http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/1...8e323945296.txtQUOTE
Dems take At-Large council seats
By Amanda Jacobson
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 5:09 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — Three Democratic candidates for Common Council At-Large seats swept the polls Tuesday, but both parties agreed a rainy day was something they could have done without.
Democrats Tim Bietry, incumbent Joe Doyle and Don Przybylinski won the three At-Large spots, with Republican Brian Schroll failing to capture a seat. Bietry, Doyle and Przybylinski each received almost 30 percent of the public’s vote.
Bietry earned 27.19 percent of the vote with 3,197 votes, Doyle earned 3,086 votes or 26.25 percent of the vote and Przybylinski garnered the highest voter loyalty with 29.59 percent of the vote, or 3,479 votes.
Schroll earned 1,994 votes, saying he felt he did well against his well-known opponents. He said the weather probably did not help anyone’s chances Tuesday, and noticed voters were slow getting to the polls because of the rain.
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“It was an uphill battle, and I knew it was going to be tough,” Schroll said. “But I enjoyed it. Win or lose, I know I did it my way.”
Schroll said he is thinking about running again in the future, but knows it will be difficult in a mainly Democratic area such as Michigan City.
Doyle said he was pleased to be elected as part of the At-Large group and thinks “a lot of good people” ran and will work together in the coming years toward making Michigan City a better place to live.
“I have no hidden agendas,” he said. “I try to do my best and I stay with the facts. And I always try to think outside the box.”
Przybylinski said his campaign workers and committee members helped him get his name noticed. He plans to work closely with the other At-Large members.
Przybylinski added he was not “overly confident” going into the election Tuesday, but did feel pretty good about his chances due to the amount of positive feedback he received in the primary.
“I’ve gotten a great response from citizens and from my door-to-door campaigning,” he said. “And through the hard work and effort of my campaign committee and all the great folks who helped me along the way, all this came into a reality.”
Bietry was unavailable for comment Tuesday night.
http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/1...4c823778447.txtQUOTE
Murphy dominates First Ward race
By Deborah Sederberg
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 5:09 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — The First Ward Common Council race was a significant victory for Democratic incumbent Richard Murphy, who garnered 75.82 percent of the votes to Republican Kevin Walsh’s 24.18 percent.
Murphy could not say exactly how many doors he knocked on during the campaign, “but I wore out two pairs of shoes.
“I said when we kicked off the campaign in March, so many people of the First Ward are interested in better neighborhoods and in revitalization of downtown.”
Throughout his campaign, he said, he met people who repeated those interests to him.
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“I can’t tell you how many people told me, ‘We need to have better neighborhoods for our children and our families.’”
Better neighborhoods would attract economic development, Murphy said during the campaign.
Walsh said Tuesday night he was surprised and disappointed to see such a low voter turnout.
“It will be interesting to watch Michigan City with the new faces in City Hall,” he added.
During the campaign, Walsh and Murphy differed on several issues.
One was whether the city should operate the former YMCA building. Murphy was cautious about his position, but said, “I’m open to the idea that there is a need in the community for a place where children and adults can exercise,” he told The News-Dispatch.
Walsh was unequivocally opposed to such a move.
“That is one of the more foolish things I’ve heard,” Walsh said. “We should not be in the physical fitness business. Why would we want to go into competition with the businesses here that already provide that?”
Walsh thought it would be a good idea for the city to accept the YMCA property as a gift to “get it back on the tax rolls.”
On election night, Walsh said, “I wish Rich Murphy the best. We have to be optimistic.”
Murphy encouraged First Ward residents to keep in touch with him.
“The First Ward knows where it’s going, and they have the vision, the people and the passion to get there,” Murphy added.