FIRE CHIEF TO STEP DOWN

Glenview Fire Chief Dan Bonkowski has reportedly reached an agreement with the village to step down just before Christmas.  Village Hall won’t say why Bonkowski, who was well-liked by local firefighters and the public, went on administrative leave in October, but sources say a clash with Village Manager Todd Hileman over fire department policies may have prompted a call for Bonkowski’s resignation. 

Perhaps in exchange for a promise not to sue the village, the chief was allowed to stay on the payroll long enough to qualify for a pension.  He has held the job since October 2002.  On taking the oath of office, Bonkowski told the village board he would serve as a "department head, leader, mentor, cheerleader, coach, shepherd, steward, motivator and teacher."

"I give to you 31 years of dedicated fire service," the Northbrook veteran said. "I pledge to this fine community my energy, my enthusiasm, my absolute and total dedication." Saying he would be "open to change," Bonkowski added, "Our fire department will become a premiere department recognized as number one on the North Shore."

Editor’s note:  Here is a man who was passionate about his job and about providing the best possible fire protection and emergency medical services to residents.  Did Manager Hileman think Bonkowski was spending too much on fire protection and emergency medical service?  Did Bonkowski feel Hileman was spending too little?  Did he feel the village needed some new equipment or software?  Did he quibble with the number of employees in his department?  Did he think it would be a mistake to close Glenview’s downtown fire station so the village could collect some extra cash from developers?    These are substantive questions to which the public deserves honest answers.  Instead, it appears the private disputes of public officials will remain secret as tax dollars are spent to send Bonkowski quietly packing. 

PARK DISTRICT PICKS DIRECTOR FROM GURNEE

Glenview’s park board has chosen Charles Balling to replace Tom Richardson as executive director of the district. Balling has run Gurnee’s parks for nearly a decade, keeping tabs on a large community center, pool complex and beach along with 24 neighborhood parks comprising more than 300 acres.  He was selected from a field of 31 candidates and will be paid $155,000 a year.  He’ll also have the use of a car and a house where he’ll live with wife Marlene and their three children: Anna, 13, Julia, 11, and Alexandra, 7.

During his tenure, Gurnee won the 2004 National Park and Recreation Association award for excellence in aquatics and the 2002 Illinois Park and Recreation Association Outstanding Facility award for the Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center and boasted one of the top safety and life guarding programs in the nation. Balling himself was recognized by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association in 1999.  He also served as director of leisure services for Elmhurst and Homewood-Flossmoor.   

In making the announcement, park board members lauded Balling’s expertise in finance, technology and marketing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Parks and Recreation Administration from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s from DePaul University. Balling starts work here on March 6.

SCHOOL NEWS AND BLUES

--  District 34 has hired four people to replace retiring principals at Lyon, Pleasant Ridge, Henking and Attea schoools. Among them is Kevin Dorken, Westbrook's technology guru.  Dorken was picked to lead Lyon School despite being named in a lawsuit after the death of a Hoffman sixth grader who choked while eating marshmallows.  He was the classroom teacher in charge but had left the room to find a janitor when the child began having trouble breathing.  Last year Dorken was hired as a principal in Winnetka, but parents were not informed of the incident, and when they learned about it, they objected.  Dorken then decided not to take the job.  In announcing his appointment here, School Board President Sue Ellen Galligan said a district investigation into the death of Casey Fish found no negligence on Dorken’s part.

Matthew Rich, a principal from Oswego District 308, was chosen to replace Rosemary Lorenzo as principal of Pleasant Ridge School. Neal Siegellak, assistant to the principal at Windsor School in Arlington Heights, has been hired to replace Pam Cullotta as principal of Henking School, and James Woell, associate principal at Thomas Middle School in Arlington Heights, will be the new principal at Attea.

-- The Glenview Park Foundation will provide $100,000 of the $190,000 needed to construct new playgrounds at Springman and Attea Middle Schools.  Work on those facilities will begin at the end of this school year, although officials plan to assemble part of a play set in the gym at Springman for an assembly on Monday.  

POLITICAL PAL DEFENDS TRUSTEES’ TAX HIKE

Village President Kerry Cummings blamed growing pension costs and “the type of standards and quality that is expected in our community in terms of roads and transportation” for a property tax hike she and the other trustees approved unanimously at the last meeting of the village board.

During a public hearing, only two residents spoke.  The Godfather of Cummings’ political party, Jim Smirles, said he was happy to pay higher taxes, noting the village share of his bill was $366 – slightly less than he paid last year.  “What are we getting for this?” he mused.  “For a dollar a day, I’m getting the best police protection I can get. I know the fire department is going to be there.  As you probably all know, I’ve had two or three heart attacks.  I had a 100% blockage and the paramedics took me to Glenbrook Hospital, and I didn’t get a bill for that.”

Smirles chuckled at that, then moved on to more mundane matters. “I know when I turn my water on, it comes on.  The streets are plowed and everything else.  I turn on my TV.  GVTV is there.  For a dollar a day,” he concluded, “I think that’s a pretty good deal.”

Smirles was equally pleased with his bill for park district services. “I haven’t visited Roosevelt Pool or Flick Park since I outgrew my Speedo a few years ago, but I do go to the Grove.  I do go to the Wagner Farm,” said the portly former village president.  “If they need some more money, I’m more than willing to participate in that, and the library the same way,” he said – giving the place a folksy pronunciation.  “I don’t use the liberry like the majority of the people do, but whenever I need the liberry, it is there.  If the liberry needs more money to build a new thing and you people agree that’s what it is, it’s worth it to me to put that money into it.”

Smirles thought county taxes were too high.“We give Cook County more money than we give the village,” he noted, “but that’s my decision.  If I didn’t like it, I should move out of Cook County, but I’m proud of Cook County and I want to stay here.  So what am I saying, Madame President?  I’m saying that, ‘Yes, you’ve done an excellent job keeping the tax dollars down.  I think you’ve done a good job in holding the thing down, and I’m willing to give you another 10 cents a day if you continue doing what you’re doing.”

Swainwood resident and financial watchdog John Brennan also appeared to speak on Glenview’s 2006 budget.  He wondered why healthcare premiums for village employees’ health coverage had risen 12.5 percent when District 225’s premiums rose just 3.4 percent.   

He chided Smirles for failing to include village utility and sales taxes in his analysis.   “To do this properly, we would need your phone bill, your NICOR bill, your phone bill, your receipts from Dominick’s and everywhere else,” he explained.

“Taxes are too high already,” Brennan said.  The village had admitted as much when it gave tax breaks to new corporate taxpayers like Anixter and Belltone.  “Anixter has over $160 million in cash.  Its major stock holder is Sam Zell, one of the richest people in the world, and we’re going to give them our money, yet you want us to pay more.  That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

He questioned Glenview’s decision to pay for a new post office and argued, “We shouldn’t have done that.  The post office made $2.4 billion in net income last year.”

Tracking the costs of local government, Brennan noted they were up more than 50 percent in a period of modest inflation with Glenview’s population growing just 7 percent. 

Noting that local schools and the county would soon be asking for more tax dollars, he suggested any increase in Glenview’s property tax be made voluntary. 

WOODROW INSISTS VILLAGE IS SOLVENT

Last week, the Watch quoted Downtown Redevelopment Committee Chairman Kimball Woodrow on what would happen if downtown parking lots and other properties were sold.  “While there may be a net benefit of some sort as the result of a land sale, that doesn’t necessarily mean those monies get channeled into the downtown,” Woodrow warned. “You can’t make that presumption.  How those monies are used, how they’re factored into the overall village budget is an issue that will be dealt with [by the village board]. So to the extent that you’re sitting there feeling that you need to factor that in,” Woodrow continued, “just bear in mind that you shouldn’t be saying, ‘Is it $1.1 million to the downtown or is it $3 million?’ because it may not be either.  It may be that those dollars have to go somewhere else to fund things that aren’t even being discussed here.”

Some members of the committee were taken aback, and The Watch wondered if this was a sign that Glenview – having built two new fires stations, a police station, two parks and a shopping center at The Glen – might finally be in need of spare cash.

Woodrow opened Tuesday’s board meeting with a protest.  “The comment that I made was in no way intended to suggest that the village’s financial situation is under any duress,” he said.  “On the contrary, the financial health of the village is extremely strong.  We are in a very enviable position with the way our financial affairs have been managed over time.”

Editor’s note:  Which is why the village has fallen far behind its normal standard of road maintenance and is now raising taxes. 

GLENVIEW POLICE WILL JOIN DRUNK PATROL

People who drink and drive after holiday parties and festivities make the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's an especially dangerous time. Alcohol is a factor in at least 41 percent of all fatal crashes; there’s one alcohol related fatality every thirty minutes and one alcohol related injury every two minutes. 

That’s why, for the second year, Glenview police will join officers from twelve north suburban law enforcement agencies, working together on December 9, 10, 16, & 17, making random stops to test drivers on Milwaukee Avenue from Gurnee to Chicago. The campaign is part of National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month.  This year's theme: "If you catch a buzz, catch a ride-designate a sober driver before all holiday parties."   

RESTAURANT ROW

One of the first restaurants to open at The Glen Town Center is gearing up to compete with a half dozen competitors.  Red Star Tavern offers a new menu featuring upscale comfort food like Kobe Italian beef and sliders, blackened fish sandwiches, chicken lettuce wraps, honey-chipotle glazed ribs and sweet potato fries.  For a complete listing, go to http://www.redstartavern.net/glenview/menuGVI.html.  

SHOP `TIL YOU DROP

-- Nationally-known nature photographer Carol Freeman has unveiled her 2006 calendars, featuring images of fragile, endangered species in Illinois.  She calls it: “In Beauty, I Walk.”  The Glenview resident plans to photograph all 500 threatened and endangered plants and animals in the state to create educational materials and a photo database.  For details or to purchase a calendar, go to www.carolfreemanphotography.com. 

-- Northfield Township Food Pantry is asking for donations to buy grocery store gift certificates.  Demand for the pantry’s services has reached an all-time high with more than 1,000 people – 300 households -- hoping for help.  The pantry gets no tax dollars and is entirely dependent on donations from individuals, businesses, churches and civic organizations.  Send donations to the Northfield Township Food Pantry, 3801 W. Lake Avenue, Glenview 60026 or call 847-724-8300 for more information. 

 -- Glenview’s unique consignment shop The Treasure House, located in the old Glenview State Bank Building on Glenview Road, has a new way to showcase its antiques and fine housewares.  Shoppers will discover the latest items as soon as they arrive. Inventory changes frequently, and items are only displayed for 90 days, with new merchandise coming in weekly. Prices on any given item are reduced by 15% every 30 days.  Staffed largely by volunteers, the Treasure House donates its proceeds to local charities and has recently received awards from the Northfield Food Pantry, the Family Services Center, Wings (a group dedicated to ending domestic violence) and Connections for the Homeless. The store is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call 847-832-1030, or visit www.villagetreasurehouse.com.

-- Glenview's premiere toy shop, "Becky and Me" was featured on WTTW TV in a report about three of the area’s best independently owned toy stores. The segment included an interviews with owner Becky Sebert and with loyal customers who praised the store's superior selection and personal touch, eschewing generic big box stores like Toys "R" Us.  (Heads up, village planners!  Here’s more proof that creative retailing for discriminating shoppers could be the key to downtown Glenview’s future, making it unnecessary to build new mixed-use structures filled with expensive rental space for more chain restaurants, dry cleaners and nail salons.)

READERS WRITE

Paul Mayer weighs in on proposed subsidies for downtown development: “I am continually amazed we are talking about three-, four- or five-story buildings downtown development and debating how much the taxpayers will give to developers. This is lunacy!  The reason developers are in business is to take risks and earn profits based on those risks. We should stop all talk of subsidizing or guaranteeing builders a profit to redo downtown. The commission should set plans and goals for the redevelopment of downtown Glenview and see who wants to undertake it  without public subsidy!  Let the Bess Hardwares and the Glenview State Banks decide if they can  make a go of it without public money.  We have a prime example of a failed public development policy in the Glen Town Center.  If the trustees continue on this path the taxpayers will organize, petition and if necessary go to the courts for relief.”                 

Run8 couldn’t agree more: “Our village board continues to be a very giving group.  They recently approved paying a $2.2 million cash incentive to the Fields dealership to mitigate issues with unsuitable soil and drainage on their parcel adjacent to Home Depot.  This payment was made under the guise of an Economic Incentive Agreement, but it’s just another example of the board’s generosity.  They continue to give away our hard-earned tax dollars.  They have given away The Glen. They have given away the charm of our village, and they have given away the future of the community.  The only thing left to give away is the community itself.  Borrowing from corporate America, the board might consider a merger with surrounding communities to centralize the municipal services and reduce the overall costs of providing those services to the residents.  After all, we now have a beautiful new police station that could probably house three or more police departments under one big roof.  And before you dismiss this suggestion to merge municipal governments, I should point out that the municipal merger model was successfully implemented almost two decades ago in Indianapolis/Marion County, Indiana.

“Many residents of our enchanted village feel that Glenview should be "Glenvoid."  Obviously, it's way too late to bulldoze The Glen.  But it's not too late to stop our esteemed trustees from spending this community into oblivion.  I fail to understand why the trustees can't be held accountable for their actions and communicate openly and honestly with the residents about the true condition of village finances and the impact of The Glen on this situation.  All we seem to get is indirect evidence of the board's continued ignorance. Our schools are hurting. They are cutting teachers and programs. The costs of maintaining The Glen are sucking the village coffers dry. Our streets are clogged with traffic that will never go away, and our municipal government grows faster than the population base.  Now the board sticks it to us by raising our property taxes by 15 percent to pay for these mistakes.  Nice way to treat the residents who have endured the lies, stories and public relations spin from the board to mask the true nature of things in our village.

“The trustees continue to push forward on redeveloping the downtown area.  I wouldn't trust these people to do anything correctly.  If there had been good, solid planning over the past decade, Glenview would be in a very different and better place than it is today.  I encourage all residents to become active in the village board’s meetings.  Question everything, and believe nothing until you are satisfied with the answers you are given.”

Mr. B was stunned to read Downtown Plan Committee Chairman Kimball Woodrow’s warning that proceeds from the sale of downtown properties might be used for other village expenses.  “That remark negates the entire premise of the economic analysis we have been hearing at downtown plan committee meetings.  Thus far, the consultants have contended this process has been focused on making the whole downtown revitalization economically feasible.  But the reality is that Friedman's assumptions are baseless and unreliable. Woodrow, in a moment of candor, has impeached the economics, the supposed bedrock of this exercise -- and the downtown plan committee’s mission. If we can't rely on Friedman's assumptions, how can we possibly have any faith in his projected proceeds from selling any of these parcels or what it will cost developers to complete projects. This is nothing more than a village sponsored lemonade stand.  They have no idea what they'll fetch and where the nickels will be spent.”

PM sets the record straight on SOLD’s library proposal: “As a member of SOLD (Save Our Library Dollars) I appreciate your mention of our  proposals regarding a new and improved library in downtown Glenview.  I am anxious to provide some further information and clarification not provided in your latest issue. 

“First, the headline, ‘Community Group Wants Smaller Library,’ is somewhat misleading since we propose a 50 percent increase in the size of the existing library.  A more accurate headline might be ‘Community Group Proposes Economically Justified Library.’

“Second, readers and taxpayers should be aware that the library board has yet to provide any substantive and factual justification for a 98,000-square-foot library or for demolishing the existing library building, as it has proposed. 

“Third, the cost difference between the 80,000 square foot building we propose and the 98,000 square foot building proposed by the library board is approximately $6.5 million.

“Fourth, the cost of demolishing and replacing the existing building, as the library board proposes, would be an additional $10 million to $14 million.  Thus, we compute approximately $16.5 million to $20.5 million of wasted dollars in the library board proposal.  That's enough to buy a fire station or two!

“Since none of the numbers I have provided above are in dispute, the only question is whether the taxpayers are willing to pay for a huge and hugely expensive library whose size and cost have not been and cannot be justified by need or fund availability.  SOLD has provided to village trustees and library trustees a  20-page document that substantiates our claims and proposals, so there is no question that our facts are on the table.  Where are their's?

“I urge all taxpayers who are concerned about spending in Glenview to e-mail or write the village and library boards to register their concern and demand factual and substantive justification for this tax-supported project.  Perhaps our new mantra should be ‘No More Monuments.’”

RDB doesn’t like what he’s hearing from advocates of a large new library: “I am worried about the use of phrases like ‘world class’ or ‘first class’ to describe the kind of library that our community needs.  While I think Glenview is a great community and a fine place to raise a family, I don't consider Glenview a ‘world class’ village.  Chicago is a world class city, and therefore I expect a Harold Washington Library. The use of such phrases as ‘world class’ or ‘first class’ are hyperbole and miss the point.  What makes a quality library is its collection, its staff and its facilities for the community.  Additionally, ‘world class’ facilities do not necessarily produce quality results.  Consider the case of the Bulgarian National Youth Choir.  This choir is an incubator for some of the greatest opera talent in the world, and it tours all over the world. Its practice facilities are in a cold war era building with nothing more than metal chairs and an upright piano.  Despite the austere facilities, the choir is among the best in the world.  When I attended a world class research university  -- UW-Madison --  it added an addition to its main campus library.  It did not demolish the old structure.  As far as I can tell, adding on to Glenview’s existing library would give us a facility comparable to an entirely new building. Glenview residents should be wary of more expensive options.  Building a ‘first class’ library shouldn't mean building the most expensive or trying to out build our suburban neighbors.  Northbrook's library is an excellent example of rehabbing and enhancing an old structure, while providing facilities that are both functional and a true service to the community.”

MH writes in support of schools: “Did anyone see George Birman’s column in the Glenbrook South Oracle?  Birman believes that Glenview’s real estate bubble has been fueled by one of the nation’s finest school districts.  With the looming threat of Glenbrook budget crisis, our schools might decline and we could end up like—how Birman puts it—Wheeling. With the new ‘Taj Mahal’ of a police station and a library complex in our future, a tax increase is almost inevitable.  Republicans, like me, might at first shudder at the idea of giving more of our money to a misguided local government, but it’s essential to realize that our communities will be nothing without our schools.”

Former District 225 School Board Member Sarah Beyne was dismayed to learn the board is asking staff to explain how it questioned students who may have consumed alcohol at Glenbrook North’s homecoming dance.  Some parents say threats and manipulation were used to try and get confessions: “The board previously revised zero tolerance to enable suspensions, rather than expulsion for certain infractions. Was the administration not operating according to guidelines in a manner so outrageous that a group of parents who are unhappy their children were questioned are now allowed to call into question how the administration is performing? Is this reaction from the board -- supporting the feelings of this group of parents— allowing the board to intervene in what should be administrative responsibilities? Is the administration allowed to do its job in questioning student behavior on campus? Hopefully the board is meeting with administrators only to understand how the process works rather than questioning how they works.

“On a related note: maybe there is more here than meets the eye, but for goodness sake I would think the parents of these students would be grateful that their kids are learning a fairly painless lesson from the school system. Perhaps those involved should read last week’s editorial in the Pioneer Press about parental responsibility. I would think the 99 percent of parents who work to teach their teens not to break the rules appreciate the role the administration plays in enforcing rules when teens step outside the line, as many are inclined to do. It’s far better to learn in a more forgiving environment than on the public roadways.”

The Watch replies:  We think your suggestion – that the board may be trying to understand the process – is correct, and whenever parents have concerns, we think a fact-finding response is in order.  It’s also worth noting that the kids in question were not driving to or from the dance.  The only issue here is how aggressively and in what way students were questioned.

DC has been tree-watching: “I’ve noticed that some blue spruce or other coniferous trees in my neighborhood are turning completely brown and losing their needles. My neighbor has two that are a good 50 feet high.  I wonder if it is a disease or something that was brought on by the drought we had earlier this year. On a happier note, it looks like the populations of chickadees, blue jays and crows, which were hit by West Nile virus, are recovering.”

Rob Blomquist, a resident of Glenview, a member of the natural resources commission and the owner of a tree farm in Wisconsin replies:  “Without seeing the tree it is difficult to diagnose the problem, but generally speaking Colorado blue spruce trees grow well here.  Still, they are not native to our heavy clay soils. According to the U.S. Forest Service, blue spruces deal well with drought,  however it is best to water the roots and to keep the foliage dry.  In other words, using a sprinkler may not be the best way to care for these trees during a drought.  If the trees survive this winter, I’d recommend mulching with wood chips around the base and out to the ends of the lowest branches.  As far as diseases, the tree can be stressed during dry years by mites which are almost invisible to the eye.  The most serious pest for the blue spruce is a canker which attacks the lowest branches first and moves up the tree.  Its symptoms includes a whitish resin and white patches on the bark of infected branches.  This disease will kill a mature spruce if not treated.  If you have any concerns about your trees or your neighbors, I would refer you to any number of professional arborists or tree care services in our area.”

Birder Jeff Sanders adds that you might get some good tree advice from Chalet Nursery in Wilmette or the botanic garden in Glencoe.  He’s been doing a systematic survey of the Skokie Lagoons, botanic garden and Harms Woods and finds populations of the birds you mention have not recovered very much.

LN writes in response to police patrolling in east Glenview.  In the past 10 years I have seldom seen Glenview and/or Wilmette police pull over motorists on Lake Avenue in east Glenview near Meier's Tavern and the Wilmette Golf Course.  Since the jurisdictional line for Glenview runs down the middle of East Lake Avenue eastbound from the North Branch of the Chicago River to just east of the former Chicago and Northwestern Railroad line and Wilmette has jurisdiction for the westbound lanes and Glenview has jurisdiction for the eastbound lanes, neither municipalities' police patrol this area of Glenview.   We urge more police patrolling in east Glenview.  The traffic on Lake in east Glenview is infrequently patrolled by the Wilmette and Glenview police.  East Glenview and West Wilmette are the forgotten areas by both municipalities' police.  Why?  If patrol cars were often seen in the area, then the number of people driving while intoxicated, speeders, etc. would be less and we would all be safer! 

OK was “just wondering what's the store that is being built by Trader Joes on Lake and Waukegan next to the new Staples.”

The Watch replies:  The building you’re talking about is going up on “spec.”  In other words, a developer is putting the money in now and will look for a tenant when the space is ready.
 

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.

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