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The Glenview Watch
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SUNSHINE LAID TO REST
Debbie DeVito stood before a church full of grieving friends and relatives. She spoke softly – choking back tears as she recalled the news last spring. On her son Marco’s birthday, May 25, a Glenview boy had died after he was hit by a train. “I told my friends I didn’t think I could survive if I lost one of my children,” the mother of two recalled. “I thought they would have to put me in a straight jacket. Yesterday,” she continued, “the family of that boy came to see me, and I thank them for giving me the courage to be here today.”
DeVito, her husband Mark and their 9-year-old son Christopher had come to Our Lady of Perpetual Help for Marco’s funeral. The 13-year-old was killed Monday while riding his bike across Willow Road at Pfingsten. Addressing a casket draped in white cloth, Marco’s mother concluded, “You will be in my thoughts every minute of every day for the rest of my life.”
By his father’s count, 2,000 people came to a wake for the child on Thursday evening – proof of how much Marco was loved. Mark DeVito described the Maple Junior High student as “sunshine” and said his organs had been donated to five children who might now live healthy lives. “Marco would have wanted that,” he said.
OFFICIALS TO STUDY DEADLY INTERSECTION
DeVito was not the first teen to be hit at Willow and Pfingsten. In 1995, a young woman died when she was struck while rollerblading. On Friday, Glenview Police Chief Bill Fitzpatrick said he would ask the village traffic committee to consider ways the intersection could be improved.
Fitzpatrick acknowledged that the crosswalks are not well-painted and said pedestrians have “a long stretch to get across,” in a relatively short time. Willow is five lanes wide at that location.
Willow and Pfingsten are both state roads, making the intersection a state responsibility. After receiving a call from Glenview Watch, the Illinois Department of Transportation said it, too, would study the area.
In 2000, the state proposed widening Willow to six lanes from the Edens Expressway through Glenview. Debbie DeVito was one of two mothers who organized local parents to protest, arguing that a wider road would be even more dangerous.
With two shopping centers at the intersection, Willow and Pfingsten is a magnet for teens, and since students from Maple Junior High come from Glenview and Northbrook, they often cross Willow to visit classmates.
An official police report concluded Marco DeVito was crossing against the light when he was hit, but his father doubts that, suggesting instead that the boy was in the crosswalk when the light changed. “He would never have crossed that road when it was red,” Mark DeVito told the Chicago Tribune.
In fact, the driver who hit Marco was in the far north lane, heading west. Had he been sitting next to a truck, van or SUV, he would not have seen that a pedestrian was in the crosswalk. When the light turned green, he would have proceeded west, unaware that a boy on a bike was speeding toward the space in front of his vehicle. No charges were filed against the 24-year-old Schaumburg man.
Editor’s note: We hope Glenview does not dismiss this case as a tragic but unavoidable accident. Like the OLPH parents who rallied for a crossing gate across the railroad tracks after Victor Olivera’s death, School District 30 parents and local politicians have an important job to do. The intersection of Willow and Pfingsten is dangerous for pedestrians. It’s time for local leaders and residents to demand improvements. There are technologies that can alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians in a crosswalk, even if their view is blocked by a truck, van or SUV. Already, Glenview has installed flashing lights to alert drivers if an emergency vehicle is coming through a busy intersection. In Laguna Beach, California, lights have been implanted in the pavement of crosswalks – lights that flash when pedestrians are present. In Europe, large mirrors are mounted at dangerous intersections to give drivers a view of the entire area. It is also possible to build bridges and underpasses that allow people on foot, skates or bicycles to cross busy streets safely. Glenview, Northbrook and the state of Illinois should collaborate to find a solution for Willow Road, and that same solution should then be applied to Waukegan Road and Lake Avenue, allowing people from neighborhoods south and east of those busy streets to reach The Glen and other parts of northwest Glenview safely. That would be a fitting memorial to Marco DeVito.
ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATES GLENVIEW PARK DISTRICT
The Illinois Attorney General’s is investigating a Glenview Park District program after a long-time resident of the community complained of possible discrimination against his niece. Rey de la Cruz, a local playwright and teacher, was upset when 22-year-old Kristina Castro – who also lives in Glenview – was denied permission to display her art work at Park Center.
Castro is a student at the Chicago Art Institute and a graduate of Glenbrook South High School. Last spring she approached Park Center to inquire about showing her paintings there. The building had lots of empty wall space, and Supervisor of Cultural Arts Amber Blake confirmed that the district was looking for material: “To add to the elegance and beauty of [Park Center],” she wrote, “we have invited local artists to display their work on a temporary basis. Exhibiting artwork at Park Center offers a unique opportunity. . .to showcase the talent of a variety of local artists.”
Printed materials from the park district promised, “Every artist who submits a proposal will be considered. . .There are no clearly defined guidelines regarding subject matter (although anything deemed inappropriate will not be considered). Since art is highly subjective, we do our best to choose art that we feel will be widely enjoyed by members of the community. . .Please be aware that most of the spaces are very large and require pieces of a substantial size.”
Castro was excited. She purchased five large pieces of canvas and spent the summer painting colorful abstract images suggestive of flowers, plants, fish and other elements from nature. When the works were done, she photographed them and sent pictures to Blake.
On September 29, Castro received a short note from Blake informing the artist that, “This opportunity is designated solely for professional artists. All artists chosen to display artwork have been or are currently represented by galleries or professional studios.”
Castro was disappointed. “I just wanted to show my work – to just be out there,” she says. “Who knows. Somebody might like it. I thought they should give me a chance.”
Her uncle was angry. The park district had said nothing about galleries or studios in its application materials. Since his niece had a Hispanic surname, he worried that perhaps she was the victim of discrimination. (He and Castro are actually from the Philippines.)
On October 4, Rey de la Cruz wrote a letter of complaint to the park district’s executive director Tom Richardson. When he got no reply, he wrote to Congressman Mark Kirk, who forwarded the letter to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
On January 20, the civil rights bureau of the Attorney General’s office contacted the park district, asking officials to explain the organization’s rationale for making the distinction between a professional artist and a student artist.
Later, Patricia Mendoza who heads the AG’s civil rights bureau, told de la Cruz that Amber Blake created the “professional artist rule,” so as not to hurt Castro’s feelings. “She thinks Kristina’s artworks are not of quality,” de la Cruz concluded. “I think Blake’s opinion is questionable, and this is not SoHo or Michigan Avenue. This is a community center!”
De la Cruz added that the School of the Art Institute is among the top art programs in the nation, and Kristina’s work was recently accepted for a show at the Hanover Park Community Center.
On February 3, the park district’s Director of Leisure Services Bob Quill wrote a letter of apology to de la Cruz for failing to respond in October. “I did look into your concerns and drafted a response which, I now find I did not send,” Quill wrote.
Quill stressed that there is no guarantee of acceptance for artists who apply to show their works at Park Center. “It is an invitation only procedure, beamed at professional artists, galleries and studios, which we consider a reasonable starting point for assessing merit.”
Quill said the decision to accept an artist had been entrusted to Amber Blake “who is experienced and qualified in the subject manner [sic], and the result of her guidance has been positive in terms of public response. We have every confidence in her abilities, and see no reason to reverse her recommendation.”
Blake has a bachelor’s degree in theater and dance from Luther College, a small liberal arts school in Decorah, Iowa.
THE ART WORLD WEIGHS IN
We shared photos of Kristina Castro’s work with a prominent art educator who served as head of the art department at Ohio State University, president of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and dean of students at the Massachusetts College of Art. Dr. Jerome Hausman (father of Watch Editor Sandy Hausman) said there was no question that the quality of Castro’s work was sufficient to merit exhibition at Park Center. “Absolutely,” he said. “No doubt about it.” Millie Marnin, a professional painter from Chicago, agreed. She was shocked to hear of Glenview’s policy barring artists with no gallery or studio backing. “Nobody does that!” she said. “It’s ridiculous.” She characterized the park district’s policy as “amateur,” and Dr. Hausman said, “That kind of thinking will be the death of art.”
Editor’s note: You have to give park district administrators their due. They know how to run sports programs and athletic facilities, but when it comes to art, they’re out of their league and don’t seem to know it. Glenview is no longer a small town. It’s a large, diverse community that requires more sophisticated management. It’s time for our park commissioners to consult the big world – to find out how other cities, like Evanston or Chicago, manage arts programs in public places paid for by taxpayers and to craft a fair policy for selecting local artists to exhibit in a building with plenty of blank walls. We agree with Mr. de la Cruz. This is not SoHo or Michigan Avenue. What’s more, art is highly subjective, and selection a risky business. That’s why we hope Park Center will welcome the works of almost any local artist – young or old, student or professional. Grandma Moses was not Georgia O’Keefe. Norman Rockwell was no DaVinci, but they all had something to share with the world.
RULES TO PLAY IN GALLERY PARK
After insisting it couldn’t be done in time for a spring event, Trustees Mary Beth Denefe and Jeff Lerner will join other board members in considering a plan for public activities in Gallery Park. Village staff is suggesting the community try allowing two events per month from May through October. Non-Glenview groups would be eligible for only half of the 12 possible dates in 2005, and organizations from other communities could only host one event per year here.
The proposed cost for local groups is $100 for 25-100 people, $500 for events involving 100-500 and $1,000 for crowds of more than 500. Out-of-town organizations would pay double that amount. All organizers would be allowed to erect tents, serve food and provide entertainment. Larger groups could also have generators and request street closures. The largest category could also supply portable restrooms. In every case, groups would be required to reimburse the village for police, fire, paramedic and public works services.
So far, the following groups have asked to host activities in the park:
Miles for Smiles walkathon for pediatric brain cancer research (May 22)
Glenview Park District soccer tournament (June 18)
Glenview Youth Services 5K benefit
Pathways Center walkathon
Park Center Health and Fitness fun run (July 30) and triathalon (July 31)
Editor’s note: We’re not sure the “out-of-town” distinction is valid, since Glenview residents could constitute a majority of members in a group that’s technically based in Northbrook. Likewise, Glenview groups can draw from other communities. We do, however, think the district should make a distinction between not-for-profit and for-profit groups
GLENVIEW TEAM RAISES $16,000 FOR LUNG CANCER RESEARCH
In an effort to support his 53-year-old wife Robin, a non-smoker who developed lung cancer, East Glenview resident Dale Tarantur organized 17 friends and relatives to hustle up the Hancock Sunday, tackling 94 stories. About 3,700 runners took part, led by
Terry Purcell of New Berlin, Illinois. He finished first and broke his previous record, tackling 1,632 steps in 9 minutes, 45 seconds – an average of less than seven seconds per floor!
Tarantur said he was not out to set any records but was pleased when his entire group finished. The team, which called itself Rockin’ Robin, raised nearly $16,000 for the American Lung Association and had another reason to celebrate. After completing therapy, Robin Tarantur is in remission. For more information or to make a contribution, visit http://www.lungchicago.org/ .
VILLAGE MANAGER PUTS FOCUS ON MONEY
Village Manager Todd Hileman, who has expressed some misgivings about the way Glenview accounts for tax revenues and expenses, will move forward Tuesday with reforms. He’s asking the trustees to approve a new position at Village Hall – the post of budget manager. Until now, various department heads and the finance manager have been responsible for different aspects of the budget, but Hileman wants to centralize the process. The new position would pay over $86,000 per year and report to Finance Director Dan Wiersma.
The manager also believes Glenview has been holding too much money in its Capital Equipment Replacement Fund (CERF) – an account established to save for vehicles and equipment the community knows it must replace in the future. Hileman believes revenues will exceed expenditures by $400,000 between 2006 and 2010 and believes there is already an excess of $3.6 million in the account.
POLITICAL NEWS AND VIEWS
-- Maine Township Republicans voted to stay with an incumbent ticket led by Bob Dudycz. They’ll face the Democrats’ team on April 5. Last week’s primary was extremely close with Dudycz winning by just 58 votes. (5,500 people cast ballots.) Glenview’s Carol Teschky, a candidate for trustee, got more votes than any other candidate.
-- Glenview’s fire chief has become an issue in Northbrook’s campaign for village president. Gene Marks, who’s challenging incumbent Mark Damisch, says the current president of Northbrook has given the village manager too much latitude. As a result, Marks says, Northbrook hired Jay Reardon to be its fire chief when it could have promoted Deputy Chief Dan Bonkowski. Bonkowski was subsequently hired to head Glenview’s fire department. Marks charges Reardon is out of town too much. He’s been active in statewide planning for terrorist attacks, has been named Illinois Fire Chief of the Year and U.S. Fire Chief of the Year by professional organizations.
SUMMER POOL PASSES SELLING WELL – THE GOAL, 15,000!
Last summer, Glenview sold 4,000 summer pool passes, but Director of Leisure Services Bob Quill is betting demand will more than triple when two new aquatic centers open this summer at Flick and Roosevelt parks.
Quill says Glenview used to sell about 9,000 passes each summer in the mid to late 80’s, but as the condition of the pools worsened, demand declined. Now, with a much larger population and state-of-the-art facilities, he predicts sales will rise to 15,000.
Because the water will be heated, swimming should be comfortable even on cool days, and the season will extend to Labor Day. Park district officials have been staffing tables at area high schools, attempting to recruit enough lifeguards for both facilities.
They also began offering passes earlier this year to prevent a rush in June. Individuals buying before April 4 will pay 2004 rates: $52 for one person and $25 for each additional family member. The district will also provide four free guest passes to early birds. Those who buy before June 1 will also get a price break, paying $58 and $29. Guest passes will cost $12 for four. After June 1, visitors from other communities will pay $12 per visit, while Glenview residents are charged $6. Summer passes will run $64 plus $32 for each additional child or spouse. So far, 900 passes have been sold at Park Center’s fitness club.
DOWN ON THE FARM
-- Wagner Farm Director Todd Price has finally found what he was looking for – a 1922 Sears wallpaper catalog. The $80 antique, purchased through E-Bay, will help him to figure out what kind of wallpaper might have been used in the old Wagner farm house during that period in history. A local home improvement center, Thybony Interiors, has offered to help Price find something similar and will provide it to the park district at cost.
-- The park district expects to break ground for a new heritage center at Wagner Farm on June 18. The project is coming-in under budget after trimming $15,000 worth of two-inch stone veneer from parts of the red cedar structure. Leftover money could be used to provide 1,200 square feet of additional storage space in the basement, to construct a demonstration green house or to refinish a three-bedroom apartment on the second floor – space that could eventually be occupied by a live-in caretaker.
-- A looming corn crisis has been resolved at Wagner Farm. During spring school tours, students have long enjoyed the chance to shell corn, but during October’s Corn Harvest, nearly a thousand visitors took a toll on the farm’s supply. Caretaker Jeff Wienski came to the rescue – locating a farmer in central Wisconsin who still brings his crop in on the cob. It’s a rare practice these days, since modern combines strip the kernels from their ears during harvest.
TICK TOCK, THE GLEN’S NEW CLOCK
There’s a new landmark on Tower Drive at The Glen – a 15-foot clock donated by the Rotary Clubs of Glenview to mark the hundredth anniversary of their group. The manufacturer, an Illinois firm called the Fancy Street Clock Company, says this model should last at least another century.
The four-sided clock was supposed to be installed on Glenview Road, but village planners worried that it might not fit with redevelopment plans for downtown and suggested it go up in front of The Book Market at The Glen.
TAKING TRASH TO HEART
The next time you toss a wad of gum, a paper cup or soft drink can, consider the effort that’s gone into choosing a container for your trash. Glenview’s park district recently received four bids for steel trash cans. “Since we were unfamiliar with the brands,” a staffer explained, “we asked each vendor to send a sample receptacle for evaluation. Staff compared how easily the trash is accessed by the side access door, the quality of the door latch assembly and its location, and the overall steel construction, bracing and welding. Staff felt the Victor Stanley trash receptacle was the best product and easiest to use,” said executive Fred Gullen in a memo to the park board. Natch, the Stanley cans were the costliest at $909 apiece. The cheapest model could be had for as little as $671.
PARKING RULES TO BE APPROVED
Glenview’s village board is expected to ban overnight parking of any commercial vehicles in local driveways or on streets Tuesday night. That includes taxis, limos, cars, trucks or vans with lettering, logos or ladder racks. A new ordinance will also restrict parking of boats and prohibit RV’s unless the owner can get a special permit from the zoning board of appeals. SUV’s, Humvees, vans and small trucks with passenger plates are exempt.
CARLSON SLIDES COMMISSIONERS IN UNDER THE WIRE
With just over a month left in office, Larry Carlson is moving to assure that his appointees to local commissions – men who in some cases have served for more than a decade, hang onto their seats and get invited to the annual Christmas dinner. At Tuesday’s village board meeting, Carlson will ask the trustees to confirm Jim Carroll to the fire and police board for another term and to keep Norm Pearson and Ron Simczak on the electrical commission. Both men have served since the early 90’s. By law, the president is supposed to appoint people “at the first regular meeting of the board held after the regular election of members of the board of trustees.”
Editor’s note: In other words, this vote is overdue and should probably wait until after the April 5 election when Kerry Cummings, the sole candidate for village president, will likely replace Carlson. That issue aside, it’s unfortunate that the village president did not at least open the door to others who might have served in local government. No announcement was made about openings on these boards and commissions. No effort was made to recruit more women and minorities. We hope Cummings will make that a priority.
PARK DISTRICT MAY MOVE FROM PRAIRIE STREET
There were once curtains on the windows of a conference room in the historic Prairie Street building that now serves as headquarters for Glenview’s park district, but officials decided to take them down. Executive Director Tom Richardson said the curtains only served to remind chilled staffers of how drafty the building was.
Anticipating major costs to renovate the building, park board members are looking at alternatives including construction of new offices on Milwaukee Road. They have asked an architectural firm already working for the district to report on how much space administrators are likely to need.
READERS WRITE
After the death of another child at the intersection of Willow and Pfinsten roads, ML offers this thought: “I know that this will be an unwelcome suggestion by many, but given the nature of Willow road between Pfingsten and Shermer (lots of homes/shops and two schools nearby) I think that right turn on red should be prohibited on Willow (it already is on Pfingsten) and speed limits should be lowered to 35, with more active patrol by the police. I can't tell you how many people make illegal right turns on red from northbound Pfingsten onto Willow. I've had people honk at me when I refused to do so.”
And messages of condolence poured in from as far away as the UK where Barry wrote:“I was so sorry to hear of the young lad’s accident, and now to hear of his death is awful. I grieve for his family and they will be in my thoughts on Friday when he is laid to rest.”
Cookie recalled 13-year-old Marco DeVito fondly: “He loved roller blading, snow boarding and football. He was a kind and generous person.”
JK wrote: “It is hard to comprehend how one day could change that family forever.”
BD thinks planners should pass on high density, if only to keep local traffic from getting worse: “Between the suggested downtown plans, the recently annexed area, and the ongoing development in The Glen, the continued interest in high-density locations is of major concern. Willow, Waukegan, Lake and Glenview roads are all jammed during commuting hours. Traffic has few alternatives, and it will not get any better. I think the village board should give more thought to quality of life in Glenview then just going for the quick buck via further development. I know everyone wants more tax revenue, but traffic and crowds and drainage issues are not worth it!”
John Kozicki shares these thoughts on the library: “To spend $30 or $40 million on a new library is ludicrous. Attendance is definitely down. People are using the Internet much more to find information. They don't need to go to the library. Libraries are ‘horse and buggy.’ I remember the days when I would drive around several times to find a parking space. Not anymore. Maybe we should expand the existing library but we do not need the Taj Mahal. The current building seems to be in fine shape. So what if our library doesn't look like Northbrook’s space ship? Save our tax money.”
TD says the increase in
arrests of intoxicated drivers in 2004 should not be credited to a
fully-staffed traffic unit: “I
had to chuckle to myself when I read the information provided about crime
statistics. The traffic unit works from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday
through Friday. To credit them with the increased DUI enforcement is nice
PR but not true. I would imagine the high majority of DUI arrests take
place after 8 p.m. and
prior to 6:30 a.m., and a number of the arrests would occur on the
weekends, when the traffic unit is not working. Maybe there was some
miscommunication about this subject.”
The Watch replies: Police chief Bill Fitzpatrick contends that having a fully-staffed traffic unit has made it possible to put more officers in the field. The traffic unit has helped coordinate increased enforcement efforts, working with the night patrol, going over accident reports and giving clear direction to officers on the street. Regardless of who gets the credit, Fitzpatrick is pleased to see that stopping drunk drivers has become a police department priority.
SH writes about rising fees at Glenbrook South: “The increase in the driver's ed fee is particularly painful for many families since driver’s ed is required for graduation. If they increase the fee, they should drop the class as a requirement.”
The Watch replies: If you qualify for financial aid through the national school lunch program, the fee would be waived. About 190 students are already getting $125,000 in aid to cover fees, text books, bus passes and lunches.
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.