Glenview's newest Dominick's has been battling a mouse infestation for months. On February 14, village records show a customer contacted the Glenview Public Health Department to report a live mouse in the flower area and a dead one in the cookie aisle. "Store manager has already made me aware of problem," wrote inspector Patricia Livingston. "[He] has seen mice come through the front door. . .McClelland and Anderson Pest Control are both working on the problem."

Livingston's report indicates glue boards had been placed around the front door and the entrance nearest the floral department – an area which "seems to be most active. [The store manager] stated that once Valentine's Day is over this area will get broken down and cleaned up."

On February 19, the village received another complaint – this one "regarding mice in bread department." On March 19, Livingston inspected again. Her report indicates violations of food protection requirements and the continued "presence of rodents/insects." Problems were also found in the butcher shop where a soap dispenser was not working and the paper towel dispenser was empty. "Fill every day and check!" wrote Livingston.

On April 5, another inspection took place. Public Health Administrator Kerry O'Shaughnessy reported speaking with the Assistant Manager. "He indicated they have their pest control company (PCO) there constantly, sometimes daily. The PCO has traps situated throughout the store, both front and back."

Livingston reportedly walked the entire store looking for signs of mouse infestation. "We did find mouse droppings in one bin in the bulk food area of the produce section," O'Shaughnessy wrote. "We had them throw out all of the products in that bin. We also found one bag of chips in the Organic section which had been chewed into. That bag was also destroyed."

In his memo, the Public Health Administrator also reports a call from Livingston to the director of quality control for Dominick's. "He told her that they were stepping up their assault on the problem." Company spokesman Angela Ryan told the Watch, "Dominick's takes this very seriously, and we treat this aggressively."

Editor's note: An industry source tells the Watch that with good housekeeping and preventive maintenance it should be possible to keep mice out of any store, but when there's construction around, "You're going to get a mouse or two because the ground is shaking." Indeed, rodents may be a problem for others at The Glen. Dominick's' store manager told Inspector Livingston that they had been selling lots of rodent control products to area residents.

On the other hand, our source was surprised to hear about a broken soap dispenser and lack of paper towels in the butcher shop. "The basis of sanitation is washing your hands. That's an important matter for management," he said.

Earlier this month, Chicago's health department closed a Dominick's after finding a number of health code violations and evidence that mice had chewed through packaging. Should Glenview have done the same? Administrator O'Shaughnessy said the store was "working diligently to correct this problem," but we wonder if our health department should be more aggressive in requiring an action plan with goals and deadlines. After all, the store has been working to get rid of rodents for more than two months.

After weeks of noisy public debate, the saga of Bart the Bull ended quietly with a unanimous vote by the Glenview's Park District to ban bulls from Wagner Farm and to sell cows that no longer meet program needs. Members of the farm support group C.O.W.S. said they were disappointed but had raised travel money and found animal sanctuaries in Illinois and Wisconsin willing to take Bart the Bull, Bandit the Steer and three cows. Bart must be neutered before heading for his new home, but he and the others will be allowed to live out their lives.

C.O.W.S. member Richard Feit was one of those who urged the park board to consider building a secure bull pen so Bart could stay. "There has always been a bull at historic Wagner Farm," he reasoned, adding that children who had visited the farm recently expressed interest in seeing "the Daddy cow."

Resident Bob Walker, who had corresponded with the park district about Bart, decried the "bullshit" which officials had mailed to him regarding Bart and the risks he might pose to the community. He thought Bart would pose little risk if kept in a secure place and argued the animal had become a potent symbol of Glenview, replacing the "stagnant bear."

Barbara Hines, a Glenview TV volunteer who had come to record the meeting, left her post behind the camera to point out that between 1920 and 1960 – the time frame represented by the farm – there was no artificial insemination of dairy cows. "It was done the natural way," she argued. "If you wish to be historically accurate, the bull stays and makes baby calves!"

Finally, Norma Morrison, who spent more than a decade crusading to save the farm, warned that getting rid of Bart and rotating the cows would send Wagner "down a slippery slope toward a factory farm, and that is not what the people of Glenview voted for."

Commissioner Catherine Crowley assured Morrison that, "You couldn't have a factory farm on 18 acres," and several board members argued that bulls can be dangerous. "Even if we had an equal number of experts advising us [to keep Bart or to get rid of him], I would still vote not to have the bull because of the risk to human life – most likely the life of a child," said Commissioner Judy Beck.

Thanks to the tenacity and generosity of some area animal lovers, Glenview has been spared a public relations nightmare. The village will not be accused of sending young, healthy animals to slaughter, but the issue could recur each time staff recommends culling a cow. The public relations risk was all too apparent in letters written to the park district by school kids from other communities.

Kelsey from Glencoe wrote: "Hey why are you trying to kill the cows and Bart the Bull. There just old animals. What if you were old and someone came and slaughter you."

"Why are you trying to hert the pore animals on this farm?" asked Libertyville student Austin. "Your going to be braking kids feelings. One day a kid mite walk in and tried to see bart the Bull and you say ‘Sorry. Bart is gone,' and then the child gos away and crys all the way home.'

Robert from Chicago agreed. "Pretend a cow suddenly came along and cut your head off! Would you like that? I think not. You might get more compaint letters if you kill Bart. So please change your mind."

Equally apparent was the positive public relations Glenview will enjoy because it's had the foresight to save Wagner Farm. Eli noted that "In Chicago and Wilmate we have no big animals like cows and bulls, so please do not slaughter them," and Noah thought, "Later we might be sending money for you to buy more animals or stuff for them."

Finally, the mail bag showed just how valuable Wagner Farm could be in educating children. "Even if the cow cant make milk. Maybe later he will give milk again," wrote Christopher of Evanston. "It's not fair what did they do to you. Even if the bull cant heard Sheep he might be able to do it later."

To get Glenview off the ethical hook and perhaps to save money, the board briefly considered a proposal to lease cows in future – paying a monthly fee for animals that produce enough milk to satisfy local program needs but not enough to meet the 80_pound per day minimum that commercial dairy farmers demand from their cows. When they stopped giving milk, those animals could simply be returned to their owners. Animal rights activist Debby Rubenstein endorsed the idea, saying she had found a farm that would lease cows, then take them back and pledge not to send them to slaughter. Commissioner John Winand bristled at the idea and urged the other board members to give staff maximum latitude to buy, breed or lease cattle – a position that won unanimous support.

Glenview officials took members of the American Planning Association and the media on a tour of The Glen earlier this month, raising questions and eyebrows along the way. The assistant director of redevelopment, Amy Ahner, told 26 people on the bus that the village had spent a hundred million dollars on infrastructure and the investment would probably reach one billion dollars in another 3_5 years. Consultant Dan Ringelstein stressed that Glenview had planned carefully to avoid damaging its downtown through competition at The Glen, but the bus went nowhere near downtown.

Instead, the planners were treated to a drive past rows and rows of new homes. They wondered how many new kids would be attending Glenview schools. When Ahner predicted 150 students, the visitors seemed dubious. "Wait, that's a little low," she said. "No, it's 150 high school kids and 150 smaller kids." Later, a local expert on the public schools told tour participants that the actual number projected is about 500.

As the bus traveled through the Kimball Hill neighborhood, Ahner noted that alleys in the area were not what you would find in Chicago "with power lines and garbage cans." At that moment, passengers caught sight of an alley lined with garbage cans.

The visitors were then shown Little Bear Garden, a place Ahner said was designed for kids to "frolic." While children were at play, construction dust blew across the area and dump trucks lined up across the street

There was, however, no doubt about one thing. The Glen has been very good for developers. Ahner said 82 percent of Kimball Hill Homes and 94 percent of Concord Homes are sold or under contract, and those new two_bedroom townhomes to be built at the MURC will start at $600,000.

Residents of Heatherfield are still upset over plans for a new development next door – near the corner of Waukegan and Willow roads. Active Living of Illinois has backed away from original plans for more than 300 units and now proposes a development called Haverford – 133 cluster homes, town houses and condominiums.

The developer said that by clustering homes, it would be possible to save more open space including a two_acre park, but the neighbors demanded this new development match Heatherfield's density of under four units per acre. One also suggested the developer be required to change the name of his project to something other than Haverford. She argued that it was too much like Heatherfield.

Commissioners Jim Patterson, Steve Bucklin and Joe DiMattina seemed sympathetic to their call for fewer units, but the real estate accountant and architects on the panel – Chairman Howard Silver, Commissioners Peter Brinkerhoff and Gary Wendt – liked the drawings they saw and argued that the collective density of Haverford and Heatherfield was just over four units per acre. In fact, along Waukegan Road they said Heatherfield had a higher_density building than what Haverford planned along Willow.

Silver suggested statistics were not always a meaningful way to evaluate a situation. "A man with one foot in a bucket of boiling water and another on a block of ice statistically feels fine," he said. Haverford would be a community of empty nesters, he argued, and while the density would be higher than with only single-family homes, it might generate less traffic. There would be fewer teenagers driving around, fewer school buses, fewer soccer moms.

Discussions will continue at the commission's next meeting on May 14. Also on the agenda for that night, a discussion of the Plaza del Prado's plans for two new restaurants and the New Canaan Presbyterian Church's plans for a parking lot.

Without explanation, Shell has withdrawn plans to build a super station at the corner of Willow and Shermer roads. Neighbors had complained about anticipated traffic increases, bright lighting at night and about the look of the proposed building – a bright yellow and red structure that Chairman Silver said belonged in Las Vegas.

The village board has agreed to spend $177,000 on final design and supervision of work on new tennis courts and four sports fields near the new Attea Middle School at The Glen – fields to be shared with School District 34, the Glenview Park District and AYSO soccer teams. Trustee Donna Pappo, a card_carrying soccer mom, wondered if the fields would be playable after a rain storm. "They will be suitable for playing on during a downpour," said the proud planner. He claimed the fields would effectively drain 12_15 inches of water an hour. "Most impressive," said Pappo. "Amazing!"

– Table tennis fans will find the action at Park Center on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights from 6 -10 p.m. That's when a portion of the gym has been set aside for a new program. Kids 11 and older may join with adults of all ages in open ping pong. Normally, the expense of new tables would be a problem, but the Park Foundation has purchased four, the Chicago Table Tennis Club donated four and has persuaded a company to donate seven additional tournament quality tables. The district will eventually offer lessons and stage competitions.

– Plans are underway for this year's Fourth of July celebration organized by the Park District. If you have ideas or opinions about the annual parade, fireworks and other festivities, send an e-mail to Mary Van Arsdale in care of gvpd4fun@aol.com.

– The district will dedicate Community Park West on Saturday, August 24. There are still no plans to open village-owned Gallery Park, although paths can be used by the public on Sundays.

Citizens Against Widening Lake (CAWL) presented petitions to the Wilmette Village Board opposing the addition of at least four feet of pavement on either side of the roadway – a change planned by Cook County as part of its rebuilding of the four-lane thoroughfare. Nearly 1,000 people had signed that petition and more are expected to do so as the group prepares to visit the Glenview Village Board. CAWL is asking residents for "10_10_10" – urging them to bring 10 friends to the village board meeting on May 7 and to a meeting of the Cook County Board on May 14, to fill 10 petitions with signatures and to write letters to 10 public officials including Cook County Commissioners, local trustees, State Representative Beth Coulson and State Senator Kathy Parker. For more information, contact Marilyn Sweeney at 847-724-3044.

– On Sunday May 5, members of B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim and the Glenview Community Church will be at the Glenview Fire Station on Landwehr north of Lake from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. to wash cars for charity. The cost is $3 or whatever you'd like to give.

– The Milwaukee Zoo presents Care for Critters – a live animal expedition for kids in first grade up on Saturday, May 4 at 10 a.m. in Glenview's public library. Get tickets from the Youth Desk in advance.

– Continuous Bloom in Your Garden is the title of a program to be presented by author Pam Duthie. It will be held May 7 at 7 p.m. Register at the library's Information Desk.

READERS WRITE

Mary Sacoff welcomes Anixter to Glenview: "The Business Park, The Glen, and the village of Glenview appreciate your support and the nice honor of being the home of your new corporate headquarters. I'm not even going to grumble about the $2 million in economic incentives that our village is giving you to help with your relocation and development expenses. What I do wonder about is who offers these incentives when businesses approach Glenview, and at what point in the courtship do we offer up this dowry? During the 2002 budget hearings last fall, Don Owen warned the trustees that economic incentives (no specifics given) may be necessary to jump-start the Catellus Business Park. I asked some trustees if this was the first time the subject had been broached, and it was news to them too. Glenview's residents, of course, were still reeling from the $70 million incentive payments that the village had committed to the MURC. I read in this week's Announcements that Anixter approached the village in January about relocating to Glenview. So between October and January, how many other businesses were invited and offered incentives? I think the residents of Glenview should know who is authorized to offer these incentives, using what criteria, and at what point in the negotiations. Is Don Owen inviting developers visiting the Glen Redevelopment Office double-wide to help themselves to economic incentives on their way out the door, like mints at a restaurant?"

C.O.W.S. member Joe Warga bids a fond farewell to Bart the Bull: "As Casey Stengel (I think ), once said, ‘It's not over until it's over.' Unfortunately for us who enjoyed having Bart, our bull, in residency at Wagner's Farm, it is over, but at least his life will be spared. I'm proud to have started the campaign last December to help save our beloved bull from slaughter and am grateful to our wonderful C.O.W.S. organization for fully supporting this cause. My original intent, saving Bart from slaughter and having him enjoy the rest of his natural life at a farm, will be accomplished thanks to the herculean efforts of fellow C.O.W.S. member Biff Thiele and animal rights supporter Debby Rubenstein. They've arranged to have Bart live at an animal sanctuary about 250 miles northwest of Madison, Wisconsin. I'm saddened that Bart must be neutered to be eligible to live there. Had he been allowed to stay at Wagner Farm, that probably would not have happened, and he could continue to be a ‘Daddy Cow.' I'd really have preferred having the safety-enforced bull pen constructed here for Bart, as was recommended in the farm's master plan so as to free him from the prison-like confines of the barn and allow all of us to view him from Lake Avenue. LONG LIVE BART!"

Amy Brossard writes about our firefighters' effort to unionize: "It is not inevitable if management conducts business in a way that makes labor unions unnecessary in the first place. Union leaders have always claimed that joining a union will make employees happier because a union will provide them with better pay, benefits, job security, less favoritism and more consistency, but a union may not accomplish these things. Studies show that union employees are not more satisfied than union free employees. They are less satisfied. It is up to village management and the leadership of the firefighters to make a union irrelevant. Actions, particularly personnel actions, speak louder than words. It is crucial, with Joe Robberson's departure, to select a leader who holds the respect of the group. Failure in this arena could lead to very negative impacts to the community in overall costs and loss of goodwill between the firefighters and the community. If Glenview and its firefighters get a union, it will be a union it deserves. No labor union has ever captured a workforce without the full cooperation and encouragement of the management team. If they succeed, it is not simply neglect and poor management that made them feel the need to join a union, but they found that the only way they were rewarded and received proper treatment was through collective activity."

GPN wonders who will pay what for public services now that the village board has gone back to its old policy: "When we learned that OLPH had not been paying for Glenview services in connection with their Phun Run, I was not that concerned. It seemed that the Village was going to change their position and make all such organizations pay for the services. Now that the board is reconsidering, does it mean that all such organizations will be treated similarly? Saints Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church holds its three-day festival every year, and it has been paying for Glenview services."

The Watch replies: This is a question that the trustees must still tackle, and it is this very problem that prompted Trustee Donna Pappo to call for a review of the policy governing who pays for public services.

EB laments high-density housing in the suburbs: "A photo in a local paper depicted Mesirow-Stein teaching groups how to develop a large piece of property. I noticed that no village residents were asked to give their views of the base mess. I wish all the so-called smart developers could be condemned to live the rest of their lives in one of those packed in homes. A large industrial park would have been a thousand times better than the rows and rows of child-filled houses. Please don't tell me that the Navy wouldn't allow only industrial or open space development. I was advised, when I questioned the development, that the Navy didn't care what we did out there."

Fritz writes about the widening of Lake Avenue: "I have to say these people against widening and turn lanes on Lake Ave. are just plain too late. They should save their energy for some other issue that they can do something about. These plans are set in concrete so to speak. They have been in the works for over five years and are not going to change based on any localized protest."

GJW responds to Stu Hamilton's remarks in support of the road work: "Mr. Hamilton writes eloquently about buggy whip manufacturers and our need to ‘move forward for the betterment of all of us all,' and further states that ‘we must all try being introspective enough to recognize that a larger society than our neighborhood exists.' Try telling that to our neighbors to the north, a small but vocal group of concerned citizens who have successfully and continuously thwarted the state on the widening of Willow Road through Northfield. I'd bet that most of the drivers he mentions who ‘cut through neighborhoods to avoid traffic snarls’ are residents to the north who want Glenview to make it easier for them to get where they're going, because their quaint old roads have not been turned into highways. Mr. Hamilton suggests that ‘we all must make sacrifices so we can all live better and safer lives.' I agree. Let's start with widening Willow Road. Let Northfield make some sacrifices. After that, we'd all be surprised how much traffic snarls improve along Lake Avenue. I have long believed that Lake Avenue does not have to be widened to make it safer. We don't need turn lanes at those intersections. We can improve traffic flow by installing delayed, protected traffic signals instead."

And Bardesdale wonders what's up with Shermer: "I live off Shermer and it is already very hard to get in and out of my driveway during rush hour. I am worried that this situation will only get worse unless signs to limit the speed, traffic lights or stop signs are installed at the intersections."

The Watch replies: Shermer will get a major makeover next summer if the state's budget crisis doesn't jeopardize funding. While the Illinois Department of Transportation plans to put in a whole new road, the village will install a new water main, sanitary sewers and oversized storm sewers that could ease flooding problems in the area. There are no plans to change the speed limit on Shermer, although residents could petition the trustees to lower it at any time.

Rick Nasello asks what is going on with the former Nicor property: "I live close to the old Nicor site. It has been fenced off rather neatly, and the property looks like it is ready to be developed. There is also a little no trespassing sign up against a tree warning. Sounds and looks like the property is or has been purchased. If a builder acquired it, I'm sure we would have seen some type of Coming Soon! sign to advertise the building of new homes. Any information on what the village might be keeping from us as far as the future of this parcel of land in our backyards would be appreciated. It's just been too stinkin’quiet concerning the future of this area.

"One other thing: the people who live along Lake Avenue who are concerned about traffic being four feet closer to their homes and disturbing their sleep should stay up one night and count the cars that go by. Because of my job, I am on Lake Avenue at all hours of the night and day. You would only need one hand to count the cars for one hour in the middle of the night that travel down Lake, and you probably would have more fingers than you need."

The Watch replies: Sources at Village Hall insist they know nothing about plans for the property. We have been unable to confirm grapevine reports that a mosque could be built at the site. In any event, no houses or businesses could be built until public hearings are held, and plans for such a hearing will be posted on the property."

Bill Curtiss asks about park plans for Glenview: "It's too bad the park district ended up with The Farm. They will do whatever they please with the property and not care what citizens would like. Look at the disastrous projects they have at The Glen or West Park – speaking of which, what is happening at West Park? Thanks for your vigilance. Each group of officials tries to outdo the others for mismanagement."

The Watch replies: Actually, West Park will open Saturday, August 24, and parks at The Glen are being built by the village. There is still no official date set for the opening of Gallery Park or Little Bear Garden.

Jennifer Sheridan laments the lack of participation in excellent programs at the library: "Parents who want extras for your children's education, where were you and your children last Saturday, April 13th, from 3_5, when the library sponsored a children's author's event for grades 6 and up? There were not more than a half dozen or so kids present for the cookies, punch, and show-and-tell by a live author. When I go to the author's evenings, at GBS, sponsored by the North Suburban Library Foundation, there are hundreds of us panting to meet and hear what authors have to say. We want our children to read and write more, so why when there's a free and inspiring literary event, isn't the room full?"

Mary Anne Taylor is from East Glenview – and from where she lives, this community looks pretty prosperous: "With all the new housing going up, every street is a traffic jam! You would never know we are in a recession and that people don't have any money. We live in such a wealthy area that you would never know that some people in various parts of the world are going hungry. They worry about their next meal __ not about what they can buy or get next! Let's wake up, enjoy, and be grateful for what we have __ not what we could have!"

DM asks: "What is happening to downtown Glenview? The subject seems to have been forgotten. Have all plans been cancelled? What is the latest news about the library?"

The Watch replies: While there were plenty of promises during the last campaign, there were no official plans for downtown and to our knowledge there are still none. Village leaders will probably wait for completion of the comprehensive planning process next year to float any proposals, and by then the community may know more about the library's future. A referendum to build a new library could appear on the fall ballot.

YOUR TURN: Keep those e-mails coming to glenviewwatch@aol.com or send snail mail to 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. Your financial support is also welcome although we are not a charity, and gifts are not deductible. Checks can be made payable to Glenview Watch.  Dean Schott and Sandy Hausman, Co-Editors.

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