The closest confirmed tornado spawned by stormy weekend weather was in Joliet, but at around 8:30 p.m. Friday Glenview’s tornado sirens sounded. At Springman School, where 300 girl scouts were enjoying an old-fashioned sock hop, many of the children burst into tears. Families all over town took to their basements, but a check of local tv stations found no tornado warning for this area.

The siren was activated when a state trooper in Skokie thought he saw a funnel cloud in the vicinity of I-294 and Dempster. He put the word out on emergency band radio, prompting alarms in Glenview, Northbrook and Buffalo Grove.

Glenview’s plan commission edged closer to proposing restrictions on window signs in local stores despite vigorous opposition from the chamber of commerce. After reviewing the ordinances of 18 other suburbs and hearing testimony from residents and businesses, the commissioners seem ready to restrict signs to 25 percent of a store’s window. They would not include illustrations, decorations or store hours in the calculation, and unhappy merchants could appeal. Those forced to get rid of oversized signs would have up to two years to do so, and neon would still be permitted, although restrictions might be placed on their size and brightness.

The proposal for Glenview’s ordinance is far more generous than laws in some other suburbs. Merchants in Winnetka, for example, can’t block more than 10 percent of their windows with a sign, and of 18 communities surveyed, 10 chose 20 percent as the magic number. Commission Chairman Howard Silver argued for 25 percent, not because it was aesthetically ideal but because it made practical sense. If a 15 percent limit were imposed, he thought too many "little fish" – existing businesses in Glenview – would be caught in the net. "We don’t want to harm businesses," he said.

Still, several members of the chamber of commerce complained bitterly. President Mike Downing, a prominent local attorney with strong ties to the Carlson administration, thundered against any restrictions suggesting they were arbitrary and unnecessary.

The owner of Glenview’s downtown Dairy Bar described his own windows – covered with colorful pictures of ice cream cones, sundaes and shakes. He said small children often rely on these signs to place their orders.

The owner of the Glenview Currency Exchange, 1410 Waukegan Road, questioned the need for restrictions. "Is the village becoming a neon jungle?" he asked.

"It’s very subjective," said Silver, "but there’s been a lot of complaints over the past couple of years about some of the signs that have gone up – too large, too garish, too bright, too messy, too many. We’re trying to get some standardization."

Silver proposed, and the panel agreed to consider the idea that different business types might require different rules. Grocery and liquor stores, for example, rely heavily on large temporary signs to promote daily or weekly sales. Car dealerships have also used their windows to tout special financing arrangements. Silver says a more customized approach will be discussed at the commission’s next meeting.

About 25 business people showed up for the hearing, but advocates of regulation say plenty of merchants are in their camp. William Dose circulated a petition reading: "In the interest of maintaining a respectable and attractive business environment in Glenview, we the undersigned believe that neon signs should be prohibited in the downtown district and in pedestrian-oriented shopping centers. Neon signs contribute to a downscale appearance which degrades the original charm and character of the community, discourages quality business development, and inhibits downtown revitalization." Among the businesses that signed: Weiss Ace Hardware, Foodstuffs, Trader Joe’s, HR Block Financial Advisors, Dragon Inn North, Point of Origin, Country Classics, Walker Brother’s Original Pancake House and Caribou Coffee.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Glenview’s village board will review a slick color booklet outlining OliverMcMillan’s design plans for The Glen Town Center, an upscale shopping center being built on Patriot Boulevard. The developer offers photographs and text to define a "thoughtful, tasteful, sophisticated" look to be achieved "with the highest quality materials."

Those guidelines would ban signs made of plastic or acrylic, fabric banners and carnival-like graphics. Redundant signs and exposed neon on the storefront would not be allowed. Plastic tables and chairs, sandwich signs on the ground and temporary signs on windows or doors would also be banned. More generally, the developer objects to clutter and calls for simple storefronts that use approved colors.

Working with a lawyer hired by the neighbors and representatives of the village, the owner of Meier’s Tavern may be on the verge of a deal that will give him 19 more parking spaces, the right to operate a small outdoor beer garden in warm weather, exemption from any future sign regulation and the right to petition for a larger place.

In exchange, the trustees would approve new zoning for the site, making it legal to operate a business there, and Owner Gus Pappas would have to comply with all current zoning rules. Because the tavern was more than 100 years old, it has been allowed to operate in a residential area.

Neighbors complained when Pappas asked permission to expand his parking lot, saying it would come within 20 feet of their backyards. The new plan, to be reviewed at Tuesday’s meeting of the trustees, would require a 77-foot setback and a landscaped buffer between Meier’s and the homes behind it.

In the midst of a dispute over how much of the profits should go to former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon, the Milwaukee Avenue restaurant that carries his name has closed, prompting McMahon to file suit. Gus Cappas, who owned the eatery, saw McMahon as more than an investor. According to the Pioneer Press, he agreed to pay the "punky QB" $4,000 a month plus five percent of gross receipts and 75 percent of merchandise sales in exchange for the use of his name. McMahon says the steakhouse and sports bar was a success, in large part because of his promotional efforts, but Cappas misrepresented its finances, claiming poor cash flow and refusing to pay vendors. Cappas allegedly threatened bankruptcy and demanded McMahon remove his memorabilia from the restaurant.

Meanwhile, another steakhouse is set to open on Milwaukee’s restaurant row. Pete Miller’s, a successful spot in Evanston, will offer steaks and seafood in Wheeling with live jazz, no cover charge, a billiard room and large bar. There will be no cigar bar, and the new location is said to be brighter and more family oriented than the Evanston restaurant. At 412 N. Milwaukee, it will occupy the old Crawdaddy Bayou site.

– The trustees are set to debate establishment of a Natural Resources Commission Tuesday, but one sticky issue stands in the way of quick passage. Should the village regulate lands owned by the park district? That may seem like a no brainer given the presence of environmentalist Judy Beck on the park board and Steve Swanson at the helm of The Grove, but the park district has not always acted in an environmentally-sensitive fashion. Construction of a traditional blacktop playground along the river at Heatherfield and an asphalt parking lot next to the river at Wagner Farm provoked criticism from The Watch and others in Glenview who fear the district’s love of sports and shortage of cash may blind it to the special needs of natural areas. What’s more, Glenview’s Environmental Review Commission does have jurisdiction over The Grove, setting a precedent for this type of protection.

– Watch Editor Sandy Hausman reports on cruise ship pollution on NPR’s Living on Earth. To hear that story, visit www.loe.org, then click on the speaker icon next to "Cruise Control" in this week’s show.

After closing for a year of renovations, the golf course operated by Wheeling’s park district on Milwaukee Avenue will open again in early July. Once called Chevy Chase Country Club, it will now be known as Traditions and will offer some spiffy new features. A global positioning system on carts will tell golfers how far they are from the hole, allow them to order food and drinks and warn them of worsening weather. The course itself is said to be more challenging. "It is not a grip-it and rip-it course anymore," Manager Margie Arnold told the local newspaper. Players will be able to reserve tee time times by phone or Internet using the E-Z Links icon on the Wheeling park district website, and prices will be relatively low. Non-residents will pay $40 for 18-holes with a cart on weekdays and $65 on weekends.

– Wilmette’s chamber of commerce has hired a French company to operate its weekly farmers market. Bensidoun USA was already working with Wheaton, Mokena, Lombard and Villa Park to create outdoor sales reminiscent of the vibrant street markets in Paris. Calling these events "The French Market," and erecting colorful canopies from Europe, management has attracted more than 40 merchants offering gourmet food, produce, jewelry, flowers and crafts. Anti-French sentiment sparked by the war in Iraq does not seem to have hurt business. Despite cool weather, merchants in Wilmette say they’ve seen even more customers than last year at the Saturday morning sales.

– Northbrook is expected to offer a tax break to Revell-Monogram, a Morton Grove company that makes toy model kits. The company would save more than $3 million in moving from 8601 Waukegan Road to Sky Harbor in Northbrook. Morton Grove officials aren’t fretting. They see this as a chance to redevelop the site, combining it with neighboring parcels and perhaps building a shopping center. The community lost 40 percent of its sales tax revenue when Abt moved to Glenview.

– The Army Corps of Engineers is studying the possibility of a marina and harbor to be built off one of Evanston’s beaches. The corps will survey up to 1,000 boat owners within a 30-mile radius of that North Shore suburb to determine whether interest in such a facility is strong. Evanston now maintains a boat ramp and breakwater at the Church Street Beach and has small boat racks at Dempster Street, but aldermen are interested in the revenue a marina might generate.

– Skokie’s plan commission has given the okay for a 120-condo project at the site of the former Old Orchard Theater, 9340-9408 Skokie Boulevard. The development would also include a Portillo’s restaurant and Fifth Third Bank branch.

– Veterans in Wheeling don’t want a memorial that village officials are thinking of building at the corner of Milwaukee and Dundee. It would include several flag poles, a memorial plaque and wall surrounded by brick pavers, but a spokesman for the local AMVETS says the memorial in front of Post 66 is all that’s needed. If Wheeling has "so much money to throw around," he suggests it be used to repair fallen headstones at the graves of veterans in the local cemetery.

The Watch congratulates Glenview residents Norma and Bill Morrison on 70 years together. On the seventieth anniversary of their first date, Bill penned this note to his bride:

What is so rare as that date in June,

That, if ever, was a perfect date,

For heaven tried us if we be in tune,

And finding it so, sealed our fate.

NLM is irate over the name chosen by a national bookstore chain for its new, upscale shop at The Glen: "I read in the Watch last week that National Book Warehouse will open a book store at the Glen Town Center. It will be named The Book Market at Hangar One. What nerve! Our national landmark, the historic Hangar One, was destroyed to allow retail business, and now the developer responsible for that destruction has the chutzpah (shameless audacity) to profit by using the name Hangar One."

And Phil St. Aubin says there are other architectural issues in the village: "I wish Village President Carlson was more consistent and discerning when he makes comments like, ‘How well do you think that fits with the architecture of the rest of The Glen?’ Take a look at the new building going up on the west side of Church Street north of Grove Street. Six months ago there stood a neat little bungalow among all the rest along that stretch of Church Street. How does Mr. Carlson feel about how the new structure fits with the rest of the architecture there?"

Bob Frye asks about boating on Lake Glenview: "Ever since digging of the lakes began, I have been excited about a place to sail a small butterfly sailboat. Original plans were to pattern a marina after the one at Lake Arlington. I have not been able to get any information about this from other sources. It looks now like it’s a nature preserve for viewing only."

The Watch replies: Planners at The Glen still hope to have boating (and fishing) on Lake Glenview, but it won’t happen this summer. They may permit canoes, kayaks and paddle boats next spring and sailboats in the future. If you’re anxious to set sail sooner, you might want to contact one or more of the trustees. E-mail addresses are at www.glenview.il.us.

Althea writes about the lack of new development in Glenview: "Did our over zealous plan commission run Steak ‘N Shake out of town? I haven't heard anything about them for a while. Also does anyone know what is going on with the boarded up houses on Monroe Street? Is the village just going to let them sit there and drag our property values down? Why don’t they put some pressure on the property owners to do something about those eyesores?"

The Watch replies: Steak ‘N Shake will be back before the plan commission and zoning board this month according to Development Director Mary Bak. She also indicates the village has done everything it can regarding the Monroe Street properties. Bak said the village had to take legal action just to get fences around those properties, and she does not believe a judge would order additional action.

Karen Glennemeier thinks we need a downtown redevelopment commission: "Is there a group or commission whose mission is to maintain and revitalize downtown Glenview? I keep hearing bits and pieces about how we all think it's important to do this, but then every new development idea involves opening things up in The Glen and moving things out of downtown. If the library left downtown, it would be tragic – essentially throwing up our hands and abandoning the area. I'm so tired of reading about how there's not enough parking downtown. I've never seen the municipal lot full at Church and Dewes. Do we really have a parking crisis, or are people unwilling to spend their time someplace that doesn't look like a strip mall? How about working toward a community that encourages us to drive less?"

QC disagrees with our take on Larry Carlson’s threat to post a sign warning prospective buyers at the new Moore subdivision that they will be in unincorporated Glenview, getting water from a well: "Well water tastes awful, and one needs a water softener which leaves a soapy residue on everything. My hunch is that the Moores will cave, since a warning to the public could be a serious impediment in selling these town homes. They will also need to contract for all plowing services."

The Watch replies: Those buyers will also be denied free library privileges, but some people don’t mind any of that if it means lower taxes and access to Glenview public schools. Developer Victor Moore hopes to break ground soon and has already got a list of more than 100 families interested in purchasing one of 66 town homes he will build in unincorporated Cook County.

WK endured a noisy Memorial Day weekend and wonders: "Why were the Glenview police not able to stop the exceedingly loud music on Bel Aire blaring on Sunday afternoon and evening?"

The Watch replies: Deputy Chief Brad Weigel told us the department did respond to a couple of anonymous complaints of loud music from neighbors. "The police spent over a half hour at the scene of that graduation party, and the resident agreed to turn the amplifiers used by a live band down. We received no further complaints," he told us. Weigel also explained that the police department "can't monitor sound levels of parties around town and act upon what disturbs us. We need identifiable complainants in these matters to prove the noise annoyed or disturbed them. In this case, the complaints were anonymous. We could have done more if someone was willing to come forward and sign a complaint."

William Dose applauds Trustee Woodrow’s leadership in pressing for approval of Kohl Children’s Museum plans: "Trustee Woodrow is absolutely correct in the assertion that a new museum offers the perfect opportunity to infuse depth and sophistication into an existing setting by introducing a dramatic, forward-thinking building which provides a refreshing intellectual contrast. The problem is the already constructed major public and civic buildings at The Glen don't demonstrate any internal design consistency or attempt to relate to either The Glen's residential areas or Glenview's historic colonial revival downtown. With the exception of the distinguished new Glenview State Bank (the only structure that says ‘Glenview’ or even tries), we have a smorgasbord of architectural influences: a prairie-style park center, cute little rusticated park utility buildings, the shining glass Attea school which evokes the Jetsons, the Craftsman-style Hyatt complex, and The Glen Town Center which will somehow marry aggressive military modernism with Main Street, small-town Victoriana – all illuminated by street lamps that are theme-park verdigris. In such a mishmash of ersatz architectural styles, there is really nothing for an inspired contemporary new museum to successfully contrast against. The real urgency from an aesthetic planning perspective is not to create more contrast or diversity but, instead, to re-discover and expand Glenview's long-neglected charming visual look and continuity. Maybe the best gift Kohl could give Glenview is to grace it with a great sprawling country Virginia Roanoke or distinctive early American saltbox-style building, if only to help remind us of our treasured visual identity as a village while our children go inside to learn about the outside world."

Kimberly was alarmed to learn about library plans for a survey: "I'm on vacation in Orlando, and I just read The Watch online. How do I get to put my vote in for where I'd like the library to be located? You mentioned that some people were going to be calling a few hundred residents, but isn't there another way to give our opinions?"

The Watch replies: The library board has only begun to discuss this new survey, and any poll is probably two or three months away. In the mean time, you can express your views in a letter to the library’s executive director Vickie Novak at 1930 Glenview Road, Glenview, IL 60025 or come to any library board meeting. The trustees assemble in the library on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m., and they are always willing to hear from residents.

MG applauds the suggestion that the library expand to the site of the paint store: "I am glad EB suggested the library move the paint store to the Renneckar's vacant building and expand parking right there. I also believe that any needed expansion could be put on the second floor over the old and new parking lot area. I heard rumors that a restaurant was looking at the old Renneckar's. It may be necessary to act now or forever pay for a larger library than we need somewhere else. A library's scope should not include activities that belong elsewhere like the park district. Enough is enough!"

Jack Neymark was pleased to hear the library "is planning another public survey on whether to build new or renovate. I feel that it is time to use land available at The Glen for a new library, but the current location could also serve Glenview well. I’ll bet a creative architect could come up with some nice ideas for the existing facility. Either way, it’s time to bring our library into the 21^st century! We have definitely outgrown our current space. Whether you are browsing the shelves, reading a book, surfing the web, using board meeting rooms or attending lectures and workshops, a larger library would benefit us all. I hope we will have space outside to read, relax and sip coffee, not to mention additional parking. I am willing to bet that more people will use this new facility than did the old one. I know people who currently use neighboring libraries, because of their up to date facilities. It is unfortunate that our library staff must work in crowded conditions due to lack of space. Our community with its wonderful schools, beautiful homes, excellent bond rating and strong growth deserves a newer, larger, world-class library."

John Ranz is outraged by library board claims: "Do these people have no shame? Once again members of the Glenview Public Library board are perpetuating the myth that the library must relocate to expand. Their claim that they need to build a new 110,000-square-foot facility is simply untrue. For the past few years we have asked the board to explain why they need 63 percent more space per capita than 19 other libraries that have recently expanded or built new and almost three times as many patron seats per 1,000 residents as recommended by one of the best-known library planners in practice today, Anders C. Dahlgren of the University of Wisconsin. In 2001, Library Board President Donna Berndt told the Glenview Announcements, ‘In order to sell our needs to the community we have to validate the [consultant’s] study and prove that what we really need is true.’ We agree wholeheartedly, but the board has failed to provide the most basic evidence. We still don’t know, for example, how many patron seats are in use. How many businesses would expand without knowing how much unused capacity already exists?

"Vice President Karen Teitelbaum’s claim that ‘dealing with the layout of the existing building which has been remodeled several times would be inefficient and expensive to operate’ is a smokescreen. A few years ago the Northbrook Public Library added 30,000 square feet of space, completely remodeled the existing building and added covered parking for only $10 million. Compared to the cost of a new 110,000-square-foot facility for nearly $30 million (not including land and site improvements) that sounds like a fantastic deal to me.

"We suggest Ms. Teitelbaum and her colleagues on the board read the feasibility study we paid $25,000 for five years ago. It says, among other things: ‘The existing library is in very good condition. It is structurally sound, finishes are in good condition, and with minor exceptions, the electrical and HVAC systems are in working order.’ Given this glowing report, it doesn’t make much sense to spend $15 million to replace the existing 53,000 square feet of space we’ve already paid for in order to move the library just a few blocks east or to The Glen less than a quarter of a mile away. If necessary, we should pay the post office to vacate their existing site.  That way we can enjoy the best of both worlds – a brand new post office at The Glen or some other downtown site and a newly-expanded library for half the cost of the board’s 110,000-square-foot Taj Mahal."

And a reader who calls himself Library Lover writes: "Do our Glenview library trustees read? Do they comprehend what they do read? Did they read EB's idea to expand at EPCO in last week's Watch? Assuming so, let's review five other points that they should have read, understood and acknowledged:

"The $25,000 consultant study said the library is in very good condition, however Trustee Teitelbaum, who is not an architect, claims ‘the layout of the existing building, which has been remodeled several times, would be inefficient and expensive to operate.’

"A survey by the library in 2000 asked, ‘Assuming the costs of these two options [current location or The Glen] are equal, which library location do you most prefer?’ Almost three to one preferred the current location.

"The library board has fixated on building a costly 110,000-square-foot structure, the same size as Evanston’s library and similar to Arlington Heights -- towns with populations much larger than Glenview. Some library trustees actually attempt to justify an oversized building by claiming our library users are different than library users in neighboring towns.

"Taxpayers in Wilmette, Niles and Mt. Prospect preferred to expand libraries at their current locations. Each of the three neighboring library boards complied with that preference.

"Glenview’s library attendance records show a steady decline over the last five years -- about 20% or over 100,000 visits, while Internet use continues to grow, fulfilling many needs that eliminate visits to the library. That’s with Internet use at only at 54 percent of households. Hello!"

Sam Scribe asks: "When considering the pleas for historic authenticity, how far should COWS and other citizens’ groups go in advising park district management? In the early 70's, neighborhood children walking their bikes along Wagner Road close to the farm were often scared away by a farmer running across the field brandishing a rifle and screaming threats. He was also known to charge children 25-cents to come and see the cows."

JS notes the hiring of four new firemen: "Are those the four new fireman we were not going to need to staff the two new fire stations? Several weeks ago we promoted more fireman than any community has promoted at any given time. I suppose that created some vacancies in the ranks. Now there’s a way to beat around the bush. Common sense said from square one we would need more staff, regardless of what our fearless leaders wanted us to believe. Is the wool they are trying to pull over our eyes coming from Wagner Farm? How many more are we going to hire?

Rumor has it they will be closing the downtown station. Is that going to change from rumor to fact behind the citizens’ backs? If that happens, how far away is protection for Old Glenview and it's residents? You know, the ones without the $1 million homes."

ML asks what the fire department is up to: "Greenwood has had fire trucks for the last two weeks, fumigating an old house north of Lake Avenue next to the nursing home. I wonder what they are trying to kill."

The Watch replies: By special arrangement, that vacant property was used for fire department training drills with theatrical smoke. Glenview does not permit the use of real fire and smoke for training purposes. Practice of rescue under conditions that simulate a burning building will continue this week and next.

Ron asks about parking near the corner of Dewes and Railroad: "There has been an awful lot of talk about the parking spaces in front of the Dewes Court condos. Supposedly these spots are reserved for Metra parking. I'm not sure if The Watch has been to this area, but I have and don't see one sign designating that area as commuter parking. I still think this a free zone and not required to have a permit. I’m talking about the spaces directly across from the tracks on the west side of the building."

The Watch replies: Development Director Mary Bak says those spots were designated for commuters, but two of them will now carry two-hour time limits, putting them off-limits to commuters but making them available to downtown shoppers.

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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