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The Glenview Watch
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GUNSLINGERS SURRENDER
When the subject of guns at The Glen first came up, all but one of
Glenview's trustees approved a request by Galyan's to sell rifles and
shotguns. Village President Larry Carlson lamented that a county law
making gun sales illegal within one mile of a school or park "effectively
disenfranchised sporting good stores," but Village Attorney Jeff Randall
said Glenview clearly had the right to override county law.
Trustee Jim Patterson compared shooting guns with swimming and suggested
that all parents had an obligation to teach their children responsible use
of firearms so they can "know and understand guns. . .Guns are a fact of
life and part of the American way," he said.
Trustee Jeff Lerner thought Glenview faced a bigger risk to public health
because of liquor being sold at The Glen than guns. "These children at the
school are more likely to be hit by a drunk driver than somebody buying a
gun, so from a safety point of view, selling guns isn't a hazard."
Trustee Kerry Cummings was not sure about the location but said, "I don't
think we need to ban the sale of guns in Glenview." She proposed a
preliminary vote on the matter with a second vote after the public had a
chance to comment.
Only Trustee Mike Guinane argued against Galyan's plan, saying guns should
not be sold near a school, park and children's museum. All but Guinane
gave the sporting goods store preliminary permission to sell firearms
here, but three weeks later tunes had changed.
Carlson said he had received more than 100 e-mails on the matter and
countless phone calls. He told the public, "At our last board meeting we
refused Galyan's request that this be adopted on first reading without
hearing from the public and without the further information that we needed
to discuss this. We voted not to adopt this ordinance but to have a second
hearing on this matter. . . Based on the opposition of the board to this
ordinance and the community response, I contacted Galyan's and asked them
to withdraw their request. . .There will be no guns sold at that store,
period!"
After a round of applause from the public, Carlson boasted that democracy
had worked.
Editor's note: Indeed, democracy worked, but Carlson hardly deserves the
credit. Surely he knew that Village Manager Paul McCarthy and Village
Attorney Jeff Randall were trying to pull a fast one on this community –
hoping to win quick approval for gun sales without requiring a second
vote. They didn't ask for public comments in advance. They didn't even
tell residents they'd be talking about this subject. Instead, they raised
the issue at the end of a long meeting in July. The village attorney had
obviously talked with officials from Galyan's and prepared for what could
be a contentious subject. During the meeting, he behaved like a lawyer for
the defense -- questioning a spokesman for the store, trying to elicit
information that might reassure the board. Village President Carlson was
prepared to call for a vote before any debate took place. Fortunately,
Trustee Guinane behaved like a responsible public official – raising
questions and objections.
Cummings suggested a second vote be required so the public could comment,
but that was clearly an afterthought. In a first vote on gun sales at The
Glen, she joined the gang in voting aye. Now, Carlson and Cummings are
taking a bow for telling Galyan's it can't sell guns here, sweeping their
own lame performance under the rug, ignoring the outrageous remarks made
by Patterson and Lerner while treating Guinane as the board's punching
bag.
NO GLORY FOR GUINANE
When Carlson called for approval of minutes from the July 15 meeting,
Guinane said key comments were missing and gun merchants might still see
opportunities here. He proposed that Glenview officially ban gun sales.
Carlson said the idea could be considered during another part of the
meeting and again called for a vote on the minutes. Cummings, Patterson
and Kimball Woodrow okayed them. Guinane did not. Cummings smelled blood.
"I would like to hear specifically what the problems with the minutes
are," she said.
"There were certain statements made by members of this board that are not
contained in those minutes," said Guinane.
"If you would like a verbatim transcript, we will do that," said Carlson.
Perhaps sensing political danger in having his party's pro-gun statements
on the record, attorney Randall stepped in.
"Maybe we can short-circuit this," he said. "The minutes are not a
verbatim transcript of what occurred at the previous meeting. The minutes
are merely a summary of what happens, and because there is not a verbatim
statement of what someone said does not necessarily defeat the minutes."
"Mr. President, that's my feeling," said Cummings smugly. "If we would
like to make additions or corrections, now is the time in which to do
that. If there are no additions for us to consider, I believe that one
should vote in favor of the minutes. I'm sorry!"
"The vote has been taken," said Guinane.
Determined to have the last word, Cummings continued her lecture: "For the
record, I have a problem with people not making additions or corrections
to the minutes and then not voting in favor of them. I think you owe it to
the public to explain specifically what should be added."
Later, Carlson invited Guinane to make his motion for a ban on all gun
sales, but no one would second it. Carlson contended it was unnecessary,
since no place in Glenview is more than one mile from a park or school.
"The county ordinance takes care of this, and the county isn't going to
change that," he explained.
When Guinane insisted, Randall again volunteered his opinion that a ban
would not be legal. "There's something called the United States
Constitution, and under the Constitution – whether you like it or not –
people have the right to bear arms. There is no community that I am aware
of that has an outright ban on the sale of all firearms," he said.
Editor's note: The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that state law
"permits extensive regulation of firearms. . .including prohibitions on a
particular class of firearms." Chicago, Cicero, Aurora, Niles and Oak Park
ban the sale of assault weapons. Chicago, Deerfield, Oak Park, Elk Grove,
Forest Park, Niles, Northbrook, Morton Grove, Westmont and Highland Park
have various bans on the sale or possession of handguns and ammunition.
As for the trustees' treatment of Guinane, it's clear they are a gang of
jealous, insecure bullies. They no longer have John Crawford to kick
around. Donna Pappo is gone, and Rachel Cook has moved to a new town after
four years of dealing with these miserable clowns. Faced with dissent from
a member of their own party, embarrassed by the leadership he has shown,
they will do everything possible to diminish Guinane.
THE COMMUNITY THAT CRIES TOGETHER ...
About a hundred people packed Village Hall Tuesday to ask for a revision
of the local ordinance limiting daycare homes to just eight children. In
sometimes emotional testimony, daycare operators and parents noted that
state law allows homes with enough space and staff to have as many as 12
full-time kids and four youngsters who are there before and after school.
The local rule was based on what was allowed by the Illinois Department of
Children and Family Services in 1982. Since then, DCFS has revised its
rules six times, but Glenview's law remained the same. In June, the
village learned that one of four daycare homes operating here exceeded the
local limit of eight and vowed to enforce the rule, forcing some families
to find other places for their kids.
Angela Brownley recalled the day she had to take her son out of the
daycare operated by Kim Abu-Hashim. "My husband was deployed. He's in the
reserves, and my child was pulled out of the home where he had been for
three years. It's a safe home, and he loves Kim. He had made friends,
really good friends at Kim's house, and he was happy. No neighbors were
complaining, but I was stuck," she said tearfully. "I had no husband, I
was nine months pregnant, and I had no daycare."
Carlson, who had choked up earlier in the evening when a local marine was
honored for his service in Iraq, was sympathetic to the weeping mothers.
"It's a night for that apparently," he said. "I started it."
"The village that cries together stays together," concluded daycare mom
Angela Erland.
Trustees Cummings, Patterson and Guinane were less emotional about the
subject. They worried that having a daycare with 16 kids next door might
disturb neighbors. "We are [already] making exceptions to have businesses
in residential areas," said Cummings. She proposed that parents of older
children consider park district or after school programs.
The parents and daycare providers reacted with dismay, noting that those
programs are often full. They warned parents might be forced to leave
older children at home, unsupervised, before and after school. They spoke
of wanting to keep siblings together and warned that by holding home
operators to a tougher standard than DCFS, the village might discourage
many from registering with the state. They would, instead, provide
"babysitting" services that are not regulated.
Trustee Guinane expressed doubts about the safety of having 16 kids in a
home. "I think 12 children is more than fair," he said.
"We have monthly fire and tornado drills," said daycare operator Abu-Hashim.
"The children are trained to exit in emergencies, and there's an adult
[supervising]."
Christine Ita also wept as she talked about her preference for home
daycare, where her daughter can sit and read a book or get help with her
homework. Ita said she did not want "a huge group setting," for her child.
"Home daycare is a different kind of business," she told the board, adding
that programs with more than a dozen kids should not be "located down on
Lehigh Avenue next to the trucks."
Ita dismissed the notion that neighbors might suffer silently with a large
daycare group next door. "Iris works in Swainwood," she said of her
daycare provider. "Do you think the residents of Swainwood wouldn't
complain if they thought a home daycare was a nuisance? They are very
vocal people, and they would let you know if that was a problem! It's not
a problem. Home daycare belongs in the home."
Without invitation, Village Attorney Jeff Randall jumped in to advance the
cause by asking Development Director Mary Bak if there had been daycare
homes operating with more than the eight children allowed by local
ordinance. She said there had. And how many public complaints had she
received? Bak said there had been none.
Trustee Kim Woodrow then moved to go with the DCFS limits – up to a dozen
children in home daycare plus four school-aged kids who could be there on
a part-time basis. Trustee Denefe offered a second, and after assurances
that neighbors would be notified before license renewals for any daycare,
Cummings, Patterson and Guinane agreed, prompting an enthusiastic round of
applause from the crowd.
DEVELOPER DENIED TAX BREAK
A local developer called TEG Glenview failed to win support from the
village board for tax breaks that would have cost local schools nearly
half a million dollars. TEG's Josh Silverglade argued that the West Lake
Avenue factory he bought required a great deal of work because its
previous owner had designed the space for a specific manufacturing
purpose. "It's truly an obsolete building," he said.
Cook county law allows a tax reduction for rehabbing such buildings in
"severely blighted" areas, but board members argued TEG could make a buck
without support from the taxpayers.
Trustee Woodrow asked if Silverglade had gotten a price break when he
bought the building from a mortgage holder. "I think that's a correct
characterization," said Silverglade. "We did buy it at a discount, but
this building needs all the help it can get. The better we can position
this building, the faster it will lease-up, stabilize the area and
ultimately stabilize the tax and employment base there."
Woodrow moved to deny the tax break. Guinane offered a second, and the
board unanimously rejected the request for tax relief.
Editor's note: Why did the village manager's office waste time drafting an
ordinance and allow this petitioner to take the board's time when it was
so obvious that TEG was not entitled to tax relief? Once again we fear
Paul McCarthy and his team are out of touch with Glenview.
THE GREEN SCENE
– As expected, former Trustee Kent Fuller has been appointed chairman of
Glenview's new natural resources commission. The village is still
accepting applications for the panel that will recommend ways to protect
and restore the Air Station Prairie, Techny Basin, Chicago River and
Gallery Park.
– Free prairie tours are scheduled from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Saturday, August
16 and September 20. To reach the prairie, take Lake Avenue to Patriot
Boulevard at The Glen. Go north on Patriot, then east on Compass Road.
You'll see the prairie on your left, just before Lehigh Road. Street
parking is available. For additional details, call Rob Blomquist at
847-729-3487.
READERS WRITE
Fritz calls on Glenview to stop gassing and start fighting: "In the
1990's, village employees and elected board members claimed many times
that Glen Redevelopment would not increase taxes. Some of us knew better.
Now every taxing body in town is asking for a tax hike to ‘improve
services' to a now much larger community. They want a new library, two new
fire stations, a police station, wider roads, more water and new pools.
Never before was there a town in greater need of a local chapter of Fight
Against Ridiculous Taxes – better known as F.A.R.T. We already have many
fine civic groups working tirelessly for the benefit of all; to shoot off
fireworks, keep the farm, the Prairie remnant and The Grove. The chamber
of commerce looks out for you know who, while the nationally-affiliated
groups send the bulk of your contributions someplace else, or spend them
on grand parties and ceremonies, congratulating each other on the fine job
they are doing for ‘the community.' Unlike these groups, F.A.R.T. would
have representatives at each and every board and commission meeting to
comment on their grand plans. If you think something smells at Village
Hall now, wait till F.A.R.T. shows up. Join now!"
Feeling betrayed by a park district that promised to preserve Wagner Farm,
then voted to paint the barn a color it has never been, Glenview resident
Mike Luxem said the park board could not be trusted and pledged to work
against a future tax hike for new swimming pools. Reader Mark Levy objects
to his thinking: "Personally, I don't care whether the Wagner Farm barn is
painted red or clear coated, but I do use the pools, and if Mike Luxem is
going to ‘fight for spite' and try to influence people to defeat a
referendum needed to pay to replace our aging pools, then I feel compelled
to take up the contrary position. The Wagner Barn has nothing to do with
the pools. Nothing. Get a life, Mike. There's more to our community than a
barn."
Editor's note: Mike Luxem spoke for himself and has resigned from the COWS
board.
Lloyd Bettis takes Glenview Watch to task for failing to cover both sides
of the Wagner barn controversy: "There were three hours of discussion
regarding the painting of the barn at Wagner Farm, and you failed to
mention that most of the people who spoke were in favor of painting the
barn. Further, there was no reference to the packet of literature
distributed (including information from the Wagner Farm Historic Buildings
and Grounds Commission) supporting the decision of the park board. Most
residents left the room overjoyed rather than in tears.
Editor's note: Most of those who backed the plan were park board
employees, friends of park district commissioners or – like you – members
of a hand-picked park district committee. Only two of those who testified
favored red paint. We were not given the Historic Buildings and Grounds
Commission report until last week and will discuss some of the key points
on which the board appeared to make its decision in our next edition.
Highly Disappointed is perplexed by the park district's insistence on
painting Wagner barn red: "I don't understand the park district's
rationale. COWS offered to pay for staining and upkeep, thereby costing
the district nothing! They have always run a tight ship money wise. Their
thinking is beyond me!"
N. Chadwick also disagrees with the park board's decision: "It would
appear that the park district board will do anything to show who's running
the show when it comes to Wagner Farm. Despite common sense (what's better
for the preservation of the wood, stain vs. paint) and keeping the
integrity of the historical significance, the park district did what they
planned on doing a long time ago, even before the vote --.keeping to their
own agenda. It's too bad that Wagner Farm was used in a power play at the
cost of the residents' wishes."
Jan looks to the Wagners for guidance on paint and possible installation
of a windmill: "I knew Pete, Rosie and Lucy Wagner for many years. I know
that they would have preferred the barn to remain as it is. Pete and Rosie
abhorred waste. If it was good enough for them, it is good enough for us.
A far as a windmill goes, Pete and Rosie were born in the house that was
just torn down for our new fire station. I once asked why the house was
built where it was. The answer was that it was next to the road and next
to the river, so they didn't have to haul the water far. Pete also told me
that you would never waste good farm land for a yard, and it made it more
accessible during the winter months. The Wagner's were a practical,
down-to-earth family!"
JR watched the meeting on cable and heard little justification for the
decision to paint the barn red: "I got a strong sense that the board just
wanted the whole thing over with! Park Board President Chris Warren
complimented and thanked C.O.W.S for their input and work, but then
chastised them for holding things up and called them a special interest
group. Talk about having the last word and having it be a firecracker!
Special interest groups practically run this country. That is the American
way! A democracy allows it. I know the folks on the board live here, and I
believe they have Glenview's best interests at heart, but that doesn't
mean their decisions are correct or represent the majority. I hate to say
it, but I think it came down to the board versus C.O.W.S – a group that
fought from the heart to preserve a piece of important history. I hope the
good folks from C.O.W.S will not be saddened for too long, because they
can be very proud of their accomplishments. There would be no Wagner Farm
or barn had they not fought to save it."
S Smith writes: "I was one of those who voted in favor of raising my taxes
in order to
preserve Wagner Farm. I am now having some serious second thoughts about
that decision. The board's vote to paint the barn in spite of strong
opposition from the members of C. O. W. S comes on the heels of their
decision to farm out the Wagner bull. It is clear that the board and C. O.
W. S have differing visions of what Wagner Farm should be. I almost think
that this vote – to paint-- is intended as an in-your-face demonstration
of that fact by the board. The board needs to realize that C. O. W. S has
passionately and consistently fought for this property. If it wasn't for
them, we would be looking at new million dollar homes.
"Anyone who has visited the Naper Settlement in Naperville has seen what a
good historical development can be, but a lot of Naper is ‘artificial' –
buildings relocated to the site to give the impression of a single
settlement when in fact these buildings were scattered. Wagner Farm could
also be a major educational and tourist attraction. The question is, can
that be achieved while preserving as much of the character of the original
as possible? It seems that the folks with C. O. W. S are attempting to do
just that. If the park board insists on going counter to the wishes of so
many Glenview residents who have put so much into the saving of Wagner
Farm, I suggest to C.O.W.S that they file petitions to recall the board,
file to get an injunction prohibiting painting until the recall question
is resolved, and failing this, seek a referendum to get the tax increase
which paid for the farm rolled back, because we ain't getting what we
voted for. Both sides, and especially the board, need to learn how to play
nice."
SM was distressed to hear of the park board's vote: "It seems to me that
elected officials in Glenview do whatever they set their minds to in spite
of what village residents think. A red barn? What a sore thumb!"
Mat from East Glenview agrees: "I don't understand why anyone is against
natural stain. Red paint? Why? Can't we have anything look natural these
days?"
Evan Craig offers an interesting compromise: "Has anyone suggested red
stain? It might look a little less gaudy, and it would weather better."
And WM finds more middle ground: "Use the clear, protective stain now and
let C.O.W.S pay. If it does not work they can always fall back to old
reliable, red paint."
Former Glenview resident John Lorentz, who lives in Malibu, California
recently returned and was "appalled at the deteriorated condition of the
Wagner barn. While even in the '70's it was no prize winner as far as
looks, maybe now it's time for folks to just let go and demolish the
building before a tragedy occurs."
And Fritz is amazed that the park board disregarded more than 800 petition
signatures in voting to paint the barn red: "If you brought a petition to
any of these boards asking for a drinking fountain in a certain place that
was signed by every man, woman, child, cat, dog and bird in town they
would not do it because it was not their idea. Somebody please tell me of
one time that any public outcry changed anything. I can't think of one."
The Watch replies: What about Galyan's wish to sell guns at The Glen?
Many readers took time to tell their trustees they opposed guns at The
Glen. Geoffrey Fenton wrote: "The symbolism of selling guns within yards
of parks, a school, a children's
museum, homes, is simply too compelling to ignore. Please don't allow
yourselves, or the community you represent, to be bullied into allowing
the sale of firearms. It is not necessary, and the potential for disaster
is real. Guns are made to shed blood. The high-profile stories in
Colorado, and even our own Hubbard Woods, are reminders of what can go
wrong. So this decision should be a no-brainer. There is no risk in
denying the sale of weapons. Galyan's could turn it into a PR win given
the family-centered nature of The Glen and proximity to a school. (I
understand it doesn't sell guns at its Orland Park store, so the issue is
certainly not a deal-breaker for them.) And as for the village, well it
just might appear as if it puts people before profits."
Earl Cunningham took things one step further: "Not only should we be
telling our village officials our opinion, but we should also be telling
Galyan's what we think. Go to http://www.galyans.com. Click on ‘Contact'
at the very bottom of the page and fill in your opinion. Here's what I
sent them: ‘I will never shop in your stores if you put a gun department
in your new store in Glenview, IL.'"
But Marvin West was all for guns at The Glen: "Guns are a necessary
condition to liberty. Not one of our constitutionally-guaranteed rights
was achieved without the force of guns. Without a healthy respect for and
the assertive confidence to be proficient in the use of guns we would
still be a British colony or a slave-holding nation, have German overlords
or a Japanese emperor. Ninety-nine percent of privately-owned guns are in
the hands of law-abiding citizens who prevent hundreds of thousands of
crimes annually. A great majority of gun violence occurs where guns are
legally proscribed. These are also the locales where political, social and
economic pressures cause societal and cultural breakdown in unstable
individuals which is the true cause of the tragedies you erroneously
ascribe to guns."
Ken Welter wants more weapons banned: "What about bows, arrows and
crossbows? Do these weapons require the same waiting period as guns? Can't
they be as, or more dangerous than guns?"
EL felt the board should have notified the public about this issue: "The
Galyan's story made my blood curdle. Why do you think this village would
be honest and above board with the citizens of Glenview? They haven't so
far, and we can't expect the leopards to change their spots. I believe the
trustees and the people who voted them in office should be tarred and
feathered. I read the Watch every week and occasionally tune into channel
17, and it is the same old story. Whatever the trustees want they get, and
the people have no say, almost like a dictatorship. I wonder how much
Village Attorney Randall received from Galyan's for the proposition. As
far as Mr. Patterson is concerned, the view that people have an obligation
to teach their children about firearms is strictly Mr. Patterson's
opinion, and he should keep it to himself. I would like to know how many
hunters we have in the village of Glenview? Wake up people! "The only one
in the group that makes any sense is Mike Guinane. I don't even know Mike,
but I give him credit for speaking out about this issue."
Rick Nasello found Trustee Mike Guinane's objection to gun sales at The
Glen naive: "Guinane needs to get out into the real world. If he thinks
that prohibiting Galyan's from selling rifles and shotguns would make our
schools and parks safer, he is in a real thick bubble. These guns can be
acquired anywhere and a lot faster than going to Galyan's. Doesn't he
realize how many guns are already in this town? The 10 or 20 firearms that
Galyan's would have locked in their showcase doesn't even amount to what
you might find on one block in Glenview. Newspapers are always reporting
how easily guns are acquired. If you are a person with children, then rid
your home of handguns. If you bought one for protection, you better hope
the bad guys don't take it away from you and use it on you. Most people in
this category never had any formal training in the use of handguns. They
are a tragedy waiting to happen. I am an avid outdoorsman who regularly
hunts and fishes. I say let Galyan's sell rifles and shotguns."
Ed White agreed "with the Watch's objections to the procedure used by the
village government in dealing with this. I don't agree with you that the
sale of guns should be banned. Thirteen were killed outright at a
California farmer's market by an automobile. Does that make a case for
banning automobiles, banning male drivers, banning drivers over 80, male
drivers over 80, drivers who damage their garage? Perhaps you'll agree
that there is a lot of sophistry on both sides of the gun issue."
An old-time village resident was not surprised to hear the controversial
matter of gun sales at Galyan's in the heat of a summer's night: "This has
been a village board tactic for years! Always consider controversial
matters mid July through August and again December to mid January."
MK also sees a pattern: "This is the same stuff that's been going on for
years. When does it end?"
The Watch replies: When better people agree to run for office and more
residents know for whom they're voting.
Barb M. has her own take on board conduct: "Do you mean to tell me that at
the very same board meeting that Village Attorney Jeff Randall refused
Jennings Chevrolet a one-week permit to sell hot dogs under a tent on
John's Drive, he proposed an unannounced vote to allow Galyan's to sell
guns? Jennings Chevrolet/Volkswagen has been a mainstay of our village's
tax base for 45 years! Furthermore, I believe that the owners of this
important operation live in Glenview. Yes to guns? No to a drive-thru at
Steak and Shake? This village never ceases to amaze me."
Gerald Perlow did not object to Galyan's plan: "I am extremely pleased
that a store with such a fine reputation is moving into our community. As
a non-hunter but avid fisherman I welcome their opening. To tie in the
Laurie Dann shootings of 15 years ago with new and more protective
legislation at all levels of government since that tragedy is totally
unnecessary."
JC sees other dangers in Glenview: Thank you for the information on gun
sales. Very disturbing. However, the more problematic exposure to risk is
Lake Glenview, situated 300 feet from Attea Middle School. What will you
have to say when we have our first drowning? Someone better get a fence up
there pronto."
JM wonders about all those Harleys at Glenview House: "What's with the
motorcycles parked on the sidewalk blocking the stairs at the Glenview
House? Looks like an accident waiting to happen!"
The Watch contacted Glenview police and received this response from Deputy
Commander Scott Stewart: "We have looked into your question regarding
motorcycle parking. The cement portion of the property (northwest portion
of the lot) near the access steps is the property of the Glenview House
and not the village. Parking of motorcycles on the piece of cement
adjacent to the public sidewalk, although possibly unsightly, creates no
special hazard. I was unable to locate any prior accidents or complaints
associated with motorcycle parking at the above mentioned private
property."
And Music Man is disappointed with Lake Glenview: "In the past 2 months I
have occasionally taken walks at the trail bordering Lake Glenview. Last
week I invited a friend from Des Plaines to take a walk with me and was
really surprised at his comments - he compared Lake Glenview unfavorably
to Lake Opeka in Des Plaines and couldn't get over that an affluent suburb
like Glenview would have something like this for its people. His comments:
Lake Opeka has clear water with fish and people can rent boats; the
grounds are beautiful and well manicured. Lake Glenview is murky, dirty
and the grounds are covered with weeds but few trees. There are industrial
buildings in the background. The wood on the bridges and piers is not kept
up and will soon start rotting. That could be dangerous. The open lake
will be a potential danger to children living in houses not too far from
it. We never made it to the lookout point on the hill, which I think is
the nicest part, but after what I saw today when I took a walk, I am glad
that we didn't get there. Horrible profane graffiti painted in blue all
over the look out house makes you feel you live in a ghetto."
The Watch replies: Lake Glenview is new and evolving. So, too, is the
natural prairie landscape. Given time, we believe it will be even more
attractive, and we're pleased to see that egrets and other birds have cast
their vote for the area – taking up residence in the manmade wetlands
behind Park Center. As for boat rentals, the village does plan to offer
them at some point in the future. If you'd like to learn more about the
native plants around Lake Glenview and what you might do to enhance this
public park, contact the chairman of our natural resources commission –
Kent Fuller – at 847-729-4642. As for the graffiti which includes the "F"
word and a call to kill police, we share your shame. The village should
have cleaned that up quickly. Perhaps it's a mark of how overwhelmed local
government is that the simple task of removing offensive graffiti from
Glenview's premiere park has been left for another day.
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.