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The Glenview Watch
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VILLAGE, STATE STUDY DEADLY INTERSECTION
The Illinois Department of Transportation and the village of Glenview have launched independent investigations to figure out whether the intersection where two Glenview children were fatally injured during the last decade could be made safer. Because Willow and Pfingsten roads are under state control, any changes must be approved by the state.
In a letter to IDOT’s district engineer, Assistant Village Manager Joe Wade asks if the timing of the traffic and pedestrian crosswalk lights are correct and adequate. He wonders if there is any technology that could sense the presence of pedestrians in the crosswalk and delay the light. “Are the crosswalks adequately identified by striping or other means?” he asks. “Is the median on Willow wide enough for a pedestrian should they get ‘caught’ by the light?”
Village Manager Todd Hileman is already offering one suggestion for making the intersection safer: a crosswalk sign with a digital countdown. Such a device could let pedestrians know “whether they can make it across,” Hileman explains.
A signal of that kind could be helpful since timing varies from intersection to intersection. A “Do Not Walk” sign at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago must, under federal guidelines, flash longer, because so many pedestrians routinely cross there. At Pfingsten and Willow, where there are fewer people on foot, the amount of time allotted to cross is relatively small.
Hileman also said he would raise the subject during a meeting with Glenview’s state legislators. No date has been set for that get together.
Meanwhile, families upset by the death of 13-year-old Marco DeVito last month have begun to talk about building a pedestrian bridge across Willow. State traffic planners say that’s the best way to assure safety at such a busy intersection, but they note bridges can cost $1million -$5 million. What’s more, they must be accessible to disabled people, so sufficient land is needed for a fairly long ramp.
DEVELOPER PLEDGES IMPROVEMENTS AT GLEN TOWN CENTER
With Market Foods’ space still shuttered and only 75 percent of luxury apartments leased, the developer of The Glen Town Center appeared before Glenview’s village board last week to offer reassurance. Dene Oliver predicted all of the apartments would be occupied by July and said turnover, especially by restaurants, is common at shopping malls. “We’ve got a fair amount of food out there, and the restaurant business has the highest mortality rate of any of the retail businesses,” he explained.
Oliver claimed his firm, OliverMcMillan, had several prospective tenants for the Market site along with stores and restaurants planning to open at other Town Center locations. He mentioned Ted’s Montana Grill – part of a chain owned by media mogul Ted Turner -- and Raw Sushi, owned by Benihana’s. Montana Grill features wild game and is set to open next month.
Oliver also touted a new women’s boutique called Vibrato, a leather goods’ store called Ssaucy, Kingaroos and Amazing Gracie’s – stores selling kids’ shoes and apparel. Opening soon: Pascal’s day spa and salon, a candy store, shops selling draperies and portraits and the retailer Fitigues, offering “casual, comfortable clothes” for men, women and children. Glenview will be its fourth Chicago area location after Rush Street, Glencoe and Hinsdale.
Oliver said he was looking forward to the opening of the Kohl Children’s Museum this fall. The off-beat building at the corner of West Lake and Patriot Boulevard is expected to bring 300,000 people to The Glen each year. He expressed satisfaction with the number of people coming from Glenview to shop and dine. Based on surveys in June and December, he concluded visitors were coming from further away (an average of 3.5 miles up from 2.2 miles), and the “return rate is phenomenal.”
The crowd was also more diverse. In June, more than 55 percent of visitors were from Glenview. By December, the number had dropped to about 35 percent, with many shoppers and diners coming from Northbrook, Morton Grove and Northfield. Disappointed with the draw from Wilmette, Winnetka, Niles and Glencoe, the developer mailed two-for-one movie tickets from The Glen 10 Theater to residents of those suburbs.
OliverMcMillan also plans to pour money into billboards, print ads and a trial five weeks of cable advertising on TLC, Lifetime, USA Network and TNT. He mentioned that Dick’s sporting goods, which recently acquired Galyan’s, also has an aggressive TV and print ad campaign that could benefit Town Center.
OliverMcMillan promised a number of promotional events, including a health fair in May, an art show in August, live music through the summer, a gardening seminar, a street fair in late July to be called “Glen Fest,” and “Planes on Parade,” an exhibit set for October.
The developer pointed out that a $60 million construction loan from Barclay’s Bank had been repaid and an $8 million letter of credit from the village returned. Noting that three trustees and the village president would be retiring soon, Oliver expressed thanks for their support. While Trustee Mike Guinane has consistently opposed financial aid to OliverMcMillan, Larry Carlson, Mary Beth Denefe and Jeff Lerner have consistently voted to lend the developer money. “I wish that I could have partners like you in other cities that I work in,” he said. “I’m going to miss you.”
DECISION DAY FOR A NEW HIGH SCHOOL DRUG POLICY
Glenbrook’s School District 225 is finally set to vote March 14 on whether to drop a long-standing and controversial policy of expelling any student found with alcohol, drugs or drug paraphernalia on school grounds. Many students and teachers feel the zero tolerance policy is too strict, but school board members Carol Rogal and Elias Matsakis take comfort in its simplicity.
A panel of teachers, counselors and administrators have recommended a new disciplinary policy for first offenders. It would suspend them for 10 days, then place them in an off-campus educational program and counseling for another 10 days. Expulsion could still be considered for serious offenses, but it would not be automatic.
Board member Skip Shein thinks the newly-proposed policy might still be too harsh. He noted kids who come to school drunk or high would not be kicked out, but students in possession of drug paraphernalia would. “I’m not sure a student caught with a pipe is doing anything more than a student stoned at school,” Shein said.
Public comment is invited at the 7 p.m. meeting Monday, March 14 in the administration building at 1835 Landwehr. Residents can also send e-mail to boardofeducation@glenbrook.k12.il.us .
Editor’s note: The one-size-fits-all approach to drug and alcohol possession at school ignores the fact that students may be involved with substance abuse for different reasons. Some have real emotional or psychological problems. They may be immature, struggling with troubles at home or pressures at school. Kicking them out for any length of time could only make matters worse. These youngsters need help, but the zero tolerance policy discourages kids and their families from getting it. The policy also makes teachers reluctant to report problems. They are, after all, educators not cops. Which leads us to another idea. What if administrators simply called police and parents each time a student was caught with drugs or alcohol? If students are disruptive, the district should be allowed to boot them out, but otherwise we vote to keep kids in class and make substance abuse at school a matter for families and the law.
SEND IN THE LAWYERS
Glenview’s park district wants its lawyer to meet with Rey de la Cruz, a local man who suspected discrimination when the district changed its rules and rejected the work of his niece, Kristina Castro, a Glenview resident and student at the Chicago Art Institute. Both de la Cruz and Castro are from the Philippines.
Castro had seen an open invitation to local artists to submit their work for possible display at Park Center and spent last summer painting pictures she hoped to show. Her work is colorful and abstract – suggestive of flowers, fish and other elements of nature. When she submitted the work, the district’s director of cultural affairs, Amber Blake, said the paintings could not be shown because the opportunity to exhibit was only open to artists represented by galleries or studios – a fact not mentioned in the original invitation.
De la Cruz shared his niece’s disappointment, and when a letter of complaint to the park district brought no response, he wrote to his congressman who forwarded the complaint to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. An investigator for the attorney general spoke with Blake, who admitted she didn’t like Castro’s work and made up the professional artist rule so as not to hurt Castro’s feelings. Later, the district’s director of leisure services, Bob Quill, sent a letter to de la Cruz repeating the claim that only professional artists could exhibit at Park Center.
The park district’s lawyer, Sam Witwer, offered to talk with de la Cruz and suggested he bring his attorney. “Why would I bring a lawyer?” de la Cruz recalls. “I told him I wasn’t planning to sue anyone.”
When Witwer said he was more comfortable dealing with another attorney, de la Cruz says he asked to bring a reporter. “Why?” Witwer reportedly asked. “Because I’m more comfortable dealing with a reporter,” de la Cruz replied.
Last week, Witwer phoned de la Cruz and left this voicemail:
“I remain open to meeting with you, although I’m discouraged to see unfolding efforts on your part to enlist media and to cast us in a bad light on top of everything else you’ve got on the political and the legal fronts, but the condition of my meeting with you is that, as I’ve stated to you before, when it comes down to legal process and legal conferencing, I do not want and never have done that in a public forum in the presence of reporters. I do not try my cases in the press. Never have. Don’t approve of it. It is a process that is simply unacceptable to me and will not be done. Now, having said that, I’ve told you before that if you wish to bring a lawyer that’s fine. If you wish to bring one or even two companions in lieu of a lawyer, that’s fine as long as those people are not media people observing a lawyer attempting to do his work in his own discipline. And then, of course, we would expect that there would be no taping or anything like that at the session. So that is my offer.”
De la Cruz was indignant. He felt his niece had been snubbed by the park district, and now the district’s lawyer was dictating the terms of a meeting. He did not trust Witwer and decided not to return his call.
Two days later, Witwer left a second message: “I’m wondering if you got my voice-mail of Monday in which I followed through and kept my commitment to call back and to arrange with you a meeting. Would you kindly let me know your intentions, so I can be clear about my own schedule? As I believe I made clear in my last call, even though I’m not overly encouraged about how things have been going in light of the things you have said about our district, I’m open to meeting with you, and that proposal remains open.”
Editor’s note: The Glenview Park District has gotten itself into another public relations pickle – changing its rules in midstream because a single staff member with expertise in theater and dance did not like the work of a young woman admitted to one of the nation’s top fine arts programs. This situation could easily have been defused by allowing Castro to exhibit her work on one of the many empty walls at Park Center. The work is not offensive, and two professional artists with whom we spoke thought Castro’s paintings were quite good. The district could also have established a committee of artists to decide who merits the chance to show work at the community center – instructing them to be as inclusive as possible. Art is, after all, a very subjective thing, and putting a single person in the decision-making seat is bound to stir up controversy.
Instead, the jocks at the park district are hanging tough and telling their lawyer to handle it. Lawyers are, of course, trained to do battle, and Witwer plays the intimidation game well. He and the people who employ him don’t seem to understand that they are public servants, not private tyrants. True leaders would acknowledge a flawed policy for their public art program, amend it, apologize to Cruz and move on.
Instead, the park district continues to alienate the people they serve and the taxpayers who take an interest in their programs and facilities. Dozens of passionate residents who worked to save Wagner Farm and offered to pay for protective treatment of the barn were sent packing because the park board – lacking imagination and an appreciation for history – insisted a barn had to be red. Animal rights advocates were also dissed by a district determined to send older farm animals to slaughter, and it took an act of the state to end years of throwing goldfish into highly chlorinated water, then subjecting them to a stressful chase that often ended with dead fish and disappointed children. We think Glenview deserves better.
VILLAGE SET TO SWAP LAND AND MONEY FOR POST OFFICE SITE
If all goes as planned next Tuesday, Glenview will take take title to the post office site on Prairie Street, and the U.S. Postal Service will get land on Patriot Boulevard at The Glen along with $3.7 million dollars to build a new facility. Construction could start at the end of this year, and the post office could move into its new digs in late 2006 or early 2007.
Residents will have a chance to share their views of the deal during the village board meeting that starts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 at Village Hall. Neighbors have held two recent meetings with the village to discuss landscaping and placement of the post office. Development Director Mary Bak says trucks will enter the site on Shermer Road and park as far from residents as possible. Eight semis and 66 postal trucks are expected to use the site during a 24-hour period, with the vast majority of trips taking place during business hours.
LERNER’S BELATED BUDGET BLAST
Trustee Jeff Lerner apparently had his differences with former Village Manager Paul McCarthy. While he never criticized McCarthy publicly, Lerner is now complaining about the former administrator’s money management practices. During last week’s board meeting, Lerner praised current Manager Hileman and Budget Director Dan Wiersma for tightening up Glenview’s financial practices and putting them on paper. “For the last two years I’ve been trying to get a review of our financial and fiscal policies, and I couldn’t figure out how to do it,” Lerner said. “I now realize that the way you do it is to hire a new village manager.”
TIF TROUBLES
The Chicago Tribune reports that Skokie businesses are battling local school officials over a tax increment financing plan that was supposed to promote downtown development. So far, observers say it’s working. Since 1990, lots of new stores have opened on Oakton Street and Lincoln Avenue, and nearly 500 townhouses and condos were built or are under construction. Now, the TIF is set to retire, and schools are salivating over the $400,000 in new taxes they were supposed to get, but the village wants to extend the TIF for eight more years.
Here in Glenview, tax increment financing was used to develop The Glen. Retirement was originally projected for 2008, and millions of dollars were supposed to be set aside for improvements in other parts of the village. Instead, some of that money has been lent to The Glen, and the rest is being held in case it’s needed to repay interest on Glen bonds. Village Manager Todd Hileman believes that by 2008 the money will no longer be needed for debt repayment, and officials now project retirement of the TIF in 2014.
MEIER’S MAY LOSE LIQUOR LICENSE
Glenview may pull the liquor license of Meier’s Tavern – an historic building at 235 E. Lake Avenue. Its owner has failed to meet conditions required for permission to expand the bar and parking lot. Village inspectors issued tickets almost every day between October 22 and February 16 for failure to make landscaping, lighting, trash and traffic improvements promised in June 2003. Each ticket could carry a fine of $500, but a circuit court judge may excuse Gus Pappas from payment when he appears on March 18. Meanwhile, Village Manager Hileman says the neighbors will meet with Pappas this week, and if sufficient progress has not been made, Glenview could revoke Meier’s permit to sell alcohol.
TRUSTEES OKAY GALLERY PARK POLICY
The village board has approved a trial policy allowing up to a dozen large events to take place in Gallery Park between May and November. Groups wishing to hold fundraisers, competitions and celebrations must apply for a permit and pay fees ranging from $100-$1,000. Those amounts, based on what other communities charge, should cover staff costs to plan, supervise and clean up after events. Local organizations will pay half as much as “non-Glenview” groups. Asked how staff defines a Glenview group, administrator Amy Ahner stammered. “It is, for the majority of the time it becomes part of the staff review to find out information about the organization – who they are, where they are based, what is their mission, and during that review process, we would make the determination as to whether they would qualify,” she said. Trustee Lerner thought there ought to be something in writing. “I could be a boy scout group of Glenview youth that meet in a facility in Northbrook,” he said. Ahner promised to come up with a firm definition, and the trustees approved the policy, amending it to say the Glenview Park District and School District 34 can use the park at no charge.
COOKIE MONSTER FOILED
You’ve heard the old saying about stealing candy from a baby. Now comes word of a thief stealing cookie money from Girl Scouts. Late last month Glenview police say a man made off with a folder containing checks and $1,500 in cash from a table during a Girl Scout troop meeting at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. A citizen who witnessed the dastardly act chased the offender, recovered the envelope and currency, and observed the offender getting into a dark-colored sport utility vehicle, possibly a Ford Expedition or Explorer, which sped away. The suspect is described as a white male between the ages of 40-50 weighing about 170 pounds, medium build, with brown curly hair and a mustache.
TRAVEL TIPS
-- Utilities are already at work along Shermer Road, and construction will begin March 10, forcing northbound traffic to detour between Central and Glenview roads. Southbound Shermer will remain open. Anyone wanting to know more about the $10.8 million project can stop by Glenview’s public service center at 1333 Shermer Road from 3-8 p.m. Thursday, March 10.
-- PACE bus route 423 is about to change, making it easier to get around Glenview. On Sunday, March 20 buses travel along Lehigh/Harlem, east/west on Chestnut to and from Patriot, on Patriot to and from Willow and on Willow east to Northfield. They’ll run from 6:40 a.m. - 8:15 p.m. weekdays and 7:40 a.m. - 7:42 p.m. weekends. Official stops include the Glenview Metra Station, Chestnut and Lehigh, Patriot and Navy, Willow and Patriot, Willow and Waukegan and Willow at Wagner. For a full schedule and map, log onto www.pacebus.com/sub/initiatives/north_shore/final.asp or call 847-364-7223.
SAVE THE DATE
-- State Senator Susan Garrett and State Representative Elaine Nekritz will sponsor a forum on No Child Left Behind from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 19 at Forest View Alternative High School, 2121 Goebbert Road in Arlington Heights. Officials from seven school districts and the NSSEO Special Education Co-op will spend the first hour talking about how the program affects them. The second hour, public participation is invited as the program looks at how No Child Left Behind could be improved. For details, call 847-433-2002.
-- The public library is planning a tour of great Chicago homes on Saturday, April 9. Linda Rubin will host the visit to Glessner House and Charnley House, both built by architect Louis Sullivan, and the Madlener House on elegant Astor Street with lunch at the old Cliff Dwellers Club overlooking Millennium Park. The fee is $65 payable at the Information Desk.
-- Enhance your computer skills at the library through a variety of Internet workshops. Sign up for Basic or Intermediate Internet Searching, Consumer Health Information Online or Beyond Google at the Information Desk or call (847) 729-7500 ext. 112.\
-- Maine East High School will mark its 75th anniversary with an open house from noon-4 p.m. Saturday, March 19 in the school library. Alumni, students, current and retired staff and area residents are welcome. Ethnic foods will be served, and the school plans various cultural performances as part of the celebration.
-- State Representative Beth Coulson will sponsor a financial aid workshop for college applicants at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 at Northfield Village Hall, 361 Happ Road. For details, call 847-724-3233.
READERS WRITE
Mr. B thinks advertising on the new Glenview Forum cheapens the site: “So they are selling Vegas packages to keep the wolf from the door. Maybe they should expand into online gaming and brides from Belarus.”
The Watch replies: We initially promoted the forum because its founder assured us there would be no advertising. We, too, are disappointed to see a new place for community dialogue turned into yet another commercial enterprise on the Internet.
Roberta Hemmerling offers some ideas for resolving Park Center’s public art dispute with Kristina Castro, a local woman attending the Chicago Art Institute: “One possible solution would be to label it as ‘Student Artwork’ and the institution she is attending with a short bio. There could be a special section for new artists. Another approach might be to appoint a 2-3 member committee, instead of a committee of one, to make a decision. Art is definitely in the eye of the beholder and different people see different things. As an experienced elementary teacher, I feel that art tells a lot about the development and interests of the artist. Whether it is considered a wonderful work of art or not, it remains an expression of that person. My classroom displays all levels of art, not just the ‘good’ ones. If this person had been judged by others and found to be worthy of display elsewhere, is there real harm in having her works temporarily displayed in a community center, especially the one in which she resides? Also, her name is on the piece, not Glenview Park Center. Possibly there was a miscommunication between Ms. Castro and Ms. Blake, but hopefully through conflict resolution there may be an amicable settlement. Let the public be the judge.”
JR scoffs at a suggestion of discrimination against Kristina Castro: “Perhaps the Park Center needs to upgrade the program in place for choosing the art on its walls, but this is hardly a case of discrimination based on the facts reported in The Watch. Of course her uncle would be upset and might think the Park Center was less than professional in handling his niece's application, but to imply that there's some objective standard of art that his niece passed -- that's missing the point of art. The facts are: Kristina applied to have her art shown. The Park Center said thank you anyway. End of story. Park Center isn't obligated to show the work of every artist who applies and apparently never promised that it would show the art of every artist who applied. This sounds like the case of a disappointed artist and an adult who sees discrimination instead of one person's opinion being a valid rejection. Why is The Watch reporting on this? Is every case of art rejection a case of discrimination? If I submit my art and it isn't taken, am I being discriminated against for being Polish? No, my art simply wasn't chosen.”
The Watch replies: We reported on this case for two reasons. First, the Illinois attorney general saw reason to investigate, so there may be something to the complaint. Second, we think the park district invited this kind of controversy when it failed to establish a fair and credible program for selecting the work to be shown. Ideally, the district will establish a sizable and diverse committee of people with credentials in fine arts (as opposed to theater or dance) to review the work of artists who'd like to show at Park Center. The park board should tell that group to be open and inclusive, accepting work from artists of all ages and races. The district should recognize that art is subjective, and there will always be people who like and dislike what is displayed. If demand to exhibit is strong, the district should rotate work frequently, giving many artists a chance to show their work and exposing the community to a wide range of styles and subjects.
William Dose thinks the park district did wrong when it refused Castro permission to exhibit: “The young Art Institute student whose floral-themed paintings were denied exhibition at the Park Center by our park district because she was not yet represented by a gallery should consider herself in good company. Not long ago, the noted Chicago art dealer Ingrid Fassbender arranged for a major piece of sculpture by celebrated artist Matt Lamb to be donated in honor of COWS' preservation efforts at Wagner Farm. The work, which had been on public exhibition as part Chicago's Cows on Parade installation, would have otherwise been sold by Sotheby's for a considerable sum. After all, Lamb's work had been recently exhibited at Westminster Cathedral in London with no less than Queen Elizabeth in attendance at the opening reception. The cow was presented to Glenview’s park district at a special ceremony, but after all the hoopla, the park district treated the sculpture like a mannequin – hooking the cow up to a milking machine at Wagner Farm. When a member of COWS questioned the park district, she was told that staff didn’t like it very much! Our public officials need to examine the potentially disastrous effects of ignorance and recklessness – to be more sophisticated and conscientious in their responses and actions. Glenview is truly in disgrace for the park district's boorish mishandling and defamation of a valuable gift of art to our community.”
Attorney Craig Gertz thinks local artists – amateurs, students or professionals – might have a constitutional right to exhibit at Park Center: “The Glenview Park District may be violating Kristina Castro’s free speech rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Generally, if a governmental entity opens public space for any kind of protected speech (which includes the fine arts), the government may impose reasonable place and time regulations, but cannot restrict the content of such speech, unless it is not a protected kind of speech, like obscenity. “
Rory Puzon, a resident of Bolingbrook, explains why the perception of discrimination is so upsetting: “I am a U.S. citizen of Filipino heritage. As a parent, I hope my children will not have the disappointment that Ms. Castro experienced in her dealings with the park district. Most people of Asian culture are brought up to be mild in their manners and respectful, especially to authority figures. Because of this, they may be condescendingly treated. I am glad that her uncle stood up for her. When established rules are replaced by rules that screen out individuals, the words ‘unfair’ and ‘bias’ come to mind. I am disturbed that a local park district, which is publicly funded, would prevent a resident from displaying her work, and I’m appalled that the leadership of the Glenview Park District is sticking to their decision even if this was a mistake. I do not think they know what is morally wrong and what is right. The Glenview Park District is providing a disservice and a source of embarrassment for the residents of Glenview. The people of Glenview should demand a change in park district leadership. With diversity, new ideas and progress will flourish, and with opened minds and consideration of others, we will all come closer to living in peace.”
From California comes this letter from Elena Mangahas Co-Chair of the Little Manila Foundation: “The Castro case is a classic example of exclusivity in a publicly-funded institution, unchecked public policies, lack of vision and, in this case, an affront to the aspirations of a young artist. Who does Amber Blake work for? Is there a public advisory board that sets policies, or does Blake have a free hand in creating them as she finds necessary? What is the mission of the park district? I live in the city of Stockton, where over 100 languages are spoken and culture is embraced. People like Ms. Blake are required to recognize the diversity of our community and to be accountable for the way they run public programs.”
Richard Hahne agrees with another reader who wrote about the condition of McArthur Drive but disputes the claim that all of Glenview’s resources are going to The Glen: “During the past year, the village has resurfaced several streets in the area, so you can’t say neighborhoods other than The Glen are being neglected. I do, however, agree that McArthur is in terrible shape. It’s been deteriorating for the last three years. The patched patches are starting to break up, potholes and ruts are enlarging and loose asphalt is everywhere including sidewalks and lawns. This makes for dangerous driving conditions and is hazardous for pedestrians. The street is an accident waiting to happen.”
The Watch replies: Public Works Director Bill Porter agrees that McArthur is in sorry shape, and a sweeper has been dispatched to remove gravel from the roadway. Improvements were delayed, because Porter felt Shermer Road construction was trouble enough for area residents and because a major water main will have to be replaced before McArthur is fixed. He says it may be on the 2006 list of local streets to be rebuilt.
JS has a real estate proposition for the park district: “If administrators are considering a move to Milwaukee Avenue, why not also consider taking over the present library building? Would it provide the park district with enough room? Also consider whether the property on which the park district building now sits would be adequate for a new public library.”
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.