WB_032218

30 | March 22, 2018 | The wilmette beacon sound off
wilmettebeacon.com
A Word From The (Former) President
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John Jacoby
Contributing Columnist
Oct. 21, 1947:
Wilmette’s Village
Board voted to
oppose the North Shore
Bus Company’s proposal
to establish bus service
between Chicago and
Waukegan. The proposal is
pending before the Illinois
Commerce Commission.
The Board objects to the
proposed route through the
village, namely, Green Bay
Road from the Kenilworth
line to Central Avenue,
east on Central to Sheridan
Road, and south on
Sheridan to the Evanston
line. The Board was most
concerned about bus traffic
on Central Avenue east of
11th Street — a narrow
residential street with multiple
schools in the vicinity.
• March 31, 1948: Road
rage ended with Wilmette
resident Irving Beitzel,
1328 Wilmette Ave., in
police custody and a Highwood
resident, Ole Haugland,
hospitalized in serious
condition. The incident
began at Sheridan Road and
Greenwood Avenue when
Beitzel made a left-hand
turn from the right lane in
front of Haugland’s car.
Haugland pursued Beitzel
to 13th Street and Lake Avenue
and forced him to the
curb. During the ensuing
argument, Haugland struck
Beitzel with a tire chain.
Beitzel then procured a
Former Wilmette resident Ann-Margret appeared on the
Ed Sullivan TV show on April 1, 1962. Photo submitted
knife from his car, stabbed
Haugland in the abdomen,
and drove to the police station
to surrender.
• March 19, 1962:
Film star Ann-Margret
returned to her hometown
of Wilmette for a two-day
visit. She recently became
engaged to Burt Sugarman,
a Beverly Hills businessman.
Her latest movie,
“State Fair,” co-starring
Pat Boone and Bobby Darin,
is opening at Chicago’s
Oriental Theater on April
13, and she’s appearing on
the Ed Sullivan TV show
on April 1.
• Aug. 11, 1966: A historically
significant house
at 1136 Greenleaf Ave.,
Wilmette, is about to be
demolished and replaced
by an apartment building.
The house was once owned
by Andrew Sherman,
whose business career and
civic life displayed many
admirable virtues and
accomplishments. His Wilmette
house is of particular
significance to Wilmette
residents, because it’s
the site where the village
government was organized
at a meeting in 1872
with Sherman serving as
Temporary Chairman. The
first Village President, John
Westerfield, was elected at
this meeting. Sherman also
served as a Village Trustee
and Village President. He
moved to Wilmette in 1871
from Evanston, leaving
behind Sherman Avenue as
his marker.
• Nov. 8, 1968: Winifred
Weedon, 72, of 420
Fifth St., Wilmette, died
in a tragic accident at the
Linden Square shopping
area. Wilmette resident
George Wheeler, 82,
was driving southbound
through the alley just west
of 4th Street when he accidentally
stepped on the
accelerator instead of the
brake. His car sped across
Linden Avenue into the
plate glass window of the
Jewel grocery store at 415
Linden. Mrs. Weedon was
severely injured and died
of an apparent heart attack.
One other customer was
Please see jacoby, 33