Endorsements: Spyropoulos, Capparelli, Morina for six-year term on MWRD board

Many of us in the suburbs - especially those living along the Des Plaines River - have been victims of flooding.

It seems like 100-year-storms are nearly an every-other-year occurrence.

Among other duties, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is charged with making sure all that water stays out of our basements.

Six Democrats are running to fill three 6-year-terms on the agency's board.

Incumbents Mariyana Spyropoulos and Barbara McGowan are running for re-election along with challengers R. Cary Capparelli, Joseph Cook, Kevin McDevitt and Josina Morita.

Current board President Spyropoulos was appointed to the board in 2009 by then-Gov. Pat Quinn and won the seat in 2010. Spyropoulos has made it a priority to continue the district's work on disinfecting water and complete the district's stormwater master plan.

A resident of Skokie, Morita would bring a suburban voice to a board dominated by Chicago. Her background in urban planning and work on the Skokie plan commission would be useful.

Capparelli supports changing the board's makeup from at-large representation to district representation. He's also served on the Illinois International Port District Board.

Cook currently works as a senior attorney for the MWRD.

McDevitt is retired after working for the MWRD for 25 years.

McGowan is a three-term incumbent, and is currently the board vice president.

We endorse Spyropoulos and Morita for two of the seats. For the third seat, we endorse Capparelli, who we feel could be an independent voice on the board.