County board candidate hosting coffee chat By Jeff Zachary November 14, 2003       Lakeland Newspapers

Bryan Gutraj, candidate for Lake County Board District 6, will host a coffee chat at Something's Brewing on Monday, Nov. at 17 at 7 p.m. Something's Brewing is located at 1126 E. Washington St. in Grayslake, across from the College of Lake County. Gutraj's campaign will provide complimentary coffee and goodies to all attendees while Gutraj discusses his background. Gutraj announced in October that he would seek the Republican nomination for Lake County Board District 6, which encompasses parts of Grayslake, Gurnee, Round Lake Park, and Third Lake. As a certified public accountant, Gutraj said he hopes to bring common sense and financial responsibility to the board. Among the issues he will tackle are traffic congestion, intergovernmental cooperation and diversification of the tax base to include more commercial and light industrial properties. Commenting on the upcoming coffee chat, Gutraj said, "Something's Brewing is a small, intimate venue that will allow me to mingle with residents and discuss their concerns and my background. As I have been canvassing the district collecting signatures for my petition, there has been a lot of excitement to see a fresh face making a run for County Board and a lot of enthusiasm about my campaign." Having been born and raised in central Lake County, Gutraj is a life-long Republican and began serving as a precinct committeeman at the age of 18. During the last 10 years, Gutraj has worked on various campaigns, from the Lake County Courthouse to the halls of Congress. Gutraj will challenge incumbent Don Bauer of Round Lake Park for the Republican nomination. Bauer, 69, is the husband of Round Lake Park Mayor Ila Bauer and served on the Round Lake Park Zoning Board of Appeals in the late '60s and early '70s and was elected to the village board in 1972. After that, Bauer served as an Avon Township trustee for more than 12 years before being elected to the county board.