April 28, 2005: Headlines: COS - Solomon Islands: City Government: Beacon News: Solomon Islands RPCV Tom Weisner sworn in as mayor - Vows to make inclusiveness hallmark of his administration
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April 28, 2005: Headlines: COS - Solomon Islands: City Government: Beacon News: Solomon Islands RPCV Tom Weisner sworn in as mayor - Vows to make inclusiveness hallmark of his administration
Solomon Islands RPCV Tom Weisner sworn in as mayor - Vows to make inclusiveness hallmark of his administration
Solomon Islands RPCV Tom Weisner sworn in as mayor - Vows to make inclusiveness hallmark of his administration
Weisner sworn in as mayor
Vows to make inclusiveness hallmark of his administration
By Ed Fanselow
Beacon News
Chicago, Ill.
April 28, 2005
AURORA - Before an enthusiastic crowd of more than 300 supporters, friends, family members and assorted local luminaries, Thomas J. Weisner was sworn as Aurora's fifty-sixth mayor Tuesday evening, vowing to make inclusiveness the hallmark of his administration.
Noting the diverse makeup of the audience before him - men and women, whites, blacks, Hispanics, East Siders and West Siders - Weisner promised them that "everyone in this community will have a seat at the table of government."
"Everyone will have a voice in the future of this city," he said emphatically.
The new mayor was administered the oath of office by Kane County Judge Judith Brawka, surrounded by his wife, Marilyn; his son, Thaddeus; his mother-in-law, Marge Hogan, and his 80-year-old mother, Cassie.
A dozen or so other relatives, who came from as far away as San Diego and Naples, Fla., lined the first few rows of seats.
During a brief speech that preceded a reception later in the evening at the North Island Center, Weisner said he considers himself "an exceedingly lucky man."
"It's not the title," he said. "It's the fact that you've entrusted the next four years of this community to my hands."
He also took time to pay tribute to those who went before him, mentioning by name former mayors Paul Egan, Al McCoy, Jack Hill, David Pierce and David Stover.
"I am just one in a very long line, and I hope I will be a credit to them," he said. "I am honored to follow all of these men."
Although much has been made of a supposed rift between Weisner and Stover - who did not attend the swearing-in ceremony - Weisner called his predecessor "a man from whom I learned a whole lot and who I appreciate very much."
Weisner also harkened back to his days more than 20 years ago as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Solomon Islands, saying that the evening reminded him of the day he left the islands' natives to return home to Aurora.
Just like the people in the rain forests, Weisner said he has "heard people in this community wonder whether or not our future can be a great one.
"I am here to tell you that our future is unlimited and that we can accomplish anything that we want to achieve."
The ceremony also featured the swearing-in of incumbent Aldermen Leroy Keith, Lynda Elmore, Scheketa Hart-Burns and Bob O'Connor in addition to newcomers Rick Lawrence and Juany Garza.
Garza, the city council's first Hispanic woman, promised to be an advocate for "the very young and very old" and said she hopes she can be a role model to the many young Latinas here in Aurora.
She takes her seat, though, under a cloud of uncertainty, with an appeal of her election day victory over incumbent David Marquez still pending in Illinois Appellate Court.
Garza won 220 votes as the 2nd Ward's lone aldermanic candidate after successfully petitioning to have Marquez's name thrown off the April 5 ballot on a technicality.
Marquez, though, garnered write-in votes (387 were cast, presumably for him) but is still awaiting a decision as to whether those ballots will be counted since he filed as a certified write-in candidate one day after the deadline.
In brief remarks, Marquez left the door open for his return should the court rule in his favor but lamented that, up to this point, "the voice and will of the people have been silenced."
The new council is scheduled to meet together for the first time next Tuesday.
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Story Source: Beacon News
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