A labor dispute has broken out at The Glen – one that could shut down all construction and lead Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers to pass out leaflets at Village Hall accompanied by a 14-foot inflatable rat – a mascot who goes with them when they protest what they call "rat contractors." The union charges that Glenview hired a Nebraska company to construct soccer fields next to the new Attea Middle School. Landscapes Unlimited is allegedly a non-union firm that is sending its own people to job sites rather than hiring local construction crews. Under Illinois law, public projects must employ in-state labor when the unemployment rate exceeds 5 percent as it now does.

Picketers stopped work at Attea for two days when union workers opted to honor the picket line there. On Thursday, the village demanded the union move its protest to the corner of Lake Avenue and Patriot Boulevard, claiming the school construction site is entirely separate from field construction next door. The union agreed to relocate but accused Glenview of unfair labor practices and may take the village to court. If a judge were to rule in their favor, they could be allowed to set up picket lines at all entrances to The Glen, jeopardizing several construction projects.

Neither Village Manager Paul McCarthy nor Assistant Manager Joe Wade were available for comment, and as usual, Development Director Don Owen did not return our call.

The group that campaigned against a referendum for higher school taxes in Glenview has proposed that the new Attea Middle School remain closed until it’s really needed. CARE claims that School District 34 student enrollment is about 300 lower than expected, making expansion to the new school next fall unnecessary.

"They said we needed another school because we would have hundreds more kids, but we don’t," says CARE co-chair John Ranz. "They said that we needed a tax increase to open this Palace-in-the-Park school, but the voters didn’t approve it. We should not open the school until we need it and can pay to run it."

Co-chair Larry Miller agrees, saying, "The real cost is in running the school, not building it. Taxpayers could save millions of dollars in staffing and maintenance if the opening were pushed back a year, or until the kids actually enroll."

School Board President Beth Primer told the Glenview Announcements that many school buildings in the district have been overcrowded for some time. She pointed out that rooms built for art and music at Lyons School cannot be used for those purposes, since they’ve been converted to classrooms. "We are overcrowded. We didn’t build this school because we think we might be someday. We are already," she said.

School Superintendent Dot Weber said both middle schools will open next fall under capacity with 675 - 720 students in buildings designed to accommodate about 800 kids. Portable classrooms will be removed from Springman, which now has 920 students. Weber predicted that growth would take place over time, noting a good deal of development in places other than The Glen.

The superintendent said CARE is technically correct. "I can put a thousand kids at Springman, but there will be no room for music, art and other special programs. CARE looks at space. We look at space and programs," she said.

Miller claims boundary changes could eliminate crowding at District 34 schools but says the board will not take that step for political reasons. He chided the school district for refusing to admit it used faulty numbers in convincing the community to build Attea in the first place.

School officials note that while enrollment from The Glen has been lower than expected, the number of pre-school aged kids is higher, raising the specter of a big jump in enrollment in years to come. Miller challenged those numbers, saying a significant number of households did not actually participate in The Glen survey, so the number of pre-school kids is actually a projection. He added that many families may opt to enroll their children in private or parochial schools, and at least 61 of the pre-schoolers are from military families who may be transferred to other parts of the country before they reach school age.

The District 34 Board will discuss enrollment at its meeting Monday, October 21.

In a ceremony at the site of the old Hangar One, VIP’s gathered Wednesday to officially break ground for a shopping center. Developer Dean Oliver nearly fell off the stage, then jokingly accused Glenview’s development director, Mary Bak, of pushing him. Oliver did not mention any new tenants for the property which will be anchored by a Von Maur department store, Galyan’s and Border’s Books.

Meanwhile, a new shopping center planned for the corner of Willow and Waukegan roads in Northbrook is announcing a 20 percent expansion even before ground is broken. "We’ve made it bigger because the demand is there," said developer George Olsen.

Two banks, a drug store, a high-end grocery chain called Arkansas Market, a restaurant called Icon and a Bloomingdale’s Home Store have all agreed to locate at the new North Shore Village. The developer hopes to add 12 more restaurants to the mix. "We’ve got people queuing up for the spaces," he told the Northbrook Star.

In response to the news, Village President Larry Carlson reportedly said he did not think the Northbrook shopping center would hurt Glenview.

The warehouse giant Costco expected about 3,000 people when it opened its Willow Road store Wednesday night. While feasting on hot dogs and apple pie, rotisserie chicken and flank steak, fresh fruits, vegetables and an array of dips, opening night guests got a preview of the merchandise. In addition to food, dry goods and designer clothes, Costco was selling a 3.08 carat pear-shaped diamond for $47,999.99, bottles of Dom Perignon (1993) for $95.99 and crab legs for $12.99 a pound. Visitors on Thursday and Friday reported difficulty finding a parking space and were pleased to discover that no one would shop til they drop. The store provides free wheel chairs for customers.

Northbrook is actively wooing Glenview’s Finish Line Dodge after its owner concluded he needs a new look and a new location. He claims the dealership has a bad reputation left over from a previous owner and is looking at the Waukegan Road site once occupied by Salvi’s Caravel Inn. Residents of Royal Ridge across the street are not pleased by the plan, but Northbrook trustees have given it a favorable review and may consider incentives to assure that Finish Line locates in their community.

After years of discussion, the village board has voted to pay a greater share for storm sewers in areas that have none but want them. Glenview has been paying 25 percent of the total cost, a subsidy not sufficient to entice most neighborhoods, but a new split proposed by Trustees Donna Pappo and Mike Guinane (who live in areas that lack storm sewers) would have the village pay 40 percent of the cost for small, local sewers and 100 percent of the cost for larger trunk and collector sewers.

The decision came after a verbal dust-up in the board room. Guinane, who ran with Larry Carlson’s Unite Glenview Party in the last election, parted company with his political allies to support the new funding formula. Trustees Jeff Lerner and Mary Beth Denefe, who live in areas with sewers, argued against it.

Lerner said just 10 percent of village households lack sewers, while residents in the rest of Glenview paid for their own sewers when they purchased homes. Denefe argued that the proposal backed by Guinane and Pappo was too generous. Lerner estimated it would cost Glenview $1.5 million more than a proposal that the village pay just 25 percent of the cost for local sewers.

Village President Carlson thought the issue should be put before Glenview voters, but Trustee Rachel Cook was not willing to wait for a vote in April, calling the idea "ludicrous. If this board can’t act on a million dollar investment over the next 15-20 years when we’ve got a $70 million annual budget, then we aren’t doing our jobs," she said.

Cook argued that failure to implement an effective storm water policy might jeopardize public health "given the summer that we just went through with standing water and the threat of West Nile virus." She felt the village had contributed to greater storm water problems by failing to effectively regulate replacement homes for teardowns.

Trustee John Crawford thought the installation of sewers was a community responsibility. He pointed out that residents of areas without sewers have been paying taxes for years to maintain and replace sewers in other parts of town. Now, he said, it was time for those with sewers to help those who needed them.

But it was Guinane who made sparks fly when he raised the issue of public spending at The Glen. "When you look at spending over $250 million at The Glen for infrastructure, when a developer from California came here and got $70 million, then came back to this board for another $7 million and an $8 million letter of credit, and we can’t give the homeowners of this community a million dollars. . ."

"You’re doing this again!" said President Carlson – a note of exasperation in his voice. "Where did that money for The Glen come from? That was from land sales at The Glen. That didn’t come out of the taxpayers’ pockets!"

"If the taxes that are generated from those properties at The Glen were not going into the TIF, they would be coming back into the village coffers and then being spent in the neighborhoods of this community," said Guinane.

"Once again, Trustee Guinane, you are mixing apples and oranges," said Carlson.

"No I’m not, Mr. President. I beg to differ," said Guinane.

"Where is money for Glen development coming from? You know that. You’ve sat through those meetings, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop the misleading statements. It did not come out of the taxpayers pockets. It came out of land sales from The Glen," said Carlson.

"Only a portion came out of land sales," Guinane corrected. "To spend all that money, we had to sell bonds, and the taxpayers of this community are on the hook for those bonds."

Jumping into the fray, Lerner pointed out that the California developer responsible for a shopping mall at The Glen has invested $200 million of his own money and contended that the mall would eventually generate revenue for the village. He challenged Guinane to show how the sewers would make money for the village and repeated the contention that Guinane was comparing apples and oranges.

Crawford defended Guinane’s position. "Whether you’re talking about real estate taxes or land sales, it’s still village revenue. A dollar is a dollar, whether you get it from an apple or an orange. Let’s admit it’s village revenue we’re spending."

Guinane, Pappo, Cook and Crawford voted for the 40 percent village subsidy on local sewers. Lerner and Denefe voted against it. The board’s president only votes to break a tie, but Larry Carlson added that he would have voted with Lerner and Denefe.

Editor’s note: With regard to Glen financing, Guinane was correct. Bonds have been sold to help redevelop the Glen and revenues from land sales have been spent or lent to The Glen, even though 20 percent was supposed to be set aside for capital improvements (such as sewers) in other parts of the village.

The trustees decided to continue another controversial discussion of whether individual property owners should be made to create storm water detention areas or to pay a fee if they decide to build on to their homes or to tear down an existing house and build a new one. The plan commission had recommended that such a requirement be imposed on owners of any lot. Right now detention is only required on parcels of half an acre or more.

A husband and wife who own the building at 1723 Glenview Road plan to operate a small café there offering European delicacies, specialty sandwiches, health drinks, beer, wine and mixed drinks. The Diamond Café should be open by Christmas.

Glenview’s park district was close to signing with a local vendor to provide coffee and snacks at Park Center when the commissioners raised a series of questions and concerns. Bob Quill, the district’s director of leisure services, promised to research the matter and began asking around. After consulting with a man who operates three coffee kiosks in the Chicago area, Quill concluded that the proposed contract for Park Center was "way off base – a real sweetheart deal." The vendor with whom he had negotiated wanted a five-year contract and $180,000 (60 percent of his annual sales) if the agreement was not renewed. He also proposed to pay for the small space in the lobby by the square foot.

Quill determined that the district should actually be paid 6-14 per cent of gross sales – an arrangement that would be far more favorable to Glenview – and that the proposed payment for non-renewal was too generous. He promised to keep looking for a vendor willing to provide food service on better terms, and Board President Judy Beck wondered if, in the mean time, thermoses of coffee could be placed in the lobby.

Editor’s note: Glenview’s park district likes to do business the old fashioned way – relying on friends and residents for free advice, but there are times when investing in the counsel of a consultant makes sense, and we think this might be one of them. An expert in food service should assess the sales potential of Park Center and help us to craft a fair contract. He or she could also be engaged to locate reputable contractors interested in this business opportunity so that the district can begin to generate money while providing a service to the public.

Glenview’s park board finally has microphones and an amplifier for its monthly meetings after members of the public complained they could not hear the discussion of business, but on the first night most of the commissioners were too shy or forgetful to use them. One, however, had no reservations. John Winand repeatedly leaned into the microphone to utter short remarks like "yes," or "no," in a deep, gravelly voice. His conduct prompted giggles from the group and Commissioner Doug Kaiser remarked, "He’s got a new toy."

Board President Judy Beck recalled the night when the group had agreed to purchase the mics. She had warned, "Now we’re going to have to act like grown-ups."

"I feel well over 21!" said Winand in mock indignation.

"Me too," joked octogenarian Catherine Crowley.

Editor’s note: It really is nice to be able to hear what the park board members and Executive Director Tom Richardson have to say, and we hope they will all develop the Winand habit of using their mics at future meetings.

Glenview’s new skate park, located one traffic light south of Lake Avenue on Milwaukee, was not designed for trick bikes, but they’re happily sharing the ramps with kids on skateboards and roller blades. Experts say that’s a problem because it puts the skaters at increased risk for injury and could be damaging to the wood ramps that were not designed for bikes. Parks’ Commissioner Doug Kaiser noted that kids have already defaced signs informing them that bicycles are not allowed, and when he approached several of the scofflaws, they essentially told him to buzz off. "I guess there’s really nothing we can do," said Kaiser.

Commissioner Steve Schulte thought perhaps bigger signs could make a difference, especially if parents could see them when dropping youngsters at West Park. New signs are, in fact, on order.

Editor’s note: We probably shouldn’t be surprised that the park district forgot about the needs of cyclists at its skate park. After all, they neglected to include a space for spinning on stationery bikes at Park Center and now have folks who enjoy that form of exercise jammed into a small, dark space off the fitness center. Many skate parks around the nation make provision for trick bikes. Rather than try to enforce rules that don’t serve kids with bikes, we wonder if special ramps or a separate area could be added.

– A study at The Grove and West Park found levels of traffic noise from I-294 at levels 2.5 times higher than what the state considers acceptable for parks. The park district hopes to persuade Illinois officials to install sound barriers.

– A survey by the Illinois Association of Park Districts shows Glenview was right on track when the commissioners opted to buy more low-cost land along Milwaukee Avenue. The poll found residents of Chicago’s collar counties the most concerned about development and the most supportive of preserving what open space remains. Ninety-four percent of those surveyed said open space improves property values, and even with downstate and rural areas weighing in, 59 percent of respondents said they’d pay at least $28 more per year in taxes to buy land for recreation.

– Glenview is forming a children’s theater for kids in grades 4-6. Auditions are set for January. The children will perform an original musical called School Daze with performances set for March. For more information, call Amber Hirt at 847-657-3229 or check the park district’s winter brochure coming out November 9.

– Pumpkins and mums are selling well at Wagner Farm, and the corn maze is open for adventurous families. Hours are 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on weekends. Christmas trees will go on sale the day after Thanksgiving. The farmhouse has been given a makeover. With tuck-pointing and a new roof, Commissioner Crowley says it’s beginning to look like what it probably was in its heyday.

– The Grove hosts its annual fall Pumpkin Trail, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, October 19-20 with hay rides, stories and crafts.

– The annual Honey and Harvest Festival will take place at River Trail Nature Center from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday, October 20. It will feature a farmers’ market, beekeeping demonstrations and a cider press along with fall color walks and crafts for kids. For details call 824-8360.

– A citizens’ committee will be formed to advise the park district on historic restoration of Wagner Farm. The district hopes to find 5-7 volunteers with expertise in education, antiques, history, architectural restoration, the history of agriculture and public safety. To offer your services, call Bob Quill at 847-657-3222.

– The district also hopes to establish a citizens’ advisory committee on finance, a group of local volunteers who can help them to save and make money. The concept will be discussed at a special meeting at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, December 7.

– The Glenview Parks Foundation, which raises money to help support the district, is looking for a few good men and women. Again, Bob Quill is the man to call at 657-3222.

In an unusual effort to build unity through diversity, a local, non-profit group will host a panel discussion at Glenview’s public library at 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 23. Representatives from the Korean, Hispanic, Pakistani and military communities will talk about their reception here and how Glenview can bridge the gap created by cultural differences. For details, call Thomas Murphy at 847-998-6510.

Fritz is dismayed by claims of school crowding: "District 34 personnel keep saying they do not have enough space. After 10 years of additions to each and every school it is not an issue of how much space they have but how they use it. As long as they treat their cluster boundaries like the Berlin Wall and fail to balance out enrollment based on a constantly changing population, they will always identify one or more schools as overcrowded. The board should adopt a grey zone around each cluster and adjust enrollment according to need. Yes some families, and some neighborhoods will find difficulty with this. Tough. The boards need to make the right decision and wait to open the new Attea Middle School until we really need it. Millions are at stake."

Brad Rowe agrees with Marcia C: "I would have liked to see the pieces of Shermer Road connected together in The Glen. Of course, this is well past the planning stages and unfortunately will never happen. But if the planners had connected Shermer instead of making an entire new road, they may have saved Glenview a lot of cash including the unanticipated cost, including hundreds of thousands needed to make a new soil base under Patriot Boulevard. (Remember that little mistake?) And lets not forget those expensive street lights that once installed were too bright for The Glen's new neighbors. So instead of Shermer, which already existed, to go north, we have a 25 mile-per-hour residential road through The Glen along with speed traps and people complaining that we are using their side street."

A concerned parent writes: "I urge all readers to contact the Glenview police and ask them to have a traffic control plan in place for assuring the safety of the children at Lyon School on the corner of Lake Avenue and Waukegan Road. According to police officer John Garza, they have no plans but are waiting to see what develops. Anyone driving past the school between 8:45-9:00 and then 3:20_3:45 can see how impossible it is to make a turn in and out, especially turning left/south onto Waukegan. Are they waiting for an accident to happen first before posting a policeman to direct traffic?"

The Watch replies: You're right to be concerned about this situation, and we're glad to publish your letter, but you really should get on the phone to District 34 Superintendent Dot Weber, to members of the school board and to Glenview's Chief of Police. Those folks should have been talking about this long ago. Good luck and thanks for your concern. Citizens are often on the front lines, and their leaders must follow.

Rick Nasello has an idea for the soaps: "After reading this week’s Glenview Watch, I am convinced we are passing up a great opportunity to create a new daytime soap opera here in Glenview. It can be called ‘Cows of Our Life.’ Casting shouldn't be a problem. We have the animal rights people who want to make sure that the cows aren’t going to end up on our BBQ grills, and we have the people who are more concerned with the burden brought on the park district that will eventually cost us taxpayers more money to please the 51% of the people who voted to preserve the farm. As you can tell I am part of the 49% who didn't think it was a good idea to keep the farm. Now the Wagner Farm soap opera has blossomed into a full blown joke. Some people want to save the cows while other like me want to eat the cows. So to make everyone happy lets divy up the cows when its time to replace them and everyone should be happy. One other thing I would like to touch on. I don't for one second believe that the butchering of one cow can or will affect how children will be taught to treat people in life. It is our job as parents to teach children by example. If saving a few cows from slaughter is going to affect the outcome of a child’s behavior pattern, then we really need to pinch our selves in the butt and grab a hold of reality."

And Farm Girl laments the loss of a landscape: "Remember picturesque old Wagner Farm with its classic weathered barn and wide open pasture with those beautiful cows grazing from end to end? A picture perfect Andrew Wyeth living landscape that has been a daily drive-by treat for generations in Glenview, is gradually fading away. It's so sad. It's such a shame. Marring the rustic landscape now, a red construction building and wooden peg fences intruding onto the cows' grazing pasture, squeezing them into smaller and smaller spaces. Some days we can't even see the cows. I tell my little ones, they'll be back another day. I hope so. But what do I tell myself? With ugly new buildings and fences, that picturesque Wyeth landscape becomes diluted, or should I say polluted, as the historic old farm is transformed, when we were promised it would be preserved. Is it too late for aesthetic appreciation of the old farm? Can it still be restored and preserved as a living Wyeth landscape? I hope so. Glenview Park District, fulfill your promise."

AR saw the Chicago Sun-Times story about plans to assign numbers to new animals at Wagner Farm and wrote: "The Chicago area is laughing at us. What was the vote at the park district meeting to say that animals would have numbers, and who voted for it? If this procedure is being done to remove the animals easily with the village not getting attached to them, it occurred to me that this would be a wonderful process for the village government to adopt: Give all the village board members and the park district board members numbers!"

The Watch replies: There was no vote on the policy of naming animals by number. It was a decision made by the park district staff.

JH wonders: "Why is there no street lighting along Johns Avenue south of the North Glenview train station. A tarmac was put in for pedestrian and bike traffic, but the street is unsafe for commuters who walk or bike home in the dark. There are several businesses between Chestnut Avenue and the train station. I'm sure they would also welcome lighting. Shouldn't something be done about installing streetlights from Chestnut to the train station for the new Loyola fields? The only good lighting around there is for the Jennings VW parking lot."

The Watch replies: Glenview’s public works department is considering your suggestions. To follow up, contact Bill Porter at 847-657-3030.

YOUR TURN: Write to glenviewwatch@aol.com or 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. If you haven’t already done so, please consider making a contribution to support The Watch. Non-deductible checks should be payable to Glenview Watch. Thanks for your support and for reading. Dean Schott and Sandy Hausman, Co-Editors.

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