Village President Larry Carlson spent about 20 minutes during last week’s board meeting swearing five police officers into new jobs. Wives of the officers were invited to shake hands with Carlson, then pin badges on their husbands’ uniforms. Village Manager Paul McCarthy hastened to reassure taxpayers. "It may seem like we’re swearing in a whole new battalion of police officers here," he said. "In fact, these are positions that have been created by retirements."

Kirk Filipowski was named Deputy Chief of Operations, Phil Perlini was promoted to Commander, Michael McNece and James DeGroot made sergeants, while Robert Sullivan was named Communications Supervisor.

What McCarthy did not say is that Glenview has added quite a few policemen in the last 10 years. In 1993, there were 63. This year, we have 77 – an increase of 14 people to serve a population that has grown by about 4,000. Is that enough, too many or too few? We don’t know, and McCarthy didn’t choose to discuss it with the board. He also failed to mention a bill of $13,800 from the New Hope Counseling Center to assess the leadership skills of 23 candidates for police sergeant.

Carlson also swore in a new member of the appearance commission, landscape architect Amy Olson, filling a post that has been vacant since he took office.

Editor’s note: The increasing attention to ceremony at village board meetings – chatting with boy scout troops, swearing in police, firemen and new commissioners while presenting awards to retiring village volunteers – is good politics but bad government. It masks the fact that our village president and trustees are spending less and less time discussing issues of substance. That is often the way in communities governed by people from a single political party. Despite the fact that Glenview is in the midst of a massive real estate redevelopment project at The Glen, is building two new fire stations and planning a police station, needs a new library and post office and is several weeks behind schedule in rebuilding its main east-west street – Lake Avenue – the trustees whizzed through business this week in less than an hour.

On the eve of a new poll to determine where village residents would like to have a new library, President Carlson is protesting the size of the sample to be contacted – just 400 people – and calling for a community-wide survey.

The library board’s telephone poll, which will sample all parts of the village, is expected to cost under $20,000. A village-wide survey would be far more expensive. Higher costs aside, the library board fears that approach could produce skewed results if residents of some neighborhoods weighed-in more heavily than others.

A poll taken three years ago found 66 percent of library patrons preferred the current location over a spot at The Glen, but the library trustees have now ruled out building at Glenview and Washington roads. They had hoped to expand onto the post office site to the north, but postal officials say they’re staying put.

The library board estimates construction at The Glen would cost $23 million while building at a new site downtown might run $32-$36 million. Critics believe a new post office could be built elsewhere in the village and expansion could take place at the current location for less than the cost of land purchase and construction at The Glen.

A large American flag that had hung from the Wagner barn for more than a decade has been taken down as park district personnel and contract employees prepare to remove battens and replace rotted wood. Executive Director Tom Richardson says red paint will be applied in the next two to three weeks.

The news has devastated 87-year-old Norma Morrison, co-founder of Citizens Organized for WagnerS (COWS), the group that campaigned to preserve the farm. Morrison argues that the barn was never red, and Glenview residents driving by the Lake Avenue landmark have known its weathered look for more than 50 years.

Park district critics say painting the historic barn red is "transformation," not "preservation," and they dispute board Vice President John Winand’s claim that the building should have a fresh coat of red paint to make it look tidy. COWS members have also presented scientific evidence that the use of a clear stain would protect the barn’s wood while paint would not.

Ironically, Morrison is scheduled to accept an award on September 20 from the Landmarks Council of Illinois for its advocacy of historic preservation at Wagner Farm.

Doctors report Bart the Bull, who collapsed at a farm in Trego, Wisconsin last week, has leukosis or bovine leukemia, a blood disorder that could prove fatal but might also go into remission, allowing the 7-year-old Glenview native to live many more years.

Bart was sent to the Animal Rescue Farm Sanctuary after Glenview residents raised money to buy him from the park district. He had become a national cause celebre when the district proposed sending him to slaughter, and local animal lovers have followed his adventures at the sanctuary by visiting its website: www.arfs.org. Now, Susan Slater, who heads the animal rescue operation, and leaders of a group called the Wagner Farm Animal Rescue are talking about treatment options for Bart. The bull appears to be resting comfortably.

After years of complaints by the neighbors, Development Director Mary Bak has told a neighborhood group that Glenview will go to housing court and ask to tear down three abandoned houses on Monroe Street northwest of the Glenview Car Wash. Several developers have looked at the site over the years, and some have submitted plans for town homes, but they’ve decided not to go forward after public complaint and plan commission opposition to the number of units they proposed.

Bak has also written to set The Watch straight. Last week, we reported that residents could share their concerns by e-mailing her, but we included the wrong address. You can reach her at maryb@glenview.il.us.

The latest package of village bills details more costs of development in Glenview.

– It includes a charge of $3,000 from Chicago lawyer Sandy Stein for his opinion on the impact of development on the environment. The highest-paid member of Glenview’s Environmental Review Commission, Stein was described in an American Bar Association Journal article as "a lawyer who represents industrial clients." His best known case involved defending a South Side Chicago steel plant sued by Citizens for a Better Environment. When the citizens lost their case, Stein asked the court to make the environmentalists pay his $300,000 bill.

– Another bill for maintenance of Lake Glenview has arrived. The charge by Eubanks and Associates – $27,000.

– Also on the list of bills, $5,000 paid to the Columbian Model and Exhibit Works to update models of The Glen.

– Three students from Glenbrook North High School are suing School District 225 for marring their records and meting out punishments for their participation in last spring’s hazing incident. The kids, who are seniors, say they were victims not perpetrators, and they hope to clear their names.

– Maine West High School hopes to ease congestion and speeding in its parking lot by assigning individual spaces to specific students. The arrangement should also help to identify culprits in the event of dented car doors or other damage. The district will set aside a place where kids can leave their cars if someone parks illegally in their space.

– The New Trier school district will return $6.5 million in property taxes collected after a referendum was approved by voters there. New Trier says it doesn’t need that money yet and will give it back through lower tax bills this fall.

– The district reports that nearly $7,500 worth of food service equipment was stolen from the New Trier cafeteria over the summer. Among the missing items: a meat slicer and pizza oven.

Glenview will hold a memorial ceremony on the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. The public is invited to assemble at 8:45 a.m. Thursday at the flag pole between the police department and Village Hall – 1225 Waukegan Road. The ceremony will begin at 8:58 – the time when the first of the World Trade Center towers collapsed. Glenview’s fire department honor guard and representatives of the police department will take part.

– Beaches along the North Shore will adopt a new system for monitoring lake water quality next summer. Using a predictive model, they hope to warn swimmers of high e-coli levels even before dangerous conditions develop.

– Wilmette is considering a higher real estate transfer tax and cutting services to plug a large hole in its budget. Residents may no longer have curbside leaf pick up or snow plowing for sidewalks, and buyers of property in the village could be forced to pay $3-$5 more for every $1,000 on the purchase price of a home. Glenview does not provide either service and does not levy a tax on the transfer of real estate.

– Wheeling may follow Glenview’s lead in becoming a developer with the help of tax increment financing. Local trustees are considering the purchase of four lots near the intersection of Milwaukee and Lake-Cook Road to redevelop the area.

– Our neighbor to the west has also killed a health department proposal to ban smoking in public buildings. The trustees feared an ordinance like one approved in Skokie could damage business along Wheeling’s restaurant row.

– State Senator Susan Garrett says she won’t keep $10,000 she won in a raffle sponsored by a civic group called Our Town Highwood. Garrett bought $100 worth of tickets at the group’s fundraiser and was "flabbergasted" to find hers was the winning ticket. She’ll donate the prize to the Moraine Township Food Pantry, the Highwood Recreation Center, Nuestro Center and to Our Town Highwood.

– Santa Claus is dead. The Mundelein man who changed his legal name to match his look – portly with a long white beard and a twinkle in his eye – passed away August 29. Born Robert Rion, he took pride in dispensing good advice and discussing the wishes of kids who visited him each year at his cottage. Rion aka Santa also operated a year-round hotline designed to inspire good behavior.

– The Glenview Public Library presents "People Who Shaped Our Nation: An Art History Tribute" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 9. Art Historian Irene Kreer chronicles American history through art history with slides of presidents, painters, peacemakers and more. You can register at the Information Desk or call 729-7500 ext. 112.

You can also sign up for a couple of children’s activities. Glenview Reads Aloud is for kids at least six years old. It will take place on three consecutive Monday nights starting at 7 p.m. September 22. Parent/child book discussions are set for four Friday nights this fall. Check with the youth services desk for details.

– September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. Register for your first library card and receive a prize. Children may have a card with their parent's permission, and two forms of ID or the parent's Glenview library card to verify residency. Come to the Circulation Desk to register.

– Northwestern University hosts an exhibit of Beatles memorabilia at its music library from 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1970 Campus Drive in Evanston. On display, eight original, handwritten manuscripts of such famous songs as "Eleanor Rigby, Yesterday and Good Day Sunshine," movie clips, posters, works of art and letters from Yoko Ono to John Lennon before they were married. The collection was donated to Northwestern by composer John Cage.

– The village of Deerfield will hold its 14^th Mudfest at Jewett Park from noon-4 p.m. Sunday, September 14. High school students and area residents will compete in mud volleyball, a tug of war and a pie-eating contest. Local service clubs and businesses will underwrite the event. Their biggest cost – trucking in clean dirt. Sign-up for the events begins at 11:15 a.m. Shoes must be worn, and duct tape is recommended to keep them on. For details, call 945-1955.

– The Army Corps of Engineers is pleased by early results of wetland restoration around the Air Station Prairie but disappointed by what it sees on land adjacent to Home Depot. In exchange for permission to destroy wetlands north of Willow Road, the developer of that former military property agreed to create a marsh, but federal inspector Kathy Chernich says the man-made wetland is more of a wasteland – surrounded by asphalt, infested with an invasive plant called purple loosestrife and posing significant dangers for wildlife. Had the Corps known more about the developer’s plans, Chernich says the feds would never have approved that location for a wetland.

– Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin and the North Branch Restoration Project have scheduled a work day at Miami Woods Forest Preserve from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, September 20 in recognition of National Public Lands Day. The preserve is on the east side of Caldwell, two blocks north of Oakton in Niles. Participants should meet in the parking lot. For a map, visit www.suffredin.org/email/Northbranch.gif. Volunteers are welcome to participate for as long as they like, cutting and clearing brush, collecting seeds and picking up trash. Tools and supplies will be provided, but volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves. For more information, visit www.npld.com, call 312-603_6383 or 847-729_4642.

– On Wednesday, September 4, the Chicago Tribune ‘s Metro Section featured a front-page story on Northbrook’s efforts to clean and restore its stretch of the North Branch of the Chicago River. By creating a series of shallow areas where the water bubbles over rocks, then falls into deep pools, environmentalists have improved water quality and created new habitat for fish. Three years ago scientists found three or four kinds. Now, they report as many as 14 species, and other communities are following Northbrook’s example. The village of Glenview, which recently declared the river an Environmentally Significant Area, has no programs of this kind, and trash remains a significant problem in the water and along the river banks. (See Readers Write.) A volunteer group called Friends of Nature will probably host a clean-up this spring.

– Reader Donald Dann suggests some post-Watch reading: "Although much has been written about the environmental policies of the Bush Administration, nothing that I have ever come across is as compelling as ‘Sale of the Wild,' an article in the September 2003 issue of Vanity Fair magazine (page 328). I urge you to pick up a copy or get it at your local library. Martha Marks, founder of Republicans for Environmental Protection, suggested it to me. It is a fascinating story."

Ron Offen is concerned with the state of the Chicago River in Glenview: "I saw an article in the Chicago Tribune this morning on a restoration project of the west fork of the north branch of the Chicago River that Northbook recently completed. What are the chances of Glenview continuing this project where Northbrook left off? Who would I contact to voice my support for such a project? Evidently, the project in Northbrook has resulted in bringing their section of the river back to life, with fish and other wildlife. The river near our house (we live in the Cloisters at Waukegan and Glenview roads) is a disgrace. I once tried to haul a shopping cart out but didn’t have a pole long enough to do the job. I’ve never seen anyone else doing any clean-up in this or any other section of the river near us."

The Watch replies: You could contact village naturalist Robyn Flackne at 847-998-9500, call the chairman of Glenview’s new natural resources commission, Kent Fuller, at 847-729-4642 or write your favorite trustee. E-mail addresses are listed below:

Larry Carlson - LarryVillage@aol.com, Kerry Cummings - Cummingsclan@ameritech.net, Mary Beth Denefe - MBDenefeTrustee@aol.com, Jeff Lerner - JLE5715104@aol.com, Jim Patterson - JimPattersonJr@pattersoncompany.com, Kim Woodrow - TrusteeWoodrow@aol.com.

Mike Guinane does not publicly list an e-mail address but can be reached at 724-1732

J. Hill argues affordable housing should be built at The Glen: "Did the village really buy the GNAS for $1? Was there a meeting before all was said and done that included the local clergy? Would it really have been detrimental to the great Glen plan to build some affordable housing? How many Glenview police officers live in Glenview? How many fireman? How many local shmucks like myself who grew up here and don't want to move to the Wisconsin border or the far west suburbs? Something isn't right."

The Watch replies: Yes, the land was sold to Glenview for one dollar. Clergy were free to participate in public hearings, and some did ask for affordable housing. Obviously, their pleas were ignored. We do not know how many of our firemen and police officers live here, but none of the five men promoted by the police department at Tuesday’s board meeting have homes in Glenview, and one actually commutes from Wisconsin.

Sheryl Ferraro takes the park district to task for its Goldfish Day festivities: "Doesn't everyone know that chlorine kills fish? There is a product that you must use when setting up a fish tank that removes chlorine and other chemicals before fish can be introduced to a tank. If the Glenview park district must persist in this nutty fish activity each year (aka Fish Abuse Day), then treat the water so that the fish have some chance of survival. Not only is this situation harmful to the goldfish, it is also heartbreaking to the children."

BD also thinks it’s time to give the fish a break: "Many thanks for exposing the unabashedly cruel goldfish hunt at Roosevelt pool. That community-endorsed kiddie barbarism has been allowed to go on unexamined for many decades. Most of the fish end up getting flushed."

Carol complains about a noise problem in her neighborhood: "I live in Golf Acres behind the auto dealerships on Waukegan Road and Overlook. Can you please tell me why they cannot keep those horn alarms from going off all day? Has no one else complained about this? It's very annoying."

Editor’s note: Glenview's noise ordinance applies, so the next time you hear an alarm, call the cops.  If the problem recurs, we suggest you bring it to the attention of your favorite trustee. Village intervention might produce more neighborly conduct by the dealers.

Marcia wonders if Lehigh Avenue, connecting Glenview Road with Willow Road will ever open again: "It seems like this street has been paved and repaved longer than it has been a two-way street. Just when you're expecting to use it, the street has the familiar "Closed for Repairs" sign up again. If anyone can come up with an answer, I'm sure The Watch can!"

The Watch replies: The northern section of Lehigh from the new train station to Patriot Boulevard is finished and open. The central part of Lehigh from the Metra station to Chestnut is down to one lane northbound as crews rebuild the eastern lane. Once that’s done, they’ll rebuild the western lane. Look for that job to be done by mid-November. The southern part of Lehigh, from E. Lake to Chestnut, is partially closed for storm water improvements expected to be done by the end of September. A temporary detour via Fielding Road allows local drivers and kids headed for Attea Middle School on bikes to get around that section of Lehigh. Landscaping and street lights will be installed this fall. The village has also established a special pedestrian corridor to get children safely from The Glen to Westbrook School. Nothing has been done to safeguard pedestrians traveling to Glenbrook South High School or Attea Middle School by way of W. Lake Avenue. The area just east of Larry Carlson’s business has no sidewalks, putting children on foot or on bikes close to trucks and cars traveling to and from The Glen. Carlson continues to site jurisdictional problems. Cook County owns that section of W. Lake. He is, apparently, unable to dial up Cook County Commissioner Gregg Goslin to arrange for an easement that would allow the village to connect its high school and The Glen with a continuous sidewalk.

Jackie Hermanny is also watching roadwork around The Glen: "When will Chestnut Avenue between Lehigh/Harlem and Patriot Blvd. be finished, and why didn't they enlarge the lanes in front of the bank at first instead of putting us through this mess again? Also, when will the intersection of Patriot Blvd. and West Lake Ave. be completed? Bad planning and huge wastes of money! Whose palm is getting the grease?"

The Watch replies: Traffic in this area will sometimes be restricted to one lane as the village completes intersection improvements. Paving should be done by the end of October. Metra will be working on the railroad crossing starting September 18, making it impossible for traffic to travel between John’s Drive and Lehigh. That job is expected to take about two weeks.

J. read last week’s plea for tolerance, but she can’t get comfortable with crops in a front yard: "While it may be a noble gesture to grow your own crops, it is not the content of the patch that citizens object to. It is the appearance. Anyone passing the farmette at Henley and Spruce can see that while the residents may be resourceful, this is not a charming cottage garden. It is an unsightly jumble of plants, cold frames, makeshift trellises and general rubble that attracts hungry animals and looks like a trash heap. Diversity is grand, but it seems to me that this plot is better suited for a rural location. Once again, leave my name out of this. I don't want my house, with it's manicured lawn, egged."

But Claudia Bianchi thinks the garden is great: "It is the highlight of my morning walk. I watched it grow and change over the years, but it’s still a thrill! Perhaps people in Glenview can learn a thing or two from this unique suburban family. Maybe it will enlighten our children, giving them a sense of how precious the earth is and how it needs to be protected and respected in order to provide for us. On another hand, if families would stop drenching their lawns with toxic chemicals for that pristine green grass look, the grasshoppers and butterflies just might come back into our neighborhoods, providing hours of entertainment for children who would spend less time in front of the TV. Maybe, just maybe people would start to love the dreaded dandelion, discovering it is full of surprises. The entire plant, from root to flower, is edible. There is so much we can learn from nature, and it baffles me why so many people are afraid of it and want to push it out of our lives. Without it we would cease to be. As I watch the Brussel sprouts, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs grow in my garden and see my sons excitement when a tomato turns red, or the look on his face while eating that tomato he watered and nurtured, I can't help but think how wonderful and important this part of his life is."

Jennifer Sheridan is baffled by the park district’s financial woes: "Glenview’s park district wants to spend $10 million for a new pool complex but can't hire life guards to extend the swimming season through Labor Day when the weather is often warm? With all the effort it takes to open the pools each year, the season should extend through September. I'd guess there are temporary lifeguards to be found if wages are high enough, and the cost would only be a puddle compared to the $10 million the park district hopes to get from taxpayers."

Two Glenview golfers write about The Glen: "We recently had occasion to play golf with another couple at the nine-hole, par 31 park district golf course at The Glen built primarily for the enjoyment of Glenview residents since the 18-hole Glen Club is the most expensive daily fee course in metropolitan Chicago at $140. From the grand and impressive name, "The Glenview National 9's," we assumed we would be playing a first-class golf course that would meet national standards of excellence. Much to our dismay, we found ourselves playing on a pretentiously named course devoid of trees, stark and barren, surrounded by quasi-industrial, military and high-density residential housing, served by a pro shop in a trailer. A new first for our golfing group was something they call shared greens where different fairways end up on the same green with two cups and two flags! This, friends and neighbors, is our city fathers' gift to Glenview taxpayers who foot the bill for The Glen. It should more appropriately be called The Glenview Chintzy 9's."

And Gil Bathgate has nothing good to say about architecture at The Glen: "As a Glenview resident for more than 25 years and someone concerned with the changing landscape of the community, I’m disappointed by The Glen. Other than the dynamic Park Center and an educational extravaganza called the Attea Middle School, the entire project is an architectural embarrassment for Glenview. Month by month The Glen has grown into the most visually unappealing blend of architecture in northern Illinois and beyond. Form and function? Forget about it. Just plop down any structure that fills up space! The architects responsible for the residences along the west side of Patriot nearest Hangar One must have cut their teeth designing for discount hotel chains. Surrounding the remains of the protected and beloved hangar and tower sits the weakest, most pathetic architectural plan of all. Do a quick drive-by along Patriot Blvd. and try to catch even a glimpse of the tower now hidden by the sprawl of brick and concrete. The residences that shroud the hangar look like two giant Red Roof Inns with parking ramps suited for a stadium. Less than 500 feet to the north of this mess you encounter yet another style of architecture in three-story urban town homes. These are more pleasant to the eye and form a semi-circle reminiscent of circling the wagons -- a modern-day fortress separated from the hostile architectural forms that surround it. Imagine paying upwards of $700,000 to own one of these gems with a breathtaking view of the three-story shopping mall and concrete parking ramps. I got a real kick from the debate that raged about architectural weakness of Steak ‘N Shake. Equal debate and concern should have been devoted to The Glen."

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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