DiMaria, 3 Trustees Take Office in Morton Grove

Ten minutes before the Morton Grove village board meeting--and swearing-in of a new mayor and trustees--began Monday at 7 p.m., all seats were filled and people were competing for standing room. There were boutonnieres, plaques, dignitaries, a judge in black robes, celebratory speeches and much applause.

It had all the excitement of a presidential inauguration; the only thing missing was Beyonce lip-synching the National Anthem.

The evening began with outgoing Mayor Dan Staackmann opening the meeting as usual; during the trustee reports, many of the trustees, and others, saluted Staackmann and outgoing Trustee Larry Gomberg.

Earlier:

Trustees adjourned that meeting, and Judge Jordan Kaplan, a retired Cook County circuit court judge, swore in Village Clerk Ed Ramos, Village Trustees Bill Grear, Tony Kalogerakos and John Pietron and, finally, DiMaria. 

DiMaria gave all the trustees a chance to speak, with Trustee Grear thanking voters for his re-election and vowing to work even harder for them this term, and Trustee Kalogerakos thanking Staackmann, Gomberg and his fellow trustees, as well as his family and wife, who he announced was expecting.

Clerk Ramos said, "As I begin this new chapter of my life, I can assure you...I'll work hard," and Trustee Pietron noted it was a privilege to be there.

DiMaria began his remarks saying, "I understand the trust you placed in me, and there's no way in hell I'm going to let you down."

He thanked all the past officials in the room and asked for a around of applause for them, then continued by thanking his family and supporters.

He ended with a call for ideas, asking citizens to call him and the other trustees anytime.

"We don't have all the answers," he said.

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