When Village President Larry Carlson proposed tearing down the block of downtown businesses now occupied by the Cat’s Meow, A Little Something, Hauff Hobby and several other stores, those merchants were caught off guard.

In a letter to Glenview Watch, Lana Gernady, whose family has run The Cat’s Meow from the 1800 block of Glenview Road for 20 years, said she was shocked to read in the Pioneer Press that "we have no future." Gernady says the merchants have not heard personally from any village officials and describes the Carlson plan as "insane."

"The Chamber of Commerce offers no support for our fight," she says, adding that she has collected more than 250 petition signatures opposing demolition of the building. Gernady doesn’t know what to do about her spring orders. "We need support, but even more we need answers."

A florist in the block is said to be equally upset, concerned that customers won’t place orders for a wedding one year from now if the business might not be there, and Rob Hauff at the hobby store says a prospective buyer of the Renneckar’s property was scared off. "He was all set to sign until he read the Glenview Announcements."

Hauff has now placed a sign in his window that reads: "President Bush told us to keep the economy rolling. Does Bulldozing a whole block of small businesses sound like it would help?"

The owner of A Little Something has also posted a note to window shoppers: "The suggested plan by Larry Carlson and the Village of Glenview puts me ‘a little something’ out of business and everyone on this block. Please help us fight back."

Empty storefronts are an unattractive fact of life in most communities. Small businesses come and go, but in Glenview two men have found a way to make the best of a bad situation. Bob Sherman, who serves on the board of the Glenview Art League, and John Hedrick, Chairman of Glenview’s Appearance Commission, are working to place the paintings of local artists in the windows of vacant stores.

"One building owner said no because they were about to rent, and another was willing but planned to demolish his building soon," says Sherman. "Then we talked to Optima, and they agreed to have us in their building on Dewes Street behind Glenview House."

The works of Carol Reagan, Lee Mariani, Don Scholz and Bob Sherman are now on display along with their names and a phone number for the art league. Sherman isn’t sure if any calls have come in from prospective buyers, but he’s heard from people who liked what they saw.

Sherman hopes to change the show every two or three months and is still on the look out for buildings willing to host local art. He adds that the Glenview Art League provides insurance for the paintings, so local landlords don’t have to worry about liability. If you’d like to offer a space or to show your work, you can call Sherman at 498-9826.

Hedrick hopes this will be the first in a series of programs to improve the overall appearance of Glenview. As chairman of a group called Scenic Illinois, he’s organizing area residents to focus on Waukegan Road and the downtown area – two key parts of the community that could benefit from some attention to aesthetics. For more information, call Hedrick at 724-4018.

When Morton Grove learned it was going to lose Abt and an Oldsmobile dealership, our neighbor to the south got busy, hiring an economic development director who would work to attract new retailers. The village created a display that could be set up at trade shows and printed a brochure to attract prospective business.

The community provided new street lights, landscaping and other improvements for Waukegan Road and has adopted a plan for Dempster Street with additional parking, better traffic flow and an attractive new streetscape. Morton Grove has also begun meeting with local business owners to talk about their needs and may soon start a regular breakfast or luncheon program enabling the business community to meet with the village president and trustees on a regular basis.

Norma Morrison sends thanks for all the good wishes that flooded her hospital room after the long-time community leader suffered a significant heart attack. More than 50 cards, notes, letters, poems and muffins arrived, and Morrison says they "really helped me over some rough spots. I’ll never miss an opportunity again to send a card. I never realized how important they are!" Now resting comfortably at home, Morrison hopes to be back at Village Board meetings and at the farm soon and looks forward to seeing her many friends again.

Noting an increase in demand for free food during the current economic downturn, Northfield Township is looking ahead to the holidays and putting out a plea to the public. The local food pantry needs cash, canned and dried foods for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets. Township Supervisor Jill Brickman told the Glenview Announcements that many people have been laid off or their hours cut, making it impossible to meet family expenses. "It’s a tough change for people," she said. For more information, call 724-8300.

A panel of local experts addressed about 200 people at Glenbrook South High School last week, assuring residents that the community is prepared for the possibility of an attack by terrorists. Fire Chief Joe Robberson said all police and firemen in Glenview are trained to identify and isolate hazardous materials, and a number of firefighters have special training in how to handle dangerous substances.

During a question and answer period that followed, a member of the audience said he was an executive with a direct mail company in a neighboring suburb. He refused to identify the company or the community, but said someone at the firm had opened an envelop that contained white powder. The local fire department came and took the material away, promising laboratory test results in a week or two.

"It would cost us millions to shut the company down for two weeks!" said the executive. He phoned the FBI. and was referred to a firm that would test the substance immediately for $1,800. Meanwhile, employees who were exposed to the powder were taken to Lutheran General, but the hospital refused to test them for anthrax. Tests later showed the substance was harmless, but the executive was still shaken by how ill-prepared the neighboring community appeared to be.

Chief Robberson was puzzled by the inability of neighboring firemen to obtain rapid test results, but Dr. Frederick Hess, chairman of the Emergency Preparedness Committee at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, understood why Lutheran refused to act. It would make more sense to test the substance itself, he explained, adding that nasal swabs do not always accurately identify people exposed to anthrax, and public health experts have advised against treating people unless exposure to the potentially deadly bacteria is confirmed.

Hess said Evanston Northwestern had recently revised its plans for dealing with bioterrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Drills were being conducted at Glenbrook, Evanston and Highland Park Hospitals well before September 11 based on a variety of scenarios, and Hess said he was "extremely pleased by the response."

On September 11, the hospitals got a real test. When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, three quarters of the emergency room physicians happened to be at Evanston Hospital for a meeting. "We went to a stage one alert, assembling everyone we needed in 45 minutes," Hess recalls. The hospitals wanted to be prepared in the event of an attack here and be ready to take patients from New York if a large number of casualties overwhelmed local hospitals. Elective surgeries and admissions were deferred, procedures requiring blood were cancelled and a blood drive was organized. At 8 p.m. the hospital went off alert, and normal operations resumed.

Since then doctors have been trained to recognize and treat diseases they haven’t heard about since medical school, and Hess believes a local outbreak of anthrax or smallpox could be treated effectively. He worries, however, that flu season is coming, and it may be hard to distinguish between the symptoms of that upper respiratory disease and anthrax. "It’s going to be difficult to tell, initially, and we may hospitalize a number of people we might otherwise send home."

Glenview’s Chief of Police, who sat quietly in the audience during last week’s town meeting on terrorism, says life has changed for his officers. "The daily news briefing comes from Washington, but it’s all up to us," he explains. The department has already seen a substantial increase in calls – people noticing something strange, spotting unfamiliar cars or people on their streets. It makes for a busy police force, but Fitzpatrick wants the public to keep calling.

"If you feel there’s something wrong, let us know. We’ll check it out. If it’s nothing, we’ll be happy," he says with a smile. The increased activity may not lead to the arrest of a single terrorist, but Fitzpatrick adds, "we’re gonna’ catch some old fashioned criminals thanks to some of those calls."

On a related note, the chief plans to launch a couple of trial programs next year including a small bicycle patrol unit to keep an eye on the business district, strip malls, Gallery Park and some of the neighborhoods when weather permits. "It’s a great way for officers to get close to the people," he says. "It’s not like driving around in a patrol car with the air conditioning on and the windows up."

He also hopes to establish a study of hazardous driving behaviors – analyzing accidents in the village so law enforcement personnel can begin to target those drivers who are doing the most dangerous things.

– When she addressed last week’s meeting of the Glenview Village Board about the town meeting on terrorism, Glenview TV identified former Village President Nancy Firfer as "Nancy Firfir." The spelling error was corrected a few minutes later.

– The trustees approved a sign for Harley Davidson’s new store planned for the Northern Triangle on Willow Road. Board member Mike Guinane argued the 233-square-foot sign was too large, approaching the status of a billboard.

– The trustees approved plans for a three-store development next to the Glenview Historical Society without requiring the awnings that several Plan Commissioners thought necessary.

– Now that they’re free to choose an electrical supplier, the trustees approved a deal to buy power from Enron Energy instead of Commonwealth Edison. The deal is expected to save Village Hall about 6 percent, but Trustee John Crawford expressed reservations – noting that Enron stock had recently dropped from more than $80 a share to around $11. The power would be purchased through a consortium of municipal governments, and Village Attorney Jeff Randall said he would report back to the board on what would happen if Enron were to go out of business.

As the head of Glenview’s Plan Commission and the Glen Redevelopment Commission (GRC), Howard Silver is a key player in the redevelopment effort. Last week, he let slip his personal opinion about the new community. "I don’t mean this as a negative to any builder or anything," he told the GRC, "but there are some streets. . .that are starting to look more like Schaumburg and Buffalo Grove than they are Glenview."

In other Glen news, an Arizona-based franchise called The Little Gym plans to locate in the shopping center anchored by Dominick’s at the corner of Lake and Patriot. The fitness and development center will provide classes for kids 10 months to 12 years of age.

After allowing the construction of a little Schaumburg in the heart of Glenview, the commissioners were especially vigilant about a sign to be erected by The Little Gym. Chairman Silver thought the words were spread too far apart, and Commissioner Bruce Burch fussed about the "G" in gym which was 34 inches high. The owner, Adam Stone, argued that the "H" in Hallmark next door was 36 inches, but Burch could not be swayed. "The G is such a big, broad letter, and it appears to be smashed against the top trim panels."

Commissioner Mark Igleski worried about the blue being used. Did it match the blue of other signs in the shopping center? Stone said it was "somewhat similar – not obscene-looking in comparison." And what about the gold lining around each letter? Burch thought it made the sign look cheap.

The owner agreed to modify the sign – pushing the words closer together, making the G smaller and going with bronze around the letters.

A small area near Indian Ridge is ready for annexation to the village and its developer appeared before the Trustees last week asking for an okay. He plans to build two homes – one short of the number that would trigger imposition of substantial impact fees for the schools, park district and village.

Trustee Mike Guinane wondered if Glenview could still get some money from the developer by requiring the payment of fees in exchange for permission to annex. Development Director Mary Bak assured him that was possible. The developer objected strongly. "We were informed, at the time we looked into this property, that we would not be assessed an impact fee. . .We would have never walked into this thing if we were told impact fees were going to be assessed. There’s a limit to what any development is worth."

Board President Larry Carlson pointed out that there were not enough trustees to vote on the matter. Jeff Lerner, a member of the School District 225 Board, had recused himself as had Mary Beth Denefe, whose husband serves as the lawyer for the Indian Ridge Homeowners Association -- an interested party in the matter. With Trustee Rachel Cook on maternity leave, there were only four votes available. Five were needed to annex, but Guinane was not deterred. Noting that Lerner would leave the school board on November 12, he proposed that a vote be taken at the next meeting of the Village Board on November 20 – a suggestion approved by his fellow trustees.

A citizens’ group interested in providing residents with more information about the operation of Glenview’s largest school system is writing this month about enrollment and class size. If you’d like a copy of the free newsletter or would like to suggest a subject for future investigation, e-mail jacqueline.lutz@us.cgeyc.com.

Glenview’s public library will host a discussion at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 13 about Cleopatra based on the new Field Museum Exhibit. Historian Lee Gibbs will discuss the legends and myths surrounding the last Queen of Egypt along with slides of ancient art and artifacts from museums worldwide. Sign up at the information desk or call 729-7500 ext.112 for reservations.

Learn about online shopping at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 14 when the library hosts an Internet demonstration class in the Maynard Room. This class will give you lots of tips on "how to" and "security issues." Sign up at the information desk.

Register now for the Christmas Ship Concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 25. Distinguished folk singer Lee Murdock sings about the turn-of-the-century Great Lakes tradition of delivering the final cargo of the season – Christmas – aboard lumber schooners.

Our neighbors to the north are planning a birthday party for the community which celebrates 100 this year. At 7:30 p.m. November 18, fireworks will be visible from Meadowhill Park or Glenbrook North High School. Earlier in the day, Northbrook invites the public to enjoy free cake, music and activities at the following locations:

The Northbrook Sports Center, 1730 Pfingsten Road – free ice skating, 1-3 p.m.

The JCC, 30 Revere Dr. - open gym and swim, 1-3 p.m.

Northbrook Historical Society, 1776 Walters - the Melodeers Quartet performs, 2-4 p.m.

Village Hall, 1225 Cedar Lane - Northbrook Symphony string quartet, 2-4 p.m.

Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Ln. - Paul Henry plays guitar, 2-5 p.m.

North Suburban YMCA, 2705 Techny - open house & swim, 3-5 p.m.

Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer - Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra, 3:30 p.m.

Northbrook Court - The NBQ Players Brass Quintet in front of Lord and Taylor, 1:30 p.m.

Biff Thiele informs us that this is our 100^th issue: "The Village Report and the Glenview Announcements have a history of glossing over the truth, promoting their own bias or reluctantly divulging important details several weeks after decisions on important issues have already been made _- effectively cutting the public out of the debate.

"It’s such a joy to get news that is current. I know that makes a lot of people angry – those with something to hide, those who don’t like being watched and those who would rather keep the public in the dark. The fact that the Watch is controversial, means you are doing something right and that’s what makes the rest of us so happy.

"Happy 100th. It’s hard to believe the Watch is only 100 issues old. I feel as though you have always been here. I anxiously await my copy every week. In fact, I find it difficult to imagine Glenview without the Watch."

BG comments on the work of the Northfield Township Assessor who aggressively pursued the reassessment of Trustee Pappo’s home at the apparent request of a political ally, former Village President Jim Smirles: "Your story about how the Northfield Assessor ‘got Pappo’ for political purposes at the direction of Carlson and Smirles is revealing but sad. Selective application of heavy_handed governmental power based on political motivation really stinks, Ms. Northfield Assessor!"

And Jane O. says the story touched her for another reason: "I just had to tell you that the latest episode of your newsletter had my husband and myself in stitches. We were laughing so hard about your article about Donna Pappo's taxes. You see, we put on an addition to our house several years ago and finally the property taxes have caught up to us with the assessment this year. My husband grumbled when he saw the bill and stated that Donna Pappo had gotten away with her remodeling, so maybe we should send her our bill. It looks like she and her husband are finally paying their due. We both think that she should stop whining and pay up like we and others have to."

The Watch replies: For the record, Trustee Pappo was not our source on this story and – to our knowledge – she has not been whining. We thought the story significant because of the way Northfield Township Assessor Patricia Damisch apparently pursued Pappo’s case at the behest of her political pal Jim Smirles and his political pal Larry Carlson. Because Pappo got a building permit, her taxes would have gone up anyway just as yours did, but that wouldn’t have helped anyone’s political career.

Ron writes: "As I sit here without water for 3 hours, I wonder who is responsible and liable for these breaks at new construction sites? That is the 2300 block of Dewes Street."

The Watch replies: If a private contractor is responsible for damage, the contractor pays, but in this case the water main in front of 2344 Dewes broke on its own, forcing a village crew to dig up the homeowner’s driveway and make repairs. If you have problems or questions related to water service in the future, you can call 657-3030. At night or on weekends, call the non-emergency number for Glenview police: 729-5000.

Jennifer Sheridan issues a plea for common sense: "The winds were probably 30 miles an hour the afternoon last week when I biked into Flick Park. What met me was an absurdity. The awful roar of a fossil fuel burning leaf blower, absolutely useless in such conditions. The maintenance person looked a bit sheepish himself, as the hose pushed hardly a handful here or there. Did he feel this was a part of his job that day? Come on who's in charge here? Leaf blowers come close to a number one peeve in my world. How about yours?"

Dave Carr shouts fore over golf prices at The Glen Club: "I made a Sunday tee time at the Glen for the group I play with on a regular basis during the summer. All the players are professionals with good paying jobs, but we decided to cancel when we thought about all the great courses in the Chicago area where we could play two or three times for the same price we would pay to play once at The Glen. Instead, we went to Seven Bridges and had plenty of money left to buy lunch! I guess The Glen is what it is – a very nice and expensive golf course. I have no doubt that I will have to play it sometime. I am just not sure how it serves the average Glenview resident who loves golf or why it was ever built in lieu of the Station Links. I play the new National Nine on the airbase, regularly. Now that's a great little affordable golf course! I will have to ask the boss for a raise to play the likes of the Glen and Kemper Lakes on a regular basis. I may have to send kids to college one day.

SJH comments on open space and on our spelling error in last week’s headlines. In our November 4 issue, we tweaked the Northfield Township assessor for two spelling errors in her standardized form and suggested the use of Spellcheck: "Speaking of Spellcheck, the e-mail copywriter must have forgotten to do the same with ‘haloween.’ On a serious side, I was one of those who favored preservation of more natural open space at The Glen saying it would be cheaper, in the long run, than development. Even if it had cost the same, it would definitely be an improvement to the sea of houses in The Glen today."

The copwriter (Sandy) replies: Mea culpa, mea culpa. Much of my career in journalism was spent in radio where spelling doesn’t count. You wouldn’t know it from The Watch, but I’m a really good pronouncer, and if I ever write an official form for anything, you can bet I’ll use Spellcheck.

FP asks: "When is the street by the post office finally going to get its last coat of paving so the horses can be removed, and when will the stop signs by the train station be patrolled? Hardly anyone stops or even slows down between 6:45 and 7:30 a.m."

The Watch replies: Take heart, FP. Glenview’s chief of police agrees with your assessment and has pledged to target the area for enforcement. William Fitzpatrick tells the Watch, "You’ve got a double problem in that area – the train and the post office. Some people apparently think the stop sign means ‘slow down and get out of my way.’ He urges drivers and pedestrians to use special care – especially with the sun setting sooner each day and asks drivers to be more patient and courteous.

After reading a METRA flyer announcing "Parking is Always Available at Metra’s North Glenview Station," an anonymous reader writes: "What a wonderful way to increase traffic in and out of Glenview. How much do those commuters spend here, and are they getting an edge over Glenview residents? Village spots at the north station are sold out, and there’s not much handicapped parking for an oldster who has to go into Chicago once in a while!"

The Watch replies: Village officials say the rules of this game were written by METRA. The regional transit authority decreed that only a hundred spaces could be set aside for monthly parking by village residents. The village does plan to build additional spaces for locals next year.

YOUR TURN

What's on your mind? Drop us a line by e-mail at GlenviewWatch@aol.com or the old-fashioned way. We're at 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Thanks for reading. Dean Schott and Sandy Hausman, Co-Editors of The Watch.

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