Bad feelings boiled over at Glenview’s main fire station Friday, and Deputy Chief Michael Sawicki is now charged with assault. Sawicki allegedly grabbed Lt. Steve Hartnett and raised his fist, but witnesses say no punch was thrown. Sawicki was suspended without pay for five days.

While the matter appears on the surface to stem from long-standing hostility between Sawicki and Hartnett, the case may be a sign of deeper problems for Glenview’s fire department. Some firemen see this as a case of management versus the rank and file. They resent the fact that village management has consistently refused them the right to organize a professional association or to join a labor union. Firefighters in Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston and Northbrook belong to the International Association of Fire Fighters, and Morton Grove has its own professional group.

Here in Glenview, one source tells the Watch "management has brow beat key people" into opposing any organization – rewarding anti-union firemen with special assignments and overtime pay. "Guys laugh about it," he explains. "At time and a half, overtime can mean a lot of money. There are guys making $20,000 - $25,000 a year in overtime alone." Glenview budgeted $360,440 in overtime for firemen last year.

Another source suggests the dispute is a sign of different stresses within the department. "Glenview needs at least two new fire stations," he says. "They’re building a new communications center, and they put a lot on Mike [Sawicki]."

The Deputy Fire Chief will have his day in a Skokie courtroom at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept.10.

Editor’s note: Communication about this matter has been poor on all fronts. The department has said nothing official to its employees, and the police department – which would normally issue a press release on the subject – was told Village Hall would handle that job. On Thursday, nearly a week after the incident occurred, the Village Manager’s office sent a six line statement titled "Press Release." No contact name, phone number or date was included, nor did the message appear on letterhead – a surprise in light of the fact that the village recently ordered more than $1,000 worth of official stationery.

Glenview’s trustees will consider a staff proposal to impose a new tax on residents to help fund storm water control in the village. Right now, neighborhoods that need help with this problem must pay 75 percent of the cost to construct new storm sewers, but Finance Director Dan Wiersma says there isn’t enough money in the village kitty to fund the other 25 percent, and people facing big bills for construction feel Glenview should pay even more.

Wiersma says a new storm water utility charge could be tacked on to water bills and be used to maintain our existing storm sewers and build new ones in conjunction with road construction, making more money available for the road work itself. Alternatives include selling more general obligation bonds, raising property taxes or imposing a 1/4 percent sales tax, but Wiersma believes the storm water utility tax is "the most equitable approach."

Lake County is considering a storm water utility, and many communities in other states – especially Florida – have chosen this approach to funding flood control.

Editor’s note: The cost of storm water detention was covered entirely by the village at The Glen as was recent construction of storm sewers along Glenview Road. For most other residents, however, 75 percent of the price was folded into the cost of their home.

– A review of plans for the Prairie Glen Medical offices and Harley Davidson at The Glen.

– A new proposal for the well house at Gallery Park.

The meeting will be cablecast on channel 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 21 and at noon, 4 and 8 p.m. Wednesday.

At this week’s meeting of Glenview’s Park Board, Commissioner Steve Schulte vigorously defended the least controversial aspect of a policy that provides free passes and programs to employees. The freebies are also extended to board members past and present, to the board’s lawyer, treasurer and secretary and to members of their families, but Schulte said their participation does not displace paying members of the public or add to the district’s costs.

Schulte and his family used nearly $2,000 worth of park district services last year including classes and camp programs for the kids. He said their participation helped him "to know what’s going on." The commissioner himself played golf gratis on six occasions and concluded, "I don’t think the policy should be changed at all."

No members of the public appeared to speak about the policy, and it was referred to the Human Resources Committee (Commissioners Tom Pontarelli and Catherine Crowley) for further discussion. They may consider the question of whether these benefits can legally be accepted by board members and their families. The Park District’s code specifies that commissioners serve "without compensation."

Is it, in fact, compensation when you and your family use public golf courses, swimming pools, a fitness center, ice rink and recreational programs at no charge? If so, shouldn’t the park district provide an annual accounting of such services to each past and present commissioner so he or she can report this as income to the IRS?

Despite the public grumbling we heard from many village residents about Park District freebies, not a single person showed up to speak to the board. The commissioners could easily conclude that the issue is not one that concerns the public. On the other hand, residents who are passionate about our parks and want to be involved in the future of Wagner Farm or The Grove may be reluctant to complain to a group that controls those community assets, and the hearing was not well publicized. We are, therefore, organizing our second poll of the year – providing a chance for readers to feed back. Write your answers to the following questions on a piece of paper. When you’re finished with this week’s Watch, click reply and type your answers into an e-mail. (Hard copy readers mail to 3537 Maple Leaf Dr., Glenview, IL 60025). We’ll tally the results and share them with Glenview’s Park Board. All responses are confidential.

1) Should Park Board members have free privileges at all recreational facilities including the golf courses, park center, swimming pools and ice rink?

2) Should the families of Park Board members enjoy free privileges?

3) Should past members of the Park Board have free use of Park District facilities?

4) Should a member of their family enjoy those same privileges?

5) Should non-resident teachers in area schools, Glenview policemen and firemen be granted resident rates if they wish to use Glenview Park facilities?

Cliff Bosworth, manager of Glenview’s main golf course, says the goose situation there has improved since one man and two dogs were added to the payroll. The pooches and their master patrol the golf course every night, encouraging flocks of Canada geese to "seek alternative habitats."

Alas, the messy birds appear to be finding other appealing digs in Glenview. A resident of Heatherfield, Jim Kubik, told the Park Board that the most frequent users of a new park site in his neighborhood are geese. He wondered if the District had a policy on this.

"We did send the geese a memo didn’t we?" joked Board President Doug Kaiser.

Executive Director Tom Richardson said he had personally chased a flock from the new National 9's Golf Course – driving a golf cart in their direction. "They flew off toward Lake Glenview," Richardson said, "winking at me as they went."

Grove Director Steve Swanson said some relief may be on the way. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has set up a goose control office to study the problem, and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife is expected to declare the Canada goose a "nuisance animal," making it possible to cull the flocks in Northern Illinois.

The Park District has developed a series of new signs designed to tell people that booze and personal grills are not allowed in Glenview’s public parks. The "no alcohol" message is communicated by a small wine bottle and martini glass with a diagonal line through them. Two other signs would let park users know that dogs are not allowed – and in parks where they’re permitted, that owners must control their animals and clean up after them. That sign depicts a dog on a leash and an owner with a small shovel. Violators face a fine of up to $500 and witnesses are urged to call 911 if they see someone allowing their pet to run free or failing to scoop the poop.

Meanwhile, the Park Board has despaired of finding a place where canines could be allowed to romp. A plan to put a proposed dog park at the site of Rugen Center met with neighborhood opposition, and the parks claim they have no other options.

The Park Board has voted to award a $224,750 contract to Brandenburg of Chicago to remove underground storage tanks and hazardous materials and to demolish the Rugen Center on Shermer Road. Brandenburg was the contractor for demolition at GNAS and at the Kraft Tech Center.

The Board also voted to use about $138,000 in developer fees from the James Company and Belmont Village to pay for some construction costs at the Rugen Center site to be known as Swenson Park and at Heatherfield’s new West Fork Park.

Also at that meeting, Watch editor Sandy Hausman informed the commissioners that state hearings will be held in Deerfield Friday regarding a bill to protect Illinois’ isolated wetlands. Wetlands provide natural flood control, help to clean ground water and provide habitat for birds and animals. Glenview has been a model in this area, protecting or creating wetlands at The Grove, West Park and The Glen. Hausman thought perhaps someone from the Park District might like to give testimony.

Commissioner John Winand didn’t think so. He argued that our wetlands are already protected, and "I hate to tell other people what to do."

A few minutes later, Winand brought a different matter before the board. Many new players are using the Glenview National 9's course, he said, and some seem clueless about golf etiquette. Winand was particularly upset by players who stood their golf bags right on the green and proposed posting a sign that would tell those rookies what to do. The board seemed sympathetic – Commissioner Tom Pontarelli saying such "acts of violence need to be reprimanded," but no action was taken.

The wetland hearing will be held on August 24 at the visitors’ center of Ryerson Woods in Deerfield from 9:30 until noon. For more information, call the office of State Rep. Karen May at 948-0060.

Bredeman Lexus took center stage at this week’s meeting of the Plan Commission – asking to expand their Waukegan Road dealership to accommodate the Saturday morning crowd. Lexus offers a free brunch and car wash each weekend, and the lines have been long, so the company wants to build an automated, enclosed car wash, expanding into the mobile home park it owns behind its current facility. New digs have been found for most of the residents who would be displaced, but folks who live on the street behind Bredeman and at Valley Lo were not pleased.

They complained about noise from the current operation and raised fears of worsening air pollution as hundreds of vehicles move through the car wash each Saturday. Chairman Howard Silver thought maybe the switch from manual car washes to automated ones would decrease business.

"There’s something special about a hand wash," he told dealer Joe Bredeman. " I have two Explorers that I bought from your Ford shop. When I take them in for service, I don’t allow them to go through those brushes, because I’ve been warned about how they scratch paint."

"The equipment that we’re suggesting is touchless," said Bredeman – referring to a technology that shoots water and soap over cars, cleaning without the use of brushes or rags. "The brushes that we use [at the Ford dealership] are as soft as a baby’s cheek," he added, "and any time a customer is concerned about that we always hand wash it for them."

Apparently swayed by the spontaneous commercial, Commissioner Jack Bevington asked, "If someone such as me, driving a lowly Toyota, wanted a car wash, could I come in through your facility?"

"It’s only for vehicles that have been bought from us," said Bredeman.

"Actually, Commissioner Bevington was trying to figure out which way to vote tonight," joked Silver. Later, he chastised the dealer for failing to provide equivalent service to Ford customers like him. "People can spend in the $30's [at Lexus] and get their lox and bagels and car wash, but if I spend $30's for an Explorer, I don’t get anything next door. You’ve got a problem. I vote no for this."

Discussion of the matter will continue at the next Plan Commission meeting.

A Glenview woman has recovered $6,664 through the state’s Unclaimed Property Division. Ruth Bolotin had failed to claim some Commonwealth Edison stock that was part of her late father’s estate. Hers was one of four million accounts just waiting to be claimed.

The treasurer published a new list of owners and their last known addresses on Saturday. To find out if you’re on it, visit the treasurer’s website: www.cashdash.net or send a letter with your name, maiden name (if applicable), current address and all previous addresses to Office of State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division, P.O. Box 19495, Springfield, IL 62794-9495.

In our August 5 edition, we reported on the list of routine bills submitted to Glenview’s trustees and wondered "whose dog was boarded at Carriage Hill Kennels for $619.50, and why did the landlocked village of Glenview invest $117 in dive fins from the Frogg Pond Dive Shop?"

Assistant Village Manager Joe Wade tells us the kennel bill is for stray dogs found roaming the streets of Glenview. The fins are used by our police department’s dive team on occasional visits to small lakes and detention ponds in the village and when Glenview assists our lakefront neighbors with search-and-rescue calls.

1) Why did we pay $93 to the Boston Medical Corporation and $73.20 to Continental Business Credit for gloves?

2) Do those gloves match the helmets purchased for $1,919.72 from W.S. Darley & Co?

3) Gallery Park hasn’t opened yet. Did we really spend more than $25,000 for spring maintenance of that property and the tiny Triangle Park?

4) We paid Frank’s Creative Landscaping $12,132. How creative was Frank with our lawns and bushes?

5) Why are we taking aerial photos of The Glen at a cost of $190?

6) Whose swimming pool did we test with that chlorine/pool test kit that cost $125.92?

7) What are "Night Eyes?" (We apparently paid $89.95 to Lund Industries for a set.)

8) What did we learn from the $4,900 faunal survey done by Ecological Consulting Group?

9) Who gets a subscription to Healthstyle that cost $191.60 for the August edition?

10) Did we really pay Village Attorney Jeff Randall $4,774.36 to deal with that guy who keeps putting his garbage in front of his neighbor’s house?

The Glen Club’s new restaurant, The Grille, is open to the public for business with chef Aaron Walters in the kitchen. Walters comes from the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin – the only five-star, five-diamond resort in the Midwest. The dinner menu features regional American cuisine with entrees starting at about $15. A separate bar menu offers more casual fare.

The oak-trimmed dining room features old photos of golfers, Glenview and GNAS. We especially liked the picture of a 1920's Glenview road house called the Blue Heron. Located near what is, today, the corner of Waukegan and Glenview roads, just an hour from Chicago by train, the antique ad promised special chicken dinners and urged prospective patrons to call ahead so meals could be waiting. The phone number: Glenview 9.

The view from the dining room and patio is also noteworthy. "You won’t even know you’re in Glenview," says manager Clayton Falwell. With the hills, lake, mature trees and tall grasses, "It’s like you’re up north."

Finally, patrons can visit the Illinois PGA Hall of Fame on their way in or out of The Grille, located off West Lake Avenue just west of Patriot Boulevard. The restaurant and bar are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dress is business casual, and there is a children’s menu.

Officials at the Grove have issued a wish list for development of that historic preserve and homestead. It proposes, among other things, the addition of a gift shop/country store that could raise money for the site, new gardens and an orchard, a plank road similar to what was once Milwaukee Avenue, a windmill like the one that graced Kenicott House in the old days and an archive to store 24,000 pages of historic documents, hundreds of photographs, artifacts and slides. Planners also think the property should have a functioning outdoor privy like one that used to sit in the original Grove school yard.

Editor’s Note: For authenticity sake, the Watch wonders if the Park District will provide corncobs and a Sears catalog.

Ed Muldoon comments on our questioning the advantages that sports fields, owned by Loyola Academy – a private, tax_exempt school – will offer to this community: "According to the Glenbrook South web page, the operating cost per student is $11,891.00. This is the savings that Glenview taxpayers get every year for every Glenview student that attends Loyola Academy. It is definitely in the financial interest of Glenview to assist Loyola in being an attractive educational option."

"Loyola's considerable investment in this facility, even with this ‘public subsidy,’ indicates a belief by Loyola’s administration that the field will indeed increase the academy’s educational attractiveness. Given the site is in Glenview, this field should especially appeal to our residents. If only one more Glenview student attends Loyola on account of the availability of this facility, the $40,000 is offset by the savings to our taxpayers."

The Watch replies: Loyola also serves students from other suburbs and the city of Chicago, so we’re subsidizing their school districts too, and by extension we ought to be helping all private and parochial schools that serve kids from Glenview. Of course that’s not happening. When St. Catherine LaBoure expanded its school, for example, we did not waive fees or the performance bond. Clearly Loyola is getting special treatment in exchange for ecologically sensitive land they originally promised to preserve because they were such good citizens.

Fritz is pleased with at least one village trustee: "So far Mike Guinane seems to be asking the right questions and is his own man as far as I can see. Seven truly independent board members would be even better. To heck with party politics."

Ann Reynolds tells readers about a new law designed to protect kids with asthma: "Glenview parents of asthmatic children as well as school officials should know about a new state law that enables asthmatic children to carry inhalers with them at school. In the past, some schools required that inhalers be left with an adult supervisor.

"If that supervisor was not present and if the inhaler was under lock and key, some children might have faced a life-threatening emergency without their medication. The new policy should also help kids heading for after school play dates or other activities, making it easy for them to take their inhalers along."

A final word on "the die is cast: "JS didn’t read far enough in her dictionary. There are many definitions for ‘die.’ In Webster’s Unabridged: ‘A die is a tool or appliance commonly of hardened steel, used in giving a desired shape to a piece (generally) of steel. Hence, "the die is cast": the step has been taken and to turn back is impossible.’

"As for Caesar, that’s what he said alright, but there is no direct translation for this idiom, meaning basically ‘all is being chanced.’ The Latin for a ‘die’ (gambling device) is ‘cubus’ or ‘talus,’ and is not part of this quote.

"Signed: A delighted reader with tongue in cheek. (Where did that saying come from? No, don’t embark on another one!)"

YOUR TURN: Share your views on local issues and news. E-mail to glenviewwatch@aol.com or snail mail to 3537 Maple Leaf Dr., Glenview, IL 60025.  We look forward to hearing from you and consider readers' remarks an essential part of our newsletter. Thanks for reading!  – Sandy Hausman and Dean Schott

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