More access to forest preserves

I am disappointed to see that the Daily Herald endorsed the incumbent for District 6 DuPage County Forest Preserve Commissioner. As a 23 year resident of DuPage, I know how important the forest preserve is to the residents.

When we moved to Warrenville in 1984 I was 10 years old. We had moved from Cook County and I was very excited about all the promises of the Blackwell Forest Preserve; swimming at Silver Lake Beach, tubing on the hill, renting boats and fishing on the lakes. Unfortunately, most of those things were not readily available until after I moved in 2000.

Now, as a resident of Bartlett, since 2002, I am in between Hawk Hollow and Mallard Lake forest preserves. Again, many promises of the forest preserve's accessibility are left unfulfilled. In Hawk Hollow, much of the boating access is closed off, and many of the entrances to the forest preserve are closed whenever I drive past.

Al Murphy, candidate for District 6, understands people would like to have access to the forest preserves that their tax dollars are paying for. Al has talked about possibly allowing baseball and softball fields to be built on some of the more than 26,000 acres the forest preserve already owns, as well as making access for families a number one priority. He plans to develop more trails, bike paths and access points.

Al is an alderman in West Chicago, as well as owner of Ace Hardware in West Chicago. He is fiscally responsible with his businesses dollars, as well as the taxpayers dollars in West Chicago. He has promised to give the people of DuPage County more access to the forest preserve, and more access to their commissioner.

Frank Napolitano

Bartlett