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The Glenview Watch
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SUMMER DAZE
As avid readers of The Watch have noticed, we haven't
kept up with our weekly deadlines this summer. Chalk it up to fine
weather, little political activity and quiet times at Village Hall.
We're still here just taking a rest. Our next edition will appear
August 30, with bulletins available in the event of breaking news or
controversy. If you are not on our e-mailing list but would like to be
notified about special editions, please send e-mail to
glenviewwatch@aol.com.
GLENVIEW'S FOOD DEPARTMENT STORE
The owners of a newly opened store, Market Foods at
The Glen Town Center, had planned to close each night at 10 p.m., but
they say their unique concept has drawn so many people that they've
stayed open until midnight or 1 a.m. Part of a small chain with stores
in Rogers, Arkansas home to Walmart -- and Tulsa, Oklahoma, Market
describes itself as a food department store. It's sometimes compared
with Fox & Obel or Dean & DeLuca, but Catering Director Michael Micek
says Market offers even more than those gourmet shops.
In addition to a grocery store that carries fresh produce and seafood flown in daily, there's a deli section with more than 300 kinds of cheese, and a wine section with bottles ranging from $9.95 - $1,500.
Next door, Market boasts a wireless Internet cafι serving pastries from its in-house bakery and more than 100 different prepared items from macaroni and cheese to crabcakes. The salad bar is said to be "interactive." You tell an attendant what ingredients you want, and he or she will select and toss them for you.
Upstairs there's a full-service restaurant that seats 120 and a classroom where Market will offer cooking courses. The store also caters for up to 6,000 people, sells gift baskets and deluxe cookware.
Micek says Market's popularity has caught its owners by surprise, so the chain is now hiring additional staff and planning to open 6-7 more stores by 2007. He says the North Shore crowd is unique but not radically different from the folks in Arkansas. Walmart requires its vendors to have offices in Rogers, so many top retail executives, after clawing their way to the top, are sent there. The town of 70,000 has houses that sell for less than $100,000, but you can also buy a $5 million mansion. "It's similar to Glenview in that way," Micek concludes.
Market's cafι opens at 6 a.m., the grocery store is ready for business at 8 a.m., and closing time -- whenever the crowds go home.
THE PRICE OF A PRESIDENTIAL VISIT
In addition to a grocery store that carries fresh produce and seafood flown in daily, there's a deli section with more than 300 kinds of cheese, and a wine section with bottles ranging from $9.95 - $1,500.
Next door, Market boasts a wireless Internet cafι serving pastries from its in-house bakery and more than 100 different prepared items from macaroni and cheese to crabcakes. The salad bar is said to be "interactive." You tell an attendant what ingredients you want, and he or she will select and toss them for you.
Upstairs there's a full-service restaurant that seats 120 and a classroom where Market will offer cooking courses. The store also caters for up to 6,000 people, sells gift baskets and deluxe cookware.
Micek says Market's popularity has caught its owners by surprise, so the chain is now hiring additional staff and planning to open 6-7 more stores by 2007. He says the North Shore crowd is unique but not radically different from the folks in Arkansas. Walmart requires its vendors to have offices in Rogers, so many top retail executives, after clawing their way to the top, are sent there. The town of 70,000 has houses that sell for less than $100,000, but you can also buy a $5 million mansion. "It's similar to Glenview in that way," Micek concludes.
Market's cafι opens at 6 a.m., the grocery store is ready for business at 8 a.m., and closing time -- whenever the crowds go home.
THE PRICE OF A PRESIDENTIAL VISIT
The overtime has been tallied for a recent visit by
President George W. Bush to the Northern Illinois Public Safety Training
Academy. Officials say Glenview spent more than $13,000 to provide
security, traffic assistance and paramedics for an event that was closed
to the public. Afterward, Bush made his way to Winnetka for a
Republican fundraiser where it's believed guests paid $20,000-$25,000 a
plate. Because that trip was political, Winnetka can recover its costs
from the Republican Party. Because our visit was presidential, local
taxpayers get the bill.
WATCHING THE VOTES
While Congressman Mark Kirk was tagging along with
Bush during his North Shore visit, he missed a controversial vote.
Republicans had tried to ban federal courts from hearing any challenge
to a state law making gay marriage illegal. Once the measure had been
defeated, his office says Kirk filed a statement in the Congressional
Record stating that he opposed the bill.
In October, the congressman also missed a
controversial vote this time on a ban of late-term abortions. Kirk's
office did not say where he was, but a spokesman said the candidate "has
a long standing record of casting pro-choice votes. He has previously
voted against the banning of late-term abortions and has never casted
[SIC] a vote otherwise."
FOLLOWING THE MONEY TRAIL
Politicians can claim to be almost anything, and
voters may find it hard to verify or dispute their claims, but a close
look at campaign finances may go a long way toward defining people in
politics. Take the 10th District Congressional race for example. The
Chicago Tribune reports that incumbent Mark Kirk, who calls himself a
political moderate, collected $20,000 from Congressman Tom DeLay's
conservative PAC more than any other member of Congress. Kirk also
describes himself as independent, but the Federal Election Commission
shows he donated $71,500 to the Republican Party and raised more than
$200,000 to re-elect George W. Bush.
Here in Glenview, Kirk picked up big bucks from
traditional Republican donors like auto dealer James Jennings ($2250),
construction magnates Gerard, Patrick, and John Kenny and their
self-employed sib Philip ($8,000), and former GOP Senate hopeful Andrew
McKenna and his wife Mary ($4,000). A visit to the website
www.opensecrets.org shows that in the last election Kirk had a war
chest of $1.7 million nearly 30 percent coming from political action
committees 70 percent of them business groups and 25 percent
ideological or single-issue organizations.
Noting the enormous amounts of money flowing to
incumbents like Kirk, Mother Jones Magazine wrote, "Never has the power
of campaign contributions been more starkly displayed than in the last
election: Candidates who raised more money than their opponents captured
all but 29 of the 469 seats up for grabs in Congress."
Editor's note: The Watch is well aware that Democrats
play this game too, but we note that in the 10th Congressional district,
democratic candidate Lee Goodman has raised less than $40,000 none of
it from PACs, while the incumbent has taken in more than a million
dollars. Similar disparities exist in most races for the U.S. House,
with incumbents enjoying a large financial advantage perhaps because
special interests know that incumbents are usually re-elected and will
then be in a position to help their friends.
THE PRICE OF PAR
A letter of agreement with the new company hired to
help Glenview find a village manager tells what the taxpayers will spend
for this service. The PAR Group of Lake Bluff, named for founder Paul
A. Reaume, will collect a fee of $14,000 to become familiar with
Glenview, to interview its trustees about the manager's post, place
newspaper, magazine and Internet ads, screen applicants and write
questions for the trustees to ask candidates. The consultant will also
get $4,500 in reimbursable expenses and $125 apiece to do background
checks on prospects. PAR offers to do an Internet search of applicants
for $40 each and to perform a Myers-Briggs personality profile on
finalists at a cost of $200 per person.
Editor's note: Candidates could be asked to do their
own Myers-Briggs assessment online at
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm . It's not a
pass/fail test, so applicants couldn't cheat, but they could save us
$200 apiece by submitting results themselves. Likewise, any
administrative assistant at Village Hall could be asked to do a
Lexis-Nexis search, and it's a pretty sad day if the trustees can't come
up with their own list of questions for would-be managers.
TRUSTEES MASSAGE THE MASSAGE ORDINANCE
Several years ago, local leaders learned of an
illegal massage parlor operating at 1545 Waukegan Road, just a few
blocks from Village Hall. The news must have alarmed them, because the
police department took immediate action, with officers paying several
undercover visits to the premises before making arrests. The trustees
and their lawyer, Jeff Randall, came up with a tough new law to prevent
any future embarrassment. The ordinance they drafted said no massage
therapist could ever do business at a location once it had been occupied
by a massage therapist who lost his or her
license.
license.
That was a problem for Laura Jachim, a licensed
massage therapist from Deerfield who wanted to work in the once
disgraced building now occupied by a wellness center. Jachim got
herself a high-priced lawyer who clearly saw that Glenview's ordinance
would never stand up in court. Village attorney Randall promptly backed
down, crafting a change that would allow Jachim to do business at 1545
Waukegan Road.
ON THE BEAT
Glenview's newest neighborhood, The Glen, has been
called "utopia" and "Pleasantville" by some fans, but recent reports
from the police department suggest a whole different scene at The Glen
Town Center:
A Wilmette man in his late 60's was arrested and
charged with battery after getting into a fight in the parking lot at
1850 Tower Road. The man kicked and struck another driver several times
with a closed fist. His bond was set at $1,000.
A 20-year-old guy from Wheeling irked fellow movie
goers at Crown Theatres by talking on his cell phone during the show.
When asked to turn it off, police say the man became disruptive, loud,
and verbally abusive toward theater employees. He was cited for
disorderly conduct.
Two Glenview boys, 18 and 16 years of age, were
detained by employees of Market Foods just before midnight on Friday
after they were observed damaging a satellite dish and air conditioning
unit on the rooftop. "The offenders had gained access to the roof by
using an unsecured enclosed ladder inside the building," said the
report. "Both possessed pellet pistols in their waistbands when they
were arrested." Police set damage at $2,500 and bond at $50,000.
And unknown offenders broke both toilet seats off
their mounts in the women's bathroom at Little Bear Park.
Also, from the weekly police report comes news of an attack by vandals who scratched swastikas, racial slurs and naughty words onto six cars parked in another part of town along Rolling Pass Road. Damage was estimated at $5,000.
Also, from the weekly police report comes news of an attack by vandals who scratched swastikas, racial slurs and naughty words onto six cars parked in another part of town along Rolling Pass Road. Damage was estimated at $5,000.
And in Indian Ridge, a 20-year-old man is charged
with five counts of burglary after allegedly stealing from three homes
in the hood and hitting a couple of houses on Chestnut.
WILLOW ROAD SHUT DOWN
Both lanes of eastbound traffic were diverted for
more than six hours from Willow Road at Pfingsten Wednesday after a
semi-truck plowed into an electrical pole. The crash occurred shortly
after 6 a.m. One lane re-opened around 1 p.m., and both were opened at
6 p.m. No was injured in that accident.
THE GREEN SCENE
The village has finally offered a formal response
to public complaints about trash around Lake Glenview and Gallery Park
by telling residents to roll up their sleeves. This week's e-newsletter
from Communications Director Janet Spector Bishop reads: "Although the
Village does do regular garbage pick-up throughout the area, we all need
to pitch in. Be sure to dispose of your garbage in the many receptacles
provided around the water and throughout the park. Let's make sure that
residents and wildlife alike can enjoy the park to its fullest."
Northbrook has a new park that takes visitors on a walk through time. It features the landscapes this area's earliest residents might have seen prairies and wetlands along with a traditional native American home, a stone council ring, and a formal garden filled with daylilies cultivated by Society of the Divine Word Brother Charlie Reckamp. The park is open to the public at no charge and can be reached by going north on Anets Drive, just east of the railroad tracks off Techny Road.
Northbrook has a new park that takes visitors on a walk through time. It features the landscapes this area's earliest residents might have seen prairies and wetlands along with a traditional native American home, a stone council ring, and a formal garden filled with daylilies cultivated by Society of the Divine Word Brother Charlie Reckamp. The park is open to the public at no charge and can be reached by going north on Anets Drive, just east of the railroad tracks off Techny Road.
Editor's note: This 14-acre nature preserve and
educational center, owned and operated by Northbrook's park district,
took three years from initial planning to completion. By contrast, the
village of Glenview has been talking about paths, educational signs,
even a nature center at its 14-acre Air Station Prairie for more than
five years, but the gates to that preserve remain locked most of the
time.
VILLAGE BOARD WATCH
With former Village Manager Paul McCarthy gone and
Glenview in on-going development mode, the trustees did their bi-monthly
business in what could have been record time, adjourning Tuesday's
meeting after just over half an hour. They devoted more time to
correcting spelling and other errors in the minutes than to discussing
most matters on the agenda. In fact, 13 agenda items were voted on
without a single word of discussion.
The trustees approved new sidewalk construction on
Johns Drive near the Loyola athletic fields, along Willow Road from
Landwehr to Pfingsten, and along Hospital Drive (between Glenbrook South
High School and Glenbrook Hospital) from Landwehr to Pfingsten. That
segment should be finished early in the school year.
Village President Larry Carlson reappointed Chairman
Howard Silver and Commissioner Linda Witt to the Plan Commission and
gave Beverly Dawson another term on the Historic Preservation board.
Carlson also attempted to fend off criticism sparked
when he said, in the village newsletter, that a new post office might be
built using tax increment financing. Such an arrangement could deprive
public schools of revenue, but the village president hastened to say TIF
was just one thing being considered to offset the anticipated cost of
building a new postal facility. Carlson blamed "tight column space" for
his failure to describe other options.
Editor's note: At a cost of $3,000 per mailing, not
to mention printing costs, the public is getting short shrift on
important details in the Glenview Report. There's plenty of space for
church announcements, room for a discussion of alleyway safety and a
fishing map from Gallery Park but few words about village finance.
HIGH SCHOOL BOARD WATCH
After a public relations beating over their handling
of the latest controversy proposed suspension of students involved in
a lacrosse team initiation rite the Glenbrook High School District 225
board is getting itself an e-mail address so residents can easily
communicate with members. The board is also hoping to post its agenda
and publicize meetings on the local cable channel GVTV in Glenview.
"There's a perception of us being inaccessible," said member Skip Shein.
It's not yet live, but sometime next week you can
write to
board_of_education@glenbrook.k12.il.us . Don't expect a
personalized response. The board has already crafted a standard
response.
PROPERTY TAX POWWOW
State Senator Susan Garrett and State Representative
Elaine Nekritz will host an informational workshop on the new Cook
County property tax caps on Saturday, August 14 at 11:30 in the
Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Lane, at 1:30 p.m. in the Maine
Township office, 1700 Ballard Road, and at 3:30 p.m. at the Des Plaines
Public Library, 1501 Ellinwood. For details, call 847-433-2002.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Necessities of life are in short supply this
summer. The Northfield Township Food Pantry and the regional blood
center LifeSource are appealing for donations. If you have canned or
packaged foods, paper products or disposable diapers, bring them to the
pantry on Pfingsten Road and West Lake Avenue in the Passport Building
just south of Glenbrook South High School. For more information, call
724-8300. You can reach LifeSource, where blood supplies are 50
percent lower than ideal, by calling 1-877-LIFESOURCE or going to
www.lifesource.org to make an appointment. You must weight at least
110 pounds and be at least 17 years old to give blood.
North Shore Quakers are planning their annual trip
west to Pine Ridge, South Dakota home to 40,000 Lakota Indians. The
reservation is one of America's poorest communities with an average
individual income of $3,000 per year. The North Shore group will leave
in September taking with them used blankets, bedding, boots and
clothing, over-the-counter medications and appliances for injured and
disabled people. If there's anything you'd like to donate, call
847-436-0175 or 847-398-5694.
The Watch is still on the lookout for 10-20 used
computers for a school in Latin America. If you know of a corporation
that would like to donate PC's in exchange for a tax deduction, call
847-291-7434.
READERS WRITE
Joe objects to plans for a new post office subsidized
by Glenview taxpayers: "Before we give the U.S. Postal Service $3.8
million and free land, I thought it would be worthwhile to see
what we get from the post office. I tracked my mail for one week, and here is what I got: The Glenview Journal, Fortune Magazine, four bills (all of which are paid automatically and could have been sent via email) and 27 pieces of junk mail! We try to stop spam and have a national do not call' list for phone solicitation, but the post office keeps bringing us garbage, and we are going to give them $3.8 million. No way! The post office has outlived its usefulness and should be cut-back, not expanded. Interesting, too, to note that my Fortune Magazine listed the postal service as the 27th largest corporation in the world with $68 billion in revenue! Not only that but the post office ranked eighth for return on assets, ahead of Dell and Microsoft! Why would we give them any money?
what we get from the post office. I tracked my mail for one week, and here is what I got: The Glenview Journal, Fortune Magazine, four bills (all of which are paid automatically and could have been sent via email) and 27 pieces of junk mail! We try to stop spam and have a national do not call' list for phone solicitation, but the post office keeps bringing us garbage, and we are going to give them $3.8 million. No way! The post office has outlived its usefulness and should be cut-back, not expanded. Interesting, too, to note that my Fortune Magazine listed the postal service as the 27th largest corporation in the world with $68 billion in revenue! Not only that but the post office ranked eighth for return on assets, ahead of Dell and Microsoft! Why would we give them any money?
The Watch replies: Actually, land at The Glen would
be provided in exchange for the current post office site on Prairie
Street, so calling it "free" is technically incorrect.
JH wants a sidewalk: "I live on Chestnut Avenue. When
walking or riding my bike to The Glen, it's very dangerous having to go
into the street, because the sidewalk just west of Lehigh has not been
finished. It took over three years to complete the re-paving of Lehigh.
Absolutely inexcusable! What will it take to get that sidewalk paved, an
accident?"
And KS wonders where are the pay phones?: "My son
went to a movie at The Glen Town Center with some friends. The show
ended shortly before midnight, but when the kids were ready to call home
for a ride, no public phone could be found. They walked about a mile to
find a pay phone that worked. During that time, three police cars
passed without stopping to see if these teenagers were okay. I've got a
news flash for the village. Not every child in Glenview has a cell
phone, and as a matter of public safety, children need to be able to
call home."
Tom Severin is concerned about traffic hazards all
over town especially for kids on motorbikes: "At the 5th of July
parade, my family and I were watching from the north side of Central,
across from Johns Park, near the reviewing stand. The parade included a
group of what appeared to pre-teens operating motor scooters and
motorcycles. Immediately after passing the reviewing stand these
cyclists turned on the speed, heading towards Shermer. I'd estimate
some of those youngsters were doing 30-35 mph. Who is in charge here?
Are we going to wait for an injury or fatality before telling these
idiots that they should not ride their motorbikes at high speed in a
highly congested area? Jeez!"
Jeff comments on the news that state funding is now
available for rebuilding Shermer Road: "I've been pretty impressed with
Beth Coulson. Shermer Road is in terrible shape, and we've been
complaining about it for three years now, while village and state
planners have continued to delay repairing Shermer. I was elated to read
in your blog that Beth's office had identified the funding and indicated
that construction would move forward. Very good job, Beth."
The Watch replies: We agree that Coulson is a capable
lawmaker who stays in touch with constituents and takes care of
business, but it appears many local officials were working to get that
money. Public Works Director Bill Porter tells us the work will probably
not begin until next spring, but that's good given the extensive
disruption Lake Avenue construction is already causing for Glenview.
Porter says most of the planning for Shermer Road is done, and the
village will be ready when the Department of Transportation begins work
next spring.
George Hoth is dismayed by what seem like bogus tax
breaks for senior citizens: "I have received an application from the
Cook County Assessor for an exemption on property taxes designed to
reduce the impact of teardowns on my property value. One of the
requirements among others is that my total household income cannot
exceed the maximum limit set by the county. I also must send the proper
IRS forms for everyone in my house to prove this. I don't understand how
my household income has anything to do with property taxes and the fact
that my neighbors are building McMansions. It really sounds like
discrimination. It would be safe to say that almost everyone living in
Glenview will exceed the maximum income allowed. County politicians can
claim they made an effort to help John Q. Public without ever really
intending to do so. I really don't think my income is any of their
business anyway. Maybe you can enlighten me on their intentions."
The Watch replies: It sounds like you've already
answered this question, George. We presume county officials wanted to
protect the most vulnerable citizens from increases in property values
and taxes caused by larger homes in the neighborhood but did not want
to surrender too much revenue.
RP takes exception to our complaint about Glenview
taxpayers footing a $13,000 bill for a recent political visit by
President Bush: "If the distinguished visitor had been your darling John
Kerry, you wouldn't be complaining about any overtime for the police
protection."
The Watch replies: You should know us better than that, R. We're equal opportunity complainers who don't think taxpayers should get stuck with bills for partisan events. The White House would have you believe that the president's visit to the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy in Glenview had something to do with the business of the nation. Noting that the White House called Glenview just a week before Mr. Bush was to pick up a fat check at a Republican fundraiser in Winnetka, we're skeptical. By making a pit stop here, Bush found a terrific backdrop for the day's photo op getting himself on the nightly news with a crowd of firemen and police. As federal taxpayers, we probably covered the cost of Air Force One, and as local taxpayers we funded the president's security and speedy drive down Willow Road to Winnetka. When President Kerry does that, you can bet we'll be squawking again.
YOUR TURN: Write to glenviewwatch@aol.com or 3537 Maple Leaf Drive, Glenview, IL 60025. If you havent 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.