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The Glenview Watch
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ONCE MORE WITH FEELING
After years of library board debate and public polling over the location and size of a new building, Village Hall is poised to start from scratch – hiring an architectural consultant at a cost of $25,000-$50,000 to “evaluate site issues, space, parking demand, existing building potential and architecture.” After consulting the library board, Village Manager Todd Hileman authorized a memo from Development Director Mary Bak in which she proposes the new consultant make recommendations on “whether to proceed with the project, re-vamp its scope or consider submitting the library project to the voters through a referendum.” Members of the library board said they were encouraged by the manager’s cooperative approach to planning.
Editor’s note: This could be a hot topic for the new Glenview Forum -- an online place to share advice and views on local issues. If you have an opinion, go to http://glenviewforum.proboards42.com/index.cgi or send an e-mail to Glenview Watch.
LIBRARY BOARD PRESIDENT CALLS IT QUITS
After a very public confrontation with Village Hall over the location of a new library, Library Board President Mark Grant announced he would not seek re-election. The Swainwood resident felt a new building should go up at The Glen and resented being overruled by village trustees.
“While the past four years have been a rewarding struggle, the various demands on my time preclude any further participation on this board,” said Grant. “The press of business at [work], my involvement on other volunteer boards, my multiple softball team coaching responsibilities and the realization of how quickly time passes when raising children all weighed heavily in this decision.”
FIVE RESIDENTS SEEK SEATS ON LIBRARY BOARD
Despite the fact that Village Hall seems to be taking the lead in planning a new library, five people say they’d like to serve on the library board. One, Ellen Scholly, has already called for library decisions independent of other downtown plans. “The development of the library should be based on the population that uses the library and not be used as a tool for downtown development,” she told the Pioneer Press. “I want it in a location that would provide the best possible services to the community."
A resident of Glenview for more than 30 years, Scholly has served as president of the League of Women Voters and head of the Tall Trees Homeowners Association. Others seeking a seat on the board are incumbent Jack Neymark, who was appointed to fill a vacancy last spring; Chatham Road resident Claire McGuire; Michael Lukasiewicz who lives on Oxford Lane, and Fir Street resident David Winton.
VILLAGE BOARD ELECTION ENDS WITH A WHIMPER
Despite years of complaints from local residents, no candidates came forward to challenge a largely inexperienced slate for village board. At 4 p.m. Tuesday when petitions were due at Village Hall, only Trustee Kerry Cummings and newcomers Paul Detlefs, Pat Cuisinier and Debby Karton had filed.
An opposition group that had met for months to assemble a winning ticket was unable to do so after Trustee Mike Guinane, their choice for village president, made a last-minute decision not to run. A half dozen residents said they were willing to oppose the Unite Glenview team, but no four people could agree to run together.
Editor’s note: Political observers continue to speculate about why not one of the incumbents chose to seek re-election, suggesting the financial situation at The Glen may be grim. If Glenview is about to get bad news on that front, it would be difficult for people like Larry Carlson, Mary Beth Denefe, Mike Guinane and Jeff Lerner to ask the voters for another chance. While Guinane made faint noises of protest, the other three were complicit in every financial deal that went down. At least one local lawyer who considered a challenge to the UG ticket decided not to run, citing serious ethical concerns. He noted the village trustees are now “developers” and concluded they might have to conceal information from the voters about the real state of affairs at The Glen to keep from damaging future business prospects. Forum anyone?
http://glenviewforum.proboards42.com/index.cgi
FOUR SEEK SEATS ON PARK DISTRICT BOARD
Four people are running for two spots on the Glenview Park District board. Incumbent Judy Beck had already announced plans to seek re-election, but three newcomers have also submitted petitions, including two from The Glen. David Kassner, a member of the Park District Foundation, lives on Independence Avenue. Edward Leszynski resides on Monterey. Michael Scholl hails from Golf. He co-chaired last year’s referendum to fund two new swimming pools.
PARK DISTRICT WANTS MORE, MORE, MORE
Saying its current ice rink can barely accommodate demand from hockey players, figure skaters and the general public, Glenview’s park board will pay a consultant $37,600 to tell them if the facility can be enlarged at its current location, what that might cost and whether the market is there for a bigger ice center.
The park board also approved a contract for the same Northbrook architectural firm hired to plan Glenview’s new police station. Sente Rubel Bosman and Lee will design and oversee construction of a new park district garage expected to cost $1.8-$2.8 million. The architects will get 9 percent of the total cost for that project, which could be built on open park district land along Milwaukee Avenue adjacent to Community Park West.
And, finally, the board voted to spend $12,500 on a consultant to figure out how golfers can be lured into the district-run café next to Glenview’s main golf course. “People who often play go somewhere else for post golf activity,” lamented Park Board President John Winand.
Editor’s note: The park district thought it could remedy this problem in part by allowing the sale of booze beginning at 7 a.m. Maybe they should try an Oxygen bar.
VILLAGE TO SET GROUND RULES FOR GALLERY PARK EVENTS
Sparked by the request of a Northbrook charity to hold its annual benefit in Gallery Park, the village will host a public workshop to help draft a policy for the use of that area by groups. Assistant Village Manager Joe Wade said he had met with representatives from the police, fire and public works departments along with park district executive Bob Quill to get their thoughts on letting Miles for Smiles host a walkathon for 500-700 people this spring. Wade said Quill put the question in perspective by pointing out that Bearfoot in the Park, a summer concert series at Jackman Park, routinely draws about 500 people.
Noting that Jackman is far smaller than Gallery Park, Wade said he thought an event like Miles for Smiles was viable. Village officials had looked at insurance issues, the size and number of functions that might be appropriate and the need for a security deposit and clean-up provisions, but before recommendations go to the trustees, Village Hall is inviting public comment at 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 9 in the board room.
WILMETTE TO GET SWEET FIRE DEPARTMENT DEAL
Five years ago, Glenview announced plans to leave a regional emergency dispatching system called RED Center. Nine communities shared the costs of the operation and were planning to build a new facility in Northbrook, but Village Manager Paul McCarthy balked at the idea of taking the operation out of Glenview and warned that the new RED Center would be very expensive. He suggested Glenview could get “more bang for the buck” by building its own facility to dispatch fire trucks and ambulances.
Fire Chief Joe Robberson agreed whole-heartedly. Dismissing 20 years of successful collaboration at RED Center, he warned: “It would be a terrible mistake, a tragedy if this board were to give veto power to other communities over operational decisions that are as mission critical as the receipt and dispatch of calls for emergency medical services, fire and rescue.”
Glenview spent nearly a million dollars building its own dispatch center and persuaded Wheeling to join in the effort. The new FireComm was initially staffed by relative rookies who made a number of embarrassing mistakes including activation of a tornado siren early one winter morning not long after 9/11. Meanwhile, the state paid the full cost of a new RED Center, and Chief Robberson retired from Glenview to take the chief’s job in Wilmette.
Now, it seems, Glenview has seen the light and wants to share the costs of an emergency dispatch system with the neighbors. The fire department here has offered to provide free dispatching services to Wilmette for one year and hopes that community will eventually pay $150,000 per year to join this community’s FireComm system. “It’s really a unique opportunity to go at little cost and avail ourselves of this regional concept and see if it’s to the liking of the residents and the village board,” Robberson said. Glenview’s Fire Chief Dan Bonkowski contends there will be no cost to Glenview.
Editor’s note: There is no free lunch, and we hope one of the trustees is bold enough to ask two important questions before signing off on this deal. Might the added workload for current dispatchers detract from their efficiency in handling calls from Glenview and Wheeling? Could there be a need to hire another dispatcher or two once Wilmette comes on board?
CLEANING UP THE BOOKS
Village Manager Hileman is putting his foot down over “informal financial practices,” asking the trustees to formalize the way Glenview keeps its books to “increase efficiency, promote stability and improve long-term and strategic thinking.” Earlier this year he pledged to make the budget process simpler so residents could understand how their tax dollars were being spent.
Hileman has also asked Debi Lubbat, the senior financial manager for The Glen, to move from the redevelopment office to Village Hall. He says he wants to centralize Glenview’s financial management, and that means putting Lubbat under Finance Director Dan Weirsma rather than Glen Redevelopment Director Don Owen.
TRUSTEES LIMIT TRUCK PARKING IN DRIVEWAYS
After years of debate and conflict over an ordinance banning trucks, full-sized vans and pick-ups from parking in driveways overnight, the village board has voted to change its policy. With the growing popularity of larger trucks and SUV’s for personal use, police had stopped enforcing the law. The plan commission was prepared to let residents have one or two large vehicles with “B” license plates in their driveways, but several residents told the trustees that didn’t go far enough.
Carl Meyer said commercial vehicles from a heating and air conditioning firm routinely parked next door to his home on Harrison Street, and one Sunday evening he counted nine illegal vehicles parked in his neighborhood. “I don’t have anything against the hard-working people who use these vehicles. Some of them are cleaner than my car at times, but I don’t want to look at them. I have taxi cabs parked in my neighborhood. None of you would want to see that,” he told the trustees. “If it’s a commercial vehicle, it should not be able to be parked.”
Meyer said he had complained, and police had written tickets, causing a serious rift with his neighbor. Still, he felt the law should be clear. People with commercial vehicles should have to put them in a garage or park somewhere else. “It’s a cost of doing business,” he concluded.
Joe English also objected to cars and trucks bearing letters, ladder racks and logos that identify them as commercial vehicles. “I would not want a Chicago cab parked in a driveway across the street,” he said. English claimed to have checked with several other suburbs and found most banned vehicles with “B” plates from parking overnight.
The board asked staff to come up with a new ordinance banning vehicles with “B” plates along with cars and trucks bearing logos, ladder racks and livery plates. Campers would also be forbidden to park overnight in driveways or on village streets. Unlike the plan commission, trustees said the village should make no provision for residents wanting to appeal for an exemption. Debate will continue at the next board meeting, February 1.
DIPAOLO WINS SHERMER ROAD CONTRACT
A local construction company and major contractor at The Glen is expected to earn more than $9 million dollars in new business, rebuilding Shermer Road from Golf Road to East Lake Avenue. DiPaolo Company was the low bidder in a field of six firms. Work could begin in mid-March and be complete by July 1, 2006.
VILLAGE REFUSES ART SHOW SUBSIDY
The organizer of last summer’s art fair at The Glen Town Center appeared before the trustees to ask for a subsidy of $10,000. Amy Amdur said the show had drawn 30,000 people to Town Center, and local businesses were delighted. She said landlord OliverMcMillan had already offered $15,000 to support this year’s show, WBBM would kick in $20,000 as a sponsor and WNUA would provide another $15,000. Amdur also thought the Chicago Tribune might be a sponsor, but she said the event costs about $75,000 to stage, and her company had barely broken even last year.
Amdur said the much larger Port Clinton Art Fair held each summer in Highland Park has brought $4.5 million to that community on top of revenues from art sales, but Glenview’s trustees were not impressed.
Trustee Mike Guinane pointed out that Glenview just gave developer OliverMcMillan $200,000 for marketing. “I think the village has done more than its share,” he concluded.
“This was a very popular art festival. Everybody loved it. The merchants were selling their merchandise right and left . . .but I don’t know that the village should be in the business of subsidizing a private group like this,” said Carlson.
Trustee Patterson agreed, saying he had an obligation to the community to “make sure that we’re not spending into a private enterprise.”
Editor’s note: Where were these guys when the board was forking over mountains of cash for The Glen Town Center – assuring the profits of OliverMcMillan while putting Glenview’s public schools at risk?
BUSINESS WATCHING
-- Liquid Fusion at 3375 Milwaukee Avenue invites Glenview to tea at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 5. Calling its program Tea 101, the store will offer a free class for people to try various blends of tea which are high in antioxidants and other nutrients. For more information, call 299-4231.
-- Mario’s Mondo Café on Waukegan Road in the shopping center anchored by Regan Meats is now open for dinner.
-- A sorrowful Karen Malatesta has announced her gift shop on Glenview Road – A Little Something – will close at the end of February. Malatesta told the Glenview Announcements that the chamber of commerce and village board had failed to promote business on her block, focusing – instead – on The Glen. “I don’t think anything good is going to happen on Glenview Road. Nobody listens to us,” she said.
WATCHING THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
This week’s edition of the Glenview Announcements blasted Malatesta for complaining and suggested it was wrong to attack Village President Carlson who had proposed tearing down the block where Maletesta kept shop.
Noting that the old Renneckar property nearby has been redeveloped, the editors wrote:“Has Malatesta forgotten that Carlson and village board members fought to keep the library downtown, situated near its present site so a new library wouldn't break up the retail area? They want library patrons to stay in the habit of coming downtown, where they might shop or grab a bite to eat after a visit to the library.
“The village board has not sat idle regarding downtown. The downtown planning committee has been at work for the past year developing possible improvement scenarios that don't call for bulldozers. And it's asked for community input continually. The truth is downtown Glenview is in transition, as are many older downtowns in other communities. And yes, new merchants in The Glen, and elsewhere, are new competitors for more established businesses. If small business owners want to play a part in downtown's future, they need to be at the planning committee meeting at 7 p.m. February 3 at Glenbrook South. They need to bring ideas about what downtown Glenview can be, not complaints that nothing is ever done.”
Editor’s note: This apology for the inaction of Unite Glenview trustees shows just how biased the Announcements is. The editorial is callous, shallow and provides no perspective on why Glenview’s downtown is different from other traditional retail centers. For one thing, other downtown merchants aren't competing with an Oliver McMillan or Forrest Properties, Glen developers who are subsidized by the taxpayers. Because they’ve gotten breaks from the village, those developers can customize retail space at no cost to prospective tenants, just to have the space leased.
The Announcements claims the village has given the public ample opportunity to participate in the downtown planning process, but participation has been highly scripted. During one workshop, for example, consultants showed pictures of various downtown developments and asked participants to rate them on a scale of one to five. Residents and merchants then broke into smaller groups to identify which blocks of Glenview’s downtown should be redeveloped. Redevelopment committee members were assigned to each group and guided discussion toward the very locations the committee had already decided needed "help.”
What’s more, public comments were not always considered. Many residents have objected to the prospect of three and four-story buildings on Glenview Road, yet consultants continue to discuss that possibility.
Is it any wonder many merchants suspect the downtown redevelopment committee is just a front for the big boys – the owners of Glenview State Bank and Bess Hardware – who say they’ve hired their own planner to come up with ideas for downtown.
The Announcements has high praise for Carlson and company, noting they “fought to keep the library downtown” and lauds them for crafting “possible improvement scenarios.” We say talk is cheap. Even before construction of The Glen began, Unite Glenview's trustees were talking about a new library – talking about revitalizing downtown. Carlson promised to revitalize downtown four years ago when he announced he was running for village president. He’s still talking.
If the village was serious about downtown, it could have done a number of things. The trustees might, for example, have voted to install prominent signs on Waukegan Road pointing to the downtown and train station, funded the facade improvement program, helped building owners get low-cost loans to improve their property, and scaled back costly storm water detention requirements for those making modest facade improvements. Officials could have ordered new, decorative lighting on Waukegan Road. Developers of the Optima property put money into an escrow account for such lighting at the intersection of Glenview and Waukegan roads years ago, but those lights are still not up.
Glenview could, by now, have helped tenants at Colonial Court to facilitate redevelopment of that property. Rebuilding that one block could have kick-started a revival without having a negative impact on any businesses. Instead, the village has paid more consultants, scheduled more public hearings and done nothing.
SCHOOL NEWS AND BLUES
-- Glenview may soon need a new elementary school according to a committee formed to determine what facilities School District 34 might require in the years to come. With an eye on the growing number of pre-school kids in town, the group warned 460-600 more children would enroll in the next few years. The district could buy portable classrooms at a cost of about $120,000 each and ask art, music and drama teachers to move from one regular classroom to the next rather than having their own rooms, but eventually the committee predicts a new building will have to be built. It suggested a sight adjacent to Flick Park already owned by the district and said an administrative center could be built in lieu of a school – allowing administrators to move from their current home next to Westbrook School. That space could then be used by teachers and kids.
-- School District 225 seems set to abandon the Zero Tolerance policy it has defended for more than a decade. After kicking dozens of students out of school for a semester or more when they were caught with alcohol, marijuana or drug paraphernalia on campus, board members are looking at a more compassionate policy. Skip Shein argued, “We should be spending more of our time and effort on help, support and intervention.” Shein proposed suspending first-time offenders for no more than five days, then taking away some privileges and requiring counseling.
Even hardliner Elias Matsakis said he had changed his views and now felt a ten-day suspension was sufficient, but Bob Boron was not convinced. He suggested a more lenient policy could lead to repeat offenses. The debate will continue at 7:30 p.m. Monday, February 7 at School District 225 headquarters – 1835 Landwehr Road. Feel free to share your views in advance by sending us an e-mail or going to http://glenviewforum.proboards42.com/index.cgi
NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORS
-- Debate continues in Morton Grove over plans for an off-track betting parlor expected to bring an additional $400,000 in revenue for local government. Two members of the village board attempted to put the question to a vote by village residents, but Trustee Steven Blonz, who was appointed to the board, led the opposition. "We don't want the public to decide by referendum,” he told fellow trustees. “We were elected to make decisions." A member of the public demanded to know when he could register his concerns about the morality of gambling but was told by the village attorney that in matters of zoning “the questions of general morality are not germane.” The board is expected to vote on whether to permit the parlor at its February 14 meeting. Morton Grove fell on hard economic times when its top source of retail tax dollars – Abt – moved to Glenview.
-- Vandals attacked a peace display in downtown Northbrook for the third time, removing a yellow banner that said “Stop the War” from Triangle Park at the corner of Shermer and Walters. Police are investigating, and community organizer Lee Goodman is again vowing to resurrect the display. He predicts the peace movement will succeed “when enough people realize the war [in Iraq] must end.” For more information on the group, go to www.northbrookpeacecommittee.org .
-- With a warrant issued for his arrest and investigations by the Cook County State’s Attorney and the Illinois Attorney General underway, a Northbrook contractor headed north to Wisconsin. Police were warned to be on the lookout for his black BMW – told the man might be suicidal. He was found in a Racine hotel room suffering from an undisclosed illness and taken to an area hospital.
-- Wheeling officials got their first official look at plans for a new Westin Hotel to be built at the corner of Milwaukee and Lake-Cook roads. Plan commissioners were effusive: "This is truly spectacular," said one. "The scope and size with the forest preserve and the river walk will make a great entryway into Wheeling and spur further redevelopment."
ZONING WEST LAKE-GREENWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD
The unincorporated area around Greenwood and Lake has been annexed by the village, and at 7:30 p.m.Tuesday, February 8 the plan commission will decide what can go on in that area. Will more multi-family housing be built? Could the property be used for industrial purposes? That all depends on zoning. If you’d like to weigh in, head for Village Hall, 1225 Waukegan Road. Public comment will be invited.
SAVE THE DATE
-- The Glenview Area Historical Society holds its annual wine and cheese party on Sunday, February 13 from 1- 4 p.m. For more information, call 724-2235.
-- Join the downtown plan committee on Thursday, February 3 at 7 p.m. for another workshop at the Glenbrook South High School Lyceum, 4000 West Lake Avenue. Call (847) 904-4340 with questions. At the last meeting, the public considered three alternatives for redevelopment of the Olympia Shopping Center across from the library. This time, officials say they’ll do a similar analysis for 25 other sites in the downtown area.
-- New Zealand is the next destination for International Night participants at the library. Stop by at 7 p.m. February 2 to see globe trotter Myrla Brand’s slides of the North and South Islands. Learn about the history, food and native Maori culture. Take a fascinating tour of Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin. Register online, at the Information Desk or call 847-729- 7500 ext 112.
READERS WRITE
Tom Sexton complains about snow plowing services in Glenview: “At 12:30 a.m. Saturday, after four or five hours of snow, I was surprised to find Lake Avenue had not been plowed, so I opted to cut through The Glen. What do you know! Patriot Blvd is plowed, and so are all the side streets that feed into Patriot Blvd. As I turn east on Chestnut, I find it too has been plowed, but Waukegan is still covered with snow. What’s worse, I have to drive through a two-foot pile of snow left by the plow that cleared Chestnut. Luckily, I drive an SUV. You would think that taking care of the major thoroughfares in our small village would be a priority just from a safety stand point. Is the village ignoring the rest of Glenview for The Glen? Let’s take our village back -- back to what is was 10 years ago-- a place where everyone was treated equally. We should all get the same services without preferential treatment!”
The Watch replies: Waukegan Road is owned and maintained by the state of Illinois, so your beef is with Springfield. Actually, you can register a complaint with IDOT’s local office: 847-705-4227. Other state roads include Milwaukee Avenue, Greenwood, Pfingsten from East Lake Avenue north, Dearlove Road, Willow Road, the western section of Central, West Lake Avenue west of Pickwick and Golf Road. Cook County plows East Lake Avenue, Landwehr, Harms, Winnetka, Sunset Ridge, Sanders and Wagner roads. If you’re not sure who’s in charge, or you have a complain about a village road, call Glenview’s Public Works Department at 847-657-3030, and they’ll let you know what’s what.
RR is dismayed by road conditions in Glenview: “I have been a resident of Glenview for the last four years and love this town, but I’m beginning to see the poor quality of work and the lack of focus on quality repairs and construction. I notice, for example, that there are potholes on Lake Avenue. I wrote to Cook County Commissioner Gregg Goslin about that, and he replied, ‘The road surface is unfinished and has not received the final paving. The potholes have arisen due to our extreme weather conditions, but as of today, have been repaired.’ Wisconsin and Michigan get even harsher winters, and their roads are fine. I suspect the substrate used here to resurface may be of poor quality or the work was done in a big hurry.”
The Watch replies: What do other readers observe in driving around town? Drop us a note or visit the new Glenview Forum: http://glenviewforum.proboards42.com/index.cgi
Watching residents scramble to assemble tickets for the village board, Elmer says he was puzzled: “If the active and loyal opposition has no plan, no issue, no programs to offer other than their burning desire for change, they will never again have an elected voice on the village board. The ‘us versus them’ program does not bring in supporters, volunteers or the money required to wage a real campaign. Is it really ‘one party’ government in Glenview? I watch board meetings and often see split votes. (If you really want to see seven to zero board votes, lock step thinking, and a total disregard of public opinion, you have to go to a school or library board meeting.) If the loyal opposition has an issue, they should sit down with the board members elected by the community and put the merits of their position on the table. They might find that they have more in common with the UG's, as you call them, than they think. Work with them instead of confronting them.”
The Watch replies: Since when is it a real election when only one candidate runs for each seat – one candidate hand-picked by an entrenched group of political insiders and business interests? We agree that trustees sometimes disagree about the issues, but too often we see a clubby reluctance to criticize colleagues and a nasty penchant to trounce on anyone who raises objections. If you doubt us, place a call to Trustee Mike Guinane who suffered needlessly for his independent views. Before him, John Crawford was treated like an outsider. We think a vigorous campaign would have been good for Glenview. Elected officials will only be accountable if there's a risk that poor decisions will spell the end of one's ride on the Ego Express.
Sandie Hampton agrees with Biff Thiele who told the Watch that Park Commissioner Chris Warren did not disserve to be village president. Warren ultimately decided not to run: “I was at the Park Board meetings when indeed Chris Warren did treat members of the COWS board with what I would describe as extreme disdain. Biff was one of the members. I guess what goes around, comes around.”
Ken writes about the closing of Market Foods at The Glen Town Center: “One of the problems with Town Center is that it has the feel of being tucked away inside a residential pocket. The shops are great, and the shop layout itself is great, but the comparatively small streets that serve the mall have slow speed limits and too many lights. As a shopper with alternatives, I prefer the easy in, easy out feel of other shopping locations. With these self-imposed restrictions, The Glen will continually be limiting itself.”
The Watch replies: From the outset, many planners counseled against putting The Glen Town Center at its present location. They knew folks like you would perceive it as inconvenient, and a fair number of developers walked away from the project for that very reason. Former Village Manager McCarthy pressed ahead because developer OliverMcMillan insisted the site would work, and McCarthy was committed to the location because tax revenue from the retail center would go to School District 34.
Howard Schneider writes: “We shouldn’t be surprised by the failure of Market Foods and its formerly successful CEO. Often people who climb the corporate ladder and have prestigious degrees think they know everything and want to start their own venture, but there’s a big difference when you are developing a strategy for a company like Wal-Mart or Jewel with deep pockets versus one with smaller pockets. From the first time we walked into the Market Cafe we knew it wouldn't make it. First of all, I would like to know who the genius was that set up the check out counter at the front of the store when most people had to use the rear door to get to their cars. The demographics at The Glen are impressive, but income levels are not the only factor in the success of retail. What type of people would shop in such an overpriced specialty store? Certainly not people who are shopping for a family. Market Foods might have survived on the Gold Coast in the city. As a side note we did not find the prepared foods very good. It is one thing to pay a lot of money for good specialty food, but to pay outrageous prices for nothing special? I don't care how expensive the homes in The Glen or Glenview are, this is still not Lake Forest.”
Jennifer Sheridan does not think Market’s experience should preclude opening another specialty grocery in Glenview: “The Market was beset with problems, organizational and service-wise. I don't think I ever went in there without some slowdown or miss-marked item. There was virtually no space on the check-out counters, and the help, although pleasant, was slow. The different stations one had to pay at for coffee and pastry was also time-consuming. I liked the food, but I could never go there without steeling myself. I think a Whole Foods with competent management, employees who knew their jobs and hustled, and more than one check-out lane would do just fine.”
Kate P. thinks the Market’s fate was closely linked to management: “I can understand why The Market closed. The produce was very expensive and more times than not, rotting. Apathy by management could have been the real problem. The guys from Arkansas should have visited more often.”
PL writes: “This comes as no surprise. In fact, my wife and I were just taking bets on when the store would close. While the quality of food ranges from decent to good, the service is horrible. When you go to a gourmet specialty store, you expect the employees to know more about the products and services then you do (to justify the higher prices). In our experience, the employees of Market Foods lacked this knowledge as well as common sense! On many occasions we left the store in frustration due to cashiers not knowing how to operate the register, breakfast foods being served messy and greasy, and service personnel not knowing what ingredients were in certain foods. As residents of The Glen, I hope that a competent grocer takes over!”
And Elmer fears the loss of Market Foods is just the beginning: “Von Maur is next, and then all hell is going to break loose.”
TT wonders if Market paid rent at The Glen: “Given that Market Foods was three months in arrears on the rent at its Tulsa store, I wonder if they were paying Oliver McMillan for their space here. OliverMcMillan is our partner at The Glen Town Center, so I think they owe us a heads up on the financial health of their tenants and the state of their lease arrangements.”
The Watch replies: OliverMcMillan executive Paul Buss told the Pioneer Press his company was "involved in litigation" with Market Foods but would not say anything more.
The Watch noted the Blue Angel Café -- located in the Book Market and managed by Market -- would also be closing. WS isn't sorry to see it go: “Have you ever been in the book store? Have you ever found any books worth buying even at 80% off? As for The Market, I’m going to miss its billboard on Willow Road featuring the pig. That was really original marketing. Did I say marketing? I don’t think they ever did any. Perhaps they can turn Von Maur and the Market into lofts, then convert the book store into a convenience store with lottery tickets, magazines and beer. Maybe they could find more fast food merchants willing to pay outrageous prices for the spaces and investigate why they thought anything other than housing, movies and restaurants would survive in an oddball, overpriced location.”
BFC observes action behind the Corner Bakery on Patriot Boulevard and wonders: “Any idea what is happening there? Isn’t that the proposed spot for the new post office? I’ve seen lots of trucks and heavy digging equipment!”
The Watch replies: The village is installing a
water main and sanitary system in
the area to meet future development needs.
A reader who signs off as a “concerned parent,” writes about District 225’s Zero Tolerance policy: “Frankly, I'm not surprised that previously condemned drug users are against the Glenbrook District's previously successful policy against illegal substances. In response to Mr. Easton, dangerous illegal drugs, like marijuana, can also make you feel like you are ‘being killed inside.’ Fancy that. These kids need to face the facts: a school is a drug-free zone. As we can see in Michael Brown's case, the zero tolerance rule not only keeps drugs and paraphernalia out of the schools, it saves lives. There's no way of getting around it, by reducing the district's drug policy, we are only sending a signal for more drug users to bring their business to school. Hopefully, the parents who are for drug use in schools will not skew the District's views of right. Glenbrook District 225 policy states that, ‘Overwhelmingly, students who have been expelled have successfully transitioned into college.’ If drug-using students can succeed in college, that's great--but have them on an off-campus facility as the Zero Tolerance policy states. Every parent will agree, drugs are detrimental to their teens, and no parent wants drugs in the school. Why are there even questions of harming our children?”
BJ would like to know why the Glenview Chamber of Commerce holds their installation dinner at North Shore Country Club instead of supporting one of their member restaurants?
The Watch replies: Chamber director Kathy Miles says the group tries to schedule events at members' facilities, but no business could accommodate the group on the date it designated for the luncheon. The chamber does hold its golf outing at The Glen Club, its holiday ball at Valley Lo and its after-hours get-togethers at establishments owned by members.
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.