BURGESS - SAUK VILLAGE PERSON OF THE YEAR 2013

DERRICK N. BURGESS

By Joseph Wiszowaty

SAUK VILLAGE |  Picking the 2013 person of the Year was actually pretty easy this year.   I could think of no other who has been consistently putting the residents of Sauk Village first.  This individual has lived in Sauk Village for over 30 years and has demonstrated his love for his hometown.  Volunteering and working in Community events since the 1980s.

Village Trustee Derrick Burgess has been consistent in his arguments against the nonsense of Lewis Towers and thus far has been the only Village Trustee to have the testicular fortitude to question the current administration.   Burgess has been consistent, honest and true.  I only wish I could say that about his colleagues who have been anything but consistent and do not hold this administration accountable for much of anything.

Burgess ran unsuccessfully for Mayor in April splitting the Africian-American vote between two other    Burgess is not a racist man and is willing to work with anyone who wants to move the Village beyond the point where it finds itself today.  I strongly felt that Burgess was the better person for the job of Mayor and  I’m even more convinced he was today than ever.  But, the election is over, Burgess is running for nothing and serves the people of Sauk Village selflessly which he was elected to do.

African-American candidates while garnering some of the white vote, which his other two opponents were not able to do.

BURGESS STANDING UP
while others SAT DOWN!

Burgess a Catholic, and member of St. James Catholic Church in Sauk Village, is a man of faith who believes in God and His son Jesus Christ.  Burgess holds fast to his Faith which has built this man to what he is today.  He is an honest and descent man and I can think of no one more worthy of such an honor than to be named Sauk Village’s Person of the Year 2013!

CLEANING UP BEFORE IT WAS POPULAR

Some others that were considered for Person of the Year, in no particular order, were Sauk Village Police Chief Timothy Holevis,  Marva Campbell-Pruitt former Chairperson of the Beautification Committee and Human Relations Commission, Sauk Village K-9 Officer Seth Brown,  long-time resident Judy Cast President of the People Looking for Answers Now, long-time resident Nathan Griffin President of the Sauk Village Citizens for Public Awareness and finally Pastor John Pitts of Holy Praise Tabernacle Church of God in Christ.  Each of these individuals contributed to something positive in 2013 and I’m confident will do so once again in 2014.