The silence has been broken.
Brent Ritzel, lead coordinator of the effort to restore the Buckminster Fuller Dome Home and Green Party activist, confirmed Monday he intends to run for Mayor of Carbondale.
Of all the names mentioned and speculation over the past several weeks, Ritzel is the first to formally confirm he is serious about running for the chair to be left vacant by Brad Cole next year.
Speculation continues to surround City Council members Joel Fritzler and Steven Haynes, former SIU trustee and interim Chancellor Sam Goldman and Marilyn James, the city’s last community relations manager before the position was merged into another department.
Ritzel said via Facebook message he is still outlining his platform, but details should be finalized this week.
“I hope more and more people come to see that the world is not simply handed to us as is, rather is our responsibility to create it…. and if we do not take that responsibility, then someone else always gladly will,” he wrote.
UPDATE (5:13 p.m.)
The fine fellow bloggers at the Carbondaze Gazette picked up on the story and added a potential candidate I had not: former BNS director Tom Grant. Thanks for the link, fellas!
Meanwhile, the Southern came out with their version of the story as well. I may be writing a more in-depth piece for this week’s Carbondale Times. Stay tuned.
End of update.
