GLENVIEW FIREMEN HOT UNDER THE COLLAR

Glenview promoted seven firemen this week, and Chief Dan Bonkowski took the occasion to crow. In a speech to the village trustees and a board room filled with firefighters and their families, Bonkowski said, "Today we are making history. . .We are the only suburban fire department that has ever sworn in seven new officers at the same time." Then, quoting Village President Larry Carlson after an election night sweep, Bonkowski said, "Watch our smoke! Watch us build a world class fire department just as the village board is building a world class village."

Bonkowski, who has been in his job for just over six months, gave no hint of trouble in the ranks, but trouble has apparently been brewing for months as local firemen attempt to gain recognition for their union. In a six-page letter to local firefighters, leaders of the Glenview Professional Firefighters Association blasted the village and its manager, charging they would "stop at nothing to avoid having the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) in our department."

They complain that Glenview has delayed hearings on representation for five months. "We spent day after day in court listening to irrelevant testimony covering well over 1,000 pages of transcripts on everything from flag patches, boot selections, tympanic membrane thermometers, differences in types of defibrillators and everything they could think of to drag the hearings on," the letter says.

The village also put up a vigorous fight to keep captains and lieutenants from joining the association, arguing they were managers or supervisors. In frustration, the IAFF agreed to drop its demand that the officers be allowed to participate, hoping an end to that argument might lead to speedy negotiation of a contract. Instead, the letter says, Manager McCarthy has used the decision to try and make the union look bad. In a letter to the rank and file, he allegedly wrote, "It seems such a colossal waste of time and resources, which all could have been avoided if the Union adopted the Village’s position at the onset."

According to the letter, McCarthy also claimed the IAFF is "out of touch with Glenview," and said our fire department is "unlike any other the IAFF has encountered." Union leaders reject that claim, noting the association represents almost 90 percent of all full-time fire departments in the U.S.

McCarthy has reportedly indicated a willingness to meet with the firefighters, but union leaders are skeptical. "On May 11, 2002, [two association officials] requested a meeting with Mr. McCarthy to discuss the issue of the IAFF," the letter concludes. "He was apparently busy until June 17 when he finally met with them. At this meeting, he handed them a written statement which they both read. After reading the letter, which detailed the village’s opposition to the IAFF, he told them that he had nothing further to add. After five weeks of waiting for this meeting Mr. McCarthy gave your reps less than two minutes of his time. We find it hard to swallow that now he is open to dialogue."

The first meeting of Glenview’s new village board got off to a quiet start with awards to children for Character Counts essays, lengthy presentations on Lake Avenue construction and routine sewer work, approval of two new town homes for Pine Street and more multi-family housing at The Glen. John Heimbaugh, a developer who had appeared five times before the village board but failed to win approval for his three-story building adjacent to Gallery Park, faced one last hurdle.

Trustee Mike Guinane recalled a traffic consultant’s estimate that one car would be leaving the property every 45 seconds during the morning rush hour. "We’re building the new Attea Middle School just to the west there. We’ll have children going to that school during those peak hours also. You’ll have the patrons who are using Park Center, the residents on Chestnut Street, and I have concerns about the traffic bottlenecking that whole site. This is only a two-lane road."

Village President Carlson dismissed that concern, speculating that almost any use of the land would generate traffic.

"I’m new to this particular project, but I would like to say that I think this is excellent quality in terms of its design. I think the articulation of the facade is excellent," said new trustee and commercial real estate professional Kimball Woodrow. Addressing the developer he added, "Frankly I think you’ve been incredibly responsive, and I’m certainly in favor of going forward with this project."

Newly-elected Trustee Jim Patterson also lent support to the plan. "I think this is kind of a happy medium. It’s right in the middle [of the lot]. It’s not too far in and not too far out. I like this rendition better than the others I’ve seen."

The board then approved the project with Guinane providing the sole dissenting vote.

Editor’s note: When the Heimbaugh project came before the board in March, Guinane asked to have the hearing delayed for two weeks so he could get more information. Village Manager Paul McCarthy said the developer expected to be heard immediately and would walk away from the project if he was made to wait. Former Trustee John Crawford dismissed that threat, suggesting the developer would be back. Indeed, he was. Sadly, Crawford was not.

One other area that might have proven controversial passed without a word of discussion. A representative for the county told the trustees that residents along Lake Avenue have complained about the vibrations caused by construction equipment pounding asphalt into rubble. Some have expressed fears that their homes might be damaged.

The county spokesman said techniques used by contractors are not his concern but said the contractor was asked to measure the amount of vibration generated by his activity. "The analysis showed that it was way below the level that might cause structural damage," he said. "There have been rumors and etcetera, but we have not received any [claims of damage]. I’m not saying they’re not going to come, but I think this shows that we were responsible enough to investigate it."

Advocates of historic preservation in Glenview got a big boost this month when the federal government certified the historic preservation commission and the village, making property owners who agree to designate their buildings eligible for certain grants and tax relief. The commission now has its eye on several properties that might well be considered historic: Glenview House, the park district’s administration building on Prairie Street, homes built by a noted pair of architects in east Glenview and some properties in The Park – a neighborhood near the corner of Glenview and Shermer roads where members of the religious group founded by Emanuel Swedenborg in the late 1800's built their churches and houses. Some members of the church would now like to sell some of that property for top dollar to developers who would tear down the old and erect new condominiums.

– Anixter has opened its corporate headquarters at The Glen.

– The matter of expansion by Meier’s Tavern has been shelved for two weeks after neighbors hired a lawyer to help them fight the project.

– The plan and appearance commissions will focus on the issue of window signs when they hold a special joint meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the board room of village hall. The plan commission then hopes to consider an ordinance in mid-May with consideration by the village board at its May 20 meeting when a moratorium on new neon signs expires.

– Apparently fed up with advice he didn’t like, the newly-elected mayor of Lincolnshire has proposed getting rid of that community’s plan commission.

– A new form of theft has been reported in Wilmette where police are investigating the use of hi-tech scanners and cameras to read and store account and PIN numbers when people use ATM’s. The information can then be used to create new bank cards that enable thieves to empty funds from hundreds of accounts.

– Northbrook police say burglaries have hit a 10-year high – another sign that the economy is lagging.

Teachers at Glenbrook South High School have ratified a contract that will give them nearly 5 percent more money next year and another 4.8 percent in 2004-2005. Teachers with a bachelor’s degree will earn more than $42,000 a year in salary and retirement pay while the most senior educators who have a master’s degree and at least 60 additional credits get nearly $98,000.

The agreement also requires teachers to pay more for their medical insurance, which cost the district 18.5 percent more last year.

Wrigley Field in Photos will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24 in Glenview’s library. Stephen Green, official Cubs photographer, will show slides from his new book, Wrigley Field: A Celebration of the Friendly Confines. His photos are also on display in the library's lobby, the Field Museum sports exhibit, and the Chicago Historical Society. You can register for this program at the Information Desk or call 847-729-7500 ext. 112.

New to the library shelves this week:

"The Hidden Life of Otto Frank" by Carol Ann Lee _ A carefully researched and moving biography of the man who survived Auschwitz and gave the world "The Diary of Anne Frank."

"All Over Creation" by Ruth Ozeki _ A new novel by the best_selling author of "My Year of Meats." Ozeki manages to combine both humor and pathos in this novel of love, sex, bioengineering and social responsibility.

"High Latitudes: An Arctic Journey" by Farley Mowat _ Noted nature author Mowat chronicles his travels across northern Canada, debunking the notion that it is "a bloody great wasteland."

"Bowl Food: Comfort Food for People on the Move"  --  soups, salads, rice and curry dishes that can be served in a bowl.

"The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland" by Hugh Thomson _ Thomson travels the ancient paths of the Incas through the Andes, deftly weaving his own explorations with those who came before him.

"Don't Stop the Carnival" by Herman Wouk.   Originally published in 1965, this novel by the noted author of "The Caine Mutiny" became the basis of a stage musical in collaboration with Jimmy Buffett. Includes a new introduction by the author about the making of the musical.

Call the information desk to reserve a copy.

Mrs. S. was dismayed by dire talk about the condition of Roosevelt and Flick pools: "Are we being scammed? How and when did the park district start revealing the deterioration of these pools. Was the revelation after the purchase of the additional acres from the Zenith site? This is just one more example of poor planning --  why weren't they saving for this? Why should we cough up for another referendum? They certainly haven’t been concerned with the basics. Just look at the ghastly bathroom/changing areas at Flick. The park district is just letting things run into the ground so they can start afresh with entirely new facilities with boosts in taxes."

JJS gets down on the farm: "While everybody had a fun time at the Wagner Farm Easter egg hunt, we were disappointed to see that tacky red trailer with add-on marring the barnyard landscape. One wonders what's next, an old rusty car up on blocks? Used tires and discarded washing machine in front of the house? Has the park district contracted out running the old farm to the Beverly Hillbillies? Even worse are those new Stalag 17 fences they put up. It's beginning to look like a concentration camp. Will Colonel Klink be the commandant? Even the cows didn't look contented inside those fences. Wasn't the Park District supposed to preserve the old Wagner farm with our tax dollars?  For the sake of Glenview nostalgia, old Wagner arm charm and most of all good taste, help!"

Patrick Keenan is pleased with the service provided by local merchants: "Just wanted to let other Glenview residents know about a great find: Ace Hardware on Waukegan just north of Lake Avenue. When you go in there, you are greeted by friendly people who actually know what they are talking about. I consider myself a novice when it comes to repairs at my 60-year-old house, but thanks to the workers at Ace I am learning a lot. When I go there or call they spend time explaining how to do something even if I only end up buying a few small items. I especially get great advice from JT who knows just about everything about home improvements. I get a little concerned when mega hardware stores open nearby,  i.e., the new Home Depot near in The Glen). I have been to other Home Depots and have found it very frustrating that most of the people in the store have no clue about the things they are trying to sell. I usually get handed off a number of times before I find someone who has at least a little knowledge of hardware. If you want to save a little money you can go to Home Depot, but if you want to save time, which is money, and do it right go to Weiss Ace Hardware."

JS offers some advice to CS who plans a move to Glenview: "Be sure that you add a sewer inspection to your to-do list as you look for housing in Glenview. I would strongly suggest that a video inspection be done on any property as part of the inspection process. An investment in a sewer video as small as $300 can save you tens of thousands! It seems to make no difference if you are looking at something in established Glenview or something new at The Glen. The horror stories of the problems related to the storm and septic sewer are too numerous to be ignored. Glenview is lovely, but the sewers stink!"

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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