NEW SUPERINTENDENT -- "MORE SUBSTANCE THAN FLASH"

By his own admission, Gerald Hill is "more substance than flash." The balding, bespectacled superintendent of Tinley Park’s School District 146 was named Monday to succeed Dorothy Weber as the top administrator at Glenview School District 34.

Hill, who will be paid $170,000 a year, learned about the job through his long-time acquaintance, former District 34 Superintendent Bill Attea whose consulting firm led the search and received 40 application. Hill was placed in his Tinley Park post by Attea in 1996.

A native of Minnesota, Hill said he was attracted to the Glenview job by the reputation of its public schools and the traditional emphasis the community places on collaboration. "Group thinking is generally better than individual thinking," he told teachers, administrators and members of the public who gathered to welcome him at the new Attea Middle School Monday night.

Tinley Park is a smaller school district than Glenview with 2,400 students. Glenview has nearly 4,000, but Hill said he is comfortable with the size and growth rate of the community, which could have as many as 100 more kindergartners this fall. "I spent 15 years as an administrator in Garland, Texas," Hill explained. "We were getting 800-1,000 new kids a year, building one or two new schools a year. The key is not to be so focused on growth that you lose your focus on teaching and learning."

He also welcomes the diversity of Glenview’s student population. When he arrived in Garland, Hill said 85 percent of the students were middle-class Caucasians. When he left in 1993, 32 percent of the students were Hispanic, 10 percent African-American and 8 percent Asian. 

He believes the key to working successfully with all parents is, "to make them feel like partners. We’d go to the parents rather than asking them to come to us. We met with them in churches and community centers."

In Tinley Park, Hill thinks one of his greatest achievements was passage of an educational fund tax rate hike that didn’t cost voters anything. He admits the referendum was complicated, but by rebating leftover construction dollars and refinancing debt, the district was able to increase revenue by about $3 million without requiring higher payments from residents.

Hill said School District 34 is financially "very healthy," and he does not feel that tax increment financing at The Glen will put an undue burden on local schools, since Glenview’s TIF provides resources for students.

Looking ahead, he predicted the biggest challenge might be to create learning opportunities for teachers – "exposing teachers to new information and strategies so they can work more effectively with students. If you have 20-30 students in a class, they’re not all in the same place, and they don’t all learn the same way," he explained. "We need to do a better job of testing for learning – finding out what method will work for kids." Unfortunately, he said, too much testing is done of students rather than for them.

He is a strong advocate of the arts in school, stresses the need to provide extra opportunities for gifted students and feels full-day kindergarten might be possible in Glenview if finances and space permit.

Hill begins work at District 34 July 1 but said he would spend several days here between now and then to assure a seamless transition when Weber departs. 

The new superintendent is married, has a 24-year-old son who lives in Florida and a terrier named Bruno. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from the University of Minnesota and received his doctorate from the University of North Texas in Denton. In addition to administrative jobs in Illinois and Texas, Hill held the post of Assistant Superintendent for Instruction in Eureka, Missouri near St. Louis and began his career in 1973 teaching elementary school in Fridley, Minnesota. He is a Rotarian.

Sighting growing demand for postal service, the U.S. Postal Service has announced plans to add a second zip code in Glenview. Effective July 1, anyone living north and west of a new boundary would fall into the 60026 area. That line parallels the Metra tracks from Willow Road to Lake Avenue, then runs west on Lake Avenue to the Chicago & Northwestern railroad tracks where it goes south through Glenview. The postal service says it will finalize the decision in the next few weeks, then notify customers living or working in the new area.

"This is something that's come about quite suddenly," Village President Larry Carlson complained. "Every resident in the affected area is going to have to contact everyone they get mail from -- every relative, every friend, every physician, every utility, every magazine you receive, every store you receive a bill from, every credit card company, every insurance company, the social security administration. Our businesses will have it even worse. They will have to contact every customer, every supplier and vendor and the 15-20 government agencies every business has to deal with. They will have to reprint, at considerable expense, all their product literature, letterhead, invoices, business cards and every business form they use. Most businesses have more than a five-month supply of those things on hand, so they'll have to dispose of those things they've already paid for. Five months notice is certainly inadequate for businesses."

Carlson blamed "catalogues, credit card applications, insurance solicitations and other junk mail that we each get every day" for the increased postal workload but did not mention The Glen, which has brought 1,700 new households and 100 businesses to town.

"I can surely understand the difficulties this may cause the post office," he continued, "but they have to remember that they work for us, and it's not the other way around. We're the customer. Their job is to make us happy with their services and not to create difficulties for us. Their job is to find a solution to this problem that does not include adding another zip code to Glenview."

The titular head of Glenview then trotted out his idea for heading off the new zip code. "In our next village newsletter, we're going to have a response section that you can cut out and send here to the Village Hall. We will collect these, and I'll take them over to the post office administrator and explain that the citizens of Glenview do not want their zip code changed. . . Putting this pressure on the post office is up to each of you. Please send in those responses when you get your village newsletter, and as always, we welcome any ideas from our residents."

Editor’s note: Talk about lack of leadership! Both of Illinois’ U.S. Senators – Dick Durbin and Peter Fitzgerald – are on the committee for governmental affairs – a panel that oversees the postal service. Shouldn’t Larry Carlson have been on the phone with these guys weekly to discuss our urgent need for a new post office? Shouldn’t Carlson have been in regular contact with top postal officials attempting to find a way to move the post office from its downtown location so the library could expand at its current site? Had the village president been doing his job from the get go, this business of a new zip code would not have come as a surprise. Carlson’s call to residents at this late date may be an attempt to deflect public criticism.

In any event, it seems futile. A spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service tells The Watch, "The addition of a zip code needs to be done for efficient mail processing. It can’t be delayed or avoided."

Carlson’s attempt to blame junk mail for the change is ridiculous. Residents of all communities in northern Illinois get catalogues and unwanted solicitations, but Glenview is only the third town to get a new zip code in the last four years. Clearly, the addition of 60026 is another unforeseen cost of The Glen – the community that Carlson and his political allies promised would not cost taxpayers a penny.

That said, Carlson may have overstated the inconvenience residents will experience. In a mailing to one Texas community getting a new zip code the postal service wrote, "We will continue to honor the delivery of mail with either the old or new address for one year to allow our customers time to use their existing stationery and to notify correspondents of their new mailing address."

Finally, we were amused by the indignant response of Carlson and Trustee Jeff Lerner who felt the village was given insufficient notice on this matter. "The village was essentially not consulted by the post office. We’ve basically been told this is what they intend to do," Lerner complained.

From an administration that’s constantly springing surprises on the public with inadequate time for community discussion, that remark rings hollow. Did anyone ask Glenview residents if they wanted to allow gun sales at The Glen? Were they consulted about the establishment of yet another commission for downtown redevelopment? How much notice did they get when the board was set to dump Glenview’s Historic Preservation Ordinance or buy Epco Paint? The list goes on and on. Will Carlson and Lerner learn a lesson? What do you think?

The hassles caused by a new zip code could pale by comparison with another possible consequence of the change. In California – the nation’s trendsetter – residents of Los Gatos have gone to court after a change in zip code triggered a hike in auto insurance premiums. State Farm, the state’s largest insurer, uses zip codes as an indicator of risk – basing rates, in part, on the number of claims from an area. Residents of North Las Vegas, Nevada, another community with a new zip code, are also worried that their rates will rise.

In Cook County, it’s easy to see how a different zip code can impact coverage. The middle-aged driver of a Ford Taurus pays State Farm $654 every six months, but in Skokie he pays $723 and in Evanston, $748 for the same coverage. On the other hand the semi-annual premium for Wilmette and Morton Grove is slightly lower than for Glenview -- $648.

Would West Glenview be classified differently than the eastern half of the village, adjacent to Wilmette and Morton Grove? A spokesman for State Farm says we won’t know for awhile, because the new Glenview zip code will not have any immediate data on which to base a decision. Joe Johnson could not rule out a future rate change based on claims from the new zip code area.

District 34 said it was not aware that a man hired on six occasions last year to substitute for absent teachers was out on bond, awaiting trial for attempted murder. Glen Dresher was eventually convicted of using his car to run over his ex-wife, but the executive director of human resources for the school district didn’t know about his situation and didn’t find out until a teacher read about the case and informed her.

By law, Dresher was not obliged to tell the district about his pending trial, and the district was not allowed to ask. Schools can inquire about convictions and reports of child abuse and neglect, but in all other matters the presumption of innocence applies. In fact, the state makes it illegal to use the fact of an arrest as the basis for deciding whether to hire someone.

Anyone with a bachelor’s degree can apply for work as a substitute, but in a large district like 34, the human resources director says it’s not always easy to fill the slots. Marilyn Miller told the Pioneer Press that on some days she has to find 30 substitutes.

LOCAL BURGLARIES UP 

Glenview police have tallied the numbers for 2003 and report an increase of more than 40 percent in home burglaries – up from 62 in 2002 to 88 last year. The department says forcible entries more than doubled and cases of deception rose from 132 to 171. That charge involves altering stolen checks, using stolen credit card numbers, forgery and computer fraud.

There were no homicides, but the department logged one charge of reckless homicide in conjunction with a drag race that ended at Glenview’s downtown train station early one morning in November. A 19-year-old Highwood man was killed.

The number of marijuana arrests dropped 74 percent last year, violations of the Liquor Control Act were down from 115 to 86, and the number of arrests for driving under the influence fell for the sixth straight year from 255 in 1998 to 93 last year.

Police said the number of incidents involving air rifles tripled from 5 to 16.

Citizens Organized for Wagner’s, a community group pressing for designation of Wagner Farm by the village under its Historic Preservation Ordinance, is moving in a new direction to secure protection of the site – asking Glenview to declare the area "environmentally significant." If the property, with its bird-friendly wetlands and historic home, were considered an environmentally significant area, any new construction by the park district would require oversight by the Environmental Review Commission – a group established to protect the biological, scenic and historic value of local properties from possible damage by developers. COWS has asked the Glenview Park District to join in the effort to secure ESA designation.

Editor’s note: While there can be little doubt that Wagner Farm is entitled to ESA designation under local ordinance, Glenview’s Park District has frequently objected to oversight by the village. It argues that the park district is fully capable of regulating itself in those areas and points proudly to The Grove as proof of its commitment to history. Sadly, the district’s actions speak louder than words. Some members of the plan commission were disgusted when the park board opted to install pre-fab metal huts for equipment storage at The Grove and refused to build an environmentally friendly parking lot at Wagner Farm. Many residents have also questioned the district’s decision to paint Wagner barn red, in blatant disregard for the property’s history and the advice of historic preservation experts.

Reporters and management of the Pioneer Press, at odds for months over a new contract, have finally found common ground in disdain for Conrad Black, the high-living C.E.O. of parent company Hollinger. Black was fired by the board of directors, and during contract talks Glenview reporter and guild representative Lynne Stiefel says both sides laughed when somebody suggested the money due employees was paying for Black’s corporate jet.

The Chicago Reader also says Black’s departure signaled the end for David Radler, Hollinger’s president and top man here. The Reader says Radler "loathed unions."

Earlier this year, the guild authorized a strike, and the Pioneer Press papers – including the Glenview Announcements – ran a story written by Executive Editor Paul Sassone in which the publisher lamented this "disappointing" development. When Stiefel wrote a letter to the editor calling the article "one-sided, biased and ludicrous," the newspapers refused to print it.

On January 26, both sides met with a federal mediator and management agreed to make 2 percent pay raises retroactive to June 1, 2002. The guild made concessions on health benefits, and the rank and file approved the deal.

The Reader quotes a rueful Stiefel: "I had a great picket sign I never got to use: "Conrad’s servants got our raise." But Radler’s replacement says the contest was never between Black and the employees of Hollinger. "This is for the most part a battle between shareholders. This is money that wouldn’t have washed into the newsroom." The Reader concluded that Hollinger’s shareholders had one thing in common with Black: "The idea of diverting the investors’ rewards to the hired help is absurd."

After completing $50 million in construction last year, administrators at Glenbrook School District 225 are back before the board, asking for another $10 million in improvements. They want the board to take a loan so changes can be made sooner than current finances permit.

Specifically, they propose $6.8 million in remodeling and expansion of Glenbrook North where enrollment is expected to grow by about 100 students over the next four years. Already, North’s principal says the school is "very, very tight." Plans would add 12 new classrooms, improve the school’s music, weight and wrestling areas.

At Glenbrook South, administrators want to spend $3.2 million repairing and improving the swimming pool. They say its mechanical equipment, lighting and water heating systems must be replaced, and the diving wells are not deep enough to meet current safety standards.

– Next year, Glenbrook South will become the third high school on the North Shore to offer Japanese language instruction. A 2003 survey of freshmen found more support for Italian, but the administration wanted to offer a non-European language. More than 16 percent of students at GBS are of Asian descent, but the school had not taught any languages from that part of the world. Foreign language supervisor Dan Doak said student interest in Japanese animation, martial arts, computer games, origami and flower arranging might account for strong student interest in the language.

– GBS has proposed charging $150 for behind-the-wheel instruction in its driver education program. It currently gets $50, but several local high schools charge $100 and private schools get $400. The school board, which was divided over the fee hike, is expected to vote on it at 7:30 p.m. Monday, February 9.

– Naperville might soon blaze a trail for bicycles in other suburbs by requiring that new or expanding businesses and apartment complexes offer parking for bikes as well as cars. The proposed zoning change comes before Naperville’s city council in March. If approved, it would be one of only a handful of codes nationwide to include that requirement. The city of Chicago, which has added 9,300 bike racks since 1993, has yet to require them by law.

– In a bid to boost sagging golf revenues, Glencoe has drafted a business plan for its community course. Officials had approved the sale of liquor last year, hoping to draw more players, but they were disappointed when declines in food and beverage sales contributed to last year’s shortfall of $53,000. Compounding their worries, renovations to an aging clubhouse could cost the district more than $1 million.

– Got some ideas for Springfield? State Senator Susan Garrett and State Representative Elaine Nekritz will host a town meeting from 3 - 4:30 p.m. Saturday, February 21 at Northbrook’s public library, 1201 Cedar Lane. For details, call 847-433-2002.

– Garrett will also host a public forum on federal train whistle regulation at 7 p.m. Monday, February 23 at Northbrook Village Hall, 1225 Cedar.

– Northfield Democrats will make their endorsements for the March primary election at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, February 15 in Northbrook’s Civic Foundation Building, one block west of Shermer at 2002 Walters Avenue. The group will vote on candidates for president, U.S. Senator, 10^th District Congressman, State’s Attorney, Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Recorder. The meeting is open to the public, but voting is limited to those who have paid their 2003-2004 dues. For more information, call 847-998-1002.

– The Evanston and Niles Township Republican organizations failed to endorse a candidate for U.S. Senate following their mid-January meeting. With nine candidates in the running, nobody got the 60% required for party endorsement. "These candidates are similar in a lot of their views, so it’s really difficult to make a distinction," the Niles Township committeeman told the Morton Grove Champion. State Senator Steven Rauschenberger got the most support from both townships, securing 34 percent of the vote. In Niles Township, Glenview resident Andrew McKenna came in second with 26 percent of the vote, and businessman Jim Oberweis ranked third.

– The Democratic Party of Evanston gave a major boost to the candidacy of Barack Obama, the Harvard-educated state senator who’s vying with five other candidates for the seat being vacated by U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald. Obama won backing from U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky and State Representative Julie Hamos, while State Senator Jeff Schoenberg and Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffreden threw their support to State Comptroller Dan Hynes.

While he represents an historically liberal district, Congressman Mark Kirk is baring his conservative soul in the nation’s capital. An Op-Ed piece he wrote for the right-wing Washington Times attacks Senator Ted Kennedy for "foul rumor mongoring," and defends President George Bush against charges he misled the nation in making his case for war in Iraq.

– Last week, we announced to the town that El Jardin and Flight had opened at The Glen. We were quickly chastised by two readers who informed us Steak ‘N Shake on Willow Road was also open for business.

– Wildfire, a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant with the ambience of a 1940's supper club specializing in steaks, chops and seafood, plans to open at The Glen this fall.

– Lest we miss opening day, Goode and Fresh Pizza is expanding on Waukegan Road just south of Lake. Renovations should be complete by summer.

Plans for a bigger Meier’s Tavern, a new D’Agostino’s Pizza and a liquor store on Glenview Road brought angry neighbors to Village Hall last year, but their testimony before the village board was a one-way affair. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court says complaining neighbors can do more when they appear at public hearings for special permits. Known as the Klaeren decision, this ruling gives citizens the right to cross-examine businessmen, developers and others about their plans during hearings before councils and boards. Lawyers speculate that the ruling may also apply to zoning variances and planned developments.

Air Station Prairie Co-Steward Rob Blomquist has been appointed to Glenview’s new natural resources commission. An award-winning middle school science teacher, Blomquist has worked as a naturalist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He joins commission chairman Kent Fuller and park board member Judy Beck, early appointees to the panel. Two seats remain to be filled.

The park district’s hand-picked museum committee is out with recommendations that directly counter advice from citizens who, at the park district’s request, spent eight months planning the future of Wagner Farm. Based on its history and location, authors of the original master plan said the farm should have only cows and chickens. Pigs, which had once lived there, were not recommended because of the foul odor they might create in the neighborhood. Sheep were nixed, not only because they had never been on the farm but because committee members feared they would degrade the cows’ pasture. Ditto for horses. Now, the museum committee wants draft horses, pigs and sheep to join the fun at Wagner Farm. Critics are attacking the park district for turning what was once a local historic icon into a petting zoo.

Political insiders were surprised to see a new name when the park district listed members of a citizens’ committee formed to promote passage of a referendum for two new swimming pools in Glenview: Co-Chairman Mike Scholl from Golf. The Watch has learned that Scholl is an old family friend of Parks Commissioner Ted Przybylo, AKA "Ted the Red." Pryzyblo (pronounced shuh-BILL-owe) was elected to the district after planting red lawn signs all over town. Active in city politics, the Przybylo family knew Scholl’s father, a former Chicago alderman.

– Gardeners of the North Shore present John F. Swenson who will discuss "The World of Garlic and Onions," at the Chicago Botanic Garden on Tuesday March 2, at 7:30 PM. Free, open to the public. For more information, call 847.291.9434, or send e mail to mailto:hannah753@yahoo.com

– The Glenview Historical Society hosts a free Wine and Cheese Party from 2 - 5 p.m. Sunday, February 15 at it 19^th century farmhouse – 1121 Waukegan Road. Anyone who attends can win a free dinner for four at Mattie’s Wayside Inn.

– The Glenview Public Library presents Meet Mr. Lincoln at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 10.

-- Pastor Dick Anderson appears as Honest Abe in his costumed monologue, contrasting issues confronting our nation in the 1860's with those of today. Register for this free program at the Information Desk or call 847_729_7500 ext. 112 to sign up.

– Registration for Toddler Time starts Saturday, February 7 and ends Friday, February 13 at the Youth Desk. Kids must be two by the first session (February 23) and must be accompanied by an adult. Parents need to bring a Glenview Public Library card and a picture ID to register their children. Classes will be offered on Mondays or Tuesdays at either 9:45 or 10:45 AM through March 23.

Congratulations to newly-promoted Sgt. David Sostak who has served on Glenview’s police force since May of 1994. Before swearing him in at the new rank, Village President Carlson recalled that Sostak once apprehended a car thief and returned the vehicle before its owner even knew it was missing. A warm welcome to new officers Steven "Derrick" Upton and Mark Ciesla and to Commander Frank Stankowicz, recently appointed to work with the media.

John Ranz begs the Pioneer Press to stop announcing and start reporting: "I got angry last week when the Glenview Announcements repeated the library board’s claim that they have to throw out a book every time they get a new one. Based on data from the North Suburban Library Association, it’s clear our collection is still growing at a modest rate. The biggest area of growth? Videos. I bet Blockbuster loves that. I also resent the Announcements’ response to a suggestion that the library could be expanded at its current site if the post office were to move while the taxpayers save money. The editors wrote: ‘The U.S. Postal Service has made it clear in the past that it doesn't want to move.’ In fact, several officials at the post office have expressed interest in moving if the village would construct, then lease back a suitable building. If the Announcements did its research, it would know that many communities are making deals like this. The postal service wants to free up capital to invest in more efficient mail processing. They do not want to buy land or build buildings. If Glenview were to play Let’s Make a Deal, this community could have a brand new post office at The Glen, a long-term revenue stream from the U.S. Postal Service and a newly enlarged and renovated library right downtown. The library board has done two surveys at great expense to determine where the public wants a new library, then ignored the fact that most residents want it downtown. The failure of the Glenview Announcements to latch onto this simple fact is beyond belief. Instead, they continue to parrot yesterday’s claims about one book in one book out, and the post office won't move.

"The Pioneer Press also failed to look closely at another situation that begged investigation. The Announcements ran a story about School District 225 scrapping plans to purchase custom software to track student progress. Instead, the board will purchase canned software that has reportedly worked well for other suburban districts. The paper did not mention that the Director of Technology for School District 225 had gone to work for the firm that was hired to develop the software, and the paper failed to say how much money had been wasted attempting to come up with a program just for us."

SS read that Glenview’s Village Manager makes more than any other manager on the North Shore, then wrote: "I hope the village doesn't plan to recruit a village manager starting at the top pay of Paul McCarthy's base salary. What is the starting range salary, benefits for this job?"

The Watch replies: While Glenview has not specified a salary range in seeking candidates, the International Personnel Management Association says managers earn an average of $92,338. The village has already set aside $44,000 for the new manager’s car. He’ll also get a cell phone and the usual perks of employment.

And in response to a couple of readers concerned about the use of salt on Glenview streets, a spokesman for the village says there really is nothing better. About 60 employees cover 135 miles of streets with salt that’s treated with calcium chloride to enhance its ice melting capabilities.

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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