Welcome to the home page of the Moraine Township Democrats! This is the front page, on which you will find news, announcements, and upcoming events. For a chronological list of events, click here. Check back frequently for updates!
Welcome!
New Democratic Team Elected to Moraine Township Government
(Front, l-r) Cynthia Plouché, Anne Flanigan Bassi, Gail Feiger Brown; (Back, l-r) Cindy Wolfson, Dwayne Douglas, Amy Zisook, Olga Gomez Aguilar
Democrats will continue to provide outstanding, cost-effective service to Moraine Township residents for the next four years. The team that was unanimously slated by the Democratic caucus last December won the April 9, 2013, general election: Anne Flanigan Bassi, Township Supervisor; Cynthia Plouché, Township Assessor; Gail Feiger Brown, Township Clerk; Olga Gomez Aguilar, Dwayne Douglas, Cindy Wolfson, and Amy Zisook, Township Trustees.
“We are fortunate that individuals of this caliber stepped forward to serve our residents,” said Lauren Beth Gash, Moraine Township Democratic Organization Chair.
“Our team represents a cross-section of the age, geographic and cultural demographics of the township, and has devoted decades of volunteer effort to helping residents in our community,” noted Bassi, who has represented most of the Moraine Township geographic area on the Lake County Board for the last ten years. “We can leverage our resources more effectively through partnerships, and my experience on the County Board will help us understand the regional resources available to help our residents here in Moraine.”
Members of the team are committed to working hard to ensure that Moraine Township government operates with compassion to provide a safety net for our neediest residents.
–Tenth Dems
Schneider, Morrison, and Drury Speak at Event Honoring May, Garrett, Bassi
More than 100 Democrats packed a Highland Park living room on January 26 to hear newly elected 10th District U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider, State Senator Julie Morrison, and State Representative Scott Drury. Just weeks into their first term in office, the three Democrats appeared at the Moraine Township Democratic Organization (MTDO) event honoring former State Senator Susan Garrett, former State Rep Karen May, and former Lake County Board member Anne Bassi, all of whom recently retired from these positions after years of service to the Moraine community.
Democrats, even those who lost their overall races, won every 2012 race on the ballot by landslide margins within Moraine Township on November 6, 2012. Virtually all of them won at least 60% of the vote. The high vote totals in Moraine Township demonstrate that voters in the township share Democratic values and trust Democrats to handle important issues, both nationally and locally.
The next event scheduled for MTDO is a Candidate Meet-and-Greet at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 19, at Miramar Bistro, 301 Waukegan Avenue in Highwood. Many local candidates running in the municipal elections on April 9 will be in attendance, including those running for city councils, park boards and school boards and the Democratic slate running for Moraine Township offices.
For more information or to RSVP, visit morainedems.org, email info@morainedems.org, or call 847-433-8344.
Moraine Township includes most of Highland Park, all of Highwood, and parts of Deerfield and Lake Forest.
Dawn Clark Netsch, Illinois Hero
Dawn Clark Netsch
Dear Friends,
We mourn the loss of Dawn Clark Netsch, an icon in Illinois government and Democratic politics. As you may know, she passed away Tuesday, March 5, at the age of 86.
Dawn’s reputation as a straight shooter helped her break barriers throughout her career. Over the course of her nearly sixty years of public service, she served as state senator and state comptroller—one of the first women elected to the state Senate and the very first woman elected to an Illinois statewide office. During my first years as a state legislator in Springfield, I had the privilege of working with her when she was state comptroller, and I am grateful for her in-district help in my campaigns.
In 1994, Dawn became the first woman from either major party to win the primary nomination for governor in Illinois. As a public servant and as a law professor at Northwestern University, where she taught state and local government (in fact, she was my professor for that course before I served in the state legislature), she inspired countless people to be involved in their communities.
She remained active in politics and nonprofit work during the last years of her life. She was an early and influential advocate for marriage equality, common sense laws to prevent gun violence, and ethical and campaign reforms in politics and government.
Dawn very recently renewed her membership with the Tenth Congressional District Democrats, and we have been honored to count her as a member of our Tenth Dems family.
She will be missed by those who knew of her and her work. She was a trailblazer for women and an inspiration to all.
Dawn Clark Netsch was a true Illinois hero.
Lauren
P.S. Services will be private, followed by a public memorial. Details to be announced.
Introducing Township Team*Moraine
On December 4, our Team*Moraine was unanimously nominated by the Moraine Township Democratic Caucus to run for township government in the April 9 election. Collectively, we represent a cross section of the age, geographic, and cultural demographics of the township and have devoted decades of professional and volunteer effort to helping residents of our community. We ask for your help and support to take our commitment to a new level of service.
For Supervisor
Anne Flanigan Bassi
Township Supervisor: Oversees human services provided by township and administers office. Anne served from 2002-2012 on the Lake County Board, Lake County Forest Preserve Board, Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, Lake County Affordable Housing Commission, and many other regional public/private partnerships. She also was a member of the Highland Park/Highwood District 111 School Board. Currently she serves on the Highland Park Human Services Task Force, Friends for Health, Community Family Center, Advisory Board for Community Partners for Affordable Housing, Highland Park, and Hospital Community Advisory Committee. She is a former co-president of the Highland Park/Highwood League of Women Voters and served on other community boards, including that of the North Shore Unitarian Church. Anne holds an M.S. in taxation from DePaul University and a B.S. in accounting from Drake University and is a licensed C.P.A. She and her husband, Vic Bassi, have called Highland Park home since 1973 and raised two daughters here.
For Clerk
Gail Feiger Brown
Township Clerk: Serves as the local election authority, responds to Freedom of Information Act requests, and maintains documents. Gail has more than two decades of leadership with the League of Women Voters, having served as president of both the Highland Park and Lake County Leagues, voter registration chair, and past co-chair of the Illinois League’s Election Administration Reform Committee. She currently serves on the Highland Park Human Services Task Force and co-chaired its Needs Assessments Workshops. She is also a court-appointed Special Advocate for CASA Lake County. Gail devoted many years to co-chairing Welfare Council, formerly with United Way and now with the Highland Park Community Foundation. Among other community activities, she serves on the Community Family Center Board and is active at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El. A graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law with an undergraduate degree from Smith College, Gail was a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney. She and her husband, Andrew, grew up in Highland Park and raised three children here.
For Assessor
Cynthia Plouché
Township Assessor: Establishes property values and assessments. Cynthia is an Illinois C.I.A.O. (Certified Illinois Assessing Officer) and holds an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. in psychology and social relations from Harvard University. Her twenty-five years of experience in financial services and investment management industries include a decade as Audit Committee Chair and Lead Trustee for AXA Premier VIP Trust, a family of mutual funds. Her public and community service includes the Moraine Township Board, North Shore School District 112 Board of Education, State of Illinois P-20 Council, and Congregation Solel’s Board of Directors and social justice and finance committees. Cynthia and her husband, Joe Rafson, have three daughters and have been township residents for more than twenty years.
For Township Trustees
Trustees: Provide budget oversight, policy development, and community outreach.
Olga Gomez Aguilar
A lifelong resident of Highland Park and Highwood, Olga is a graduate of Highland Park High School and Oak Terrace School in Highwood, which her children now attend. Olga is president-elect of the Oak Terrace P.T.A. (the first Latina to hold the position) and served on the board of Tri-Con Child Care Center (her former preschool). Olga is employed by Lake County’s North Shore Health Center in Highland Park and has helped connect client families with Moraine Township services; she was instrumental in initiating the Moraine Township Pantry Plants Garden Project. Olga and her husband, Roman, are raising their two young children in Highwood.
Dwayne Douglas
Dwayne has served as a Moraine Township Trustee since 2009; he is the township’s liaison to the Latino Advisory Committee and the Highland Park Human Relations Commission and is ethics advisor for Moraine Township government. Dwayne is president of the Jefferson Inn of Court, an organization of lawyers and judges dedicated to ethics, legal education, and professionalism, and is co-chair of Prairie State Legal Services’ Campaign for Legal Services. In 2004 and 2012, Dwayne received awards from the Lake County Bar Association for his service to the indigent. Dwayne is a graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law. He and his wife, Chris, have lived in Highland Park since 2003; their daughter attends Edgewood Middle School.
Cindy Wolfson
Active in community service her entire adult life, Cindy has focused on domestic violence education and on awareness and advocacy of issues affecting the lives of women, children, and families. She serves on the board of the National Council of Jewish Women, leading this national network of state policy advocates on issues such as equality, health care, immigration, and social justice. She has called Highland Park home for the past twenty-seven years and, along with her late husband, Larry, raised three daughters here.
Amy Zisook
Amy’s career spans business, government and politics; she was a White House Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton and vice president of civic and government affairs at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. As president of Amy Zisook & Associates, her clients have included the Clinton for President Committee, U.S. Senator Paul Simon, then-Congressman Dick Durbin, and the Chicago Bar Association. Amy is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio with a B.S. in finance. Her community involvement includes tireless work for the Highland Park/Highwood Community Family Center, vice presidency of the Lincoln School P.T.A., and active memberhip in the social action committee of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El. Amy is a graduate of Highland Park High School, and she and her husband, David Rosen, are raising their family in the community where Amy grew up.
For more information, contact: TeamMoraine@gmail.com or phone (847)579-9873.
Township Team*Moraine
840 Kimballwood Lane, Highland Park, IL 60035
In Memoriam
The Moraine Township Democratic Organization is saddened to learn of the death of Hymen M. Chausow, father of Nancy Chausow Shafer, a member of the MTDO Executive Committee.
The chapel service was held on Thursday, February 7, at 2:30 pm at the Shalom Memorial Funeral Home, 1700 West Rand Road in Arlington Heights. For more information, call 847-255-3520.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the following would be welcome:
The Prader-Willi Syndrome Foundation
8588 Porter Park Drive
Sarasota, FL 34238
or
Glenkirk
3504 Commercial Avenue
Northbrook, IL 60062
Thank you.
Moraine Township Key in Democratic Victories; Schneider Sworn in as Congressman
Congressman Brad Schneider
Deerfield resident Brad Schneider was officially sworn in to the 113th Congress on January 4 in Washington, DC. State Senator-Elect Julie Morrison and State Representative-Elect Scott Drury took their oaths of office in Springfield the following week. The Moraine Township Democratic Organization is proud that Moraine Township played a significant role in their victories.
A recent analysis of November’s election results shows Democrats received an overwhelming amount of support in Moraine Township. In every race, Democrats in Moraine Township outperformed almost every other area in Lake County.
On the top of the ticket, President Obama won 67.4% to Mitt Romney’s 31.5%. In the US Congressional race, Representative Brad Schneider received an incredible 61% of ballots cast, compared to his opponent Bob Dold’s 39%.
Democrats running for Lake County Clerk, Coroner, Recorder, and State’s Attorney won with a nearly 2-1 advantage in Moraine Township, together earning 42,614 votes to the Republicans’ 21,799. Although not every Lake County Democratic candidate won their race, every Democratic candidate won a significant majority in Moraine Township.
“Democrats did well in Moraine Township because our voters share Democratic values,” said Hon. Lauren Beth Gash, Chair of the Moraine Township Democratic Organization. “Our community simply thinks that Democrats are better-suited to handle the issues that matter to us.”
Moraine Democrats’ strength was also demonstrated in state legislative races. In the 29th District State Senate race, Julie Morrison defeated Republican Arie Friedman with a commanding 63.5% to Friedman’s 36.5%, despite the fact that he lives in Highland Park. She will join State Representative-Elect Scott Drury (D-Highland Park) in Springfield. Drury defeated his Republican opponent Mark Shaw 69% to 31%.
Democrat Rupam Dave beat her Highland Park Republican opponent Keith Brin with 57.9% of the vote for Clerk of the Court. Tom Rudd, the Democratic candidate for Coroner, beat Steve Newton, 66.9% to 33.1%. Mary Ellen Vanderventer defeated Bob Bednar in the race for Recorder of Deeds, 72.2% to 27.8%. North Shore Sanitary District commissioner Dan Pierce won his race with no opponent. Democratic State’s Attorney candidate Chris Kennedy outperformed Republican Mike Nerheim by 67.6% to 32.4%.
The Moraine Township Democrats held their quadrennial Township slating caucus with a standing-room-only crowd Tuesday evening, December 4, 2012. Their next event will be held on January 26th. Moraine Township includes most of Highland Park, parts of Deerfield and Lake Forest, and all of Highwood. More information about the 2013 township slate, upcoming events, and the Moraine Township Democratic Organization is available by calling 847-433-8344, by email at info@morainedems.org, or online at http://morainedems.org.