Tuesday night’s meeting of the village board will feature two critical discussions for those concerned about Glenview’s future. First, the trustees invite the public to talk about the 2004 budget. As a taxpayer, you might want to question the new one percent sales tax and ask for an independent review of those 44 village reserve funds containing millions of dollars. Maybe you’re concerned about the fact that the new East Side fire station won’t have an ambulance, or you might wonder if Glenview is budgeting more for health department inspections with all the new restaurants opening around town. Perhaps your kids find it dangerous to walk or bike because there are places that lack sidewalks or bike paths. You might even be annoyed with all those geese in Gallery Park. Is there money in the 2004 spending plan for those things that concern you? Speak now or prepare to wait another year. Then stick around for a discussion of the new police station going up at Lake Avenue and Shermer Road. The trustees will hold a design workshop to learn more about it following Tuesday’s meeting which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Village Hall.

Glenview’s police department is warning against the purchase of BB guns and air rifles this holiday season. "These guns are made to look identical to real guns," says Michelle Judas, better known as Officer Friendly." In fact, you can purchase an air rifle that is identical to the weapons Glenview police officers carry." Judas says state law prohibits purchase or use of air guns by anyone under 13.

"Unfortunately, we have received 24 complaints," the department says. "Children as young as 11 have purchased them in Glenview without their parents’ consent, then walked around in public waving the weapons in the air. One child shortly after purchasing the gun, placed it in his waist band and walked around The Glen Town Center."

"Many reports have been made of children playing with these guns in local parks," the release continues. "Citizens call 911 reporting a child with a gun. While an officer responding to this call can only hope it is a toy, we cannot make that assumption. If it looks like a real gun, we treat the situation as though it is a real gun! Responding to a gun call is an emergency, regardless of the age of the offender."

BB or air guns shoot plastic bullets up to 700 feet per second. They can cause bruising, cuts, welts and damage to property. Glenview’s newest sporting goods store, Galyan’s, says these firearms cost $100 - $200 and are the hottest sellers in their field and stream department. The store had hoped to sell a full range of shot guns and rifles, but a public furor prompted local trustees to turn thumbs down on an ordinance that would have permitted hunting gun sales here.

Officer Friendly plans to address the PTA at Attea Middle School on December 11 to further discourage air gun purchase. In the mean time, she says, parents who opt to buy them should supervise their use by kids on private property, and anyone involved should wear protective clothing.

Those pricy designer lights that grace the streets of The Glen are proving a bust. About 120 of them are dark due to a mechanical problem. The village is working with the manufacturer, hoping to have lights on again within the next two weeks. No word on when Crown Theaters will get around to repairing its highly visible electrical problem. The Glen’s new movie house is identified in blue neon as "CROW THEAT," the final "N" in the first word and the "ER" at the end having gone out.

Meanwhile, The Glen is up in arms over the latest postal snafu. While the rest of the village received the park district’s winter brochure listing recreational programs, residents of the community’s newest neighborhood got nothing. When they discovered the new guide at Park Center, some asked for copies but were told the supply was limited.

The trouble was traced to Glenview’s post office which was supposed to deliver brochures to all residents. Instead, they went to residents and businesses, somehow missing The Glen. Two boxes were reportedly left over, and postal workers threw them out. The district says it’s printing another 1,000 copies, but they may come too late for those who might want to participate in the most popular programs. A lottery for those classes will be held Monday, December 1.

The building once occupied by Renneckar’s Pharmacy has again been sold. The Glenview Announcements reports the buyer is a North Shore resident who owns other property in the area. The seller, Glenview developer Paul Wing, had hoped to renovate the property with awnings, arched windows, shutters and flower boxes, but he was unable to attract tenants. Among those sought – Potbelly’s Sandwich Works, Starbucks and Egg Harbor Café. All three businesses went, instead, to The Glen.

Wing told the Pioneer Press, "We couldn’t compete with the incentives the village was offering to tenants at The Glen, and it knocked us out of the box. Had we not had that disadvantage, it would have been rented a long time ago."

Wing considered knocking the building down and building a new, three-story structure with retail on the ground floor and 14 condos above. He later decided water detention and parking requirements along with village impact fees would make that project too expensive.

As his first act of reconciliation following election to the village presidency, Larry Carlson appointed a member of the opposing political ticket for village board to the historic preservation commission. "Welcome aboard," Carlson told Grant Ireland.

Now, Ireland is jumping ship – resigning over "the apparent lack of commitment to the commission by village trustees." In a letter to them, Ireland describes years of work to create a process that would protect Glenview’s historic treasures from rapid development in the community. Now, however, faced with the possibility that a village-owned building might be designated a landmark, Ireland complains that the board is delaying the process and might actually gut the ordinance. "It would have been appropriate for our village to set an example for our entire community and say preservation is important to us! See what we are doing!"  Ireland concludes: "Time is running out. Remember, once our historic places are gone, they are gone for good!"

Parts of Chestnut Road that had been under construction have now been paved along with the section of Lehigh south of Chestnut. Lehigh is expected to get curbs and gutters on the west side this week, with paving set to begin December10.

Public Works Director Bill Porter adds: "Lake Avenue will be completely free of barricades and all lanes will be open from Hackney’s to Laramie Avenue on November 26. From Hackney’s west to Maryhaven, traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction for about two weeks so the last segment of concrete barrier median can be constructed. After the median is completed, barricades will be removed in this area as well."

Construction will continue through the winter, prompting daytime lane closures for work on traffic signals and street lights. Spring will see crews doing major work at the Waukegan Road intersection, restoring parkways, painting lane lines and burying power lines at other intersections along Lake.

Meanwhile, Janet Bishop, Glenview’s new director of communications, offers a new way to get updates on road work. She tells the Watch you can go to www.glenview.il.us/pub/home/ main.htm and then click on "Road Construction Update" and the fourth item down, "News and Notes."

Harley-Davidson Glenview had hoped to open its Willow Road store last summer, but construction is far behind schedule and owner Barry Brown now says he’ll be ready to roll in the spring or summer of 2004. Brown said he had trouble getting the right brick and is putting up a building more complex than the average big box store. Unlike neighboring Costco and Home Depot, he’ll have two stories and an elevator.

Sixty-six-year-old Glenview resident Bob Sherman had made the annual trip to the top of the John Hancock tower three times and was ready for a new challenge. Last month, he tackled all 2,109 steps of the Sears Tower to reach the 103^rd floor. Joining him for the vertical race, another local – Alicia Dytiongsee and former resident Elsa Tan Chua. Times were tallied with the help of an electronic chip tied to the runners’ shoes. Sherman lost a couple of minutes when he had to wait in line for water on the 67^th floor. Still, he finished in about half an hour. To stave off soreness, Sherman took a swim in the afternoon and reports his legs felt fine the following day. He and his team mates say they’ll be back next year for the world’s longest urban stair climb.

– Glenview’s park board has decided not to ask for a permanent tax hike but will, instead, request a bond issue from voters. If it’s approved this spring, taxes would go up until bonds to build two new swimming pools are paid off. The park board hasn’t decided how much to request because pool planning is still underway.

– A marketing consultant paid to advise Glenview on ways to attract new customers for park district programs says the district should stay close to home, letting more residents know about the facilities and services available to them. A report from Wheaton-based B. Bennett Company says location is a driving force behind membership in the health and fitness center, the ice rink and golf course, but some people still can’t find Park Center. The consultant also found interest in golf sagging here because the pace of play is too slow and desirable tee times are not always available. Still, the park district courses are viewed by most as a better value than private courses.

The Northfield Township Republicans will host a free breakfast buffet and candidates forum 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 6 at Hackney’s on Lake (1514 E. Lake Avenue). Featured speakers include Congressman Mark Kirk, State Representative Beth Coulson, Cook County Commissioner and Township Republican Committeeman Gregg Goslin, and the major Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, including Jack Ryan, Jim Oberweis and Glenview resident Andy McKenna. There’s no charge for the food, but expect the GOP to hit you up for help in getting these guys re-elected. For more information, call 847_251_6100.

Four local Democrats will celebrate the holidays with their constituents from 2 - 5 p.m. Sunday, December 14 at 820 Davis Street. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, State Senator Jeff Schoenberg, State Representative Julie Hamos and Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin invite the public to an open house. Refreshments will be served, and you can find a map for the location at www.suffredin.org. To RSVP, call 847-492-1200.

Editor’s note: We know she’s a woman in a hurry, but the party invitation identifies Schakowsky as "U.S. Senator."

A company that specializes in medical offices will start work on phase two of its complex at The Glen, adding 71,600 square feet, creating the largest non-hospital related medical center in the Chicago area. Titan Development says the first phase attracted specialists in internal medicine, cardiology, pediatrics, dentistry and orthodontics, gastroenterology, physical therapy, allergy, podiatry, radiology and a center for treatment of cerebral palsy. Now, Titan proposes an outpatient surgery center to be used by more than two dozen surgeons, a company providing dialysis, groups of oncologists, urologists, ear, nose and throat specialists, a women’s health care practice and an office specializing in cosmetic dentistry. 

The developer clashed with The Glen Redevelopment Commission over how much parking to allow. Discussions will continue December 9.

Editor’s note: This development, which appears to be wildly popular with doctors, is a planner’s nightmare, having taken up too much land for low-rise buildings and parking lots. People who care about health should be mindful of Chicago’s on-going problems with air and water pollution. By requiring two or three-story buildings with parking decks, Glenview could have preserved a great deal more open space with plants that turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. By requiring prairie landscaping, we might have reduced the amount of water and chemicals needed to keep the surroundings green. Instead, we approved typical suburban sprawl, chemical-intensive lawns and asphalt. Given this development’s proximity to one of Illinois’ few remaining prairies and the proven success of phase one, the commission should be much more aggressive in demanding good planning for phase two.

For years, residents of the Monroe/Jefferson area west of Waukegan Road and north of Chestnut have complained about abandoned homes that were boarded up and surrounded by chain link fence. Out-of-town owners have been biding their time, planning big profits from sales to developers. Now, a developer has come forward with a proposition that pleased most of those who testified at the last plan commission meeting. It would mean 14 additional town homes on three Monroe Street lots.

One resident complained that the proposed development lacked charm, but others seemed relieved that something would finally replace what one called "the prison yard." Neighbors expressed concern about increased traffic and asked for a stop sign. Development Director Mary Bak suggested a letter be sent to the village traffic committee. Other residents and commissioners worried about storm water management and a lack of open space at the site. The developers were invited back December 9 to discuss revisions.

If you’re looking for a job or a new career, stop by the public library, 1501 Ellinwood Street in downtown Des Plaines from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. December 3 for a workshop on interviewing techniques. Then come back December 4 when employers will talk with prospective employees. For details, call 847-981-7400, extension 249.

A disappointed former resident writes: "My grandparents from both sides of the family lived in Glenview -- my mom's family on the south end, my dad's family on the north end. We loved Glenview. I married and moved to Northbrook. My mom was widowed many years ago and cannot afford to buy back in Glenview. She's 93 and lives in senior apartments in Northbrook. I am 70 and was hopeful to move back to Glenview in The Glen's affordable senior living community that I heard about four years ago. No chance of that now. Why didn't Glenview make that happen? Isn't it sad that many of the early residents and their descendants cannot afford to live where they grew up! They worked hard. They paid taxes! They supported the community. They were good neighbors. Sometimes progress is a 4-letter word: DUMB."

A former candidate for the School District 225 board read last week’s Watch and came up with a couple of ideas for local government reform: "Glenview’s reserve funds are over funded. One solution would be to have a community-wide reserve fund with all your various taxing bodies contributing to it, kind of like an insurance pool. The odds that more than one taxing body would need to dip into it at the same time would be pretty small, so the total in the combined reserve fund would be less than the total in the individual funds. I also think individuals who want to serve on a local board should run for election – but not for a specific board. Let's say a total of 25 candidates for a total of 9 open seats (2 library; 3 village; 3 park district; 1 Dist 225). The top 9 vote getters would then draw the board they will serve out of a hat! Right now, every board in town is being run by those who have a special interest. In other words people who love books run for the library board and are naturally inclined to want to splurge on libraries. This change would put people with a broader concern for community service into office."

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.

To read past issues of Glenview Watch, Click Here