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Dolton board appoints first black trusteeActing president says move reflects town’s integrationBy Roger PhillipsDolton Board of Trustees Tuesday night unanimously approved the appointment of Ronnie C. Lewis to fill the vacancy of former Trustee Daniel Olofsson who resigned last week.Lewis is the first ever black trusteein Dolton’s history.Trustee Mark Myers, who served as president pro tern in Mayor J. Michael Peck’s absence, said that Lewis’s appointment “reflects that Dolton is an integrated community.”According to 1990 U.S. census figures, Dolton’s population is 38 percent black.Myers said that the installation of Lewis was not racially motivated because the mayor has been “very receptive to the African-American Community.”Lewis said he will be a trustee of all of the people and will not represent one race.“I don’t want people to look at me and say, ‘Oh, here is the new blacktrustee.’” Lewis said, “I want them to say, ‘Here is the new trustee of Dolton.’”Lewis was instrumental in forming the Homeowners Association of Dolton 14 years ago, a group he said that is committed to “solving problems in Dolton.” The organization has 200 Dolton homeowners as members. In the past, the association pushed previous administrations to hire the first black police officer and to institute sensitivity training to the force on black community concerns.‘‘Race relations have improved. Nobody is driving across my lawn or breaking my windows anymore.” Lewis said, “There is more sensitivity in the people here and those who couldn’t take it (blacks moving in) left.Lewis did admit the association, of which he is vice president, has been pushing Peck to appoint a black trustee since rumors of Olosson’s res-■ See TRUSTEE, Page A-2
Newspaper Details
South Holland Star
South Holland, Illinois, US
Thu, Aug 08, 1991
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Patuxent R.
AL, USA 25 Feb 2025
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