Vote Papantos, Vito and Vogel for trustee

Those of us who pay attention to Wheeling issues know it's no secret the village board does not want Mary Papantos elected to the board. Mary, a regular at VP, Plan Commission and airport meetings will tell you what she does and does not like and the reasons why.

The other candidates are Joe Vito, Dave Vogel and Ray Lang. I believe Joe is a fiscal conservative who maybe will be a watchdog as to how the village spends tax money.

I see no reason to vote for Ray Lang. Lang was chairman of the plan commission, yet after his election to the VB went against the entire commission and voted to allow the Stella's gambling business to locate in a shopping center adjacent to a residential neighborhood two blocks from a grade school. He never believed residents on Center Avenue had problems with a shopping center's employees parking in front of their homes.

His appointment to the Chicago Executive Airport board presents problems. He did not notify the VB of a contract giving a substantial bonus to Charlie Priester to develop a master plan for the airport, including a runway expansion and securing federal and state funds for its construction.

Maybe he wasn't legally required to notify the VB, but out of courtesy he should have. Priester is a member of the family who sold the airport, and his family still owns a large hangar. Sounds like conflict of interest to me.

Wheeling President Argiris and Prospect Heights Mayor Helmer have said publicly they do not support an extension and that it's off the table. However it's clear that Lang, who has ambitions to be village president, still favors it. That's pretty frightening to those of us living in Old Town Wheeling.

I urge all residents to join me in voting for Mary Papantos, Joe Vito and Dave Vogel.

Christine Dolgopol

Wheeling