Gaggin' in the Grove

And hey, let's be careful out there...

2012-02-01T19:58:00.000-06:00

Yes, Virginia, these are real -- actual items taken from the Buffalo Grove Police report...

Can you hear me now?

A Buffalo Grove resident reported that he found a cell phone on a walking trail near Green Lake Park, along Thompson Blvd on 01/24. The resident tried to turn the phone on, but would not work. Upon examining the phone to obtain the serial number, the battery of the device was wet. A representative of Sprint was contacted to try and obtain owner information with negative results. A property control form was completed and the phone was placed into evidence.

Glad we have a vicious dog ordinance…

A resident reported a stray Chihuahua running lose in the area. Officers responded and were able to locate the dog and placed it in a cage. The dog became aggressive, so it was immediately transported to Kings Kennel. The owner of the dog arrived on station where three citations were issued.

Can’t you just hear Neal Sedaka? Breaking up is hard to do,..

Complainant reported breaking up with his girlfriend and she threatened to destroy his personal property. The complainant wanted this documented and did not want the ex contacted.

Check the Chihuahua

Resident reported foot prints leading to a window and around the home. Officer determined the prints to be that of an animal.

Samurai night fever?

Resident turned in for destruction three swords that she no longer wanted but did not feel comfortable to place the items in the garbage.

But she has a nice personality…sometimes

Resident reported her son’s girlfriend, who is staying with her, has not been taking her medications and has become uncontrollable.

Check the Chihuahua – Part II

Resident found a Boxer/Rottweiler puppy running loose in the area of Deerfield Road and Milwaukee Avenue. The twenty five pound puppy with BIG (sic)paws, did not have a collar or tags and did not have a chip. She was taken to Kings Kennel.

Try a Facebook page…

Resident reported someone ringing all of the door bells in the building in an effort to gain entry. Officer located two subjects who are Jehovah Witnesses wanting to pass their message on to residents. Officer suggested they leave a notice with a call back number for anyone in the building that may be interested in speaking with them.

Smart thinking…

Resident received a phone call from American Cash Awards, telling her that she won 2.5 million dollars. She was advised that she needed to send $400.00 via Western Union for fees and taxes. The resident hung up.

Talk about a lack of interest…

Resident reported receiving phone calls from someone offering to lower her interest rates. The calls continue even though the caller was asked to stop. The resident was advised of the do not call list procedure.

Must be the caffeine…

Center employee reported that a patient threatened to throw coffee on him if the employee did not clean a wound. Officer spoke to the patient who denied the threat. The patient’s wife stated she would discuss the issue with the employee’s supervisor.

Let’s go out and win one for the Zipper…

Customer stated that he had his jacket zipper replaced less than a year ago and the zipper broke again. The tailor refused to fix the zipper stating that the customer did not have a receipt and the he did not replace that zipper, stating that it is not the type of zipper he would sew in. The customer departed.

A real snow job, Part 1…

Resident reported that his neighbor blew snow onto the resident’s driveway. Officer spoke with the neighbor who apologized and stated he would be more careful in the future.

A real snow job, Part 2…

Resident reported that his neighbor’s snow plow driver deposited snow onto the parkway across the street and in doing so, damaged the parkway grass.

A real snow job, Part 3

Resident reported that the snow plow driver for his neighbor left a large quantity of snow in the roadway. Officer attempted to contact the neighbor but no one was at home.

Such a deal…right mon?

Resident received a phone call advising her that she won $1,000,000.00 with Publisher’s Clearing House and that she needed to send a Western Union money gram in the amount of $400.00 to cover fees and expenses. The resident told the caller she did not have $400.00 so she was told to send only $100.00. The resident sent the money gram to a subject in Rockville, MD as instructed. Officer checked and found that the caller’s number come back to Jamaica.

Online encounter…this is news?

Resident reported that her son was online and had an encounter with a female subject that told the son she was going to get him and displayed his address. Officer discussed internet issues with the son and has placed an extra watch on the residence.

Love in the digital age, Part 1

Resident reported receiving threatening text messages from his ex girlfriend. Officer contacted the ex who stated that it was the resident that was contacting her, thirty times in just one day.

Love in the digital age, Part 2

Resident reported that her ex boyfriend is sending out messages on twitter calling her vulgar names and making other disturbing comments. Officer contacted the ex who apologized and stated that he would cease all contact and messaging.

Well, at least they’re not texting…

Complainant stated that while he was walking, his ex wife’s husband approached him and threatened bodily harm. Officer attempted to contact the offender without success. The officer will follow up.

No parent left behind?

Official reported that during a parent conference, the parent became upset, threw papers, and slammed the door on his way out. The official is concerned if she needs to address issues with the parent about the child in the future. The official was advised to call 911 if the parent returns and has anger issues.

You’re kidding, right?

Resident engaged in an internet relationship with a subject who, after sometime, requested for her to accept a package he was sending from England. A short time later the subject requested the resident to send some money to release the package from customs. The package did not arrive. She was again asked to send money via Western Union, for additional fees, which she did. The subject then asked the resident to send money so that he could come home from England, which she also did. The resident has discussed this with an internet attorney site and was advised to contact the police.

You’re kidding, right? Part 2

Citizen reported a package in front of the bank. The package appeared to have batteries attached. It was determined that the item was a holiday decoration.

Maybe he needs to get a bucket of chicken…

Employee stated that a man called numerous times ordering food and then not being happy with the quoted price. The caller would then request extra food items for the same price. The employee told the caller that no food order would be accepted from him. Officer called the subject who apologized and stated that he would make no further calls.

And this is why they call it “social media”?

The complainant reported being harassed by a former friend/employee on Facebook. The complainant related that there were no threats made, but harassing messages were being left

Shake, rattle and roll…

Resident stated that he was listening to music while putting his daughter to bed. The upstairs neighbor was jumping or pounding on the floor. While the officer was present, the upstairs neighbor was pounding on the floor so hard that he ceiling shook and the chandelier was shaking. Officer spoke with the neighbor who had the officer go to the bedroom to listen to the loud music, none was heard.

Shake, rattle and roll…Part 2

The complainant advised a loud drumming noise coming from the listed location. Officers responded and spoke with the resident who was practicing with his DJ equipment. The resident understood he was disturbing his neighbors and agreed to stop his practicing for the night.

Another chapter comes to an end -- hopefully

2012-01-16T20:02:00.000-06:00

The recent issuing by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency of its findings about the now infamous Land and Lakes landfill site along Milwaukee Avenue should bring to a close another stretch in the ride of recalled trustee Lisa Stone.

The keyword here is should.

While no one can diminish concerns about environmental issues, when they become a mere personal crusade it take away from the issue and processes in place. The IEPA held a public hearing in November 2010 and released its findings last week. Its findings revealed that the landfill is not an environmental danger and steps can begin for its complete closure and development by the village.

Case closed.

In its coverage, the Daily Herald cites a news release sent out by Stone in which she says, again, according to reports in the Daily Herald that “We can't let this potential time bomb sit there. We need to make sure that the area is clean, that there are no toxic substances polluting the ground and water of current residents and future generations.”

If Stone knows for a fact that the site is a “potential time bomb,” then she needs to reveal her sources – professional and valid sources. If not, she is not fulfilling her fiduciary responsibility as a concerned citizen. If she the information while on the board, then she needed to reveal it. Instead, she ridiculed her colleagues and village staff for not doing their jobs.

So now the state EPA has spoken and still Stone does not appear satisfied with the findings. In a post on AOL’s Patch, Stone says it’s “Up to You” – meaning Buffalo Grove residents – to read the information she has provided and get involved.

We’ve been down this road before. Stone tossed out information wanting people to see the wrongs in the village and follow her lead. Most didn’t, and in November of 2010 most said enough was enough.

Stone still contends that, according to her Patch post, "Those in power often recruit their minions to maintain the status quo and stay in office with no regard for what is best for the general public.”

In the last village election there were two contested contests; one for village clerk and one for a trustee spot. No one was “recruited” – and no one else came out to run.

Those who ran did so because of an interest in what was happening in the village. No one recruited Rob Sherman to run for Village Clerk and no one recruited Andy Stein or Denise Bocek to run. There were no minions behind them – just a concern, for the most part, to serve the community.

Everyone knows that.

Even a Cree Indian.

Beyond the goofiness..

2012-01-05T20:15:00.002-06:00

It continues to amaze me just what people call the police department for, which is why I started posting monthly summaries from the police report.

Clearly some people are hopeless -- or helpless -- I haven't decided.

There is, however, another side to the police reports. Public service reminders.

Each police report includes a list of scams that people are trying to pull on residents.

For example, ruse burglaries -- Quite simply, A ‘ruse burglary’ is a crime in which someone distracts the homeowner while a second person enters the home and looks for things to steal. Now you may be thinking -- why would anyone let a stranger in their house under the ruse (hence the name, ruse burglary) that they were doing work outside and needed to check something inside. Bottom line -- if it looks strange, it probably is -- don't take the chance.

The same holds true for people calling claiming you are needed for jury duty. According to police reports "The caller claims to be a jury DUTY coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the Scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and Bingo, your identity was just stolen." Bottom line -- if its sounds strange, it probably is -- don't take the chance.

So here's what the police suggest you do -- as taken from the police report:

Do not let anyone into your home that you do not know or does not have an appointment
Do not give any personal information to someone at your door or on the phone. Your bank will never call or send an email asking for personal information.
Do not send money to someone who says you are the beneficiary of a man in Nigeria … or a serviceman in the Middle East. No one is going to send you six or seven or eight million dollars. If I had all of the millions that were promised to me through emails, I would be able to pay off Illinois’ 15 billion dollar debt.
Do not send money to someone who calls and says he is your grandson in jail in Guatemala (or anywhere else in the world).
If you have doubts about a call or visit, or if you want to report a scam, please call 9-1-1 immediately.

There are other scams that unfortunately the police have not addressed yet. For example:

If someone calls and offers a chance to get in touch with your inner self through regular tranquility by becoming a Village Board member – it’s a scam.
If you are offered free tickets to an exciting night at a school board meeting – it’s scam.
If someone gives you a chance to be part of the next Rob Sherman Bible revival followed by a pig roast, it’s a scam.

And finally, the most serious scam facing the community comes in the form of either an email or phone call in which the recipient is guaranteed a solid and stable business opportunity in athletics by becoming general manager of the Chicago Bears – needless to say, it’s a scam.

So hey, let's be careful out there.

And hey, let's be careful out there..

2012-01-01T21:20:00.000-06:00

There are six million stories in the naked city – these are a few of them as reported in the Buffalo Grove Police report.

Playground is not an option

Officer was advised of a male subject sitting under the playground equipment. Officer located the youth who told the officer that he opted not to go to school today. The school and the boy’s mother were notified and the boy was given a ride home.

The ex factor, part 1

Resident reported the he broke up a long standing relationship and has found that the ex girlfriend’s son has posted comments about the resident on the Internet. Officer reviewed the comments and did not find them threatening.

The ex factor, part 2

Resident reported that her estranged husband is sending her text messages in violation of an order of protection. The order was verified and the officer contacted the husband. The husband admitted to sending the messages but would not meet with the officer.

The rain is Tess, the fire’s Joe..and the call the wind chime Mariah.

Resident reported receiving a letter from her homeowner’s association requesting that she remove a wind chime from her patio. The following day, the resident found the wind chime lying on the ground. The officer suggested that the strong winds may have blown the chime to the ground.

Huh?

Resident reported that his neighbor plays music too loud. Officer spoke with the neighbor who stated that he had been sleeping and the resident’s children woke him up so he turned his TV up louder than usual. The neighbor agreed that his actions were inappropriate and agreed to discuss the issues with the resident.

Huh? No. 2

Resident reported that a neighbor opened a door with such force that his right wrist was injured. When offered medical assistance from the paramedics, the resident refused stating that he will seek advice from his attorney first.

Probably a good idea…

Resident reported that a male subject, with whom his wife is having an affair, came to the house and knocked on the door. The resident requested the officer contact the subject and advise him not to return to the house. Officer called and passed the message on.

Some performance review…

Complainant stated that her work supervisor asked for her to meet him in the parking lot. There the supervisor asked the complainant to sit in his car which she did. The supervisor then pinned her down and kissed her without her consent. This occurred on one other occasion. Officer spoke with the supervisor who stated that the kissing was consensual and that he at no time forced or pinned her. No complaints to be signed.

Huh? No. 3

Motorist stated that he made a right turn on red and the vehicle that was then behind him changed lanes, passed the motorist and then cut in front of him. The motorist wanted the incident documented but did not want the offender cited. No phone number could be located for the registered owner of the offending vehicle.

Postage due?

Resident reported that someone unknown placed an empty vodka bottle into his mailbox. This is the second incident in the past week.

But did he look in the mailbox?

Store manager stated that he believes a female subject concealed a bottle of vodka under her coat and left the store without paying. When the manager confronted her while she was sitting in a vehicle, the subject stated that she left the bottle in the store. The subject opened her coat to show the manager that there was no bottle. The manager feels the bottle may have been somewhere in the van.

Must be opening a branch office..

Resident stated that her son observed their neighbor pick up tree branches in her yard and then throw them into the resident’s yard. Due to continued friction between the resident and her neighbor, she wanted the incident documented. Officer went to the neighbor’s home but no one answered the door.

So much for a holiday bonus

Manager reported that he terminated an employee and that employee became upset and was yelling. Officer spoke with the employee and advised him not to return to the station. The employee stated that he would consult an attorney.

Never had this problem when Ed McMahon handled the checks…

Resident received a call from a male subject claiming to be from the Publisher’s Clearing House and told the resident that she had won a large amount of money but needed to pay the caller $125.00 for the IRS processing fee. The resident hung up. Officer reminded the resident that legitimate companies do not make anyone pay fees before a prize is given.

Jack LaLanne he’s not…

Officers responded to a male and female subject in a heated discussion. The female stated that the male was working out and stretching in an offensive manner, and she believed that he may be consuming alcohol from a green bottle. Officer spoke with the male who apologized for disturbing someone and stated that the green bottle was mineral water purchased in the Fitness Center.

Well what do you expect, he had been at a Bears game..

Store official reported an intoxicated subject lying on the floor between the entrance doors. Officer spoke to the subject who stated that he had been to the Bears game with a friend, came back to the friend’s house and then decided to walk home to Wauconda

The ex factor, part 3

Employee stated that when she checked her voicemail at work, she found two voice messages from her boyfriend’s ex girlfriend. The messages were insulting and threatening. Officer attempted to contact the ex and left a message for her to stop contact and to call the officer to discuss the issue

Huh? No. 4

Resident reported that she and her husband were awoken by someone ringing their doorbell at 1:30am. It was too dark outside to see anyone.

Talk about the holiday spirit..

Resident stated that a neighbor threatened him while he was out walking his dog, because the dog had sniffed some miniature Christmas trees. The resident felt that threats of homicide were a bit excessive and requested officers speak with the neighbor. Officer spoke with the neighbor telling him that homicide was not an appropriate response at any time much less on Christmas day. The neighbor apologized and agreed to call the police the next time he has a problem with someone.

This is just wrong…

Resident reported that unknown subjects rang his doorbell and when he answered found two baby Jesus figures on his doorstep. Officer retrieved the figures and found contact information on the bottom. The owners will be contacted.

The ex factor, part 4

Resident stated that her ex fiancé has been calling, texting and otherwise harassing her. The ex’s phone number has been blocked and the resident was given instructions on obtaining an order of protection. The resident did not want the officer to make contact with the ex at this time.

Huh? No. 5

Resident reported a female subject that was having difficulty parking her vehicle. Officer located the car with the subject passed out in the front seat. Officer was able to get the subject’s attention and have her go inside to her apartment. The car was not running and the keys were not in the ignition.

And finally…

A little boy asked his grandpa if raindeer(sic) really can fly? Grandpa answered yes, but they have a difficult time making it through security. (Three notes – 1. It’s reindeer, 2. Reindeer can get through security if they have premier exec.status and 3. The writer of the police report has too much time on his/her hands…)

What a difference a year makes...

2011-12-28T10:15:00.005-06:00

So here it is, the end of the year.

At this time last year we were looking back on a rather tumultuous year highlighted, for lack of a better word, of recalls, EPA hearings, clashes between board members and village staff, the resignation of a long-time, well-respected village manager, the hiring of a new village manager and the Cubs going nowhere.

What a difference a year makes.

Most of the above has ebbed -- with of course the fact the Cubs went nowhere.

The past year was highlighted by changes on the Village Board as Elliott Hartstein hung up the gavel with Jeff Braiman taking center seat. Three newcomers joined the Board, Andrew Stein by defeating Denise Bocek in the April election, Mike Terson by virtue of an unopposed race, and Lester Ottenheimer III by appointment.

But what would be a year in the history of Big Animal Grove without a little sabre-rattling.

Two elections gave residents an opportunity to see some rather unusual campaign rhetoric.

The race for District 125, which is Stevenson High School, the “125for125” slate of Kathy Powell, Kim Brady and Charles Cardella and the United4Stevenson slate that included incumbents Bruce Rubin, Merv Roberts, and Terry Moons along with newcomer David Weisberg.

At face value, it was the old-boy incumbents (along with Weisberg) who were spending the district to death, facing off against Don Quixote and his band of windmill fighters who were going to cut spending and save the district from financial ruin. What they failed to say was how they were going to maintain the academic integrity of the Mecca on 22 while cutting funds. Oops. They also forgot to mention their hidden moral agenda and their alliance with the Illinois Family Institute. Oops.

What was lost in their rhetoric was the impact on the students. But wait, wasn’t that supposed to be the focus of a school board race?

Granted, the United4Stevenson candidates made some bonehead calls during its previous term, but at least, so it seemed, you had an idea which direction they were going in. The 125for125 slate seemed to vacillate in its positions, so voters were not quite sure just exactly where they stood.

And on Election Day, the results seemed to back that up. United4Stevenson came out on top.

While the campaign was heated, it was focused on the issues -- unlike the race for Buffalo Grove Village Clerk.

That contest had incumbent Jan Sirabian facing everyone’s favorite question mark, Rob Sherman. Sherman whose sole intention appeared to (surprise) do little more than keep his name in the news, did little more than castigate Sirabian for being a long-serving village clerk – and for being a woman.

Instead of addressing the needs of the village, Sherman, instead opted to spend time having his car washed by employees of Hooters, attending presentations on women’s underwear and showing up at public hearings, soliciting signatures – and then leaving.

Was it any surprise that Sirabian garnered 80 percent of the vote? Not really – except when Sherman saw it as a moral victory. Somehow Sherman and moral don’t fit in the same sentence together.

And to think that was in April. After that things seemed to run their course on a fairly routine basis.

Routine? Buffalo Grove? It looks like 2011 has been that kind of a year.

One thing that did go unresolved, however. The fate of the evil “Hipcheck16”.

Despite the efforts of deposed board member Lisa Stone, who claims the anonymous Daily Herald poster defamed her son, and wants to know Hipcheck 16’s true identity, the Cook County Appellate Court has ruled to the contrary.

So another year and another unsolved mystery.

However, I have a suspicion as to who may be behind the dastardly Hipcheck 16.

Kim Jong-il.

Law & Order BGPD: November edition

2011-11-30T18:39:00.000-06:00

Another month and another collection of items from the police report that make me wonder what some people are thinking.

These are their stories.

You’re kidding, right?

Complainant stated that the driver of a vehicle behind her honked his horn for her to turn, then pulled next to her and gave her the middle finger. Officer spoke with the other driver who stated that his horn does not work and that he pulled next to her to let her know it was someone else.

Put the kid to work…

Resident stated that he spoke with his upstairs neighbor about the excessive noise the two year old child makes. When the resident returned to his apartment, the upstairs neighbor stomped on the floor, causing the glass globe from the kitchen light to fall and break. Officer spoke with the neighbor who denied stomping on the floor and complained of the resident yelling at her through the walls. Both were referred to the home owner’s association.

Well, so much for this friends list…

When the resident checked her son’s Facebook account, she found an inappropriate message from an unknown subject. The resident has canceled the account.

Help wanted: Intelligent Human Resources Person

Company official reported that a terminated employee has not returned a company vehicle and miscellaneous office items, as requested. Officer contacted the terminated employee and she stated that the vehicle and items will be returned the following day.

Bet it wasn’t Bert Weinman, Your TV Ford man…

Resident reported that he purchased a truck on eBay Motors. He wire transferred $24,000.00 to the seller, and has not seen the truck or seller since.

The rain is Tess, the fire’s Joe, but They Call the Grill Mariah…

Resident reported that someone unknown pushed her gas grill over on her patio. After examining the grill, the officer found a broken wheel and believes that the high winds may have been the cause.

Trash talking...

Driver stated that she stopped her car to pick up a bag of garbage that was lying in the roadway. When she placed the bag on the curb, a resident came out and threw the bag of garbage back at the driver, striking her in the chest with the bag. The resident was charged with disorderly conduct.

Imagine that – they were not texting…

Resident reported two male subjects sitting in a car that has been parked on the street for the past ninety minutes. Officer spoke with the occupants, one being a resident on the street the other his girlfriend. They were talking.

Love is a mighty confusing thing…

Resident reported receiving a text message stating “I want you back”. The resident sent a message back stating that you must have the wrong number. Since then, the resident has received three voice messages from a woman asking if the resident is cheating with her boyfriend. The resident has advised the caller to stop calling.

With friends like this...

Resident reported that someone opened an account on Sexyjobs.com and used her picture and cell phone number. She has been getting calls and text messages from unknown persons. The resident will contact the web site and request the account be closed

Talk about the cold shoulder...

Resident paid an acquaintance $3,600.00 for the installation of a new furnace. The check was cashed but the acquaintance never showed to make the installation. The resident and his sons have been attempting to contact the acquaintance and when one of the sons spoke with him he threatened bodily harm if they did not stop calling. Officer spoke with the acquaintance who denied making a threat and stated that he cashed the check to order the furnace.

Turkeys pardoned? Oh, this was not about the Village Board...

President Obama pardoned two Turkeys last week and spared them from Thanksgiving dinner. No such pardon came at my home and dinner was great. Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. (Yes, this was part of the Police Log)

The turkey reminded me...

2011-11-25T12:00:00.003-06:00

I couldn’t help but think of the Village Board as I cooked the turkey on Thanksgiving.

It’s nothing personal, mind you, just a connection that during the recent past that thinking of a turkey often connects to some of the antics by Board Members – both past and present – but mostly past.

The irony of it is the fact that the annual stuff-cook-eat turkey celebration comes within a week of an appellate court’s ruling that the identity of the now infamous “Hipcheck16” does not have to be revealed.

Turkeys aside, and you can read into that as much as you want, it’s a continuation of the “look at me – I’m always right and everyone is wrong” campaign by former trustee Lisa Stone. In the past year I have mentioned Stone’s name only a smattering of time. Her reign as a Village Board member came to a halt with the recall vote last November.

However, she continues her pursuit of her pet projects – the Land & Lakes landfill issue and the ongoing about who Hipcheck16 is. That’s fine. Everyone has his or her own pet projects and we know that Stone is passionate – obsessive if you will about Land & Lakes – even though she ignored it when she lived near the site.

The Hipcheck 16 issue is a different story. It is, in some ways, a classic example of how folks who put themselves in the public eye don’t get it.

When someone runs for public offices, accepts a high profile position, such as a school administrator or coach, their lives become an open book, whether they like it or not. Lisa Stone is not the first public figure whose family has been brought into the public eye. Former governor Jim Thompson had to deal with issues related to his wife, Sarah Palin’s daughter was in the limelight and comments about the wife of the late Edmund Muskie ultimately led him to dropping out of the presidential race. These are just a few examples.

Public figures are not perfect and while some think their status puts them on a pedestal and makes them immune to such comments – they wrong. Several clichés come to mind – if you can’t stand the heat, get of the kitchen and you live by the sword, you die by the sword.

The sword can be a vicious weapon – especially the written, verbal, or now, the online sword. Stone did what any parent would do – defend a child. Where she has tripped over her public figure ego is by not realizing that she, in turn, is playing the same game. She claims Hipcheck16 defamed her son, yet she sees nothing wrong with comments made about former Village Manager Bill Brimm and, more recently, false insinuations that Village Board member Jeff Berman is connected to Hipcheck16.

She has done this through the very forum that she is upset about --- online comments via a media website.

Comments posted in media online editions are, if nothing else, a source of entertainment. They are also an increasing source of irritation for media outlets. Why? Unlike letters to the editors, which many publications verify by phone, online comments are, for the most part, an open forum. Actually, because of terms of service agreements, they are a limited open forum, which gives the media outlet the opportunity to keep objectionable comments from appearing.

What is missing, however, is verification as to who is the real person. As noted by one poster, ectrip8 noted in a recent Daily Herald comment, “Your son was using a screenname, (sic) not his real name. Furthermore, just because he claimed to be your son before commenting does not mean that he revealed who he was. There is no way for someone to verify who anyone is on these boards. You may not be the real LS, just as if I claim on here to be Barack Obama or Mitt Romney doesn't automatically make it so.”

Former Bears coach Mike Ditka once said that only two kinds of people live in the past – losers and cowards. We learn from the past, whether we like what happened or not. This does not apply just to Stone, but to any and everyone.

However, I am not sure Stone realizes this as she includes numerous links about her performance as a Village Board member in her comments on the Daily Herald’s online edition.

Yet she missed one. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101102/news/711039808/

Law & Order: BGPD

2011-11-23T21:21:00.001-06:00

"In Buffalo Grove's war on crime, the worst criminal offenders are pursued by the men and women of the Buffalo Grove Police Department. These are their stories."

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Resident reported finding smudges on the outside of her patio door as though someone may have been peering into the house. When the evidence technician went to the residence the son told him that the smudges were from him playing with the dog.

-- Are we to think the kid is a pain in the glass?

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Complainant approached a neighbor and asked if he was the one that swore and yelled at her son because he was riding a scooter in the street. The neighbor denied doing so but said the next time he would hit her son. Officer spoke with the neighbor who stated that he did yell because the boy was blocking him from getting out of his driveway.

-- "Won't you be my neighbor..."

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Ex boyfriend showed up at the company to recover a vehicle given to the ex girlfriend as a loaner. Officer spoke with the ex girlfriend and found that the girlfriend’s name was on the title to the car. Officer advised the boyfriend that this is a civil matter and to leave

-- Details, details, details..

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Human Resources Director requested that officers standby while an employee was terminated. The employee did not show up for work.

-- Well, there goes that reference

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Conductor reported a suspicious suitcase on the train platform. Officer located a green bag containing a Halloween costume. The bag was placed into property at the police station.

-- Must have made the old jailhouse rock

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Son met with an officer and stated that he was concerned about his mother’s well being. The son had been knocking on the door and calling without a response. Entry was gained into the unit and found mom to be OK. She stated that she was scared and did not realize it was her son knocking on the door.

-- Hello, mom? But he's such a nice boy.

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Resident reported receiving text messages from a person whom she believes to be her ex husband’s girlfriend. Officer contacted the girlfriend who denied any involvement in sending the messages.

-- So if she calms down, does that means she's ex lax?

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Resident reported that someone unknown removed two skeletons, one ghost, and a large monster from the yard Halloween display. Several other ghouls and goblins were damaged.

-- At first glance I thought this was about a Village Board meeting.

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Complainant reported a male subject looking into the windows of a residence. The subject and his vehicle were gone when officers arrived. The resident stated that she is renting the house and the landlord often times comes by unannounced. Officer attempted to contact the landlord and left a message. The resident stated that she has had numerous problems with the landlord and will be moving out.

-- So that's what it meant when the ad said "custom window treatments."

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Resident reported that his estranged wife hacked into his personal computer, installed an external hard drive, and then copied the computer’s hard drive. The resident found the external hard drive by chance and is keeping possession of it.

-- He probably needed tech support more than child support.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resident from the 200 block of Hiawatha Drive stated that a large grey cat has been hanging around his back yard. The cat has no collar or chip and was taken to Kings Kennel.

-- Another frolicking feline

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And finally,

Complainant reported a subject in a white mask dancing at the intersection. Officers located a subject that was performing his pantomime. He was advised that some residents apparently find mimes disconcerting and he agreed to go home.

-- Guess he should have mimed his own business...

Officers of the Buffalo Grove Police Department handled 1361 incidents and crimes and 129 crashes during the month of October 2011.

And the Oscar goes to....

2011-11-23T20:41:00.005-06:00

Not long ago, I had dinner with some friends who spent time talking about, among other things, where they live.

During the course of the evening, one said that the problem with Buffalo Grove is that there are no good restaurants in the village, the village let Lincolnshire grab the cinemas and also let the car dealers get away.

As Yogi Berra would say, it's déjà vue all over again.

The fact that the village does not have any good restaurants is not the fault of the village. Granted, it has tight standards for building appearance or signage, but there is not, as far as I know, a Village Culinary Commission. If you look at the car dealers in question; the Saturn, Toyota and Chrysler dealerships on Dundee Road only one, Arlington Toyota, chose to move out of the village. The other two were closed by the year respective corporations; Saturn by G.M. and Chrysler by Chrysler.

The mere fact that Lincolnshire incorporated much of the area b y Aptakisic Road and Milwaukee Avenue was the result of a voluntary annexation by the property owner who, my sources tell me, needed to annex to Lincolnshire to get utilities because of a previous action.

What my dining companion did not realize, of if he did, he chose to ignore it, is the fact that the village continues to be in seemingly excellent financial shape despite the struggling economy. It has endured reduced sales taxes, shrinking property taxes and excessive legal bills to resolve frivolous lawsuits and actions by folks who want to do little more than make a name for themselves. Through it all, the village has Triple AAA credit ratings from both Standard and Poors and Moody's.

Not too shabby.

While the economy continues to flounder, there is a ray of optimism that the village fiscal solvency will continue. It's the things movies can be made of.

The Nov. 21 Village Board meeting was highlighted by a two-hour presentation of the 2012 budget. Let's face it, budget presentations rank right up there with watching paint dry, watching 2011 Cubs highlights or reruns of McHale's Navy. This one, however, was deserving of an Oscar.

That's not my opinion. All you need to do is listen to Village Board member Beverly Sussman who said "it is the best budget I have ever read in 30 years..it is the Academy Awards of budgets."

She may be on to something. Aside from klieg lights heralding the event, it seemed like every department brought out its key staff, most of who were in dress attire. It's the first time that the Police Department had more officers in attendance wearing dress uniforms than the Fire Department.

Before cynics cry foul, all they need to do is review the budget, all 306 pages of it, from the village's web site. It is, from my non fiscal eyes, well presented and clearly written. It seems to make sense.

The focal point of the budget is the use of four domains for each department. They are: Strategy, Efficiency Culture and Technology. Budget goals and objectives addressed each category.

And yes, economic development in key areas, specifically the Dundee Road and Milwaukee Avenue corridors. While there may be some faults with the 2012 budget because nothing is nothing is perfect, it is well scripted.

Worthy of an Academy Award? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, I like the Hollywood theme Sussman has given to the process.

Who knows, maybe it will spur some creative new businesses -- for example, how about a movie-themed bicycle shop.

How about calling it "Gone with the Schwinn".

Look at the root of suburban

2011-10-27T19:30:00.000-06:00

Back in the days when Pioneer Press hired more than one reporter to cover a village (they actually had news writers, school reporters, sports reporters, feature writers --- for each paper!) and not just a single overworked reporter or over-zealous soccer mom filling space, they had a publisher who wrote a series of articles entitled, "The root of suburban is urban."

That was nearly 40 years ago and his prognostications were right on the money.

Changing times, demographics, attitudes, etc. have brought the boundaries of the nation's large cities to the doorsteps of our once tranquil villages.

I was reminded of this face by what was, by accounts, a simple headline. "Urban-style apartment may not fly in Buffalo Grove."

The story was about yet another presentation by a developer to build an apartment complex at Deerfield Parkway and Busch Road.

So what.

What makes this proposal so strange is it's the second time representatives representing Marquette Companies, a real estate investment firm has tried to pull the wool, or maybe polyester, over the eyes of the Village Board. Their proposal is for a 192-unit apartment complex in three buildings; two low rise and one nine stories tall.

So what.

The "what" is that they keep trying to railroad this past the Board as a development where people won't need cars and it will be great for the environment and put the village on the cutting edge of planning.

Right.

Go to Marquette's web and you'll be taken in by complexes with ponds, swimming pools and contemporary architecture.

Interestingly enough, the plan for Buffalo Grove is a high density property that overlooks the Metra tracks. Sounds inviting.

But the pitch that the development would be the hub of a transit development zone -- where people would not need their cars and they could walk everywhere.

Really? Like to where? While there are a couple of strip centers (shopping centers, not a return to the Cheetah II and Roman House), there are not a whole heck of a lot of places to walk to.

So it's mind boggling to me that folks from "the outside" can come in an want to change the character of the village (as opposed to changing some of the characters of the village -- but that's another story).

In essence, they are "forcing" the urban into the suburban. We're far from the white picket fences, Hazel and Father Knows Best, but the reality is, like it or not, one of the strong suits, if not occasionally to a fault, is the strict zoning and ordinances in place in Buffalo Grove.

Proposing a rental property under the ruse that it will be a transit development zone is, at best annoying. The village has long fought to avoid land grabs and promises of seashells and balloons.

To come in and think village staff and officials are Opie and Aunt Bee is naive. The character and environment of the village are suburban. If the village wants urban, it will be on its own terms.

Not those of some land grabber.

Frolicking felines festering fear

2011-10-26T20:29:00.000-06:00

From the truth can be stranger than fiction department, a debate has seemingly emerged regarding, or all things, trick or treating.

Really.

In the village's e-news, the hours for Trick or Treating are posted, (they are from 2 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31) which you would think is a pretty routine announcement.

You would think. Hardly.

Debate No. 1 as posted by a reader
"Maybe you could mention in the blotter that even though the Village has designated trick or treat hours on Halloween from 2-7, all elementary schools are in session that day without early dismissal, both Lake Co and Cook Co. I am on the Cook County side, District 21, and they used to be released at 12. Not any more!
I have called the Village to ask that they consider school schedules when designating these hours, instead of following the pattern of every year, on Halloween, from 2-Maybe if other parents called the village as well, this might be looked into.

Other towns have changed the hours to 4-8, to accommodate school schedules...."

First of all, kudos to the schools for not releasing kids early to go Trick or Treating. Imagine sending kids home from school early to go beg for candy as part of a pagan ritual. I'm trying to figure out which would be the worse outcome -- childhood obesity or another Rob Sherman lawsuit.

Secondly, the early hours give parents who are home the chance to take preschoolers trick or treating before it gets dark -- remember time changes Sunday.

Trick or treat hours aside, a concerned resident raised this point. And, as Dave Barry would write, I am not making this up.

"Hey I always make this reminder, but please tell people who own black cats to keep them inside for Halloween. We all know there are nuts out there, and if they see black cats on Halloween or close to Halloween they may do something to it."

Cat: Domesticated feline often mistaken for a meatloaf

You're kidding, right? Yes, we know there are nuts out there -- all you need to do is attend a Village Board meeting. But do we really need to sequester black felines?

There is, however, one resident who has the right idea.

"All Cats shouldn't be allowed to roam the streets every day!!!!"

Thanks!"

I'm not sure why the contributor made it a capital C, but his/her point is well taken. We need to control the ferocious feline that prowl our streets.

The village needs to move quickly and, dare I say, not pussyfoot around.

A Real Case of Swine Flu

2011-09-07T20:29:00.002-06:00

One of the things that makes the Chicago area a unique place to live is its diversity. It’s home to people from all over the world, ethnicities, heritages and religions

This isn’t a new found discovery – it’s the way it has been for decades.

Multiculturalism and diversity is being taught, practiced and accepted in all aspects of our society. We’re not a homogeneous society and we can learn a lot about other cultures by exchanging ideas and experiences.

Experiences – like attending other houses of worship, which can be a great way to learn and understand how different religions observe their beliefs and how they like to serve the community. Let me say that again – serve the community.

So, for the sake of argument, a local church is hosting, say, a pig roast and opens it to the community, it’s an invitation – not an attempt to convert the community.

So, for the sake of argument, a member of the Village Board mentions it at a meeting, he’s simply letting the community know. And say, for the sake of an argument, it appears in the village newsletter, it appears as a community announcement. Period. Some people like pig roasts, much in the same way as people line up outside synagogue doors for a rummage sale. They’re community events sponsored by a house of worship.

No big deal, right?

It is if you’re Rob “I need my name in headlines” Sherman. It seems as though the Boy Blunder is suing the village for “advancing religion”. Really? I know there have been some trustees who have seen themselves as sacrificial lambs, but Sherman seems to be confused when it comes to practicing and promoting. The village provides information about events open to the public. It does not advocate the practice of any specific religion. If, for example, the village was including promotional material about an event at a specific church, synagogue or mosque, then maybe, just maybe, Robby Pooh would have a case.

But that’s not what’s happening here. It’s village officials making light of what’s available to the community. Sherman, however, becomes the knight in shining armor for orthodox Jews by saying the village is forcing them to eat non kosher food. Unlike Sherman, Orthodox Jews have a deep and genuine sense of conviction and the fact that an organization is having a pig roast is their business and not a personal affront to their beliefs. They don’t need headlines.

Sherman, however, does, or thinks he does. His web site screams comments made by Village President Jeff Braiman in the media about the issues. What Sherman hasn’t done, however, is talked with Braiman to discuss the matter. I know he didn’t because I checked with Braiman, which is more than Sherman did.

So the Boy Blunder will continue to wave his “I’m a hero” flag by claiming the village is wasting money by promoting a community event. Remember, this is the same Rob Sherman who wanted to be an elected official. He’s still waging a war of word on Village Clerk Jan Sirabian who is a member of Hope Lutheran Church where the pig roast will be held. Yes, the church is in Long Grove, but it does serve the Buffalo Grove community because, after all, a conviction of faith does not have city limits.

Interestingly enough, Mr. Fiscal responsibility says taxpayer’s money is being wasted promoting a community event, but yet sees nothing wrong with taxpayer’s money being spent to counter a lawsuit he filed, which in essence is little more than another publicity stunt to boost his own ego. It’s disturbing to think that he’s doing this at not just taxpayers’ expense, but also at the expense of a house of worship.

If Sherman really wants to help out, he should attend Sunday’s pig roast at Hope Lutheran Church. That way if they run out of pig, they’ll have a fallback.

(For the record, Hope Lutheran Church is sponsoring its annual this Sunday from noon to 1:30 p.m. on the church grounds. Cost is $10.)

Listen to the Chi-Lites...

2011-08-16T21:54:00.001-06:00

Decorum being what it is, a Village Board meeting is no place to sing.

Decorum being what it is, I have seen far worse at Village Board meetings.

But I'll pass on singing. Let's put it this way, I swear every time I sing the national anthem, Homeland Security gets nervous.

However, the Aug. 8 Village Board meeting almost gave me a chance to break decorum. As I listened to the incessant rant by the rep from Commonwealth Edison, two melodies went through my head.

The first, for those of you in the AARP generation, was "electricity cost less today you know, than it did 25 years ago – tweet, tweet Little Bill." Yes, that was an ad for Com Ed.

That was not, however, the message Com Ed was trying to deliver at the Aug. 8 Board Meeting. It was more or less, have pity on us...it was a bad storm; we need a newer grid…

And this highly skilled Com Ed spokesman made it very clear that “…power outages are very frustrating…”

I hope this guy doesn’t sign on as Carlos Zambrano’s PR guy.

To no surprise, the Board did not want to hear excuses.

Board President Jeff Braiman made it clear that he understood the magnitude of the problem, but the issue was the response time, or lack of, by Com Ed. Statistically, they tried to plead their case – 600 poles were damages and it required 1,000 employees, many from outside their jurisdiction, to handle the situation.

Yes, the numbers were staggering, but so were their excuses. Try as they may, however, there was not going to be any sympathy from the Board, especially Jeff Berman who came armed with a just a few words for Com ed.

Berman made it clear that the “Need for self-serving rhetoric is past…the community wants and needs answers to specific questions.”

Who can argue?

While Com Ed bemoaned what it needed, Berman made it clear that they to focus on what they have. “Your infrastructure is not well constructed or well maintained…(and you’re) now incapable of (having an effective) delivery system.

Berman said the current system is “Repaired with duct tape” and that “Com Ed responds to crisis in its own way.”

Berman was not going to hear any excuses, either. “I cannot accept Com Ed’s comment that smart grid is the answer…(it) would not have prevented 90 percent of the interruptions.”

So what’s Com Ed’s answer – lobby the legislators. State Rep. Sid Mathias and Carol Sente attended the Village Board meeting and voiced the obligatory concern. Their sentiments were apparently echoed by politicos attending a meeting in Highland Park on Tuesday about the outages and lack of response. This one, however, grabbed the TV cameras.

The rhetoric appeared to be the same – complaints about long delays and poor communication about when service would be restored.

So where does that put us? No where really. Com Ed seems oblivious to the fact that besides homeowner inconveniences, their lackluster response impacted businesses and, as Board Member Beverly Sussman noted, persons with medical issues -- what was their recourse?

Braiman said what’s needed is to “challenge the lawmakers... it’s not a GOP or democrat issue – it’s a citizen issue.. which needs a solution.”

But from where? Com Ed?

Comcast was there, but the reality is this – if they are able to repair their system, but there’s no power, what good is it?

The Chi-Lites

AT&T also had a rep there – why is beyond me – but they claimed they get their service back in 24 hours. But again, no power, what good does it do?

Which brought up the second song going through my heard. It was by the Chi-Lites who once sang “For Gods sake, you got to give more power to the people.”

How can you argue with that?

But the bottom line is this -- the ball remains solely in Com Ed’s court.

If nothing else, they should go back to their old slogan… “Tweet, tweet little Bill.”

After all, their service is for the birds.

Nondescript? Hardly

2011-08-09T21:33:00.000-06:00

From the looks of things, agenda item No. 9 was just another presentation to the Village Board. All it said was "Presentation of American Flag to Buffalo Grove Fire Department".

Ho-hum, how nondescript can you get. Presentations to the Village Board are a dime a dozen. But when Fire Chief Terry Vavra and other officers are in their dress uniforms and there's a U.S. Marine present, you get the sense that it's anything but nondescript.

Moved to the top agenda, Vavra introduced a color guard that brought the flag, carried by Sgt. Adam Chapman, of Hanover Park, to the front of the council chambers.

And that's when the story unfolded. The flag carried by Chapman flew above Base Defense Operation Center, 3^rd Battalion 25^th Marines Forward, Camp Leatherneck, in the Helman Province of Afghanistan and was flown in tribute to Chapman's uncles, Jim and Kevin Hauber both of whom are Buffalo Grove Firefighter Paramedics

The intent was simple; Chapman wanted to honor a fire fighter and thought his uncles would be perfect honorees.

Unfortunately, the presentation was more somber than expected because of the deaths of 30 U.S. troops on Saturday.

The flag will be on display at the village’s main fire station on Deerfield Parkway. Also, as a tribute to American troops, Buffalo Grove fire fighters will be wearing red shirts this Friday.

It’s the flag, however, that’s important to Vavra.

“To look at and hold this flag will send chills down your spine. I don’t know why…it just does,” he said.

Maybe it’s not the flag, but what it stands for.

A whole ..... of dimes?

2011-08-02T10:20:00.003-06:00

I’m beginning to think the Village Board does not always see an opportunity to boost the village’s bank account.

The proposed reconstruction and enhancement of Wieland Road, which has all the sex appeal of the Mathon Expressway in Waukegan or the Henry Maier Bridge to nowhere in Milwaukee, has potential for the village.

Governor William J. Lepetomane

While the road needs enhancements and improvements, with its proposed multilane configuration and proposed extension, the village could come take a page from Governor William J. Lepetomane and have its very own tollway. Yes, a tollway.

There are several unique opportunities associated with this potential project. Take for example:

· Funding – Just call the Illinois Tollway Authority – it would love to have yet another project on the books. Just tell ‘em it would provide access to an extended Rt. 53, another useless project, and would generate more revenue, which would help it pay for the Mecca the authority call a headquarters. With the recent revelation that the tollway authority wants to raise tolls – another source of revenue would just add more change to its accounts.

· Naming rights – Rather than Weiland Road, let’s jazz it up and name it after a village luminary – look at the past Board members and community personalities who would be thrilled to have a road named after them. Maybe the village could get a corporate sponsor to generate revenue -- the possibilities are endless.

· It could generate jobs – the village could have its own toll collectors.

· It would save energy – Instead of street lighting, the village could give the OK to a boost in power of the recently approved sign at the Twin Rinks ice skating facility.

Of course, a tollway could pose problems for residents and students attending Aptakisic Junior High School. But no doubt the impact of a multilane road on both groups has already been addressed.

It has, hasn’t it?

See spot, see spot's zone...

2011-07-14T20:25:00.001-06:00

I’m not sure why I decided to look at the details of the agenda before the June 20 Village Board meeting. A cursory glance revealed a lot of what appeared to routine matters with nothing earth shaking. I have learned, however, never to take anything per granted.

So when I saw an item under new business regarding a proposed apartment complex at Busch and Deerfield parkways, I figured, what the heck, I’d take a look after it.

Aside from having an urge to disagree or correct a Village Board member on some goofy error, I really have not had a desire to speak at a Village Board meeting.

Any thoughts I had about speaking at a Board meeting changed after looking over the proposal by “Realtelligence LLC” that calls for 208 units distributed in two 3-story buildings of 36 units and an 8-story building with 136 units. I thought briefly – that’s an awfully small parcel for such a large complex. The parcel, by the way, is on the curve just east of the Metra tracks on Deerfield Parkway – the intersection the backs up during both the morning and afternoon rush hours.

The other factor that came to play for my curiosity is the “need” for an eight-story building. It’s similar to a residential building at Riverwalk Place. At first I thought it was no big deal because they’re both eight stories. But what amazed me request for a variance to have an approved height of nearly double that current limit of 45 feet. So why does Riverwalk get to have higher buildings? According to village sources, it is because the development was approved in the B-3 Planned Business Center District. There is no height limit to the buildings within the district. However, the site plan for the Realtelligence plan requires planned unit development (best known as a PUD) approval so a number of factors are reviewed including but not limited to building height, set-back, traffic, etc. In essence, what they want is spot zoning.

I was not sure what the developers would say at the meeting, or how the Village Board would respond. I was, however, ready to respond to this seemingly effort at spot zoning.

The presentation by Realtelligence was one for the books. In addition to a request for a height variance, they also wanted a reduction in the number of parking spaces because, and as Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up, they envision this develop as being one where people would walk to places and would need a car. That simply stunned me because given the location of the property, residents could enjoy a leisurely walk to two strip centers and the Metra station? News flash, Buffalo Grove is not Oak Park or Evanston which are places with a traditional downtown district within walking distance of a variety of multi- and single-family housing.

In addition to a height variance, they also want a zoning change from industrial to planned unit development because Realtelligence’s consultant does not think the site works well for industrial or mixed use for commercial and residential as a village plan indicates is feasible. Both recommendations don’t surprise me; developers often take stand that they know more than village planners.

The folks from Realtelligence, who did not display much “telligence”, also did not seem to take into consideration that a height variance could be impacted by the Chicago Executive Airport (formerly known as Palwaukee Airport). I was, in fact still am, amazed, that a developer proposing a complex of this nature would be clueless to the proximity of the state’s busiest general aviation airport to their project.

And then there’s the issue of the impact on local schools, particularly District 102. No problem, the Realtelligence guys said – they only anticipate 12, count ‘em 12, kids to live the complex. I’m still wondering how they plan to enforce that – maybe they’ll offer a discount with every sterilization.

The bottom line in my mind is this – this proposal is little more than an effort to railroad an ill thought project through the village, which seemed to be the consensus of the Board, which saved me from addressing the Board.

It has not, however, stopped me from promoting truth in advertising. Based on what I saw and read Realtelligence needs to change its name.

How about Realcon?

Joe Friday, eat your heart out...

2011-07-01T23:10:00.000-06:00

It’s not the stuff Dragnet was made of -- somehow Chief Steve Balinski doesn’t strike as Officer Joe Friday.

But the police reports yield some problems in the land of the big animals. For example, a resident reported “...that she had an argument with her live in boyfriend and he left and has not returned…” It’s not the stuff that Stabler and Benson deal with on a regular basis, if at all.

The village does, to my surprise, have its own special unit. It’s not SVU or SUV, CI, CSI, or NCIS.

It’s the truck enforcement unit. Really.

I happened to pull up behind the truck enforcement vehicle recently and was amazed – absolute amazed – that the village had such a unit.

Undaunted, I contacted Chief Balinski (who I think resembles Peter Boyle in Young Frankenstein) about the unit.

It’s a big deal. We’re talking crackdown on overweight trucks, coordination of “between developers, trucking companies and the village.” Huh? According to Commander Steve Husak of the BGPD, the purpose here is to make sure there is coordinated “truck routing in and out of commercial job sites.”

Truckers beware...

Husak also informed me that “This unit issues permits for overweight and oversize vehicles using Village maintained highways. These officers respond to complaints from residents about truck specific problems and they check trucks for safety and driver’s license classification violations”

The unit, Husak noted, also checks for overweight trucks. How? The village does not have truck weight checkpoints (like the ones on state road that never seem to be open). Rest assured Buffalo Grovians; the TEU is equipped with portable scales and will, noted Husak, weigh suspected overweight trucks on site.

So how do you suspect an overweight truck? It’s probably difficult unless it’s wearing Spandex, which reveals everything (there ought to be a law banning Spandex when someone’s weight exceeds AMA, FDA, CIA standards…but that’s a topic for another day). Husak noted that the state has specific guidelines for trucks. In a nutshell, maximum weight for large trucks is 80,000 pounds, which is a combined weight for truck and load. So if you see a truck that needs an axle tuck, or one that’s avoiding whipped cream with its latte, it may be an indication that it’s fighting the battle of the bulge.

Of course, some trucks can skirt the issue. Ever see a garbage truck? Husak agrees. “garbage trucks in general need to comply with the weight restrictions, which can be difficult for the drivers to manage as they collect refuse along their routes. Wet garbage weighs more than dry.”

So, as Mr. Portokalos: would say, there you go.

What’s needed know is a village wide S.O.S – Save Our Streets. Residents can do this by drying their garbage. This can be an easy task by eating only dry food. Cereal will work fine; I’m not so sure about pasta. It’s a small thing, but it will help the police department by making life easier for the TEU.

Who knows, before long we may see the CPU on the street, a move that could net the village thousands of dollars.

CPU? That could be the next version of Law and Order. “In the war on crime, telephone crimes are considered especially annoying. In Buffalo Grove, the dedicated professionals who investigate these crimes are member of an elite squad know as the Cell Phone Unit – these are there stories.”

Mow 'em down?

2011-06-23T19:26:00.000-06:00

Ever go to the village's web site?

It proclaims that "Everyone here is family...everyone here is welcome!"

Admit it, there may have been times when you wanted to put yourself up for adoption or wanted to run away from the family.

Yep, stuff happens.

I'm not sure how I came across this link on the web site, but it's one of those tidbits of information that there can be some community in community service.

If you look under the “residents” tab, there’s a link to the “Shovel and Lawn Care Referral” program.

The what?

According to the village:

“..this program is for residents who need assistance with shoveling and/or lawn care and those individuals in the community who are willing to offer an extra hand. Volunteers for this program can sign up by filling out the form designated for them below. The information on the form will be used to notify residents of the availability of volunteers and their contact information. Residents who are interested in this program must fill out a form as well and return it to the Office of the Village Manager. The information residents provide will be used as a contact reference to interested volunteers looking for work…”

I’m thinking – how cool is that? My guess is it’s for persons with disabilities or the elderly – not for someone whose kid doesn’t want to tear himself away from the plasma TV.

The village is not only for people who need assistance, but volunteers – have a bored student at home this summer? This could be a perfect opportunity for him or her to do some community service as well as get some exercise.

I’m also thinking, a dangerous thing I know, that maybe the Village Board could get involved. Who knows, given some of the Board meetings I’ve attended they’d be great at dealing with crab grass.

There is one problem, however. In the event we hit a dry spell, don’t pray for rain. You’d only rile up Rob Sherman.

For details on this program, call 847-459-2525.

A bounce on the wild side?

2011-06-13T22:09:00.000-06:00

At first glance, I thought it would be routine.

I mean, really, how much discussion could there be about a place with a lot of trampolines?

Answer? A lot.

Remember, folks, this is Buffalo Grove where nothing is left unturned. I recall covering a village board meeting a number of years ago when the Board drilled representatives from Baker’s Square about their sign. In the long run, they got their sign – it just didn’t help their food at all.

So imagine the concern the Village Board had when it was revealed that an operation specializing in trampolines wants to open in the village. We’re not talking a trampoline or two; we’re talking about a facility with more than 121,000 square feet of space. That’s a lot of bounce. In fact, according to Xtreme trampoline’s web site, it offers “Xtreme Trampolines is large warehouse filled with commercial grade trampolines. There are 5 separate trampoline courts, including a dodgeball court and a giant foam pit. Customers pay by the hour to have a ton of fun!”

I’m not sure the board is worried about Dodgeball (yes, it’s upper case and a trademark) or the highly popular “giant foam pit”, the Board’s main concern appears to be the way Xtreme Trampoline administers its specialty – jumping and flipping by generally untrained participants. To no surprise, the village, as it generally does, had the public service agencies check on police and fire activity at Xtreme Trampolines’ current Carol Stream location.

Rest assured, it does not seem to be attracting undesirables as there does not seem to be much, if any, police activity. The Fire Department found, however, that Xtreme Trampolines averages 3.4 ambulance calls a month, of which 75 percent (2.5) require advanced life support. Fire Department representatives expressed concern about excessive time being used responding to emergency medical calls at Xtreme Trampolines. Each call, it as noted, takes an average of two hours. The Fire Department’s report also noted that the 3.4 ambulance calls in Carol Stream are by that village’s fire department. There are additional medical calls handled by private ambulance companies based on the need by Xtreme Trampoline staff.

The ever-popular foam pit

At issue here is the nature of the injuries, which can range from sprained ankles to head injuries. Granted, Xtreme Trampolines requires participants to sign a waiver (legal papers that absolve the business from anything when someone acts like a duck head), but that does not reduce the possibility of someone untrained in trampoline use trying some that they should not be trying.

Unreasonable? A colleague of mine, who happens to be a gymnastics coach, says the danger of people injuring themselves on trampolines is very real – especially when they try to do flips.

So once again, the village is faced with scrutinizing a business that wants to enter the village. To no surprise, there were a lot of questions at the June 6 Board meeting. That is the nature of the village of Buffalo Grove, which has for years, not let any business in for the sake of generating tax dollars.

Which, if you think about it, may be a good thing because imagine what would happen if the Board approved Xtreme Trampolines and its owners put in a hockey rink?

Bounced checks

The little things can add up...

2011-05-15T10:50:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the little things bug me.

Like when the Cubs blow a lead, public officials ramble, parents let their kids "check out" in the self checkout lanes, and customer service representatives who can't provide customer service.

Also on this list, and to some people it may not be such a little thing, is when people are in such a "hurry" that they grab the first parking spot they find and use it. Let me clarify one thing -- it's when the first spot they find is a handicapped parking spot.

I vividly remember visiting a store at the corner of Aptakisic and Buffalo Grove roads when a soccer mom (sorry, just telling it like it is) pulled in driving an SUV that seemed like it was big enough to have two ZIP codes, parked in a handicapped spot and sashayed into a nail salon to get (presumably) her nails done.

It's a little thing, but it is:

Rude
Arrogant
Disrespectful
All of the above

The correct answer is 4 -- all of the above. I am fortunate that I do not have any physical challenges or handicaps the limit my mobility. There are others, many others, who are not so fortunate.

State, regional, and local governments have adapted strict regulations for handicapped parking. We're not talking rocket science here folks, we're talking common sense and respect.

Recently, the Buffalo Grove Village Board, sparked by the concerns of Trustee Beverly Sussman, about the fines levied against those able body jerks who just can't walk an 50 feet and think arrogance is a handicap.

The fine is currently $250 for using a parking spot clearly marked for the handicapped. Sussman wants it raise to $350. The prevailing feeling was that warning of fines really don't deter folks from using the spots.

So what is the solution? Perhaps business owners in strip centers could sticker, or ticket (probably not) violators. Some folks would probably want more active enforcement by the police department, but I am reluctant to have patrol officers taken off the streets and out of the neighborhoods to crack down on arrogance.

What may be needed is a re-evaluation of the penalties.

Do away with fines.

Some folks may simply see fines as a way to boost their frequent flyer points, so there's a return on their investment.

But what it it hit them where it hurts.

In a wheelchair.

Perhaps those folks who take per granted their ability to walk unassisted should get a taste of reality.

First-time offenders -- a day as a wheelchair user driving a car.

Second-time offenders -- two days as an electric wheelchair user driving a regular car.

Third-time offenders -- two days as a wheelchair user driving a handicapped-equipped vehicle - -the kind that needs the extra space of a handicapped parking spot.

Fourth-time offenders -- two days as an electric wheelchair user driving a handicapped-equipped vehicle - -the kind that needs the extra space of a handicapped parking spot.

Fifth-time offenders -- By the time some gets to this point they will proven themselves to be so callus that there's probably not much that can be done except really drive home the message. In addition to requiring them to work with the village's Commission for Residents with Disabilities, how about if they experience all of the above punishments with one additional twist.

Let's make sure they have someplace to go -- Like, say Misericordia or Little City where offenders can get first-hand look at why handicapped spaces are so important.

And let's not give them time to get their nails done first.

An "old boy" calls it a day...

2011-04-23T15:11:00.009-06:00

Now that the dust of the April 5 election has settled and the next administration is getting ready to make its mark on things, it seems as though a few things may have been overlooked.

When the new board begins its tenure on May 2, it will welcome Andy Stein and Mike Terson to the dais and Jeff Braiman will move to center stage as Elliott Hartstein bids adieu to his Village Board career.

DeAnn Glover

But there will be one more farewell to be said, that to another one of the "old boy network." After 16 year on the Village Board, DeAnn Glover is leaving her spot on the dais.

It strikes me odd how cynics like to hang the OBN tag on the Board, and overlook the work women have done on the Village Board. Let's not call Glover a "boy" and certainly don't call her "old". She rolled up sleeves just like most Board members do and worked on an array of projects. She was liaison to the Cable Committee, the Library Committee and The Buffalo Grove Days Committee, to name a few.

Old boy? How about dedicated resident? Being surrounded by a myriad of attorneys never seemed to intimidate Glover -- her passions have always been the budget, Buffalo Grove Days and the "Pink Heals" campaign.

A broker and manager for a real estate firm, she brought her corporate tenacity to the Board -- along with a strong, but well thought-out opinion.

There is an exceptional pride that radiates from Glover as well. No doubt, a pride in the village and what various departments and volunteers have done. There's also a sense of pride that beams from her when she discussed her family.

A native of Nebraska, Glover plans to spend more time with her children and grandchildren, especially those now living in Kansas, during retirement. In fact, it's likely that Glover will move to Kansas to be closer to her son and daughter-in-law and their kids.

Will she miss her work on the Village Board? Odds are she will -- you just don't walk away from 16 years of community service with a twinge of fondness.

As for moving to Kansas -- there's no doubt she'll enjoy the time with family. But if you're expecting her to become Auntie Em -- think again. She's been through more twisters than Auntie Em -- and came through them all.

Even with the "old boys".

A lesson from center ice

2011-04-07T21:02:00.031-06:00

I love sports.

I've played, watched, coached, covered everything from NFL training camps to women's ice hockey.

I've had the chance to meet the classiest of the classiest (Ray Meyer) and up and comers whose names I can't remember.

Through it all, one of the coolest things in sports is the meeting at center ice at the end of a playoff series in the National Hockey League when both teams line up at center ice to shake hands, a gesture that ends the competition. Sure, there are times when it's terse, but at least both sides have the decency to end it on a generally friendly note.

Maybe it's time to do that for municipal elections.

Maybe it's time to tell Rob Sherman to grow up and show some class.

To say Sherman lost in his bid to become Village Clerk is an understatement. Jan Sirabian destroyed Sherman at the polls by gathering 90.05 percent of the vote in the Cook County side of the village. He mustered 109 votes -- I have more Facebook friends than that.

In Lake County, Robbypoo picked up 21.10 percent of the vote to Sirabian's 78.90 percent. Sherman received 687 votes, which is smaller than the graduating class at Stevenson High School. Most people would have been gracious in defeat. The keyword here is most.

But not Rob Sherman. Instead, he continued his classless barrage of arrogant and sexist remarks as he continued to rip Sirabian. Media reports, most written by folks considered to be "ace reporters", so we know they must be true, reported that Sherman saw his defeat as an mandate that people want Sirabian out.

Let's work this out. Siabian gets 3,556 and Sherman gets 796. Mandate? Where? Sirabian receive more votes in Cook County (987) than Sherman's total.

So where's the mandate? In Sherman's cranial cavity.

To no surprise, it's all about Sherman and his boorish ego. It always was. Sherman never had any interest in the Village Clerk's post, he just wanted to further boost his ego at the expense of a dedicated public servant and, more annoyingly, at taxpayer's expense.

To give you a classic example of Sherman's hypocrisy, he told the Daily Herald that, if nothing else, “At least, I had the opportunity to put the fear of God into her.”

Huh? Sherman -- I thought you were an atheist, or is that just another one of your PR ploys. This coming from a guy who allegedly sits down during the pledge of allegiance when it comes to "under God". I guess when there's a media opp, all bets are off.

Sherman has also told media outlets that he now plans to move to the Cayman Islands once his daughter graduates high school this spring.

You know the Cayman Islands, where the largest island, Grand Cayman, has a section called Hell.

Let's see, Rob Sherman and Hell. It seems like a likely match.

But before sails off to paradise, he may want to watch the upcoming NHL Playoffs.

He may learn something about sportsmanship.

And now, the end is near...

2011-04-03T18:53:00.001-06:00

As of this writing (late Sunday afternoon following the Cubs loss), election day is a little more than a day away.

Fortunately.

The April 5 election has, as we all know by now, its share of elections that have, to say the least, had some interesting campaigns.

Indian Trails Library Referendum. The library grew out of its humble beginnings in a house in Wheeling to its facility on Schoenbeck Road. Despite the fact that more and more people think they can get by with Wikipedia, a Nook or Kindle, a library, make that a good library, offers more than books and CDs. Resources and programming are at the foundation of any library and residents in the district are fortunate to have a facility as comprehensive as the Indian Trails Public Library. Of course, if you wave a checkbook around and yell movie in a crowded firehouse, you may think the referendum was robbing you blind. For example, Rob Sherman, Buffalo Grove's answer to Lar "America First" Daly, thinks it's yet another conspiracy. Maybe Robbypoo forgot that he spent a lot of time in libraries soaking up knowledge as a young annoyance. Or maybe he did not need a library since he thought he knew everything anyway. A forefront of any community is the strength of its ability to provide education -- schools and libraries are front and center and both need community support. Sherman, as usual, is quick with ridicule and ideas -- but short, very short, on a record of action.

The District 125 School Board Election. While the current board has made some poor decisions, it's made up of people who can separate church and state. Literally. The 125for125 claim they're concerned about giving students choices and finances. The reality is their platform is predicated on moral issues and imparting those on an entire student body. This was the case in 2009 when members of the now slate called the school newspapers "pornography". This in response to articles on "Hooking Up" (based on a New York Times report) and the Gay-Straight Alliance dance. Staff members, one of whom is allegedly Gay, approved both articles. That does not and should not impact the quality of education being delivered. The slate has avoided issues of student expression, book banning and curriculum alteration based on its moral beliefs. The bottom line is this -- the moral majority is neither. Stevenson has a long tradition of academic excellence; and while the current board has thrown speed bumps and detours along the road, a board that puts its own morality about quality quality education would close the road.

And finally,

The Village Board races. The race between Andrew Stein and Denice Bocek has all the excitement and interest of shopping for oatmeal. They're both dedicated residents and they both want to serve for two years. On the other hand, there's the race for Village Clerk, pitting incumbent Jan Sirabian against resident egomaniac and atheist Rob Sherman. Sherman's platform is riddled with disrespect toward public officials, women, and the office in general. Sherman is full of "ideas" that he thinks will improve things in the village -- yet he has yet to step up and do anything for the village. Sirabian, like any public official, has had her ups and downs -- but she has done as stellar job of not stooping to Sherman's arrogance and boorish campaign tactics. Sherman takes pride in exploiting women in a manner that's unbecoming a public official. His latest allegation has been to tag Sirabian as "Dirty Tricks Jan." Really? Maybe Sherman needs to look in the mirror and take a look in the mirror. What he may see is a series of blemishes in character, a record of non public service, and a history of publicity stunts to do little more than call attention to him. Public service is not a "me first" proposition -- it's for the good of the whole. Hopefully voters realize that and vote for the good of the entire village.

So let me get this straight....

2011-03-22T14:25:00.007-06:00

A Rob Sherman update...

I recently blogged about Rob Sherman and his propensity to tell everyone how to do their job, offer suggestions and then not do anything.

Case in point -- Sherman has made numerous appearances at the Buffalo Grove Village Board meetings telling trustees and village clerk Jan Sirabian how to do their jobs. He's such an expert (just ask him) that he is running for village clerk (see previous blogs).

Robbypoo is so concerned about the Village Board and, apparently the village as a whole, that he has not attended a Village Board meeting in months.

But, alas, he may have a good reason -- he's too busy attending other meetings. For example, he'll be attending the District 128 -- that's in Libertyville -- School Board meeting tonight because of an issue about the teaching of creationism.

Amazing how he doesn't have time for the village he wants to serve, but when there's a media opportunity in another municipality, he manages to find time to attend a meeting.

I wonder if it will be reflected in the minutes?

Hey Rob, how about substance and not abuse??

2011-03-21T13:22:00.002-06:00

If you are following the race for Buffalo Grove Village Clerk, you know that incumbent Jan Sirabian is being "challenged" by resident expert on everything and accomplisher of little, Rob Sherman.

Sherman continues to hammer away at Sirabian for her job performance. What appears be the issue has little to do with Sirabian's performance, but rather Sherman's apparent sexist double standards and arrogance.

Sherman hammers away at what he thinks should be done with the village clerk's office, but has shown little effort, let alone interest, in what goes on in the village. The campaign has proven to be yet another shaky soap box on which Sherman can stand on and brag and demonstrate boorish behavior.

As I have mentioned before, Sherman's claims to fame have been challenging the state-mandated moment of silent reflection in schools, having his car washed by Hooter's staff members, and attending the Naked Ladies Book Club.

Somewhere you would think he would be more attuned to the issues of the village. When the Illinois EPA held its hearing in November, Sherman parked his massive Rob Sherman vehicle in front of Village Hall, smugly solicited nomination petitions -- and then left. He barely (no pun intended here), if at all, stayed for the hearing. No matter how you feel about the L & L landfill, as a village official, or candidate, it seems to me that if you are genuinely concerned about the village, you would have stayed.

It's a case of actions speak louder than words.

Instead Sherman's campaign, if you want to call it that, is focused on ripping the minutes of Village Board minutes and addressing the fact that Sirabian is a senior citizen. She'll hit 70 on her next birthday. News flash -- Sherman is also a senior citizen -- granted he's "only" 57, but he's eligible for an AARP card and before long, he'll reach the magic 62 when he'll get a discount at Dairy Queen.

But Robbypoo doesn't think like that -- his position seems to be that Sirabian keeps running because she's an egotist who wants the job for life. His latest allegations stem from an article in the Countryside about the race. In it Sirabian is quoted as saying she was going to she was going to keep the minutes of the Village Board meetings to a bare minimum, something which infuriated former trustee Lisa Stone.

If you check the minutes of most other public bodies, you'll find their minutes are similar to Buffalo Grove's. Sherman likes to bully up to the Illinois Open Meetings Act by claiming a "summary of discussion," is needed. Summary, Robbypoo, not narrative. It would be unreasonable and potentially biased for any village clerk to provide a narrative.

This election need to look at performance, dedication and character. Sherman thinks it's acceptable to chastise a public servant who has held the post for 32 years because the voters wanted her to. Sirabian has hit potholes during her tenure, but any public official will.

Sherman's allegations that "..she is unworthy of re-election, regardless of what happens on April 5th, and that she has the maturity of an adolescent in middle school by throwing temper tantrums as her response to criticism..." are desperate and sophomoric and reflect the lack of respect Sherman has for someone who does not agree with him.

Sherman adds that "since Jan cannot be relied upon to provide consistent quality and to not throw a temper tantrum whenever she feels like it, and since nobody else is willing to do the job, I'll take that job and do it right, every time, and not just when I feel like it, as our unprofessional incumbent does."

Unprofessional? Let's see, I have yet to see pictures of Jan Sirabian with naked men or Chip 'N Dale dancers. Nor have I seen stories about her attending underwear lectures.

What I see is the work she does on behalf of community charities and Veterans events.

Sirabian is not perfect -- but she's honest and does not skirt the past, something Sherman does. While he is quick to interpret legal opinions, he seemingly avoids his training. Does he have law degree? What is his interest in charity? How does he support the nation's veterans?

And what about his background? He's upset about Sirabian repeating as village clerk. Given Sherman's background if he repeats that could make him a repeat offender.

If character counts, Sherman needs to stop throwing rocks in glass houses.

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum

2011-03-15T23:16:00.000-06:00

Candidate forums are like funerals. They're kind of a necessary evil that people attend and they hear the nice stuff.

Tuesday night's forum featuring the candidates for the District 125 School Board was no different for the most part.

Thanks to a stellar effort by Stevenson's Political Action Committee, the gang of seven presented themselves, responded to 10 questions developed by the PAC and even had a chance for brief rebuttals.

The students who moderated and provided questions kept responses to 60 seconds and challenges to 30 seconds. This lead to a smooth forum without any interruptions (the Village Board could have used them last year).

What the students were not able to do was control the quality of the candidate answers. Panelists included 125for125 -- Kathy Powell, Kim Brady and Charles Cardella and the United4Stevenson slate that includes incumbents Bruce Rubin, Merv Roberts, and Terry Moons along with newcomer David Weisberg.

The 125for125 maintained that its platform was centered on the tax rates and the need for fiscal prudence by the current board. Powell, Brady and Cardella held fast that it was the opposition that was labeling them as right-wing extremists and that the 125for125 group just wants to be the taxpayers' friends and do what's best for kids.

In fact, in his response to a question about helping marginalized kids and groups fit in, Cardella said he supports all students and groups because they have "worth and we protect them." His posture seemed to abhor any sense of bullying and discrimination. In fact, Cardella said he and his fellow slate members have suffered discrimination and bullying.

Oh, come on, Charlie -- your memory must be fading.

Let's set the way-back machine, Sherman.

More than a few times during the forum Cardella, Brady and Powell stated that they became interested in Board activities two years ago in an effort to ensure that there would be options for students -- especially if there was a book being read that might be ::gasp:: offensive.

Really?

How quickly they forget.

What brought them to the Board was an article -- oops -- articles in the once-proud school newspaper, The Statesman, about hooking up -- which is what kids do today when they are interested in doing things that teens have been doing for decades -- and I don't mean listen to Dick Clark.

The right to open and responsible venues of student expression was not among the topics discussed, which is probably a good thing for a couple of reasons. First of all, it would have narrowed the focus of the forum to a specific topic. Secondly, it would have been a challenge to keep answers to 60 seconds.

For Charlie and his angels, it was a good thing because they would have had to explain the sudden lapse in memory.

I chatted for Charlie after the meeting (before I saw him at a nearby watering hole) to discuss open forums for student expression. He was vague (do you think?) about student expression until I asked him about prior review of The Statesman.

He first told me that "we don't have prior review anymore." The first thing that struck me is that, yes, they do. Cardella said it was up to the adviser to review The Statesman and that prior review was only needed in some cases. Huh? Either you have prior review or you don't.

Cardella said in the case of the now infamous hooking up article, it was necessary because it was "poor journalism." Poor, he said, because it was once sided and merely told kids how to become sexual predators. He told me he had a daughter who was a Stevenson senior at the time and he was offended by the article. He did not say she was offended or upset by the article.

So he presumably started the crusade to place The Statesman under prior review which lead to an award-winning adviser resign and some outstanding scholastic journalists give up their passion.

What concerns me was his comment that "we" no longer have prior review. Hello, Charlie, you're not on the board. Does the use of "we' indicate that it was your organization, or its connection to the Illinois Family Institute, carry enough clout to mandate policy for District 125? Is there a possibility that Cardella and his "slate" are already fostering connections inside the school? Discussions of this nature need to be open, and not resolved by inside connections, which is why voters elect board members.

Oh, and by the way, there was another article that infuriated Cardella and his group -- the one about the GSA -- the Gay-Straight Alliance. That article was clearly singled out at the March 2009 Board meeting and challenged by Cardella.

By whom? The same folks who vowed to make sure all kids and groups fit in.

But that was probably less than two years ago.

Selective campaigning is deceitful. Selective campaigning in a school board race not only deceits the voters -- but the students as well.

And that's more annoying than high taxes.

Morals vs. numbers?

2011-03-12T14:36:00.003-06:00

Statistics can be squirrely things.

Consider this – there are 10 women in a room of which one is pregnant while the other nine are virgins. Statistically, every woman in that room is 10 percent pregnant and 90 percent a virgin.

People can play with numbers to get them to come out in any way shape or form. This has become especially true in education as school districts everywhere try to flaunt ACT score and number of students in AP classes.

And now the fracas has entered the District 125 School Board election. What we have here folks are two slates going in two different directions. Duh. The United4Stevenson group includes incumbents Bruce Rubin, Merv Roberts, and Terry Moons along with newcomer David Weisberg while the slate taking on the evil empire includes Kathy Powell, Kim Brady and Charles Cardella. They market themselves as the 125for125, simply because of their position on the ballot.

The 125ers hide behind statistics: The incumbents have been on too long, they spend too much, and they’ve raised the tax levy. The bottom line is the Board, while not perfect, has handled a lot of what’s happened in the district well.

For the record, I have taken issue with several Board actions – a referendum for capital improvements that was, in my mind, unwarranted and its seemingly spineless handling of the censorship and prior review of the once-proud Stevenson High School newspaper, The Statesman.

But that’s where the 125for125 folks come in. They hate free and responsible student expression. They were upset with the "dastardly" story about hooking up – which was a local version of a New York Times story. They did not want their children exposed to that sort of thing. Right. Do you want to bet their kids are on Facebook? Do you want to bet they watch TV? Kids are kids and the things they do haven’t changed.

The reality is that parents today “hooked up” when they were younger – there was just another name for it.

Beyond the dreaded hooking up article, at the March 2009 School Board meeting, it came out that there was another article that offended opponents to The Statesman -- it was on a dance being sponsored by the Gay-Straight Alliance – GSA.

That outraged the opponents so much that one of them, and I believe it may have been Cardella, held up a copy of The Statesman and proclaimed that “this is pornography.”

Putting aside First Amendment issues – the question is this – do you want a person, or persons, who belittles student work by calling it “pornography” on any school board, let along one that runs a school with the academic excellence of Stevenson?

The apparent phobia over gay and lesbian students – and faculty members -- is reflective of the posturing by the Illinois Family Institute which makes it clear that homosexuality has no place in society.

It’s the IFI’s opinion and it is entitled to that position.

School board elections and the running of any public school is not a forum for moral issues.

The 125for125 makes it clear that parents should make curriculum decisions. In an email sent to supporters, they claim that :

Parents should be intimately involved in the curriculum of their children, too often we have heard from our own children about a movie that was going to be shown or a book that was going to be required to be read that went beyond the bounds of decency or taste. Parents have the right (in fact, the responsibility) to exclude their children from programs that are contrary to their standards for raising their children. Teachers are aware of these boundaries, but need to have the support of the board in notifying parents of their options, rather than fearing that by so doing they will not be supported by their board.

This seemingly mirrors the IFI position. In a blog post, it states school board elections are important because:

Our public schools are under assault by activist ideologues both in administrations and on faculties. This activism is quickly invading even our elementary schools. Teachers and administrators are exploiting legitimate anti-bullying sentiment to introduce homosexuality normalizing resources to all children using public money. They are exploiting legitimate concerns for the less fortunate to promote controversial "critical race theory" and "critical pedagogy" by euphemistically calling it "teaching for social justice." They are exposing students to ever more profane and obscene resources by calling parents who object "book banners" and "censors," all the while hoping no one will notice their astonishing censorship of conservative resources.

So this is what they are accusing the Stevenson Board of doing? The reality is that the current Board has been too complacent in many ways and allowing the inmates to run the asylum. Stories of teachers and staff seemingly aligned with the 125for125 candidates and the IFI have surfaced. Test scores and AP are not the only true measures of am successful school.

Preparing our students for college and life in general is essential. Sheltering them from the realities of life is not the way to do prepare them. Imposing an individual’s or organization’s moral beliefs is not the way to prepare them.

Having the best teachers possible is essential and open-minded support and collaboration is the best way. The current Stevenson board has fallen short in areas of curriculum development and student expression.

It has not, however, imposed its moral ideas on the students. That may be the “good news” – the “bad news” is when there has been outside influence Board Members have not risen to the challenge. Bashing student achievement, putting pressure on teachers because of their sexual orientation is not the way to foster a quality education environment.

However, despite this, can we afford to have our schools directed by right-wing fundamentalists that want books banned and curriculum altered?

Who else do they hate because they’re not “like them” – African Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, Islamic Americans, Hispanic Americans?

A diverse student body, faculty and administration are essential for successful schools and the future of our students.

The classroom is not a soapbox or pulpit for personal or organizational morals. It’s for free and responsible education.

So here’s a way to reintroduce the statistics from the start of this blog – one way that might shake up some of the candidates – let’s say there are 10 people in a room of which one is gay while the other nine are straight. Statistically, every person in that room is 10 percent gay and 90 percent straight.

Diversity and acceptance—don’t leave home without it.

A tale of two elections

2011-03-10T19:51:00.000-06:00

Someone recently nudged me and asked where the blog has been and things must be quiet since I have not written much.

Quiet? Surely you can't be serious. I know, I am serious and don't call me Shirley.

But the village is a proverbial hotbed of political activity as we steam toward the April 5 election.

The village has two contested election -- one for a two-year term that features Andrew Stein and Denice (yes, Denice with a C) Bocek. Aside from a few signs, that campaign has been as intriguing as oatmeal -- with all respect to Quaker Oats.

But that's probably, not that is, a good thing because at least we are seeing some civility. The other contested race is between Village Clerk Jan Sirabian and Rob Sherman. Aside from Sherman's sexist and caustic remarks about Sirabian, this too has been a low keyed campaign.

The Daily Herald begrudgingly endorsed Sirabian. Its endorsement addressed two main issues -- the minutes and the now infamous missing tape of an executive session. While the missing tape is truly an unusual situation, the minutes are not. The Daily Herald seems to drudging up old news. If the minutes are so bad (which they are not if you check with other municipalities) why doesn't the Herald cite examples?

The Herald's focus on the minutes and tape, while somewhat valid, does take into consideration her years of service to the village, a fact brought out by former village manager Bill Brimm in a letter to the Herald in support of Sirabian. Brimm notes that "She advocates for what is best for Buffalo Grove, its residents and businesses." Whether you support Sirabian or not, Brimm's point is well taken -- public officials need to advocate for the residents. Sirabian, although not perfect, has done that for three decades.

On the other hand, Sherman, the Herald says, is "...a local gadfly whose biggest claims to fame have been his self-styled spokesmanship of American Atheists and being taken to court on charges of abusing his son." It also says "We’ve read Sherman’s account of Sirabian’s remarks in their meeting with our editorial board, and it makes us wonder: If he misrepresents that discussion, would we be able to trust the accuracy of his village board minutes?"

Both are good points.

The situation involving his son is, I would assume, a chapter Sherman would want to forget. Sherman has some interesting events in his past, as previously noted here, so a voter would have to wonder about his character. It's the trust factor residents need to consider, a fact the Herald raises in its endorsement of Sirabian. After the recent tumultuous times in the village, trust is important and hopefully both village officials and residents see the value of that.

The other election

Yes, Virginia, there is another election. For the folks north of Lake-Cook Road, the most interesting race is for the District 125 School Board. This one pits the "United 4 Stevenson" slate of Bruce Lubin, Merv Roberts, David Weisberg and Terry Moons against the "125 for 125" team of Kathy Powell, Kim Brady and Charles Cardella, a group which rips the other four for serving too long, but yet in its campaign material does not propose any solutions.

What the 125for125 gang does not tell you is what their public positions have been on things at Stevenson High School -- such as freedom of the press and diversity.

And that, my friends, will be the subject of my next blog. It is, however, important to remember two things: 1. All that glitters is not gold, and 2. As the old bumper sticker says -- the moral majority is neither.

The third time is not the charm

2011-02-14T22:02:00.000-06:00

You gotta love election campaigns.

That's when you get the best, the worse, and the questionable insights into the candidates. Forget about Rahm, Chico and Carol.

Let's talk about Rob, as in Rob Sherman. It seems like the village's best know atheist wants the world to know him as Captain America fighting for what's wrong and trying to correct a world where evil brings virtue and justice none at all.

So as he peruses the suburbs in his Rob Sherman news vehicle, which is about the size of Delaware, he wants the world to know that Buffalo Grove voters should elect him the next Village Clerk and not incumbent Jan Sirabian.

Sherman has tossed about a few ideas, but nothing concrete. His latest tirade comes from a closed-door endorsement meeting with the Daily Herald in which he claims Sirabian said Buffalo Grove residents are lazy. Obviously, in a closed meeting there's no documentation, so we need to take Sherman at his word.

So he denies Buffalo Grove residents are lazy and is probably taking something out of context to boost his own image -- and a sorry one at that.

Consider this -- if Sherman is so concerned about the village, why doesn't he attend Village Board meetings? Odds are he probably figures there are not enough people there to be an audience for him, so what the hell, why go.

This is the same Rob Sherman who showed up at the EPA hearing on L & L in his Sherman mobile to collect signatures for his petition -- but did not stay for the hearing. Nice commitment, huh?

So where is Robbie?

As noted here before, he spends some of his free time attending various events. As noted here, one was the car wash in Bloomington, or maybe it was attending a lecture on women's underwear -- or maybe it was attending a book club.

Now we're not talking a book club at a local library -- after all, why spend time with residents -- instead Sherman spent time with a group of female literary fans -- as in the "Naked Girls Reading Event."

Yes, our village clerk wanna-be just had to attend the event in July 2009 and decided to blog about it -- complete with a picture of he and some of the participants. While Sherman is clothed, the participants are not -- they are, however, covering every nook and kindle with a book or bookmark. Seriously. This is on his blog that carries the tag line -- Serious Journalism, Professionally Written. Serious about what?

Sherman defends his attendance by writing "...By removing their clothes, the girls stripped themselves of the artificial symbolism of importance that clothes attempt to suggest. It was just like being upstairs, at home with my wife, Celeste, where we go about our personal tasks at the beginning and end of the day without regard to whether we are wearing any clothes...."

Yeah, right.

If this was the first time Robby wrote about young females, we could, possibly, roll our eyes and wonder what he was thinking about. It is, however, the third such entry.

His flaunting young bikini clad coeds washing his car, or young naked women reading books, Sherman is doing little more than degrade women. You could say that his attacks on Sirabian are not politically motivated, but yet another attempt to boost what appears to be a sexist ego.

Sirabian is not perfect -- not public servant or public figure is -- but she works hard as village clerk and when she's not attending to her village duties, she's working hard in the community for various charities.

As for Sherman? Aside from continued self-promotion I haven't seen much on Sherman's blog about any charity work.

I guess a clothing drive wouldn't interest him.

There's no business like snow business....

2011-02-02T19:41:00.000-06:00

For the most part, folks around these parts don't get too concerned about things unless it really hits home.

When I was president of my condo association before becoming a single-family home owner in 'burbs, I quickly learned that the things that ticked off residents the most were:

1. Doggie defecations
2. Parking
3. When the pool was open
4. Snow removal.

And not necessarily in that order.

Things don't seem to change with folks when they move into their own little acre of the world. Residents who have issues with the village do, for the most part, focus on parking, fence height, fire works and, oh yes, snow removal.

Been there, done that. Some readers think I started blogging because I was friends with the Board and was out to get she-who-shall-not-be-named. In actuality, my contact with the folks on Raupp began after a couple of snow storms when the snow plow operator saw fit to use my driveway as a place to pile snow.

Rather than wait until the next business day, I called Elliott Hartstein at home. I am not sure what he was going to do, but removing mounds of snow from my driveway was not my idea of a good time.

For the record, Hartstein called me back, as did then Village Manager Bill Brimm and whoever it is/was/maybe who handles snow removal.

Was the problem resolved? The next time we had snow, I was outside cleaning my driveway when the plow started down the street. Much to my amazement, the driver stopped, got out and asked "Are you Mr. Zoller?"

We discussed a way to pile the snow away from my driveway and some other options and since then, there has not been an issue -- problem solved. I'm not saying it's always perfect, but it's an example of how the village, to steal a phrase from Chicago, is a village that works.

A simple path and clean-up job is all
the Fire Department needs for
snow-covered hydrants

So as we dig out from "The Blizzard of 2011" here a couple things to take into consideration:

* Snow removal is a thankless job. Been there, done that.
* There are folks who habitually screw it up -- like a neighbor's snow plow service that leaves stuff all over the street.
* Record snows take time to remove. The village went into the storm with a plan, one which was distributed by Lake County and is available at the village's web site (www.vbg.org).
* Yes, the end of your driveway will get blocked when the plows go by -- believe me, I know.

So cope with it -- and by the way, while you're digging out, take a minute to dig out a fire hydrant. The fire department has a "Pluggie Pal' program meant for kids -- but if kids don't want to do it -- step up.

It's only a snow storm. The village has been faced with a lot of snow jobs recently --- this one we can deal with.

He sees London, he sees France?

2011-01-23T20:39:00.000-06:00

It was, by all accounts, a simple glance through the paper. Aside from coverage about the Packers taking on the Bears, there wasn't much to read.

For whatever reason the words "Buffalo Grove" caught my eye in an article about, of all things, women's underwear. Seriously. Seeing as inquiring minds want to know I took a glance at the coverage.

Seems as though the Lake Villa District Library held a program about, of all things, women's underwear. You'd think they'd focus on reading, but what the heck, if this is a way to get people to come to a library, why not.

What amazed, or should that be amused, me the most, was the fact that the Library apparently thought this should be for women only. While I am surprised that any public organization would bar anyone from a presentation, if this is what the folks up in Lake Villa want to do, fine.

So how does this impact Buffalo Grove? Is it likely that the Village Board will discuss underwear? Is womens underwear a topic to be placed on the must read list at either the Vernon Area Library or Indian Trails Library?

Probably not.

Our local connection here is that Buffalo Grove's own Rob Sherman was one of two men who attended, and, to no surprise, made a public campaign about it.

If Sherman gets his jollies researching women's underwear, that is certainly his prerogative. However, Sherman is running for public office in Buffalo Grove, challenging incumbent Jan Sirabian for the village clerk's post, so you would think he would take an interest in what's happening on the home front.

It doesn't seem that way. Sherman was not at the last Village Board meeting, and when he does, his comments are laced with acrid comments about the minutes. That seems to be his campaign -- the minutes need to be a narrative of Village Board meetings, and not just a recording of Board actions.

So instead of spending time on the home front, Sherman is scooting around from town to town dropping his name for any cause.

But really, women's underwear? There seems to be a theme here. As mentioned in a recent blog, one of the things that Sherman dedicates a good portion of his web site to is a graphic posting of his car being washed by bikini-clad Hooters girls. Sherman also flaunts his visit to Lake Villa on his web site.

Let's see, women's underwear, bikini-clad coeds.....please don't tell me it's in the name of constitutional rights or equal rights for men.

There seems to be a somewhat unusual trend here -- and for the record, it's not one that reflects well for a public official wannabe.

Just how much does character count?

2011-01-06T20:14:00.000-06:00

More than a few years ago I covered the desolate territory known as Vernon Township. Lake-Cook ended at Milwaukee Avenue, Chicagoland Airport still existed, and Milwaukee Avenue was dotted with the Cheetah II and other assorted places of entertainment.

Gas was about 50 cents a gallon and, for the most part, village board meetings dealt with few items of substance -- except for future development.

But small town, and that's what they were politics always seem to have a surprise. In one area community, there was a rumor that one of its village trustees saw fit to pose for a calendar. Think about it for a moment. Yes, the trustee allegedly poses sans an ordinance or legal briefs -- of for that matter any briefs. Back then the Internet was nonexistent, as was sitting down and clicking. Village officials took advantage of local media to dig up any kind of information. I had heard to the rumor, but before I could find anything, the trustee had decided not to run. A good idea on his -- yes his -- part.

Some things never change. Thirty five years later rumors still circulate around village officials and what they do in their private life. I'm not interested in rumors. If I blogged about all of the rumors I heard, I would be blogging every day.

However, when a candidate decides to brag about his escapades, it's a different story.

Rob Sherman is running for Village Clerk in Buffalo Grove. His web site, "Rob Sherman News", contains a collection of Sherman's thoughts on everything from being an atheist to his opponent, Jan Sirabian, and who know what else. That's fine.

It is interesting, however, how one of Sherman's biggest accomplishments is having his car washed by a series of Hooters Girls. Really.

I have nothing against Hooters, in fact, like Rob, I have a picture with a Hooters staff member. For the record, she worked at Hooters in Norfolk, Virginia and was from Green Bay, Wisconsin. We Packer fans find any reason to connect.

But the staff member I met was working and I was not beaming with pride about having her put her arm on my shoulder.

Sherman's car wash as noted on his web site

Sherman does. As noted by the picture, he was having a good time.

In fact, he joyfully wrote about it -- the entire episode can be found at http://www.robsherman.com/news/2010/07/27.htm.

Sherman details his escapades, including the fact that "They were really careful not to get me wet, um, with water from their bucket or hose."

Again, if Sherman wants to be surrounded by bikini-clad Hooters employees, that's fine. If he wants to make questionable remarks about their handling a hose, that's fine too.

However, the question is this -- Is this behavior appropriate for someone who considers himself a public figure and wants to be a public official?

His comments about Jan Sirabian are degrading to women and, with all due respect, senior citizens. To some people, his flaunting of young women in bikinis is degrading to women.

Sherman is not the first public figure to do something questionable. Last election night proved that -- but at least Elliott Hartstein had the dignity to realize his mistake and apologize to then trustee Lisa Stone and the community for his behavior.

Sherman, however, does nothing but flaunt his sexist and degrading escapade.

Truth is, the Hooter girls who washed his car are lucky that he wasn't driving his massive "Rob Sherman news van".

I guess they can thank G-d for that. Oh wait, I guess they can't. If they do, Sherman won't let them wash his car again.

A crowded ballot?

2011-01-04T21:58:00.001-06:00

As I pulled into the Village Hall for the Jan. 3 meeting, I could not help but notice the number of cars in the lot.

My first thought was that there must be some big issue brewing and the masses were getting ready to voice their malcontent with the Village Board.

What I found were members of Cub Scout Troop 36 from School Dist. 102 and not a lot more. What I heard following the pledge (nice job guys..) was a lot of discussion about the height of fences from 5 to 6 feet.

I was a surprised, albeit a bit, because I had heard at previous meetings about the amount of displeasure with the Village Board by residents. With this much dissension, surely there would be a heated election this come May.

There isn’t. Only one race for village trustee, that for a two-year term, is contested with Andrew Stein facing Denise Bocek. The other contested race is that for Village Clerk where incumbent Jan Sirabian is being challenged by Rob Sherman. Jeff Braiman is unopposed in his bid to be village president.

That’s it. Eight candidates for six spots

So if there is that much upheaval among the residents, why aren’t more running?

Like ‘em or not, the residents who serve on the Village Board do so out of dedication. As I’ve said before, they’re not perfect – nothing is – but it is a thankless task. As noted before, the village staff has been excellent and responsive to the needs of residents and business owners. Again, nothing is perfect.

While we heard about the numbers of residents who are dissatisfied we haven’t see an outpouring of people who want to storm the Bastille because the village was going to Hell in a handbag. We’ve seen special interests represented, but everyone has their specific bug or bias.

But when push comes to shove, so to speak, there was very little of either. A village of more than nearly 50,000 residents and there are eight candidates.

It’s either a case of everyone being content, or no one caring -- with the exception of eight people.

So with the dust seemingly settled and the focus on village business and not special interest being discussed, it appears that when all is said and done – things in Big Animal Grove are just fine – not perfect – but a long way from the brink of disaster.

Residents flocking to OTB

2010-12-29T14:05:00.000-06:00

I knew it was coming to this.

More and more Buffalo Grove residents are turning to OTB.

Which despite what you may think, with all of the bantering about the problems, residents have decided that OTB is worth it.

So there.

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the suburban communities that nab people speeding are (drum roll, please): Bull Valley, Park City, Carol Stream, McCook and Evergreen Park.

Disheartening as it may be, Buffalo Grove was not among the leaders in nailing lead-footers.

There is some good news, however, the Tribune did cite Buffalo Grove for 115 speeding tickets, so all is not lost.

The fact that the village is not among the elite – and who ever thought Park City would be considered elite – could be of some concern. Maybe. I used to think that the village reaped in tons of cash from stopping folks for exceeding the speed limit. After making a contribution to the Buffalo Grove Benevolent Speeding Society myself, I checked into where the money goes and quickly found that a good chunk of it goes to the County, the Courts and, when all is said and done, the Village.

So what’s the reason for the slow down? Let’s blame the economy because when all else fails, it’s the easiest scapegoat around. The Trib report did not conclusively specific why some villages are tougher than others – although Bull Run has a number of good hiding places. I think the reason speeding tickets are down is because so many people are yapping on their cell phones that they actually slow down. It might be interesting to see how the number of tickets have been issued for improper lane usage have been issued.

I still think the real cause is OTB – more and more people are embracing the concept of OTB simply because it’s an easy and mindless way to avoid hassles. OTB has been talked about but no one has been able to quantify its impact.

It is clear, however, that OTB has made a difference in the lives of motorists going through the village. Unfortunately, it appears cynics are right – OTB has not had a positive impact on the village finances. If anything, we have seen the opposite – OTB has resulted in a decline of village revenues.

So in the sake of safety, more and more residents need to embrace OTB so we can once and for all end the debate.

Why? Because when it comes to driving, OTB makes sense.

OTB – On the Brake.

Who sets a value for a school?

2010-12-22T20:44:00.000-06:00

School board elections generally don’t get a lot of people fired up. The keyword here is generally.

With the candidates filed for the April election, several candidates are on the ballot for Districtc125, which is Adlai Stevenson High School.

Based on recent media account of the discussions at D125 meetings, the upcoming school board elections may not only be “interesting” – it may be imperative for residents who embrace the right of choice and have faith in curriculum decisions made by the school.

Stevenson High School is not perfect – not school or district is. However, the school has traditionally had a good reputation. It’s had some bumps, like when it messed up its journalism program a couple of years ago.

It seems, however, the district is coming under fire because of the books it has available for students to read.

At recent issue is the listing of “The Flamingo Rising,” on the summer reading list has some parents upset because after all, there is a sexual encounter detailed in the book.

Shocking.

One parent, according to the Daily Herald, said he wants the Board to protect what he called the “traditional values” of the community.

Excuse me?

Can someone define traditional values?

According to the report, the resident, John Dreyer “also objected to ‘The Casual Carpool,’ a short story that his youngest son recently was assigned in class. He was critical of a lesbian character's desire to find a sperm donor so she could have a baby.

OK, a show of hands out there – how many people have ever enjoyed every book they read? Probably none. There is going to be something in every book that bothers us.

Dreyer and any other parent who takes offense to sex, gays, lesbians in literature need to do a couple of things.

First of all, employ the school opt out policy. Most school districts have them. A simple solution is to, quite simply, if something is being read, shown, listened to in a class, the student – and parent – have the option to ask the teacher for another assignment. They can opt out, get it?

Secondly, take a look at your cable service, student’s iPod, the daily newspaper or even the public library. You’ll find more sexual content and violence there than you will at Stevenson High School – or any high school for that matter.

Thirdly, why is it that sex bothers you? Where were you when your student read “To Kill A Mockingbird,” or “The Adventures of Huck Finn” or perhaps “House on Mango Street” or “The Women of Brewster Place”?

All the aforementioned books deal with rape, violence and racism. But wait, those books are about minorities, so what do you expect about “those people?”

If Dreyer, or any of the other parents are upset because books like “The Flamingo Rising,” or stories such as “The Casual Carpool,” because it offends their religious beliefs or the doctrines of their house of worship – that’s their prerogative.

The concept of separation of church and state was brought to light by Thomas Jefferson in 1802. The concept hasn’t changed.

For any one parent – or group of parents – to want to impart their religious beliefs or personal morals and values on an entire secular school is off base, especially when alternatives are available.

Stevenson High School, and nearly all other public high schools in the area need to continue to offer a wide variety of literature to their students not to offer shock value to their students, but to give them the opportunity to understand and analyze all types of literature.

Our students today need to be well rounded in their viewpoints and learn how to defend their points of views.

For parents who take exception to what is available in the schools, their options are simple – send their students to private schools or, as noted before, practice the alternatives available to them.

And while they’re at it, they may want to follow the suggestion of a friend of mine who says they may want to remove a book from their personal bookshelves that includes violence, sex and prostitution.

The Bible.

Where does the time go???

2010-12-12T21:52:00.000-06:00

Amazing how much has transpired since my last blog.

Imagine, David Stolman is now chairman of the Lake County Board. I've had the chance to meet several county board chairmen from various county include Robert Depke and George Dunne.

I'm not sure what mold Stolman will fall into -- hopefully not the Todd Stroger mold. Ouch.

+++++

A new trustee now occupies the dais at the Village Board -- Dr. Eric Smith will fill the vacancy left by the recall of Lisa Stone. Let's see, that will give him about 10 Board meetings before he returns to being a mere mortal. But, as we all know, a lot can happen in 10 meetings.

+++++

So why did Beverly Sussman change seats on the dais?

+++++

Perhaps the biggest "recent news" is that a certain local columnist spent nearly 30 column inches bemoaning the fact that her jeans are too tight.

Sorry, it's not the upcoming holidays. More than likely it's due to ::middle age::: and an over abundance of various food items. I think they call it a slow news week.

+++++

Kudos to Katie Donnewald for being recognized by the Board for her efforts to raise more than $6,500 for Salute, Inc.

++++

Congrats to Cooper Middle School for its state champion cross country team.

++++

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the mysterious white truck that cruises through the village on garbage day? The driver wears a white hard hat (beware of falling garbage???) and stops to pick up various items left out by homeowners. I think that's called junk collecting. Odds are there's an ordinance against that.

More later...

The Boss Bows Out....

2010-11-28T20:53:00.000-06:00

I'm not surprised.

That was my first reaction when I read the Facebook post from Village Board President Elliott Hartstein, which read:

"I will not be running in the April 2011 Election for a 4th consecutive term as Buffalo Grove Village President. After 30 years of involvement, I have decided it is time to turn the page to a new chapter in my life and my electoral involvement. I love Buffalo Grove ,and it has been a privilege and an honor to have been able to serve the community over these many years and I thank the community for the opportunity."

The comments, all of which are signed, a welcomed change from the cat-and-mouse game that plays out in other web sites, all said the standard "we're sorry to see you go" and "thanks for doing a great job" - etc. etc. etc.

Elliott Hartstein

Hartstein's announcement did not surprise me at all. Yes, the last 18 months have been tumultuous, but the reality is, Hartstein has put his heart and soul into the village for more than 30 years. When I first covered Buffalo Grove, Hartstein had black hair and was never short on things to say.

Now, nearly 30 years late, his hair is gray and well, he is still never short on things to say. But for the past 30-plus years he's said a lot of thing with passion for the village. His tenure began long before Town Center, long before the Fiore property was annexed and long before there was Lake Michigan water in the village.

A lot has transpired since then. But let's not make this a eulogy; Hartstein is a resident who unselfishly gave up a lot of his time for the village -- he is not a career politician.

No doubt there are folks in the village who are rejoicing because the boss is stepping down, which is fine because everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. My guess is, however, that better than 95 percent of those who are ripping Hartstein for one reason or another, never stepped forward to volunteer a minute of time to the village.

Officiating a basketball game is so much easier from the bleachers than it is from the floor, and if you are wearing the striped shirt, you better have your rule book and mechanics down part because they fans are watching -- just like watch the Village Board.

So what's ahead? Trustee Jeff Braiman has already announced that he is seeking the top spot and odds are others may toss their hats in the ring. Buffalo Grove has had some excellence Village Presidents including Verna Clayton and Sid Mathias. My apologies if I left anyone out, but Clayton and Mathias were mainstays in the chambers for a while and both went on to the state legislature.

My concern is that folks will run for Village President for the sake of running. The top spot should not (keyword should) not be a showcase for a personal agenda. There is no inference here, it applies to anyone who runs. The village is fiscally sound and has a staff second to none. The proposed 2011 budget is tight, but does not compromise any of the services and quality that go hand-in-hand with the village.

That's not be accident. Good leadership is a major part of the village's success. It is not always perfect, but nothing is. An effective Board President is, in many ways, a reflection of the cohesiveness of the Board. For the most part, Hartstein was fortunate enough to have solid support. He had dissension too, but hopefully some positive will emerge from turmoil and the Board -- let alone the village -- can move forward.

The next Village Board president will face a lot of challenges. Hopefully, those who run will see the broad scope of the challenges and give them the attention and dedication Hartstein has for nearly 30 years.

As for Hartstein, it has been a hell of ride. For the most part, people will remember him for some of those less than perfect moments as opposed to all of the years of service. That is just human nature.

But weather you like or dislike some of his positions, try and remember just two words for Hartstein.

Thank you.

Resolving a few issues

2010-11-16T22:50:00.000-06:00

Monday's Village Board meeting has come and gone.

Thankfully.

The first meeting after the election had all the anticipation of a Brett Favre interview -- no one knew for sure what was going to transpire and how.

It was a crap shoot as to which would draw more attention -- the reprimand of Village President Elliott Hartstein for his election night mockery of embattled (and now recalled) trustee Lisa Stone or whether Stone would attend the meeting.

In the end, both came off as about as exciting as a Favre interview.

The reprimand of Hartstein was expected and given what transpired on election night, appropriate. Prior to the introduction of the resolution Hartstein read his statement of apology to the village, the village board and to Stone.

Trustee Steve Trilling read the ordinance and to no surprise, it was adopted 4-0. Stone, who was in attendance, but not on the dais and trustee De Ann Glover, who is recovering from surgery, did not vote.

Discussion surrounding the resolution was limited, with the exception of two residents, one who pointed out that trustees Jeff Berman and Jeff Braiman were not laughing at Hartstein's shenanigans and were in fact "appalled" by what they say. Resident Frank Sears lashed out at the Board, Hartstein in particular, for the whole episode.

It's the stuff we've heard and read about since election night -- with one twist.

Sears referred to Hartstein's parody a "burlesque." That does not conjure up the best images. When I think of burlesque, I think of Sally Rand, Gypsy Rose Lee and Miss Nitro (who I once saw). Not the village board. That image is, well, not pleasant.

Aside from the two resident comments, there was, as noted, little discussion. One thing that sparked my curiosity was the lack of a "request" for the resolution. Typically, when resolutions are posted as part of the online agenda, the cover screen indicates who requested it and who entered it. The reprimand was entered by Village Manager Dane Bragg, but not requested by anyone. Interesting.

As for Stone, yes, she made an appearance. Once again she chided the board for not televising the IEPA hearing into the L & L landfill. The Board did, however, announce at the meeting that CDs of hearing are available from Village Hall, thanks in part to resident Mike Feldman who volunteered his services to video the hearing which, when all was said and done, did not reveal any drastically new information. The actual hearing took less than 45 minutes.

Stone video portions of the meeting have been uploaded to YouTube (search Trustee Lisa Stone) if you want to view the hearing. But why "Trustee Lisa Stone"? She made it clear that it was not "Village Board Trustee Lisa Stone" -- just Trustee Lisa Stone. She also said she now has an email account by the same name (TrusteeLisaStone@AOL.com) and she will provide information to residents.

But Trustee Lisa Stone? Once the results of the election results of Nov. 2 are certified she will no longer be a village trustee. It's obvious she is trying to maintain some kind of status as a public figure -- as if she is in a campaign (wink, wink). She does, however, run the risk (do 'ya think?) of being seen as misrepresenting herself as an active trustee.

I did one thing interesting about her appearance. It's not that she continued her assault on the Board regarding L & L -- it's just that for someone who has charged the Board with all kinds of wrongdoings, you would think she would take an interest in village business.

Like the proposed budget that was discussed Monday night.

But Stone wasn't around for it -- She left after the reprimand.

Draw your own conclusions.

Reflections on the hearing...

2010-11-09T23:16:00.000-06:00

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Tuesday night's Illinois Environmental Protection Agency public hearing into the close of the now infamous L & L Landfill is that it took less time than approval of the minutes at a Village Board meeting.

I don't think there was anything new revealed -- but that's OK -- because while many, if not all, of the opponents to L & L had stated their positions before, but not to the IEPA, the Village Board. There was, in essence, 40 minutes of testimony by residents and experts, some of them self-proclaimed, about the fears of maintaining L & L, while others cited the need for development of the site within environmental guidelines.

Each speaker had three minutes to address the panel. Only one (guess who?) came back up for an encore.

The crowd was pretty much as I anticipated, which could mean one of two things -- people are not interested, or the topic has worn itself down. No matter what your view is on the topic, it is pretty disappointing that more residents are not concerned about an issue -- any issue. Why? Who knows?

You could speculate that folks living away from L & L have the "it's not near me, what do I care" attitude, or some may have said "Oh, it's Lisa Stone's special interest, who cares" Again, who knows.
Was it worth televising? Not really. There were no startling revelations. Residents interested in what was said can get the complete transcript of record from the IEPA in about 2 1/2 weeks.

Did testimony reveal any new information? Not really.

Arguments against 'certification of completion of post closure care" focused on the state of the ground water and presence of Phenol at the facility.

Arguments support the certification cited compliance with IEPA, EPA and Lake County guidelines so the site can be commercially developed.

On supporter said development of the site was necessary because of high unemployment and the need to put men and women back to work. That's an admirable goal, but I don't think you ignore citizen concerns just for jobs.

The fact remains that the IEPA has heard from both sides of aisle and will continue to take comments until one second before midnight on Dec. 9. Odds are it will not be a popular decision.

Residents can still be heard.

Comments may be sent by email to epa.publichearingcom@illinois.gov. Make sure your subject line clearly says "Land and Lakes Wheeling Landfill." Further information is also available Dean Studer, Hearing Office (#5) at Dean.Studer@illinois.gov or Tammy Mitchell, community relations coordinator at tammy,Mitchell@illinois.gov.

Email or hard copy submitted before the Dec. 9 deadline will be entered into the record.

What will be determined is scheduled to be announced on Jan. 15. What happens after that depends on the decision and how people react. If the certificate is approved, then it's possible, even likely, that development of the site will move forward. But like the development of any landfill site -- whether in Northbrook, Evanston, Highland Park or Arlington Heights, monitoring should continue.

Those aforementioned cities have handled development of landfill and it seems logical that Buffalo Grove can do the same.

Only time will tell.

Some questions

2010-11-07T21:51:00.000-06:00

As the long anticipated and much ballyhooed IEPA hearing about the L & L landfill approaches, there are some questions I have.

No doubt critics and cynics will say I'm pick on poor Lisa Stone. I'm not. But as long as she waves the flag of transparency, she needs to provide answers.

For example:

Who? Put her up to this? Yes, she originally came to the Board about the compost odor at L & L -- but from there compost became second nature. Stone's work experience, as indicated in the village's web site, is a "Legal Research Consultant - Retired." So where does a background come in? If she was approached by someone in or out of Village Hall, it could help us understand the breadth of the problem. Are of the people involved current Board members or staff, or does it go back further?

Why? Is she so relentless about this issue? This is not to downplay the potential hazards of any landfill, but why L & L? Also, Stone and her family, before moving into the village, lived less than two miles from L & L -- why was she not concerned about it back then? Also, if she is so concerned about the environmental impact of landfills, why has she not taken the village of Wheeling to task about the shuttered landfill on the east side of Milwaukee Avenue, south of Deerfield Road. Also, it's likely that and problems with the Wheeling landfill or L & L maybe impact the watershed of the Des Plaines River, but that has yet to be discussed.

Where? Beside village hall, where is this information being acquired? We've heard and, in some cases seen, emails and documents from the Lake County Health Department, the IEPA and EPA -- but it seems like there is information coming from other sources. Again, revealing those sources could strengthen the L & L argument by providing more definitive information.

What? With all the alleged contacts being made to every conceivable expert and politician, it might be interesting to know what information is being provided and what the full response is. Excerpts and fragments titillate, but do not answer all of the questions. Also, what is she hoping to gain by all of this? A name from which to campaign? More accusations of Village Board members?

How? There's a lot of information being distributed -- besides FOIA requests, how is Stone obtaining the information? This may also connect to the "who" question.

When? When will this all end. It seems as though there has been ample information provided from various sources has not been enough. The IEPA hearing at Village Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday may shed some light on L & L.

However, if Stone firmly believes in "transparency in government," then the time for her to practice what she preaches is now.

Inquiring minds want to know.

A picture is worth a thousand words

2010-11-04T19:54:00.000-06:00

I was amazed when I saw it on the front page. I never expected the election to end with such an image.

But it was a relief.

Yes, there it was, Mark Kirk and Alexi Ginnaoulias end the campaign over a beer at the famed Billy Goat Tavern.

Coke, no Pepsi, chips, no fries.

Thank you Sam Sianis.

You would think, if not hope, that most campaigns would end on some kind of positive note. Two candidates who slugged it out realize that the election is over and while one is disappointed, perhaps angered, the has an image as to what lies ahead and moves forward with the issues at hand.

You would think. You would hope.

The meeting at the Goat between Kirk and Giannoulias provided a bit of levity to a long and bitter campaign. Levity can be good. The key word -- can.

There was another front page picture that also surprised, make that shocked me.

Buffalo Grove Village Board President Elliott Hartstein "dressed" like Lisa Stone who was recalled by nearly 70 percent of the voters who voted in Tuesday's election.

Seeing Hartstein donned in a long black wig was like seeing Little Black Sambo at a KKK rally or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a Bar Mitzvah. In other words, it did not work. Not by a long shot.
To cite the headline in the Daily Herald, "what was he thinking?"

If he thought he was being funny, save you gas money folks, Hartstein won't be at Zanies this weekend.

The picture was a surprise because Hartstein has been a dedicated public servant in the village for more than 30 years. You would think he knows better. If he's trying to gain support among trans-gender and cross-dressing voters, the effort failed.

After 18 months of attacks by Stone, I was anticipating that Hartstein would be more humble and quite honestly, classy in accepting "victory." A simple statement wishing Stone well would have sufficed. But that did not happen -- not by a long shot.

What's needed here is for Hartstein to not just write an apology, which to his credit he did quickly, but to call Stone and personally apologize. Here's the tricky part -- is her hatred of Hartstein so deep that she would not listen? Who knows. My guess is probably not.

Hartstein's sophomoric antics do not diminish his years of public service. He is well versed in public issues and has held things together reasonably well during the past 18 months.

His antics do not diminish the vote. Hartstein's antics are not a political issue. Members of the Board, especially Jeff Berman who has expressed his displeasure on AOL's Patch, are more than just a little upset with Hartstein.

I think it's a safe bet to say that Stone is too. As well as she should be. Pundits will want this to become a political issue. It's not. It's an issue of stupidity. The reality is, we've all had moments like that and while they may eat at us, we move on.

Again, not to diminish the poor taste of Hartstein's stunt Tuesday night, the Board has to move on and get back to business. Stone's antics were a distraction, which drove board members and residents crazy. They wanted her gone and now she is. Move on.

It may be easier said than done, but while we'll all remember Hartstein in a wig (anyone remember when Mike Ditka did the same thing) we can't overlook what needs to be done in the village. Once the votes are certified and Stone is officially off the Board, the Stone Age is over.

There's no reason to discuss her tenure on the Board or how she ridiculed other board members. Stunts that belittle her, or anyone in the public eye for that matter, are not needed. You won -- move on. Be gracious and accepting and move on.

If it does not exist already, I am proposing that Hartstein be given an award for Tuesday night. I think he should receive the first ever "Michael Dukakis Award for Worse Photo Opp." It can be presented to the public official whose photo opportunity turns into a photo opposite.

While it's likely the Stone camp won't let this die, this cannot be the focus of the Village Board. It was Hartstein who decided to mock Stone, not the Board.

The Board meets again Nov. 15. I'm not sure how Hartstein will be attired -- I just hope to hell he doesn't come dressed as a landfill.

The Time Has Come...

2010-10-31T22:30:00.007-06:00

Today, voters around the country will head to the polling places to for the mid-term election. In Illinois, the focus i s on the gubernatorial race between Pat Quinn and Bill Brady while the race between Mark Kirk and Alexi Giannoulias has captivated the most ardent political observers. Unemployment, the spiraling state debt and attracting new businesses to the state have been the focus of the campaign.

Except in Buffalo Grove.

The focus on the election is the potential recall of Village Trustee Lisa Stone.

On Tuesday, voters will have the rare opportunity to, in essence, fire an elected official -- and not a moment too soon.

The debate and discussion of Stone's performance have gone on long enough. The village is fortunate that we are not facing the crunch other nearby municipalities are facing -- staff layoffs, budget deficits, and the reopening of collective bargaining agreements with police officers and fire fighters in order to stay solvent.

The village of Buffalo Grove is not facing that kind of crunch. We have AAA bond ratings with both Moody's and Standard & Poors.

But you wouldn't know that. For the past 18 months the focus has been on everything that is wrong with the village. At least according to Lisa Stone.

Buffalo Grove is not perfect -- no municipality is.

But to listen to Stone you'd think Buffalo Grove was run by corrupt, back-stabbing, unprofessionals.

That's not the case. But you know that. The village staff is highly respected by other municipalities.

What the village needs to do is address the problems that may arise in the future. We're not immune to a struggling economy, unemployment or the need to attract business and commerce to the area.

We need to focus on moving forward in the village. Not on Lisa Stone.

We need to focus on partnerships to generate new initiatives for our children. Not on Lisa Stone.

We need to focus on the programs to curb crime. Not on Lisa Stone.

We need to focus on how to continue the excellence that has lead to the aforementioned bond ratings. Not on Lisa Stone.

We need to focus on finding ways to continue supporting our public works, police and fire department employees. Not on Lisa Stone.

We need to focus on how to continue growing our citizen involvement through commissions, events and committees. Not on Lisa Stone.

This is my 100th blog, the first coming in early July of last year. Most have, unfortunately, focused on the antics of Stone and her effort to put her agenda ahead of what is needed for the village. Some people have asked me why I hate Lisa Stone. I don't hate Lisa Stone. What I do hate is the way she has handled and presented herself as a Buffalo Grove village official. And that's what needs to be addressed on Tuesday. It's about Lisa Stone -- not her husband or family.

Some people have said maybe it's unfair to judge her because she has only has been in office for 18 months. So has Beverly Sussman. Sussman brought with her an agenda -- one that had the village in mind. Yet if you listen to Stone, Sussman is part of the "old boys club." Sussman has, however, raised questions and has not gone along with the Board on every issue and has done so with a thought-provoking, professional demeanor.

Stone has not.

Instead of working for the community, she has been a polarizing force that seeks to tear down and not build up.

So the time has gone for residents to do the ultimate job performance review.

As noted in previous blogs, winning an election does not give you immunity from the wrath of the electorate. Winning an election puts you at the highest level of public trust and when that trust is breached, it becomes a case of drastic times calling for drastic measures.

That time is here. The village cannot continue to function with the distractions and unfounded accusations levied by Stone.

On Tuesday residents will have the option of voting yes to recall Stone or no to keep her in office.

The unfortunate reality is that there is only one choice.

It has three letters.

Candidate Holds Press Conference

2010-10-31T07:06:00.000-06:00

Distraught by what continues to transpire in the village, and with Tuesday's election right around the corner,Village Board candidate Chicken Little met with members of the press today to discuss issues facing the village.

Chicken Little
Image from swotti.com

Q. Mr. Little, do you still plan to run even if recall fails?

A. Absolutely. There are a lot of things going on in the village besides Trustee Stone.

Q. How do you see the recall campaign going so far?

A. It's a mixed bag. The recall committee has been aggressive, which does not surprise me. What has surprised me is the lack of initiative by the Stone supporters. I am not surprise that Ms. Stone asserts that she has done a good job, but there has not been a lot of overwhelming support for her. In fact, some of what has appeared has been darn right wrong.

Q. Can you explain, please?

A. There was a letter that ran the Countryside and on AOL Patch that, as we say around the coupe, doesn't have all of its eggs in one basket.

Q. How's that?

A. The writer claims that evil water from L & L is in the village's reservoir. Not quite. The village wells are 1,000 feet deep, making it almost impossible for contaminated water to find its way into the wells, let alone the reservoirs. Shallow water aquifers are about 400 feet deep. That's just for starters.

Q. What about experts from Lincolnshire who allege that Buffalo Government needs someone like Lisa Stone?

A. They should open up the history books and check the history of Lincolnshire. She should also check other landfills in the area.

Q. Critics of recall have said she was elected and therefore must serve out her term.

A. Being elected to any office does not give a person carte blanche to do what they want for their own ego or agenda. Nor does it give them the right to put them above issues and make make them front-and-center.

Q. So you're saying that Stone's term on the board has served what purpose?

A. Quite honestly, I'm not sure. She can rant about transparency in government and the old boys network and serving the community when in reality she has done little of any. I'm not saying that she has to agree with the board on everything all of the time, but rather than understand issues she challenges everything. She gives the appearance that everything in the village is wrong -- from the minutes to the warrants for expenditures.

Q. What do you see as the impact of what has transpired during her 18 months of tirades and accusations?

A. The impact on the community has been negative. Real estate agents and the business community are concerned that her image of the the village operation and village board will be a detriment to their respective markets. People outside of the village, whether residents or municipal officials are in virtual disbelief as to what they see.

Q. So what would you tell critics of recalling Ms. Stone?

A. To look at the whole picture and the impact of a renegade official who has said that she will not follow the rules. Whether you like any of the other board members at this time is immaterial. What's at stake here is the future of the village. The Board needs to provide village staff with effective input so it can continue to do the job it has been doing.

Q. So what's the solution?

A. Residents need to vote on Tuesday. Residents need to consider what has happened and what is happening and what may happen if this kind of tomfoolery continues.

Q. So you're saying it's better to take action sooner than later.

A. Yes.

Q. And how soon is that?

A. Tuesday.

Now if there are no more questions, we'll end this press conference. As we say around the coupe it's time to get crackin'. Thank you all for attending. I do have one final comment, however.

Q. And that is?

A. Remember to vote on Tuesday -- and remember to vote on all issues on both sides of the ballot.

Q. And your recommendation on the recall issue.

Candidate Little just smiled, winked and said "you figure it out. But it's time to steady the ship and continue sailing. It's not always going to be a smooth cruise, but at least the boat won't be taking on water.

One confused chick

2010-10-28T19:10:00.002-06:00

It did not come as a surprise.

With the Nov. 2 election just days away, I was not surprised at all when I got a call from Village Board candidate Chicken Little.

"Darn," he said, "folks are getting pumped for the election, aren't they?" For a chicken, he's very astute. Yes, I told him, a lot has been written and posted about the election, election the big ballot item. "You mean the retention of the judges," he said wryly. Not quite, I told him.

While Kirk and Giannoulias and Quinn and Brady battle it out, much of Buffalo Grove, and the surrounding areas are watching the outcome of the effort to recall Village Board trustee Lisa Stone.

"I am amazed at what has been written," he noted. I agree. "I noticed that one paper ran an article saying she was defending her record," Little noted, and then asked, "what record." He's an observant little clucker, isn't he?

The question is a good one, however -- what record? Granted she raised the question about L & L and when she did not get the answer she want, she raised it again and again and again. Stone seems to know more than the IEPA and EPA. If she is interested in the impact landfills have on the area, why hasn't she gone after the village of Wheeling in regard to a shuttered landfill off of Milwaukee Avenue? "That's easy," Little said, "there no votes there."

As for waving her independent banner, which is synonymous with annoying, Stone told the Countryside that she is "fighting against a machine." For someone who grew up in the Chicago area, Stone should know a true machine when she sees one. Residents who volunteer their time to public service are not machine members. "Yeah, I guess you're right," said Little. "But is Buffalo Grove perfect," he asked?

Nope. But it's light years ahead of other communities. I wonder if Stone read where the Police Chief in neighboring Prospect Heights quit because of potential cuts in the department. "Wow, is Buffalo Grove heading that direction?" Again, the answer is no. Buffalo Grove has exemplary police and fire departments, so much so that a police officer in a nearby community is amazed at how hard they work. "I bet Stone really has a lot to say about that." Well, not exactly. When our fire fighters gave up their time to call awareness to breast cancer, Stone did not say a word lauding their effort. Nor, for that matter, did she wear pink. "You're kidding, right?" Little asked. I wish I was. My guess is she's concerned that Deann Glover was getting too much of the limelight. After all, Glover has worked tirelessly on breast cancer awareness.

How about when Fire Chief Terry Vavra reported to the Board about the village's ISO rating? Nope. Nada. Zippo.

"I'm confused," Little said. "What does she support in the village?" Good question. I'm not sure what she does because she does not vocalize too many positive points.

Little shook his beak in disbelief. "She says there's a double standard. Is that right." I laughed. Honestly laughed. "What's so funny?" Little asked.

Well, I told him, at the Sept. 21, 2009 board meeting, she chided the board and then Village Manager Bill Brimm for delivering the Board information on the Thursday before Rosh Hashana. She said that she did not have time review the packet, even the holiday was over the day before (or two days before depending on your degree of celebration) the meeting. "You'd think she would have planned ahead and maybe contacted the village ahead of time." True, but there's no media coverage for planning ahead.

"So where's the double standard?" Little asked. Good question. It seems that while Stone wants people to pay attention and respect the holiday she observes, she does not think twice about contacting non Jewish staff on their main holidays. "How's that?" Little asked. In an email acquired through the Freedom of Information, Stone did not think twice about emailing a staff member on Easter. She indicated that she wanted to make sure the email got there by Monday.

"Wow," Little said, that is a double standard. It's the same as whaling on the Board about how rude they are, or she thinks they are, toward residents who want to speak to the Board, but turns around and files a police report against a resident whom she does not like alleging that she thought he was going to harm her,

But yet, it's Stone who says Board members are desperate to get rid of her. They don't, she told the Countryside, want someone as "independent" as she. As noted in previous posts, Stone seems to confuse independence with annoyance. But soon the ball will be in the voters' hands.

"So if she recalled, will you still blog? Little asked.

Of course, I told him, there are plenty of things to write about besides the antics of Lisa Stone.

" Are you going to relax at all?" he asked? Sure will. Why, I told him, I may just make a nice batch of chicken soup. "Not funny he said. I suppose you'll be drinking a vodka stone sour while you make it."

Not funny, I told him.

"I know," he said. "Neither is the current situation with the village, which is why people need to vote on Tuesday.

Right again, I told him.

A Performance Review...

2010-10-27T04:45:00.000-06:00

Much has been written and said -- both by the media and in the media by persons commenting to various articles about next week's election and vote on the recall of trustee Lisa Stone.

Included in that debate is if it's "fair" that recall "takes away" the vote of those people who voted for Stone.

If this was the corporate world, a successful election would be like a job interviewed. You're hired.

For some reason, however, some folks who get elected think they have an edict to do whatever they want for the length of the term and nothing can happen to them.

Elected officials seem to have that luxury. Just because they are chosen, doesn't mean they are the chosen. That would be like an NFL, NHL or NBA coach getting a contract and not having to worry about performance. Education has its tenure, which in many ways is a flawed system.

So if you take a corporate position, recall is a performance review -- not a contract renewal. Eager beaver legal experts will be quick to remind you that Illinois is an "at-will" state and people can lose their jobs "at the will" of their employers.

The people of Buffalo Grove employ the Board. If there is a serious breach in that performance, one which hinders village operation, there should be a recourse available. In this case it's recall. With the flurry of editorials, letters and comments by readers of various publications, it's no secret that Stone voted in favor of the recall ordinance.

Her defense, as posted on AOL's Patch is that she is up for recall because, she claims to be an "independent" and not part of the "old boys club." We've been down that road before.

The questions that need answering should include: How well has she done her job? What has she contributed to the Board at its meetings besides the usual rant about how poorly the village government is run? Look at the minutes -- yes the minutes that Stone vehemently objects to -- and check the votes of the Board on matters relating to the operation of the village. My guess is that she voted with the rest of the Board nearly 95 percent of the time.

Her most glaring no votes center around the minutes. That's because, as noted here before, that she wants a narrative flaunting her comments. Village Clerk Jan Sirabian is not a reporter -- she's a village clerks who records the actions of the Board -- not a narrative of every comment. Taxpayer dollars should not be used for campaign literature.

Stone says good government needs dissent, discussion and debate. I'm not sure dissent is the proper word, disagreement may be a better word because through proper debate, disagreements can often be resolved. She left out one "dis" word --- disrespect.

Her flagrant disrespect for her colleagues on the board, village staff and the rules approved by the Board is one of the keys that people single out when discussing the recall issue. In the corporate world it would be called insubordination.

When that method of operation becomes the prevailing one, any attempt at productive government is gone.

Her obsession with her own issues has become not only an annoyance, but also a hindrance to the operation of the village. In the corporate world, they would call this lack of productivity.

These are not the traits a productive employee should demonstrate. In the corporate world, managers would work with an employee to improve their performance. Stone's colleagues on the Board have tried that. Granted, it has been a difficult effort. Stone does not accept counterpoints to her views very well, or so it seems through her actions at the Board meetings.

Needless to say, the results have not been pretty. Nothing is perfect. Corporations, schools, nonprofit organizations -- or government. Any one person who thinks he or she holds the key to an organization's success through an insubordinate and flawed performance is not working for the good of that organization -- in this case, the village.

There's a difference between independence and arrogance and belligerence.

And when the latter two overshadow the good and welfare of the company, or in this case the community, the "personnel managers" -- in this case the voters -- need to take action.

The performance review is Tuesday.

And what is it that Donald Trump says?

Howard's right on....

2010-10-21T21:58:00.005-06:00

To quote Howard Beale in the movie Network -- We know things are bad, Worse than bad -- they're crazy.

Yes they are.

Howard Beale

The recent onslaught of letters, media coverage and editorials regarding the initiative to recall Village Board Trustee Lisa Stone shows you just how crazy the situation has gotten, No doubt that Stone is crying foul because letters by residents, some of whom are even in the village board are urging voters to vote yes for Stone's recall on the Nov. 2 ballot.

No doubt cynics will say that some of the letters, written by Village Board Members, may represent an abuse of their position in an effort to sway voters to their side.

To which I say touche.

During the past two Board meetings Stone has stepped down from the dais to speak as a resident and not a trustee. Her arguments did not change, just her location. By speaking as a "resident" Stone was able to get more time to once again pontificate her various causes -- OTB, L & L, the 2005 executive session and, of course the old boys club.

Letters to various print and on-line media by trustees Jeff Berman, Jeff Braiman and Board President Elliott Hartstein should not be viewed as abuse of the dais. They are writing as residents and each has made it quite clear that their views are their own and do not reflect any position associated with the Village Board.

The big difference is their viewpoints are not costing the village money, nor are they delaying village business. Whether you agree or disagree with the letters, keep in mind that they, like Stone, are entitled to their "citizen" opinions.

If you think their opinions are off base, then you have not been to a Village Board meeting, nor have you watched them on public access. To no surprise, there are video excerpts of Village Board meetings available. Like these: From the Board meetings

It's shenanigans like this that have many Buffalo Grove residents citing another, and more famous, Howard Beale quote -- "I'm as mad as Hell and I'm not gonna take this any more."

Can you blame them?

A new beginning...

2010-10-19T23:00:00.005-06:00

The routine has gotten out of hand and has become too predicable.

I am, of course, talking about the way Village Board President Elliott Hartstein begins each Village Board Meeting.

Without fail, trustee, oops, I mean President Hartstein always starts the meeting by saying "I'd like to call this meeting of the Buffalo Grove Village Board to order; will you all please rise for the pledge."

Functional, but boring -- and besides, it does not capture the essence of the meetings. I know, I've read the minutes.

If Hartstein really wanted to start the meetings with a little flair -- one which would truly reflect the nature of the meetings, he should start the meetings by saying:

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man.

It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition. And, it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

If you are looking for truth in government, transparency, accuracy -- this says it all.

And Monday night was no different. It was a meeting that included discussions on landfills, OTB hearings, minutes, visitors from other villages and, of course, information about trustee visits to the rest room.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

Whether it's the upcoming full moon (Friday night, folks), a hole in the ozone or the upcoming election -- Monday's Village Board meeting was truly strange.

Why? Take a guess. As Yogi Berra would say, it was Deja vu all over again.

Now I'm sure someone will post a comment saying I'm too repetitive about the Board meetings.

Well, I guess I am -- but with good reason -- the Village Board meetings have gotten that way. That's not the result of any "old boys" -- or to be politically correct -- "old persons" club -- but because certain people see the first and third Mondays of the month as the day when they want to air out their dirty laundry.

It's an old and tired antic.

Lisa Stone's accusations every thing is wrong with the Board and the village have gotten old -- and way too predictable -- and annoying.

Let's see item III -- approval of the minutes -- that means Stoney will once again rip into Village Clerk Jan Sirabian because the minutes don't reflect what's happening -- translation -- Sirabian does not put in all of Stone's rants about everybody and everything -- see, it would make campaign literature.

But wait, folks, Monday was a special night -- we had not, one, but two sets of minutes to vote on. Stone, of course voted no to the minutes from Oct. 4 meeting, but the agenda also called for approval of the minutes from the Sept. 27 Finance Committee meeting, which Stone was upset about.

But rather than go it alone, Rob Sherman, who has suddenly become interested in the meeting minutes, addressed the board challenging the minutes. In fact, Sherman said he contacted the Attorney General's office and that it was mortified that the minutes were not more specific.

Interesting, Village Attorney William Raysa also contacted the Attorney General's office and was told that the minutes were OK.

So who you going to believe? No doubt Sherman contacted the Attorney General's office, but his interpretation may be off. After all, according to his web site, Sirabian lost village board meetings. I think he meant minutes and no, she did not, what is missing is a tape of an executive session. Attention to details. Sherman also said the Attorney General "condemns" the minutes. From the nature of his and Raysa's reports, there may be an air of concern, but not condemnation.

The highlight, if you want to call it that, was Stone's charges that during the recess at the Oct. 4 meeting, several trustees had the nerve to stand together and talk and when she came out the rest room they dispersed.

Let's see, a public meeting, a recess in a public place, and members of a board talking -- it seems as though there are allegations of a violation to the Open Meetings Act. Right. Given the information presented by Miz Stone, it seems as though the Board should have realized its grievous behavior and accompanied her to the rest room. On second thought...

And for who knows how many times someone came to address the board from outside the village. Why? another expert who seemingly has nothing better to do than support Stone. Let's see, they've come from Lincolnshire, Westchester, Vernon Hills and who knows, maybe ALF will show up from Melmac to discuss the ozone layer. Seems to me an alien would fit right in.

For the second meeting in a row Stone stepped down from dais to address the board as a resident and not trustee. Last time I checked, trustees had to be residents, so aside from a stunt to gain more Ch. 6 time, all that Stone accomplishes is delaying the residents who wanted to speak to the board. But it's not about the residents, is it?

So our trip to the Twilight Zone is becoming a regular routine -- complete with the usual acrimonious remarks directed toward just about everyone in the dais.

As usual, she wants everyone to be quiet when she speaks, but thinks nothing of interrupting anyone else when they speak. When Hartstein tried to keep her in order, she said "President Hartstein, you're too much."

Hartstein too much? What's too much is Stone's incessant accusations against anyone who disagrees with her. What's too much is the use of village time for personal agendas and campaigns. What's too much is the lack of respect for village staff and volunteers. What's too much is the time being spent in "the Twilight Zone."

In the meantime, Hartstein needs to not only work on his opening, but his closing as well., In place of the placid "is there a motion to adjourn.." -- he could easily say..

Obscure metaphysical explanation to cover a phenomenon, reasons dredged out of the shadows to explain away that which cannot be explained. Call it parallel planes or just insanity. Whatever it is, you just found it in the Twilight Zone.

This could be interesting

2010-10-16T16:41:00.002-06:00

Well it's almost showtime.

Yes boys and girls, once again the men and women of the Buffalo Grove Village Board will meet to discuss operations of the Village and to, more than likely, hear Trustee Lisa Stone pontificate on the hole in the ozone layer, which has apparently impacted her colleagues on the Board etc. etc. etc.

Let's not forget that the Nov. 2 election is just a bit more than two weeks away, so every bit of time in front of the camera is valuable.

Included, as always, on the agenda are the highly popular "Reports for Trustees" during which time most trustees report on board-related activities that they have been involved with as part of the role as trustee.

Trustee Beverly Sussman's report will include information about a "Why I Love Buffalo Grove" Contest. The idea was brought to light a little more than a year ago when Board President Elliott Hartstein reported to the Board how he met a young resident, Rachel Becker, at the 2009 Buffalo Grove Days during which she suggested the village have such a contest.

Great idea. Rachel seems appreciative of the village, polite, and articulate, which puts her way ahead of some trustees.

So what happened to the idea? Another resident caught the Sept. 8, 2009 on video and also thought it was a good idea and put together a proposal for a comprehensive contest for the village. The intent, according to the original proposal, was to foster as many relationships as possible in the village. For example, the village could work with the school districts, Historical Society, business community, park district and other organizations.

The intent, according to the author, is to, in a perfect world, have participants develop a project that is grade appropriate and encourage them to do school-based, or school-quality research. The developer noted that it would be great if participants worked with their teacher so perhaps, the project would benefit the participant if he/she was working in conjunction with the learning standards established by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

The developer is an educator and also happens to be a blogger.

I developed the plan.

So why blog about it? A cheesy effort to be self-serving? A way to win the hearts of school children? A hint that I may run for the Board (ah, no...)?

No. It's a preemptive strike, if you will, at critics who may think this was done to boost my visibility to the board or to discredit Stone.

It was done because I think it's a good idea. Period.

There are no hidden agendas, not motives or any plans other than the obvious.

A little background --- I submitted the original concept to Hartstein and former Village Manager Bill Brimm who suggested I run it past Sussman as she is a former school teacher. In April, I met with Brimm, Sussman, and Trustee Jeff Braiman to discuss the idea. One other trustee was dying to get into the meeting and did so by asking a lame question of Brimm and then asked what the meeting was about. She was told -- an essay contest. I don't think she believed Brimm (this is news?) and sauntered away.

Since that time I have exchanged emails with Sussman, Hartstein and Deputy Village Manager Ghida Neukirch about the plan and was delighted when I received an email from Neukirch informing me that the proposal would be discussed by the Board at the Oct. 18 meeting.

So, as Mr. Portokalos would say, there you go.

There is nothing else to it. True most of my blogs have focused on the upheaval at Board meetings brought on by Miz Quixote.

But it is important to note that there are (myself excluded at this point) residents who want to do things for the village on a volunteer basis.

Not everything needs to focus on one trustee who has a limited personal agenda.

So not only am I pleased the Board will discuss it Monday night, but I'll get to meet Rachel as well.

As I said, she seems to love the village, is polite, and articulate -- maybe she'll want to run for the Board. If nothing else, they'd have to finish early so she can get home before curfew.

And who knows, there may be an opening soon.

Minute argument over minutes....

2010-10-10T19:44:00.001-06:00

There seems to be a lot of concern about the quality of the minutes. Trustee Lisa Stone has voted against the minutes almost from the time she joined the Board.

But why? She claims she wants the minutes to reflect more of what is said at the meeting. Translation -- she wants her comments front and center.

At the Oct. 4 meeting, she once again ripped Village Clerk Jan Sirabian for not doing the job the way she thinks it should be done.

You'd think Sirabian would know. After all, she has been village clerk for 32 years.

Stone cited public comments and concern about the minutes, especially those from the Sept. 27 Finance Committee meeting.

Public comments? How about those of Rob Sherman on his web site who calls for Sirabian's retirement from the position. In fact, Sherman said he'd be willing to run for the post, but, according to his web site,

It's a lousy, boring job. I don't want to be Buffalo Grove Village Clerk, but we need a change.

and

I hope I don't have to be the next Buffalo Grove Village Clerk, but it could be a lot of fun to sit in on those Executive Sessions and find out what's really going on behind those closed doors.

Sherman thinks someone who has been in the post as long as Sirabian has lost the competitive edge, thinks someone in office that long begins to lose things and thinks they own the office.

News flash -- Jan Sirabian isn't perfect -- no one is -- including Mr. Sherman. Perhaps Ms. Sirabian has made some miscues, but Mr. Sherman has made his as well.

It may be a lousy, boring job, but Sirabian has done it well.

Are Buffalo Grove's minutes that bad because they don't give Ms. Stone her due? Minutes are to reflect decisions as a matter of record.

But rather than do a point-by-point breakdown comparing minutes, let me paraphrase an old saying -- "A link is worth a thousand words."

Take a look. You'll find that the work being done in Buffalo Grove is just fine. As it has been for more than 30 years.

http://www.cityhpil.com/pdf/ccMinutes/ccminutes091310.pdf

http://www.vah.com/assets/1/agendas_and_minutes/92010bt.pdf

http://www.northbrook.il.us/Government/BoardsCommissions/Minutes/Board/Board_08-31-10.pdf

http://www.vernonhills.org/UserFiles/File/Minutes_2007/09212010%20Board%20Minutes.pdf

http://ci.sheboygan.wi.us/Clerks/CommitteeMeetings/Minutes/CommonCouncil/2010/09-07-2010.pdf

The Board needs to get Hawkish....

2010-10-09T21:18:00.003-06:00

The declaration by Village Board President Elliott Hartstein that a timer be used to keep the Village Board meetings moving along is a unique idea.

But it's only a start.

The board meetings have taken on a flair of another significant Monday night event -- Monday Night Football. If the Board wanted to attract more viewers, it should adapt to the market and make their meetings more like Monday night football.

Howard Cosell

It's too bad it can;t be done like MNF was done in its hay day with Howard, Frank and Dandy Don. Can you imagine Howard Cosell engaging Lisa Stone?

But we'll never know. The reality is the Board has adopted some rules designed to keep the meetings going. Time limits are not unusual -- many village boards, school boards, park board, etc. have time restrictions. Given the nature of things with the Buffalo Grove Village Board, most people think they are designed to silence trustee Lisa Stone. The bottom line is the rule applies to all trustees.

The enforcement of the time limits by appointing a time keeper (village staff member Art Malinowski) puts a new twist on Village Board meetings -- time management. Several times during the meeting Stone was heard prompting Melanowski when to start her time and reminding Village Board President Elliott Hartstein how much time she had at any given time.

The focus on time management reminded me of a football game, which made me think that the Village Board meetings have become a governmental version of Monday Night Football.

What's next? Referees? Video replays? Cheerleaders?

Hawk Harrelson

How about announcers? Since the aforementioned Howard Cosell is in the big broadcast booth in the sky, my suggestion is to have Melanowski joined in the booth by White Sox announcer Ken "the Hawk" Harrelson.

Why not? He's used to disagreements -- just look at Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen -- that's similar to Hartstein and Stone. He's used to incessant rants. He's used to bizarreness.

And to make things easier, he would not have to learn any new lingo. For example these classic "Harrelsonisms":

At the start of a meeting: "Time to cinch it up and hunker down" or "Sit Back, Relax, and Strap it Down!"
When the exchanges between trustees gets acrimonious: "Mercy!"
When Hartstein tries to keep Stone in order: "Zone 'em in, Reel 'em in, and light her up"
When the Board tries to regain focus after a Stone tirade: "But the damage is done"
When someone tries to correct Stone: "That's trouble"
When Stone tries to insist that she's right: "Lookin' for it, got it, couldn't do nothing with it"
When trustee Steve Trilling sets the record straight: "Give 'em a thrill"
When Stone takes on Village Clerk Jan Sirabian: "That's trouble"
At the end of yet another long, drawn out meeting (with one slight modification): "And this one...is OVA!!"

So what might he say after the Nov. 2 election -- especially if Stone is recalled? It could be...with some minor editing...

She gone.

or,

You can put her off the booooooooooooooaaaaaaard...YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!"

Silence on the lam

2010-10-07T22:46:00.002-06:00

Trustee Lisa Stone revealed at Monday's Village Board meeting that it's not only what she says that is offensive, arrogant, disrespectful and otherwise demeaning -- it's what she does not say.

In fact, her silence is perhaps most insulting to the people she should care about -- but does not. The men and women who work for the village.

Case in point. Fire Chief Terry Vavra addressed the Board regarding the "ISO Rating" -- the insurance rating of the village's fire department, he detailed the success the village has had. Buffalo Grove continues to have an ISO rating of 2 -- which is excellent. Only five departments in the state have an ISO rating of 1, so an rating of 2 is pretty damn good.

It's not, as Vavra pointed out, just a departmental rating-- three categories factor into the final rating -- the fire department, the water operation, and communications operations. The village did exceptionally well -- Out of 50 possible points, the fire department scored 36.12 points; the water score was 39.12 out of 40 and the communications rating was an equally impressive 9.8 out of 10.

Nice numbers. If you wondering why the fire department did not score higher, Vavra says proximity was a factor -- which means if the village had more fire stations it would likely improve out score, but not guarantee an ISO rating of 1.

Perhaps the most telling remark Vavra made was that it was "not the fire department that got the rating, it was the village." Great job, chief.

The village -- as in the staff working together to keep the excellence associated with the village in tact. Granted, it's not perfect, but comments by several trustees expressed interest in what it would take to improve the rating to a 1 and improve things for the entire village.

What we did not hear were any comments from Stone. No questions, no praise, no interest. Nothing. Nada. Zippo.

Ask yourself why. The answer, as shown by what transpired at the meeting is simple -- there was nothing "in it" for her. It seems as though Stone cannot stand when someone else -- staff, residents, colleagues on the board makes a positive contribution to the community.

That may be why she rips the B.G. Days Committee (aside the fact that she doesn't like many of the members), or the efforts of the Fire Department's "Pink Heals" effort, or the efforts of the schools to put on drug awareness program (she was, however, quick to rip their efforts to promote them).

The silence is, in this case, not deafening. It's as loud as can be. It's loud enough to tell everyone that Stone is only interested in her agenda and if you don't bow down and embrace it, she unleashes her venomous verbiage.

She continues to say that the "whole community" wants to know why the board didn't do what she wanted them to do.

Whole community following Lisa Stone? Watch the video and maybe you'll find out why the "Whole Community" is not following Lisa Stone.

You may wonder why Village President Elliott Hartstein has become curt. To every action, there's a reaction and Stone's actions have done little, correction, nothing, to foster any positive reactions by other board members.

What her actions have done is given the village a black eye.

What her actions have done is made a mockery of municipal government.

What her actions have done has raised the ire of the community. Whether it's the whole community or not remains to be seen.

We'll know by Nov. 2.

And Lisa Stone won't have anything constructive to say. Which wouldn't be the first time.

Daily Oral Language -- Part II

2010-10-03T21:16:00.001-06:00

No one likes disappointment.

So I had to feel sorry for Gus Portokalos when he found out that two words being bantered around at Village Board meetings did not, in fact, come from Greek.

"You know, I thought the word community came from the work meaning common, as in what we all had together," he said. But no. It's from the Latin.

The meaning, however, doesn't change. Check it out and you'll find that a key component in the definition is unified or common.

So when Lisa Stone rants on about how the "community wants to know" or how the "I think the community needs to know" she should consider the meaning -- unified. It's amazing to me how she carries on about the needs of the community, yet she does little to work on behalf of the entire community. Nor, as a matter of fact, does she check the pulse of the community. It's as though she is a community of one. This has been evident in how she works with her colleagues on the Board who, as she was, elected by the community. Stone portrays herself as knowing the pulse of the community.

Listening to her at the last Board meeting, which was Sept. 13, you'd think the community is unified over the Land and Lakes landfill and the executive session from 2005. How does she know? Has she surveyed the community? Of course not. She is so bent on her personal attacks on village staff and colleagues that she sees little in the benefits of a unified effort.

"So, it's one word, what other word do you want to know," Portokalos asked. "Citizen," I said. "Ach, I believe the word citizen comes from the Greek..." Sorry, I informed him, it does not.

But it's one of Stoney's favorite words. You know, how she's heard from citizens about just about everything, well, everything that's on her personal agenda. Like the Invisible Children group, which contacted her. They wanted to have a fund raiser at the Village Rotary Green. No one knew about it until the Recall Committee had a rally there -- then, and only then, did Stone bring it to the Board.

Was this working in the best interest of the citizens? Was it a way to work for the community?

Nope.

Portokalos shook his head. "You know, I don't think the word stone comes from the Greek, so, there you go."

Gus, I told him, it's not me who has to go.

The Daily Oral Language

2010-09-25T05:37:00.003-06:00

It took a while -- a long while -- but I finally finished reviewing the video of the Sept. 13 meeting.

Once again, the reality, make that the unfortunate reality, is that there is more material than I can fit in one blog.

As I perused my notes taken from the video, I realized there were some key words that emerged. So taking a cue from the world of English teaching, let's embark on a vocabulary lesson -- or our Daily Oral Language.

The first word (why do I feel like Fred Rogers) boys and girls is "unbelievable." Can you say that boys and girls? I thought you could.

Now, do you know what it means? Why yes, something that is not to be believed. Which something that Lisa Stone said regarding her perceptions of how she was being treated. But is that what's unbelievable?

The late Nat King Cole

When I heard this, I resorted back to an old Nat King Cole song, "Unforgettable" --- and quickly found the melody to be compatible with Unbelievable.

So hum along...

Unbelievable -- How she can miss so many facts. For example, that Lake County gave approval to the BG Days parade on Bernard. Thanks to Trustee Steve Trilling who pointed out that Bernard is in Cook County and that it was a village controlled street. What made that so much more unbelievable is that it was Stone who wanted a stop sign installed on Bernard-- by the village.

Unbelievable -- How she can ridicule Board President Elliott Hartstein about how he treats her, but does not follow the same decorum she wants.

Unbelievable -- How she thinks nothing of confusing the facts. The tapes of the infamous 2005 executive session were not destroyed. They were lost, something that Village Clerk Jan Sirabian admitted to several months ago. While it is bothersome that they are missing, the accusation that they were willing destroyed is not the case.

Unbelievable -- That she wants undue attention when she speaks, but thinks nothing of interrupting anyone else.

Unbelievable -- That she challenges Village Attorney William Raysa, but yet does not reveal her sources. She says she's not an attorney and portends to know more than the attorneys on the Board, but wait, where does she get her legal background? Maybe someone at home?

Unbelievable -- That she focuses on an odor from compost site from an office building that backs up to the facility. The reality is compost can smell.

Unbelievable -- That she challenges village finances, but doesn't think twice about absorbing staff time for her personal vendettas.

Unbelievable -- that the village, which she insinuates is not well run, has AAA bond ratings from Standard and Poors and Moody's.

Unbelievable - -How Hartstein has maintained, or tried to, professional decorum at the meetings, albeit terse and blunt at times. But can you blame him? One political type who has followed the BG Board said he would have thrown the gavel at Stone by now and that Hartstein has been far too patient with Stone.

Unbelievable -- that she claims village residents are intimidated to speak at a Board meeting, but yet if someone is vociferous in remarks to her, she cries scared and files a police report and then requests a police presence at the next meeting.

Unbelievable -- That it appears people who voted for her have seemingly been mislead.

What? A hand in the cookie jar?

2010-09-02T20:14:00.151-06:00

There's no doubt about it -- $11,000 is a lot of money.

In fact, if you use the 2000 census, which found 42,909 resident in Big Animal Grove, that would come out to 26 cents per resident.

That's too much for Lisa Stone who takes exception with 11 grand being spent on the recent hearing during which she challenged some of the signatures on the petitions submitted by the committee that is seeking to have Stone sent over the rainbow or sent somewhere in Kansas where she can live peacefully with the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion. Toto has been deemed dangerous and cannot be on public land.

Stone has voiced (this is news?) her objection to the amount because she has no idea why so much research had to be done by the attorneys.

Interesting, isn't it, that she was not concerned about the cost before she challenged the signatures. Once he dust settled and reality set in that the challenged signatures would have no impact as to whether the question to recall her or not is placed on the Nov. 2 ballot, Stone decided to complain about its cost.

What would have happened had she won?

Odds are the cost would not have been an issue. That's because Lisa Stone thinks nothing about spending village money when it's for her.

We're not talking fancy cars or jewelry, we're talking "personal" staff. Stone apparently does not realize the hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars in village funds she has used through her incessant emailing of village staff. Email obtained by through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveal that Stone seemed to contact whomever she wanted about her own pet causes.

One of the most striking examples is an email sent to the village manager's office in which Stone wanted staff to text or call her husband if a certain person was in attendance at the March 22 meeting.

It seems as though this person, whose name is redacted (removed) from the email was at the previous Village Board meeting at had the nerve to ruffle Stone's perm during heated exchange. Mind you, this took place after a nearly five-hour board meeting.

Stone took offense to this, claiming, according to an email, that someone demonstrated "unusual and frightening episode and anger towards me" at the previous Board meeting, which happened to be March 8.

The information, including the name of the evil person who rattled Liza, is redacted in the FOIA'ed email, so I will not reveal the name. But here's a hint-- watch the meeting she is upset about and you may just find out.

So how does this cost the village money? Stone file a police report against the redacted individual and then proceeded to contact the Village Manager's asking for a "police presence" at the next meeting. Oh, by the way, she also wanted to have someone contact her husband if the evil redacted one should be there.

Why? Because in the email, Stone says, and as Dave Barry would write, I am not making this up -- "I stated in the report that the community has expressed concern and worry for me, given this this man's anger towards me after viewing the meeting on channel 6.They only know what they witnessed watching the meeting, without any further background or detail. That alone scared them."

The community? Which community? Probably the community in her mind. If she thinks the community as a whole is worried sick about her, she is, to coin a phrase, delusional. Perhaps the community that may be concerned about her safety is, as noted before, the community in her mind.

Stone claims to be concerned about the safety and well being of the community -- but aside from trying to milk the video taping of Village Board meetings for her own personal gain, Lisa Stone has done nothing to gauge the pulse of "the community" -- the village of Buffalo Grove as a whole.

Instead she cries foul whenever someone disagrees with her. What? Signatures I don't like -- I want a hearing -- What? I didn't get my way? Then it's way too expensive.

What? Someone dare to yell at me at a Village Board meeting? I'm filing a police report, I want to take up an officer's time, I want to talk to the chief, I want a police presence.

And who pays for this, Lisa? We do -- the community. Not only is the "community" paying for your personal favors, you are taking valuable time of the Police Department from crime prevention and investigations and, who knows, fighting drug dealings. Oh, wait, you forgot how important that is, didn't you?

And a police presence? Wait -- wasn't Stone the one who admonished the Village Board because she said people did not want to come to the Board meetings because of the way they were treated?

But when someone is upset at her, it's OK for her to file a police report, spend village money on police reports, village staff time because she doesn't like, or agree with some one?

This is concern for the community? What concern? Stone's concern is there only if the village pays for it. If it's not on her agenda, well, by gosh, it's too expensive.

Yes, $11,000 is a lot of money. But it was money that came from the village's budget for legal costs for village operations. Village -- as a community of a whole.

Not for some public official operates on a double standard.

When actions speak louder than words

2010-09-02T19:47:00.002-06:00

It's hard to believe that something can override Lisa Stone's incessant rants.

Believe it. Or maybe the word should be disbelief.

During the Aug. 30 Board meeting, the Board heard an update about Buffalo Grove Days from co-chairs J.V. Springman and Paulette Greenberg. Nothing unusual. Sort of pregame pep talk about an event that has been a village staple for more than 50 years. Yes 50.

The Village Board was excited and pleased by the plans and when J.V. and Paulette finished, applauded their efforts, as did most of the people in attendance.

Keyword here is most. One did not. Lisa Stone. If she did it was well hidden out of site. But other people who were at the meeting noticed the same thing.

There's no better word for her actions then classless. It's no secret that Stone does not like many, if not all, members of the Buffalo Days Committee as she contends there were improprieties with how money was handled last year.

That's nothing new. Stone contends improprieties with just about everything in the village if it involves someone she doesn't like.

But to chide people who work feverishly on an event that spans five decades is just plain wrong. As I've mentioned before, I know J.V., having lived in the same development before moving into the village. Until June I had not seen J.V. for more than 10 years. I have never met Paulette, so this is not a rant (a phrase I often save for Miz Quixote) saying "oh my gosh she was so mean to my friends."

That's not it.

She was mean to the whole committee, the Village Board and when all was said and done -- the whole village. Who knows, maybe she was jealous because someone was getting more face time on Ch. 6 than her.

Yes, the applause was directed toward J.V. and Paulette -- but not because of who they are or what political beliefs they may have. The applause was for their efforts -- and those of the entire committee for what they have done behalf of the entire village.

That seems to be a foreign concept to Stoney...it's my meeting and I'll do what I want under the ruse of "..my only concern..." Her only concern should be one thing -- the entire village of Buffalo Grove.

Instead her only concern appears to be her self-centered vindictive attacks on people who are making a difference. Maybe they've stumbled, everyone does. But once they pick themselves up they learn from their mistakes.

As noted in previous blogs, the Wednesday night "Pink Heals" event was a fabulous display of community unity and concern for cancer awareness.

But Stone seemingly was nowhere to be found. After all, there was no forum and after all, she doesn't like the Committee or many of the Board members.

Guess she doesn't like cancer awareness either.

A charitable kickoff...

2010-09-01T21:28:00.006-06:00

It seems as though when residents go by Village Hall -- they're seeing red. Village Board meetings will do that to you.

Wednesday night was different.

It was a sea of pink. Not that the Board is a kindlier, gentler group -- but a charitable group.

Wednesday was 'Pink Heals" night in the village and parked along Lake-Cook Road were the bright -- very bright -- pink fire trucks.

Coordinated by Buffalo Grove fire fighter Steve Rusin, several hundred residents -- many decked out in pink, watched the annual softball game that included teams made up of village business leaders and village staff.

Despite the fine play on sandlot, the stars were the pink fire trucks that grabbed the attention of young and old alike. Granted it's a cliche, but that's what happens when you mix softball and fire trucks -- and fund raising for a good cause. Among the village officials in attendance were Village President Elliott Hartstein, trustee Jeff Braiman, Beverly Sussman, DeAnn Glover, and despite being on the disabled list, Steve Trilling. Village Clerk Jan Sirabian was also there. Jeff Berman was attending the open house at Stevenson High School where his daughter is a student.

Buffalo Grove Fire fighter Steve Rusin (far right) with some residents and fellow Pink Heals supporters

Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of the event wasn't the game, or who was there, but the fact that fire fighters from around the country volunteer their time to call attention to cancer. Locally, it's a tribute to the dedication of Rusin and many of his colleagues who not only coordinated the event, but spearheaded the fund raising effort.


Members of the Pink Heals team and the traditional fire dog, which was allowed on public property.

Needless to say, it was great way to kickoff Buffalo Grove Days.

Village Board Members Beverly Sussman (seated left) and Deann Glover. Trustee Jeff Braiman (left) is standing

By the way, the thud you may have heard around 7:15 p.m. was not an earthquake -- It was Harry Caray rolling over in his grave during the 7th inning of the softball game when Hartstein sang "Take Me Out To The Ball Game."

Let's just say that if Hartstein sang the national anthem he's probably get a call from Homeland Security. Off tune? You'd almost think he was sto-- aww, hell, let's not even go there.

The Charity Continues...

Wednesday's "Pink Heals" was not the only fund raising event that is a part of Buffalo Grove Days -- The Buffalo Grove Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a food drive "Feed the Hungry..fill the Pantry."" volunteers will have paper shopping bags available for residents to fill with a variety of items -- including Peanut butter, tuna, canned fruit, toilet paper, jell and jam, salmon, canned vegetables, shampoo, soup, chicken, coffee, soap, chili, canned meals, tea, toothpaste and kitchen and laundry detergents. Please note all food items should be in cans. The chamber is asking residents not to use glass.

Volunteers will be pushing shopping carts along the parade route to collect donations.

Can't make the parade? you can bring donations to the Chamber's office at 501/2 Raupp Boulevard...can't make that either? Call the the Chamber's office at (847) 541-7799 and they'll pick up your donation.

Nice village, isn't it?

For one fleeting moment...

2010-08-29T21:12:00.002-06:00

It may be considered the highlight of the musical... when Richard Burton as King Arthur, recalls that ":for one fleeting moment, it was known as Camelot..."

Buffalo Grove is not Camelot -- no place is -- but come Thursday, Sept. 2 and running through Monday, Sept. 6, the village will have its own little Camelot.

Buffalo Grove Days 2010.

More than a carnival or a concert, it's the village's time to just have fun. Period.

A lot of people have worked tiredly on the event as the Buffalo Grove Day Committee does every year. There have, however, been rumblings about the way Buffalo Grove Days have been run.

Stop.

This is a community event coordinated by your neighbors who work on all aspects of the event. It is not a political rally, it is not a political arena, it is not a political football.

It's Buffalo Grove Days. Period.

I could run the names of the committee, but why run the risk of having it seem like I am politicising the event.

Instead, I'll just cite the efforts of Festival Chairs Paulette Greenberg and J.V. Springman, Jr. I may have met Paulette in passing, but I know J.V. and can tell you the when it comes to focus, you won't find too many people with the focus, intensity and passion that J.V. has.

So that's where the buck lies -- with the volunteer committee, lead by J.V. and Paulette, who work to provide the entire village an end of summer event.

Want to know what's happening when? Check out http://bgdays.com/.

As for politicising, there are those in the village who, as Cervantes wrote in "Man of LaMancha," think Buffalo Grove is a place "where evil brings profit and virtue none at all; where fraud and deceit are mingled with truth and sincerity."

Put it aside -- and have fun.

If you have an agenda, leave it at home. Or better yet, stay at home with it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Want a Preview?

On Wednesday, Sept. 1, look for a Pink Firetruck at the annual Village Chamber softball game. The pink (really) fire truck is in the area as part of the International Fire Chiefs convention and is heralding the fight against Breast Cancer as part of the Pink Heals Tour. It will be in front of the Village Hall starting at 6:30 p.m. For information about the Pink Heals Tour, go to www.pinkfiretrucks.org.

Candidate discusses a deep subject

2010-08-24T17:07:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since Village President candidate, Chicken Little, has been heard from. Until recently.

“I try to keep campaigning to a lull until after Labor Day,” he said. “But once again I am concerned about, well, the potential of the sky falling in on the Village.

Village Board
Candidate Chicken Little

How so?

“I’ve heard a lot about the fact that the ground water is so bad it’s going to infect our minds, curve our spins and keep the allies from winning the war,” he said. “But C.L.,” I asked, “the village gets its water from Lake Michigan and has for years.”

“Help me understand this, there are no wells in the village?” he asked. I explained to him that there are four wells in the village, but they are only for emergency purposes. “So what’s the problem?’ he asked.

It appears that at least one trustee is concerned about the health and safety of the drinking water and continually sites the Shaw Report. “But if the village is on Lake Michigan water, what’s the issue. And what’s the Shaw Report. The last time I heard from Shaw, it was Sadie asking me out.” C.L. must be the only person, oops, living creature who has not heard of the Shaw Report, which in essence was an environmental impact study on the L&L property that the village was interested in annexing five years ago.

Little asked if the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the federal environmental protection agency looked into it. Yes, I assured him, they did. “And what did they find? Not much of any consequence. “Oh,” he said, “then it must have been handled by the Lake County Health Department.” I told him it was. “So what’s the problem?” he asked. I explained to him that Trustee Lisa Stone things L & L is responsible for foul water. “Excuse me,” he said, “you have a problem with fowl water?”

Clarification made, I further explained that L&L was once a landfill, but now serves as a compost area. The federal and state EPAs have said L&L does not pose a danger to the village, or the surrounding areas.

“So as they say in the barn, what’s the beef?” he asked. I’m not sure, I told him. Granted safety of well water for human consumption has its valid points, but the village’s wells are 1,000 feet deep and any runoff from L&L will not impact them.

“So who will it impact?” Little asked? Another good question. Theoretically, it could affect resident in unincorporated Lake County. “Ahh, so I bet the village has been swamped with calls of concern from those residents.” Nope. “How about the villages of Riverwoods and Lincolnshire?” Nope.

“Do the residents have any concerns about the drinking water?” he asked. “I would expect anyone receiving well water could have concerns, but this is not a new problem,” I said.

Little pondered the situation as he fixed his feathers. “So why is Stone going ballistic about this problem if it does not affect the village and has been checked out by environmental engineers; is she an expert in this area?”

Good question, again, I noted. It’s especially intriguing to me, I told him that Stone used to live over in that area, but never said a word about.

“I dunno,” Little said, “It sounds a little strange to me. Would you have any concerns?
I told him I too live over in that area and found the odors and potential problems from the sewage treatment plant more of a concern, especially when I cooked.

“Really, that’s pretty interesting. What recipe were you most concerned about?” he asked.
I told him the one for chicken soup.

“Not funny,” he said, “Not funny at all."

Neither is hysteria over a problem that independent experts have addressed and provided solid information.