Endorsements: Semple, Nutschnig, Abernathy for Mundelein village board

The Mundelein village board race for three open 4-year seats features two longtime incumbents who offer a solid mix of experience and four newcomers who bring a fresh perspective to local government. Each brings professional skills and community involvement to give voters good choices on April 9. Incumbents Ray Semple, a national account representative, and Jim Nutschnig, a retired sales executive, are joined in the race by former business owner Dawn Abernathy, attorney Kerry Garesche, retired law enforcement officer Greg Jacobs, marketing and communications manager Holly Kim and engineer Alex Kvasnicka. Semple, Nutschnig and Garesche are running on a slate. All the candidates say their highest priorities are attracting new businesses to fill vacant storefronts, pushing forward with downtown redevelopment and increasing street repairs. We give the nod to Semple and Nutschnig because of their work that helping the village board build the foundation for the downtown plan and take proactive measures to weather the economic downturn. Both are significant efforts. Abernathy is endorsed because her experience and knowledge as a longtime downtown business owner should provide valuable insight there.