The Sabonjian Smidgin

Readers of this blog may recall sighting the sulli-mander, a fabulous creature defined as a map gerrymandered to the mutual benefit of adjacent office-holders:

Madigan ♥s Sullivan

Another beastie to emerge from the terra incognita of reapportionment is the sabonjian-smidgin, and one can be found meandering the canyons of the Lake County Board's new, downsized, economy, 21-district map:

Lake County's District 8 is represented by Bill Durkin. A previous & noteworthy representative of District 8, Bob Sabonjian, is now Waukegan's Mayor. The new District 8 encompasses much of central Waukegan -- well give or take a city block or two. Sharpeyed operatives will notice that one block was cut out of the district's northern border:

That single block -- known in cartographic circles as a sabonjian-smidgin -- is the street where Mayor Sabonjian lives. Did your LakeCountyEye mention that Sabonjian had been a District 8 Commissioner? Well, ok, your LakeCountyEye did. But your LakeCountyEye hasn't mentioned that Bill Durkin is a member of the 2011 County Reapportionment committee.

Anyhow, Bob Sabonjian has been on-the-record saying that he will not run for a second term as Waukegan Mayor. And this has the chattering nabobs whispering that Sabonjian was exiled out of District 8 for, well, the obvious reasons. But your LakeCountyEye knows better than belabor the obvious, no matter how obvious it may be. Your LakeCountyEye has it on the highest authority that Sabonjian's block was excluded because that is where they plan to dig the Route 53 Extension.

You heard it here first!