INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES URGE “THE WRITE CHOICE”

 Two independent write-in candidates for Glenview Village Board are asking voters to support them for two reasons. Greg Kirby and Andy Sarkany say the trustees should be much more careful about government spending, and Glenview’s dominant political party is behaving like a dictatorship. 

The latter complaint surfaced after Unite Glenview challenged the signatures on Sarkany’s election petition.  Noting some people had printed their names rather than writing in cursive, while others had written their business address rather than residence, Unite Glenview claimed Sarkany didn’t have enough signatures to qualify for a spot on the ballot.

Glenview’s electoral commission, which consists of two UG party members and the village manager, agreed despite the fact that Sarkany presented signed statements from the voters who had autographed his petition. One of them, Greg Kirby, was so outraged by that decision that he agreed to run with Sarkany as a write-in. 

A sales and marketing manager, Kirby has lived in the Swainwood neighborhood for 13 years with his wife and three children. His philosophy: “You cannot spend what you don’t have, and your government should set that example.”

During a League of Women Voters’ forum, he made some important points about village finance.  Noting that Glenview paid $17 million in debt service this year, he called for new controls on “wasteful spending,” and greater spending on road repairs. 

The UG candidates – Jim Patterson, Phil White and Scott Britton – noted Glenview has a Aaa bond rating from Moody’s Investors Service and concluded the village does not have too much debt.

“The Aaa bond rating is not easy to get,” said Britton, a lawyer and five-year veteran of the School District 34 board.  “Of 25,000 communities nationwide, only 171 have it.”  He added that the federal government devotes 20 percent of its revenue to debt service.

“Moody’s is not going to pay our debt,” Kirby replied, “and the federal government is hardly a shining example.”

Editor’s note:  Keep in mind that Moody’s assessment is based in part on the fact that many Glenview residents are wealthy, and the village has the right to raise taxes at will.  The fact that the rating service awards us a grade of Aaa does not, in and of itself, mean we have nothing to worry about.

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Kirby also chastised the trustees for refusing to ban smoking in Glenview’s restaurants and bars. Clearly, he concluded, the board had not listened to the overwhelming number of residents who did not want to be exposed to passive cigarette smoke. 

Both incumbent candidates Jim Patterson and Phil White dismissed arguments about the hazards of second-hand smoke, preferring to protect the business interests of those bars and restaurants that fear a loss of customers to Wheeling or Morton Grove.

“Tobacco is a legal product,” said Patterson. “The free market is taking care of this, and it’s not government’s place to intercede.”

Britton, who has pledged loyalty to the UG ticket, did not hesitate to dissent on this issue. 

“My father died of lung cancer,” he explained.  “I respectfully disagree with Jim and Phil, and I will try to convince them to change their minds.”

OUTSOURCING GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Patterson and White have also supported village management on decisions to outsource information technology, janitorial services and street sweeping, but write-in candidate Andy Sarkany argued “outsourcing is not always what it’s cracked up to be.”  A former village building inspector, he questioned the wisdom of turning computers at Village Hall over to an outside company.

Kirby agreed, saying outside contractors have no real loyalty to Glenview.  He said firing the IT chief had seriously damaged municipal morale, causing many village employees to wonder, “Am I next?”

After Dale Chellis was dismissed, another high-level IT staffer defected to Morton Grove where Glenview’s assistant finance chief had also found employment.  “Good people are desserting us,” Sarkany concluded.

Britton took the middle road, saying it was important for government to be good stewards of the public’s money, but noting that it’s sometimes possible to provide cost effective service by hiring staff.

WHY DOES THE OLD POLICE STATION SIT EMPTY

One member of the audience wondered what each candidate would do with the old village police station that now sits empty on Glenview Road. 

Sarkany wanted to “get off the dime and do something about it,” and suggested municipal employees be moved to vacant space at the new police station rather than working in trailers at Village Hall.

Patterson defended the decision to mothball the old police station, saying the cost of keeping it vacant was “nominal.”  He argued the village should wait to see how downtown develops and whether the entire site might be sold if plans for a new Village Hall are finalized.

Kirby said he was surprised that Glenview built a new police station with no plans for the old one. “Why is it sitting vacant?” he wondered, adding that sale of the property might provide money to construct a new village hall.

White said the old police station was “not really useable and should probably be torn down, but the property will be more marketable if the whole site can be sold.  We have to just sit until we have a viable alternative.”

THEIR PRIORITIES

White said his top priorities for the next four years are understanding Glenview’s financial picture, establishing a five-year plan and anticipating slower growth. 

As revenue flattens out, Patterson agreed that the village could face financial troubles and said his top priority was “getting the most for our money.”

Britton wanted to focus on planning for development downtown, on additional Navy land at The Glen and at the former Culligan site.  He expressed a hope that the tax base of Glenview could expand further but warned that new residential development would bring unwanted traffic and new pressures on our schools.

Sarkany said he would not support any more loans or incentives for developers downtown or along Milwaukee Avenue and predicted money lent to OliverMcMillan, part owner of The Glen Town Center, and Von Maur would never be repaid.

Kirby called for careful planning downtown to avoid the need for additional tax hikes and said he would work to mend the rift between Glenview and its newest neighborhood, The Glen. “We are one community, and we should feel that way.”

ONE FOR THE MONEY, TWO FOR THE SHOW – AN EDITOR’S NOTE

As has so often been the case, Unite Glenview enjoys a big financial and organizational advantage in this race.  Couple that with the fact that incumbents rarely lose and write-ins rarely win, and you have to conclude that Britton, Patterson and White will prevail. 

That said, we encourage residents to vote their conscience. 

Do you think one-party government is good for Glenview?  Clearly the Unite Glenview party does.

Do you think smoking should be allowed in Glenview’s bars and restaurants?  Patterson and White are for it. 

Do you think guns should be sold at The Glen. Jim Patterson did, and he also argued that every child in America should be taught to shoot, just as every kid should learn to swim.

Do you think local government has been too quick to help developers at The Glen?

Both Patterson and White have committed public dollars for music in the parking garages of The Glen Town Center, and White has hinted he’d like to offer incentives for development downtown.

If you conclude, as we do, that choice is good and at least two of the UG candidates are not so hot, live dangerously.  Ask those good-hearted election judges at your local polling place to show you how a write-in vote is cast. 

With the touch screen, it was a simple matter of pressing a line labeled “Write-In.”  Up comes a little keyboard that allows you to type the name of a candidate.  When you’ve done that, the name appears on your electronic ballot, and if you make a mistake, going back and fixing it is no problem.

We think Scott Britton is a decent candidate.

A RACE TO THE LIBRARY

Four people are running for three seats on the Glenview Library Board.  Two are incumbents: President Arlene Anthony and Commissioner Dave Johnson.  Bob Abraham is a newcomer to local politics.  The father of two and a 20-year resident of Glenview, he has served as an attorney for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.  He claims extensive experience in construction matters, having prepared contracts for the Deep Tunnel project, and says his knowledge of government finance and employment would serve the library well.

Peter McNulty is also a lawyer and accountant with degrees from Georgetown University.  He has lived here since 1978, although he was raised in Northfield.  His four children are grown, so McNulty says he has time for the community. 

All four candidates defended plans for a 93,000-square-foot building, dismissing concerns that so much space may not be needed in the age of the Internet.

“It’s hard to find what you want online,” said Johnson,” and there’s absolute junk on the Internet.  Publishers, on the other hand, have a responsibility to be accurate.”

“You have to see a library as more than a repository for books and computers,” said Abraham. “It’s a place for people to come together for programs and intergenerational sharing.”

Anthony recalled that several consultants had suggested even larger buildings and warned, “We do not know what libraries will be in ten years.”

McNulty said he was willing to accept the recommendations of the consultants and library staffers.

All of the candidates agreed that the library board should consider hiring a fundraiser to scare up more money for a bigger building.  Each backed the use of  Internet filters to protect children under the age of 16, and all four felt collaboration with the village was a good thing in getting the new library built.

THE EDITOR’S THINK IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE

Arlene Anthony has been on the library board for 14 years, and she thinks that’s a good reason for voters to re-elect her.  When you consider the tortured process of getting a library built and the role President Anthony played as consultant after consultant was hired, you might feel otherwise.

She aggressively backed building at The Glen, even after the village said it would insist on a downtown location.  Dave Johnson, on the other hand, listened to dissent in the community and was prepared to consider a smaller building downtown.

We’re not crazy about Johnson.  He’s appallingly conservative and out of touch.  When he first ran for library board, he supported Homeland Security's right to view library records, and he voted not to let 16-year-olds use adult computers at the library.  But he sees himself as an elected representative of Glenview residents and is willing to hear them out.   

The other issue voters may want to consider is the hiring of Vickie Novak as executive librarian.  Novak is not well-liked by her staff and has done nothing to distinguish herself in the community, but Arlene Anthony thinks she’s terrific.

We, on the other hand, thought Bob Abraham was the most articulate and thoughtful of the candidates and recommend a vote for him.  If you like McNulty and Johnson, give them your support.  If you’re not impressed with either, it’s fine to cast just one ballot, even if three are open, and doing so gives your candidate an even better chance of victory.

DISTRICT OFFERS DOG LOVERS A MEATY BONE

If the park board approves and grant money comes from Springfield, Glenview could have one of the North Shore’s most elaborate dog parks – a six-acre stretch of Community Park West with shaded benches, a fountain where dogs can play and get clean, trees in protective planters, a walking path, bioswales and rain gardens to help keep the area dry, and colourful plastic tubes that invite canine play. 

A drawing will be unveiled at the next park board meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26  in Park Center.  In the mean time, a citizens group called Dog Owners of Glenview or D.O.G. has formed to help plan and support the new park.  All canine owners in Glenview are encouraged to check-in at http://www.glenviewdogpark.org/ and to share their e-mail address.

Park district officials have warned that there are many sports groups competing for land at Community Park West, and unless dog lovers build an organization comparable to AYSO or Glenview Youth Baseball (GYB), the dog park may have to wait for construction dollars. 

S.R.O. AT THE A.S.P.

About 200 people jammed into the new Evelyn Pease Tyner Center Saturday to celebrate the official opening of the Air Station Prairie.  The eponymous Ev Tyner (we’ve always wanted to use that word!) was nearly overcome with emotion as she recalled her years as an advocate for the Woodworth Prairie on Milwaukee Avenue, The Grove, and the prairie that grew along runways at the former Glenview Naval Air Station.

The Grove’s director, Steve Swanson, will oversee the site. Clad in his signature shorts – worn year round – the jovial naturalist recalled how Tyner had admired the Kenicott family – pioneers in Glenview and in the fields of biology and botany.  “It’s nice to know some heroes come from here and not somewhere else,” she once told him.  Swanson noted that Tyner is one of those heroes too. 

A 50-year resident of Glenview, Tyner was quick to credit others. Gloria Buzard and Liz Dinsmore were among those who called themselves the “Frog and Fern Ladies” when they campaigned to save The Grove.  Bernice Popelka, Dr. Robert Betz and Dr. Albert Rouffa played key roles in getting the University of Illinois to buy and preserve the Woodworth Prairie, and dozens of citizens fought to save the Air Station Prairie. Their names appear at the end of a short video about Tyner that will be shown at the center.

“It was an impossible dream, but here it’s happened,” said Tyner as she surveyed the 3,000-square-foot interpretive center surrounded by more than 30 acres of prairie.  The building is solar-powered and has a 4,000-square-foot “green roof,” on which a garden will grow.  What’s more it has no parking lot.  Planners had promised a permeable lot, paved with porous stones that allow rainwater to seep back into the ground, but as they looked around the site at the corner of Compass and Lehigh roads, they realized Metra and area streets provided plenty of space for cars.  They did, however, create a space for school buses to drop off and pick-up children, so visitors can see how attractive and effective permeable parking can be.

The trails will be open year round.  Exhibits are posted outside the building, so even when the nature center is closed, visitors can learn a thing or two. Volunteers will be needed to help maintain the prairie itself.  To find out about work days for kids and parents, go to www.northbranchresotration.org .  Look for the park district, which will manage the site, to post nature center hours at www.glenviewparks.org .

PLANNERS HIT THE ROAD – ON BIKES!

Thirty cyclists took to Glenview streets Saturday for a chilly 12-mile tour and lunch provided by D'Agostino's, located west of The Glen Metra station. Afterward, they joined village staff to pore over maps and mark areas that deserve special attention if the village is to be more bicycle friendly.

Among them: the intersection of Harms and Glenview roads and the adjoining North Branch trail, Shermer from Central to Glenview Road to Greenwood, the transition from Chestnut to Pleasant Lane across Waukegan, and Glenview Road from Harms to Waukegan. 

The cyclists also focused on east-west routes to connect with Wilmette, Des Plaines and the Des Plaines River Trail west of Milwaukee Avenue, and north-south routes to connect with Northbrook, Skokie and Morton Grove.

The Chicago consulting firm T.Y. Lin will take that information and propose a bike plan for Glenview.  John LaPlante said his firm will look for the "low-hanging fruit," easy, low-cost projects that can be adopted, such as lane markings, signage and good spots for bike racks.

Lin also has a contract with the Northwest Municipal Conference to develop a regional bicycle map that will show existing and proposed routes.  Local governments can then plan new segments to connect major routes for a more comprehensive system.

Editor's note:  Given traffic on Glenview streets, the cost of gasoline and rising obesity rates, a village bicycling plan can't come any too soon.  As more bicyclists take to the streets, it will encourage more people to do so and give motorists more reason to share the road.  Bicycling is already on the rise if the retail scene is any indication. Glenview now has three bike shops, up from one a couple years ago. 

ANOTHER PLACE TO PEDAL?

If you’d like to see the abandoned Union Pacific Railroad / ComEd corridor east of Harms Road converted into a bike and hiking trail, sign up for a planning workshop from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 19 at Northbrook Village Hall, 1225 Cedar Lane.  For more information, call Jill Ziegler at Glenview Village Hall: 847-904-4305.

STILL NO PAYBACK AT TOWN CENTER

Operating profits at The Glen Town Center exceeded $5.5 million last year, up 20 percent from 2005, but that was not enough to trigger repayment of a $12 million, no-interest loan the village made to developer OliverMcMillan.  

With 96 percent of space at the retail center leased, gross receipts for 2006 exceeded $14 million, but the developer claimed operating expenses of about $8.7 million.

ASH BORERS HEADING FOR GLENVIEW

Glenview’s trustees have agreed to allow a dozen northern suburbs to dump their infected ash trees at the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County's transfer station at River Road and Central in Glenview, so the wood – along with the bug and its eggs -- can be ground up.

Village President Kerry Cummings said Glenview was participating in a “regional approach” to the infestation. Ash borers have been found in Evanston, Wilmette and Winnetka, prompting the state to establish a quarantine zone from Lake-Cook Road south to Touhy Avenue and Howard Street, and from the Tri-State Tollway east to Lake Michigan. No ash wood can be removed from the 64-square-mile area.

State officials liked the SWANCC site, because it is not close to residences where people could be disturbed by the noise of wood being pulverized.  

 Glenview’s waste hauler, Groot, said it would stop transporting wood at the end of April, because it doesn’t have the people or the expertise to deal with ash borers. Local officials worried that residents might start dumping their wood waste illegally, putting Glenview at increased risk for ash borer infestation.  Now, Groot and other local haulers can take wood to SWANCC.

It will be transported in tarp-covered trucks or enclosed in trailers, but experts say it is only a matter of time before ash borers are found in Glenview trees.  Village Manager Todd Hileman told the Pioneer Press, “We're already starting to see ash borers on the far western side of Wilmette and Skokie, so it's heading our way.”

DISTRICT 225 TO PRIVATIZE BOOK SALES

Glenbrook High Schools did the math and decided to hand operation of their bookstores over to a private company, saving more than $700,000 over a five-year period.  Follett Corporation of River Grove will get $160,000 per year to operate stores at North and South. The bookstores had been operating in the red – losing $250,000-$300,000 per year.  District 225 will also get $100,000-$150,000 when it sells its current inventory to Follett. Officials say students and parents should notice no difference, but they will be able to buy books through Follett's website, which may be cheaper and more convenient.

WILLOW ON SCHEDULE BUT A SLOW GO

Despite heavy spring rains and snow, construction along Willow Road is on schedule, but state officials warn it will last another 13 months.  As they plan to widen I-294 from south of Dempter in Skokie to Grand in Gurnee, crews must tear out and replace  overpasses.  

Delays on Willow Road have prompted some drivers to take alternate routes.  Glenview police say there have been more back-ups and minor accidents on Lake Avenue and Glenview Road.

NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBORS

-- Northbrook’s plan commission has approved the proposed “Center of the Northshore,” a high rise collection of condos, shops, restaurants and a seven-level garage on an 18.4 acre site at Skokie Blvd. and Dundee Rd.  The building could be 110-feet tall.  Northbrook trustees are expected to begin reviewing plans Tuesday, and the developer is expected to ask for a $5 million tax increment financing deal.

-- Five days after the Morton Grove Village Board refused a request for $5 million in TIF assistance, the developer of a mixed use project called The Preserves of Morton Grove applied to start construction. Jeff Dietrich had told the trustees his project on Dempster east of Narragansett and south along both sides of Lincoln Avenue could not be built without financial help.  Dietrich plans two condo buildings, townhouses and 11,000 square feet of commercial space.

READERS WRITE

Paul Mitchell is trying to puzzle out the political lay of the land in Glenview:  “I have lived here for 30 years and from time-to-time have heard of an organization calling themselves Citizens United for Glenview.  What is Citizens United for Glenview?  Is it an underground organization, because no one seems to know?  How is this organization (clique) able control local elections?”

The Watch replies:  This long-standing group of political insiders changes its name before every election to avoid a state requirement that it hold a primary.  By law, new parties don’t have to let candidates compete for a chance to be slated.  Instead, the group we call Unite Glenview or UG gets together at Hackneys and decides who will be on its ticket.

Leaders of the group tend to be conservative, pro-business, pro-development, and not the least bit progressive.  That tradition probably dates back more than a century.  The German Catholics who founded Glenview were no rabble rousers, and 50 years later Glenview was the Midwest headquarters for the ultra-conservative John Birch Society.  Lots of military men retired from service at the Naval Air Station and decided to stay here, adding to the conservative base. 

Stalwarts of the group include former Village President Jim Smirles, who once shook down a group of developers at Village Hall in the middle of a board meeting while the GVTV cameras rolled. Park board candidate Steve Bucklin is a player. So is Village President Kerry Cummings, Trustee Jim Patterson, former Trustee John Patton Jr.,  former zoning board chief Ty Laurie, Plan Commissioner Allan Ruter and former Village President Nancy Firfer. 

After years of criticism from Glenview Watch, the UGs do appear to be softening -- putting moderate Democrats Debby Karton and Pat Cuisinier on the ticket two years ago and adding Scott Britton this time.

Since 1957, groups have periodically formed to challenge the UGs.  In 2005, one attempted to slate candidates but was unable to agree on a selection process let alone the people who should run.  It was a messy business, and those same folks decided to sit the current election out.

We can only hope that by 2009 they will have recovered in time to give Glenview a real choice at the polls.  Or maybe a new group will emerge.  The current field of candidates for park district suggests plenty of people are interested in community service.  In the mean time, hats off to Andy Sarkany and Greg Kirby for keeping the spirit of democracy alive.

In out last edition, we reported that residents of the area near Shermer and Golf were protesting a lack of progress on the Ismaili House of Worship.  Since no building permit had been issued for nearly a year, they argued the Ismailis would have to go back before the board for another vote on special zoning.  Village Attorney Jeff Randall disagreed.  Now, however, community leader Tom Morrison reports that the Ismailis are asking for an extension:  “I just received a letter from the village attorney, advising me that the developer of 100 Shermer Road is requesting an extension. Boy, that was fast. I also asked to appear before the board, but I’ve gotten no reply. It is very interesting that as a result of the Park Manor Civic Council (PMCC) asking the village for verification of compliance with village codes that all of a sudden the developer is asking for an extension. I think we have confirmed how the channels of communication work in the village. I also find it interesting that the developer can get immediate action from the village, yet we as residents cannot request and receive services, such as enforcement of building and zoning codes, without appearing before the board.”

And Rick Nasello responds to our news of a loon on Lake Glenview: “Being an outside kind of guy I thought I would comment on the loon sighting at Lake Glenview. The loons have been stopping there since the lake was built. I also find myself out fishing the ‘Chain’ as soon as the ice is gone and there are numerous loons frolicking and yodeling. I think they have been around here a lot longer than most fair weather people realize. Also I'm happy to report that the breeding pair of Cooper's Hawks have returned to our cul de sac. They lived in our neighbor’s tree for over a year. They took over a squirrel’s nest and produced numerous chicks. It was fun to watch them swoop around the ‘Sac’ collecting baby rabbits and other small mammals to feed the youngins.”

FROM OUR APRIL 10 EDITION

PARK BOARD RACE A HEART BREAKER

Once again, the field of candidates running for a seat on the Glenview Park District Board is a crowded one, with seven people seeking one of two seats. During a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters, six would-be commissioners introduced themselves and fielded questions from an audience at Village Hall. Candidate Paul Stevens couldn’t be there, but we caught up with him by phone a few days later:

-- Steve Bucklin, a third-generation Glenview resident who serves on the plan commission and is president of a family-owned security company. Bucklin is a past president of the Glenview Chamber of Commerce and the United Way.

-- Richard Hanson, an accountant, member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help’s school board and treasurer of the Glenview Stars Hockey Association. Hanson served on the park district’s strategic planning commission. He has a master’s degree from DePaul University in taxation.

-- Angie Katsamakis, a former Cook County state’s attorney, volunteers at her son and daughter’s elementary school and at Sts. Peter and Paul Church. She is a member of the PTA, Park Center Fitness, Glenview Youth Baseball, North Shore Basketball and AYSO.

-- Joe Klauke, an attorney who heads Kraft’s pro bono program, helping staff a legal clinic at a local senior center. Before getting his law degree at the University of Chicago, Klauke spent five years working for the General Accounting Office – the investigative arm of Congress.

-- Jack Morgan is an account manager for a global provider of information services. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and is president of the Glenview Titans Fastpitch Association. He has also coached soccer and softball.

-- Bob Patton served as legal director at Motorola before becoming deputy general counsel for Continental, a $20 billion automotive company. He has a degree in economics and political science from Duke and a JD from the University of Illinois.

-- Paul Stevens is the baseball coach for Northwestern University. Before joining the NCAA, he worked in construction and electrical contracting. He has also served on the board of Glenview Youth Baseball and enjoys fundraising for community causes.

THEIR PRIORITIES

Asked what important issues face Glenview parks in the years to come, here’s what each candidate had to say:

Bucklin mentioned the district’s strategic plan, which calls for construction of a new maintenance building, improvements to the skating rink and administration building and planning the use of land at Community Park West. District officials say they have $10 million to spend on these projects. Bucklin says he’s “okay with doing some of these things, but I want to make sure we really need to spend $10 million before we do them.”

Klauke says the district’s 100-year-old maintenance building near Roosevelt Park is dilapidated. He suggests building a new facility at Community Park West and selling the land where the old building sits to generate funds for other park district needs.

Morgan expressed support for the new maintenance building and improvements to the administration building along with upgrades to the ice center and said there was plenty to do at Community Park West.

Patton called for more cooperation between the park board and the village to avoid duplication of services. He noted some park programs are unable to accommodate all of the children who want to participate and pledged to address complaints about other programs that were not meeting residents’ needs.

Stevens says he’d like to see more adult education programs through the Glenview Senior Center, more arts programs for kids, and plenty of youth sports. “We have a tremendous police facility, but I don’t want our kids ending up there because they were turned away from our athletic programs,” he joked.

Katsamakis said the strategic plan was the most important park district priority, but she said the park board should be prepared to change that plan if additional needs arise.

In addition to the strategic plan, Hanson said he would devote time and effort to maintaining open space, promoting youth sports and assuring the park district is accountable for spending. “I get crazy when people spend other people’s money freely,” he said.

IS GREEN GOOD?

Asked if they favored incorporating environmentally-friendly materials and energy saving features into new park district buildings, even if those elements added expense:

Morgan said he was familiar with some aspects of green architecture and felt the district had to move in that direction. “Green is good!” he concluded.

Patton expressed support for green initiatives but used the question to espouse some fresh ideas for building. He thought, for example, that park administrators should consider sharing space when a new Village Hall is built or moving into Park Center when ENH moves out, rather than erect their own building. He also thought it might be possible for the district’s maintenance crew to lease space rather than building new.

Stevens, who has been involved with several construction programs at Northwestern, says it’s important to look at green features when building and to remember that “what you spend on the front end, you may save on the back end.”

Katsamakis said she was all for saving energy. She suggested changing to more efficient lightbulbs in district facilities, planting more trees and taking a “proactive approach to the emerald ash borer.”

Hanson wasn’t so sure about green initiatives. “You have to look at costs,” he said. “Green is good, but we need to be accountable. We should consider everything, slow down and review all of our options. It all comes back to cost.”

Bucklin said he was no expert on green technologies but felt the district had “an obligation to the taxpayers to do things that are wise.”

Klauke, a member of Kraft’s environmental committee, was stronger in his support. “The park district bears a responsibility to set an example,” he said. “If we’re going to build a new maintenance building, we have to include these things. Of course we have to look at costs, but we have to look at long-term costs.”

SHOULD FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS MOVE TO THE GLEN?

Katsamakis spoke enthusiastically about the Fourth of July, said she was not in favor of moving fireworks from their traditional location, the Glenview golf course, but suggested a second display of pyrotechnics could be held at Gallery Park.

Morgan thought the matter should be taken to the public for a decision but said he was concerned about whether natural areas in Gallery Park might be damaged by large numbers of people.

Bucklin, who lives in a home adjacent to the golf course, said the Fourth of July gave non-golfers a chance to see and use the course at least once each year. He referred to a perception by some that “everything is moving to The Glen,” and said he would not support having fireworks over Gallery Park.

Stevens, who also lives near the golf course, thought the sight lines at Gallery Park would be great, but he worried that the spirit of the evening might not survive the move. “I love to see so many people from so many different parts of the community getting together at the golf course. It’s like a pilgrimage. It’s a great social event,” he said.

Patton said the park district should consider moving the annual fireworks if it would make for a “safer, more enjoyable experience.” He agreed with Bucklin that allowing non-golfers to visit the golf course was a good “marketing” opportunity.

Hanson dodged the bullet, saying the question required park board discussion. An avid golfer, he noted that the annual celebration causes damage to the course and said that should be considered.

Klauke, who grew up in Glenview, wasn’t sure which setting was better but said the fireworks should not stay put for sentimental reasons. “We shouldn’t be afraid of moving to Gallery Park. If there are good reasons to change, the community could build a new tradition.”

OUR TWO CENTS: AN EDITOR’S NOTE

It is heartbreaking to see so many enthusiastic candidates pursuing just two seats on the park board while the village board goes begging. We hope those who do not prevail in this race will consider taking their talents to Village Hall.

That said, we have concerns about some of these candidates serving on the park board.

We’re sorry we cannot endorse the only woman seeking local office this year, but we think Angie Katsamakis is cheerleader without portfolio. She touts the fact that she’s a doctor’s wife who has plenty of time for the parks, but her suggestions for improving the district lack substance. She’s proposed, for example, more hours, more programs and more fireworks without explaining where the resources would come from.

Steve Bucklin’s claim to fame stems from his longevity in Glenview and his impressive track record of community service, but the nature of his service begs questions. He has been unabashedly pro-development on the plan commission, leading the fight to let a developer drain a pond and build three homes where one had stood.  Bucklin also boasts he would run the park district like a business. While some lessons can be carried over from the business world, we think government is a different enterprise.

Paul Stevens and Richard Hanson would probably do a fine job, but we can't help but wonder if their close personal ties to youth baseball and youth hockey might bias their thinking on some issues.  In any event, we think candidates Bob Patton and Joe Klauke are stronger. Both are creative thinkers with impressive professional credentials and communications skills.

As a teenager, Patton worked for Glenview’s park district, and he retains the enthusiasm that probably got him the job. He’s quietly courted canine owners in Glenview, pledging support for the new dog park, and he is far more personable than his peevish older brother who served on the village board. As a top corporate attorney, he claims experience in strategic planning, making the most of company resources and limiting risk. He also has experience in land acquisition, elimination of duplication, improving revenues and outsourcing services.

Klauke once played for the University of Illinois’ basketball team (1983-84) and jokes that he has the highest shooting percentage in the Big Ten. (He took one shot and made it.) He hopes to do as well in this, his first election.

Klauke’s environmental credentials are appealing. When he worked for the General Accounting Office, he helped track toxic chemical releases and helped craft recycling programs. He also claims to have helped root out government waste and promoted greater cooperation between government agencies – experiences that could be helpful in serving on the park board.

While both men have strong ties to this community, they also have a bigger world perspective that could make the Glenview Park District even more progressive in the programs it offers and the way services are provided.

DISTRICT 225 CANDIDATES MAKE THEIR CASE

With three seats open on the Glenbrook High School board, voters have four candidates to choose from:

Robert Boron, an incumbent from Northbrook, has worked as a real estate attorney and newspaper columnist. His wife is a teacher in District 27. He has three children – one a student at GBN.

Skip Shein, another incumbent, lives in Glenview and is an engineer for Honeywell. Before taking that job, he served as technology director for Glenview District 34.

Michael Szpisjak (pronounced SPEE-zak), a Glenbrook South graduate, has worked in information technology and in building and grounds maintenance for several school districts. His son is a freshman at South.

Joel Taub is a Northbrook resident, financial consultant and insurance salesman who has worked on employee benefit programs for school districts. He and his three children are GBN grads.

ON THE ISSUES

Boron and Taub were enthusiastic supporters of the controversial District 225 referendum that will cost taxpayers $94 million. Shein went along reluctantly, feeling a new swimming pool may not have been needed at GBS, and Szpisjak believes the district asked for more money than it needed. He argues the high schools could have made the improvements they wanted for less than $40 million.

Asked what they saw as district challenges in the years to come, Boron cited the need to replace a retiring superintendent and the assistant superintendent for business affairs.

Taub agreed that replacing Dr. David Hales will be a big job for the next school board. He also cited the need to provide special services to a diverse population of students.

Shein, who missed the league forum, told the Pioneer Press that he felt school administrators needed to be more forthcoming with the board, pledged careful oversight of new spending and wants to make sure money from the referendum lasts for at least a decade.

Szpisjak was also concerned about making sure referendum dollars were spent wisely and significant technological problems were addressed. He says students and faculty are frustrated by computer systems that don’t work.

THE EDITORS’ CHOICE

We support re-election of the incumbents – Boron and Shein – and join our colleagues at the Pioneer Press in endorsing Szpisjak over Taub.

NEIGHBORS CHALLENGE ISMAILIS’ RIGHT TO BUILD

Last spring, a Muslim congregation fought for and eventually won a variance from Glenview’s zoning ordinance, making it possible to build its House of Worship. By law, a building permit must be issued within six months or the petitioner is required to ask for the variance again.

Area residents have seen no construction at the site near the corner of Shermer and Golf, so they’ve filed a formal complaint with the village.
Development Director Mary Bak and Village Attorney Jeff Randall say the House of Worship has actually complied with the law, since it paid the village for improvements to the congregation’s driveway – work done last fall as part of an upgrade to Shermer Road.
The residents are not convinced. They demanded proof that the Ismailis were in compliance with the law and asked to see a building permit. They received this reply from Attorney Randall:
As a matter of courtesy, I will treat your 4/6/07 e-mail as a Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") request. In response to a FOIA request, the Village is obligated to only produce non-exempt documents that it has in its possession; it is not required to provide explanations, answer questions, or prepare documents where none exist. Notwithstanding that fact, and without waiving any right to object in the future, the following response to your 4/6/07 e-mail FOIA request includes explanations:

1. The Village does not have in its possession any building permits because none have been issued, nor does the Village have a document in its possession evidencing an extension of the 12 month completion date of construction because none has been granted.

2. Other than as stated in my 4/5/07 e-mail and the attachments thereto with regard to roadway and driveway improvements, the Village does not have in its possession a list of the work that was performed during the three month period commencing December, 2006, January, 2007, and February, 2007.

3. As explained in my 4/5/07 e-mail, no building permit was issued to 100 Shermer Real Estate, LLC for construction of the roadway improvements constructed pursuant to conditions (E) and (F) of the subject conditional use ordinance, because the Village authorized the work, the Village approved the plans for the work, and the work was completed by a Village contractor.

STREET SWEEPERS MAY MAKE FEWER TRIPS

At this week’s meeting of the Glenview Village Board, trustees will consider hiring an outside contractor to sweep Glenview’s streets. Right now, they’re swept on average 13 times a year, with side streets cleaned nine times. The proposal would cut service to six times a year for arterials and curbed residential streets with budget for up to three additional cleanings as needed. Residential streets without curbs would be cleaned at least four times a year as compared with the current standard of 5. Village administrators predict this change will save taxpayers more than $100,000 a year. There’s a separate contract for streets at The Glen.

CHANGES TO YARD WASTE PICK UP POLICIES

Glenview’s main garbage collection contractor, Groot, will suspend all residential landscape brush collection (twigs, branches, logs -- but not grass clippings) between April 30 and September 1. That’s because the village is within the state’s emerald ash borer (EAB) quarantine zone, and transportation of ash wood which hosts the destructive beetle is prohibited. Because Groot doesn't have the capacity to identify and segregate Ash tree material, no wood waste will be collected or transported.

The village is working on a plan that would allow landscape brush collection to resume. In the mean time, residents might want to gather waste wood for collection before April 30.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME

Friends of Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook will hold its annual Canning Day drive on Friday, April 20 and Saturday April 21. Volunteers are needed to stand at various locations and ask for donations. If you can give 90-minutes or more to be at one of the following locations, e-mail Deede at ddwittenstein@yahoo.com

Jewel at Pfingsten and Willow
Jewel at Waukegan and Willow
Glenview Library
Northbrook Metra station (for rush hours)
Glenview Metra station (for rush hours)
Intersection of Lake and Waukegan

THE GREEN SCENE

-- Bird watchers are thrilled to report sighting a common loon on Lake Glenview. The shy birds are rarely seen in these parts, and one birder speculates the creature in question is just making at pit stop here before continuing its northern migration.

-- Cook County Commissioners Larry Suffredin and Gregg Goslin will join volunteers for a workday in Miami Woods in Niles 9 a.m.-noon Sunday, April 22, 2007 in celebration of Earth Day. The entrance to Miami Woods is two blocks north of Oakton St., east of Caldwell Ave. Volunteers will meet near the picnic pavilion and walk to the work site. They can participate for as long as they wish. Equipment and supplies will be provided, but participants should expect muddy conditions and dress accordingly. The event will take place rain or shine. For more information, call Bill at 773-631-1790, extension 11, visit the forest preserve website at www.fpdcc.com or the Earth Day Network at www.earthday.net.

-- Artist Lynn Quinn will show you how to make birdhouses from large gourds – guiding students through each step from 1:30-4 p.m. Sunday, April 15 at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods. The cost for this adults-only program is $50.

-- Ryerson also offers the public a chance to meet organic farmers from Lake County and to taste some of their produce from 1:30-3 p.m. All ages are welcome, and the charge is $7. To register, call 847-968-3321.

-- Learn to capture the essence of animals in an artists’ workshop with the North Shore Artist League’s David Gista from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 29. The cost is $65 per person – adults only. Call 847-446-2870 to register.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

-- The Glenview Dairy Bar opened to long lines Saturday, in spite of cold weather. Ironically, this year’s menu buzz centers on a tropical addition – mango dips for traditional ice cream
 cones.

-- Administrators at Glenbrook South High School have signed off on a trial program allowing students to listen to their iPods while walking in the hall, during lunch and other free periods.

GLENVIEW IN THE NATIONAL EYE

Glenview made the Wall Street Journal late last month when the paper ran a story about Abt Electronics. For those who missed it, here’s some of what the Journal had to say:

When Samsung went searching for a U.S. retail partner to showcase one of its two specially made 80-inch, $150,000 plasma TVs, it didn't tap any of the big national names like Best Buy Co. or Circuit City Stores Inc.

Instead, it picked a family business with a single suburban Chicago store: Abt Electronics. Same with Danish sound snob Bang & Olufsen, which last week began installing its latest store-design concept at Abt, seeking customer feedback before taking the layout national.

"Basically Abt is an anomaly," says Robert Schaffner, a Samsung Electronics Co. district sales manager who deals with Abt. "There is no other store like it in the country."

In the cutthroat world of rock-bottom-priced electronics and appliances, Abt takes a different approach. Positioning itself as the "Bellagio" of retail -- a nod to the lavish Las Vegas resort -- it displays many wares in walled-off boutiques within Abt's larger confines, which include an atrium featuring a 7,500-gallon aquarium, a fountain and sculptures. In doing so, it has managed to survive and even upstage ubiquitous rival titans using a tactic that can help small players in many categories: Instead of trying to beat rivals on cost, it is angling to outclass and out-service them. As such, Abt, which says it has sales of over $300 million, has become a testing ground for many manufacturers seeking early feedback on new products and marketing tactics.

Abt's trump card is layout. Part of its 65,000-square-foot showroom in Glenview, Ill., is carved up into unusual store-within-store pods to lure image-conscious brands such as Sub-Zero, Apple and Viking, which don't want all their goods lumped together with lower-end vacuums and dishwashers. Abt runs the sub-stores but the manufacturers help design them and often pay some of the construction and marketing costs. This concept is the only reason Bang & Olufsen A/S, which sells its high-end sound systems and video equipment in the U.S. almost entirely through 50 sleek company-owned stores, finally decided to sell its equipment in Abt.

"Our products need space and air, and they are a piece of art in the living room," says Zean Nielsen, vice president of Bang & Olufsen North America. "When out hanging next to $500 screens, they can get lost."

Abt's strategy expands on a broader retail trend that has taken root in recent years as stores offer one-stop shopping for consumers looking to outfit their homes. Although the housing market has slowed in recent months, remodeling spending has been robust for several years, hitting $168.7 billion in 2006, up 1.5% from a year earlier, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

READERS WRITE

Controversy continues over fees paid to William Blair, the company that contributed $4,000 to a group promoting passage of District 225’s bond issue. Blair subsequently got the contract to sell those bonds. A financially savvy reader has reviewed the district’s official statement on the sale of more than $66 million in bonds, then shared these thoughts: “Six weeks ago, District 225 officials told the Chicago Tribune that William Blair's fee for the District's $66,276,844 referendum bond issue was ‘at least $132,000.’ Assistant Superintendent Craig Schilling told Glenview Watch that Blair ‘only made $134,290.’

“I have reviewed the district’s official statement on the transaction and conclude those numbers were way off. The actual fee was $406,277 -- about $271,000 higher than officials claimed.
 
“What’s more, district officials told the Glenview Announcements that the interest rate on the bonds was 4.13 percent, but the official statement says that only 56.7 percent of the principal amount was borrowed at the effective 4.13 percent level. The rest was borrowed at higher rates.

“One can only wonder why accurate reports have not been made to the press and the taxpayers. While it is presumably true that the interest rates set at the bond sales were less than the rates used when developing pre-election information, the bonds did not sell at Aaa rates as determined on the sale date by its pricing consultant but rather at the next lower rating of Aa1 which increased the interest dollars to be paid by the district.”

Ed White “went inside the new post office for the first time today. As I stood in line, the first thing I noticed was that there are only four stations for clerks in the new facility rather than the five stations the old building had. I’ve decided that the design must have been a joint effort by the postal service and the village. I doubt that either, alone, would have thought to cut the capacity for service by 20 percent. Reminds me of the old definition of a camel – a horse designed by a committee.”

The Watch replies: You should have been there on March 24 – a Saturday when two people called in sick. Two clerks were busy dealing with special customer problems, leaving just one person to serve a very long line of customers. Let’s let the postal service know we’re a big town now, in need of more people to meet our needs. Send an e-mail to timothy.d.ratliff@usps.gov. And if you haven’t already tried using the machine in the lobby, check it out. You can weigh a letter or package, buy the right amount of postage, look up a zip code and much more. Just bring your credit card.

Glenview resident Tom Corrigan “attended the library presentation on March 22. There was much worthwhile discussion of the architects’ plans. In order to further that discussion I have set up a forum on the web where these conversations can continue: www.GlenviewNewLibrary.com.”

J. Miller responds to residents who say the new library will contain too many seats if current building usage is any indication: “Instead of counting the number of people, I counted the number of tables used. After all, people prefer to have extra room if possible. On a Thursday at around 3 p.m. I found just three tables unused on the first floor and mezzanine, and some were shared by two, three or even four people.

“Now consider the new building with space for 400. That’s four seats per table -- 100 tables. If 60 people are in the library, they’d occupy about 60 percent of the tables. Keep in mind that even more people may show up when parking is available.”

But Ib Jorgensen is not convinced that bigger would be better: “I am not calling for a smaller library, but by renovating our current building and using space in better ways, I think the current size is right, especially in light of future trends. Read up on electronic books and e-publishing:

Click Here for the Google Book Site

“In the 21st century local libraries don't have to be so big. People can sit home and download everything from the library using their personal computer. My college-aged granddaughter is already doing so.”

J had written to complain that the library doesn’t recycle. Library Director Vickie Novack wrote to assure us there were recycling bins all over the building, to which J replies: “What I really like is Vickie's response to the recycling question. She is absolutely correct that there are recycling bins located throughout the library. What she doesn't tell you, and what is typical about many of her carefully scripted responses, is that it only reveals part of the truth. The part she wants to convey. The contents of the recycling bins are carefully collected by the maintenance staff, and everything is then dumped into the Groot garbage container at the back of the library parking lot along with all the other library trash. That's not my idea of recycling, and I think Vickie's response is deliberately misleading.”

NZ asks what will be happening to the Dominick’s property on Waukegan Road.

The Watch replies: Dominick’s is trying to find another tenant for the site.

SD is “curious about the northwest corner of Lake and Waukegan. All of the businesses left this strip mall at the end of last year. Is something new going to be built in its place?”

The Watch replies: Yes. A respected Chicago developer has won approval from the village to construct a new shopping strip anchored by Bank of America.

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.

To read past issues of Glenview Watch, Click Here