Rte. 22 retailers in survival mode
Originally published Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
After months of construction delays, nine business owners along Route 22 in Buffalo Grove decided it was time to take some action.
The group met Monday evening to figure out ways to promote the Woodland Commons shopping center. The business owners said they've been struggling ever since the Illinois Department of Transportation began working to change Route 22 from two to four lanes.
"(The construction's) delayed so much, and we don't know what's going on," said Andrew Cardaras, owner of Michael's Chicago Style Red Hots.
The contractor's most recent deadline is up this month. Now, the road may not be open until spring.
"It's a struggle of survival," said Warren Michaels, owner of the Michael Thomas Salon and Spa. "We're all working very hard to survive in a tough situation."
To try and counteract the shoppers who have left for other more convenient locations, the owners are planning a grand re-opening for Woodland Commons when construction finally does end.
They also tossed around promotional ideas to make the best of their situation.
Joe Brucato, owner of Exposure Tanning, said since the parking lot is so big, it could be used to sell trees or pumpkins during the holidays.
The owners also plan to meet with the village to make sure enough pressure is being put on IDOT to complete the project as soon as possible.
"If I had known the road construction was going to be this lethargic, I would have definitely though twice about buying this business," said Bracato, who purchased Exposure Tanning in January.
Elliott Hartstein, Buffalo Grove village president, said the construction has also directly affected the village, which owns the Arboretum Golf Club along Route 22.
"We certainly are empathetic to the businesses and the people who traverse Route 22," Hartstein said. "What we can do is continue to push IDOT, which we've been doing anyhow."
However, since the village doesn't have control over the state project, Hartstein said it's up to IDOT to press the contractors to finish the project.
"As frustrating as it is, we're fortunate to get the road done," he said.
"We don't want our businesses to be jeopardized; we have a mutual interest."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Rt. 22 work creates danger zone, some say
Rt. 22 work creates danger zone, some say
Originally published Friday, June 16, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
At first, construction on Route 22 through Buffalo Grove and Long Grove caused the usual mutterings around town.
As with any road project, residents were frustrated with progress.
Aaron Underwood, a Long Grove resident, set up a Web site, www.lgbgroads.com, to log some of those complaints.
Complaints escalated to fears, however, at this week's Long Grove village board meeting as residents talked of the roadwork creating dangerous situations.
Debby Keyes, who lives in the Promontory Ridge subdivision along Hampton Drive, said a right-turn lane into her neighborhood has been permanently eliminated, leaving no room for residents to slow down on the 45 mph speed limit road before they turn.
Keyes and other residents also said it's nearly impossible for them to make a left turn onto Route 22 because construction barriers block their view.
Because that is their only two-way entrance point for the neighborhood, they said, they often have to make that turn blindly.
"We are an accident waiting to happen," she said.
Residents said they also get cut-through traffic trying to get to Route 83 via Port Clinton Road, putting their children in danger of cars driving through their neighborhoods at high speeds.
Pam Newton, Lake County board member and a new resident of the subdivision, suggested setting up a meeting with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Lake County Department of Transportation, the village and the neighborhood to address some of the more dangerous situations.
Village President Maria Rodriguez agreed to set up a meeting as quickly as possible so that any life-threatening situations can be taken care of.
"Some of the short-term actions could be taken right away," she said.
Rodriguez said the village would also try to plan for a later meeting that would look at some of the long-term concerns about Route 22.
Those concerns include a right-turn lane and regulating traffic at the Route 83 intersection so that cut-through traffic is limited.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed we get some quick response," Keyes said.
"This situation has been going on for so many months now; we want to see something positive here this summer," she added.
Originally published Friday, June 16, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
At first, construction on Route 22 through Buffalo Grove and Long Grove caused the usual mutterings around town.
As with any road project, residents were frustrated with progress.
Aaron Underwood, a Long Grove resident, set up a Web site, www.lgbgroads.com, to log some of those complaints.
Complaints escalated to fears, however, at this week's Long Grove village board meeting as residents talked of the roadwork creating dangerous situations.
Debby Keyes, who lives in the Promontory Ridge subdivision along Hampton Drive, said a right-turn lane into her neighborhood has been permanently eliminated, leaving no room for residents to slow down on the 45 mph speed limit road before they turn.
Keyes and other residents also said it's nearly impossible for them to make a left turn onto Route 22 because construction barriers block their view.
Because that is their only two-way entrance point for the neighborhood, they said, they often have to make that turn blindly.
"We are an accident waiting to happen," she said.
Residents said they also get cut-through traffic trying to get to Route 83 via Port Clinton Road, putting their children in danger of cars driving through their neighborhoods at high speeds.
Pam Newton, Lake County board member and a new resident of the subdivision, suggested setting up a meeting with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Lake County Department of Transportation, the village and the neighborhood to address some of the more dangerous situations.
Village President Maria Rodriguez agreed to set up a meeting as quickly as possible so that any life-threatening situations can be taken care of.
"Some of the short-term actions could be taken right away," she said.
Rodriguez said the village would also try to plan for a later meeting that would look at some of the long-term concerns about Route 22.
Those concerns include a right-turn lane and regulating traffic at the Route 83 intersection so that cut-through traffic is limited.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed we get some quick response," Keyes said.
"This situation has been going on for so many months now; we want to see something positive here this summer," she added.
Sides debate Dist. 15 proposed tax-rate increase
Sides debate Dist. 15 proposed tax-rate increase
Many candidates in school board races join chorus of voices weighing in
Originally published Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
With just days left before voters decide on a tax-rate increase question for Palatine Township Elementary District 15, both sides are making last-minute efforts to get their views across.
And many of the eight candidates in April's election for four open school board seats are using the tax-rate increase as a platform. The referendum will be voted on this Tuesday, during the primary election.
Although most of the candidates agree that District 15 needs the 48-cent tax-rate increase, some question financial decisions the board has made in past years.
"One of my main concerns is, of course, financial accountability," candidate Wendy Rowden said. "I do think that in order to maintain a high quality of education and to have a well-functioning district, you can't spend more than you're taking in."
However, Rowden has also been working with Active Citizens Helping Invest in Educational Values and Excellence, a citizens group urging voters to approve the tax-rate increase.
"I think we definitely need some changes, but I don't want those changes on the backs of my children or anybody's children," she said.
If the increase passes Tuesday, district officials have said they will phase it in by 14 cents for the first year, eventually reaching the 48-cent increase by the end of five years.
The district estimates the tax-rate increase will cost the owner of a $300,000 home about $370 a year. However, Northwest Tax Watch, a local tax watchdog group, estimates an increase of $1,020 for that same homeowner.
If the tax-rate increase fails, officials have laid out a list of $12 million in cuts, which include teacher positions and some extracurricular activities.
Kelly Keenan, a challenger in the school board elections, said she believes the current seven board members have been irresponsible with the money they had to work with.
"There's a staggering deficit gap between revenue growth and expenditure growth," she said. "I'm hesitant to support this referendum because I think we need better leadership in there before we pass it."
She said her major concern lies with teacher salaries, which have been raised by a greater percentage than the district's income growth.
"I'd love to give teachers (more money), but we don't have the money to pay for it," she said.
Those who oppose the tax-rate increase have used www.thechampion.org as a major proponent of their opinion. The Web site includes a database that lists the salaries of all the teachers in the district.
The data shows that many teachers could get a 6 percent increase in their salary next year, but the school's income is tied by law to the consumer price index, which is expected to go up 1.9 percent next year.
Opponents of a tax-rate increase argue that since salary costs make up about 80 percent of the educational fund, the district should negotiate the teachers contract based on the knowledge that their income will increase only by the index.
"One hundred percent of our problem is from the spending," said Tim Millar, also a new candidate for the board. "We have to have a budget that is in line with our revenue."
He believes a tax-rate increase could have been avoided if the district budgeted adequately over the years.
Those opposed to the increase are also quick to point out that retired Superintendent John Conyers received a yearly pension of about $183,000 when he left in 2003.
Dave Sieben, a challenger candidate and co-chair of the citizens group, believes voters should separate their issues with the board from the decision to have a tax-rate increase.
"I get the feeling that there's an undercurrent of animosity toward the school board," he said. "Really, what it comes down to is that it's apparent if the referendum fails that education programs will take a step backward."
He said he recommends that anyone who feels that current board members have done a bad job should vote out those members in April, but support the tax-rate increase in the meantime.
Candidates currently on the school board defend their financial track record and their decision to ask for the tax-rate increase because they feel they've done their best to control spending.
"The district, over the last several years, has more than kept its commitment to keep fiscally responsible," said Laura Crane, a current board member up for re-election.
The district asked for their last tax-rate increase, to go toward the educational fund, in the 1990s.
They were never able to reach that requested tax rate of 2.51 percent because of a mandated tax cap.
"We were never able to get to the tax rate that we were authorized, so we have been as responsible as we could," Crane said.
The district has cut $13 million over the last three years, including administrator positions, which they believe have had the least amount of effect in the classrooms as possible.
"You can always do more belt tightening, but the question is how much is it going to affect the classrooms?" said Edward Yung, also an incumbent.
The incumbents also support the contract they have negotiated with teachers in the past.
"You get what you pay for," Yung said. "If you've got great teachers, how are you going to keep them here?"
Current board members also point out that many of the students in the district come from a non-English speaking background, making it harder for teachers to bring them up to a certain level. The district also has lofty goals of making sure 90 percent of their students meet or exceed state standards.
"The results of the district, the results of the children's tests and the results of the children's achievement show we have an extremely high quality staff," current board President Louis Sands said.
He and Nancy Carlson, an incumbent running for re-election, also blame the state Legislature for the way the schools are funded.
"The way funding is set up in Illinois, unfortunately the homeowner has to take that burden," Carlson said.
The board has spent some time lobbying state legislators to change the way Illinois' schools are funded, and Carlson ran her campaign four years ago on the platform that the school would soon need a tax-rate increase.
The board members also blame tax increment finance districts in the towns they cater to, including Palatine and Rolling Meadows, for not increasing their funds.
However, they say one of their major problems is the amount of taxes they're required to return when someone appeals a tax assessment.
"Nobody could have foreseen the amount of money that could come out of current revenues by past mistakes of the tax assessor," Sands said.
Those opposing the tax-rate increase say that the district could have anticipated some of that cost in their budget.
Another major factor in terms of salary is the district's practice to give teachers a 20 percent raise in their last three years as an incentive to retire early.
The idea is to save money by hiring new teachers at lower wages after high-income teachers retire.
But Keenan said studies she has looked at show that teachers don't need that incentive to retire early.
"They're retiring at the same age anyway," she said.
And even though the district residents won't be paying that salary any longer, she said, the taxpayers will eventually have to reach into their pockets to pay into the state's pension funds.
Many candidates in school board races join chorus of voices weighing in
Originally published Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
With just days left before voters decide on a tax-rate increase question for Palatine Township Elementary District 15, both sides are making last-minute efforts to get their views across.
And many of the eight candidates in April's election for four open school board seats are using the tax-rate increase as a platform. The referendum will be voted on this Tuesday, during the primary election.
Although most of the candidates agree that District 15 needs the 48-cent tax-rate increase, some question financial decisions the board has made in past years.
"One of my main concerns is, of course, financial accountability," candidate Wendy Rowden said. "I do think that in order to maintain a high quality of education and to have a well-functioning district, you can't spend more than you're taking in."
However, Rowden has also been working with Active Citizens Helping Invest in Educational Values and Excellence, a citizens group urging voters to approve the tax-rate increase.
"I think we definitely need some changes, but I don't want those changes on the backs of my children or anybody's children," she said.
If the increase passes Tuesday, district officials have said they will phase it in by 14 cents for the first year, eventually reaching the 48-cent increase by the end of five years.
The district estimates the tax-rate increase will cost the owner of a $300,000 home about $370 a year. However, Northwest Tax Watch, a local tax watchdog group, estimates an increase of $1,020 for that same homeowner.
If the tax-rate increase fails, officials have laid out a list of $12 million in cuts, which include teacher positions and some extracurricular activities.
Kelly Keenan, a challenger in the school board elections, said she believes the current seven board members have been irresponsible with the money they had to work with.
"There's a staggering deficit gap between revenue growth and expenditure growth," she said. "I'm hesitant to support this referendum because I think we need better leadership in there before we pass it."
She said her major concern lies with teacher salaries, which have been raised by a greater percentage than the district's income growth.
"I'd love to give teachers (more money), but we don't have the money to pay for it," she said.
Those who oppose the tax-rate increase have used www.thechampion.org as a major proponent of their opinion. The Web site includes a database that lists the salaries of all the teachers in the district.
The data shows that many teachers could get a 6 percent increase in their salary next year, but the school's income is tied by law to the consumer price index, which is expected to go up 1.9 percent next year.
Opponents of a tax-rate increase argue that since salary costs make up about 80 percent of the educational fund, the district should negotiate the teachers contract based on the knowledge that their income will increase only by the index.
"One hundred percent of our problem is from the spending," said Tim Millar, also a new candidate for the board. "We have to have a budget that is in line with our revenue."
He believes a tax-rate increase could have been avoided if the district budgeted adequately over the years.
Those opposed to the increase are also quick to point out that retired Superintendent John Conyers received a yearly pension of about $183,000 when he left in 2003.
Dave Sieben, a challenger candidate and co-chair of the citizens group, believes voters should separate their issues with the board from the decision to have a tax-rate increase.
"I get the feeling that there's an undercurrent of animosity toward the school board," he said. "Really, what it comes down to is that it's apparent if the referendum fails that education programs will take a step backward."
He said he recommends that anyone who feels that current board members have done a bad job should vote out those members in April, but support the tax-rate increase in the meantime.
Candidates currently on the school board defend their financial track record and their decision to ask for the tax-rate increase because they feel they've done their best to control spending.
"The district, over the last several years, has more than kept its commitment to keep fiscally responsible," said Laura Crane, a current board member up for re-election.
The district asked for their last tax-rate increase, to go toward the educational fund, in the 1990s.
They were never able to reach that requested tax rate of 2.51 percent because of a mandated tax cap.
"We were never able to get to the tax rate that we were authorized, so we have been as responsible as we could," Crane said.
The district has cut $13 million over the last three years, including administrator positions, which they believe have had the least amount of effect in the classrooms as possible.
"You can always do more belt tightening, but the question is how much is it going to affect the classrooms?" said Edward Yung, also an incumbent.
The incumbents also support the contract they have negotiated with teachers in the past.
"You get what you pay for," Yung said. "If you've got great teachers, how are you going to keep them here?"
Current board members also point out that many of the students in the district come from a non-English speaking background, making it harder for teachers to bring them up to a certain level. The district also has lofty goals of making sure 90 percent of their students meet or exceed state standards.
"The results of the district, the results of the children's tests and the results of the children's achievement show we have an extremely high quality staff," current board President Louis Sands said.
He and Nancy Carlson, an incumbent running for re-election, also blame the state Legislature for the way the schools are funded.
"The way funding is set up in Illinois, unfortunately the homeowner has to take that burden," Carlson said.
The board has spent some time lobbying state legislators to change the way Illinois' schools are funded, and Carlson ran her campaign four years ago on the platform that the school would soon need a tax-rate increase.
The board members also blame tax increment finance districts in the towns they cater to, including Palatine and Rolling Meadows, for not increasing their funds.
However, they say one of their major problems is the amount of taxes they're required to return when someone appeals a tax assessment.
"Nobody could have foreseen the amount of money that could come out of current revenues by past mistakes of the tax assessor," Sands said.
Those opposing the tax-rate increase say that the district could have anticipated some of that cost in their budget.
Another major factor in terms of salary is the district's practice to give teachers a 20 percent raise in their last three years as an incentive to retire early.
The idea is to save money by hiring new teachers at lower wages after high-income teachers retire.
But Keenan said studies she has looked at show that teachers don't need that incentive to retire early.
"They're retiring at the same age anyway," she said.
And even though the district residents won't be paying that salary any longer, she said, the taxpayers will eventually have to reach into their pockets to pay into the state's pension funds.
Residents air smoke ban views
Residents air smoke ban views
Buffalo Grove goes smoke free starting in October
Originally published Wednesday, April 19, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Moonsook Takahashi is relieved that she'll now have some legal backing to tell the young smokers who loiter around her restaurant to move away.
A day after the village of Buffalo Grove passed a smoking ban, Takahashi spoke of the issue inside her husband's Masa's Sushi restaurant, part of the village's Town Center.
"I don't like smoke," she said. "I think it's a very good idea."
She said those who spend time at the nearby eSkape bowling alley often wander over to the restaurant and smoke outside. Starting in October, they must be 20 feet away from any public entrance.
Many restaurant owners agree with Takahashi and supported the village in banning smoking, but some, mostly restaurants with an attached bar, are concerned their business will be adversely affected.
Bill Feldgreber, the owner of eSkape, was the lone voice speaking against a smoking ban at the village's meeting Monday.
He said many other towns with similar ordinances exempt bowling alleys. He said since the rest of the entertainment facility is already smoke-free, the bar area - where he gets much of his income - should allow smokers.
Philip Angelos, owner of Teddy's Kitchen and Tap, agrees with that sentiment.
His restaurant has a cordoned-off section saved just for smokers. That bar area also has special ventilation, he said.
"I'm outraged," he said. "I'd hope that (the separated bar) would be enough for the village."
However, on Tuesday, Trustee Jeff Braiman, the head of an ad hoc committee that studied the ban, said the group considered excluding bars.
"Not everybody who goes to the bar smokes," he said. "Just because of the fact that it's self-contained, people still have the effects of the smoke."
The village heard more support than dissent in its discussions on the ban, Braiman said, and that is reflected in the restaurant community as well.
The Buffalo Restaurant restricted smoking of its own accord at the beginning of the year.
"We felt that we were jeopardizing our health," said Fay Katsogianos, part-owner. "It wasn't an easy decision, but it hasn't affected our business."
Amy Anders and Caryn Hollander, both village residents who visit The Buffalo at least once a week, said they love not having to smell smoke when they sit down to eat.
Hollander said she'd rather not expose her children to a cloud of smoke if she can prevent it.
"It definitely is a perk," she said.
Although the smoking ban was unanimously voted in Monday, it won't go into effect until Oct. 1. Trustee Jeff Berman asked for that extension - from the originally proposed date of July 1 - to allow for other towns to follow suit.
"It's somewhat of a compromise to hopefully placate and understand the businesses," Braiman said.
Facts about the Buffalo Grove smoking ban
- Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed public places, including restaurants and places of employment. There is no exemption for nursing homes, bars or open-air restaurants, although those were considered. Hotels, however, may designate 10 percent of their rooms for smokers.
- Smoking also is prohibited within 20 feet of a public entrance, window or ventilation system.
- Although the village decided against a ban on smoking outdoors in public, the park district already has its own rules on the books that prohibit lighting up in district-owned parks.
- The ordinance will go into effect Oct. 1 to give other towns in the area a chance to consider their own bans so that Buffalo Grove businesses will not be adversely affected.
- Anyone caught violating the ban can be punished with a fine of $50. Those who own or operate a public space also are punishable by the same amount. Suspension or revocation of a permit or license also is possible.
Buffalo Grove goes smoke free starting in October
Originally published Wednesday, April 19, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Moonsook Takahashi is relieved that she'll now have some legal backing to tell the young smokers who loiter around her restaurant to move away.
A day after the village of Buffalo Grove passed a smoking ban, Takahashi spoke of the issue inside her husband's Masa's Sushi restaurant, part of the village's Town Center.
"I don't like smoke," she said. "I think it's a very good idea."
She said those who spend time at the nearby eSkape bowling alley often wander over to the restaurant and smoke outside. Starting in October, they must be 20 feet away from any public entrance.
Many restaurant owners agree with Takahashi and supported the village in banning smoking, but some, mostly restaurants with an attached bar, are concerned their business will be adversely affected.
Bill Feldgreber, the owner of eSkape, was the lone voice speaking against a smoking ban at the village's meeting Monday.
He said many other towns with similar ordinances exempt bowling alleys. He said since the rest of the entertainment facility is already smoke-free, the bar area - where he gets much of his income - should allow smokers.
Philip Angelos, owner of Teddy's Kitchen and Tap, agrees with that sentiment.
His restaurant has a cordoned-off section saved just for smokers. That bar area also has special ventilation, he said.
"I'm outraged," he said. "I'd hope that (the separated bar) would be enough for the village."
However, on Tuesday, Trustee Jeff Braiman, the head of an ad hoc committee that studied the ban, said the group considered excluding bars.
"Not everybody who goes to the bar smokes," he said. "Just because of the fact that it's self-contained, people still have the effects of the smoke."
The village heard more support than dissent in its discussions on the ban, Braiman said, and that is reflected in the restaurant community as well.
The Buffalo Restaurant restricted smoking of its own accord at the beginning of the year.
"We felt that we were jeopardizing our health," said Fay Katsogianos, part-owner. "It wasn't an easy decision, but it hasn't affected our business."
Amy Anders and Caryn Hollander, both village residents who visit The Buffalo at least once a week, said they love not having to smell smoke when they sit down to eat.
Hollander said she'd rather not expose her children to a cloud of smoke if she can prevent it.
"It definitely is a perk," she said.
Although the smoking ban was unanimously voted in Monday, it won't go into effect until Oct. 1. Trustee Jeff Berman asked for that extension - from the originally proposed date of July 1 - to allow for other towns to follow suit.
"It's somewhat of a compromise to hopefully placate and understand the businesses," Braiman said.
Facts about the Buffalo Grove smoking ban
- Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed public places, including restaurants and places of employment. There is no exemption for nursing homes, bars or open-air restaurants, although those were considered. Hotels, however, may designate 10 percent of their rooms for smokers.
- Smoking also is prohibited within 20 feet of a public entrance, window or ventilation system.
- Although the village decided against a ban on smoking outdoors in public, the park district already has its own rules on the books that prohibit lighting up in district-owned parks.
- The ordinance will go into effect Oct. 1 to give other towns in the area a chance to consider their own bans so that Buffalo Grove businesses will not be adversely affected.
- Anyone caught violating the ban can be punished with a fine of $50. Those who own or operate a public space also are punishable by the same amount. Suspension or revocation of a permit or license also is possible.
Buffalo Grove board OKs ban on smoking
Buffalo Grove board OKs ban on smoking
But concerns linger over effect on business community
Originally published Tuesday, April 18, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
By this fall, the village of Buffalo Grove will officially be smoke-free.
The village board on Monday unanimously agreed to pass a smoking ban in all office buildings and restaurants.
But because neighboring towns don't have a ban, concern lingered Monday over the effect on the business community.
Trustee Jeff Berman proposed starting the ban on Oct. 1 instead of July 1 - which the board agreed to - because that would give other Lake County towns considering a ban time to move forward.
"I continue to believe that the best interests of our village would be served if we were part of a broader regulatory umbrella that helps to avoid, to the greatest extent possible, adverse impacts on all of our interests," he said.
The board also voted on a resolution encouraging state and regional action, which will be sent to state representatives and Cook and Lake county towns along with a letter from Village President Elliott Hartstein.
In his letter, he wrote that a statewide ban would be most effective but "since it does not appear likely that the General Assembly will act, I would urge you to look at the Buffalo Grove ordinance as a model."
The smoking ban has been on the village back burner for a few years but the issue was brought to the forefront after the OMNI youth group took up the cause.
The village's health board researched the topic last May and Trustee Brian Rubin proposed an ordinance in February.
The village organized a committee to look at a possible ban which met four times over the past month. The 18-member group made up of trustees, residents and business owners ironed out many of the details. Ultimately all places of business, restaurants and bars were included. Hotels will be allowed to have 10 percent of their rooms designated for smoking.
The group also decided to restrict smoking within 20 feet of any public entrance.
The committee received public input via a forum in March and online comments.
Trustee Jeff Braiman, who headed up the committee, said about 90 percent of the 400 responses were in support of the ban. The sentiment was, "we need to do something," he said.
But concerns linger over effect on business community
Originally published Tuesday, April 18, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
By this fall, the village of Buffalo Grove will officially be smoke-free.
The village board on Monday unanimously agreed to pass a smoking ban in all office buildings and restaurants.
But because neighboring towns don't have a ban, concern lingered Monday over the effect on the business community.
Trustee Jeff Berman proposed starting the ban on Oct. 1 instead of July 1 - which the board agreed to - because that would give other Lake County towns considering a ban time to move forward.
"I continue to believe that the best interests of our village would be served if we were part of a broader regulatory umbrella that helps to avoid, to the greatest extent possible, adverse impacts on all of our interests," he said.
The board also voted on a resolution encouraging state and regional action, which will be sent to state representatives and Cook and Lake county towns along with a letter from Village President Elliott Hartstein.
In his letter, he wrote that a statewide ban would be most effective but "since it does not appear likely that the General Assembly will act, I would urge you to look at the Buffalo Grove ordinance as a model."
The smoking ban has been on the village back burner for a few years but the issue was brought to the forefront after the OMNI youth group took up the cause.
The village's health board researched the topic last May and Trustee Brian Rubin proposed an ordinance in February.
The village organized a committee to look at a possible ban which met four times over the past month. The 18-member group made up of trustees, residents and business owners ironed out many of the details. Ultimately all places of business, restaurants and bars were included. Hotels will be allowed to have 10 percent of their rooms designated for smoking.
The group also decided to restrict smoking within 20 feet of any public entrance.
The committee received public input via a forum in March and online comments.
Trustee Jeff Braiman, who headed up the committee, said about 90 percent of the 400 responses were in support of the ban. The sentiment was, "we need to do something," he said.
Change sends Metra outcry to next stop
Change sends Metra outcry to next stop
Originally published Friday, Sept. 15, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
An hour of her time so Buffalo Grove riders can shave five minutes off their commutes doesn't seem like a fair trade to Michele Gregory.
But that may be the reality for Gregory and other suburb-to-suburb commuters who use the North Central Line to get to work and back again.
Gregory travels from Mundelein to Itasca each day, using River Grove as the transfer point between the North Central Line and the Milwaukee District West line.
Until Monday, her trip home took 90 minutes. Now, it takes 2 1/2 hours.
On Monday, Metra tweaked the North Central schedule to offer express service. To create the express trains, one commuter train in the morning and one in the evening was eliminated - each split into two trains that make alternate stops along the route.
But none of the express trains stops in River Grove.
"That stop is touted as a transfer option," complained Robert Rosenkranz, a Round Lake Beach resident who also changes trains at River Grove. "How they can eliminate that, I'm not sure."
For Gregory, it meant that on her way home, she sat at the River Grove station an hour and 20 minutes waiting for her train north. She boarded the train in Itasca at 4:39 p.m. and got off in Mundelein at 7:07 p.m.
"One of the reasons we agreed to move to Mundelein when we got married is that I would still be able to get to work without driving," she said. "The first thing I did was check the Metra schedule."
Robert Gilb moved from North Carolina to Lake Villa to work at Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago.
"It was based on my ability to get to work in a reasonable amount of time," he said.
As it is, Gilb leaves work at 4:30 p.m. to catch the 4:46 p.m. train from River Grove to Antioch. If he works late or is caught in traffic, he has to cool his heels and wait for the 6:20 p.m. train.
Eric Strong of Grayslake said he has to keep his fingers crossed on a daily basis that his bus won't be late so he can just make the train.
Metra officials have said the new schedule released Monday is likely not the final one. But even if a new timetable is released in the next month, there is no guarantee that the River Grove stop will be added back during the 5 p.m. rush hour.
"We're severely limited based on the amount of the freight traffic on the line as to what we can do there," said Meg Reile, a spokeswoman for Metra.
The service was changed in the first place after the double-tracking of the line in January. Although more trains were added to the North Central line, Buffalo Grove residents said the timings became even more inconvenient.
Buffalo Grove village Trustee Jeff Berman, a regular commuter to downtown Chicago, pushed for changes to the schedule with the backing of the village, state Rep. Sidney Mathias and Congressman Mark Kirk.
Even the new schedule, Berman said, still doesn't address many of Buffalo Grove riders' concerns. The problems of the River Grove commuters appear to be symptomatic of the general dissatisfaction with the schedule.
"The problem is that Metra hasn't really addressed any of the issues with the schedule," Berman said.
For example, the last train out of Buffalo Grove in the morning is at 7:27 a.m., which is too early for many commuters who have to drop children off at school, Berman said.
Plus, that train often sits in Franklin Park for 10 or so minutes because of cross traffic, Berman said.
Metra, meanwhile, said it's tough to change the schedule because Canadian National owns the line.
"We're not as free as we are at other points in the system to make adjustments," Reile said.
Metra has no immediate plans to have an express train stop at River Grove, Reile said.
"When we looked at the changes we were able to make, the benefit was to a greater number of riders," Reile said. "We had to look at what trains we could make to serve the greatest number of people."
That doesn't leave too many options for Gregory, whose husband will pick her up from work now so she isn't arriving home at 7:15 p.m.
"If they want to get more cars off the road, this isn't helping because this is going to cause one more car to get on the road," she said.
Originally published Friday, Sept. 15, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
An hour of her time so Buffalo Grove riders can shave five minutes off their commutes doesn't seem like a fair trade to Michele Gregory.
But that may be the reality for Gregory and other suburb-to-suburb commuters who use the North Central Line to get to work and back again.
Gregory travels from Mundelein to Itasca each day, using River Grove as the transfer point between the North Central Line and the Milwaukee District West line.
Until Monday, her trip home took 90 minutes. Now, it takes 2 1/2 hours.
On Monday, Metra tweaked the North Central schedule to offer express service. To create the express trains, one commuter train in the morning and one in the evening was eliminated - each split into two trains that make alternate stops along the route.
But none of the express trains stops in River Grove.
"That stop is touted as a transfer option," complained Robert Rosenkranz, a Round Lake Beach resident who also changes trains at River Grove. "How they can eliminate that, I'm not sure."
For Gregory, it meant that on her way home, she sat at the River Grove station an hour and 20 minutes waiting for her train north. She boarded the train in Itasca at 4:39 p.m. and got off in Mundelein at 7:07 p.m.
"One of the reasons we agreed to move to Mundelein when we got married is that I would still be able to get to work without driving," she said. "The first thing I did was check the Metra schedule."
Robert Gilb moved from North Carolina to Lake Villa to work at Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago.
"It was based on my ability to get to work in a reasonable amount of time," he said.
As it is, Gilb leaves work at 4:30 p.m. to catch the 4:46 p.m. train from River Grove to Antioch. If he works late or is caught in traffic, he has to cool his heels and wait for the 6:20 p.m. train.
Eric Strong of Grayslake said he has to keep his fingers crossed on a daily basis that his bus won't be late so he can just make the train.
Metra officials have said the new schedule released Monday is likely not the final one. But even if a new timetable is released in the next month, there is no guarantee that the River Grove stop will be added back during the 5 p.m. rush hour.
"We're severely limited based on the amount of the freight traffic on the line as to what we can do there," said Meg Reile, a spokeswoman for Metra.
The service was changed in the first place after the double-tracking of the line in January. Although more trains were added to the North Central line, Buffalo Grove residents said the timings became even more inconvenient.
Buffalo Grove village Trustee Jeff Berman, a regular commuter to downtown Chicago, pushed for changes to the schedule with the backing of the village, state Rep. Sidney Mathias and Congressman Mark Kirk.
Even the new schedule, Berman said, still doesn't address many of Buffalo Grove riders' concerns. The problems of the River Grove commuters appear to be symptomatic of the general dissatisfaction with the schedule.
"The problem is that Metra hasn't really addressed any of the issues with the schedule," Berman said.
For example, the last train out of Buffalo Grove in the morning is at 7:27 a.m., which is too early for many commuters who have to drop children off at school, Berman said.
Plus, that train often sits in Franklin Park for 10 or so minutes because of cross traffic, Berman said.
Metra, meanwhile, said it's tough to change the schedule because Canadian National owns the line.
"We're not as free as we are at other points in the system to make adjustments," Reile said.
Metra has no immediate plans to have an express train stop at River Grove, Reile said.
"When we looked at the changes we were able to make, the benefit was to a greater number of riders," Reile said. "We had to look at what trains we could make to serve the greatest number of people."
That doesn't leave too many options for Gregory, whose husband will pick her up from work now so she isn't arriving home at 7:15 p.m.
"If they want to get more cars off the road, this isn't helping because this is going to cause one more car to get on the road," she said.
Squeaky wheels win one
Squeaky wheels win one
Metra tweaks N. Central times to address commuter complaints
Originally published Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Starting Monday, Metra will add the express trains to the North Central Line that commuters have been asking for since an expansion of the service earlier this year.
At a news conference Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a Highland Park Republican, announced Metra will split one of its morning inbound trains and one evening outbound train to make two express trains going each way during the week.
The four trains will make alternating stops to and from Chicago to offer a quicker commute.
One train in the morning, for example, will leave Antioch at 6:45 a.m. It will stop in Round Lake Beach, Prairie Crossing, Vernon Hills, Buffalo Grove, Prospect Heights and O'Hare and end at Chicago's Union Station at 8:11 a.m.
The second express will leave Lake Villa at 6:44 a.m. and stop in Grayslake, Mundelein, Prairie View, Wheeling and O'Hare before getting to Chicago at 8:03 a.m.
The other nine inbound and outbound trains largely will keep their current schedules.
Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano said the 6:28 a.m. inbound train and the 5 p.m. outbound train were chosen for the split because they account for a large number of commuters.
Kirk said that for Buffalo Grove residents, an inbound express train saves 9 minutes and the outbound train saves 5 minutes.
"It's almost 80 hours a year saved in commuting time," he said.
Buffalo Grove has a vested interest in improving the North Central Line commute because increased use of the train line will mean an increase in economic development for the village.
"This is clearly an asset for our community," Village President Elliott Harstein said of the express lines.
But Buffalo Grove Trustee Jeff Berman said that while the express trains are a step in the right direction, he would like to see more changes from Metra.
"We need to make sure that this is not the end of the process," he said. "We all benefit when we get cars off the road."
Berman has been an outspoken critic of the double-tracking expansion of the line since the new schedule made its debut in January.
Other Buffalo Grove residents have also made their voices heard through two forums held by Kirk and state Rep. Sid Mathias, a Buffalo Grove Republican.
Residents have said the changes in the schedule have made the trains less convenient and have actually increased commutes.
Berman said Metra originally promised 22 trains but delivered only 19, since he doesn't consider one of the trains on the line an addition because it doesn't travel through most of the towns on the line.
Riders also have continued their complaints of trains not running on schedule, which adds to their commute times.
"I will not stop advocating on behalf of the commuters," Berman said. "This is a good start; I look forward to the next step."
Metra and Canadian National Railroad officials said additional trains could be added; an announcement on that could come at the end of October.
"We want to look especially at the 5:31 train, a critical train," Kirk said, since many commuters also make their way home around that time.
Metra tweaks N. Central times to address commuter complaints
Originally published Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Starting Monday, Metra will add the express trains to the North Central Line that commuters have been asking for since an expansion of the service earlier this year.
At a news conference Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a Highland Park Republican, announced Metra will split one of its morning inbound trains and one evening outbound train to make two express trains going each way during the week.
The four trains will make alternating stops to and from Chicago to offer a quicker commute.
One train in the morning, for example, will leave Antioch at 6:45 a.m. It will stop in Round Lake Beach, Prairie Crossing, Vernon Hills, Buffalo Grove, Prospect Heights and O'Hare and end at Chicago's Union Station at 8:11 a.m.
The second express will leave Lake Villa at 6:44 a.m. and stop in Grayslake, Mundelein, Prairie View, Wheeling and O'Hare before getting to Chicago at 8:03 a.m.
The other nine inbound and outbound trains largely will keep their current schedules.
Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano said the 6:28 a.m. inbound train and the 5 p.m. outbound train were chosen for the split because they account for a large number of commuters.
Kirk said that for Buffalo Grove residents, an inbound express train saves 9 minutes and the outbound train saves 5 minutes.
"It's almost 80 hours a year saved in commuting time," he said.
Buffalo Grove has a vested interest in improving the North Central Line commute because increased use of the train line will mean an increase in economic development for the village.
"This is clearly an asset for our community," Village President Elliott Harstein said of the express lines.
But Buffalo Grove Trustee Jeff Berman said that while the express trains are a step in the right direction, he would like to see more changes from Metra.
"We need to make sure that this is not the end of the process," he said. "We all benefit when we get cars off the road."
Berman has been an outspoken critic of the double-tracking expansion of the line since the new schedule made its debut in January.
Other Buffalo Grove residents have also made their voices heard through two forums held by Kirk and state Rep. Sid Mathias, a Buffalo Grove Republican.
Residents have said the changes in the schedule have made the trains less convenient and have actually increased commutes.
Berman said Metra originally promised 22 trains but delivered only 19, since he doesn't consider one of the trains on the line an addition because it doesn't travel through most of the towns on the line.
Riders also have continued their complaints of trains not running on schedule, which adds to their commute times.
"I will not stop advocating on behalf of the commuters," Berman said. "This is a good start; I look forward to the next step."
Metra and Canadian National Railroad officials said additional trains could be added; an announcement on that could come at the end of October.
"We want to look especially at the 5:31 train, a critical train," Kirk said, since many commuters also make their way home around that time.
Metra officials still searching for North Central solution
Metra officials still searching for North Central solution
Originally published Tuesday, May 9, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Buffalo Grove commuters who waited three months for some answers on a new Metra schedule will have to wait a little longer for some real change.
Metra officials, however, did, on Monday, outline a few possibilities for additional train service on the North Central Line.
Metra recently expanded service on the line from 10 to 20 trains, but many commuters who ride the service from Buffalo Grove said the times have become more inconvenient, especially during rush hour. There also have been complaints that the commute times have actually increased.
State Rep. Sid Mathias held a meeting in March to hear concerns and U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk held a forum Monday to outline the next steps.
Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano said he and Kirk will be meeting with Canadian National railroad officials to work out a deal. Canadian National owns the train tracks.
"We all have the same objectives in mind," he said.
Pagano said, for now, Metra is proposing additional trains during peak travel times in the morning and evening as well as a midmorning train.
Pagano said there have also be discussions with Canadian National officials over express trains that will hit some of the busier stations, including Vernon Hills and Buffalo Grove, and leave out stops such as Rosemont and Franklin Park, where, many times, no commuters are waiting.
Pagano said they also will try to include additional outbound trains in the morning and evening.
"There are several proposals on the table," he said.
He said a new schedule could be possible within 60 or 90 days, depending on how talks with Canadian National go.
"We all need to be reasonable (on a time frame)," he said. "We will work as hard as we can."
Buffalo Grove Trustee Jeff Berman, who rides the North Central Line and has been pushing since January for a change, said he's satisfied that Metra and Kirk are attempting to tackle the problem.
"I think it's a demonstrable, substantial step in the right direction," he said.
However, Berman said he would have been happier with a definite timetable to improve the problem.
"I'll have to take them at their word that they will move forward on this," he said.
Originally published Tuesday, May 9, 2006
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Buffalo Grove commuters who waited three months for some answers on a new Metra schedule will have to wait a little longer for some real change.
Metra officials, however, did, on Monday, outline a few possibilities for additional train service on the North Central Line.
Metra recently expanded service on the line from 10 to 20 trains, but many commuters who ride the service from Buffalo Grove said the times have become more inconvenient, especially during rush hour. There also have been complaints that the commute times have actually increased.
State Rep. Sid Mathias held a meeting in March to hear concerns and U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk held a forum Monday to outline the next steps.
Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano said he and Kirk will be meeting with Canadian National railroad officials to work out a deal. Canadian National owns the train tracks.
"We all have the same objectives in mind," he said.
Pagano said, for now, Metra is proposing additional trains during peak travel times in the morning and evening as well as a midmorning train.
Pagano said there have also be discussions with Canadian National officials over express trains that will hit some of the busier stations, including Vernon Hills and Buffalo Grove, and leave out stops such as Rosemont and Franklin Park, where, many times, no commuters are waiting.
Pagano said they also will try to include additional outbound trains in the morning and evening.
"There are several proposals on the table," he said.
He said a new schedule could be possible within 60 or 90 days, depending on how talks with Canadian National go.
"We all need to be reasonable (on a time frame)," he said. "We will work as hard as we can."
Buffalo Grove Trustee Jeff Berman, who rides the North Central Line and has been pushing since January for a change, said he's satisfied that Metra and Kirk are attempting to tackle the problem.
"I think it's a demonstrable, substantial step in the right direction," he said.
However, Berman said he would have been happier with a definite timetable to improve the problem.
"I'll have to take them at their word that they will move forward on this," he said.
No more meals for the masses
No more meals for the masses
Wheeling man ordered to quit roasting pigs
Originally published Friday, Feb. 15, 2008
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
A Wheeling man whose pig roasting attracted national attention after he was cited by village officials lost his case in court Thursday.
A judge ordered Amante Enad to stop roasting pigs for the masses since he is not licensed to do so.
Judge Joel Greenblatt said Enad will have to pay a $1,000 fine if he violates that order between now and his next hearing in September.
"At least it's all over," Enad said after the hearing Thursday afternoon at the Rolling Meadows courthouse. "I'm happy that it's all over."
Wheeling has been dealing with an influx of phone calls and e-mail messages since the story hit news outlets last week; many worried that officials had become some sort of barbecue police.
Several Philippine language newspaper and television representatives were on hand to cover Thursday's hearing because of the interest the story had garnered in that community.
Enad was officially written two citations on Jan. 25, but the whole situation has been ongoing since last year.
Serena Fried, a Wheeling health inspector, testified in court that the village received a complaint against Enad last July. Inspectors were back in August, and each time, Fried said, they noticed five roasters on Enad's property, which seemed to indicate a business.
Inspectors "explained that he was not allowed to serve food to the public," Fried said, on each of the occasions they visited the property in July, August and December.
In November, Beverly Slaby, also a health inspector for the village, said she found a roasted pig at Oriental Market in Wheeling during a routine inspection and saw that it was on sale. The owner said Enad had given him the pig to sell.
At that point, Enad signed a handwritten letter stating that he would cook only for his family and not the public.
However, he said in court that he gave the pig to his friend Norman Nunag, the owner of the market, and did not know it was going to be sold.
In January, the village found that Enad had cooked three pigs at one time for a Philippine fiesta at a church in Glenview. Two citations -- for running a business in a residential neighborhood and for catering food for mass consumption -- were issued to Enad after that point.
"Any time the public is served, we regulate it," Fried said.
Enad argued that he had asked about regulations for cooking for the public, and he was told he could cook for a church potluck.
"I'm not catering," he said, maintaining that he never asked for money for his food.
Enad said he wanted to continue his Filipino tradition of making lechon, or roast pork.
"We bring food that is cooked in our house," he said. "Why am I not allowed to do that?"
However, Steven Handler, prosecutor for the village, said the point is not to stop Enad from being able to practice his rights and traditions.
"We have a non-licensed, non-approved person cooking on a multiple of occasions food consumed by the public," Handler said. "The issue is the safety."
Greenblatt said the village has a right and duty to protect its residents from unauthorized preparation of food.
"I want you to celebrate your traditions; they're wonderful traditions," he said. "You cannot do it on such a mass scale in the manner in which you're doing it."
Greenblatt said Enad can still cook for his family, but any notion of catering from his home, even if he's not charging for his services, is prohibited.
"I'm sure you're a great cook," he said. "You must no longer engage in this enterprise."
Greenblatt said that if Enad has no other violations until Sept. 8, he will not have to pay the $1,000 fine.
Handler said the village's intent in prosecuting Enad was never to garner money from him.
"We just wanted it stopped," he said.
In a prepared statement, Wheeling officials said they were happy with the decision.
"At no time were the actions of the village personal with respect to Mr. Enad, his ethnic background or his religious beliefs," the statement said. "The village inspectors completely performed the duties of their job, which is to enforce state and local health codes."
After the hearing, Enad said he will continue to cook for his family.
"The worst thing would be if I could not cook any more," he said.
Wheeling man ordered to quit roasting pigs
Originally published Friday, Feb. 15, 2008
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
A Wheeling man whose pig roasting attracted national attention after he was cited by village officials lost his case in court Thursday.
A judge ordered Amante Enad to stop roasting pigs for the masses since he is not licensed to do so.
Judge Joel Greenblatt said Enad will have to pay a $1,000 fine if he violates that order between now and his next hearing in September.
"At least it's all over," Enad said after the hearing Thursday afternoon at the Rolling Meadows courthouse. "I'm happy that it's all over."
Wheeling has been dealing with an influx of phone calls and e-mail messages since the story hit news outlets last week; many worried that officials had become some sort of barbecue police.
Several Philippine language newspaper and television representatives were on hand to cover Thursday's hearing because of the interest the story had garnered in that community.
Enad was officially written two citations on Jan. 25, but the whole situation has been ongoing since last year.
Serena Fried, a Wheeling health inspector, testified in court that the village received a complaint against Enad last July. Inspectors were back in August, and each time, Fried said, they noticed five roasters on Enad's property, which seemed to indicate a business.
Inspectors "explained that he was not allowed to serve food to the public," Fried said, on each of the occasions they visited the property in July, August and December.
In November, Beverly Slaby, also a health inspector for the village, said she found a roasted pig at Oriental Market in Wheeling during a routine inspection and saw that it was on sale. The owner said Enad had given him the pig to sell.
At that point, Enad signed a handwritten letter stating that he would cook only for his family and not the public.
However, he said in court that he gave the pig to his friend Norman Nunag, the owner of the market, and did not know it was going to be sold.
In January, the village found that Enad had cooked three pigs at one time for a Philippine fiesta at a church in Glenview. Two citations -- for running a business in a residential neighborhood and for catering food for mass consumption -- were issued to Enad after that point.
"Any time the public is served, we regulate it," Fried said.
Enad argued that he had asked about regulations for cooking for the public, and he was told he could cook for a church potluck.
"I'm not catering," he said, maintaining that he never asked for money for his food.
Enad said he wanted to continue his Filipino tradition of making lechon, or roast pork.
"We bring food that is cooked in our house," he said. "Why am I not allowed to do that?"
However, Steven Handler, prosecutor for the village, said the point is not to stop Enad from being able to practice his rights and traditions.
"We have a non-licensed, non-approved person cooking on a multiple of occasions food consumed by the public," Handler said. "The issue is the safety."
Greenblatt said the village has a right and duty to protect its residents from unauthorized preparation of food.
"I want you to celebrate your traditions; they're wonderful traditions," he said. "You cannot do it on such a mass scale in the manner in which you're doing it."
Greenblatt said Enad can still cook for his family, but any notion of catering from his home, even if he's not charging for his services, is prohibited.
"I'm sure you're a great cook," he said. "You must no longer engage in this enterprise."
Greenblatt said that if Enad has no other violations until Sept. 8, he will not have to pay the $1,000 fine.
Handler said the village's intent in prosecuting Enad was never to garner money from him.
"We just wanted it stopped," he said.
In a prepared statement, Wheeling officials said they were happy with the decision.
"At no time were the actions of the village personal with respect to Mr. Enad, his ethnic background or his religious beliefs," the statement said. "The village inspectors completely performed the duties of their job, which is to enforce state and local health codes."
After the hearing, Enad said he will continue to cook for his family.
"The worst thing would be if I could not cook any more," he said.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Wheeling defends stand on pig roasts
Wheeling defends stand on pig roasts
Originally published Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Wheeling officials tried to quell fears Monday night that they have turned into barbecue vigilantes.
Ever since citations issued to a resident for roasting pigs in his backyard were made public in news reports last week, the village has been fielding calls from all over the nation on the topic.
James Lang, spokesman for the village, said he's been getting more calls from non-Wheeling residents up in arms over the issue than from those in town who are concerned they will be targeted for barbecuing outside.
"This has gotten so blown out of proportion," he said.
Wheeling started dealing with the story last week, when reports were published of citations written against resident Amante Enad.
Following Philippine tradition, he had been roasting pigs -- or lechon -- in his backyard for his friends and family. He also offered to donate a bulk amount for a Philippine festival held in a church in Glenview.
Wheeling officials said the tickets weren't given out just because Enad was roasting pigs. Rather, health inspectors had found his pigs for sale in a store, and Enad does not have a licensed business for that purpose.
The village received complaints about Enad that they followed up on last year, according to officials, and found unhealthy conditions and a large amount of roasters and pigs that suggested a home business.
"Many people might have the misconception … that we prohibit the enjoyment of your backyard for a barbecue," Wheeling Village Manager Mark Rooney said during a board meeting Monday.
He said the issue is about the sale and distribution of the meat and the health and safety of the public.
Enad, however, has said that he never sold any of his pigs and contends that the village is unfairly targeting him. He also said that comments he made to health inspectors were misinterpreted and that he has complied with village codes that require he only cook for friends and family.
The issue will be tackled in the Rolling Meadows courthouse Thursday.
"I don't want Mr. Enad to think the village has a vendetta," Lang said. "We want to be able to have an open-door community."
He said he's fielded a variety of calls and e-mails from as far away as Texas and California. The incident has also been the topic on various blogs and radio shows, on which Lang has declined to appear.
"At the core, this is a court case," he said. "This is strictly about safety and health."
Originally published Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Wheeling officials tried to quell fears Monday night that they have turned into barbecue vigilantes.
Ever since citations issued to a resident for roasting pigs in his backyard were made public in news reports last week, the village has been fielding calls from all over the nation on the topic.
James Lang, spokesman for the village, said he's been getting more calls from non-Wheeling residents up in arms over the issue than from those in town who are concerned they will be targeted for barbecuing outside.
"This has gotten so blown out of proportion," he said.
Wheeling started dealing with the story last week, when reports were published of citations written against resident Amante Enad.
Following Philippine tradition, he had been roasting pigs -- or lechon -- in his backyard for his friends and family. He also offered to donate a bulk amount for a Philippine festival held in a church in Glenview.
Wheeling officials said the tickets weren't given out just because Enad was roasting pigs. Rather, health inspectors had found his pigs for sale in a store, and Enad does not have a licensed business for that purpose.
The village received complaints about Enad that they followed up on last year, according to officials, and found unhealthy conditions and a large amount of roasters and pigs that suggested a home business.
"Many people might have the misconception … that we prohibit the enjoyment of your backyard for a barbecue," Wheeling Village Manager Mark Rooney said during a board meeting Monday.
He said the issue is about the sale and distribution of the meat and the health and safety of the public.
Enad, however, has said that he never sold any of his pigs and contends that the village is unfairly targeting him. He also said that comments he made to health inspectors were misinterpreted and that he has complied with village codes that require he only cook for friends and family.
The issue will be tackled in the Rolling Meadows courthouse Thursday.
"I don't want Mr. Enad to think the village has a vendetta," Lang said. "We want to be able to have an open-door community."
He said he's fielded a variety of calls and e-mails from as far away as Texas and California. The incident has also been the topic on various blogs and radio shows, on which Lang has declined to appear.
"At the core, this is a court case," he said. "This is strictly about safety and health."
Roasts put cook in hot water
Roasts put cook in hot water
Originally published Friday, Feb. 8, 2008
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
A Wheeling man cited for roasting and selling pigs from his home says the village has it all wrong.
Amante Enad insists that he was roasting the pigs -- known in the Philippines as lechon -- in his backyard for his family and friends as a cultural tradition and didn't make a profit from them.
That's the case he's going to make to a judge in Rolling Meadows next week, he said. The judge will decide then if Enad should pay a fine.
But Wheeling officials said Enad admitted last year to selling the food to make money for his child's college education.
"It's down to a point of selling or not," said James Lang, director of economic development for Wheeling. "If he's selling it, he's not a licensed business."
The dispute started last year, when a neighbor complained about the activity at Enad's house, Village Manager Mark Rooney said.
Village inspectors visited July 31 and found five roasters. That's when Enad admitted to selling the pigs, Rooney said.
Enad said the village misunderstood the remark he made about his daughter's education and never confessed to selling his products.
Rooney said the building department explained the citation, and Enad agreed to give up all but one of his five roasters.
The case was seemingly closed at that point, but Rooney said inspectors found a pig for sale in a market in November. The market's owner said it came from Enad.
Enad denies giving the pig to the market to sell to the public. He said he and the owner are friends, and the owner asked him to roast a pig for his own personal use.
He said the man, and others he's cooked for, purchase the pigs themselves, but he isn't running a catering business.
"If I'm selling the pigs, I'd be so rich," Enad said.
Rooney said Enad had brought in a letter to the village clearly stating he would cook only for his family and friends.
Enad said he still was abiding by his promise when he offered to bring one of his roasts to St. Catherine Laboure Church in Glenview for a Filipino festival in January.
Rooney said the village received another complaint about Enad and re-inspected his house about that time. They found the five roasters back there.
"They said I was supposed to stop, but I said, 'You told me that I could cook for the church,'" Enad said. "Because I had told them that there were 400 that attended that fiesta, they said it's illegal to feed 400 people."
But Rooney and Lang said the village never intended to stop anyone cooking for their church or any other religious organization.
"We're not the barbecue police," Lang said. "It essentially was a catering business in the guy's garage."
To run such a business, Lang said, Enad would need a license and to submit to inspections. Rooney said the village is not trying to trample on Enad's cultural freedoms.
The dispute will be taken to court Feb. 14. Enad said he will give the judge the facts as he sees them, and hopes for a good resolution.
"I'm not a guy who's used to going to court," he said. "I like to cook. When people say this is the first time we've had this authentic lechon here, that makes me feel good."
Originally published Friday, Feb. 8, 2008
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
A Wheeling man cited for roasting and selling pigs from his home says the village has it all wrong.
Amante Enad insists that he was roasting the pigs -- known in the Philippines as lechon -- in his backyard for his family and friends as a cultural tradition and didn't make a profit from them.
That's the case he's going to make to a judge in Rolling Meadows next week, he said. The judge will decide then if Enad should pay a fine.
But Wheeling officials said Enad admitted last year to selling the food to make money for his child's college education.
"It's down to a point of selling or not," said James Lang, director of economic development for Wheeling. "If he's selling it, he's not a licensed business."
The dispute started last year, when a neighbor complained about the activity at Enad's house, Village Manager Mark Rooney said.
Village inspectors visited July 31 and found five roasters. That's when Enad admitted to selling the pigs, Rooney said.
Enad said the village misunderstood the remark he made about his daughter's education and never confessed to selling his products.
Rooney said the building department explained the citation, and Enad agreed to give up all but one of his five roasters.
The case was seemingly closed at that point, but Rooney said inspectors found a pig for sale in a market in November. The market's owner said it came from Enad.
Enad denies giving the pig to the market to sell to the public. He said he and the owner are friends, and the owner asked him to roast a pig for his own personal use.
He said the man, and others he's cooked for, purchase the pigs themselves, but he isn't running a catering business.
"If I'm selling the pigs, I'd be so rich," Enad said.
Rooney said Enad had brought in a letter to the village clearly stating he would cook only for his family and friends.
Enad said he still was abiding by his promise when he offered to bring one of his roasts to St. Catherine Laboure Church in Glenview for a Filipino festival in January.
Rooney said the village received another complaint about Enad and re-inspected his house about that time. They found the five roasters back there.
"They said I was supposed to stop, but I said, 'You told me that I could cook for the church,'" Enad said. "Because I had told them that there were 400 that attended that fiesta, they said it's illegal to feed 400 people."
But Rooney and Lang said the village never intended to stop anyone cooking for their church or any other religious organization.
"We're not the barbecue police," Lang said. "It essentially was a catering business in the guy's garage."
To run such a business, Lang said, Enad would need a license and to submit to inspections. Rooney said the village is not trying to trample on Enad's cultural freedoms.
The dispute will be taken to court Feb. 14. Enad said he will give the judge the facts as he sees them, and hopes for a good resolution.
"I'm not a guy who's used to going to court," he said. "I like to cook. When people say this is the first time we've had this authentic lechon here, that makes me feel good."
Pilot recalls crash details
Pilot recalls crash details
Originally published Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
His plane was dropping 500 feet a minute, and Bernie Hogan knew he had only one minute until he hit ground.
Police had blocked off nearby Milwaukee Road in Buffalo Grove, but the plane couldn't make it that far.
Hogan knew his only chance not to hit any cars or pedestrians was a gap in traffic on Deerfield Parkway.
"I would never be able to sleep if I hit someone," he said.
A day after his plane crashed on the road in Buffalo Grove Thursday, Hogan recounted those four minutes in the sky from his bed at Northwest Community Hospital, awaiting surgery for his broken leg.
Mostly, Hogan felt grateful to the people who helped him: the Buffalo Grove police and fire departments, people on the scene who lent him a cell phone and offered help, and those in the control towers who helped orchestrate the landing.
Although many of the details are fuzzy for him, Hogan does remember that about 15 minutes after taking off from Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling Thursday evening, he heard a loud bang from the engine.
"The oil pressure dropped off, and the engine came to an abrupt stop," he said.
Hogan radioed Chicago Approach, which gave him directions back to Palwaukee. Because the plane wouldn't get that far, the control tower asked Buffalo Grove police to close part of Milwaukee Avenue.
The blocked intersection turned out to be too far away as well, but a light had just turned red on Deerfield Parkway. Hogan saw that a 600-foot section of the westbound lanes was free of traffic, so he turned the plane around.
"The road had telephone poles on the right side and a row of trees down the median, so I knew the trees would catch me from going in the eastbound lanes, where there was traffic," Hogan said.
He hit a light pole and ended up with the plane wrapped around a tree.
Hogan doesn't remember the exact circumstances of his crash at about 7:15 p.m., but he remembers getting out of the plane as fast as he could in case of an explosion.
"There was a little panic when I was trying to figure out why my leg was stuck on the ground," Hogan said.
Both bones in his right leg had broken, and when crews arrived they found him sitting on one of the wings of the plane, unable to walk farther.
Surgery for his leg was scheduled for late Friday afternoon. Hogan also received light burns on his chest and some bruises.
He had owned the plane, a Piper PA24, for about 20 years. He started flying at the age of 9 under the supervision of his dad, a flight instructor.
Hogan, an independent contractor who works in sales with hospitals, spends about 300 hours a year in his plane.
Hogan was on his way home to Evansville, Ind., after he had just dropped off his business associate Linda Frank, a Glenview resident.
He plans to buy another plane as soon as he gets out of the hospital Monday.
He said his wife, Heather, and two children are a little wary of his flying again but said they understand his need to get another plane.
Meanwhile, his old plane remains in a hangar while the Federal Aviation Administration investigates. Tony Molinaro, a spokesman, said it could take up to eight weeks to determine the crash's cause.
Originally published Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
His plane was dropping 500 feet a minute, and Bernie Hogan knew he had only one minute until he hit ground.
Police had blocked off nearby Milwaukee Road in Buffalo Grove, but the plane couldn't make it that far.
Hogan knew his only chance not to hit any cars or pedestrians was a gap in traffic on Deerfield Parkway.
"I would never be able to sleep if I hit someone," he said.
A day after his plane crashed on the road in Buffalo Grove Thursday, Hogan recounted those four minutes in the sky from his bed at Northwest Community Hospital, awaiting surgery for his broken leg.
Mostly, Hogan felt grateful to the people who helped him: the Buffalo Grove police and fire departments, people on the scene who lent him a cell phone and offered help, and those in the control towers who helped orchestrate the landing.
Although many of the details are fuzzy for him, Hogan does remember that about 15 minutes after taking off from Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling Thursday evening, he heard a loud bang from the engine.
"The oil pressure dropped off, and the engine came to an abrupt stop," he said.
Hogan radioed Chicago Approach, which gave him directions back to Palwaukee. Because the plane wouldn't get that far, the control tower asked Buffalo Grove police to close part of Milwaukee Avenue.
The blocked intersection turned out to be too far away as well, but a light had just turned red on Deerfield Parkway. Hogan saw that a 600-foot section of the westbound lanes was free of traffic, so he turned the plane around.
"The road had telephone poles on the right side and a row of trees down the median, so I knew the trees would catch me from going in the eastbound lanes, where there was traffic," Hogan said.
He hit a light pole and ended up with the plane wrapped around a tree.
Hogan doesn't remember the exact circumstances of his crash at about 7:15 p.m., but he remembers getting out of the plane as fast as he could in case of an explosion.
"There was a little panic when I was trying to figure out why my leg was stuck on the ground," Hogan said.
Both bones in his right leg had broken, and when crews arrived they found him sitting on one of the wings of the plane, unable to walk farther.
Surgery for his leg was scheduled for late Friday afternoon. Hogan also received light burns on his chest and some bruises.
He had owned the plane, a Piper PA24, for about 20 years. He started flying at the age of 9 under the supervision of his dad, a flight instructor.
Hogan, an independent contractor who works in sales with hospitals, spends about 300 hours a year in his plane.
Hogan was on his way home to Evansville, Ind., after he had just dropped off his business associate Linda Frank, a Glenview resident.
He plans to buy another plane as soon as he gets out of the hospital Monday.
He said his wife, Heather, and two children are a little wary of his flying again but said they understand his need to get another plane.
Meanwhile, his old plane remains in a hangar while the Federal Aviation Administration investigates. Tony Molinaro, a spokesman, said it could take up to eight weeks to determine the crash's cause.
Woman's death at Old Orchard called a homicide
Woman's death at Old Orchard called a homicide
Originally published Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Her brother-in-law remembers Jung Yon Jun as a faithful woman who attended church often since moving to this country 25 years ago.
Jun, 53, of Long Grove, was found dead late Sunday of stab wounds and blows to the head in her restaurant in Skokie, the Cook County medical examiner's office confirmed Tuesday.
A security guard discovered her at the The Great Steak & Potato Co., franchise she and her husband recently purchased in Skokie's Westfield Shoppingtown Old Orchard.
Sam Rhee, brother of Jun's husband John, said the family came from Korea about 25 years ago and had since acquired many businesses.
"She was a very faithful person, pretty and charming," Rhee said. "She had good relationship with other people."
Along with the restaurant, the Juns also operate coin laundry services.
Jun worked at the restaurant while her husband handled the laundry businesses, which they started 10 years ago, Rhee said.
The couple has two daughters in their mid-20s, Rhee said, and have a house in the affluent Herons Landing subdivision in Long Grove.
As of Tuesday, the police had not given the family new information on Jun's death, he said.
A security guard found her around 11:40 p.m. Sunday after her husband grew worried that she had not come home from work, Rhee said. The Great Steak & Potato Co. was open until 9 that night.
Additional officers for both Westfield security and the Skokie police have been placed on duty during the holiday season, but Sgt. Paul Kruszynski of the Skokie Police Department said Jun's death should not make shoppers feel wary of going to the mall. He said this is a "truly isolated event."
"This has nothing to do with holiday shopping," he said. "This was all after hours, as far as we can determine."
The police and the North Regional Major Crime Task Force are looking for information the public may have on the slaying.
Anyone with information can call the tip line at (847) 853-7580 or the Skokie Police Department Investigation Section at (847) 982-5900.
The Great Steak & Potato Co. remained closed Tuesday. Mall representatives said they did not know when it would re-open.
Funeral services are pending.
Originally published Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Her brother-in-law remembers Jung Yon Jun as a faithful woman who attended church often since moving to this country 25 years ago.
Jun, 53, of Long Grove, was found dead late Sunday of stab wounds and blows to the head in her restaurant in Skokie, the Cook County medical examiner's office confirmed Tuesday.
A security guard discovered her at the The Great Steak & Potato Co., franchise she and her husband recently purchased in Skokie's Westfield Shoppingtown Old Orchard.
Sam Rhee, brother of Jun's husband John, said the family came from Korea about 25 years ago and had since acquired many businesses.
"She was a very faithful person, pretty and charming," Rhee said. "She had good relationship with other people."
Along with the restaurant, the Juns also operate coin laundry services.
Jun worked at the restaurant while her husband handled the laundry businesses, which they started 10 years ago, Rhee said.
The couple has two daughters in their mid-20s, Rhee said, and have a house in the affluent Herons Landing subdivision in Long Grove.
As of Tuesday, the police had not given the family new information on Jun's death, he said.
A security guard found her around 11:40 p.m. Sunday after her husband grew worried that she had not come home from work, Rhee said. The Great Steak & Potato Co. was open until 9 that night.
Additional officers for both Westfield security and the Skokie police have been placed on duty during the holiday season, but Sgt. Paul Kruszynski of the Skokie Police Department said Jun's death should not make shoppers feel wary of going to the mall. He said this is a "truly isolated event."
"This has nothing to do with holiday shopping," he said. "This was all after hours, as far as we can determine."
The police and the North Regional Major Crime Task Force are looking for information the public may have on the slaying.
Anyone with information can call the tip line at (847) 853-7580 or the Skokie Police Department Investigation Section at (847) 982-5900.
The Great Steak & Potato Co. remained closed Tuesday. Mall representatives said they did not know when it would re-open.
Funeral services are pending.
Buffalo Grove teen's friends cling to hope
Buffalo Grove teen's friends cling to hope
Originally published Friday, Oct. 26, 2007
By Burt Constable and Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writers
Wisconsin divers today once again will search for a body in the muddy Baraboo River, as loved ones and friends of missing Stevenson High School senior Lee S. Cutler cling to slight hope the 18-year-old will unexpectedly show up alive somewhere else.
"We're already deeply into the unexpected," notes Dan de Garzia, a family friend who has become the spokesman for Cutler's parents and the hundreds of teenagers and parents who continue to meet nightly in person or online in an attempt to solve the mystery that has gripped them since the Buffalo Grove teenager was reported missing Saturday.
An active and friendly student who turned 18 early this month, Cutler attended a birthday dinner for a friend Friday evening, and was in a small group of teens who then spent the night at another friend's house.
Cutler dropped one of the teens at home at 9:50 a.m. Saturday in Buffalo Grove but never showed up for his part-time job at Westfield Hawthorn shopping center in Vernon Hills.
Instead, he apparently drove by himself to rural Wisconsin without telling anyone. The teen's locked car was discovered at 3:30 a.m. Monday along the Baraboo River just south of the Wisconsin Dells. His yarmulke, a blanket and his school backpack - containing letters to and from family members, but no obvious clues to his disappearance - were found on a muddy riverbank near a Highway 33 bridge east of Baraboo.
Rescue workers on foot, in airplanes and in a helicopter with a heat-sensing infrared camera found no sign of the missing teen in the hilly forest or nearby cornfields this week; neither did a dog trained to sniff out dead bodies.
Friends continue to support each other through a facebook.com discussion group called "lets find lee!!"
"Don't go it alone. We have all seen how strong we are together, so let's not stop now," one Thursday posting reads. "Take care of each other today. We still have some road ahead of us and we need to keep up both our emotional and physical strength."
"We're encouraging students who have questions and concerns to talk with us," says Jim Conrey, a spokesman for Stevenson High School, which has counseling stations for students who need them. "Unfortunately, like many people, we're a little uncertain about what's going on ourselves.
"We don't know the circumstances that led him to do what he did. We're not sure what the underlying factors are, so to some degree it's difficult to talk about it."
Originally published Friday, Oct. 26, 2007
By Burt Constable and Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writers
Wisconsin divers today once again will search for a body in the muddy Baraboo River, as loved ones and friends of missing Stevenson High School senior Lee S. Cutler cling to slight hope the 18-year-old will unexpectedly show up alive somewhere else.
"We're already deeply into the unexpected," notes Dan de Garzia, a family friend who has become the spokesman for Cutler's parents and the hundreds of teenagers and parents who continue to meet nightly in person or online in an attempt to solve the mystery that has gripped them since the Buffalo Grove teenager was reported missing Saturday.
An active and friendly student who turned 18 early this month, Cutler attended a birthday dinner for a friend Friday evening, and was in a small group of teens who then spent the night at another friend's house.
Cutler dropped one of the teens at home at 9:50 a.m. Saturday in Buffalo Grove but never showed up for his part-time job at Westfield Hawthorn shopping center in Vernon Hills.
Instead, he apparently drove by himself to rural Wisconsin without telling anyone. The teen's locked car was discovered at 3:30 a.m. Monday along the Baraboo River just south of the Wisconsin Dells. His yarmulke, a blanket and his school backpack - containing letters to and from family members, but no obvious clues to his disappearance - were found on a muddy riverbank near a Highway 33 bridge east of Baraboo.
Rescue workers on foot, in airplanes and in a helicopter with a heat-sensing infrared camera found no sign of the missing teen in the hilly forest or nearby cornfields this week; neither did a dog trained to sniff out dead bodies.
Friends continue to support each other through a facebook.com discussion group called "lets find lee!!"
"Don't go it alone. We have all seen how strong we are together, so let's not stop now," one Thursday posting reads. "Take care of each other today. We still have some road ahead of us and we need to keep up both our emotional and physical strength."
"We're encouraging students who have questions and concerns to talk with us," says Jim Conrey, a spokesman for Stevenson High School, which has counseling stations for students who need them. "Unfortunately, like many people, we're a little uncertain about what's going on ourselves.
"We don't know the circumstances that led him to do what he did. We're not sure what the underlying factors are, so to some degree it's difficult to talk about it."
Teen's bag found
Teen's bag found
Search for missing Stevenson senior to resume today
Originally published Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Wisconsin police have found more personal belongings of a Stevenson High School senior who has been missing since Saturday.
Lee Cutler, 18, of Buffalo Grove was last seen 9:50 a.m. Saturday when he dropped a friend off at his home. He was supposed to go to work at noon Saturday at Rock America in Vernon Hills but didn't show up.
The Sauk County sheriff's police on Monday found Cutler's gray 2007 Toyota Corolla parked off Highway 33 near Baraboo, Wis.
The police and fire departments have been conducting a search on foot and in the air since then.
On Tuesday, police announced that they had also found blankets and a backpack belonging to Cutler near the Baraboo River.
"Everything in the backpack and the car is sort of the typical 18-year-old's stuff," said Daniel De Grazia, a family friend who is also in Wisconsin. "There's some writing, some paperwork; the car is filled with CDs and an iPod."
Beth Frazin, Cutler's mother, and Barry Frazin, his stepfather, traveled to Sauk County as soon as they heard the car was found there.
Barry Frazin said Cutler went to a birthday part Friday and spent the night at a friend's house.
"We don't really know why he came here," he said.
Frazin said Cutler has an ex-girlfriend in Cedarburg, north of Milwaukee, but that still didn't explain why his car was in Sauk County, which is west of Milwaukee.
Tracking of calls on Cutler's cell phone show that he used it last at 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
Frazin said Cutler had been going through a difficult time, coping with his grandmother's battle with cancer, another friend with cancer and stresses at school.
Cutler's friends and family have set up a Facebook group to involve those who know him in the search.
"One of the things that's really impressed me with both the Buffalo Grove police department and the sheriff's department is that I'm left with the belief that these guys are acting like it's one of their own kids out here," De Grazia said.
He said the sheriff's police has discouraged family and friends from joining in the search since the terrain is fairly rugged.
De Grazia said the heavily wooded area might have been something that caught Cutler's eye, since he enjoyed being outdoors.
However, he said the Baraboo River isn't a scenic one and could pose a danger.
"This is worse than any natural disaster for a parent - for a kid to go missing," he said.
Police have said that they don't think foul play is involved. De Grazia said it gave the family a little hope that the personal belongings were found.
"It raises as many questions as hope," he said.
The Sauk County sheriff's department called off the search early Tuesday evening and will resume the search this morning.
Cutler, who is 5'10" and 140 pounds, was last seen wearing a dark blue sweater, khakis and a red-striped kippah.
Anyone with information should call Buffalo Grove police at (847) 459-2560 or the Sauk County sheriff's department at (608) 356-4895.
- Daily Herald news services contributed to this report.
Search for missing Stevenson senior to resume today
Originally published Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Wisconsin police have found more personal belongings of a Stevenson High School senior who has been missing since Saturday.
Lee Cutler, 18, of Buffalo Grove was last seen 9:50 a.m. Saturday when he dropped a friend off at his home. He was supposed to go to work at noon Saturday at Rock America in Vernon Hills but didn't show up.
The Sauk County sheriff's police on Monday found Cutler's gray 2007 Toyota Corolla parked off Highway 33 near Baraboo, Wis.
The police and fire departments have been conducting a search on foot and in the air since then.
On Tuesday, police announced that they had also found blankets and a backpack belonging to Cutler near the Baraboo River.
"Everything in the backpack and the car is sort of the typical 18-year-old's stuff," said Daniel De Grazia, a family friend who is also in Wisconsin. "There's some writing, some paperwork; the car is filled with CDs and an iPod."
Beth Frazin, Cutler's mother, and Barry Frazin, his stepfather, traveled to Sauk County as soon as they heard the car was found there.
Barry Frazin said Cutler went to a birthday part Friday and spent the night at a friend's house.
"We don't really know why he came here," he said.
Frazin said Cutler has an ex-girlfriend in Cedarburg, north of Milwaukee, but that still didn't explain why his car was in Sauk County, which is west of Milwaukee.
Tracking of calls on Cutler's cell phone show that he used it last at 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
Frazin said Cutler had been going through a difficult time, coping with his grandmother's battle with cancer, another friend with cancer and stresses at school.
Cutler's friends and family have set up a Facebook group to involve those who know him in the search.
"One of the things that's really impressed me with both the Buffalo Grove police department and the sheriff's department is that I'm left with the belief that these guys are acting like it's one of their own kids out here," De Grazia said.
He said the sheriff's police has discouraged family and friends from joining in the search since the terrain is fairly rugged.
De Grazia said the heavily wooded area might have been something that caught Cutler's eye, since he enjoyed being outdoors.
However, he said the Baraboo River isn't a scenic one and could pose a danger.
"This is worse than any natural disaster for a parent - for a kid to go missing," he said.
Police have said that they don't think foul play is involved. De Grazia said it gave the family a little hope that the personal belongings were found.
"It raises as many questions as hope," he said.
The Sauk County sheriff's department called off the search early Tuesday evening and will resume the search this morning.
Cutler, who is 5'10" and 140 pounds, was last seen wearing a dark blue sweater, khakis and a red-striped kippah.
Anyone with information should call Buffalo Grove police at (847) 459-2560 or the Sauk County sheriff's department at (608) 356-4895.
- Daily Herald news services contributed to this report.
Search on for missing Buffalo Grove teen
Search on for missing Buffalo Grove teen
Originally published Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Buffalo Grove police are searching for a Stevenson High School senior whose car was found Monday in Wisconsin.
Lee S. Cutler, 18, has been missing since Saturday. Police said he dropped a friend off at 9:50 a.m. that day and then didn't show up for his job at Rock America in Vernon Hills at noon.
His friends and family haven't heard from him since, which they say is out of character for Cutler.
Buffalo Grove Police Cmdr. Steve Husak said so far there is no evidence that foul play is involved.
However, the Sauk County Sheriff's Department in Wisconsin is doing an air and ground search after Cutler's gray 2007 Toyota Corolla was found near a corn field near Baraboo. The vehicle was locked and unoccupied.
"There doesn't seem to be any sort of a link," Husak said. "There's no family or friends who live in that area."
Daniel de Grazia, who is friends with the family, said Cutler's friends have started a Facebook group to get any sort of leads they can.
"He was supposed to be going to a new job that he loves," de Grazia said. "His cell phone seems to be turned off or lost or ran out of battery."
He said Cutler's voice mail is also full after his family started calling him over the weekend.
De Grazia said Cutler's friends said there was no indication that anything was going on that would make him go away.
"It's completely out of left field," he said. "No one had any inkling that he was dissatisfied or interested in taking a break."
De Grazia said Cutler seems to have taken a change of clothes with him and his parents and family still have high hopes that he can be found safely.
Anyone with information on Cutler should call the Buffalo Grove police at (847) 459-2560.
Originally published Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Buffalo Grove police are searching for a Stevenson High School senior whose car was found Monday in Wisconsin.
Lee S. Cutler, 18, has been missing since Saturday. Police said he dropped a friend off at 9:50 a.m. that day and then didn't show up for his job at Rock America in Vernon Hills at noon.
His friends and family haven't heard from him since, which they say is out of character for Cutler.
Buffalo Grove Police Cmdr. Steve Husak said so far there is no evidence that foul play is involved.
However, the Sauk County Sheriff's Department in Wisconsin is doing an air and ground search after Cutler's gray 2007 Toyota Corolla was found near a corn field near Baraboo. The vehicle was locked and unoccupied.
"There doesn't seem to be any sort of a link," Husak said. "There's no family or friends who live in that area."
Daniel de Grazia, who is friends with the family, said Cutler's friends have started a Facebook group to get any sort of leads they can.
"He was supposed to be going to a new job that he loves," de Grazia said. "His cell phone seems to be turned off or lost or ran out of battery."
He said Cutler's voice mail is also full after his family started calling him over the weekend.
De Grazia said Cutler's friends said there was no indication that anything was going on that would make him go away.
"It's completely out of left field," he said. "No one had any inkling that he was dissatisfied or interested in taking a break."
De Grazia said Cutler seems to have taken a change of clothes with him and his parents and family still have high hopes that he can be found safely.
Anyone with information on Cutler should call the Buffalo Grove police at (847) 459-2560.
Stevenson teachers take history to blogosphere
Stevenson teachers take history to blogosphere
Curriculum includes podcasts, blogs and radio interviews with alumni
Originally published Sunday, May 21, 2007
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
When China's president came to the United States for a visit in April, the media jumped on the opportunity to discuss economics and the extent of this country's relationship with a communist nation.
In Lincolnshire, two teachers at Stevenson High School also put in their two cents using new media technology.
Andrew Conneen and Dan Larsen recorded their weekly podcast, called "The Regular Guys," which they put on their AP government class Web site for students to download.
In the broadcast, they discussed the significance of Hu Jintao's trip so their students could understand it in the context of their class discussions on China's government.
"We're always looking for projects we can utilize technology for," Conneen said.
Stevenson administrators, in fact, have lent laptops, digital cameras and iPods to the school's four government teachers so they can incorporate technology into their teaching.
"A couple years ago, the school encouraged us to think outside the box," Larsen said.
"They really encouraged us to integrate technology. They gave us training and encouragement to do it a little bit more aggressively."
Every Friday, Conneen and Larsen upload a podcast, an Internet broadcast that students can listen to online or on mp3 players, such as iPods.
They define relevant terms, such as a recent session on interest groups, and discuss current events to help students understand the ideas.
"You don't usually get a podcast that helps you study for your exams," said Corbb O'Connor, a senior who took both comparative and American government classes. "You get to expand what you learned in class that day."
The teachers also took advantage of their new technology tools earlier in the year, when they saw a potential classroom lesson playing out in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Conneen, Larsen, Jennifer Bouchard and Vanessa Lal flew to Washington, D.C., in February to film a documentary as the Supreme Court discussed the constitutionality of gerrymandering, or electoral redistricting for political advantages, in Texas in 2003.
"We captured some video outside the Supreme Court and interviewed some of the notables who stopped by," Conneen said.
After the court hands down a decision later this year, students can watch the firsthand account of the case.
Besides the documentary, all four teachers keep daily blogs that discuss current events. The Web sites allow students to discuss the news.
"(The blogs have) been most successful in getting those kids who might be too shy to participate in class discussions," Conneen said.
Paul Axel, a senior, said he's online so often anyway that he checks his class blog, www.citizenu.org, in his daily routine and often comments.
"It allows the teachers to talk about things they normally wouldn't get to talk about in class," he said. "They make it a lot more accessible for a lot of kids who don't watch the news or read the newspaper."
The teachers also bring relevant speakers to the school's radio station. They do a show during elections, and their students broadcast a forum with 8th Congressional Republican and 10th Congressional Democratic candidates before the March primary.
On May 15, the teachers did a 2 1/2-hour radio broadcast to review for the next day's AP government exam.
The show featured John Anderson, who ran as a third-party candidate for president against Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter in 1980; Dotty Lynch, senior editor for the CBS National News; Jay Matthews, education reporter for the Washington Post and Newsweek; and former student Brad Goodman, who works for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Plano Republican.
"It's such a great way to reach out and do things in a nontraditional and more exciting way," Goodman said about the radio show. "All too often people rely on methods that are just outdated. For today's youth, having a blog and having a radio show, it's so unique."
The teachers' connection to alumni, many of whom were inspired to political careers because of their classes at Stevenson, helps garner big-name guests.
"They really help communicate their passion for the subject," said Mosheh Oinounou, a 2000 graduate who works as a news researcher in Washington, D.C. "They really treat the students like mature adults and discuss the issues of our time."
Conneen said many of his students told him they were able to use the concepts guests brought up during the show on their AP exam, where they were encouraged to give examples during their free-response questions.
That's exactly the point of using different media to get the students talking about government.
"I think we envision a virtual interactive textbook to make it available for our students," Larsen said. The idea is especially important since in government class, the textbook is constantly changing with current events.
The teachers are slowly working toward that, for now interviewing political figures and having them define terms for their students.
For example, they have clips of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama talking about the 26th Amendment that allowed 18 year olds to vote, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk defining "constituent," and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin discussing "party discipline."
"The government curriculum is really vocabulary driven," Conneen said, "and students have to understand these terms."
The use of blogs and podcasts also helps to bridge the gap between generations.
"We call our students 'digital natives,' and the adults are 'digital immigrants,' " Conneen said. "This was a way to communicate using the technology."
Curriculum includes podcasts, blogs and radio interviews with alumni
Originally published Sunday, May 21, 2007
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
When China's president came to the United States for a visit in April, the media jumped on the opportunity to discuss economics and the extent of this country's relationship with a communist nation.
In Lincolnshire, two teachers at Stevenson High School also put in their two cents using new media technology.
Andrew Conneen and Dan Larsen recorded their weekly podcast, called "The Regular Guys," which they put on their AP government class Web site for students to download.
In the broadcast, they discussed the significance of Hu Jintao's trip so their students could understand it in the context of their class discussions on China's government.
"We're always looking for projects we can utilize technology for," Conneen said.
Stevenson administrators, in fact, have lent laptops, digital cameras and iPods to the school's four government teachers so they can incorporate technology into their teaching.
"A couple years ago, the school encouraged us to think outside the box," Larsen said.
"They really encouraged us to integrate technology. They gave us training and encouragement to do it a little bit more aggressively."
Every Friday, Conneen and Larsen upload a podcast, an Internet broadcast that students can listen to online or on mp3 players, such as iPods.
They define relevant terms, such as a recent session on interest groups, and discuss current events to help students understand the ideas.
"You don't usually get a podcast that helps you study for your exams," said Corbb O'Connor, a senior who took both comparative and American government classes. "You get to expand what you learned in class that day."
The teachers also took advantage of their new technology tools earlier in the year, when they saw a potential classroom lesson playing out in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Conneen, Larsen, Jennifer Bouchard and Vanessa Lal flew to Washington, D.C., in February to film a documentary as the Supreme Court discussed the constitutionality of gerrymandering, or electoral redistricting for political advantages, in Texas in 2003.
"We captured some video outside the Supreme Court and interviewed some of the notables who stopped by," Conneen said.
After the court hands down a decision later this year, students can watch the firsthand account of the case.
Besides the documentary, all four teachers keep daily blogs that discuss current events. The Web sites allow students to discuss the news.
"(The blogs have) been most successful in getting those kids who might be too shy to participate in class discussions," Conneen said.
Paul Axel, a senior, said he's online so often anyway that he checks his class blog, www.citizenu.org, in his daily routine and often comments.
"It allows the teachers to talk about things they normally wouldn't get to talk about in class," he said. "They make it a lot more accessible for a lot of kids who don't watch the news or read the newspaper."
The teachers also bring relevant speakers to the school's radio station. They do a show during elections, and their students broadcast a forum with 8th Congressional Republican and 10th Congressional Democratic candidates before the March primary.
On May 15, the teachers did a 2 1/2-hour radio broadcast to review for the next day's AP government exam.
The show featured John Anderson, who ran as a third-party candidate for president against Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter in 1980; Dotty Lynch, senior editor for the CBS National News; Jay Matthews, education reporter for the Washington Post and Newsweek; and former student Brad Goodman, who works for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Plano Republican.
"It's such a great way to reach out and do things in a nontraditional and more exciting way," Goodman said about the radio show. "All too often people rely on methods that are just outdated. For today's youth, having a blog and having a radio show, it's so unique."
The teachers' connection to alumni, many of whom were inspired to political careers because of their classes at Stevenson, helps garner big-name guests.
"They really help communicate their passion for the subject," said Mosheh Oinounou, a 2000 graduate who works as a news researcher in Washington, D.C. "They really treat the students like mature adults and discuss the issues of our time."
Conneen said many of his students told him they were able to use the concepts guests brought up during the show on their AP exam, where they were encouraged to give examples during their free-response questions.
That's exactly the point of using different media to get the students talking about government.
"I think we envision a virtual interactive textbook to make it available for our students," Larsen said. The idea is especially important since in government class, the textbook is constantly changing with current events.
The teachers are slowly working toward that, for now interviewing political figures and having them define terms for their students.
For example, they have clips of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama talking about the 26th Amendment that allowed 18 year olds to vote, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk defining "constituent," and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin discussing "party discipline."
"The government curriculum is really vocabulary driven," Conneen said, "and students have to understand these terms."
The use of blogs and podcasts also helps to bridge the gap between generations.
"We call our students 'digital natives,' and the adults are 'digital immigrants,' " Conneen said. "This was a way to communicate using the technology."
No swan song here
No swan song here
Wheeling barber finds he's ready to close his doors after 45 years but he'll keep a hand in the barbershop quartet business
Originally published Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008
By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer
While trimming away his customers' hair, Craig Huotari maintains a friendly flow of banter.
"Mike here is one of my fun customers," he says of Wheeling resident Mike Segermark. "He's one of the ones I look forward to seeing."
Huotari creates a flat-top haircut for Segermark in his Wheeling barbershop, which has been at 251 E. Dundee Road for 45 years.
"Have I told you why this razor's so sharp?" he asks Segermark. "Because we're on the edge of town. A little barber humor there."
A news station -- one that he never turns off -- plays in the background as Huotari uses a straight-edged razor to cut the hair around Segermark's ears and neck. The technique isn't usually found at more modern hair salons, which is one of the attractions for Huotari's customers.
Segermark comes to Huotari because he knows just how to create the flat-top hair style of his choice. It's an art to get it not too long but also not too short.
"This kind of haircut is like sculpting," Huotari says.
You can tell that Huotari has been doing his job for a while, and you can tell he's good at it.
His customers have been coming to him for the years he's been in Wheeling because they know he's one of the few old-fashioned barbers still around. He even sings in a barbershop quartet, adding to his credibility.
But at the end of the month, they will have to find a new way to bring the good old days into their lives.
The 74-year-old, who lives in Wisconsin, will be retiring and spending more time with his three kids and on his boat, which is depicted in snapshots all around his shop. The building where his shop resides is being renovated, and an increase in the lease signaled it was time to retire.
He opened the shop in April 1962 after four years in the Air Force. Huotari and his friend had been playing baseball and trying to figure out what to do.
"Barber college paid $280 a month with the GI Bill," he said.
After some time at the Chicago college, Huotari realized he liked being a barber. He initially owned a shop in Des Plaines and then sold it to open one in Wheeling.
"When I was in the Air Force, I knew I had to be my own boss," he said. "When I first saw this place, it was dirt."
He opened up and waited for customers to come. Eventually, he built a solid base, employing a couple of other barbers. Now, he works alone, serving an average of 17 customers a day during his 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. work hours.
Those who walk in off the street will have a hard time getting an appointment, as most of Huotari's business is long-booked by his regulars.
Ken Brady, a trustee on the Wheeling village board, is one of those patrons who can't remember how long he's been coming to see Huotari.
"It's been about 35 or 38 years," he said. "He's turned into such a good friend, you'd almost look forward to having your monthly haircuts."
Brady said he's even gone to Galena to stay at the bed-and-breakfast Huotari owned with his wife before she passed away two years ago.
"I don't think you get that type of relationship with these larger shops," Brady said. "This sort of place is getting few and far between."
Brady's is the first appointment on Jan. 26, the last day Huotari will keep Craig's Barber Shop open.
"They're all friends now," Huotari says of the 1,200 names he has in his card file.
He's had his fair share of sports celebrities come in -- Mike Ditka even made a stop once -- but Huotari said it's the regular customers who he enjoys talking to.
"You get to know who your customers are," he said.
George Passolt, one of Huatori's first customers and the village manager in Wheeling in the 1970s, still comes by to talk to Huatori about what's going on in town.
On a recent Friday, Passolt was in the barber chair. As Mount Prospect resident Bill Richter waited, the three exchanged quips and had conversations about everything from the CTA to the time when the village refused to let Huotari's barbershop pole rotate because it violated a village code.
"It's a good atmosphere," Richter said.
Huotari said he's not ready to give up the business completely. He's gotten offers to work part-time at other shops but he's still thinking it over.
He'll also stay with Seriously, the barbershop quartet he sings with. The group sang with the group Monday night at Wheeling's village board meeting when the town honored his time in the village.
"I think it's time," Huotari said of retirement. "I've got a sailboat waiting for me."
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