Here's today's deal: help a cop and they'll give you a donut

When you think of the village’s police and fire professionals, you may think of how the respond to calls for help – a fire, accident, medical emergency.

            They do, however, respond to another call for help – fund raising.

            The Fire Department has a long history of participating in the annual “Fill the Boot”

campaign in August, while members of the Police Department have often led the charge to help people whose lives have been impacted by disaster – such as they did in 2013 by helping victims of the tornadoes in downstate Illinois.

            Here's what is happening today -- the cops are taking their effort to a new height as they will be raising money for Special Olympics during the Cop on Top program.  At first glance you may think “cop on top” was the name of a cheesy adult web site.

            Rest assured, it’s not.

            So what’s involved? Members of the Police Department hitting the roof.  Literally. Members of the department will be “staked out” on the roofs of the Dunkin Donuts at 1169 N. McHenry Rd. & 1697 Weiland Rd. from 5:00AM - 2:00PM.  According to the program, everyone who makes a donation will receive a coupon for a free donut, plus guests may purchase raffle tickets.

            It’s a natural – cops, public service and donuts.  Complete information is available at http://www.soill.org/event/dunkin-donuts-cop-on-rooftop.

            And while most people will applaud this effort, there may be a cynic who will say “Is that all our cops have to do?”

            Hardly. In addition to public safety programs, outstanding enforcement and making Buffalo Grove one of the safest communities of its size in the country, the pros in blue respond to some rather unusual requests for help.

            Here are few gems taken from official police reports:

            Inspector Clouseau would be proud: A resident called about a missing computer.  Police checked the area and found the computer.  It was on a dark table in the room the resident had left it in.

            Hook, line and….A resident called police to report she was getting text message saying she was a having sexual relationships with the texter’s boyfriend.  It Turns out the texter had the wrong area code and was contacting the resident by mistake.  The number the caller intended to contact is an area bait shop.

            Hello, Luca Brasi? Police were called to a grocery store about a customer who was talking loudly and using profanities because he wanted to know who was in charge of the fish.

            Seriously? Police were called about a man pulling a woman's hair while in a car.  Police said the couple was in "good spirits" and that the man was touching the female in a "flirtatious manner" and that the person who called mistook their "playfulness" for dismay.  The end of the report said "nothing further".  (Well, that we know of…)

            Success! A resident reporting trapping a stray cat.

            Louie, I don’t think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.  A resident, “who appeared to be intoxicated”, called police about a lost cell phone.  He could not remember much about it except that he left it in the back of a friend's car. Didn't know that either. But wait there’s more – the alleged friend was at the Buffalo Grove Police Department saying his friend was threatening him. 

            Some things you can’t make up. A resident reported a "viscous" fluid on her windshield.  Not sure if it was because her daughter attracts "the wrong element from Elgin" or if it was because she would not let a repair man use her outlet for repairs at a neighbor's house.

            Rubbed the wrong way -- Two masseuses called saying they were being held against their will.  They told police they were hired to give messages and that they and two customers had beer. The massages lasted five minutes, not the full time promised. Customers were mad and yelling.  Two masseuses said they were not prostitutes. 

            Somewhere Bert Weinman is laughing.  A resident called police to report a suspicious vehicle.   It turned out to be a guy who had just purchased a Porsche and was learning to drive stick shift. (Really folks, I can’t make this stuff up.)

            Melancholy-- or should that be melon-choly?   A resident contacted police about smashed watermelons in a front yard.

            Nothing to “Crow” about. Police were called by a resident after a window was broken.  It turned out neighbor’s kid was playing hockey when his shot went wide. It went flying and broke the neighbor's window.  So we lose a puck and gain a face-off.

            It was a good intention.  A resident called to complain about a neighbor who leaves cat food out for “feral cats" and other wildlife.  The resident was asked to stop because when police arrived because a skunk was eating from the bowl.

            Wanna bet they failed physical science? Both the police and fire departments were called to a residence because of a reported fire.  According to reports the resident had a fire in her fire place.  She then opted to out the embers in a plastic bag and then put them on her wood deck.   The ensuing situation resulted in fire spreading to the unit next door.

            Bet they don’t watch Rachel Ray. Both the police and fire departments responded to a strong cooking odor.  Upon investigation they found a "large amount of used cooking grease was being stored in pots."  No reason was given.

            Did Bambi make an offer them and offer they couldn't refuse?   A resident called police to report that a deer head (mounted) was found propped up against a tree.

            As I Lay dying -- skunk version.  A resident called the police because a skunk was dying.  The responding officer contacted the Arlington Heights Community Service Officer, according to reports, called to "successfully euphonize” the skunk.

            Maybe the price was too high.  A resident called police because she was planning to show a condo for sale, but there appeared to be the odor of cannabis in the common hallway.

Not a blizzard of votes -- or a mandate

Jane Byrne had the blizzard.

            Harold Washington had his coalition.

            Beverly Sussman had the downtown proposal.

            Last month’s election results, while surprising to many, should not come as a surprise.

            Elections, whether urban or suburban, are often fueled by emotion as opposed to civic interest and responsibility.

            Suburban elections typically do not fuel a lot of interest – the numbers bear that out.  Tuesday’s Lake County turnout was 11.25% while Cook County officials speculate, according to media reports, that the turnout in suburban Cook County was barely 14%.

            In Buffalo Grove, the turnout in the Cook County precincts was 13.55 percent while the turnout in the Lake County portion of the village was above the county average with a turnout around 13.89 percent compared to a woeful 11.36 percent county wide.

            The reality is this:  Sussman and others like her who were elected or even re-elected during the April 7 elections, did not receive a mandate.

            This is not an indictment of the backgrounds of those who sought public office, but more of one for residents who seek to shirk their civic responsibility.  It seems as though local voters take the attitude is if “I don’t have a complaint, why get involved?”

            What happens then is a handful of folks who take an interest in their municipality or school board pretty much call the shot when it comes to selecting governing officials especially if there’s an issue or situation that generates considerable media coverage or impacts a specific neighborhood.

            Like a blizzard, a coalition – or a proposed shopping center.

            It’s sort of a good news / bad news scenario. 

            The good news is that the civic process works – sort of.   The ‘bad news’ is that it’s a selective process.  The troops like to be rallied when it’s a matter that is near-and-dear to them. 

            But what about the rest of the time?

            Civic involvement should, ideally, encompass the entire village and not just a specific area when an issue arises.  Quick glances at the voting trends from the April election yield just that.

            Sussman and the “Save Buffalo Grove” slate carried the areas that had proximity to the site of the proposed downtown development.  A look at the rest of the results indicates just the opposite as incumbent Village President Jeff Braiman garnered more votes than Sussman.

            Did the process work?

            Again, to some degree it did because voters who were passionate about an issue got the vote out.  But for whom?  For candidates who they thought would serve them well.

            Sussman has been on the Village Board for six years and Adam Moodhe is a regular attendee at Village Board meetings for years.  Dan Peterson and David Weidenfeld were both newcomers to the village politics and had it not been for the proposed downtown edifice, odds are they would not have run.

            When asked, people were hard-pressed to tell you why to vote.  One person told me Weidenfeld was a good candidate because “he’s a nice guy and a member of our havarah.”  Great; that will be help the next time the Village Board wants to hold hands, do a group hug and sing Kumbyah.  Not a pretty picture.

                This doesn’t mean he’s not qualified, but if you want me to vote for someone, tell me more than what he does with his social life.  Weidenfeld, who won a seat on the Board, has extensive background with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office, so he is familiar with local and regional governments.

            Beyond that, however, there was not a lot of information available.

            Why?  Several reasons.

            Outside of aggressive social media campaigns by Steve Trilling, Jeff Berman and to a lesser extent Jeff Braiman, information about all of the candidates was limited to a plethora of signs that provided little, if any reason for voting any of them.

            This is why social media has become a key component.  Granted, information was available, but to varying degrees.  As is the case with paid advertising, social media posts are loaded with bias.  At least it was an effort to reach a broad base of constituents.

            If voters are to make decisions -- let’s make that intelligent decisions -- they need to be more civic minded and informed news consumers. This, of course, presents a new challenge – where can news consumers go to get that sort of information.

            The main media outlets that cover the village are the Daily Herald, the Countryside Reminder and the Journal Topics. Most of the coverage focuses on events, municipal meetings, pointless features or soccer mommies promoting friends. The lack of in-depth or watchdog coverage is not due to a lack of money or the misnomer that journalism is dead.  The Pew Center for research finds that it can be a mixture of things.

            Interestingly enough, Pew reports that the higher level of education, the less likely is someone may follow local news.  However, the more educated a resident is, the more likely he/she will digitally share local news. When it comes to the use of social media, local residents, especially those 18-34, have a higher rate of usage for local information than those over 50.  (The full report can be found at: Pew Center for Research: How Demographics Play Into Local News Habits)

None of this should be a surprise, but it does raise a question – what’s the best way to get information to residents so they can become civically engaged?

            Or perhaps a better question – why don’t more people care?

            As mentioned, April’s election had six candidates; three incumbents and three wanna-bes.  Aside from a candidates’ forum sponsored by Stevenson High School and the Buffalo Grove – Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, forums, if you want to call them that, were limited to gatherings at local residents.

            There was a time when the League of Women Voters would sponsor forums.  Now, however, the only chapters near Buffalo Grove are in Highland Park, Glenview and Lake Forest.  When it comes to local civic activity, aside from the longstanding and stellar Civics Forum coordinated by Village Clerk Jan Sirabian, there’s not much happening around here.

            Civic activity?  Civic responsibility?  The lack of both may be partly behind an effort by the Illinois State Board of Education’s task force on Civic Education to pursue a required civics education class.

            So what’s next? Interestingly enough, with Sussman now Board President, there’s a trustee opening that has attracted nine residents.  They include Kurt Baier, Robert Giddens, John Green, Joanne Johnson, Bruce Kahn, Adam Moodhe, Edward Osmon, Frank Sears, and Eric Smith.           

            Some names are familiar to Village Board meeting regulars, while some are either new or want to try village service once again.

            No matter who they are, questions remain.

            Who are they and why are they running? Do they have unique qualifications?  Do they have a personal agenda? Were some asked to run by the remnants of the Save Buffalo Grove group?

            Whatever the reasons the information needs to get out. I am pursuing information about each candidate via the Freedom of Information Act as the village is reluctant to release full applications without redacting “personal information”.

            No matter what the reasons, a few things are certain.

            The blizzard is over.

            The downtown proposal is dead.

            What’s at issue here is the need for an informed citizenry to know not only how government works, but who is involved.

            And perhaps get involved beyond Election Day.

A Rainy Remembrance...

About 75 people braved the rain on Memorial Day to remember the nation's war dead at the annual Memorial Day at the Knopf Cemetery.  Sponsored by Kingswood United Methodist Church, the event featured speakers and flag ceremonies by members of Boy Scout troop 401.

Armed with umbrellas, residents watched the ceremony.

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Members of Troop 401 retire the flag that had flown over the cemetery since last Memorial Day.

Members of Kingswood United Methodist Church sing "In Flanders Field"

Village Board President Beverly Sussman addresses the crowd.

Village Board Member Jeff Berman speaks at the Memorial Day Ceremony.