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The Glenview Watch
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GLEN FEST COULD DRAW TWENTY THOUSAND
A three-day food, fashion and music fest planned for this weekend could bring as many as 20,000 people to The Glen Town Center where Tower Drive will be closed and a stage built to accommodate two nationally-known rock bands. 10,000 Maniacs will perform Friday night from 8:15-10 p.m. The Violent Femmes headline Saturday’s show from 8 – 10 p.m., and a number of lesser-known musicians are set to perform earlier in the day. Curious? Glenfest has its own website with a complete listing of talent and activities: www.glenfest.com .
In addition to the entertainment, restaurants at Town Center will serve their specialties, and several retailers will take part in a fashion show organized by Barbizon. Its theme: “Looking California Hot on the North Shore.”
Admission to the event is $5 before 5 p.m. and $8 after. Proceeds benefit the Kohl Children’s Museum, which has promised special kids’ activities. Dick’s Sporting Goods will also offer programs for children, and the organizer promises “an eclectic mix of art and market vendors.”
Royal Allen of RAM Events says at least 10 Chicago police officers have been hired along with private security guards. The fest will also rely on volunteers who, in exchange for 2.5 hours of work, will get a t-shirt and refreshments at the VIP tent. To volunteer, e-mail volunteers@glenfest.com .
Allen’s previous productions include the Taste of Lincoln Park, Taste of Randolph, Taste of Illinois at the Illinois State Fair and his parents’ 50th anniversary party. He says the bands were chosen to draw an “older demographic.” That means people 25-50.
For those who don’t remember or never knew, 10,000 Maniacs formed in 1981 – taking their name from the cult horror movie Two Thousand Maniacs. The band’s best known member, singer Natalie Merchant, quit to launch a solo career in 1993 after recording MTV Unplugged. The remaining band members continued to perform with a new vocalist – Mary Ramsey – who sang on two albums issued in the late 90’s – Love Among the Ruins and The Earth Pressed Flat.
Another 80’s band, the Violent Femmes, was born in Milwaukee. The three founders – all guys -- took the name “femmes” from the local slang for wimps. MTV describes them as “the textbook American cult band,” and says they “captured the essence of teen angst with remarkable precision; raw and jittery, the trio’s music found little commercial success but emerged as the soundtrack for the lives of troubled adolescents the world over.”
Glenfest organizers hope some of those once-troubled teens will be coming down from Milwaukee to enjoy the show and discover The Glen Town Center.
Village officials give strong assurance that Glenview is ready for the onslaught from Chicago, its suburbs and neighboring cities, but a spokesman for the police department concedes it’s always difficult to prepare for an event that has never been staged before.
PENTAGON BACKS AWAY FROM MORE MILITARY HOUSING HERE
Late last year the Pentagon announced plans to sell most of its military housing in Glenview to a private developer who could rehab about 370 homes, then lease them to military families. With a private owner involved, Washington said Glenview could begin collecting property taxes on the 93-acre site.
By April, plans had changed, and Washington was no longer giving up military housing. In fact, it would keep 112 homes, rebuild 288 and add 16 units, bringing the total to 416. None of those properties would be taxable, although children would continue to attend local schools. “This was not what we asked for,” Village Manager Todd Hileman told the Glenview Announcements.
When the village appealed to Congressman Mark Kirk, he rattled the fiscal saber, saying he had weighed-in with the military. “It has been made blindingly clear to the Navy that a senior member of the Appropriations Committee [Kirk] wants less houses and more open space,” he said.
Wednesday, Washington reported the property would be sold to a private developer, making the land taxable, 250 military housing units would be built on 55 acres, and the remaining 38 acres would be used in some combination of open space and development.
Village President Kerry Cummings told the Chicago Tribune she was “very pleased” with the latest plan for a “balanced development.”
WINNETKA LAWYER TO CHALLENGE KIRK
Once again, a little-known Democrat has stepped up to challenge the Republican incumbent. Winnetka lawyer Zane Smith says he wants to represent the 10th congressional district and believes he can raise enough money to win. Kirk has amassed $1.2 million for next year’s race.
Smith, 47, serves on the Winnetka Park District and believes North Shore voters would prefer a more moderate candidate. Kirk has frequently voted for measures championed by the Bush administration.
State Senator Susan Garrett had considered challenging Kirk but was uneasy about the need to raise an enormous amount of cash. Party insiders say state Democrats were reluctant to promise strong financial support for Garrett since they’ve set their sights on re-electing Melissa Bean and winning the seat held by retiring Congressman Henry Hyde.
MOSQUE HEARING RESCHEDULED
A hearing on plans for a Muslim house of worship near the corner of Shermer and Golf was rescheduled at the request of the petitioner. The meeting will now be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 23 in the board room of Village Hall.
SHOOT OUT OVER WILLOW ROAD
Both Glenview and Northbrook are talking tough – telling the state they want Willow Road widened to four lanes through Northfield. Village President Kerry Cummings approached Gov. Rod Blagojevich during the Fourth of July parade to bend his ear on the subject, and Northbrook’s village board has voted to ask that IDOT construct turn lanes at several intersections in 2006 while acquiring right-of-way for additional expansion in future years.
Northfield’s village president warned that it’s not Glenview or Northbrook’s place to say what should happen in his community. John Birkinbine explained that he could propose a four-lane cloverleaf at Lake Avenue and the Tri-State. “Why couldn’t there be more traffic on Lake?” he asked. After all, Glenview has just built a whole new town along Lake Avenue.
NORTHBROOK RESIDENTS PROTEST TECHNY PLANS
Businessman Al Frake pulled his car onto the Techny Road parkway earlier this month to block heavy equipment headed for his yard. Nicor wanted to install a gas line in preparation for the widening of Techny Road. The stand-off lasted three hours, ending only after an official from the Cook County Highway Department met with Frake and assured him his property would be restored once the line was installed.
Earlier, a neighbor cried and begged village trustees to block plans for a bicycle path along the south side of the road. Debbie Marquez worried trucks visiting industrial properties along Techny would not see cyclists. “With the constant traffic, trains and businesses around, you’re just inviting danger,” she said. Northbrook’s new village president has told residents to take their concerns to the county.
MORE NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORS
-- After years of fighting, Morton Grove has given final approval for construction of a mosque with a 55-foot minaret and a 42-foot dome.
-- West Nile virus has arrived in the area. Officials say mosquitoes trapped in Northbrook, Des Plaines, Skokie and Wheeling carried the disease, and an infected bird was found dead in Des Plaines. No human cases have been reported, and the mosquito abatement guys will be spraying in Glenview on July 27 and 28.
-- The New Trier School Board has begun its search for a new superintendent. Hank Bangser plans to retire at the end of the next school year.
GOOD NEWS FOR FOOD FANS
-- Glenview’s farmers’ market is in full swing – selling fresh locally grown produce from 8 a.m. until noon each Saturday in the parking lot next to Jackman Park. In addition to fruit and vegetables, shoppers will find vendors selling fish, jams, jellies and flowers.
-- The Dessert Gourmet at 2300 Lehigh Avenue offers a workshop on making the prefect brunch from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, August 4. The cost is $35 per person. To register, call 847-486-0772.
FORE
The latest police report suggests foul play on the part of some golfers. First a Bonnie Glen resident reported two sets of golf clubs stolen. Those clubs were valued at $2,100. Then came word from The Glen Club. Somebody broke into the halfway snack shop on the night of July 21, then made off with 90 miniature liquor bottles and fifty cigars. (The Watch wonders: Were those thieves from Bonnie Glen celebrating?)
Then there were the lake bound criminals. An employee of the park district reported theft of a Big John row boat and the trailer kept with it at a maintenance garage at 800 Rolling Pass Road. That loss was estimated at $2,000. And a Deerfield resident reported the disappearance of a two-seat Malibu Ocean Kayak from the west side water docks at Valley Lo.
And, finally, police arrested three young men who could be the brains behind a fair amount of auto theft in Glenview. Neighbors called at around 2:30 a.m. to report the trio in the 3800 block of Harvest Lane checking car doors. Officers stopped them and recovered a Cobra radar detector, a Bang Olufson MP3 player, dollar coins, cologne, and close to $1000 in cash. The boys – all in their late teens -- were taken into custody. Police say the stolen stuff came from thirty to forty unlocked cars on Maple Leaf Drive and Harvest Lane. Investigating Detectives also recovered property linking the offenders to other burglaries near The Glen Town Center.
READERS WRITE
WK had a laugh when she saw the issues Glenview trustees want to tackle this year: “Glenview's special events policy and appearance code update? How long have we been promised a new appearance code? At least five years. And the special events policy has been reviewed ad nauseum. The forces that be won't touch this with a 10-foot pole for fear of political reprisals.” And on reading of plans to hire two new managers she adds: “The village will hire a new human resources director and someone to oversee information technology? Those two employees will each be paid about $100,000 per year? How does the village manager explain this expansion to the taxpayers who were assured The Glen would not lead to bigger government? This is an outrage.”
FL sounds off about the new police station, the pools and more: “Now that the wraps are off the new police station, I saw for the first time a monstrosity that seems such a waste of space and money. It’s ostentatious for a community with our population. Are we a village or a big city? Of course, expansion at The Glen has added to crime. (Build it and they will come!) I also dislike the cutesy lettering on our village police cars. I just like big, bold, letters that say “POLICE” and are recognizable from distance. Greater visibility could help prevent crime and bring greater peace of mind for citizens as the cars cruise neighborhoods. While on the soap box, I think the new pools are fine. However, the total hours of operation seem a little skimpy. And wasn’t there supposed to be a time reserved for seniors to swim? If our senior population is growing, what are we doing to serve seniors better? We eat out a lot in Glenview. I look at restaurant help sometimes and wonder who is watching out for our health and monitoring good sanitation from the time food arrives at the restaurant's back door to its arrival at my table? Who is responsible here? And, finally, as a long-time supporter of a four-lane highway all the way through Northfield, I think now is the time to let the opponents know their actions are being watched by plenty of voters. Willow Road has two connections to expressways: the Edens and the Tri-State. Lake Avenue does not. Dundee does not. Yet these two non-connectors have been improved to four-laners. Let's get Willow Road widened through Northfield to avoid traffic bottlenecks, to facilitate the easier movement of heavy traffic from the expanded Kraft headquarters, the commercial traffic from The Glen and a break for all the other communities who have more traffic now than they need.”
The Watch replies: The village has a regular restaurant inspection program, with three people keeping an eye on about 260 restaurants.
A concerned senior responds to Bill Dose’s comment about a relatively new mixed use development on the southeast corner of Glenview and Waukegan roads: “While I admire William Dose for his unfailing thoughtful concern for Glenview, I must somewhat disagree with his unstinting praise for The Cloisters. For me the problem is parking. Often I find myself going east on Glenview Rd thinking longingly of a butterscotch milkshake or a brandy ice cream hot fudge sundae at Oberweis or perhaps a new paperback from Alibi Books. Whether or not I turn into the Cloisters to purchase these pleasurable items depends on the time of day. In the early morning or early afternoon I can be assured of parking. Other times I know the parking will be crowded, and I do not want to negotiate what I feel is inadequate, tightly spaced parking. Let me voice my plea for plenty of parking for the new downtown. Also train parking has to be near the trains, because some senior citizens and those with handicaps cannot walk long distances.”
DTW is keeping watch over public works waterers: “I was amused by the sight of two village employees out watering on Waukegan Road near Dewes Street last Wednesday. One was holding the hose, the other standing by for moral support. Did you miss that spot, Bub? They were there at 8:30 when I left the house and still watering at 8:41.”
Last week we pointed out that while new residential development would bring additional tax dollars, it would also bring extra expense. CM replied: “Did you ever think that if residential development were allowed near Shermer and Golf that new residents would be shopping in Glenview and most likely supporting local businesses? Maybe even in our downtown area! True, the tax dollars would not go to our schools, but Maine Township schools are in desperate need of money. Retaining light industrial zoning would eliminate the school/tax issue and still bring money to our town, which is much needed any way you look at it! Nicor was a beautiful neighbor. We have no complaints!”
The Watch replies: We pointed out that the money would not go to Glenview schools to correct a neighbor of yours who thought District 34 might benefit. You’re right that Maine Township schools need money, but they don’t need the expense of more students. And while new residents might shop in Glenview, you could also make the case that people attending the mosque might have dinner at The Glen before Friday night services. These tax arguments go round and round. NICOR was a great neighbor. The company had almost no impact on the neighborhood. Alas, keeping light industrial zoning will not guarantee another tenant with so few employees. You could end up with hundreds of people coming to an office building at rush hour – which is why the plan commission seems likely to reject your call to keep that zoning.
Last week we advised Ron to contact the police department with traffic concerns. This week he writes: “I talked to Sgt. Urbanowski last year and basically got a run around. She claimed police enforced the speed limit on Dewes to the tune of 14 tickets a year. WOW!”
MS says Cook County isn’t the only one having tree trouble this summer: “We all seem to be aware of the county's neglect of newly planted trees along Lake Ave., but I have noticed that five of eight newly-planted trees near to the entrance at Flick's new pool complex are dead. I don't believe we can hold the county responsible for them.”
Mr. Clean remains concerned about a consultant’s proposal for five-story condo buildings in downtown Glenview: “Until resident apathy ends and citizens say ‘enough is enough’ the developers will continue to rule. We can’t count on commissions to keep developers in check. Tasteful minimalism, a lost concept in Glenview, can only be brought back by citizens speaking up.”
LR thinks tax increment financing downtown would deprive our schools of money they would normally get if development were to happen without government involvement: “Supposing we let market forces prevail. A property owner sells his land along Waukegan Road -- a commercial corridor with over 38,000 cars a day passing the spot, and a mixed use development is built. Let's assume the property now has a four- story building instead of a one-story. Can you imagine the incremental increase in property assessments? You've got to ask why District 34 wouldn't want their 38 percent of that windfall, since it is going to happen without a TIF and without the village taking the schools’ rightful share for the next 23 years. It doesn't make any sense.”
Mary V is frustrated by new traffic restrictions at Chestnut and Lehigh: “I realize they have recently put a no turn on red sign heading east on Chestnut from Lehigh but is that truly necessary? I drive that way each day at approximately 7:45 a.m. and the traffic is almost always backed up to Thistle, blocking all of Lehigh. I can understand no turn on red when there is a train approaching, but this traffic jam is not necessary. What happened to common sense? A driver should look, and if there is no traffic approaching from the left, can cross the tracks on a red light. If a train is approaching, the neon arrow lights up and the driver doesn't cross the tracks. Also, have the Glenview police observed how many drivers ignore that no turn on red sign? I can see why drivers get frustrated and ignore the signs and laws.”
MD worries about crime at The Glen: “I believe that crime in The Glen is underreported. Several of my friends who live in The Glen have told me of break-ins, attempted break ins, suspicious looking people driving around, and mail boxes being run over. Does anyone else know of crimes that haven't appeared in the local press? I want my friends in The Glen to be careful, lock their doors, shut their garages and report any suspicious looking people.”
The Watch replies: Glenview’s police chief says the department routinely reports all reported crimes, but not every crime is reported to the police. Sometimes the value of a stolen item isn't worth the hassle, or it may fall below their insurance deductible.”
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.