busy on this opinion piece! You and Maria sure used a lot of different names. Audrey H, joe, old time Grover,George, etc. Lets talk turkey Mark or should I call you Joe? You have to learn how to change your writing style when you are commenting as different people. As for Eileen's endorsement, I'm happy that she endorsed Dan. You criticize her for her Board service yet I never saw you run for office Mark. You can't get elected when you don't try. I guess being a puppet master is better for the slimy wannabe like you.