I Read the News today....

It caught me by surprise.

In the paper that brings us Megabites, Ms. Goodhair, a listing of honor roll students and the infamous fixer, comes an editorial calling for a village official to step down.

The editorial in today's issue of The Buffalo Grove Countryside (http://www.pioneerlocal.com/buffalogrove/news/2116511,buffalo-grove-stoneedit-032510-s1.article) is a stunning, as in surprising, chapter in the ongoing saga of Lisa Stone's tenure on the Buffalo Grove Village Board.

Quite simply, they want her gone.

This is not the first time I can recall Pioneer calling for a public official to hit the road. In the 1970s, the Highland Park News revealed that a candidate for City Council had misrepresented himself, accusations that lead to his withdrawal from the race.

I am sure there have been others. Perhaps the Berwyn paper called for Betty Maltese to take a hike. The feds did it first.

But this is Buffalo Grove -- our community -- served by our neighbors. A community which, despite what Ms. Stone says, is well run. It's not perfect. Nothing is. Sometimes emails go unanswered and sometimes phone calls are not returned as quickly as we like. All village officials, including Ms. Stone, make decisions they may regret. But they learn from experience.

Apparently, Ms. Stone has not. Her acrimonious delivery system wiped away any positive message she may have had.

For whatever reason, I find myself humming songs from the musical "Evita." Why? Perhaps because there's no doubt that if you equate the village with Argentina, Stone shows similarities to Eva Peron.

Power hungry, bullylike, with visions of grandeur when none is there.

Don't cry for her, Argentina -- or Buffalo Grove -- Much like Eva Peron, our local Eva, to paraphrase the musical, "hasn't said much, but she's said it loud."

Loud is putting it mildly. Yes, we'll hear how she had the second highest vote total in the May election and yes, we'll hear about the Ethics Commission.

But will we hear about the censure, the fact that the Daily Herald's "investigation" of outgoing Village Manager Bill Brimm's performance found that she was the only one, after only a few months as a trustee, gave him zero ratings, and will we hear about how she won't follow the rules?

Probably not. The unfortunate reality is what we will hear are comments and questions of disbelief from our neighbors and friends, both in Buffalo Grove and out, about what is going on in Buffalo Grove.

I am surprised that The Countryside took the stand so soon -- less than a year since Stone was elected. It seems, however, that they don't see much hope for improvement and rather than go on with the same routine, think change is needed -- And the catalyst for that change is for Ms. Stone to step down.

What happens from here is anyone's guess, but a vote of no confidence by a paper published by one of the state's largest media groups is not encouraging.

While I take vehement exception to how Ms. Stone handles her role as a public official, she did, like it or not, do something not many residents are willing to do -- get involved. The fact that she took advantage of that opportunity is unfortunate. Her actions and comments put her in this position -- not Bill Brimm, not Elliott Hartstein and not the rest of the Village Board or Village Staff. Lisa Stone put herself in this position.

There's also recall. It would not surprise me if someone starts a recall effort. It would be yet another sad blemish on the village.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Who knows? If there is, let's hope for the sake of the village, its residents and business community, that it's the end of tunnel -- and not the train coming right at us.

Before this dance is through...

So a teen dance club at eSkape is a reality. Finally.

It has been months -- literally -- of discussion, negotiation, approval, unapproval, and reapproval.

But now it's a reality.

People have asked me how I felt about it. Quite honestly, I was and still am, on the fencepost about it.

There are some very good arguments for it and some very good arguments against it. eSkape has been a solid anchor in Town Center, no doubt, so Bill (name) obviously knows his family entertainment business.

Teen dance clubs raise the bar (sorry, bad pun) which will be watched like no other business in the village (except maybe for the one that advertises escorts...but that's a different story).

Some of the arguments by people who spoke to the board are valid. Others are not.

For example, Highland Park resident Margie Nyberg is so concerned about teens in Buffalo Grove that she trekked to Monday's Board meeting to say what the kids need.

Interestingly enough, Nyberg did not cite the long-time efforts of the City of Highland Park's Youth Commission to provide services and programming for teens in that city, an effort that has been on going for more than 30 years. I am not sure why the connection between Highland Park and Northbrook Court was brought up -- but Highland Park never had the chance to "buy" Northbrook Court -- they had the chance to annex the site, but chose not to do so (anyone remember what was there before Northbrook Court??).

Someone else foresaw the future and figured the teen dance club would bring in new businesses -- like an ice cream shop. Seems to me the last one that was there wasn't such a success.

I don't think Bay Shul will gain a lot from eSkape -- unless eSkape offers a minyan special.

The statement that was most surprising -- at least from a resident -- was that a teen dance club was needed because of the "population explosion" in the village.

Not quite. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Projections by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) project a growth from 2000 to 2030 in Lake County of 24 percent. Most of that, however, will be in the areas further north and northwest. Cities 50 miles, and even a bit further, are showing the most growth. Huntley, for example, is projected to grow by more than 38,000 people in that time.

What's ahead for Big Animal Grove is not encouraging if you're into people. Dr. John Kasarda, a North Carolina-based demographer has worked with District 125 (Stevenson High School) on enrollment projections. According to district officials, enrollment hit its high 2005-06 at 4,573. This year it has dropped to 4,345.

No big deal.

However, according to Dr. Kasarda's projections, by 2019-20 school year -- nine years from now -- the enrollment at Stevenson will be 3,741 -- a drop of 600 students. From the high point in 2005-06, that's a drop of about 18 percent, representing 832 students. These projections, district officials say, are based on estimated enrollment for the primary schools.

Which means the village is aging.

So instead of "The Glow" -- maybe in a few years eSkape will call the club "The Gums" and make it a dance club for aging, retired boomers.

AARP discount anyone?

Lessons from saying Kaddish....

There are three times during the Jewish year -- 5 Nisan, 2 Tammruz and 29 Cheshvan -- when my mind takes a break from grading papers, shaking my head in disbelief at what some municipal officials do, and if, in fact, this is the Cubs year, to say Kaddish.

Kaddish, for those of you outside the Tribe (we're not talking Cleveland Indians here...), is the centuries old tradition in Judaism of remembering someone who has died by saying prayers of remembrance.

And so it was this past weekend when I said Kaddish for my dad -- it's the 22nd year in a row I've done so. And as I reflected on my dad, there were two bits of wisdom he always told me.

1. Don't upset your mother.
2. Never burn bridges.

The first one was easy -- heck, when you're the only so in a Jewish household, you're in good shape.

The second always made sense, especially as I have gotten older (please note -- that's older, not old).

Experts in gerontology may be able to explain, but it seems as though as someone gets older, they become more understanding and rational. So it seems to me. My once "storm the Bastille" days have ebbed and I take into consideration the whole scope of events around me.

Even Buffalo Grove Village Board meetings.

It seems to me that my dad, never one for political activism, would cringe if he attended a meeting in the house of the large buffalo head. Why? Not because he would want to dance at eSkape -- his generation danced at the Chez Puree -- but because he would see so many bridges being burned with little effort to repair them.

There are those who have tried to repave the roadway and get the bridges back in working order. My dad, as he got older, knew when to pick his battles -- but that's a different story. He knew what it was to be a tough kid from the South Side of Chicago -- one who played high school football under legendary coach, Ellie Hasan and would have played college ball had it not been for World War II.

But those were younger days. I'm never sure what transformed him into a philosopher of sorts, but reflecting on it, there's a lot of sense to it.

The atmosphere at Monday's board meeting was different -- perhaps because the agenda was seemingly light, perhaps because Village Manager Bill Brimm took some badly needed and well deserved time off, or because it was the first meeting after the fiasco held March 22.

I've blogged about that meeting and what went on. You can decide who was at blame. But if we're talking about bridges being burned, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure it out. I've always said that to every action, there's a reaction.

When bridges are burned, destroyed and ripped out of their foundation, don't expect colleagues to be the first in line to rebuild. What is needed now is a massive reconstruction project -- to repair the damage done to Board, the staff and the village as a whole.

The atmosphere at Monday's morning seemed to have folks on egg shells. That's not conducive to responsive government. There was one tense moment, which came during a statement read by Village President Elliott Harstein for trustee Jeff Braiman, who was suffering from laryngitis, that almost set off yet another exchange of heated comments (see related blog entry), but was quickly defused.

The bottom line is the Board meetings, thanks in part to some bridge burning, have focused on reaction as opposed to action. Kudos to those Board Members who have maintained focus on the issues facing the village as a whole. In some way, shape, or form, there's enough blame to go around. Some carry more, a lot more, blame than others.

Don't tell me about numbers, don't tell me about who my friends are and don't tell me what has been in the media.

Tell me how you're going to stop burning bridges and repair the damage so the village can move forward.

Somewhere my Dad is laughing and hopefully proud -- I seldom upset my mother, and I've learned not to burn bridges.

The Village Board should do so well.

The Bard Would Be Proud...

..As He Makes a Mark on Buffalo Grove

Even though he died 394 years ago, William Shakespeare, is probably beaming with pride somewhere.

His noted comedy, Much Ado About Nothing has opened in Buffalo Grove.

The original takes place in Messina, Italy, and old Bill (he turns 446 on April 23) would be proud how the play has been adapted to the village. Unlike the original where Claudio and Hero trick their friends Beatrice and Benedict, the new version, which also features trickery, involves trustees who try to trick village board members and residents into thinking the village is crumbling at the scene, falling into disarray.

Why just read the papers -- Environmental crisis, corrupt officials, gambling... run for the hills.

But wait, before you do, take a look at the media reports.

The environmental crisis over on Milwaukee Avenue is, says the EPA, as cited in The Daily Herald, is clean. The Herald's report says the facility has been given a "clean bill of health" and the residents in that area should contact the Lake County Board of Health -- which the village had done in recent months. But since this is a comedy, where would we be without Lisa Stone who seems to still contend there's a problem. It seems that water samples taken by the EPA in January did not yield a problem. That does not, however seem to be good enough for Madame Quixote.

Oh my, so many windmills, so little time. (OK, it's Cervantes and not Shakespeare, but we're talking high drama here, folks). But wait -- surely the Herald, presumably following the shame and scandal in the Village Manager's office -- ineptness, corruption, disease, plague, famine -- is reporting the problems.

But wait, check out page 1 of Thursday's Herald. What that's you say Mrs. Robinson, not only has joltin' Joe left and gone away, but "Outgoing Buffalo Grove manager got high job rating."

Well, as the Bard would say, it looks like it was much ado about nothing. Unless, of course, you are Miz Stone. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the Herald represents a way to circumvent the Illinois Opens Meeting Act that clearly says only three topics may be discussed in Executive Session -- litigation, land acquisition, and personnel matters. That means that persons with vendettas need to keep quiet. It's a way to preserve the dignity of all parties involved.

Who knows who contacted the Herald and TribLocal about filing a FOIA request (wink-wink), but isn't it interesting to see that the only trustee who gave Bill Brimm poor marks was Ms. Stone. And what was revealed?

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Except for the fact that village officials have had confidence in Brimm's performance all along.

It's the performance that has earned him respect from colleagues in and out of the village.

So what would Shakespeare do?

My guess he'd find a new role for Ms. Stone. He wouldn't cast her as Hero, he would probably have a better role for her.

Hecate in Macbeth.

Ah, spring....

...When hope springs eternal

That seems to be especially if you are a Cubs fans.

It's also a time when neighbors lumber outside and begin doing yard work, getting bikes in gear and even catching up with neighbors.

I chatted with a neighbor this past weekend and to no surprise our conversation focused on schools, the fact that my lawn was turning green, the NCAA tournament and other idle bits of conversation.

Big deal.

However, out of no where he said "Can you believe what's going on in the village?"

I assured him I was aware of some of the issues.

"No really, you look at the newspapers and you would think Buffalo Grove is a terrible place to live. She has to go."

Unsolicited comments.

That's what the village has come too.

Some people have asked me why I haven't had many blogs in the past 10 days. It's not for lack of material. It's that I only blog on what I have witnessed by attending a Village or School Board meeting, or by reviewing the video.

It took me more than a few hours to review the March 8 meeting.

To say I was dumbfounded would be an understatement. (For the record, this will be the first in several blogs about the March 8 meeting, which could go down as one of Buffalo Grove's darkest hours.)

Don't blame Elliott Hartstein -- disagree if you want, but don't blame him.

Don't blame Steve Trilling -- watch the video and then be ready to applaud his remarks.

Don't blame Beverly Sussman -- watch the video and the be ready applaud her remarks.

And be sure not to blame Village Manager Bill Brimm and his staff. Their expertise and professionalism is second to none. Perfect? Probably not. But what and who are?

No one. Especially Lisa Stone.

In fact, if you want to blame someone, take a look at the left side of the dais and you may, or you will probably find someone to blame.

It's on the side where you'll hear someone say that she will break the rules again and that she's representing the people of Buffalo Grove.

No she's not. She's representing her own self interest, her own campaign, her own ego.

The odor that she refers to may not be limited to a compost facility on Milwaukee Avenue, it may be from a mulching facility, as Beverly Sussman pointed out, or perhaps the Pekara Avenue Sewage Treatment facility.

Stone claims people are getting sick and cannot work. She's talked with Wildfire. Interestingly, other merchants, and yes, I have communicated with them, say yes, the odor is there once in a while, but not to the extreme Stone claims.

Why? Because someone claims they did not get an email response from village hall quick enough. So Stone wants to bully her way into the headlines by humiliating a public official widely respected. That's OK. But if someone ruffles her feathers, they're liars, they're unethical, they're part of an "old boys" network.

Sure, the resolution approved by the board reprimanding her was harsh -- but long overdue. Censuring is an acceptable practice, not a pleasant one for either side. But there's a message there, whether it was heard or not remains to be seen.

She said she will continue to break the rules. I haven't heard a public official put himself / herself above the law since Richard Nixon.

And look what happened to him. Maybe the great philosopher Yogi Berra was right -- it could be deja vue all over again.

(c) 2010

Candidate announces choice for Village Manager

( C ) 2010

In an unprecedented move, Village Board candidate Chicken Little has announced his choice for Village Board.

"There's no doubt replacing Bill Brimm will be tough. We need someone with political experience, savvy, a media presence, and someone who can handle difficult situations.

"It is therefore, with a great deal of pride, that I announce today that I am endorsing such a person for the position of Village Manager."

After clearing his voice and polishing is beak, Little said that his choice is "none other than the former mayor of Cincinnati -- Jerry Springer." Little said the choice,

especially in light of recent Village Board meetings is a natural. "He is used to controversy and a natural self-promoter," Little said. "If nothing else, I'm sure he could handle the meetings."

Little said it was not clear if Springer would bring his security staff

with him if he is selected Village Manager. "the village has tough security equirements...maybe they could work at eSkape.."

The hiring if Spring would provide the village a manager who is accustomed to controversy. As mayor of Cincinnati, he was often the runt of controversies, especially when it came to finances and the use of

credit cards for after hours entertainment.

Little's announcement could have far-reaching impacts. For example, the raucous that now prevails would likely increase village costs, especially

when it comes to replacing gavels.

It's likely to make meetings more entertaining if they mirror Springer's show. Can you imagine some of the fisticuffs between trustees? And what if the audience gets involved?

Local media would have a plethora of stories, especially if their headlines take on a Springer flavor. "Board to Address Taxpayers and the Trustees Who Love Them,"or "PETA Decries Buffalo Abuse," or "Aliens Abduct -- And Then Return -- Trustee Stone."

The village could probably make some extra cash by selling CDs of the meetings. They could also market a book based on Village Board meetings.

How about Ripley's Believe It or Not? My guess is we don't need Springer for that one.

Buffalo Grove residents need to take a lesson from history

(c) 2010

Scout Finch tells us that Atticus was feeble -- he was 50.

Ouch.

Sorry Ms. Lee, but being past 50 does not mean you're feeble.

If nothing else, it's a time to reflect. Teaching high school provides some interesting opportunities to reflect -- like the student who once wore a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt to my class and above flipped when I told him I saw Jimi Hendrix live.

Or the freshman I have this year who is fascinated by the Yippies of the 1968 Democratic convention.

We've learned from the past. Hopefully.

We have become a passive society, focusing on our own personal comforts and if something doesn't affect us, it's not important.

Like village government. If you've lived in Buffalo Grove, or even in the surrounding area for the past 20-plus years, you've seen it grow and flourish.

As I've said in this space before, I had that opportunity. I watched the village carefully grow through careful planning, zoning and annexation. It started at Raupp and Lake-Cook. The village has a long history of excellence. It's not perfect, mind you, but you can look at nearby communities where village officials have been indicted and forced from office to get an idea of the contrast.

Cynics say that's because of an "old boy network." Right. Like Verna Clayton and others who served on the Board.

Buffalo Grove is on par with many other suburbs that run well, thanks largely to excellent village or city staff -- there have been some excellent ones -- Stan Kennedy and Larry Rice in Highland Park, the late Bob Van Duesen in Glenview, Bob Franz of Deerfield -- and Bill Balling of Buffalo Grove.

Yes, there are others -- many others -- but these are among the handful I covered.

In the case of Bill Balling, he re-enforced the tone of excellence for Buffalo Grove and when he retired, handed the responsibilities off the Bill Brimm who has achieved the same notoriety as the aforementioned managers.

Really.

As mentioned, not everything is perfect, but when it wasn't things were worked out.

What's happened in the village since the May election is repugnant.

The actions of one individual have turned a once proud village into the laughing stock of the suburbs.

One official of a nearby community shook his head recently after learning of Bill Brimm's retirement. He had an inkling as to why. "You have her for three more years, don't you?"

I could go on -- but the message would be the same.

The events of the past two weeks should do more than send a signal to Buffalo Grove residents -- they should send a flair, a bugle -- or whatever it takes -- to be a wake-up call.

It's time for Buffalo Grove residents to take action. While the charades of some village trustees make for good headlines, they do not make for effective village operations.

The Village Board meets twice a month, the next time tomorrow, March 8, and then again March 22.

Residents need to see first-hand the mockery one person can make through arrogance, ignorance and repeated acrimonious remarks to staff, volunteers and residents, which now dominate village news.

It's bad enough that elected officials are planting seeds of dirty laundry in the media and then flutter their eye lashes while saying "I will never stop standing up for the citizens of Buffalo Grove, regardless of the small group that would like to stop me. I have proven how hard I'll fight for the right cause and that alarms some people."

You haven't proven anything. You've tarnished more than you've shined and you persist in spreading acrid venom on to others for your own personal gain.

To paraphrase a song from the 1960s, the roller coaster ride you've started is nearly at an end.

And not a moment too soon.

Rosebud.....

(c) 2010

As America keeps its collective eyes glued to the Academy Awards, perhaps it's fitting to rewind movie history to 1941 and to what many film fanatics consider the finest film ever made -- Citizen Kane.

The film chronicles the days of yellow journalism and muckraking when journalistic ethics -- or ethics in general -- went by the wayside.

Thank goodness those days are gone.

Or are they?

The recent revelation that two newspapers have filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the village of Buffalo Grove seeking the following:

• The most recent evaluation of Village Manager Bill Brimm
• Freedom of Information requests submitted to the village of Buffalo Grove between Feb. 1, 2010 and March 3, 2010.

OK, ask the question -- "why?"

One reporter had the nerve to tell me that the request was filed because "I thought it would be interesting to see any differences in trustees’ evaluations of Bill Brimm in the past year as opposed to the three years prior. I know a FOIA request might be a long shot, but I’ve never let that hold me back before. Any time a high ranking village official steps down, it raises an eyebrow. I didn’t think I’d be doing my job if I didn’t take a closer look."

Yeah, right. That excuse reminds me of a segment on the Boers and Bernstein show on WSCR (The Score) called "Who you crappin'?"

So let me get this right -- two reporters who don't even come to a Village Board meeting decide -- at the same time -- to file an FOIA request to check on the past performance of Village Manager Bill Brimm.

Who you crappin'?

You'd almost think someone would put them up to it, wouldn't you? Really now, wonder who it would be?

Maybe some of the officials in other cities I've spoken with who have nothing but praise for Brimm and the way Buffalo Grove has been managed for decades. Yeah, must of been them.

I mean, who else would be spineless enough to do something like that? Reputable public officials or elected officials, right?

Wrong.

Probably someone who wants to make a name for himself, wait, herself.

Maybe, just a maybe a recently elected public official who suddenly arrives on the scene brandishing a sword of reform. Like, say, Lisa Stone.

Yeah, the same Lisa Stone who never never served on a village commission becomes an expert in municipal affairs...yeah, the same Lisa Stone who waved the ethics ordinance and the code of ethical behavior and conduct for village elected and appointed officials.

I guess encouraging others to do her dirty work doesn't fall into that category. The idea of having news media drag village personnel records into the public eye is a new low for any village official.

It also boarders on unacceptable behavior by a journalist. Let's clarify that -- ethical journalist.

Not my viewpoint -- but that of the Society of Professional Journalists which, in its code of ethics, says reporters should "minimize harm" by encouraging journalists to:

• — Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage.
• — Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.
• — Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.

The code also encourages journalists to "Act Independently" by:

• — Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
• — Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.

But to go after a highly recognized village manager is OK, right. Especially if you're not regularly covering the village, right?

It's another smear campaign for Little Miss Sunshine.

It's getting old. What's also getting old is her vicious attacks on village staff and persons who dare to disagree with her.

Yes, this is the same Lisa Stone who wants the village to watch its budget, but thinks nothing of the cost involved in staff time, attorney fees, video recording fees so she can showcase herself.

See what's happening? The people of Buffalo Grove are funding Stoney's campaign.

Yes, the village is becoming a remake of Citizen Kane -- complete with our own little rosebud -- complete with thorns.

And when Stone goes on yet another tirade and waves her holier than though flag, hopefully more and more Buffalo Grove residents will have one question for her.

Lisa Stone, who you crappin'?