WAGNER FARM ADVOCATES HOPE FOR A CHANGE OF HEART

Members of Glenview's park district board may think they have put a controversial decision behind them, but some constituents feel otherwise. Last week, Citizens Organized for WagnerS placed a full-page ad in the Glenview Announcements opposing the district's vote to paint the barn red and explaining the group's preference for a clear-stain to retain the barn's weathered look. The ad cites a federal study showing paint does not preserve wood and quotes the chair of a statewide historic preservation group who says, "The use of new paint on old barns is very taboo."

COWS has offered to pay the full cost of barn restoration if clear stain is used and says it would pay for future treatments as needed. The ad notes Glenview's Park District spent $80,000 on a community planning process in which citizens volunteered hundreds of hours to research and discuss options for the farm. They produced a master plan that recommends retaining the barn "as is." The park board has said it will not adopt the plan.

COWS board member Biff Thiele has also sent an e-mail to more than 1,000 members, urging them to speak out. He recalls the group's last big fight, noting that Bart the Bull was saved after the park district voted to send him to slaughter. Thiele believes it is not too late to change the park board's mind on barn color.

On a related note, The Landmark Preservation Council of Illinois will honor COWS with the 2003 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award, to be presented at the Art Institute of Chicago. The council bestows one award per year in each of four categories. COWS has been selected for its role in advocating preservation of Wagner Farm.

SOMETHING UP THEIR SLEEVE

Former COWS board member Mike Luxem resigned from the group to spare it further controversy, but he's on a one-man mission to avenge what he sees as betrayal. An unsuccessful candidate for park board, Luxem plans to lead a fight against the district's campaign to raise taxes for two new swimming pools. He argues the park board should not be trusted after raising taxes to "preserve" Wagner Farm, then making changes that give the property a whole new look. Among other things, the district has added a red double-wide trailer for administrative offices, introduced animals that were never at Wagner Farm, built a chicken coop and outhouse, fenced off the pasture to limit grazing while the land is restored, sold a section of land for Lake Avenue widening and approved a new sidewalk. 

The park district has also approved the addition of a windmill to show how farmers got water to their animals before the advent of electric pumps. Because the farm is located next to the river and has a natural spring, the Wagner family did not need or have a windmill.

Others who feel the district has ignored public opinion are researching a more drastic course of action. Illinois law has no provision for recalling elected officials, but it allows communities to place a referendum on the ballot that would dissolve the park district if two-thirds of voters approve.

REIGNING IN THE EGOS

The park board has stressed that it has full control over the property it owns and can do as it sees fit, but the commissioners face new regulation on two fronts. First, some citizens say it's time to extend village protection to Wagner Farm under the Environmentally Significant Areas (ESA) ordinance. That law forces property owners to submit any construction plans to a panel of experts. 

Designation can be made if the land is historic, scenic or biologically sensitive. In 1992, an official with the Illinois Natural History Survey reported that Wagner Farm had an important wetland. "Though the site is small, it is the only emergent wetland for four square miles, and therefore valuable for migratory shore birds and waterfowl," said Dr. Warren Brigham.

The village has long considered The Grove to be environmentally significant and has regulated any park district construction there.

In addition, Glenview's relatively new Historic Preservation Commission has decided to pursue protection for its first building – the park district's headquarters on Prairie Street.

AUTHOR OF REMARKS ON NAZI ECONOMICS DEMOTED 

The Pioneer Press reports that Dave Raub has stepped down as president of Glenview State Bank after penning a controversial column in Outlook, a newsletter sent to trust customers and posted online. In that column, Raub talked about America's economic slump and described Hitler's approach to hard times before the Second World War.

Raub said Hitler built "national confidence" and " gave the German people of the Thirties an arrogant belief in their own superiority and destiny. That belief would eventually help destroy them, but during the Depression it helped businessmen cast aside their doubts, hire workers and invest for the future; and it led German workers to work harder than anyone else in Europe."

A spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League did not view Hitler's economic policies in such a positive light. He told the bank, "Hitler's economic policies cannot be divorced from his greater policies of virulent anti-Semitism, racism and genocide. Hitler used brute force, intimidation and ethnic scapegoating to exploit fear and create support, which are not the same as ‘building confidence,'" he explained.

The bank has apologized for the offensive column and assigned Raub to the job of senior executive vice president of the trust department. His responsibilities as bank president were assumed by Chairman and CEO Paul Jones.

THE CASH BEHIND CARLSON AND COMPANY

Campaign disclosure reports are out, allowing the public to see who bankrolled Glenview's last local campaign. As usual, the Glenview State Bank's parent company – Cummins-American Corp. – put up the big bucks: $4,500 for Citizens United for Glenview, Village President Larry Carlson's party. Ironically, the firm hedged its bet by contributing $2,500 to the campaign of CUG's only opponent, former Trustee John Crawford.

The DiPaolo company, a major contractor at The Glen, contributed $1,000 to CUG as did long-time political activist Per Hanson and Jennings Chevrolet. Once again, the mysterious Susan Lockett appears on the list of donors to Carlson's party. The Morton Grove housewife gave $1,000. In July 2001 we phoned Mrs. Lockett about a $1,000 contribution to the Unite Glenview Party.

She seemed confused and suggested we might have the wrong number. When we verified her address, she asked husband Mike to get on the phone. We asked about his interest in Glenview, and after a short silence Lockett said, "We do some business in Glenview.'" Asked if he had a company or office here, Lockett said he did, but when we asked for the company's name, Susan said, "A friend of ours owns a business."

Pressed to explain their involvement with village politics, Mike Lockett said they were asked by a friend to make a contribution, and they did. "We met the candidate, and we were very impressed with him," he said. When the Watch asked which candidate, Mr. Lockett was silent.
Finally, Susan Lockett said, "We don't know who you are. You could be Joe Shmoe, so we really don't want to talk to you."

Eventually we linked Lockett to Guarantee Trust, a large insurance company on Milwaukee Avenue.

Businesses that supported Glenview's established political party in 2003 included Erland Electrical ($500), Groot Recycling ($300), Hackney's restaurant ($300) and attorney Michael Downing ($200). Sitting Trustees Jeff Lerner ($300), Mary Beth Denefe ($200) and former zoning board chief Ty Laurie ($300) also contributed . 

Larry Carlson claimed an in-kind contribution of $1,200, having provided office space for the party. Universal Press, a company owned by residents Jorie and Katie Siegal, listed $4,962 for an in-kind contribution of printing services. Candidate Kimball Woodrow gave $32.04 in postage, $211.55 for food served at a fundraiser, $43.44 to advertise the event, $33.75 for stationary and $135.38 for flowers. Ty Laurie shelled out $75 for a room at The Glen Club.

The three CUG candidates also contributed. Kerry Cummings donated $500 while Jim Patterson and Kimball Woodrow gave $1,000 each to the election effort. Loans of $2,000 came from Cummings, Patterson, Woodrow, Laurie, former Village President Jim Smirles and the wife of former plan commission chief Tim Doron. All have been repaid. 

Aside from Cummins-American, Crawford's largest contributors included former political ally and Trustee Donna Pappo, Per Hanson and John White who each gave $500. Crawford and his wife Mary contributed $1,500 to the campaign.

Overall, CUG outspent Crawford three to one, spending a total of just over $30,000 and beating him by 127 votes.

Editor's note: The list of campaign contributors to Carlson's party is also interesting in light of who does not appear. Former Village President Nancy Firfer, former trustees Kent Fuller and Joyce Schmidt gave nothing. Even John Patton, Jr. is absent from the list of contributors – this despite the fact that the website of his law firm says Patton "stays very involved in his community and is the Village Trustee for the Village of Glenview." Patton left the board in 2001.

LOCAL SIGN ORDINANCE OKAYED

Despite a spirited fight from local merchants, Glenview trustees approved new limits on the amount of window space that a store's signs can occupy, limiting neon and illuminated signs to 20 percent and others to 25 percent. The village board also appeared to be headed toward drafting of design guidelines that could make more changes to local signs necessary.

In public testimony before the vote, merchants weighed in heavily against proposed regulation. Some argued that smaller signs would mean smaller profits. Others felt passing a regulation similar to those on the books in other North Shore suburbs was unwise. Businessman Joe Barrett recalled the wisdom his mother shared with him as a child and suggested Glenview follow similar counsel. "Just because Northfield and Wilmette and Winnetka jump off a cliff, I don't know that you want to."

Admitting some business signs are in poor taste, he speculated that merchants who don't present an appealing storefront will be driven out of business – rejected by consumers. Barrett also expressed a fear that new regulation would further discourage merchants from locating in downtown Glenview. 

Merchant Robert Middleton found no good reason for the village to regulate private property and said the proposal to limit signs to 25 percent of existing window space was arbitrary. "There is no attempt to distinguish downtown from the commercial corridor, The Glen from historic areas, or national franchises from the Mom and Pop shops," he complained. "There's no consideration for whether a building is set back behind a parking lot or right up on the sidewalk." He also wondered if the village had ample staff to address the regulatory challenge a new law might impose.

Glen Oak Plaza Manager Jim Smirles joined the chorus, saying individual business owners had the right to express themselves through their signs. "I can't imagine The Glenview House without neon signs in their window," he said. "Local government needs to help small businesses rather than ordinance them to death."

Sign designer Bill Dose disagreed, arguing that the look of Glenview's business community should reflect the upscale nature and values of the community. He urged the board not to try and accommodate the "outrageous smorgasbord of signage clutter and neon blight," he sees in Glenview. Dose encouraged the community to "upgrade its aesthetics," lobbied for an outright ban on exposed neon, and noted that many local businesses support the idea, including Caribou Coffee, Trader Joe's, Foodstuffs and the developer of The Glen Town Center.

Gary Bruckner, who also opposes neon, applauded plans to regulate all window signs but did not think the plan commission's 25 percent limit went far enough. He attacked neon as a "bully which imposes its attention on us. It's cheap, showy – a poor alternative to quality design." He accused the chamber of commerce of resisting any regulation and said better design of village signs would attract more customers and more upscale businesses.

When the dust settled, Trustee Patterson said he was prepared to support the plan commission's recommendation. He called it "a terrific starting place," and said the village could revisit the issue "in a couple of years." Cummings and Guinane agreed, but Woodrow took a more thoughtful approach.

"I would like to develop a sign ordinance that pursues a vision – to define what it is we're trying to become as a community. What do we need to do to develop a downtown that will be competitive with neighboring areas? How will new tenants view us versus the competition?" He said most communities in competition for high quality tenants restricted window signs to something less than 25 percent. 

Woodrow also noted that Glenview has different retail districts. He thought it a mistake to lump Waukegan Road, Milwaukee Avenue and the downtown area together in devising a sign law.
Rather than apply the one-size-fits-all rule, he proposed drafting sign guidelines for different parts of Glenview with assistance from design professionals. No one quibbled with that idea, but Development Director Mary Bak said it might take a year to produce such guidelines.

Patterson, Cummings and Guinane wanted something on the books in the mean time and gave the 20-25 percent rule preliminary approval. A second vote to adopt the ordinance is set for the next board meeting on August 19.

PARTY PLANS FOR THE GLEN TOWN CENTER

The Glen Town Center will hold its grand opening the weekend of October 17, 18 and 19 with free activities for the public and a military/Americana theme. Opening ceremonies are set for 9:30 a.m. Friday with speeches by local officials,. After that, the Tucson firm hired by developer Oliver-McMillan to orchestrate the event plans a special surprise. "The VIP's count down 3...2...1, and pull the brightly colored rope which releases tethered helium balloons, but the balloons are also tied to the pieces of fabric that make up the stage backdrop which are pulled into the air revealing a marching band behind the stage. The band marches over the stage and up the aisle among the gathered guests and media."

Later that day and Sunday there will be entertainment on stage, a film festival and children's concert. Saturday, the shopping center will host a "USO Variety Show" from 10:30 until noon with "a swing band, Bob Hope impersonator, boogie woogie dancers and more."

"A Taste of Town Center" will feature products from food and beverage retailers at the mall, and a street fair will include magicians, face and tattoo painters, artists, jugglers, living statues and an organ grinder with monkey. Costumed characters will stroll through the crowds entertaining and "providing attention-getting promotional opportunities."

POST OFFICE PERSONNEL SHUFFLE

Without ceremony, Glenview's postmaster, Bob Slickenmeyer, has retired and been replaced with an interim officer, 34-year-old Chris Frohlich, an ex-Marine who says he's been busy adjusting mail routes and attempting to improve service, especially at The Glen, where carriers were not assigned on a regular basis. Frohlich, who came from a suburb of Milwaukee, says such adjustments are being made nationwide, in part because the volume of mail has declined significantly since 9/11. 

He plans to apply for the postmaster's job but could serve in a temporary capacity for up to two years. Frohlich was not aware of any plans to build a new post office, saying $5 million demanded by the village for land at The Glen was more than the postal service could afford. Instead, he said the service would be making improvements to the facility on Prairie Street.

DOOR OPENS A CRACK ON PRIVATE MEETINGS BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS

Illinois' governor has approved a change in the state's law on executive sessions – private meetings held by elected officials to discuss real estate transactions, personnel matters, lawsuits and other sensitive subjects. They will now be required to make video or audio recordings of those meetings so courts can make sure officials are not abusing the rules.

Local officials have complained that the new requirement might have a chilling effect on discussion behind closed doors. The change in Illinois' Open Meetings Act comes too late for Glenview, where village trustees held dozens of closed-door discussions on redevelopment of the Glenview Naval Air Station. 

JUDGE STRIKES DOWN PUNITIVE GLENVIEW LAW

Glenview will not be able to get $36,000 in legal fees from a man who insisted on setting his garbage in front of his neighbor's house. The village had repeatedly ticketed Michael Zwick for the offense, and he will be required to pay $9,300 in fines, but Judge Mary Rochford ruled against a local law allowing Glenview to bill defendants for legal fees if they lose. Rochford argued citizens might be afraid to challenge local ordinances if they were faced with the prospect of paying village legal bills as well as their own.

The 10-year-old law recently discouraged neighbors of Meier's Tavern who felt Glenview trustees failed to represent their interests. When the tavern announced plans for a major expansion, the neighbors hired their own lawyer and sued Meier's but declined to go after the village.

Former Trustee John Crawford, who was a victim of the punitive law, expressed support for the ruling, calling it "a blow for good government in Glenview." Crawford said the ordinance had been abused by the village manager and the village attorney to stifle dissent. 

While Crawford conceded it would be nice to have Zwick pay Glenview's legal bill, he argued justice was more important than money. He called the law "un-American" and said citizens are entitled to their day in court without being penalized by requiring them to pay the other party's legal fees.

Glenview's attorney, Jeffrey Randall, said the village would probably appeal the ruling. He argues that as a home rule municipality "we can do whatever we believe is necessary in the governance of our own affairs."

Editor's note: We hope the village board opts not to waste any more tax dollars on this punitive measure and instead devotes its energies to securing a more reasonable rate from legal counsel Randall and his firm. 

POLICE AND FIRE WATCH

– Kudos to Glenview Fire Lieutenant Steve Precht and two firefighters from station No. 6. They got a call from Gallery Park earlier this month after the choker chain around a dog's neck got tangled and jammed, making it hard for the animal to breathe. Resident Ted Blackwelder encountered the dog and its worried master on a lakeside path. He tried, without success, to free the pooch, then used his cell phone to contact the fire department. Within minutes the three firemen were on the scene with bolt cutters, releasing the dog and relieving its owner.

– Good wishes to police officer Javier Sanchez who was involved in a serious accident on Greenwood Road. He is home recovering from injuries to his knees and shoulder. The other driver was treated for minor injuries, but the 21-year-old Glenview resident is charged with driving under the influence while his license was revoked.

– Glenview's police blotter puts damage to Gallery Park's Lookout Tower by graffiti artists at $100, but an update might be in order. The village assigned three men, two trucks and a power-washer to remove blue paint from limestone, and the work took more than two days.

THE GREEN SCENE

– The Evanston Bicycle Club gave $1,000 to help jump start connection of the Cook County bicycle trails with those of Lake County. Highland Park, Glencoe and Northbrook have also lobbied for state support to bridge a gap from the Chicago Botanic Garden to a point north of Lake Cook Road in Highland Park.

– Wilmette has begun planning reconstruction of the clubhouse at its golf course on Lake Avenue. The building was destroyed by fire in mid-July. Insurance should cover most if not all of the costs for rebuilding. Golfers and restaurant patrons will have a chance to offer their suggestions at a public hearing at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, August 23 at the course.

– Glenview has applied for a state grant to help buy a 4.5-acre lot near the Techny Basin – expanding that natural area and making it easier to build a river walk in Glenview. The land belongs to the owner of the Valley Lo condo and sports complex on Chestnut Avenue where Village Manager Paul McCarthy lives. There's no word on the asking price, but Illinois' Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development fund could pay for up to half the cost of a $750,000 purchase. A decision from Springfield is expected some time in December or January. 

ALL POINTS BULLETIN FOR EXOTIC BIRD

Sandy Larson is desperately seeking Ollie. She wrote to tell the Watch her miniature Hahns Macaw parrot flew away on June 11. "She stands 10-12 inches tall, is green with red on her wings, and has a teal blue forehead. She has white around her eyes. She is three years old, eats table food, says "Ollie, hello, bye bye," and much more." Anyone who sees the bird should contact Larson at 847-823-8751, call her cell phone: 847-323-5862, or page her at 708-379-1071.

OTHER READERS WRITE

Rhonda wonders about road revisions at The Glen: "How come all the intersections on Patriot Boulevard are being torn apart. It is hard enough to drive down the street with the shopping center being developed. Most of the intersections are only a couple of years old. Where were the planners when they were constructed originally? When will the light be installed at Patriot and Chestnut? This has become a very dangerous intersection."

The Watch replies: Village officials say the section of Patriot Boulevard between Chestnut and West Lake was designed and built before a contract for The Glen Town Center was final. Patriot was needed to serve other developers at The Glen. Once OliverMcMillan came on board to build the mixed use retail center, changes were necessary. Parts of Patriot are now being modified to match the new plan, and traffic signals will be installed at West Lake, Navy and Chestnut.

EB worries about missing trees and bushes: "As I drive through the Glen I notice that many of the trees and bushes planted in the median strips are being removed. I realize that is being done for safety reasons – to improve visibility for drivers and pedestrians, but I wonder if all the expensive trees are being discarded. Why didn't our expensive consultants know that planting such a large amount of greenery in the medians would be a hazard? Please tell me all that money isn't being wasted."

The Watch replies: Village Hall says all trees and bushes removed from medians at The Glen have been relocated to other parkways or parks in Glenview's newest neighborhood.

Mark Levy reacts to Trustee Jim Patterson's view that all children should be taught to use guns safely: "Been reading the NRA publications again, Jim? Or, perhaps we should call you James. This ain't Texas, you know. I'm a parent, and I have no intention of teaching my kids how to use guns. I have none in my home, nor do I ever intend to acquire any. The only shooting I do is with a camera. Why do my kids need to ‘know and understand guns?' My parents didn't have any, and I haven't suffered in the least by my lack of contact with them. With regard to comparing guns to swimming pools, I'm not aware of any situations where a pool was used to hold up a convenience store, nor have there been any drive by swimmings. What a ridiculous comparison! This is all a moot point, however, now that Galyan's has withdrawn the request to sell guns, and we're all better off for it."

CA was pleased to see the COWS ad in the Pioneer Press: "Is there a way to contact the park district trustees by email? I have been pleased by the posting of village trustees e-mail addresses and have found the trustees very responsive to e-mail. I live near the barn and will be very disappointed if we wake up one day and find a costly red monstrosity has been created to satisfy someone's ego, ignoring the benefits offered by COWS."

The Watch replies: Judy Beck, 808 Raleigh Rd., judybeck@glenviewparkdist.org
Bill Casey, 1112 Washington St., williamcasey@glenviewparkdist.org
Mary Jean Coulson, 636 Huber Ln., maryjeancoulson@glenviewparkdist.org
Doug Kaiser, 1316 Hollywood Ln., dougkaiser@glenviewparkdist.org
Ted Przybylo, 2317 Fir St., tedprzybylo@glenviewparkdist.org
Chris Warren, 938 Kenilworth Ln., chriswarren@glenviewparkdist.org
John H. Winand, 1730 De'Logier, johnwinand@glenviewparkdist.org

BP adds her voice to the call for a clear-stained barn at Wagner Farm: "I agree with S. Smith's comments in the August 10 edition. The park board has gone out of its way to ignore the wishes of a vocal portion of Glenview residents. I also voted for the referendum that approved the taxes to purchase the farm, and I now wish I hadn't. The park board has made it clear that they will do what they please with our money. The idea of spending my tax dollars on red paint instead of accepting the offer from COWS to pay for clear stain is illogical, not to mention the board's irrational behavior when it comes to the COWS organization in general. The board missed a golden opportunity to build some bridges to a group that has worked hard to save the farm. Too much time is spent on one-upmanship. The notion of a recall of the board is inviting and deserves further examination."

Ginny Guerrant writes about Gallery Park: "I must disagree with the comments from Music Man in last week's Watch. My husband and I took a long bike ride around Lake Glenview on Sunday and really enjoyed it. The plants are just getting established as you can tell by the strings that are holding them up and by the sectioned off areas where plants are to grow undisturbed. We saw water lilies and iris, Queen Anne's lace and black-eyed Susans. I hear that many native plants will be planted, and while many weeds have also sprouted, future controlled burns will take place to be sure that those non-native plants will not take over. The bike path is a bit narrow and could use some more crushed limestone, but it does provide a good workout and once at the top of the lookout, the view is wonderful. I agree with Music Man that the graffiti is a shame, and there was broken glass along one edge. But we really enjoyed riding out to the two piers. The wood seems to be in fine shape, and although there was algae in the water, it didn't seem to make much difference to the ducks, geese, and many starlings that we saw. Lake Opeka is a very old lake that is more established. Give Lake Glenview some time and with all of the plantings, we think that it will be a local treasure--hard to find these days!"

SM asks a question for gardeners: "Are Glenview residents allowed to grow crops in the front of their houses? As I was driving through the neighborhood south of Glenview Road at the intersection of Henley and Spruce there's a house that is growing corn in front along the sidewalk almost up to the corner. Pretty soon it's going to be high enough to block a driver's sight line for on-coming traffic." 

The Watch replies: According to the village manager's office, residents may grow crops in front of their homes, however if there are safety issues, the village will step in. Health Administrator Kerry O'Shaughnessy took a look at the property in question. Since the crops were set back at least 20 feet from the street, he did not feel they posed a hazard to passing traffic or pedestrians.

Advertising and design pro Bill Dose writes about window signs: "A highlight at the August 5 trustee meeting on commercial window signs was testimony by local Scenic Glenview activist Robert Sherman, who referred to studies showing local crime tends to increase when a town's downtown appearance is allowed to slip into over-commercialized blight. The history of the now shabby strip mall at the northwest corner of Lake and Waukegan illustrates this dramatically. In that mall, one of our village's most deplorable displays of unregulated commercial neon and other window clutter, an illegal massage parlor recently opened (across the street from Lyon School!). The proprietress undoubtedly assumed that the sleazy ambiance of this downscale Glenview shopping center with its garish signs offered the appropriate setting and client base for her business in the kind of town where residents and officials would turn a blind eye to her activities. Back in the 1960's that once sparkling shopping center was home to the area's first Baskin Robbin's ice cream store as well as the American Opinion Bookstore, an outpost of the John Birch Society. That center was the epitome of respectability, where even speaking the words ‘massage parlor' might have resulted in permanent social ostracism if not a call to the county vice squad. The mall's de-evolution to its present degenerate, eyesore status is due to Glenview's lack of sign controls including a rule limiting size to no more than 15 percent of the window space and a ban on neon – regulations our neighboring villages have endorsed and enforced for years."

Biff Thiele disagrees with an e-mail sent by Lloyd Bettis: "The Historic Buildings and Grounds (HB&G) Commission chaired by Mr. Bettis rubber stamped district preferences while ignoring public opposition to painting Wagner barn red. In spite of a well-publicized offer to stain the barn at no cost to taxpayers, HB&G only researched whether to paint it. When Park Commissioner John Winand disapproved HB&G's first recommendation – to use historically accurate green paint – the board sent this issue back to HB&G with instructions to cast a wider net in their research. With regional history tossed in, showing other farms used red paint, the park board could claim to be basing its preference for red on the commission's recommendation. On the 17th, Winand said their recommendation was "to paint the barn on the property red, in order to preserve it." But, evidence was presented from the US Forest Products Laboratory which concluded ‘paint does not preserve wood,' and a letter from the recognized state expert on historic barns said, ‘the use of new paint on old barns is very taboo among true preservationists.' "Bettis also failed to mention numerous phone calls, dozens of e-mails and more than 800 signatures on a petition given to the board that night -- all favoring a rustic barn, as well as a survey showing 87 percent prefer the weathered look. I beg to differ with Mr. Bettis' statements that ‘most of the people who spoke were in favor of painting the barn' and ‘most residents left the room overjoyed.' Bettis ignored scores of residents who had spoken in opposition to paint at previous meetings over the years, and he is wrong about the meeting on the 17th. Six residents gave various perspectives in support of preserving the weathered look. Including Bettis, only two residents spoke in favor of red paint. Two preferred green and one expressed no preference. Most of the people that Bettis claims were overjoyed by the decision were park district staff or appointees like Bettis himself. That night, Bettis and others who backed the park board's decision were rewarded with appointments to the new Wagner Farm Heritage Association."

Bill Turgeon found a reference to Glenview on the website http://www.earthwitness.com where folks describe lost places they loved: "The peaceful small farms around Glenview, Illinois – horses, cows, roosters, beautiful open fields and streams, all replaced with huge flashy homes on tiny lots, ugly shopping centers on every corner and cars, cars, cars." 

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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