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Two file as Libertyville board write-in candidates

A shortage of candidates for available seats on the Libertyville village board has been erased with the addition of two write-in hopefuls.

Retired business executive Peter Garrity and Angela Trillhaase, an IBM executive, who served a short time as a Mundelein trustee, said Saturday they have filed paperwork with the Lake County clerk's office to be included on the ballot.

That makes it a contested race with four candidates running for three, 4-year terms on the board. Incumbents Donna Johnson and Scott Adams, who was appointed last August to fill a vacancy, also are running. Trustee Drew Cullum is not seeking re-election.

Garrity, 66, has lived in Libertyville for 32 years and recently retired from Snap-on Inc., where he held a variety of positions, including national service director for the equipment division. He also is an elected member of the Northern Illinois University alumni board.

He has not run for elected office but for two years he was a member of the Brainerd executive committee, which unsuccessfully advocated converting the former Libertyville High School into a community center. Voters last March soundly rejected a tax increase for that purpose and the building is being demolished.

"That ended, so I've been looking for other things to do to get involved in the community," Garrity said.

"I've tried to spend some time making sure I understand enough about the role and commitment that I'm comfortable putting my name out there," he added.

Trillhaase, 53, has lived in Libertyville about seven years. She attributed her run to "timing" as both daughters are out of the house and her husband works a 3 to 11 p.m. shift.

"I think it's a great town. I don't have any major complaints," she said. "When I found out only two people had filed and there were three openings, I felt it would be good if someone else would run."

Trillhaase was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Mundelein village board in July 1996. She opted not to run for the seat in March 1997 because of a job promotion.

"No major issues or anything like that," she said of the write-in campaign. "All the stars aligned."

Garrity worked with Adams on the Brainerd issue and has his backing, as well as that of Mayor Terry Weppler and former Mayor Duane Laska. Weppler said Saturday that six people approached him for the appointment last August that went to Adams but none of the others decided to run for trustee in April.

"When we didn't have a third person apply, we wanted to find someone we thought would be a good trustee," he said.

Garrity cited downtown parking and reducing the debt of the Libertyville Sports Complex as concerns.

Angela Trillhaase
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