The Boss Bows Out....

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

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...

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

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

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.