What's at the root of the campaign -- issues or Italian food?

My first beats more than 40 years ago were the villages of Lincolnshire, Bannockburn. Riverwoods – and the city of Highwood.

                Not the stuff “Front Page” was written about.

                But they provided their moments.

                And while Lincolnshire, Bannockburn and Riverwoods dealt with issues related to growth and the onslaught of city dwellers to their once secluded parts of suburbia, Highwood dealt with just being Highwood.

                It was unique place back then as it was the only city along the North Shore north of Howard Street where you could saunter up to a bar and have a drink.  The city’s history was so unique that author Marvyn Wittell wrote a book (28 Miles North) about Highwood in 1953.

                A lot changed in Highwood from 1953 until the time I started covering it.

                Perhaps the most interesting thing about Highwood at that time (1973) was its mayor, Fidel Ghini.

                Ghini had all the style, grace and diction of Richard Daley.  To be exact, Richard J. Daley. It was not unusual to interview him as he worked on a sewer line with a jug of Pisano at his side -- at 10:30 in the morning. Seriously.

                For 24 years Fidel was the boss – not quite like Daley – but Highwood was his kingdom, his empire, his domain.

                And two Friday nights a month when the city council met (yes, Friday nights), in meetings that rarely eclipsed the one hour mark, boss Ghini had the floor.

                When there was a lite agenda, Ghini found a way to take the stage to re-enforce his position as boss.

                And then there were elections.  To no surprise, Ghini would milk them for all he could.  One of my favorite ‘Fidelisms’ came during a tirade about opponents who tried making an issue for the sake of campaigning.

                “They’re making a polenta,” he told me once.  “You know how to make a polenta?  You need hot water.  What they’re trying to do is make polenta with cold water – or even no water.”

                If you follow Fidel’s recipe, Buffalo Grove could boost a lot Italian restaurants that specialize in polenta.

                Especially during the current campaign.

                In an election year that is seemingly devoid of any major issues – and let’s emphasize major – folks have been grappling at the corn meal to try and drum up some interest in the seemingly placid politics that has become synonymous with Buffalo Grove.

                That’s not to say things are perfect, because they are not, but compared to some municipalities, when it comes to campaign ‘issues’, the land of big bison is white bread in the bakery of political campaigns.

                Perhaps the one issue that continues to resonate is economic development.  It does so because folks are still living in fear of the ‘evil’ Chuck Malk who proposed an instant downtown on the site of the Buffalo Grove golf course.

                This just in – Malk withdrew his proposal three months ago.  The plan is gone. Get over it.

                The issue, however, is not.  Some candidates now focus on the golf course as the lifeblood of the community and those who think, consider, or day dream about altering the course are practicing blasphemy.

                This just in – it’s still there.

                Fear is a motivator, not always a positive one, but a motivator nonetheless.  Voters who are going to exercise their civic responsibility by voting need to do so in an informed manner.

                To do this, it’s imperative to look beyond the campaign signs, brochures and opinions of people who spew forth verbiage just to hear themselves talk.

                Daniel Patrick Moynihan said it best – Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts.

                Or as Fidel would remind us – Don’t make a polenta.