Brad by a sliver

Ahead 52% - 48% over Maggie in Quatro's Pizza online Mayoral Poll. Join and vote. Uncle Q will give you a Q-pon for a pizza or something. Click here.

DE Endorses Cole

In a well-reasoned editorial, here.

Candidates met, few show

Of the candidates, only co-host "Creole" Chris Wissmann and his wife, Jess, who has the patience of a plant fertilizer spike and the cheesecake of the gods; and Maggie Flanagan, who brought some lasagna from Cristaudo's, a bottle of wine, husband Ray, and a small entourage of two green-shirted staffers; and "Da Energy Mon" Aur Beck, sporting an Advanced Energy Solutions shirt; and Ann, the woman who rides her hand-pushed wheelchair in the street, and Timeloyd, the dude who wears the floppy hat and rides his bike around town with stuff stuffed into the rear basket; he wasn't there, but his website was. (It's definitely trippy. Click here if you dare.), and a few others, mostly students, including representatives of the Student Environmental Council and someone from WIDB. Co-host Lance Jack, off on the time, didn't arrive until 8:15 p.m. I saw him in the parking lot as I left, heading into the Interfaith Center with load of food in his arms--but by then Maggie and the Maggettes had left, as had yours truly.

Who am I voting for?

Dan David (good netiquette, plus he can keep the city's vehicles running), Lance Jack (even though he still isn't 'wired', he can cater City Council meetings), Steven Haynes (good netiquette, plus can get the City discounts at Krogers), and either Chris Wissmann or Joel Fritzler for the two-year term.

Why Fritzler?

These are Joel's own words..."...
1. I have more experience working with diverse groups of people (ethnic, racial, socio-economic).
2. I have actual hands-on experience working with government bodies (overseas and here in Illinois).
3. Chris supports expanding IL-127 to a continuous four-lane highway to I-64 which would be a waste of tax dollars and would just add fuel to the fire for the negative attitude that people living in other Southern Illinois communities have towards C’dale. As one of the centrally located and largest towns in Southern Illinois, we need to be building positive relations between our neighbors.
4. As a centrist moderate, I will be able to bridge the gap between the liberals and conservatives on the council and present common interests that both sides can focus on.
5. Because the Daily Egyptian endorsed meeeeee."

End of Joel's words. Chris has written that he would go along with Joel's thinking on point 3. As to the other points, you are invited to weigh them on your own.

Why Wissmann?

Chris wrote:
I'm not comparing myself to Joel. Anything I say about myself in the context of that question is like bashing him for not being/having what I do. He is, in all seriousness, a good candidate and a great guy. I'll answer this question: what will make me a good councilman? I've been in town a long time (fifteen years), and have seen it as an SIU student and a small business person/permanent resident, as a renter and as a homeowner. I've professionally followed the council for thirteen years, and have not missed a council meeting in two years. I know the issues extremely well, plus I know the procedures and inner workings of the council. And I think I
have logical, practical solutions for many of Carbondale's problems, many of which we've discussed."

Remember the Cherry Zone?

Where do the council candidates stand on this important issue?

Flipside

I just discovered an excellent web version of the Southern Illinoisan's entertainment mag, Flipside , here.

Pulse

Another excellent local entertainment website, the DE's Pulse, here.

Nightlife News & Commentary

Click here.