Maybe Jean Viljean has the answer....

Somehow I never thought Victor Hugo would become a factor in the branding of Buffalo Grove.

                But he has.

                Sort of.

                At last Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting (best known as a COW) the Board heard a presentation from the firm it hired to rebrand the village as part of its economic development effort.

                The presentation by the Decatur-based DCC Interactive Marketing Agency focus mostly on new logo ideas to replace the beloved, if albeit dated buffalo (or bison if you prefer), with something that best reflects the village.

                As Jean Valjean asked in Les Miserables, “Who am I?” The question for Buffalo Grove is “Who are we?”

                If you grab the gist from DCC, we are no longer a village (too small) – just Buffalo Grove.  We also need to flaunt our green space.

                This comes after, according to a staff memo made available in the Board packet, a meeting with the Steering Committee the week before.  One week before.

                The representatives from DCC struggled to justify the top two logo proposals (shown below) saying it reflects the character of Buffalo Grove and where it is going

 Which raises two questions.

What is the character of the village and where is it  going?  If you believe in the rhetoric from May’s election, the village, oops, sorry, Buffalo Grove needs saving and we need to save the golf course because that is the character of the former village.

                Municipal officials, who used to be called village officials, would like to see the business climate enhanced.

                Most residents are probably unaware of these initiatives because as we saw in the May election, they don’t really care.

                The unfortunate reality is that when people think of business in Buffalo Gove, they immediately refer to home of for rent signs on the west side of Lake-Cook and McHenry Roads – Town Center.

                So to make everyone happy, well try, municipal officials, who used to be village officials, are beginning the aforementioned rebranding process, which led to last Monday’s presentation.

                So how and why was DCC selected?  According to (censored) Manager Dane Bragg, “DCC Marketing was selected by a Request for Proposals process for a branding/marketing strategy.  This was completed in the context of the economic development strategic plan and we felt it was an appropriate time to look at the logo while we were developing the other items.  The steering committee for the branding/marketing consists of me, Jenny Maltas, David Weidenfeld, Nicole Woods and Chris Stilling.”

                It’s not clear if Bragg was familiar with the Decatur-based firm from his days as assistant village manager in Decatur, or what the deciding factor was in the firm’s hiring.

                In response to an email regarding the last Monday’s presentation, Board President Beverly Sussman responded that she asked Bragg to respond to me and that she would send me comments.  None have been received.

                So the question remains – what is the image of the village and what is the message it is trying to convey?

                In an effort to save the village money, I have taken the liberty to develop some logos (shown here) based on the presentation by DCC. 

I have done others, but these best reflect the typographical image along with a little more tweaking to reflect the (fill in the blank) character.

                As for the question – who are we?

                Beats me.

                Ask Jean Viljean.

More than a law needed to increase civic engagement

The passage of House Bill 4025, which mandates a one-semester civics class for high school students, just needs the signature of Gov. Bruce Rauner to become law.  That, and along with HB 800 which sets the start-up date for the  2016-2017 school year, will do more than give students a way to meet the state’s social science requirement; it will hopefully light a fire on the need for civic engagement.

            Not just for students, but for everyone.

            I’ve addressed civic engagement several times, most recently after the spring election which saw pitifully low voter turnout on both sides of Lake-Cook Road.  Part of that is due to the fact that many people are content with their local politics as long as the streets get plowed, the water works and Police and Fire Departments are good.

            Having attended more Village Board meetings than I can recall, it’s amazing, if not disappointing, that the only time people attend meetings is to chime in on a conflict, complain, or watch their child get a certificate from the village.

            Budget planning? No interest.  Economic development? Mild interest, but if it’s not a proposed edifice in their backyard, most residents could care less.

            So what’s a way to spur civic engagement?  In its May 2014 report, the Illinois State Board of Education’s task force on civic education touted the need for news literacy.  This was music to my ears because of my association with the Center for News Literacy at New York’s Stony Brook University and as an educator who incorporates the fundamentals of news literacy into my curriculum.

            It’s not a journalism class.  Instead news literacy instruction addresses critical thinking skills needed by news consumers, who used to be called readers or viewers, to judge the reliability and credibility of news reports, whether they come via print, television or the Internet.

            Makes sense, right?  And if you tune into the local news, you can find out what generally is going on the Chicago area.  Maybe you get the Tribune or Sun-Times and get an idea what’s happening in metro Chicago.

            But what about Buffalo Grove?  There was, at one point four newspapers covered the village on a regular basis.  Now, news coverage is limited to meeting coverage by the Daily Herald, sporadic coverage by the Des Plaines Journal-Topics and an occasional article in Trib Local.

            And then there’s the Buffalo Grove Countryside.  Now owned by the Tribune Company, the Countryside runs news of Buffalo Grove in Trib Local and just for fun, runs it in the Countryside.  Aside from that, it’s limited to an occasional letter and columns by soccer moms.  And it’s not getting any better.  In fact, two weeks ago the cover of the ‘Buffalo Grove’ Countryside was about businesses – in Mt. Prospect.

            Web editions don’t provide much more as there’s only so much one reporter can do. The lead story on the Countryside’s web site is about a Vernon Hills crime.  The crossing guard is between School District 21 and the village is posted, but has not been updated.

            So what lies ahead?  Apparently not much.

            In the long run, the losers are citizens who may want to be interested their village, but lack an independent media to offer them a forum for news and information.  The Herald, despite being covered by a part-time reporter, provides additional support as needed.  The Herald also maintains an active social media presence through its Buffalo Grove page on Facebook, which may not be a news delivery site, but at least it’s a forum where residents can get an idea as to what may be happening in the village.

            When it comes to citizen engagement, residents need know what’s going on.  The ball is clearly in their court.

            Social media?  The reality is getting reliable information from social media is a challenge because you don’t know how reliable the information is and who or what is behind it.

            And while hyper local media outlets are making inroads in the city, specifically DNAInfo, they have not done so in the suburbs.   AOL’s Patch made a valiant effort, but poor management and the desire by AOL to leave hyperlocal journalism led to the demise of that initiative.

           So what’s left? Not much.

            Which is really too bad.

Especially when it comes to civic engagement.

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.

.

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.

Chicken Little living in fear...

It’s always a difficult time of year for Chicken Little.

                “You know,” he says, “in the fall, there’s just one holiday dinner; but this time of year, there are two seders.”

                Not realizing he was so observant, I asked why that concerned him.

                “You fool, that means twice as much chicken soup!  And this year there’s an added stress besides the holiday.”

                Which is?

                “I keep hearing voices and seeing images in my head.  Franklin Roosevelt, Jimmy Piersall Dale Carnegie – even Napoleon!”

                Whoa, I said, where did this come from?

                “They all talk about fear and how we need to overcome it,” he said.

                So you’re living in fear of chicken soup?

                “Hey, that’s normal,” he said.  “But what has me more concerned is the fear being generated during this campaign.”

                You fear signs, I asked?

                “No, it’s the fear being disseminated by some candidates and their supporters. You know the inference -- if we don’t elect them, the village will turn into a concrete slab.”

                Ah, campaign rhetoric, I said. 

                “That may be, but it scares me to death.  I need space for my coop and what if they build a mega mall and I have to flee the coop, so to speak.”

                I told him told him to take a deep breath and relax.  Unfortunately, campaigns do that to people and the result is an onslaught of, for lack of a better term, inaccuracies.

                Much of the discussion in this campaign has been brought on by the now defunct proposal for “downtown Buffalo Grove.”  It was, to say the least, an albatross that was going to fit into Buffalo Grove as, a professor of Middle East studies would say, an Arab in a Kibbutz.

                It was, however, an idea.  But it’s gone.

                And despite what at least one resident said in a letter to the editor to The Daily Herald, the Village Board did not pull the plug on the project when Beverly Sussman announced her candidacy.  It was withdrawn when village officials decided that a plan calling for the village to provide between $100 and $120 million in finances in one way shape or form was not going to fly.  Period.

                “So you mean fear of the evil empire from Deerfield return is unfounded?” Chicken Little asked.

                Big time.  CRM officials have made it quite clear that they are not going to submit another proposal and that, as the spokesperson said “I will not develop in Buffalo Grove.”

                “So what’s the big yehuda?” C.L. asked.

                As the old journalism adage goes, sex sells.  Or in this case, fear sells.

                That could be why some folks are waving the panic flag.

                “Ah, I see.  It’s like if you don’t vote for them the ensuing impact will infect you mind, curve your spine and cause the allies to lose the war.”

                At this point it became clear to me that Chicken Little was finally getting it, or listening to vintage George Carlin – or both.

                “What do the newspapers say?” he asked.  I told him that those newspapers that did endorsements raised the same question – what’s the problem?

                When there is no real problem there seems to be a need to drudge up an issue.

                That’s not to say things are perfect, because they never are.  And that’s not to say that all incumbents are perfect, because they are not.

                What is important to note, however, is that despite who you are supporting, you need to look at the global situation.  In a nutshell, the village is doing fine.  Could things have been done differently?  Absolutely.  But don’t preach fear.

                “So maybe that’s why I’m hearing voices,” Chicken Little said.  Possibly, I told him.

                “You know, for a while there, I thought Rahm Emanuel and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia were running for were running in Buffalo Grove.”  Hardly, but I can see your connection.

                In general terms, Garcia has one issue, brought on by a single group.  Rahmbo, the incumbent, is getting beat up for the things he’s done and is trying to do.  Welcome to elections.

                “But what other issues are there?” C.L. asked.

                We’ve heard about transparency in government.  A good one.  It’s always amazing to me that people who have problems with this show up once every two years to complain.  Again, there is probably room for improvement, but information from the village is available online, from staff and through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  The FOIA has tight regulations as to when and how an organization needs to respond, difficulties getting information are most likely due to ‘user error’, which is not an uncommon occurrence.

                In terms of citizen input, I do not know of another village, school board, or any other public body that gives residents as much time to present their views as Buffalo Grove does.  Ten minutes at the end of each meeting and five minutes on specific topics.

                “Darn, the meetings must go forever,” C.L. said.  That depends on what is being discussed, but in general they don’t because not many residents attend.

                “Ah, but I bet all of the candidates show up,” Outside of the incumbents (for obvious reasons), they don’t.  Merely stating a fact without serving as an endorsement, candidate Adam Moodhe is one of the few regulars at Village Board meetings.

                “Other issues?” he asked? 

                Economic development, which is incessantly referred to as ED.  When I saw that I thought I had to see Alice in Village Hall.  Seriously, however, it is a pressing issue and the village is taking steps to address it. As a matter of clarity, it should be retail economic development.  The village is doing extremely well with office and industrial square footage – in fact, there is nearly 8 million square feet of occupied industrial and office space in the village.

                The village continues to work with companies to locate in Buffalo Grove.

                “Do you think companies will leave,” C.L. asked? Some have, I noted, even though they maintain facilities outside the village.  “So why didn’t they stay in the village?”  Good question, I told him; maybe someone on the Board can investigate that.

                “Geez, I guess I need to read the campaign signs a bit more,” he said.

                Let’s not even go there.  The sign issue has become an annoyance at the very least.  So much so, I told him, that at least one candidate’s spouse filed a police report claiming vandalism because of damage to her campaign signs even though they weren’t on their property.

                “Wow,” C.L. said, “I’m not sure what to do.”

                The best advice, I told him, comes from the late Fidel Ghini, who was mayor Highwood for 24 years.

                “And that is?” he asked.

                Do your homework.

A sign of the times?

I’m not a fan of campaign signs.

            I know they’re essential to campaigns because how else will people get to know the candidates?

            There’s so much information on a campaign sign that there’s no need to research a candidate or slate.

            You can find out that some is experienced, dedicated and that the candidate cares.

            And it seems that the more signs a candidate or slate has, the more qualified they are.

            Right.

            So as the campaign for Village Board winds down, the focus appears to be on signs.

            Issues?  We don’t need no stinking issues, we have signs.

            Signs address everything – the issues, transparency, civic responsibility.

            It’s a sad state when those running for public office focus on image rather than substance. It’s especially critical – yes critical – in today’s world of quick-info.  News consumers don’t take time to understand the news about the world around them – whether it global or local.

            It’s no wonder that the Illinois State Board of Education has a task force that is calling for a mandatory civics class for Illinois students.

            Perhaps they want to start in Buffalo Grove.  Not because Stevenson or Buffalo Grove high schools need it – their students get it – just watch them in action at the village’s annual civics forum coordinated by Village Clerk Jan Sirabian.

Signs for the Save Buffalo Grove slate were at Town Center,
but we removed by management on Tuesday

            Strong civics involves weighing all sides of an issue from multiple, independent and non-bias sources while sticking to the facts and not mere opinion.  A novel idea.

            But in our little town (thank you Simon and Garfunkel) it seems like the superficial is what’s beneficial.

            Like signs.

            Signs in parkways, on lawns, fences and just about anywhere you can put them.

            It’s to the point that the signs have seemingly become a campaign issue.  Most recently “signgate” as one social media poster put it, involved campaign signs touting the re-election of Village Board President Jeff Braiman and Beverly Sussman who is running against him

                It seems as though both Sussman and Braiman placed signs on and in front of the fence that belongs to The Villas at Hidden Lake development at the corner of Deefield Parkway and Buffalo Grove Road. Sussman had one of her large banners on the fence along with several standard lawn signs.  Braiman supporters, seeking equal space, placed a couple of lawn signs there as well, a move that should not be seen as unexpected. At issue is who allegedly had permission to place the signs there.

            The drama unfolds when it was discovered the other day that someone placed

Signs for Beverley Sussman are placed in front of those for
 Incumbent Village Board President Jeff Braiman.
These signs are at Deerfield Parkway and Buffalo Grove Road

additional Sussman signs in front of the Braiman signs.

            Now this is a classy campaign.

            Those signs, however, are not then only ones at the center of signgate.  During a stop at Town Center a couple of Saturdays ago, I was amazed, if not a bit taken back, by the number of campaign signs for the Save Buffalo Grove slate. I understand that individual stores may want to display a sign, but it appeared that the entire center was supporting the slate.

            During a return trip I found that there were 32 signs at Town Center; 28 in the common areas and four by entrances on Lake-Cook Road and Illinois Rt. 83.

            A few things come into play here.  If you are trying to lease vacant retail space, do you permit a litany of campaign signs haphazardly placed throughout the property? There seems to be a bit of irony here since the beleaguered Town Center has been a focus of downtown redevelopment efforts touted by the Save the Buffalo Grove slate.

            Tim Donohue, property manager for CTK Asset Services, which manages Town Center, said Monday that he was unaware of the signs (he was on vacation the week before) and that “We’re not supporting any slate of campaigns.  Someone from the group may have put them there.”

            He added that tenants may be allowed to have “certain temporary signs,” they need to follow village and property guidelines.  “I have never come across this before.”  He did a site visit on Tuesday to assess the situation and seemed more than a little surprise at what he found.  “There were a lot of signs out there,” he said. He added that when checking with tenants, “nobody was able to tell me that they put the signs out, so I took them down.” All 32 of them.

            As for granting permission, Donohue was adamant that “nobody asked me permission; I did not give permission to anyone to put signs like that out.”

            In a telephone interview last Wednesday, Sussman said that she goes to Town Center once a week, but had not seen the signs and was “not aware of them.”

            In the meantime, sources tell me that signgate found its way to the Village Manager’s office where both Village Manager Dane Bragg and Deputy Village Manager Jennifer Maltas have reportedly been in touch with all candidates about placement of signs and the fact that village inspectors will remove campaign signs that are on village right of way.  Among the signs reportedly removed were those placed near the Vernon Township Hall where early voting is taking place.  Maltas did, however, say the problem is not unique to this election.  “Every election season we tell the candidates that they (signs) can’t be on village right of way.  They can be on private property with the owner’s permission.

            In regard to Town Center, Maltas was emphatic that the village did not remove any campaign signs because the development is private property.  She added that campaign sign regulations are handled by the Community Develop Department.  Maltas said that when a violation is spotted, photos are taken to document the infraction

            After that, “We contact them and they can pick their signs up,” Maltas said.  Signs that are not claimed are discarded.

            Hello, WoodStein?

            You would think that as the election gets closer, candidates, especially those who are not happy with the incumbents, would be addressing issues.  Things like economic development, the pending hatchet job by the Rauner administration, and maintaining the village’s financial situation.

            But no -- it’s all about signs.  Voters need to look past the signs and research the candidates.  As for the candidates, as noted, they need to address issues, offer solutions to things they see as problematic, and get past the sign issue.

            The late Will Rogers once said “All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance.”

            When it comes to effective voting, if all you know about a candidate is what you read on a campaign sign, then it’s more than an alibi for your ignorance; it’s a lack civic responsibility.

This blog was updated at 4:40 p.m. on April to include comments by Deputy Village Manager Jennifer Maltas.