Term limits in Elgin? That's called voting

If you can't laugh at yourself, then who can you laugh at?

Well, Robert Gilliam, the longest serving member currently on the Elgin City Council, having been first elected in 1973, had a little chuckle last week at the first candidate forum leading up to April's election.

The question of term limits was posed to six people running for an open two-year city council seat. The post was vacated last year when Mike Powers resigned.

Gilliam was an audience member at the Association For Legal Americans forum. Gilliam, who is seeking a four-year seat, smiled a bit when the question was posed.

For the record, candidate Al Fernandez said he was a "huge proponent" of term limits.

Candidates Mike Robins, Brenda Rodgers, Charlene Sligting and Mike Warren said they were undecided but would move in that direction if the community wanted limits.

"If we had strong effective leadership, I'd hate to push them off because of term limits," Warren said.

Candidate Emi Morales opposes terms limits.

"That's left to voters," she said. "If you don't think someone's doing their job, that's why you have the opportunity to vote."

Three other forums have been scheduled between now and the Feb. 24 primary, which will narrow the field from six to four.

The forums, and their sponsoring organizations, are: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4, American Legion Hall, 820 N. Liberty St., by the Elgin Jaycees; 7 p.m. Feb. 5, First Presbyterian Church, 240 Standish St., by the Near West Neighbors Association; and 2 p.m. Feb. 15, Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., by the League of Women Voters.

The April 7 election will decide the two-year seat along with three, four-year seats on the council.

Lend a hand: For those of you who missed last weekend's fundraiser for Marc Guttke, a Hampshire man whose legs were crushed by a sport utility vehicle Nov. 21 in a Huntley crash, there is still time to help.

Donations may be marked "For Marc Guttke" and sent to Chase Bank, attn.: Andrew Meyers/Account 807130729, 500 N. Shady Oaks Drive, Elgin, IL 60120.

Guttke had nine surgeries and one leg amputated before returning home on Dec. 10 to his wife and 2-year-old daughter.

Way to multitask: A Fox Valley man and his son recently made the most of a trip to the East Coast.

Gary Brummel, a Batavia resident, and his 10-year-old son, Nick, drove to Pennsylvania and took a train from Maryland into Washington on Inauguration Day.

But on the way there, they stopped in Canton, Ohio, to visit the football hall of fame.

Like the guys in the Guinness commercial say, "Brilliant!"

The pair went to Grant Park on Nov. 4 and Brummel said it's important to see history in Washington, even if it's on a jumbotron along the National Mall.

"It's obviously historic," Brummel said. "When (Nick) is older, he could say 'I was there.' He can tell his kids about it."