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The Glenview Watch
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Glenview Trustee and corporate real estate consultant Kimball Woodrow has picked a team to help plan a revitalized downtown. "We wanted to make sure we had a broad cross section of fields represented on the committee, and then we wanted broad representation from various Village organizations," Woodrow explained in unveiling his choices.
From Glenview’s Plan Commission he chose two architects – Peter Brinckerhoff and Gary Wendt; from the Appearance Commission, Allan Ruter and from the Zoning Board, banker Mike McPeek; from the Chamber of Commerce, he named Joe Barrett, operator of Cookies in Bloom. Three more appointees were described as "interested citizens." Woodrow said Kathy Johnson, Ty Laurie and John Lee had expertise in "real estate law, construction law, contracts, real estate brokerage and development." Also on the Commission, Trustee Mary Beth Denefe.
Editor’s note: What Woodrow did not say tells far more than what he disclosed, making it clear this committee is filled with political insiders and members of Glenview’s business establishment. High school teacher Allan Ruter, for example, contributed to and worked for the election of Village President Larry Carlson and his political allies. Mike McPeek belongs to the same country club as Woodrow and is the son-in-law of former Chamber of Commerce President and former Trustee Ralph Lynch. Mary Beth Denefe also golfs at the North Shore Country Club, and her in-laws own property in the downtown area. Joe Barrett married into the DiPaolo family, a big player in Glenview’s construction market and a big contributor to Carlson’s political party variously known as Unite Glenview (UG) and Citizens United for Glenview (CUG). In 2003, the DiPaolo Center gave $1,000 to CUG. Hughes hosted a fundraising party for the CUG candidates, and Ty Laurie is a power player in UG, having given $1,300 during the last two elections and loaned the party $5,000. Laurie is a former Chairman of Glenview’s Zoning Board of Appeals and a lawyer with the Chicago firm Schiff Hardin which represents developers.
Absent from the downtown development committee are advocates of slow growth and historic preservation – people who understand that development can end up costing taxpayers more than it benefits them. Also missing from the mission is a representative from the Library Board and someone from the natural resources commission who could advise on the health and value of the river that runs through downtown. There are no advocates for affordable housing and no people pledged to balance the banking and real estate interests by fighting for fiscal responsibility. With Glenview talking about incentives for developers willing to build downtown, we fear the taxpayers may, once again be footing the bill for private companies to profit.
A HISTORY LESSON FOR THE VILLAGE BOARD
Hoping to dissuade Village Trustees from gutting the historic preservation ordinance, a commission established to protect Glenview’s heritage hosted a workshop for the Village Board. Its Chairman, David Silver, begged the Trustees for a chance to show how the process of landmarking could work in Glenview. At issue: Whether the Historic Preservation Commission and third parties should be allowed to propose landmark status for properties, whether the Village should regulate other government agencies like the Park District and whether buildings should be landmarked even if their owners object.
Homes and buildings with landmark status cannot be torn down without government permission, and exterior renovations are regulated by a federal agency. Under Glenview’s ordinance, the Historic Preservation Commission is empowered to survey the community and nominate properties it believes are historic. Third parties can also suggest sites for consideration. Once public hearings are held, the Commission can recommend landmark status to the Village Board, which would make the final determination.
TO CHANGE OR NOT TO CHANGE
The Trustees moved to change the rules last year after Citizens Organized for Wagners requested landmark status for Wagner Farm and the preservation commission announced plans to consider the Park District’s headquarters on Prairie Street opposite the post office – a building leased by the district but owned by the Village.
The Park District objected. Village President Larry Carlson and Trustee Jeff Lerner disliked the idea of imposing landmark status if owners didn’t want it. Lerner charged the ordinance could be used to block developments people didn’t want and suggested the call for landmark status at Wagner Farm might have come from residents who opposed painting the barn red. "Should we as a Village Board be in a position to tell the parks what color to paint their barn?" he wondered.
Historic Preservation Commission Chairman Silver said paint color was not an issue under Glenview’s ordinance. "This has nothing to do with whether the barn is painted red, green or blue. This has to do with whether the farm is historic."
The claim eluded Carlson who did not want to tread on the Park District’s tender toes. As most members of the Park Board watched from the audience, he said, "I find it difficult to step in and tell them what they can do with their property" since the Park Board had been elected to manage Park District properties.
"Corporate Boards are elected to run their properties, but they still fall under your jurisdiction," said a state expert who argued the Park District should be treated just like other land owners in the Village.
Trustee Kerry Cummings said she could see regulating schools and the Library, but "when it comes to the Park District, we have an entity who has been very respectful of historic preservation. They were the first with the Kennicott House, and they have been in this business longer than we have."
"If they’re so interested in historic preservation," said Chairman Silver, "we should have no problem working with them to preserve their landmark properties."
Editor's note: Cummings' claim that the Park District is expert in the field of historic preservation ignores the example of Wagner Farm where the Park Board opted to ignore local history in favor of creating a regional museum about agriculture in the 1920's. Historic preservation is about preserving, not re-creating. Lerner's angst over what the village can tell the Park District rings hollow from a board that forced redrawing of plans for Park Center because they didn’t like the way it looked and insisted that the district submit plans to the Environmental Review Commission.
TRUSTEE RANDALL’S CROSS-EXAMINATION
Critics have sometimes called Village Attorney Jeff Randall the eighth Trustee because of his forceful role in shaping policy. The Historic Preservation Commission hearing provided new ammunition for those who think Randall goes too far. The attorney conferred loudly with Village Development Director Mary Bak and quizzed state preservation experts at length, trying to make a case that only property owners should be allowed to nominate buildings.
Mike Ward, an official with the Illinois Department of Historic Preservation, said Glenview would probably lose its status as a Certified Local Government if the ordinance were weakened. If that happened, properties in the Village would no longer be eligible for tax breaks and special grants.
As Randall pushed for answers to his liking, Carlson urged him to back off. "Just one more question – or two," said Randall. "Are there any other communities in Illinois that require owner consent for nomination?" he asked. Ward said there were some, but they were trying to get rid of that rule.
Randall said Hinsdale and Collinsville were certified to designate landmark properties, but doing so required a property owner’s consent. In Highland Park, the Historic Preservation Commission can nominate a property for landmark status, but no formal action can be taken without the owner’s permission.
Carlson thought that was a swell idea, but the Landmarks Preservation Council spokesman said officials in Highland Park are trying to change their law because it’s proven ineffective.
"It’s not a recommended approach," said Ward. Noting that the state has a register of historic places, he said no properties have been added since Illinois began requiring owner consent.
Chairman Silver shared his own telling statistic. In 1974, Glenview had assembled a list of historic homes, many built or occupied by the Village founders – families with names such as Clavey, Nelson, Rugen and Synnestvedt. Forty percent of those properties are no longer there. "We’ve lost them," said Silver. "If we only allow owners to nominate historic homes and buildings, you’re going to lose what we have that should be landmarked for our children – properties that give Glenview a sense of pride, a history. If you lose that, you’re just another bedroom community."
WHAT MAKES A HOUSE HISTORIC?
Carlson wasn’t sure how Glenview could decide what is historic. "We’ve had 43 presidents. All of them have slept in a lot of different places." The panel tittered, and Carlson hastened to assure them he really was referring to sleep. "Lincoln’s birth place – that’s one thing. Places where he may have spent the night on his way to Springfield, I think that might be a different story."
"I think your ordinance contains criteria for what might be considered significant," said Lisa DiChiera of the Illinois Landmarks Preservation Council. "That criteria is not fluffy. It’s very strict. Just because a house is over 50 years old in Glenview doesn’t mean it will qualify as a landmark."
The Trustees wondered about exceptions for economic hardship. When could a property owner be excused from designation for financial reasons? Ward said the law did not guarantee a property owner the right to a huge profit. He or she was not legally entitled to tear down a historic home to build a high rise or a shopping center. On the other hand, he said, owners would be entitled to build onto their house or to make improvements.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When Carlson called for a straw poll on whether owners should be allowed to block landmark designation, Trustee Woodrow said he thought that "neutered" the historic preservation ordinance. Trustees Cummings and Denefe were also reluctant to give owners veto power. Trustee Mike Guinane wasn’t sure, and Lerner dodged the question, saying he didn’t think the issue of owner approval was as important as whether to give the Village landmarking powers in the first place.
Attorney Randall suggested that representatives from Hinsdale and Collinsville be invited to address the board. He pointed out that Collinsville has landmarked 15 properties even though it requires permission from owners. Carlson said he’d be happy to hear more about it when the board considers changes to its historic preservation ordinance in April.
Editor’s note: It might be a mistake to compare Collinsville, a St. Louis suburb founded in 1810, with Glenview. We'd like to know if anyone's rushing to tear down beautiful old homes and build townhouses or condos in their place. What gives real estate value in Collinsville may actually be its history and architecture. Sadly, the market forces in Glenview are different. That’s why we need a strong ordinance. Without it, if a developer purchased Glenview House with plans to demolish the building and replace it with apartments and stores, the village would be powerless to stop him.
ART AT THE GLEN
A company that has orchestrated the annual Port Clinton Art Fair in Highland Park, Chicago’s Gold Coast Art Fair, the Fountain Square Arts Festival in Evanston and similar events in several other suburbs has set its sights on the Glen. Founder Amy Amdur said she had done her Christmas shopping at the Glen last year and thought it the perfect place for her next venture – an August 14-15 event featuring the works of about 130 artists invited to sell their works. That’s about half the size of the Port Clinton event which drew 350,000 people in its 20th year.
Amdur did not think Glenview would get anywhere near that number in its first year. Instead, she predicted about 20,000 people would come and said existing parking for 2,500 cars should be adequate. "At art festivals, people are always coming and leaving. I use the analogy of a bath tub," she said. "The water is pouring in, but the drain’s open." She hoped the event would raise public awareness of the new shopping center, increase merchant and restaurant revenues and spark additional real estate sales.
Amdur said the fair would also feature continuous live music – "music that appeals to everybody. Just good, wholesome music. We’re not talking about anything edgy, anything scary," she told the Village Board with a giggle. "I just want you to know I’m a mom. One of the groups we like to feature does a lot of folk singing, Rock Around the Clock or something like that."
She also promised a tent where free art instruction would be offered to people of all ages and explained that a large art supply company had agreed to sponsor that part of the festival.
Amdur said the show would be funded by artist fees and a subsidy from developer Oliver McMillan. She had already named the Chicago Tribune, WBBM Radio and CLTV as sponsors in exchange for free advertising. Amdur asked for additional funding from the Village but was told there was nothing in the 2004 budget.
Art at the Glen would take place two weeks after the Glenview Art League’s annual show at Lyon School. Security would be provided by the Glen Town Center, and her company would take care of set-up, clean-up and portable toilets. The Trustees gave Amdur unanimous approval.
GLENVIEW CHOOSES A SEARCH FIRM FOR THE NEW VILLAGE MANAGER
Glenview’s Trustees have hired an executive search firm to help find a new Village Manager to replace Paul McCarthy who retires this summer. Reversing an earlier preference for a local company with no background in municipal recruitment, the Village Board voted to go with the Mercer Group, an Atlanta company with strong experience serving governments.
NORTHBROOK TO HOST TUESDAY NIGHT LIVE
Recognizing that many members of the public are loathe to attend public
hearings at Village Hall, Northbrook officials are proposing two new ways
for citizens there to connect with their elected officials. In what’s
being called "Tuesday Night Live," trustees will take phone calls from
residents on a local cable show, and on Saturday mornings, Northbrook
Starbucks will host Trustees and residents in casual conversation about
the issues.
IN OTHER NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORS ...
– Wilmette will ask voters to raise the community’s property transfer tax
by about 65 percent, increasing the charge to home and business buyers
from $3 to $5 per $1,000 of sale price or $1,800 -$3,000 per transaction
on average. The extra money would head off program cuts and a 9 percent
property tax hike needed to offset a decline in sales and income taxes.
– A private school for 40-60 smart kids who have learning disabilities
will open in Northfield this fall. Hyde Park Day School will take over the
old St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church at 1980 Old Willow Road for use
by students 6-15 years of age. Tuition is more than $25,000 per year
according to the Pioneer Press, but some public school systems pay for
their students to attend, and other kids get financial aid.
– Wheeling is excited about the prospect of a new 400-room hotel at the
corner of Lake-Cook Road and Milwaukee Avenue. Some developers think the
Westin North Shore will have a domino effect on Milwaukee, sparking
redevelopment of the entire corridor. The mayor of neighboring Prospect
Heights also hopes it will feed business to his town’s 10,000-seat event
center.
– Wheeling is considering moving local government to the old public works
garage behind Village Hall – renovating that 26,000-square-foot building
to create offices while trucks and machinery move to a new facility on
Hintz Road.
– State police are stepping up tollway efforts to assure people wear
seatbelts. The Glenview Announcements reports about 90 tickets were handed
out last Monday at the Golf Road toll plaza. Under Illinois law, front
seat passengers and drivers who don’t buckle up are subject to a $55 fine.
NAVY NEWS
– The Navy may keep 19 acres of former GNAS land the Village had
designated for soccer fields. That property could be turned over to
private developers who would build multi-family housing and lease it to
the Navy. The arrangement would bring tax dollars to Glenview schools,
parks, the Library and the Village, but President Carlson, who often
chokes up at the mention of our service men and women, was not pleased by
the prospect of more military housing. He told the Glenview Announcements
that this plan, "not only takes the land away from soccer fields, but it’s
going to add housing and school children."
– Two new statues have been installed at the Glen’s Navy Memorial Park in
front of the old Hangar One -- "Yellow Jacket," and "The Sailor."
DEVELOPERS’ DIGEST
– Glenview Firemen used the old Willow on Wagner restaurant for training
purposes this week, burning the building down as a developer prepares to
build luxury homes. Eighteen trees have been cut down, but nothing will go
up yet on a two-acre lot at the eastern boundary where sportsmen used to
shoot clay pigeons. The EPA must test the soil there to determine levels
of lead contamination.
– With half a dozen restaurants and taverns now open at the Glen, patrons
are facing a tough choice. If they drink too much and take a taxi home,
they’ll be nailed with a $50 fine for parking overnight. What’s more, cars
can be towed, and owners must pay $112 to retrieve them.
RUGEN JR. RE-BID
When bids came in last fall for construction of a new three million gallon
reservoir and pumping station (known at Village Hall as Rugen Jr.), Public
Works Director Bill Porter thought they were too high and advised the
village board to re-bid the project this spring. Last week, Porter offered
the Trustees a low-bid that saved them about $113,000. The job
specifications had changed, but Porter spent time explaining that he
adjusted November’s bids so he could fairly compare the offers of various
contractors.
Trustee Lerner didn’t get it, questioning Porter at length about whether
there really were savings at all. On the other hand, Village President
Carlson beamed. "Say again how much you saved us by rebidding the
project!" he asked Porter. "$113,070," Porter replied. "Good, very good!"
said Carlson.
Editor’s note: While savings are always nice, it should be noted that the
amount was modest – less than 2 percent of the $6.7 million project, and
had Lerner studied the Board packet in advance, he would not have bored
the Board with unnecessary questions.
THE GREEN SCENE
The Glen Oak Acres Garden Club holds its annual plant sale to fund its
civic project -- planting gardens at the 21 entrances to Glen Oak Acres.
The group is selling annuals grown in four-inch pots for use in planters
and beds, perennials in one- gallon containers, annual flats, mushroom
compost (the good stuff), herbs, and geraniums in 7.5-inch pots. To place
an order or get more information, call Barb at 847-724-5044 or e-mail:
iplantm@comcast.net. Time is of the essence, since local suppliers will
cultivate plants just for you. Orders must be placed by March. Plants will
be ready for pick up May 14.
ELECTION WATCH
– The National Organization for Women’s Political Action Committee has
endorsed Northbrook Democrat Lee Goodman who’s running against Congressman
Mark Kirk for a U.S. House seat. Bonnie Grabenhofer, president of the
Illinois chapter of NOW, says Goodman "has demonstrated strong support for
women's issues, including reproductive rights, economic justice,
lesbian/gay rights and elimination of violence against women."
– Illinois’ primary is Tuesday, March 16. The polls will be open from 6
a.m. to 7 p.m., or you can vote absentee at Village Hall between now and
Monday, March 15 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring your voter registration card
or Illinois driver’s license with your current name and address.
READERS WRITE
Plan Commission Chairman Howard Silver wants to "clarify your Editor's
note where you said that I had left the dais to chit-chat with developers'
lawyers while the consultant was making his presentation of the
Comprehensive Plan. I had left the dais and was standing in back the
entire time to watch the presentation. Because it had many pages of text,
I moved so that my eyes could better focus and see everything. Only for a
brief moment did I talk to Mike Downing with regard to the presentation
that he wanted to give regarding the downtown development."
HH has an idea for the Library Board: "Not enough consideration has been
given to the construction of a two-story parking garage at the corner of
Washington and Glenview roads. Patrons could access the Library’s second
floor through an enclosed overhead walkway. A similar approach is used at
Lutheran General Hospital. Eliminating the present parking, with the
exception of a few spaces for handicap access, would free up a big area
for expansion, and if some accommodation could be made to move Epco, the
Library would have more than enough room."
JK thinks Glenview should deal with the basics before launching into
grandiose plans for redevelopment: "Neglect of unoccupied downtown
properties is glaring in the face of proposed major renovation along
Glenview Road. How can the Village justify the blind eyes to such eyesores
as the papered and boarded window at 1719 Glenview Road, the former site
of Pastimes? It’s been that way since April 2003. This kind of neglect
lends credibility to the myth that downtown is failing and encourages
public support for plans to raze and rebuild. I hear the village is
considering paying incentives to attract new businesses. Where are the
incentives for retention of existing businesses?"
The Watch replies: We asked Village spokesman Janet Spector Bishop about
this problem. She wrote: "The Building and Zoning Division can investigate
to see if there is a violation of Glenview's property maintenance code,
but this doesn't preclude a property owner from boarding up a building to
keep it safe or covering a window with unattractive draping. According to
the Development Department, sometimes the best solution is for neighboring
property owners to ask the offending property owner to make his/her
building more appealing."
District 34 parent Mark Dolce is planting his own lawn sign. It reads:
"First Schools, Then Pools!" He writes, "As those ‘Yes to Pools’ signs
start sprouting up like weeds all over Glenview, I would like my fellow
voters to think about what they find valuable in our community. Will
having new pools make our kids better citizens? Will new pools prepare our
kids to be lifelong readers? Will new pools give the kids the art and
music instruction they deserve? (I suppose there might be some music over
the PA system near the concession stand.) A vote for the pools in the
absence of support for the schools sends the message to our kids that
recreation is more important than education. For those of you who
supported District 34 in the last failed referendum, thank you. As a
result of the loss, District 34 has had to resort to using reserves to
make up for the deficit. But today I urge you to withhold your support of
the new pools tax as a principled stand for education – our number one
priority. Words mean nothing until they are turned into action. There are
additional and equally compelling reasons why the Park District should not
receive your vote. One is their recent miscalculation with regard to the
Park Center. The district has not hit its revenue goals there, and it may
never. It has been reported that the park district seriously
underestimated what it costs to maintain the fitness equipment while it
overestimated the overall competitiveness of the facility. I also wonder
if the Park District did its due diligence on the long-term viability of
two new pools. The quick introduction of the venture and its rapid
ascension to the polling place bare all the earmarks of ill-considered
urgency rather than careful planning and consensus building. Furthermore,
I don't believe that the neophyte-heavy board is ready to handle the
complexities of a deal of this magnitude. As a final request, I would ask
that the Glenview Public Library either remove its display in support of
the Park District's pool initiative, or allow space for the opposite
viewpoint. I was shocked to see the parks’ large display in the main room
of the Library. I remember no such display in support of District 34 when
its tax referendum was before voters."
Mike Luxem, an unsuccessful candidate for park board, is now working to
defeat a referendum to build new pools – suggesting the district fix
existing pools rather than replace them: "The Glenview Park District is
bleeding tax dollars faster than Flick Park is leaking pool water – using
the 1998 tax hike funds plus its reserves to purchase the Wagner Farm
($7.2 million); buy Community West Park off Milwaukee Avenue ($13.4
million) and build Park Center at the Glen ($27 million). These additions
meant major growth in the staff size, salaries, attitudes, retirement
funds and insurance costs, bringing total expenditures to an all-time
high. The problem I have with this new $13.9 million tax hike is we have
yet to balance our current books. We need to track how much we’re losing
ever year. The Park District staff has known about the Flick Pool problem
for 10 years and opted to sweep it under the rug. Let’s balance the books
before we throw more money at the Park District staff. Fix it, don’t tax
it. I’m voting no on March 16."
John Ranz was dismayed by an editorial in the Glenview Announcements
suggesting residents who worked to defeat a tax hike for School District
34 were anti-education. "That’s nonsense. Larry Miller [who opposed the
referendum] didn’t spend four years on the school board working to improve
every aspect of district operations because he was anti-education, nor
could that label be applied to CARE – a group that spent years helping
people understand what was going on in District 34 and motivated residents
to vote against busting the tax cap. Opposing a tax increase for schools
was a matter of fiscal responsibility – a lesson we hope others in
Glenview learn soon. Already in debt by $50 million, the Village finds new
ways to spend, including plans to rebuild downtown in ways nobody but a
tax collector or a developer would love. They reject a simple plan to
rebuild the library where the majority of people want it while saving $20
million. Meanwhile, our park district wants to build the Illinois version
of Wally's World for the few families who swim. The district hasn’t even
considered allowing swimming at the new lake that would cost little more
than some rope, a few buoys, a row boat and a couple of life guards.
Swimming at the lake would also bring people from far and wide to enjoy
natural bathing in the middle of the concrete jungle."
The Watch replies: We haven’t tested the waters of Lake Glenview, but you
probably don’t want to swim there. With all the run-off from surrounding
streets and lawns, not to mention the pound of poop each goose generates
in a day, a paddle in that glorified detention pond is likely to prove
toxic.
SS agrees with residents who called for more affordable housing in the
comprehensive plan for Glenview: "Hear hear! Aside from affordability, is
anyone monitoring the proliferation of speculative housing that seems more
aggressive than kudzu or buckthorn? Unrestrained spec housing alters the
character of neighborhoods, passively raises property taxes, burdens
drainage, casts neighboring homes into permanent shade and forces entire
neighborhoods to tolerate ghastly months of noise and debris. Within two
blocks of my modest home, six enormous spec houses priced in excess of
$1.5 million languish on the real estate market. Given the rising costs of
utilities and the current job market, I wonder if any of these palatial
residences will ever find owners."
Out-of-towner Karen Southworth Thiel laments the on-going trend in
Glenview – tearing down older homes to replace them with McMansions:
"Yesterday I drove by my mother and father's former home on Glenview Road.
I was devastated when I saw what has been allowed to happen to that
wonderful lot. The new house is a disgrace to the town. My parents’ home
was a bungalow built in the 1930's. It needed some updating but certainly
did not need to be torn down. It could have been saved. If that was not
the choice, then it should have been replaced with a reasonably-sized
structure. What is there now is ugly, out of place and must be a horror
for the neighbors. Shame on Glenview Village Hall. I am glad my parents
are not here to see what has happened to the place they called home."
Annalee Fjellberg read about new animals at Wagner Farm and asked: "Why
have we gone to the expense of paying a farm manager to manage Wagner Farm
if we have this kind of ignorance calling for the addition of horses,
sheep and pigs. Horses and cows cannot share a pasture. Before we release
information to the Tribune, can we not check with our local vets about the
advisability of these city slicker ideas? Adding more animals would force
better pasture management (the pasture could be divided into different
areas for the different animals, after all, but either this wasn't
mentioned to the Trib reporter or hasn't been considered.) Ideas like this
make us look pretty uninformed as a Village."
COWS’ Biff Thiele is also puzzled by the Park District's plans: "The
Wagner Farm master plan calls for one acre per cow. There are 10 cows (12
with the two new proposed animals) and only 11 acres. The Director is
already planning to take another acre for a proposed truck farm. The space
issue aside, sheep will devastate the entire pasture within months,
because they pull up grass by the roots. Nothing has changed on that
front, since the days of the Old West, when cattlemen and ranchers fought
off sharing their pastures with sheep."
EB has had it with the lack of post office parking: "It seems to me that
the Village has the whip hand regarding the post office. Since the Village
controls the street parking, it would be advantageous to restrict parking
on all streets anywhere near the post office to 20 minutes. If the postal
employees cannot park, then the postal service has to get busy and find
another locale. Postal trucks in the hardware lot on Glenview Road are an
eye-sore. I am sorry for the postal employees, but since their employer
doesn't care about Glenview citizens, perhaps tough measures are
necessary. The Village fathers should have gotten tough long ago when
there was money to move."
ML thinks Glenview’s change in zip code will be no big deal: "Glenview has
undergone two area code changes since 1989. I live west of Pfingsten and
will be affected by the change. It's a fact of life due to the increase in
population. As the post office has explained, it has to do with sorting
equipment at the Palatine facility and not our local post office. I, for
one, won't be signing Village President Carlson's petition against the new
zip code. Instead of fighting it, he should be getting in front of the
insurance companies to make sure rates don't change."
Editor’s note: In his latest pronouncements on the matter, Carlson clearly
soft-pedaled opposition to a new zip code, shifting his emphasis to the
inadequacies of our current post office and urging residents to send-in a
complaint form from the village newsletter.
KP writes: "Last month I parked at the downtown Metra station, and when I
returned tothe car from work there were two holes in the back windshield.
I filed a police report and learned the damage was probably caused by
pellet or air guns. My mechanic said I would need to replace the
windshield at a cost of $300. Do you know of other incidents like this
recently?"
The Watch replies: The police department confirms several similar
incidents involving cars parked at the station.
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.