When the U.S. Postal Service first announced plans to change the zip code in northwest Glenview, Village President Larry Carlson was upset, citing inconvenience to residents and businesses who would have to change their letterhead and notify anyone who sends them mail. He ordered a protest form printed in the village newsletter and pledged to carry the responses to the post office in a last ditch effort to avoid the change.

Last week, Carlson conceded defeat in his crusade to keep the second zip code out. The newsletter had gone to about 15,000 households, but only 45 people had returned forms opposing a change the postal service said was necessary to improve mail service. Three hundred, seventy-one respondents said they didn’t mind the new code, but 471 said they would like a new post office. Two didn’t think Glenview needed a new zip code or a new post office, and two responses could not be deciphered.

Carlson told the village board he would continue to fight for a new post office and had recently met with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin who said he would contact Glenview’s Congressman Mark Kirk. Together, Durbin said they would lobby the postal service for a remedy.

Some community leaders have called on the village to build a new post office at The Glen and lease it to the postal service. According to the Pioneer Press, Redevelopment Director Don Owen made that offer but was rebuffed. Owen told Durbin the only idea that appealed to the postal service was for Glenview to build a new post office and give it to them.

"I have a problem with the taxpayers of Glenview buying the federal government, the ones who print the money, a new post office," Carlson said. "We have to keep working on them, putting the pressure on them to get this done."

Editor’s note: The federal government does not build post offices. The U.S. Postal Service is an independent corporation that is regulated by Congress but receives no money from Washington. Still Durbin and Illinois Senator Peter Fitzgerald could wield some influence since they serve on the Congressional committee that oversees the postal service. The question is why Carlson didn’t contact them months ago.

Glenview had hoped to get control of a 19-acre parcel at the former Glenview Naval Air Station for use as soccer fields, but the Pentagon is now considering keeping the land for new military housing. When Senator Durbin met with village, park district and school leaders last week, they urged him to step in. Village Manager Paul McCarthy thought someone should "question the Navy as to the wisdom and fairness" of building homes for servicemen and their families at that site. Redevelopment Director Don Owen claimed Glenview designated the land for recreational use because new homes would bring more kids to already overburdened local schools, according to the Pioneer Press.

Under the Pentagon’s plan, the land would actually be sold to a private developer who would then build and lease homes back to the federal government. The property owner would pay taxes to local school districts, providing money the military does not now pay.

Owen complained that if military housing were demolished at the Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago and new homes were built here for military personnel, "that’s a shifting of the costs of what ultimately should be the cost of North Chicago’s school districts. That just doesn’t seem fair."

Durbin said he would bring the subject up during a meeting at Great Lakes, but he wasn’t making any promises. Noting the national debt of about $500 billion, Durbin said it was hard to argue with a plan that would bring new money into the U.S. treasury while providing homes for sailors.

Editor’s note: Village President Carlson has often choked up at the mention of U.S. servicemen and the sacrifice they make. Don Owen is an old Navy man, and Paul McCarthy knows Glenview got a deal when the Pentagon gave this community 1,100 acres of prime suburban real estate at no charge. These are the guys who cheered loudly for high-density housing at The Glen – housing that meant big profits for developers. To hear them whining now about burdening our schools because the military wants to build even more seems the height of hypocrisy, and to suggest that the burden of educating military kids belongs only to North Chicago is ridiculous and shameful.

Glenview’s newest committee, established to help guide redevelopment of the downtown area, got off to a shaky start last week, as members debated their mission. Chairman and Trustee Kimball Woodrow said a new public library and the future of Glenview’s post office should not be the committee’s focus, a view seconded by Trustee Mary Beth Denefe. Members Alan Ruter and Gary Wendt disagreed, arguing that a new library and post office would drive revitalization. Woodrow said that discussion was likely to continue for the next few weeks.

The group agreed that it would need the help of a consultant but ignored an early pledge by Chairman Woodrow to keep the public well-informed and involved in the process. About 30 citizens showed up to hear the committee’s deliberations in a small conference room at Village Hall. Some had to stand because there were not enough seats for the public. Many had trouble hearing the discussion since no sound system was set up, and despite a call from Trustee Jim Patterson to cablecast the meetings, no GVTV cameras were present. Adding insult to injury, Woodrow ignored that part of the agenda calling for public comment.

Committee member and political insider Ty Laurie was a no show, but he sent his wife Kay who took extensive notes. Also in the audience were Village President Carlson, Trustee Mike Guinane, Zoning Board Member Mary Novotny, Appearance Commission Chair John Hedrick, more than a dozen business owners and downtown landlords, realtor Brian Barrett and lawyer Mike Downing who represents the Glenview State Bank, Bess Hardware and the Glenview House.

Woodrow said future meetings would likely be held the first and third Thursdays of each month. Because spring break would make it impossible for some members to attend, he said the next meetings would be held April 15 and 29.

Editor’s note: In what amounted to a slap in the face, Glenview scheduled Comprehensive Plan Commission meetings on Thursday nights, making it impossible for park district commissioners to be present. (The park district meets the third Thursday of each month.) Once again, it looks like park district leaders will be precluded from taking part in plans for downtown – plans that should include a park along the river.

The normally cheerful and easy going chairman of The Glen Redevelopment Commission lost his cool over plans for a parking lot next to the Air Station Prairie. Catellus Development Corporation and the architects for Beltone, a Chicago hearing aid manufacturer, appeared at Village Hall to describe the two-story, 49,000-square-foot corporate headquarters they hope to build on the southeast corner of Patriot and Lehigh, just west of the prairie.

Glenview normally requires builders to plant one tree for every seven parking spaces in a lot to break up the expanse of asphalt. In this location, however, a different set of rules applies. Rare grassland birds nest on the ground. Trees provide a terrific vantage point for hawks and owls to perch and prey on baby grassland birds. To protect them, the village has warned that developers should not plant trees too close to the prairie.

As a result, the developer figured he was not obliged to save as much green space in the lot, but Chairman Howard Silver thought the eastern end of the lot looked like Northbrook Court – a sea of asphalt.

After a long pause, architect Steven Wright referred to the nearby Anixter Building he designed at The Glen. "The difference is that this parking lot is relatively smaller, and so this is more open, and in the rhythm of some of those others, it’s fairly close to this."

"Mr. Wright, I honestly have no idea what you just said," Silver replied.

Wright again referred to Anixter’s lot and the spacing of trees and parking spaces there, claiming the Beltone site was similar. "These parking lots are smaller. I mean there are 600-700 down at Anixter. There are 150 [spaces] in this one."

"A parking space is a parking space," said Silver. "When you’ve got 44 spaces in a row with nothing to break it up, that’s a no-no. This is not Son of Anixter. This is Beltone."

Developer Kevin Matzke said the architect had provided a green buffer between parking lots instead of inserting islands.

Silver said that still left 100 feet by 200 feet of unbroken asphalt.

Wright then referred to the prairie ban on nearby trees.

Silver wanted to hear from Kent Fuller, the head of Glenview’s natural resources commission and a former trustee who helped negotiate the original rules for development around the prairie, but Fuller wasn’t there.

Silver thought landscaped islands could still be installed. "We’ve got all these acres of prairie to the east, and you’re saying we can’t put another tree or blade of grass there. I don’t understand that."

The developer continued to speculate about why the landscape architect did what he did until Silver’s patience ran out.

"You’ve got this mound of asphalt next to the prairie, and for some reason I’m being fought that you can’t put a blade of grass in there."

"It wasn’t a question of not trying to do a good job," the architect stammered. He recalled "the requirement to keep those perching things away from here," and again talked about consistency with other developments at The Glen.

"Mr. Wright, why are you fighting me?" Silver said, his voice rising with indignation.

"I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be," said Wright.

"I’m serious. We’re a tree city. We make every developer put plenty of [green] stuff in. You’re giving us a parking lot with 40-some spaces. It’s 100 by 200 of nothing but asphalt. Put a damn tree in there. What’s the big damn deal?"

Developer Matzke said the team would go back and look again at building restrictions for prairie neighbors.

"If you can’t put a tree in there because of [that agreement], put grass in there. I can’t believe green is completely eliminated by those restrictions. We’re restricting grass?"

"No," said Matzke. "Definitely not."

"Then put something in there!" Silver demanded.

Editor’s note: Former Trustees Fuller and Rachel Cook fought hard to get legal limits on what developers could do around the prairie. They glowed when the terms were outlined during a village board meeting. Then Fuller went off to pull weeds, and Cook moved to another suburb. When we called Fuller following the GRC meeting, he didn’t have a copy of the final developer restrictions. He said he was not familiar with Beltone’s proposal and was headed out of town for a week. He referred us to village naturalist Robyn Flackne, who is paid to review developers’ landscape plans. She hadn’t seen the blueprints and referred us to her boss, Amy Ahner, for a copy of the prairie area restrictions. Ahner did not return our call. In local government, follow through is everything. Without it, developers prey on the village and hawks prey on our wildlife. We hope Fuller and Flackne are fully briefed before the next meeting of the GRC on April 7. We hope they’ve taken full advantage of expertise on the natural resources commission and the environmental review commission to provide Catellus and Beltone with guidance on a project that could be critical to the future of our prairie and its birds.

Several neighbors in the Jefferson/Monroe area northwest of the Glenview Car Wash appeared before the village board on behalf of a tree. Bearing pictures of the pine, which they believe to be 100 years old, the residents wondered if a plan to build 14 town homes in the area assured protection of the tree. "It’s a beautiful tree. I’d like to know if they can work around it," said Gale Dykas. The developer was not on hand, so the trustees voted to discuss the matter at their next meeting, April 20. Asked why they had not raised the issue sooner, at meetings of the plan commission where landscaping is normally discussed, the residents said they had no idea the plan commission was considering it.

Village Manager McCarthy said the developer had submitted a landscaping plan and invited the residents to come to Village Hall to review it. Leafing through his board briefing packet and cutting through the red tape, Village President Carlson said, "You know what. Here, you can have mine."

Glenview will spend about $18.6 million on a new two-story police station with underground parking, a firing range and communications center, but first it has hired a construction manager to try and keep costs down. By bringing the consultant in early, Redevelopment Director Don Owen said the odds of saving money would improve while assuring that Glenview picks the best sub-contractors. Based not on price but on experience, Owen recommended and the board agreed to hire Riley Construction for just over $1 million.

The board of trustees agreed to spend an extra $105,840 for an ornamental fence along a newly resurfaced section of Lake Avenue between Patriot and Shermer. The original budget contained funds to replace existing chainlink fence with new black vinyl-clad chainlink, but residents preferred something prettier. Public Works Director Bill Porter said overall improvements along Lake were about $500,000 under budget.

"I think you’ve saved enough money in enough places that this would be a wise spend," said Trustee Jim Patterson. "It would be consistent with what we’ve already started putting up in other parts of the village," said Trustee Jeff Lerner. "If somebody’s going to drive from one end of the village to the other on Lake Street, it ought to look consistent."

Carlson said the current fence looked pretty shabby, and Trustee Mary Beth Denefe – who lives in the far western subdivision called Indian Ridge – said, "To fail to install the ornamental fencing on this part of the project would send the wrong message to the west side of town."

Agreeing with the expenditure but resenting the suggestion that this vote had anything to do with east versus west, East-side resident Mike Guinane said, "Forget about the west side of town. This will truly make a difference on East Lake Avenue."

Long time resident and GVTV volunteer Jack Neymark will join the Glenview Library Board, replacing Karen Teitelbaum, who resigned. Neymark has publicly stated his support for a new library at The Glen as the fastest, least expensive way to give Glenview the "world class library it deserves."

"Frankly, I feel it’s more practical to go out to The Glen," he told The Watch. "You don’t have to tear anything down and put the library at a temporary location. They have the land, behind Dominick’s on Patriot. So it would be less expensive, it could be done quicker, and the Colonial Court site downtown wouldn’t have enough space."

A professional accountant and teacher of computer science at Oakton Community College, Neymark had been attending library board meetings to encourage new construction. "A community like Glenview with the new Park Center and the new Attea Middle School and the growth that we’ve got, we just need a new library. It’s really essential, and I’ll do everything I can to promote it," he says.

The library board meets the third Wednesday of the month in the first floor conference room. The public is welcome to attend.

Twenty-six public officials took part in a training program designed to prepare them for terrorist attacks and the use of weapons of mass destruction. Paid for by the Department of Homeland Security, the instruction came from experts at Texas A&M University.

Village Manager McCarthy dismissed those who might doubt Glenview’s attractiveness as a target. "No one thought Oklahoma City was particularly vulnerable. Our proximity to Chicago and to Lake Michigan is also a significant consideration," he said, adding that the training could also prove useful in the more likely event of a natural disaster.

Editor’s note: One of the nation’s top experts on this subject is Northbrook’s Fire Chief Jay Reardon, but once again the Bush administration’s Texas connection is painfully apparent.

A new website allows Americans to find out which neighbors are making campaign contributions to the presidential candidates. If you visit http://www.fundrace.org/ and enter your address, you might discover that in 2003 Glenview resident and losing Republican Senate candidate Andy McKenna’s family gave $10,000 to the George W. Bush campaign, while the Jones family, owners of Glenview State Bank, gave $8,000 to the campaign of Dick Gephardt. The Corboy clan gave $4,000 to John Edwards and $2,000 to Dick Gephardt, and the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Glenview resident James Kenny, sent $2,000 to Bush.

As reported on election night by Glenview Watch, a referendum to fund construction of two swimming pool complexes at Flick and Roosevelt Parks was approved by about 60 percent of voters in the Glenview Park District. 

The strongest turn out in support of the referendum came from areas around Roosevelt Pool where residents voted 370 to 60 in favor of the pools and from The Glen which counted 383 in support of the tax hike and 110 against.

The park district says people who now have a $5,000 annual property tax bill will see an increase of about $36 while those with a $7,000 bill can expect to pay $50 more. The park district says it will close both swimming pools on August 15 so construction can begin early. Watch for some trees around the pools to be moved this spring when the odds for a successful transplant are highest. The new aquatic centers are expected to open in June 2005. Because the 2004 season will be shortened by a week, the park board agreed to reduce the cost of a season pass by 10 percent.

Meanwhile, the district’s director of leisure services says Glenview could host some special send-off events at the end of this season. Bob Quill thought the village might enjoy a revival of the elaborate water shows that used to take place before 1982. Planned by pool managers and executed by the life guards, he says those spectacles were tremendously popular.

Parks Commissioner M.J. Coulson joked that the district might also raise money by selling off chunks of concrete from the aging swimming pools.

– Glenbrook High School student and would-be Eagle Scout David McFadden is planning Operation Arboretum Shield – a project that will place a fence on the south end of Flick park to protect trees from salt spray from the road and prevent pedestrians from cutting through a formal garden there. McFadden will raise money and organize volunteer labor to install the 200-foot fence and replace missing or damaged labels that identify various tree species in the arboretum.

– With increasing competition from the private sector, Glenview’s park district is more aggressively marketing its programs and services. The golf courses are compiling e-mailing lists and allowing duffers to reserve tee-times online. At the golf club’s restaurant, The Café, management is pulling out all the stops to attract customers for its fish fries, dropping the price to $9.95 per person, promoting entrees other than fish, placing ads in the bulletins of two local Catholic churches and erecting a red sign outside the restaurant. Commissioner Ted Przybylo was especially impressed by that move. At Thursday’s board meeting, he told a staffer in charge of marketing, "I do have to compliment you on the red sign." Some Glenview residents refer to Przybylo as "Ted the Red." He was elected to the park board after planting his own red signs in lawns around town.

– The North Suburban YMCA wants to advertise in park district catalogues to attract more kids for its overnight summer program in Michigan. Leisure Services Director Quill had told the Y that would not be possible. "Simply put, we don’t promote our competition," but Commissioner John Winand has asked the district to reconsider since Glenview does not offer a sleep away program like Camp Echo.

– Park Board President Chris Warren is again calling for a change in the length of commissioners’ terms. Right now, members of the panel serve for six years, but Warren feels it’s hard for residents to make such a long commitment at election time.

– Glenview/Northbrook Youth Services would like your help on April 3 at 9 a.m. That’s when the organization begins moving from its present location on the northwest corner of Lake and Shermer to The Glen. The social service agency needs assistance packing boxes. If you can give a couple of hours, call Heather at 724-2620 or stop by 1254 Shermer to sign up.

– The OLPH 5K Phun Run will be held May 2, and the Fourth Annual Lou Blond Memorial 5 K Run/Walk is set for May 22 at Maple School.

– The Rotary Club of Glenview - Sunrise is looking for Ambassadorial Scholarship candidates – people who live or attend school in Glenview and are not related to Rotarians. The scholarships allow you to attend school in other countries – usually at the graduate level. Cultural Scholarships last 3-6 months and provide up to $19,000 in assistance, while Academic Scholarships run a full year and carry awards of up to $25,000. For more information, go to www.rotary.org . Then call Mary Prybil at 847-729-6290 to apply.

– Students planning to attend state universities in Illinois can submit applications for the General Assembly Scholarship program to State Representative Beth Coulson. Call 724-3233 for details.

– The public library is looking for kids in grades 8-up and adults to help with this year’s summer reading program. Training begins June 7. For details, visit the Youth Desk.

– You can also inquire there about sending letters and pictures to U.S. service men and women overseas. The Salute to Soldiers program continues through the end of the year.

– The Glenview Public Library presents White Sox history from Comiskey to Reinsdorf at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 23. Team historian and author Rich Lindberg will speak. Register at the Information Desk by calling 729-7500 ext. 112 or online at http://www.glenview.lib.il.us/programform.html .

– Genealogist Cyndi Howells brings her list to the library from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturday, March 27. A $10 fee covers lunch and materials. Cyndi's List is the most comprehensive resource available for people doing online genealogy. The site contains almost 200,000 links and

receives more than two million hits each month. To register, visit the Information Desk, call 729-7500 ext. 112 or go to http://www.glenview.lib.il.us/programform.html .

– Want to know the big picture behind the headlines? Visit the library at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25 and discover a bevy of online news sources. See above for registration information.

Kate Pickard: "Our family is overjoyed that the pool referendum passed. Both pools were in a sorry state. It will be good to have Roosevelt re-open this year and in the years to come.  It would have been sad not to hear shouts of, "Watch me, Mom!" -- not to see toddlers taking brave steps into the water for the first time. I see many children every summer enjoying the pools. It is a great place for children to learn to socialize and play without adults managing every moment. The pools are the last place for unstructured play, and every child and adult regardless of income, can come out and enjoy themselves. A community like Glenview that prides itself on great schools and parks should have decent pools for our children and adults. I'm glad the voters voted 'Yes For Pools.'"

PG: "I wonder how many of these people who voted for the pools are Republicans who maintain they are against raising taxes. How ironic."

MD: "IDIOTS! Glenview refused to approve increased taxes for our schools. I say, ‘Education before recreation.’"

GC: "That makes me sick. This town is nuts. The cost to taxpayer means I'll pay about $36 for something we don't use."

Gwen Chiovari complains that Glenview Watch picks on The Glen: "As a longtime Glenview resident, I am thrilled that the base was developed and has resulted in such a magnificent project. The Glen is not only beautiful but has added so much to the town of Glenview. I love having access to a Corner Bakery, Red Star, Potbellies, Von Maur, movie theaters, etc. This is the kind of development that Glenview has sorely been lacking. The residents of Glenview should be on their knees in gratitude for the increase in their property values which are a direct result of the superb design and development of The Glen. For all those who lament the decreasing patronage of the Glenview downtown area, news flash: This area has never been very attractive and has been on a downward slide way before The Glen was even on the drawing board. We currently have a downtown area which is not only unattractive but is comprised of many businesses that have no draw for the majority of residents. I agree with the recent assessment that the downtown area would benefit from a major overhaul which could possibly include a high end grocery, boutique shops, bakery and cafes. This would definitely increase foot traffic and put us more on par with the likes of Wilmette or Winnetka. All Glenview residents should be actively encouraging our town officials to make this a priority and a reality as soon as possible! Ask any real estate agent, Glenview has recently become one of the most sought after places to reside. Glenview is finally changing for the better, and as taxpayers and property owners we need to continue to invest in upgrading Glenview or lose our revenues to other more progressive towns!"

VI writes about North Shore communities condemning existing businesses to make way for new ones: "As Northbrook watches and tries to keep up with Glenview's intense development, the old question from the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee hearings comes to mind: ‘Have you no shame?’ These municipalities are taking money out of the pockets of their loyal local merchants, who have supported their villages for many years with tax payments, by condemning their properties and making their sites available so large developers can profit. What's wrong with this picture?"

MM writes about real estate: "I've noticed in the Chicago Tribune that the median price of a house in Glenview has decreased for the last two quarters, as most other suburbs continue to increase. Last year the median price was over $400,000 and now only $360,000. If you look at the real estate listings, almost all houses are $400,000 and up? Very puzzling!"

The Watch replies: Perhaps the average is lower due to the large number of town homes and condos on the market here.

SS wonders: "When will the Lake Street landscaping and surfacing be completed? The area around Lake west of Waukegan is an eyesore."

The Watch replies: The village says it does not have a firm answer to that questions right now but should be posting the information soon on its website -- www.glenview.il.us.  Click on the road construction update line.

DB worries about kids with no sidewalks: "I live in Countryside, northeast of the intersection of Milwaukee and Central.We have no sidewalk and few street lights. My children attend Henking School. We get no bus service, and many of our children walk to school. Henking serves grades K-2, so we're talking about kids who are 8 years old or younger. There may be a crossing guard at the intersection of Linneman and Greenwood, but I haven’t seen one. The safety of children is at stake, and I'm stuck in a typical bureaucratic finger pointing about who's responsibility those roads are. Not one person will own the issue."

The Watch replies: Because you’re in unincorporated Glenview, the village bears no responsibility for your roads, and School District 34 is not in the business of building sidewalks, although district spokesman Brett Clark told us, "A crossing guard is assigned by Cook County (since it is an unincorporated area) to the location from 8:30-9 a.m. and 3:30-4 p.m. It has been our experience that in cold weather, some crossing guards will wait in their vehicles until children approach the intersection. That may be the reason you have not seen a crossing guard. Parents in that neighborhood do have an option for bus service at a cost of $230–$270 next year. We would encourage parents and community members to call us with concerns so we can help you work out solutions. Our transportation director is Connie Rymsza, and she can be reached at rymsza@ncook.k12.il.us or 847-998-5064. Officer Maria Johnson supervises the crossing guard at that intersection and she can be reached at 708-865-4776."

Our only other thought is that you could approach Northfield Township -- the government body responsible for your roads. Jill Brickman is president of the Northfield Township Board, and you should be able to leave a message for her at 724-8300. This would seem an important service that the township could provide to help justify its questionable existence.

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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