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The Glenview Watch
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COMINGS AND GOINGS
-- Long-time Public Works Director Bill Porter has announced plans to retire next month, accepting the terms of a buy-out designed to thin the ranks at Village Hall. Porter recently said Glenview was so short on public works personnel that the village could not effectively clear the streets in the event of a prolonged snow storm.
-- Glenview's Fire and Police Commission has terminated Officer Melanie Meier. Chief Bill Fitzpatrick said Meyer put in for $500 in overtime to go to court when, in fact, there were no cases involving her. Meier said she and other officers routinely went to court, because they didn't always know when tickets they had issued would be heard. She also claimed the police department was persecuting her for refusing to go along with an order that officers who patrol at night make at least two arrests per month for driving under the influence of alcohol. The department has denied making such a demand.
VILLAGE PLANS NEXT REAL ESTATE DEAL
Village officials will meet tonight with residents of the area around Glenview and Greenwood roads and other interested parties to discuss plans for widening Greenwood from Crestwood Lane south to Linneman to relieve congestion and reduce cut-through traffic. They also plan to create turn lanes onto Glenview Road, build sidewalks, improve the traffic signal and pedestrian signs. Work is scheduled to begin in 2009, but businesses on the southeast side of the intersection have objected, noting the wider road will eliminate 11 parking spaces.
The village met last week with those owners and offered to buy the building formerly occupied by Curves and the Red Star Chinese Restaurant. Planners say they could then tear one part of that building down to create room for parking.
ISMAILI HOUSE CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY
Chicago’s Ismaili Muslim community, 5,000-strong, has
broken ground on its 26,000-square-foot community center to be built on
9.5 acres near the corner of Shermer and Golf. Illinois Gov. Rod
Blagojevich helped Village President Kerry Cummings lay the first bricks.
The Glenview center will include a prayer hall, offices, classrooms and
space for community celebrations. The village board approved plans for the
House of Worship more than a year ago over vigorous objections from the
neighbors. They raised concerns about traffic, flooding and noise and
gathered about 1,000 signatures on a petition opposing the project.
Work was delayed by an elaborate internal review process at the Ismaili organization's highest levels in Paris. Local leaders hope to open the new building in just over a year.
LOCAL SCHOOLS QUESTION NEED FOR “SILENCE”
Local schools are grappling with a new rule from Springfield. Lawmakers there have made a period of silence mandatory at the start of the school day, so students at Glenbrook South will stand a little longer before reciting the state-mandated pledge of allegiance.
Gov. Blagojevich had vetoed Senate Bill 1463, also known as “The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act,” but lawmakers overrode him.
At Glenbrook North Principal Mike Riggle told the Pioneer Press that if a poll were taken in this area, he doubts most people would see a need for the moment of silence. "They'd say the state legislature should have more important things to do," Riggle told reporter Lynn Stiefel.
District 34 says it will be up to individual students how to spend the few seconds allotted; District 31 will provide just 10 seconds to meet the new requirement, and District 30 gives kids five seconds to pray or reflect.
A group of students at North may circulate a petition asking the state legislature to overturn the law, and State Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, D-9th, is urging local districts to ask Springfield for a waiver.
VILLAGE ATTORNEY JEFF RANDALL STEPS DOWN
After more than 30 years in the job, Village Attorney Jeff Randall says he’ll step down, and his legal partner Eric Patt will step up. Randall has served three village managers and six village presidents in Glenview, crafting an ill- fated ordinance to allow the sale of guns at The Glen and leading the pricy but unsuccessful prosecution of a man who insisted on putting his trash on the parkway in front of his neighbor’s house.
He and Partner Patt unsuccessfully defended the village when it was sued by a group of open space advocates trying to protect the Air Station Prairie. Patt told the judge that the plaintiffs were being unreasonable in their attempt to stop development for the sake of a few “robins and mallards.” The judge promptly scolded him for being so sarcastic.
Randall plans to remain in practice on a part-time basis and expressed a willingness to assist with Glenview matters on occasion. “I’m usually on call 24 hours a day, and if [I’m] needed, just put the bat light up in the sky,” he told the trustees.
Editor’s note: At a time when the village is scrambling to make ends meet, we’re surprised that officials are not seeking bids for legal services. Will there ever be a better time?
NEW DOUBTS ABOUT DOMINICK’S SITE
The village recently announced plans to purchase the former Dominick’s site on Waukegan Road from a Florida-based trust that owns the property. Officials said they wanted to have maximum control over what’s built there. At the top of their wish list – a grocery store, but Dominick’s has a lease that runs through 2012, and the company doesn’t want anyone to compete with its Patriot Boulevard store.
Now comes word that Dominick’s may be bought out by a Milwaukee-based grocery chain, Roundy’s. Crain’s Chicago Business says Roundy’s owns 153 stores and quotes an executive with its parent company: “If Dominick’s were for sale, Roundy’s would have an interest in acquiring it.”
Dominick’s and its parent company Safeway had no comment. Dominick’s has 82 locations in the Chicago area, and Roundy’s has announced plans to enter the market. The chain’s chairman, Robert Mariano, was once the C.E.O. for Dominick’s.
LOCAL HOTELS WANT HIGHER TAXES
The village board will soon consider a one percent increase in Glenview’s hotel-motel tax – bumping it from five to six percent, and local innkeepers do not object. They want the village to use half of the extra money, about $75,000, to join the Prospect Heights Convention and Visitors Bureau. Glenview already belongs to the North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau at a cost of $100,000 per year, but hotels on Milwaukee Avenue feel they have more in common with Prospect Heights than with North Shore communities like Evanston and Wilmette.
BURNING OFF HOLIDAY CALORIES
-- The Glenview Ice Center hosts three days of post Turkey Day Public Skating from noon-2 p.m. Friday, November 23, and 1:30-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, November 24 and November 25. Season pass holders can bring a friend free. Admission is $6 for everyone else, and skate rental at the rink (1851 Landwehr Road) costs $4. For more information, call 847-724-2800 or visit www.glenviewparks.org
-- The park district hosts its first annual “Glenview Basketball Bash” from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, November 24 at Park Center. The Bash is a series of games between local organizations and businesses to raise money for local charities. Each game will last about an hour, and there will be contests between games for the fans. Admission is free for spectators, but donations of canned goods for the Northfield Township Food Pantry are encouraged. Local police will play firemen at 9 a.m. Glenview State Bank takes on the OLPH Men’s 50 and Over Club at 10:15, Attea’s staff plays Springman at 11:30, Glenview Junior Titans Football faces the OLPH Men’s 40 and Over Club at 1 p.m. At 2:15 p.m. it’s District 34 versus District 31. Loyola Boosters challenge GBS Boosters at 3:30. AYSO Soccer plays Glenview Youth Baseball at 4:45, and village employees will play park district staffers at 6. For more information on the Glenview Basketball Bash, contact Jon Cohn at: 847-542- 4695 or e-mail jcsportsandtees@aol.com
A DOG PARK UPDATE
Dog Owners of Glenview met with the park district this week for an update on the Community Park West dog park. The total acreage will be 5.8, including two-thirds of an acre for small dogs and a special agility training space. While owners who like to exercise had hoped for a path around the perimeter, Leisure Services Director Bob Quill said planners prefer one gravel path with a small loop at the northern end to avoid breaking up the green area and to save money. The facility will also include a drinking fountain, shelter and concrete dog wash area.
Quill said the district intends to periodically close the park in extreme wet weather to protect the lawn it intends to plant. Some DOG committee members were dismayed, since they had hoped to use the Glenview Park as an alternative to Beck Lake, a county-owned facility which becomes impossibly muddy after a rain storm or when snow is melting. They questioned whether Quill is applying sports field standards to the dog park.
The park district has decided to use its own employees to work on the northern end of the dog park (50 to 65% of the total area), so it could be open to the public before September, 2009 -- the original target date for completion of the dog park.
On Thursday, November 15 at the park board’s monthly meeting, a student intern will present his business plan for the dog park, outlining how the facility will generate money to help pay for itself. The public is welcome. The board meets at 7 p.m. in room 101 of Park Center, 2400 Chestnut Avenue at The Glen.
Quill will present the overall plan for the facility to the park board at its Thursday, December 20 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in Park Center.
If you'd like to share your ideas on the dog park, e-mail Chuck.Balling@Glenviewparks.org
IN OTHER DOG-RELATED NEWS
Adopt-A-Pet hosts Howliday Happenings, a fundraiser for homeless animals. Bring your dogs for pictures with Santa. Pick up treats for yourself and your pooch at the holiday bake sale. Take advantage of low-cost micro-chipping, and shop for pet-related items at the annual Howliday Boutique. Reservations are recommended. Dates, times and locations are listed below:
Nov. 18, 10:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. - Wiggly Tails Doggie Daycare, 1915 Holste Rd. Northbrook (847-272-4141)
Nov. 25, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.- Des Plaines Family Pet Clinic, 965 Rand Road (847-299-3800)
Dec. 1, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Wilmette Pet Shop from 10 a.m. 4 p.m. 625 Green Bay Rd. (847-251-6750)
Dec. 2, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Camp McDonald Animal Clinic, 2010 Camp McDonald Rd., Mt. Prospect (847-296 -1188)
Dec. 8-9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. - PetsMart, 291 Skokie Boulevard in Northbrook. (no reservations needed)
SAVE THE DATE
-- State Representative Beth Coulson is sponsoring a women’s health and wellness fair from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday, November 17 at the Prairie Park Center, 6834 W. Dempster in Morton Grove. Admission, refreshments and screenings are free, and flu shots will be available for a charge of $20 or at no charge if you have Medicare. For details, call 847-724-3233.
-- Glenbrook South High School holds an open house from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 28. Taxpayers are invited to see science classrooms, the kitchen and cafeteria, orchestra room, student activities center and dean’s office – all added or renovated with funds from a bond issue approved last year.
READERS WRITE
SM comments on plans to put volunteers from various village departments on snow plows this winter: “Those staffers will collect their salaries for the time away from their desks, but what about overtime? At the evening and weekend rates plus pension contributions, they become very expensive snow plowers. Then there’s the matter of building inspectors being assigned to enforce the fire code. If you’re worried about employees driving plows, consider fire inspection! Finally, I want to correct your assertion that former Deputy Fire Chief Mike Sawicki has retired. He’s eligible for his fire department pension but is back on the payroll at Village Hall as a part-time management analyst.”
RN asks, “What is the reason for all the trees along Depot St. near the train station having green or blue dots?”
The Watch replies: The trees are scheduled for trimming.
SH addresses the library critics in the crowd: “It is truly becoming boring to listen to these disgruntled people. They say the library is too big; nobody uses the library; libraries are irrelevant; the library costs too much; blah, blah, blah! Enough of the blather. Why don't you complain about how our clothing has some manufacturer’s name plastered all over it? Why not complain to the White Sox ownership about selling the baseball field's naming rights to the highest corporate bidder? What about how the park district names the parks after former employees or commissioners? How about how the various state governments allow individuals to personalize their license plates with whatever statement they feel important for a fee? Are the library trustees to be considered ‘arrogant lunatics’ because they follow the same proven strategies for getting someone else to pay the bills? I think that comment was more than insulting to people who devote countless hours, for free, to get Glenview's citizens something to be proud of while perhaps getting someone else to subsidize it.”
And JR was dismayed by our coverage of the Tyner Nature Center: “You wrote, ‘The center is LEDE certified platinum, an award given by the U.S. Green Building Council to the most environmentally-friendly projects.’ I don't want to nitpick, but it's LEED -- standing for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. According to the US Green Building Council website, the LEED system is the ‘nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.’ To become LEED certified, at any of the given levels, those running the construction have to follow certain guidelines, accrue credits in different sustainability areas, and complete quite a bit of paperwork. LEED-certified buildings are becoming more common, but given the tremendous amount of building that's going on around Glenview, including renovations to at least two elementary schools and construction of a library that either hasn't gone after LEED certification or hasn't mentioned it as a goal, it's exciting to have the Tyner Nature Center become LEED certified. It shows foresight and care to environmental issues, something I haven't seen much of around Glenview. So let's give whoever decided to go after LEED certification and accomplished it a big round of applause!”
The Watch replies: You bet, and it’s not too late to push for LEED certification of the new library. Send an e-mail with your views to vnovak@glenviewpl.org, and when the village, park district and District 34 get started on their new civic center, write to them too.
Irene Kreer, president of the Friends of the Glenview Library, takes issue with our story about the Rotary-Sunrise offering used books at The Glen of North Glenview Metra station. We wrote, “Unlike those loaned out from the downtown station by Glenview=s public library, Rotary does not insist on getting its volumes back. President Chris Warren says it=s enough that the volumes get more than one reading.” Kreer writes: “The Glenview Public Library does not ‘insist’ on getting its books back. It puts a label on each donated paperback which says, ‘Read and Return,’ so that when the person has finished the paperback, they can return it to the railroad station rack and then another person and another person and so on, can have the opportunity to read the book. Most are not returned. For many years, the Glenview Public Library has provided books every month to both Glenview railroad stations, and it is not in a competition with the Rotary Club. The Rotary Club is an admired and respected organization, and it is wonderful that they also are providing books to train riders. We have been told that people get off the train at the Glenview train stops to get a book and then hop right back on the train to ride to their own destinations!”
HD responds to news that Cook County’s public health services may soon be taken away from the pols: “I am happy to see that Cook County Commissioner Gregg Goslin will study independent governance of the Cook County Hospital. How about taking away management of the Forest Preserves from the Cook County Board? They don't pay attention to Forest Preserve needs, and we don't need their cronies -- we need professional stewards of these lands. Other counties are separating governance, and we should protect our natural resources in Cook County by doing the same thing.”
The Watch replies: We agree, although Goslin may not be the man to lead that charge. In his latest newsletter, he brags about how the budget for the forest preserves is finally balanced, gives thanks to the passionate volunteers who help with forest preserve maintenance and promises improvements in 2008. As regular visitors to the forest preserves, we see a lot of room for improvement.
Joel Cahn wonders why the village is taking away commuter parking at Dewes and Railroad. “The parking spaces have been for commuters for more than 30 years. Several years ago, after the corner was developed with a three-story building and the Salon and Amish furniture story opened, the village converted two parking spaces from commuter use to retail. About a year later two more spaces were taken from commuters, and last week the village took four more. Eight commuter parking spaces have been taken away at a time when commuter parking is scarce. Could you find out why?”
The Watch replies: Retailers got the ear of village trustees on this one. There are no plans to convert additional spaces, and spokesperson Janet Spector Bishop contends there are commuter spaces available on Railroad south of Dewes. If you want to duke it out over the newly converted spots, you’ll have to take it up with the trustees.
Frank Luppino offers this idea for the former Dominick’s site on Waukegan Road: “Why doesn’t the empty Dominick's store on Waukegan get turned into a couple of nice, family-style restaurants? Lots of those on fixed incomes cannot afford the higher prices being charged these days to eat out. The Olive Garden and Red Lobster would be two nominations. Neither is located too close to Glenview at present, and there is plenty of parking space there right now. Just renovate the existing building. I’ll bet many nearby residents would walk over to eat, and that would increase foot traffic on village streets and benefit other stores. Sounds like a win-win to me.”
GV has an idea for improving traffic at The Glen: “The village should talk about widening Patriot and Chestnut. It's just a matter of time before they are widened anyway. Do it now. Traffic is always backed up, and if there are no police around lot of people ignore the ‘no turn on red’ rule. Let's face it. Patriot is a cut through street, and there is going to be more traffic on it with all the new homes and businesses going up. Glenview police are not going to solve the situation either by putting up radar equipment or the like. It's frankly a waste of their time when they could be handling more pressing issues. Widening the streets to four lanes would help greatly.”
RN asks, “What is happening to our town? I have lived here for 40 years and have always been proud to say I was from Glenview. Now, however, I feel embarrassed. Things are changing, and not for the better. Leaves cover the streets, and there are no sweepers in sight. It takes forever to get jobs done by our public works crews. Every time I call to speak with a particular department at Village Hall, I’m told people are in meetings. Is that all they do now is go to meetings? No wonder nothing is getting done. The trustees need to wake-up and re-evaluate village management. Is it time for a changing of the guard? I think so.”
RS is calling all cars: “Maybe you could put something in The Watch for my daughter whose car was sideswiped while parked on the west side of Waukegan Road near Goode and Fresh Pizza -- just south of the driveway for the building on the Southwest corner of Lake and Waukegan. She was parked from 4:45 to 5:30 Wednesday, and during that time someone sideswiped her car, doing about $8,000 in damage -- then just left. If anybody witnessed the accident, please contact ronstran@aol.com.”
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.