PIONEER PRESS GETS NEW BOSS, NEW DIRECTION

 

Watch for the Glenview Announcements to take a new direction. Editor in Chief John Ambrosia says the suburban chain has traditionally assigned one reporter to each of its communities, but The Chicago Reader says he’ll now take about one-fifth of the reporters and put them on broader beats that include business and regional issues.  “We do a magnificent job of covering school boards, municipal governments, civic events, but not so much covering regional and business issues with local import,” he told his staff. “For instance, we have lots of publicly held companies in our coverage area, but we don’t do a good job of interviewing CEOs.”

 

Ambrosia said readers would not see his new ideas on paper for a couple of months, but he moved swiftly to make one change – firing long-time columnist Ed Schwartz.  The former radio personality had been writing a column for five years, so he was puzzled when something he wrote in February failed to appear.  When he phoned his editor, she passed him up the chain of command to Ambrosia who explained that Schwartz’s column was no longer wanted, since it did not focus exclusively on issues in local communities.

 

Schwartz forwarded e-mail he got from unhappy readers, and he got Chicago Alderman Bernie Stone to write a letter on his behalf, but Ambrosia did not respond.  Then a group called the Meigs Action Coalition announced it would honor Schwartz for columns attacking Mayor Daley’s middle-of-the-night land grab.

 

Schwartz wrote to Ambrosia:  “It should be something of a challenge for me accepting the 2005 public service award from the Meigs Action Coalition for my local journalism on their local story.  Somehow I must craft the words to explain how relevant efforts like this caused you to fire me.”

 

Ambrosia sent no reply.  “I’m happy he got recognized for the work he did on Meigs Field, but Meigs Field is not a local story for the neighborhoods we cover,” the editor told Chicago Reader reporter Mike Minor. 

Schwartz said he could easily have changed the focus of his column if he’d been given a chance. 

 

Editor’s note:  If this means puff pieces about the CEO of Kraft Foods or Avon, we’ll pass.  The business pages of metro publications and national magazines give us plenty of that, and we’re hard pressed to see how such information is “local.” What the Pioneer Press really needs is more thoughtful reporting that provides context for residents to evaluate the actions of local officials, but that could prove controversial and costly to publications that depend on advertising dollars from real estate, banking and other business interests.  It’ll be far safer and more profitable to deliver rosy portraits of corporate business leaders.

TRIBUNE REPORTS ON PARK CENTER CONTROVERSY

 

Earlier this year, Watch readers learned about the case of Kristina Castro, a young Glenview artist who painted five canvases for Park Center.  A student at the Chicago Art Institute, she was told that local artists could exhibit on a temporary basis if their work was not offensive.  Castro’s art is colorful and abstract, featuring images from nature.  It was not to the liking of Amber Blake, a district staffer charged with deciding what can go up on the walls of Park Center.

 

Blake wrote Castro, saying the opportunity was only available to professional artists represented by galleries.  The news upset Kristina and outraged her uncle, a long-time Glenview resident who thought perhaps his niece was the target of discrimination.  While Castro is Filipina, Rey de la Cruz noted, her surname is Hispanic.

 

He protested to the park district but received no response, prompting a letter to Congressman Mark Kirk who forwarded the complaint to Illinois’ attorney general.  Last Friday, Chicago Tribune reporter Trine Tsouderos picked up the story.  Her front page account in the Metro section quoted Superintendent of Leisure Services Bob Quill.

 

“A big part of the art world is accepting rejection and moving forward,” he said.  “I feel really bad that the while thing has turned into an attack on people personally rather than an artistic difference of opinion.”

 

Editor’s note:  Editor’s note:  This story has never been about anyone personally.  It’s always been about policy – poor policy that alienates residents and makes Glenview look bad.   “A big part of the art world is accepting rejection and moving forward?” How about: “A big part of public service is accepting criticism, making apologies when you’ve screwed up and fixing the problem.”

 

Equally disturbing is the silence from park board members who have allowed this community to twist in the metropolitan wind for weeks, saying absolutely nothing about yet another administrative failure.  When the board moves to hire a new executive director, we can only hope that it picks someone who understands public relations.

 

MORE ON HOW THE PARK DISTRICT DOES BUSINESS

 

This is not the first time park district conduct has raised questions about how that branch of government does business, nor is it the first time Quill and his employees have raised the ire of residents. 

 

Consider the case of Mark Steger, president of Citizens Organized for Wagner’s, a community group that opposed several park district policies involving Wagner Farm.  Steger, his wife Beth and their five children live in a home adjacent to the farm.  Late one summer night in 2003 her 10-year-old son and two of his cousins were camping out in Steger’s back yard.  A storm was coming in.  Mrs. Steger was awake.  She went to check on the kids and says she saw a man next to her fence.  When she called out to him, she says he ran away.

 

The following day, Steger made some calls and learned that the mystery man was Farm Director Todd Price, who reports to Bob Quill. When the Stegers complained about the apparent invasion of privacy, the park district’s lawyer, Sam Witwer, replied with a letter to Mark Steger.

 

“Todd Price was proximate to your property because he had every right and duty to be there,” Witwer wrote.  “He was investigating a disturbance reported to the park district by neighbors and farm staff involving the use of illegal fireworks emanating at or around your property.  During his visit, he discovered a home-made mortar consisting of a three-inch PVC tube imbedded in a sand base and aimed through your fence into the farm property.  Such a device is familiar to us all as a launching mechanism for pyrotechnics and various forms of projectiles.  The Park District is in possession of photographs which indicate the mortar’s position, location and purpose.”

 

Beth Steger says neighbors always set off fireworks in their cul de sac around the Fourth of July, but they don’t point mortars toward the farm.  She told Witwer that her kids did launch a single bottle rocket into their front yard, but she did not approve and ordered them to stop.  Witwer challenged that claim.

 

“Close up photographs of the device show charring which is inconsistent with a single launch of a bottle rocket,” the lawyer wrote. 

“The district did nothing which requires a defense or apology,” he continued.  Indeed, because Beth Steger may have told neighbors that Price was “sneaking around” her property, Witwer demanded she send a written apology.  “Mrs. Steger’s remarks were highly prejudicial in nature and seem to have been designed to impugn him in the eyes of the listener, suggesting some untoward or mischievous conduct.”

 

Asked about Price’s behavior, Quill told The Watch that he was completely comfortable.  “Everyone has their own style of doing things. I think we try to deal with it neighbor to neighbor.  I wouldn’t call the police on them. Legal action is the last recourse.”

 

Quill insisted Price was not spying on the Stegers.  "He was never on their property and was not photographing their yard.  He was taking a picture of a mortar on our property – sticking through our fence.  Their house just happened to be in the background." 

 

Less than a year later, Price was back.  A neighbor phoned Mark Steger to warn that “a farm employee was sneaking around your fence and may be taking pictures.”  On April 13, 2004 Steger wrote to the parks’ executive director, Tom Richardson. “Can you shed some light on what was going on?” he asked.

 

On May 6, Bob Quill replied. “The practice of using Wagner Farm as a driving range is of great concern to the Glenview Park District,” he wrote.  “Aside from the danger to livestock from either being hit by or ingesting the golf balls, it is entirely inappropriate to be using a site of this nature for such an activity.  Should we continue to find golf balls on farm property, the District will have no other choice than to turn the issue over to the police department,” he wrote.

 

 Quill enclosed a color photo showing two golf balls a few yards from the Steger’s fence on Wagner property.  He claims to have a pail containing 100 or more golf balls that were hit from the Steger’s yard.  

 

Beth Steger scoffs at the assertion that her kids use the farm as a driving range.  “We do practice golf in our backyard.  We also play baseball, hockey, volleyball, football and soccer.  From time to time, a ball or some other item will go over the fence.  There is simply no way to prevent it,” she explained.  “We consider unauthorized photography of private property to be an invasion of privacy, trespass and harassment.”

 

Editor's note:  While Quill may have meant well in resisting the urge to call police, it would have been entirely appropriate to do so. Glenview's finest are authorized to investigate complaints of this kind and are trained to do so in a professional manner.  Government officials should always act in an above-board way that's prescribed by law rather than taking matters into their own hands.

THE NAKED TRUTH AT PARK CENTER

 

Glenview police have charged a 44-year-old Northbrook man with criminal trespass to property and disorderly conduct after he stepped out of the locker room at Park Center in the buff.  Bond was set at $1,000.  He appears in court later this month.

 

GLEN WATCHING

-- The owner of Carrot Top, an old-fashioned grocer doing business on Old Willow Road, says he will not take space at The Glen Town Center.  Carrot Top was approached by developer OliverMcMillan after The Market, which had occupied space at The Glen, went bankrupt.

-- Hangar One is still searching for a home where memorabilia from the former Glenview Naval Air Station can be shown, but the group has sold its two Vietnam War helicopters to the Volo Auto Museum. That organization, on 30 acres northwest of Glenview, features 300 antique cars and a new exhibit called Combat Zone -- recreations of battle scenes using special sound effects and lighting.  Volo is now restoring the Glenview choppers and will put mannequins at the controls.

 

POWERFUL INTERESTS PUSH TALL BUILDINGS

 

During months of public hearings on the future of downtown Glenview, area residents made it clear they were not comfortable with buildings taller than two stories on Glenview Road.  At hearing after hearing, consultants presented three, four and five-story options, but participants railed against them.

 

Now, a report in the Glenview Journal has upset some of those residents.  Reporter Mike Sebastian writes about a public statement by Downtown Planning Committee Chairman Kimball Woodrow:  “Woodrow addressed a theme that has emerged from the numerous meetings and public forums hosted by [his committee] – the public’s seeming disregard for a downtown that is tightly packed with buildings and that rises more than four stories above street level.  The message delivered by the community is very clear, Woodrow said March 14.  The need is there to maintain a small town feel without enormity like Evanston.”

 

Critics are alarmed by the suggestion that something under five stories would be acceptable to most residents, and they point out that one building in Evanston is 22 stories tall. 

 

Sebastian continues: “Consultants and business professionals have said that without height and density, companies may not be attracted to downtown Glenview because they may not receive the desired financial return on their investment.”

 

That sentiment is echoed by attorney Mike Downing who represents Glenview State Bank, Bess Hardware, Grandpa’s Place, The Noodle and Glenview House – a consortium of downtown businesses with its own vision for the future.  He told the Journal: “We’ve heard that people don’t want tall buildings, yet that is what it might take for property owners – the private sector – to develop [downtown].  People may have to make sacrifices.”

 

Editor’s note:  Actually, people don’t have to make any sacrifices. Current zoning does not allow buildings taller than three stories on Glenview or Waukegan roads.  But let’s suppose that Downing’s group would like to change the rules for their own profit.  And let’s suppose that officials at Village Hall would like to have nice, new digs. Municipal money is tight, but they could sell their current site on Waukegan Road to a private developer for a good price if zoning allowed for a tall new structure there.    

 

Stay tuned.  Consultants hired to help plan the downtown area hope to present their plan at a meeting in early May, and a final public meeting to discuss downtown -- set for April 21 -- has been cancelled.  Evidently, the consultants have heard enough.

THE GREEN SCENE

 

-- Northbrook is celebrating its gardeners with a new service – collecting photographs of beautiful front, back and side yards to be printed in local publications, displayed on websites (http://www.northbrook.il.us/  www.northbrook.info/gov_eqc.php) and on local cable.  The idea is to increase interest in different types of gardens, to encourage various types of gardening.  Organizers also hope to promote wise use of water, and protection of wildlife.

 

-- The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County is collecting old athletic shoes – grinding the soles into material that can be used to pave the surfaces of running tracks and basketball courts.  Bring your unwanted shoes to Wilmette Village Hall, 1200 Wilmette Avenue or the community center at 3000 Glenview Road until April 26.

 

 

PRESERVING THE PAST, PROTECTING THE FUTURE

 

Glenview is one of just 13 communities to get a state grant for historic preservation.  The village received nearly $10,000 to do an architectural survey of the residential area adjacent to and west of downtown. A total of 365 structures will be studied for possible inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places or for local landmark status.  The village’s historic preservation commission will work with a professional survey company to do the job this summer.

 

WASHINGTON WATCH

 

Glenview’s two Congressional representatives split on the controversial bill to give federal courts a say in the Terri Schiavo case.  As he often does, Representative Mark Kirk lined up squarely behind President George Bush to support the measure, while Democrat Jan Schakowsky, who was not on hand for the vote, said she opposed it.

 

SAVE THE DATE

 

-- Watch reader Bob McEwen invites the public to a reading of his play – The Pull Toy—at Chicago Dramatists at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7.   It’s a comedy about an assault on a bookish Italian high school student.  The incident triggers an investigation and  showdown between the principal and the school’s pre-eminent hood, who seeks to exact justice in a manner more Sicilian. For details, go to http://www.chicagodramatists.org/

 

-- If tax time has you in a tizzy, call the Glenview Public Library and schedule a 30-minute appointment with a certified financial planner on Wednesday, April 13 from 9 a.m.- noon.  Call the number below for an appointment and bring your federal and state tax documents. The library provides multiple copies of many tax instruction booklets and forms free-of- charge. Librarians can help you find what you need. On Tuesday, May 17, the library offers free one-hour appointments with a financial pro from 9–11 a.m. Register at the Information Desk, 847- 729-7500, ext. 112.

 

-- If you need help with your resume, interview tips or career advice, schedule time with a career counselor at no charge, 9 a.m.-noon Tuesday, April 12. Call the Information Desk at (847) 729-7500 ext. 112 to reserve a time. Walk-ins will be served as time permits.

 

The Glenview Symphony will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 5 in Glenbrook South High School’s auditorium – 4000 W. Lake --  with Northbrook’s former mayor Mark Damisch playing piano.  Admission will be free.  Tax-deductible contributions can be made to American Music Festivals.  For more information, call 847-920-9569.

 

 

NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORS

 

-- Northbrook residents are still puzzling over the sudden departure of their police chief, Ray Arthurs.  He left after five years on the job and will be paid $38,000 to consult for the next four months.  Village Manager John Novinson is mum, saying only that it’s his job to hire and fire police chiefs.  The head of the officers’ union, Detective Dan Strickland, told the Pioneer Press, “We are very grateful that Mr. Novinson took things into his hands. The situation is definitely better now.”  Acting Police Chief Michael Green will hold down the fort while Northbrook searches for a new chief.  He says there was “nothing sinister” about Arthur’s departure.  “For him it was time to go.”

 

-- Wilmette has elected five new people to serve on its village board: Alan Swanson, John Levin, Lali Watt, Mari Terman and Joanne Aggens.  Development of the community’s  business districts was a hot topic, and one candidate predicts possible improvements along Green Bay Road and at Edens Plaza early in his four-year term.

 

-- In the first contested election in 20 years, Kenilworth picked Tolbert Chisum to be its next president. Chisum, who chaired the Northfield Township Republican Party and was Kenilworth’s village clerk for eight years, challenged the political establishment by forming a ticket to run against the caucus-endorsed candidates and won the presidency by three votes.  His ally Katie Dold White was also elected to the village board, while Cristy Laier and Jackie Bossu from the Kenilworth Citizens Party had caucus backing and enough votes to become trustees.  Chisum and his teammates asked for and got an endorsement from Congressman Mark Kirk.  They also outspent their opponents 4-1.  About a thousand people went to the polls in a town of about 2,400.

 

-- Incumbents retained their seats on the Wheeling Village Board, with Greg Klatecki winning a third term as village president.  Morton Grove, on the other hand, rejected the party that had dominated politics there for 25 years, electing challengers to be mayor, village clerk and trustees.  Rick Krier won the top spot.

 

The following account was sent to readers on our e-mailing list last Wednesday.  If you’re not part of that group but would like to be, send us a note at glenviewwatch@aol.com .

 

BECK WINS BIG WITH VOTERS

 

Incumbent Park District Commissioner Judy Beck was the big winner in Tuesday’s local elections, securing 1,747 votes to retain one of two available seats on Glenview’s park board.  Michael Scholl, a Golf resident who helped organize the successful referendum to replace Flick and Roosevelt Pools, was also a winner with 1,398.  Two political newcomers from The Glen, David Kassner and Edward Leszynski, fell short of victory, getting 1,012 and 982 votes, respectively.

 

Beck’s victory may be a function of strong name recognition.  She has served on the board for 25 years, but her victory may also reflect support for environmental issues.  She has championed green building practices and supported preservation of some land for passive recreation – walking, jogging and bird watching.

 

As expected, an unopposed ticket led by Kerry Cummings secured three seats on the village board and the presidency.  Cummings was the biggest vote getter at 2,045.  Pat Cuisinier got 1,934 votes, Debbie Karton had 1,918 and Paul Detlefs received 1,905 votes.  No tally of write-in votes for village president and board was available.

 

Four people were elected to the library board, including long-time residents Ellen Scholly (1,734 votes) and Claire McGuire (1,681 votes), incumbent Jack Neymark (1,496 votes) and former District 225 school board member David Winton (1,380).  A bid by Michael Lukasiewicz fell short by 66 votes.

 

At just over 2,000, voter turn-out was extraordinarily low. The 1997 election, in which residents agreed to raise park district taxes to acquire soccer fields and Wagner Farm, drew nearly 9,000 people to the polls, and many new voters have moved to The Glen since that time.

NORTHBROOK’S BIG SURPRISE

 

Despite an endorsement from the local caucus and the Pioneer Press, voters in Northbrook rejected a re-election bid by Mark Damisch who has served as village president for the past 12 years. The winner – with more than 60 percent of the vote -- was Gene Marks, a political newcomer who heads a commission that regulates security alarms in Northbrook.  Marks was a vocal critic of Damisch, blaming him for a lack of development in the community, complaining that village government had grown too big and that the fire chief hired on Damisch’s watch spent more time in Springfield and Washington than in Northbrook. Chief Jay Reardon has won awards for his state and national leadership in the fight against terrorism.

Marks has said he wants an office at Village Hall so he can keen an eye on staff there. He describes himself as “pro-development,” and pledged to bring “more tax revenue to Northbrook.” Last year, Northbrook raised property taxes by 3 percent, but the village still faces a deficit of $2-$3 million this year.  

READERS WRITE

 

Mary Sacoff writes about the call for a tall downtown:  “It’s déjà vu all over again. Haven’t we been there and done this before? In 1998, the Village considered three massive high-rises in the heart of downtown Glenview. Those plans included buildings looming 45 feet high creating a canyon effect, crowding as many as a hundred people into a one-acre site, with zero setback lines. When the community objected to three-story buildings, we were told, ‘You had your chance to speak before. Now it is too late. It isn’t fair to the developers.’ Or we were admonished for not expressing our concerns to the Downtown Redevelopment Commission, comprising the usual pro development suspects, advocating an overhaul of Glenview’s zoning to get the ‘ball rolling.’ Now we have the new and improved Downtown Planning Commission, with a large budget and teams of consultants, which again is heading down the road of changing zoning, possibly creating another TIF district (development costs borne by Glenview taxpayers), and encouraging four and five-story buildings in the downtown corridors. This is troubling for at least two reasons. First, I can’t imagine that all the quiet, peaceful neighborhoods tucked behind Waukegan and Glenview Roads are aware that the ball is in play again and that the developers have possession. Plus, the goal post has shifted from three-story buildings to four and five-story buildings. And make no mistake: four – and most certainly, five-story buildings are high-rises if you are living in a home abutting them. Under the guise of an open and transparent process, the only voices that have emerged in the press and in the consultants’ recaps of public opinion are the views that favor developers and those who stand to profit from doing away with controls and moderation for development.

 

“Second, the argument has been unfairly framed. In essence, the question put is whether we would prefer four and five-story buildings on Waukegan Road or Glenview roads. The real question, of course, is whether we want four or five-story high-rises downtown at all.

 

“The ball is in play again, and now is the time to make your voices heard. Send a message that debunks the myth that the community embraces four and five story high-rises in our downtown. Mail your comments to Trustee Kim Woodrow, Glenview Village Hall, 1225 Waukegan Road, Glenview, IL 60025 or email them to him at trusteewoodrow@aol.com.”

 

Maria Isasi defends the park district against charges of racism in the selection of art: “I am currently exhibiting at Park Center. I was born in Mexico City, my last name is Spanish, and I have nothing but good things to say about how the Glenview Park District people received my work. There was no racism whatsoever. That is ridiculous. The staff was very professional, friendly and specific about being a professional artist to be able to exhibit there. Being an artist for seven years and having exhibited in some galleries, I have experienced sometimes rejection because some artwork just doesn't fit the style or quality of one gallery but fits another. That is what artists have to go through: look and find where our artwork fits.  Rejection or acceptance comes with the package.   Art is about the artist expressing him/herself.  Trying to transfer a good peaceful feeling through a piece of art is a good objective.  Trying to force and talking bad about places that reject our art work cannot bring a good feeling about the art piece or the artist.”

 

The Watch replies:  Art isn’t always about making people feel peaceful, and there’s nothing wrong with complaining when you’re unhappy with the way administrators are behaving – especially in a democracy.  This country celebrates people like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King who stood up to wrong-headed officials.  While the park district may not have discriminated based on race, its policy barring students is discriminatory and should be changed.  Park Center is not a gallery, nor is it Bob Quill’s living room.  Park Center belongs to a diverse community, and the art that’s displayed there should reflect that.  We favor the example set by Oak Park where the local arts council tries to make space for any resident artist who wants to exhibit, as long as his or her work is not offensive.

 

RP agrees: “It is still evident that the park district’s Superintendent of Leisure Services lacks objectivity in the decision to exclude Ms. Castro’s work.  The district has no procedure for choosing art to be shown at Park Center and no sensitivity towards the people they serve.”

 

A long-time village resident hopes the library will be expanded, not rebuilt: “I wholeheartedly agree with Barbara Hines about the GNAS museum, John Ranz and Terry Wodder about our library.  They’re three good common sense people with excellent heads on their shoulders!  I’m sure I have lots of company.”

SF is also in the Ranz and Wodder camp: “As a Glenview resident, I agree with Terry Wodder and John Ranz  that we need to keep our current library, add on as needed, and save millions of dollars.  Do you know where I can go to help this cause?  I have left notes at the library, but I am sure there is a group out there who also supports
our views.”

The Watch replies:  You can contact the group committed to building on, not building new, by e-mail.  The address is  SOLDGLENVIEW@aol.com .

 

Les worries about the architectural character of our community: “If there’s a central theme to the development that’s going on in Glenview it’s not apparent.  The Glen is an example, as is the downtown town area.  Glenview is rapidly losing its character, flow and identity, and we can't expect consultants to stand in the way.  After all, the consultant's mantra goes like this:  If you're not part of the solution, there's great money to be made in prolonging the problem. In the end it's all about money and how smart people can become dumb through ego manipulation.  The legacy of Glenview city management will be akin to that of the Native Americans selling the island of Manhattan for some worthless trinkets.  The Glen could have been something very special by being, well, so much less."  

 

Mary Butler writes about residents who object to the look of Wagner Farm and the fate of its older animals: “It just blows my mind that people give a whip if the Wagner Farm barn is red, natural or green.  It’s not important.  And as far as the animals on the farm, what do you think farmers do?  Do they have a fund providing life time care for aged animals?  Concentrate on humans, not animals.”