Our choices for Lake County Board seats

District 2, GOP: HewittDiane Hewitt, Mark Stricklin and Beverly Stackhouse-Mull are on the Democratic ballot. Stricklin is a dedicated environmentalist who wants to preserve county forests and space, even at the cost of recreational offerings. Stackhouse-Mull has provided no details about her position on issues. Hewitt, the incumbent, has a grasp of county business and priorities.District 3, GOP: NewtonJim Newton was appointed to the county board to fill a vacancy last year and, as a reporter, covered the county for years prior. He has a strong understanding of the issues, and a realistic approach regarding what can be done about them. We don't get the same sense from his opponents in the Republican primary, small government advocate Tom Weber and former board member James Creighton Mitchell. District 6, Democrat: CareyPat Carey of Grayslake is a knowledgeable and hardworking four-year incumbent whose commitment to the environment goes hand-in-hand with her priorities of creating jobs and improving transportation. The longtime former Grayslake mayor is challenged in the Democratic primary by Eric Lake of Grayslake, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to harassing then-Grayslake mayor Timothy Perry. Lake did not provide information about his candidacy. District 13, Democrat: Hart Three credible candidates are competing in the primary: Robert Glueckert of Grayslake, Sandra Hart of Lake Bluff and Anthony Soler of Waukegan. Hart stands out for her civic involvement, recently as a member of the Lake County Forest Preserve District's Fort Sheridan advisory committee. District 13, GOP: LesserFormer state representative and senator David Barkhausen and attorney Rick Lesser served together on the Lake Bluff Village Board, but now are opponents in a heated primary race. Both have plenty to offer, but we give the edge to Lesser, who focuses on the bottom line and has some ideas worth investigating, such as consolidating sheriff's and forest preserve police patrols. District 15, GOP: CalabresaDan Donahue is challenging incumbent Carol Calabresa because, he says, veterans get too comfortable, and he disagrees with how Calabresa worked with Libertyville on the Lake County campus. We don't quite understand his issue with the campus. Questioning whether Calabresa has held office too long, a quarter-century, is fair, but Donahue seems like a one-issue candidate. Calabresa is still full of ideas. District 16, GOP: CarboneMichael Carbone and Rene Hernandez are the Republican contenders. Hernandez has done his homework and pledges to dedicate himself full time to the district. Carbone has made news on the Grayslake District 46 school board and wants to bring his experience to the county board. Both are rough around the edges, but Carbone's experience gets him our endorsement. District 17, GOP: QuickDan Quick, Nick Sauer and Mary Schorr are on the Republican primary ballot. Schorr is a construction company controller interested in auditing the budget and road projects. Sauer is an impressive, self-described #8220;Alex P. Keaton#8221; with a thorough knowledge of the district. Quick is the former police chief and village administrator of Wauconda who has a thorough knowledge of the district and the most experience in getting things done. District 21, GOP: MaineRobert Haraden and Douglas Bennett challenge incumbent Ann Maine. Haraden wants conservative spending, and stronger support for the Route 53 extension. Bennett backs pension reform and fiscal responsibility. Maine has shown she is a hardworking, prepared board member. She touts county board work to reduce costs and maintain its AAA bond rating.