A NEAR meeting was held in the hospitality room on the seventh floor in Outer Drive East (400 East Randolph) Wednesday night, January 31st.

NEAR invited the three candidates for 42nd Ward Alderman to attend and answer questions regarding neighborhood issues. Mike “Libby” Libert could not make the meeting as he was not feeling well. Brendan Reilly and current Alderman Burton Natarus did make the meeting and were the center of attention for most of the evening.

The three candidate’s web sites and their position on the ballot are listed below:

Brendan Reilly - http://www.reillyforchicago.com/ #51
Ald. Burton Natarus - http://www.natarus.com/ #52
Mike Libert - http://www.libby2007.com/ #53

NEAR president Richard Ward prepared five key questions, introduced the issues and presented slides and photographs, and moderated the evening’s discussion. In a series of upcoming posts we will recap the questions presented to the candidates as well as their opening and closing statements.

Also, an annoucement was made that Howard Adlin is moving to Florida and will leave his position as NEAR treasurer, a position in which he has served for many years.