It's time to eSkape this madness

(c) 2010

Monday night's Village Board meeting was, as they say in some Mexican restaurants, refried beans.

The usual sable rattling by Lisa Stone (see related blog), mixed in with usual village business and yes, golly gee, more about eSkape's plan to have a special event room that will include a teen dance club.

When these discussions began, and don't quote me on this, Jimmy Durante was performing at the Chez Puree. I mean it was a long time ago.

And yet, still no resolution.

Why? Because the Village Board is being too cooperative. The gasp you just heard came from the Stone household.

The Board has been negotiating with eSkape czar Bill Feldgreber for months -- during the Village Board meetings. I know, the public needs to know. The hours and hours of discussion have cut into resident's time -- like the resident who waited until, my sources tell me, 12:30 a.m. to speak the Board. All because of eSkape (and, well, a little Lisa Stone as well...)

But if the village decides to negotiate every special use permit the way it has been with eSkape, the next Village Board president will be Howie Mandel -- Deal or No Deal.

The Board is scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would approve a special use permit and amendments at its next meeting Feb. 1.

Hopefully it will end the countless hours of questions and presentations about the dangers of having a teen dance club in your town.

So it seems that way. There's no doubt that some cynics think the village has stacked the deck against eSkape with all of the police department testimony and presentations by representratives from the Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG).

I began to think so. I was becoming somewhat cynical (nah, me?) about the barrage of statements on how a teen dance club would curve your spine, infect your mind and help the allies lose the war.

Not any more.

I decided to chat with a police liaison in the school where I teach. Aside from being a Vikings fan, he's a nice guy. Much to my chagrin, he was not available. Instead, however, the police officer who previously held the post -- for eight years -- was filling in for him.

I briefly explained the ongoing saga of eSkape to him and asked him if the concerns about problems stemming from outsiders was valid, especially when it came to drugs.

He didn't have to think twice. He unequivocally said yes and that, and this is the interesting part, there used to be a facility (Club Fever) in Rolling Meadows that was, in his own words "nothing but trouble." As far as he recalls the city closed it down. It originally started as a club for the over-21 set, but later became a "juice bar" for kids under 21.

He agreed with the belief that teens with expendable income become prey for dealers and other unsavory types and that, yes, they do come from outside the area.

As for the "triad" (that's MEG's word) of problems -- gangs, drugs, and guns -- that show up at these clubs, he said, yes, that is the case. He also pointed out that drug overdoes inside the club were common.

If nothing else, it gives some credence to what we've heard -- and heard again. eSkape is a great facility that has brought stability as an anchor to the north end of Town Center. Feldgreber, admittedly, is taking a gamble on the facility and the perceived baggage that comes with a teen dance club.

So on Feb. 1 the Board will put its cards on the table and hopefully they'll consider the expert testimony they solicited.

Hopefully the board will take into consideration all that they have heard. Honestly, I was a little surprised by what I was told by my contact. He has no interest in what happens Buffalo Grove.

Again, it's important to remember, this was not someone sought out by the village.

Just a cop who knows his beat.