Elections bring changes for everyone

This is my last column item until the April 7 election, and I'm prepared for the possibility of changes on my ever-expanding beat.

The election results affect whom I get to work with and cover in Bartlett, Hoffman Estates, Streamwood and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211.

Everyone has a different style to work with, and hopefully I can make a few suggestions and adapt at the same time.

An example of this is Bartlett police Sgt. Michael McGuigan who's announced he'll be returning to the patrol division in May and end his tour as Bartlett's public information officer.

McGuigan e-mails police releases and deals with reporters on the phone. He's done this since I started at the paper in 2004, and we've reached a level of comfort. He knows what questions I'm going to ask, and I often know how he's going to answer.

When Sgt. Geoff Pretkalis replaces him, the two of us will have relearn what works and what doesn't. I realize that sometimes police can't release information to the press in a way that satisfies our desires and deadlines, but Sgt. McGuigan has certainly proven himself and made Bartlett one of the better police departments to work with. Yes, sometimes it's even been fun.

The same thing goes for those in elected office: You get used to what works and what doesn't, and as long as I get the stories to the readers quickly and accurately, I'm a happy camper. So good luck to all, and to those who manage to win, I'll be talking to you soon.