Glenview Watch: The real scoop on issues and events in Glenview, Illinois

As Glenview plans a new police station, the project's chief architect is warning that construction prices are rising because of increasing costs for steel and cement. The news prompted a series of questions from Trustee Mike Guinane, a professional building contractor. He wondered if the village should consider using limestone instead of granite slabs and proposed installing a smaller plaza in front of the building. "This is a building for criminals to come in and out," Guinane said. "Could we somehow keep the costs down and limit the bond issue that we've got coming up for this? That would not change the function of the building."

"The granite would not," said Redevelopment Director Don Owen, "but the plaza might, because that is an area where I know we're planning some outdoor functions. We've had some discussions about how it could be used for more formal ceremonies. If we downsized it, that could have an impact, although I know it's not of substantial importance to the police chief."

Guinane also asked about a community meeting room for 80 people. Noting that Glenview's new library would provide meeting space and that Park Center already offers public rooms, he questioned the need for such facilities at the police station. Owen said the space was not requested by the police department but by the village board "so the facility itself could be used for more than police functions. The police chief does like the idea of this here because it gives the community more opportunities to interact with the police. There is an education role and a lot of things like that." He added that the space was centrally located in architectural drawings. "To change that at this point in time would have a disastrous effect on the design," he said. "We'd have to go through a major redesign effort, and I would recommend against that."

"I can understand," said Guinane who then asked for some estimates on how switching from granite to cheaper stone and downsizing the plaza might lower costs for the $18.6 million building.
Owen readily agreed, but Trustee Kerry Cummings was incensed by Guinane's independent drive to control costs.

"Trustee Guinane, we have reviewed these plans for quite a while," she began. "You've been the first to point out that delays mean an increase in the cost of construction. To go back to some of these things that we have hashed out thoroughly puts us in a pause and increases the costs. I'm afraid that we would end up with a trade-off. This really has to move forward."

"The items I've mentioned here will not hold up construction," Guinane replied. "These are minor issues, and we haven't yet gone to the bond market. My concern is that construction costs could escalate even further when we go out to bid four months from now."

"No, no, no. I'm not asking for architectural plans," Guinane countered. "I know what the market is up to right now in terms of building and material costs. My concern, and I stated this last month, is that these costs are escalating. We have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of this community."

Editor's note: Clearly most voters in Glenview are paying no attention to the way their tax dollars are spent – or at least Cummings, Woodrow, Lerner and Carlson are making that assumption. How else could they prepare for re-election next spring by ignoring a perfectly reasonable call for fiscal restraint? The trustees should act as if they're paying for the police station out of their own pockets, and not the public treasury, which has its limits.

In an effort to persuade the village board that a new library should be built at The Glen, members of the library board voted to hold a public forum from 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, July 14 in the Lyceum of Glenbrook South High School. Library trustees are expected to make their case, then allow a period for questions and answers.

While most library board members argue it would be easier and cheaper to build on a five-acre site on Patriot Boulevard, allowing residents to keep using the current library while construction of the new building is underway, Trustee David Johnson disagrees.

Despite charges of cruelty to animals and harm to public health, Glenview's park district has voted to continue its annual tradition of dumping thousands of gold fish into Roosevelt Pool so children with nets can have the pleasure of catching them. Critics had argued that many of the fish die during the hunt or soon after – killed by stress and exposure to chlorine.

Fresh off the baseball field, still wearing his orange uniform, Pratt charged most of the fish placed in the pool die, and he warned that Goldfish Day could be hazardous to the health of kids. "There's always dead fish and blood on the decks, so it can get slippery, and in the water there are dead fish, fecal matter and scales," he said with a shudder. "I don't really like to think about it."

Pratt proposed an alternative celebration with plastic fish placed in the pool. Young children who "caught" them could be rewarded with a gift certificate for a real goldfish. The plastic fish could be re-used the following year or kept by children who wanted to play with them in the bath.

"I appreciate Kevin bringing this up," said board member Chris Warren. "A lot of people don't think this is a big deal, and a lot of people like this tradition." As this is the last season for the old Roosevelt Pool, he thought Glenview might host one more hunt. Conceding many of the fish die, Warren thought change might come next year.

Others on the board were less favorable to Pratt's proposal. Commissioner Bill Casey didn't see much excitement in chasing down plastic fish. Speaking for the recreation committee which had discussed the matter for more than an hour, he suggested other measures to improve the odds of keeping fish alive. First, he said, the temperature of the pool water should match the temperature of holding tanks for the fish, so the creatures would not experience thermal shock. Next, he proposed sending the fish home in dechlorinated water, and finally he suggested providing literature on how to care for goldfish.

Member Judy Beck said she had only heard from residents who supported Goldfish Day, and she scolded Kevin Pratt for his casual use of statistics. Pratt had claimed 90 percent of the fish tossed into Roosevelt each year die during or after the hunt. "I don't think you have the facts to back that up," said the sober Beck. "People have told me how much fun they had with their fish, so I don't think that many of them do die."

In a quirky turn, Member M..J. Coulson asked if providing literature and dechlorinated water might make the event more expensive. She thought maybe staff should be consulted before a vote, but the board's new chairman, John Winand, bristled. He had decreed this a time for discussion by the trustees, not the staff, and scolded Coulson for failing to stay with his protocol.

Winand, who admitted he had never been to Goldfish Day, asked how the fish were transported home by children. Told they traveled in plastic bags, he proposed buying hard plastic containers for participating families. He thanked Pratt for "raising the sensitivity level of the board," and members then voted unanimously to continue with the Goldfish Day tradition.

Pratt said he would not attend this year's Goldfish Day but might visit the board next year to see if he could end the tradition once the old Roosevelt Pool was history. Told that in six short years he would be eligible to run for park board himself, Pratt brightened. "Cool," he said. "I might do that."

Back in the board room, Commissioner Doug Kaiser could already see the headlines. Calling the media attention a "sideshow," he lamented, "Unless something is controversial, it doesn't get press. I knew this was going to happen, but it's a shame you have to have something with a negative twist." Predicting Wagner Farm might attract a thousand people for a weekend breakfast and noting an earlier talk by the head of the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association – an exemplary program for disabled kids – Kaiser said neither of those "good" stories would receive a word of coverage.

Editor's note: Reporters do tend to write about the exceptional rather than the mundane. That's what seems to interest most people. And a bright young kid speaking truth to power is exceptional. It is not, however, negative. Pratt's courage, intelligence and commitment to a cause should give all residents hope that our democracy might yet be saved – that individuals can make a difference.

Of course, Kevin Pratt did not achieve his goal, but he did force the board to examine its beloved tradition and to attempt a more humane approach. Should he return next year, he may learn that change takes time – especially when dealing with a hidebound community like Glenview. Still, the effort is worth making, and the media attention affirms that.

We would also challenge Kaiser's claim that the media rarely cover "good news." Moments before Kaiser's outburst, Trustee Przybylo spent a full minute extolling a "seven-minute expose" by WMAQ-TV about a local rhythmic gymnastics program. Two of its members could be headed for the Olympics. Isn't that nice! If only Channel Five would devote seven minutes to the area's real concerns – inferior urban schools, outrageous suburban sprawl, corrupt corporations and politicians! Instead, the media is full of "good news."

Following heavy rains in May, Chicago-area communities are bracing for a bumper crop of mosquitos. Fortunately, experts say the kind of mosquito linked to flood water does not carry West Nile virus, but they have found a dead bird that tested positive for West Nile in Antioch, Illinois.

Meanwhile, Cook County says it cannot confirm the claim of a Northbrook woman that her two-year-old child contracted Lyme Disease at a Glenview park. The child reportedly had the characteristic bulls-eye rash and was being treated for Lyme, but the parents refused to provide blood samples needed to positively identify the illness.

Cook County has never had a confirmed case of Lyme, and Glenview Park District Executive Director Tom Richardson said he was skeptical of the claim, since the child had not been playing in a wooded or brushy area where the ticks that carry Lyme Disease are normally found.

The owners of the Plaza del Prado shopping center at Willow and Pfingsten roads will again address the plan commission at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 22. They hope to add another building east of Bank One to house a couple of food franchises. Area residents have objected to a similar request in the past, saying the retail strip is already short on parking and long on traffic congestion. Commissioner Joseph DiMattina and Chairman Howard Silver oppose expansion, while Commissioners Linda Witt, Tom Fallon and Steve Bucklin do not. The other two board members, Peter Brinckerhoff and Gary Wendt, have yet to voice their opinions. Members of the public are welcome to observe and give testimony in the board room at Village Hall, and the meeting will be cablecast.

– High School District 225 will charge 20 percent less for used textbooks and 35 percent more for new ones. The average Glenbrook student was paying $180 - $300 a year for books, and a committee found students paying more for used books, less for new ones than any others in this region.

– A Cook County Circuit Court judge has upheld Glenbrook's decision to suspend three young women who were injured during the powder puff incident at Chipilly Woods last year. Their lawyers argued the event did not fall under a school policy banning secret societies.

– Lake County will begin work this summer on a $1.2 million traffic management center to help get rid of bottlenecks. The Libertyville facility will have high tech computers and a team of traffic engineers working to better synchronize traffic signals countywide. One official pledges it will reduce the amount of time drivers sit at lights.

– A Volkswagen carrying five teenagers from Oak Park, Chicago and Big Rock, Illinois landed in a detention pond outside the Five Seasons Country Club in Northbrook earlier this month. Police say the kids were headed east on Techny when a car coming out of the club cut them off. The young driver swerved to avoid an accident but his parents' car ended up bouncing off a tree and sliding into the pond. It landed on a safety shelf, and while air bags deployed, the kids were able to get out before paramedics arrived.

Families concerned about the safety of a railroad crossing in downtown Glenview are glad to know Metra will install pedestrian gates within 90 days, but they've vowed to fight for equal protection in other communities. According to the Pioneer Press, a group called "Victor's Crossing" is hoping to change state law, making pedestrian crossing gates mandatory at any railroad crossing within 500 yards of a school. They also want schools to host rail safety seminars and urge parents to spend more time teaching children how to cross tracks safely.

Kitz Masterson and her husband Jim founded Hackney's on Harms in 1939. On June 15, 2004, she died. Had Mrs. Masterson lived two more days, she would have been 87 years old. Friends say the couple lived in a white house next to the restaurant which, in its early days, was known as Hamm's. They developed the house specialty, known as the Hackneyburger on Rye, and bought a second restaurant – Engels on Lake – in 1953. Son-in-law Denny Hebson says Kitz loved the business, and everyone looked up to her. Besides running the restaurants, Mrs. Masterson raised seven children.

Last week's edition of the Northbrook Star tells a fascinating tale. It seems that homes targeted for teardown and replacement by larger houses have become targets of thieves – people who figure
everything from trees in the yard to toilets in the bathrooms is fair game. One developer told reporter Irv Leavitt about a place he hopes to demolish soon. "If it stays there another week, the whole house is going to be gone," he joked. "They've stolen the locks, they've gotten the electric switches, the gutters, the stone walkway."

One Glenview businessman, Frank Schroeter, makes his living selling the contents of houses set for demolition. He's taken to offering $50 rewards if neighbors report anyone carrying things away. "I did a house in Glenview recently," he said. "On a Monday, we scheduled a sale. I came back Friday to go over everything. All the plants and bushes were gone. We went inside, and the toilets, the kitchen, everything inside the house was gone."

– When members of the Bush administration claimed terrorist activity had declined, Secretary of State Colin Powell came forward to say that was not the case. Now, a local Democrat running for Congress is asking journalists not to report administration claims until they are verified. In fact, says Northbrook's Lee Goodman, the media "should think about reporting only the rare instances when the administration actually gets something right. What the administration told us about Iraq turned out to be almost totally inaccurate. Its jobs reports were also wrong."

– Cook County is mailing out postcards to confirm that voters still live at the addresses to which they're registered. The post office will not forward cards for folks who have moved, and families with members who have moved should notify the County Clerk's office before November 2. Likewise, if there's more than one voter in your home but only one card arrives, you should call 312-603-5656 to avoid confusion on election day.

– Republican Congressman Mark Kirk and Democratic Congressman Rahm Emanuel have drafted a bill to protect the Great Lakes. It would set aside $4 billion over the next five years to stop the spread of invasive species, save coast land, protect wetlands, control pollution and clean up contaminated areas. "The federal government committed $8 billion to the restoration of the Everglades in Florida," Kirk said. "The time has come to match that effort in the Great Lakes."

– After last week's appeal for support from Glenview residents who care about protecting national forests, Jennifer Sheridan wrote, "Just wanted to let you know that the Chabot Amendment to remove taxpayers subsidies for logging in the Tongass National Forest passed last Wednesday 222-205." – At last summer's Conservation Camp at The Grove, middle school students built bluebird houses. This spring, naturalist Lorin Ottlinger says all but one is occupied, "and we already have baby bluebirds hatching."

– Wagner Farm has added pigs to its menagerie. Three arrived last month from a litter of 11 piglets. The smallest was dubbed "Peanut." The other two are, of course, named "Butter" and "Jelly."
– New horses are also a hit. Farm Director Todd Price credits them for doubling the number of visitors during general hours.
– Wagner's first attempt to plant a truck garden has proved a flop. Price says the plot was under water after last month's rain, but he shrugs off the misfortune, saying: "So goes farming."
– The head of Glenview's Senior Center warns you can't count on April showers bringing May flowers. Sometimes they just bring more crummy weather. "We began the month with a trip to the Botanic Gardens," Joyce Pottinger recalls. "It was so cold on the tram ride that no one cared if there were flowers blooming or not."
– With so much rain in May (210% of normal with precipitation on 15 of 31 days), Glenview's main golf course reported receipts down $10,000 for the month. The course director also lamented cancellation of Our Lady of Ransom's annual golf outing since the school is closing. "No school, no fundraiser, no golf outing," wrote Manager Cliff Bosworth.

Many community libraries offer summer reading programs for kids, but Glenview doesn't want to leave anyone out. Its library has a special program for teens and adults. It's called "Explore the Reading Trail," and it features literature from various regions in the U.S. For each book a patron reads, he or she gets a raffle ticket and becomes eligible for the weekly drawing to win journals, photo albums, picture frames, note cards and travel guides. Adults who finish six books in eight weeks are eligible for the grand prize raffle of a suitcase, gift certificate or coffee table tome from The Book Market at The Glen or Galyan's. Stop by the Information Desk to pick up a travel pack with regional book lists, a travel log, rules of the road, and some trail mix.

Also at the library this summer, art lovers may enjoy a talk on The Making of George Seurat's La Grande Jatte at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 22. In preparation for a major exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago this summer, Claire Cross tells the story of this monumental work -- the flagship of the Art Institute's collection and a landmark of modern pointillist-style painting. Hear about its creation and the artist's short life and times. Register by calling 847-729-7500 ext. 112, or online at http://www.glenview.lib.il.us/programform.html
Writers Unlimited will hold their monthly meeting at 7 p.m.Wednesday, June 23 in the main floor conference room. Newcomers are invited to share their writings and help critique others.

Barbara Hines warns readers about a telephone scam: "I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T service technician who was conducting a test on telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test I should touch nine(9), zero(0), the
pound sign (#), and then hang up. Luckily, I was suspicious and refused. Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone
number. I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many local jails/prisons. I have also verified this information with UCB Telecom, Pacific Bell, MCI, Bell Atlantic and GTE. Please beware. Do not press 90# for anyone. The GTE Security Department requested that I share this information with everyone I know. After checking with Verizon, they said it was true, so do not dial (9),zero(0), the pound sign # and hang up for anyone."

ML is concerned about drunk driving near The Glen: "I noticed off Patriot heading north toward Willow this morning that someone went straight and took down one of the Glen's new fancy street lights, plus a tree, sod and part of the chain link fence. Just wondered if this could be someone leaving Glenview's new Bourbon Street – a strip of six new restaurants, all serving alcohol and one boasting more than 100 kinds of beer on tap. What was the village thinking when it created a ‘ticket and tow' zone for anyone parked at Town Center after 2 a.m.? People who've had a bit too much can't even call a cab. They're forced to get behind the wheel if they want to get home."

JC joins another reader concerned about safety: "Several years ago, as a new home owner in The Glen, I wrote Sto the traffic committee's Sgt. Phil Perlini. I felt the corner of Independence and Patriot needed four-way stop signs. The response was that traffic consultants didn't think they were needed. After a few accidents and many resident complaints, stop signs were installed. Months later, ‘No Parking' signs were removed from the south side of Independence, sest of Patriot, allowing residents and visitors to park on both sides of Independence. At times, cars are parked on both sides of the street, barely allowing traffic to pass. In a letter to the police department, I said a fire rig could not get by. The response was that traffic consultants indicate that the streets are plenty wide so parking will not be banned on Independence. In my opinion, that's an accident waiting to happen! One more thing: As a driver with a Handicapped Parking Permit (HPP), I can never find HPP on the street in The Glen Town Center. There were only a few allocated. There is plenty in the covered parking garage, but that is some distance from the restaurants and shops. Does the number of spaces allocated to HPP meet state requirements, or is that at the whim of contract paid consultants too?"

The Watch replies: Retail centers like this one are designed to give the impression that parking is easy when, in fact, there are relatively few spaces out front for anyone. The number of handicapped spaces meets the letter of the law, even if the location does not square with its intent.

SP asks about the shopping center that was planned for the northwest corner of Willow and Waukegan roads: "The sign on the corner indicated DDR was the developer, and I had seen blueprints for the center on DDR.com. Now, the web site has taken the plans for this center off their site, and the sign at Willow and Waukegan is gone. I know that might technically be Northbrook, but I was wondering if you'd heard why these plans stalled."
The Watch replies: One of the original developers decided not to proceed with that project, but a new developer has joined the party and negotiations are underway.

After a series of power outages, Marcia in the Willows wondered: "What gives? Two hours today, a minute here, a minute there, making a reset of clocks, outside lights, etc. necessary. Any reason why we are having this problem?She also remarks on postal affairs in Glenview: "How nice that we have a new zip code, being told two weeks prior to its occurrence and just after I sent it my order for new checks! And, in front of our wonderful post office I find two signs reading, "Do not park between these signs." The idea is to keep a driveway there clear – a driveway that leads directly into a brick wall! The fun and games continue."

The Watch replies: It is pretty funny if you can keep your sense of humor. The good news is that mail for residents of the new zip code will continue to be delivered even with the old zip code for a full year, by which time you might be ready to order checks again. As for your other question, ComEd finds no record of problems in your general area and suggests the problem may have been specific to your home. Should you have future power problems, call the electric company's customer service number: 1-800-EDISON-1.

YOUR TURN: Write to glenviewwatch@aol.com or 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60026. 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.