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.
Well said, Stan. This woman must be stopped- and quickly. She's already decided that rules don't apply to her and that she is the arbitor of what is right and what is wrong. Apparently she's mistaken the role of trustee for the role of savior. She's meglomanialcal and will stop at nothing to have her way. The people of BG deserve better than this runaway train.
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