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Welcome to the candidate forum put on by
the League of Women Voters of Elmherst.

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My name is Patty Lackman and I am from
the League of Women Voters of Central

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Kain County. I will not have a vote in
any of these upcoming elections here in

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DuPage County. No skin in the game. The
League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan

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organization that neither supports or
opposes candidates or parties for any

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office. The league's purpose is to
promote political responsibility through

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the informed and active participation of
citizens in government. Providing this

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forum allows citizens to become better
informed about issues facing their

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community and to become better
acquainted with the candidates running

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for office. The League of Women Voters
is not responsible for the accuracy of

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statements made by candidates. We're
happy to provide this service for the

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community. At this time, I would ask
that you please turn off cell phones and

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other electronic devices. I would also
ask that you refrain from applauding or

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in other ways demonstrating support or
opposition of a candidate. No campaign

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literature may be passed out in this
room. The audience is encouraged and

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welcome to submit questions. Note cards
and pencils have been provided on which

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to submit your questions. Questions will
be reviewed only for duplication,

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clarity, and appropriateness for the
office being discussed. Please signal a

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league volunteer.
When your question is ready for

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submission, can you anybody raise your
hand? We have one right here.

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Excuse me. Please uh also signal a
volunteer if additional note cards are

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needed. Realize that we might not get to
all questions and in the event of

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duplication, they will put questions
together to make the best question.

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The League of Women Voters of Elmherst
invited all three candidates for the

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Democratic DuPage Forest Preserve
District 2 for this forum. Candidates

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Jacqueline Jax West and Dana Maro did
not respond by the deadline date. It

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should be noted that the League has an
empty chair policy which prohibits

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a forum with only one candidate
participating,

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but League of Women Voters of Illinois
does have a policy allowing the

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candidate that did accept to give a
threeinut statement. Candidate Tina

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Tyson Dunn will be given the opportunity
to give a statement no longer than three

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minutes. We will continue with those
seeking to be the Democratic candidate

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for district 1 for DuPage Forest
Preserve. All candidates running in a

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contested race were invited. The
candidates have agreed to abide by the

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rules set forth prior to this forum.
Uh, candidate Tina T T T T T T T T T T T

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T T T T T T T T T T D D D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

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D D D D D D D D D D,
you have your three minutes.

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» Good afternoon. My name is Tina Tyson
Dunn and I'm running for reelection as

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your District 2 Forest Preserve
Commissioner. I want to thank the League

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of Women Voters for giving me this
opportunity to connect with our

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residents. I am driven by a deep care
for people, our environment, and a

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steadfast commitment to protecting both.
Caring for others has always been second

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nature to me. As a child, I stood up to
bullies and stepped in when others

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turned away. Growing up a part of the
Chicago Chicago's Native American

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community, I was raised on the front
lines of activism, marching for

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indigenous rights before I was old
enough to fully understand their scope.

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But these roots helped grow and shape me
into someone who cannot stay silent in

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the face of injustice. Whether it's
environmental protection, human rights,

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or women's rights, I've always been
compelled to act. Today that resolved is

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focused on protecting environmental laws
from relentless attacks from out of our

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white house, safeguarding environmental
protections we have here in Illinois and

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being a voice to help strengthen those
laws when needed. And I am looking ahead

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as we are working on a new strategic
plan for our agency, ensuring our core

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mission, values, and visions hold true
to the road ahead. For the past five

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years, I've served as your forest
preserve district commissioner and dis

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forest preserve commissioner in district
2, earning the highest vote totals

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across all county board and forest
preserve districts. I've run competitive

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races in a district 30% larger than a
state house district twice. I am the

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first Democrat and the first woman to
hold this seat, the first Democratic

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woman to chair multiple meetings as
president promp, and I've served as our

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board treasurer since 2020. I'm not
afraid to work hard, knock doors, and

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engage voters directly because I know
they they always will put they know I

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will always put their interest first.
I've earned a bachelor's degree and two

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graduate degrees. I am a certified
master natural naturalist through the

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University of Illinois Extension program
and hold financial certifications.

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As a third generation Lombardian, I've
thrown myself into building democratic

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strength here in DuPage County. I've
served as an election judge, a precinct

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committee person, and past chair of York
Township Democratic Organization. All

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while running and winning my own two
running two of my own races as past

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president of Democratic Women of DuPage
County and past vice chair of community

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engagement for our county party. I've
continued to lead as an executive

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committee member at both the township
and county level. Local candidates know

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they can count on me for strategy,
support, and resources. And I take pride

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in helping them not just win, but
succeed once in office. This is not just

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politics for me. It's personal. It's
about honoring where I came from,

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protecting what we've built, and
fighting for the future we all deserve.

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To find out more about my campaign, you
can go to votina.org, and you can find

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me on both Facebook and Instagram.
Together, we can build a greener DUP

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page. Thank you so much.
>> Thank you. And now we will move on to

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the two candidates um for district 1.
They are Quinn Fulmer and Susan SMC. And

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we will they will each present a one
minute introductory statement. The order

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determined alphabetically by last name
within each ward. Then questions will be

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asked and each candidate will have one
minute to respond in alternating order.

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Closing statements will continue in
alpha rotation and will also be one

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minute. League of Women Voters of
Elmherst will keep time. Timekeepers,

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raise your hand.
And candidates will strictly adhere to

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the time limits. I will afford you the
opportunity to finish your sentence, but

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let's let's not go on to another
paragraph.

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Please notice the timers and when you
see the stop sign, as I said, you may

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finish your sentence. Okay, we will go
with candidate Fulmer with your one

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minute opening.
>> Thank you. I'm currently sitting on the

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Rosel School Desist 12 board and working
at Lake Park High School. I received my

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degree in wildlife ecology from the
University of Wisconsin Stevens Point

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and since then, I've really been putting
that degree to work. Not only have I

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been spearheading the habitat
restoration efforts at both of Lake

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Par's campuses, but I've also taken what
I've learned about soils and hydrarology

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to address some of the district's
flooding concerns by combining the

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natural policy or properties of the soil
with the ecology of our endangered

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wetland plants. Not only was I able to
solve the flooding problem and prevent

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costly property damage, but I was also
able to provide a biodiversity hotspot

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for some of the rarest plants on Earth.
Admittedly, I'm newer to the political

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landscape, but I'm not running to join a
political circle. I'm running to add a

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naturalist touch to a board of the
Forest Preserve that is already full of

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respected and accomplished
administrators.

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Thank you.
>> Thank you, Candidus.

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your opening.
>> Good afternoon and thank you to the

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League of Women Voters for hosting this
forum. My name is Susan Sment and I am

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running for DuPage County Forest
Preserve Commissioner District 1 because

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our forest preserves matter to our
families today and to future

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generations. I've spent more than 20
years working full-time in parks and

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recreation. I'm a certified parks and
recreation executive, an Illinois master

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naturalist, and I serve on the Elmherst
Park Board. I also manage the Glenn

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Ellen Parks Foundation and I'm the
treasurer of the Glenn Ellen Chamber of

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Commerce. For nearly 30 years, I've been
right here in our community listening,

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showing up, and helping turn ideas into
action. That includes creating new

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parks, replacing aging playgrounds, and
planning major new recreational

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facilities that people will use every
day. I'm running to protect and restore

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natural habitats, make sure our
preserves are safe, welcoming, and

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accessible for everyone, and to be a
responsible steward of public dollars. I

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believe I have a strong vision, clear
priorities, and the experience necessary

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to make things happen.
>> Thank you. First question, candidate

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cementic,
what do you see as the three top

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priorities within the forest preserve
district?

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The three top priorities that I see in
the forest preserve district are to

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continue with the master plans that they
have put in place and they are

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continuing to make future master plans
and those plans encompass encompass

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habitat restoration um accessibility
issues. Some of the things that are

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happening in the Heric Lake master plan
towards accessibility are really

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wonderful and I'm very excited about the
new building, the natural resources

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center and that we can be on the
forefront uh of sustainability showing

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that we can build things to a net zero
level. So restoration, safety,

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accessibility, continuing with plans and
you know being a leader in sustainable

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issues. Thank you.
Candidate Fulmer, same question. Three

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top priorities.
>> All right. Well, looking at the parks

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and preserves today, uh we do have quite
the issue with invasive species, which

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does also play into the accessibility
issue because in an area that is clogged

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out with invasives, you can't really
access it. You can't walk more than 2T

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into it. Additionally, I believe
education is another priority because

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when you have parks and preserves that
are clogged with invasives for so long,

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a lot of members of the public come to
expect that as how it's supposed to be.

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So when you finally do get around to,
you know, having a controlled burn or

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cutting down some of those invasive
trees, you'll find some backlash that,

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you know, if they had been educated, had
there been some signage out there

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previously, they would understand the
process of what's going on and not be so

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alarmed by, you know, having a fire in
your prairies or seeing big trees cut

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down.
>> Thank you.

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Next question. We'll start with
candidate Fulmer.

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Describe the opportunities you see to
continue green initiatives within the

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forest preserve system.
>> All right.

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So, we have plenty of endangered some
critically endangered wildflower species

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that can be found in DuPage County. For
example, one of them, the the cane malow

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is only found on one island. Um, we have
the opportunity here in Dwage County to

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bolster our efforts to protect these
endangered species and put them in

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accessible, visible spots for our
parkgoers to enjoy. Additionally,

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uh the removal of aquatic invasives such
as curly leaf pondweed and the Eurasian

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mil foil will also make our waterways
more accessible and advantageous to uh

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anglers and other people that are
looking to either have a relaxing day

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out on the water or feed their families.
>> Thank you, Kenned. Same question. Could

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you repeat the question? Sorry.
>> Describe the opportunities you see to

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continue green initiatives within the
forest preserve system.

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» Opportunities that we have taken
advantage of include uh solar energy

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project projects um and solar on our
golf courses for instance and the

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netzero building and the wildlife
center. So we have the opportunity to

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keep doing that with the natural
resources center. Um, I also am have

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been part of some stream restoration
projects here in Elmherst and was very

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excited to see the stream restoration
project at the Growi Dam, the dam go

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away. Uh, so as we continue to keep
restoring the waterways and the species

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that we are working to support,
including our freshwater muscles,

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cleaning up our water is a very high
priority for me.

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» Thank you, candidates. Mennec, how
should the Forest Preserve District

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solicit public input for its ongoing
projects?

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» The Forest Preserve District, I believe
they actually are really doing a great

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job of soliciting input. Right now, they
have a survey online that you can view

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the Heric Lake plans and you can go in
and comment. So, typical ways that

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districts and park districts will do
this, uh, public surveys, statistically

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valid surveys, promotion on social
media, on websites, postcards, mail to

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people who live within, uh, certain
amount of distance of those particular

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parks. So, I think that they're very
well geared to receive uh, lots of input

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on their projects.
>> Thank you. Can candidate Fulmer, same

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question. Might you repeat it, please?
>> How should the Forest Preserve District

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solicit public input for its ongoing
projects?

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» So, in addition to uh conducting surveys
and looking at the social media replies,

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I would plan to be the most visible
commissioner out in the parks

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themselves, talking with the people that
use them on a daily basis. Uh, I find

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that my career already lends to me being
out outside basically every day. And

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while you're out there, you encounter
people, whether they be fishing, whether

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they're hiking or walking their dogs,
and you can strike up a conversation

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with them, see what their thoughts are
on the ground over what's happening with

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their parks. because at the end of the
day, the people that are out in the

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parks are going to have the strongest
voices about them. Thank you.

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Next question.

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Candidate Fulmer, please address the
opportunities for volunteers within the

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Forest Preserve District.

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Well, uh, off the top of my head, I am
aware that they have a fantastic

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breeding bird survey program where
volunteers go around and conduct citizen

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science amongst our preserves, seeing
what species of birds are nesting in our

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wetlands, prairies, and forests. And
through that, we gather valuable

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information to see if our restoration
efforts are indeed working.

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uh because if we don't have those eyes
out in the field,

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we don't really have that great of an
idea of what's going on. Additionally,

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uh I am aware that there are plenty of
litter pickups, uh highway adopt a

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highway programs, uh in which you're
able to go out and pick up and beautify

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the environment.
Thank you.

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» Thank you.
Candidate Semantic, same question.

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» Uh, volunteer opportunities that do
exist include signups to um clear uh

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invasives from the parks, from the
preserves. The friends of the forest and

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the other nonfor-profit groups that are
associated often have sign up uh for

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park cleanup, the trail cleanup, the
depage river sweep days. There are also

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citizen science projects that people can
take part in if they want to do a a

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short but fun project. Uh where I work,
we have a project uh I work in Glenn

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Ellen and our natural resources
department that I'm part of has a a

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volunteer signup thing that we call
habitat heroes. Uh where people can help

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us keep track of pollinators and bees
and monarch butterflies and do bird

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watching walks. Uh so I think we have
lots of opportunity to advertise to get

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people involved if they would like to
volunteer.

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» Thank you.
>> Candidate Cementic, how will you protect

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the wetlands in DuPage County?
>> That's a really big uh issue for one

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person to tackle.
How can I personally in a minute

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» I know in a minute. Um well, as we all
know, the wetlands and our watershed

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areas are critically important to us.
And one of the things that the forest

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preserve is doing uh besides the dam
removal and the stream restoration

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projects is the freshwater muscles um
project. And I would just be an advocate

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for reducing runoff. Uh where I also
where I work, the runoff prevents a lot

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of the water from freezing. So people
that are used to saying, "Hey, we always

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ice skated on that pond. The ponds don't
freeze." So working with local

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municipalities to see if we can do
things to be salt smart, uh to educate

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the consumers about what you're
releasing into the waterways and to just

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stand for strong environmental
protections legally.

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» Thank you. Candidate Pulmer, same
question.

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looking at a lot of the wetlands within
the forest preserve district,

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specifically one close to where I live
and work. Uh the Madina wetlands are

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currently a pretty neglected portion of
forest preserve property. But if you

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take a look at what's actually growing
there, most of it is invasive, but it's

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not long established invasive. Most of
it is less than that big in diameter and

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could easily be removed with a pair of
loopers. And going off of the previous

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questions about uh volunteer invasive
removal,

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uh Lake Park High School has plenty of
volunteer opportunities. We have days of

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action. We have uh civics in action
where service hours are required. Uh

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perhaps the Forest Preserve could foster
relationships with uh educational

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foundations and other local
organizations like the Boy Scout troops

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to get some of our volunteer labor out
there and put a big dent in our

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problems. Thank you.
>> Thank you.

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Next question. The Forest Preserve
District recently had its first

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referendum to increase funding in many
years. What projects will you

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uh want to see initiated to use these
funds and what should the priorities be?

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Kind of a two
>> okay

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» point thing.

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» Well, from what I've gathered, the uh
increase was 5%.

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And the
increase in expenses is also expected to

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rise 5%. Which, you know, kind of
cancels out. But looking at the master

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plan that has been approved, uh I think
that the Maple Meadows golf course

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improvement would take priority because
not only is the forest preserve property

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enhanced, but you're also solving a
residential flooding issue and providing

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habitat for wetland plants and animals
at the same time. Everybody wins with

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this project.
Thank you. Candidate Smantic. Same

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question.
>> One thing that we that that what a board

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does is
manage an executive director who manages

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staff. And one of the great things that
the passing of that referendum allows

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the Forest Preserve District to do is to
hire and maintain retain the best

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employees that manage our parks and run
the facilities and treat the wildlife.

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And so just having that referendum money
to help support staff with salaries and

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benefits is a great thing. Um and then
because I do live in District One, I

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also agree with Mr. Fulmer that the next
great project, especially in our

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district, that I would like to see move
forward is plans for the Maple Meadow

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Golf Course to turn it into the same
kind of golf preserve that we already

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enjoy at Oak Meadows.
>> Thank you.

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What is one of your favorite forest
preserves in DuPage County? Kennedy.

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Okay, when you ask this question, this
is like asking a parent, which one of

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your kids is your favorite? So, um I I I
I would say that my current favorite

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forest preserve or my children, two out
of three of my kids would say Blackwell

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because they like to kayak and tube down
Mount Hoy, but my favorite one right now

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is Wooddale Grove. And that is because
the people in that neighborhood, there

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are lots of higher density housing
around it. And this really is a place

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where a lot of people in that
neighborhood, they're picnicking. If you

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go for a walk there on a weekend, you
will see family picnics and people just,

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you know, playing frisbee and fishing
and walking the paths. But the last time

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I was there, there was a gender reveal
party and it's a boy. Uh, so I just

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really I have that really fond memory
now of being at the Wooddale Grove.

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» Thank you. Candidate Fulmer,
favorite forest preserve.

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» Again, that is a hard question, but I do
have an answer because there is one

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forest preserve in District 1 that I
have a closer connection to than none

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other. That being Mechum Grove. Uh if
you look back in time at the maps from

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the 1860s, you will see that the
original forest that the Meechum Grove

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woods is still a part of uh was
connected to part of the woods that I

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managed today. That being the Lake Park
East Campus Woods. Uh and then through

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development and
uh isolation, they got separated. But

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for the last 5 years now, I've been on
the ground restoring that section of

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woods that was originally part of the
same forest. And in that time, I've been

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able to see the animals come back, see
the pollinators rebound, and we're even

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getting some pretty hard species to
find, like the eastern whipperwill made

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a comeback last year, and that was
pretty interesting to see. So, I got a

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pretty deep connection to that land.
Thank you.

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Last question.
What makes you qualified to run for this

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office? And I want you to expand a
little bit on what you said in your

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opening statement,
>> Ken Fulmer.

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» Well, uh, I come with a specialist
naturalist touch. Uh, I've been managing

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species specific wildlife plans for 11
years now across nine states with proven

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results. Uh, additionally, I've been
serving on the District 12 school board

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overseeing their multi-million dollar
budget which has been balanced.

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Uh with that being said,
this time

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uh at this point in time, many of our
local species are in population

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freefall. And with my experience in
wildlife management, seeing these

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species come back to areas that were
previously invasive, silent, and

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lifeless, I think that I would be able
to uh bring a positive net benefit to

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all the residents of DuPage County with
healthier, more biodiverse ecosystems.

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Thank you.
>> Thank you, candidates.

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Through my excuse me through my
experience, education and activities, I

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do possess a knowledge about local
governmental agencies, ecosystems

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natives to Illinois, listening to and
responding to residents, planning,

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budgets, policies, bid processes,
legislative initiatives, program and

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fiscal accessibility,
board functions, and community

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relations. As I said before, I work
professionally in the parks and

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recreation industry and I am responsible
for a large fundraising initiative in

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Glenn Ellen to provide a brand new park
in their downtown. Here in Elmherst, as

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a board commissioner, I helped us pass a
referendum to provide new facilities. Uh

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we have opened two new parks without any
additional funding. We have also

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successfully uh I have personally
through my work and my commissioner

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duties successfully written and managed
OLAD grants, DECO grants um and also I

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used to work in nonforprofit arts and so
the National Endowment for the Arts is

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another grant that I'm used to running.
Um so thank you.

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» Thank you
those evil timekeepers.

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» That was the end of my sentence so it
was

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» sorry. Okay, now we go to your closing
statement and we will start with Miss

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Candidate Cementic.
>> Thank you again to the League of Women

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Voters for hosting this forum and to
everyone who's taking time today to be

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engaged in this conversation. My love of
nature is lifelong and it began early in

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family camping trips. And today, as a
mom of three, it is deeply personal. I

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want our natural spaces to be protected
and cared for, not just for today, but

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for the legacy that we leave behind.
This race isn't about one community over

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another. We are one district in one
county. And our forest preserves connect

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all of us. That's why my priorities are
to champion land conservation and

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habitat restoration, enhance safe and
accessible recreational opportunities,

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and lead with sustainable operations and
fiscally responsible stewardship. I am a

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relationship builder. I listen. I
collaborate. I bring people together to

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move good ideas forward. I believe that
I'm the best candidate because I bring

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experience, passion, and a clear vision
for our forest preserves. I invite you

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to join me in that vision with your
vote. Thank you.

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» Thank you, Candidate Filmer. You're
closing.

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Right. We've talked a lot today about
policies and years in service, but more

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than that, we're talking about the
legacy of Dwage County. The forest

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preserves are the lungs of our county.
It's where our children might see their

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first bald eagle. It's where our
families go to picnic and unwind on the

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weekends.
And critically, they serve as a crucial

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first line of defense against natural
disasters like flooding. I see our

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preserves as more than a line item on a
budget. I see them as a promise to the

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future. I'm running so that 50 years
from now, our kids can go out and see a

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00:28:19,919 --> 00:28:27,840
greener, healthier, more resilient park
system than we have today. I'm not a

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00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:32,399
career politician, but I am a career
conservationist with 11 years of

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00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:37,840
fieldproven results.
I'm asking for your vote to be your

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independent voice, your field
naturalist, and your watchdog for our

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public lands and our tax dollars. Let's
build a greener due page of tomorrow

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00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:52,799
together. Thank you.
>> Thank you.

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00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:57,200
Our time is up. For more information,
please visit the nonpartisan voter

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00:28:55,039 --> 00:29:02,240
guide, vote411.org,
org the candidates websites as well as

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00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:09,039
the League of Women Voters of Elmherst
website. Your participation as a

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00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:14,159
candidate and as a voter is essential to
preserving doc democracy that we hold

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00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:20,080
dear. Please remember to vote on or
before March 17th as one vote can decide

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00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:25,240
the election and that vote could be
yours. Let's give the candidates a round

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00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,240
of applause.