LF_121318

12 | December 13, 2018 | The lake forest leader NEWS
LakeForestLeader.com
Cody and Dexter
The Fiordaliso family,
Lake Forest
Although not from the
same litter, Cody and
Dexter are inseparable.
They do everything
together! Their favorite
pastimes are eating,
sniffing, chasing
bunnies, baying at squirrels, going for walks, and
cuddling. Partners in crime, they will either get
caught in the act, or commit it successfully while
one is on the lookout. We couldn’t love them
more!
HELP! The Lake Forest Leader is in search of more pets.
To see your pet featured as Pet of the Week, send a photo
and information to alyssa@lakeforestleader.com or 60
Revere Drive, Suite 888, Northbrook, IL 60062.
THE HIGHLAND PARK LANDMARK
Ex-North Shore Academy
teacher pleads not guilty
to 64 child porn, sexual
assault charges
A former teacher at
schools around the North
Shore pleaded not guilty
Dec. 3 to more than five
dozen felony counts of
child pornography and
sexual assault charges.
Mathew Laird, 33, of
the 3900 block of Triumvera
Drive in Glenview,
was arraigned on 64 felony
charges during a short
hearing at the Cook County
Second District Courthouse
in Skokie.
After the charges were
read, Ralph Meczyk,
Laird’s attorney, told
Judge Lauren Edidin his
client “pleads not guilty to
all charges.”
Laird was arrested Oct.
23 at his home and charged
with five felonies, including
criminal sexual assault
and possession and distribution
of child pornography.
Laird was charged with
sexual assault after a
young woman reported to
authorities that Laird assaulted
her in late 2012
or early 2013 following a
night of studying for college
exams.
Prosecutors said the
woman told police she fell
asleep and awoke to Laird
groping and raping her. He
continued to assault her
after she woke up and told
him to stop, prosecutors
said.
During a search of
Laird’s home in September,
Glenview police discovered
Laird videotaped
a portion of the alleged assault
and uploaded it to an
adult-pornography website
without the woman’s consent.
Police also found “several
hundred” pornographic
images and videos
of former high school
students. Police also discovered
pornographic
materials depicting adults
engaging in sexual activity
with children as young
as 3 years old, prosecutors
said.
At the end of October,
Assistant State’s Attorney
Andreana Turano told the
court Laird is facing additional
charges after more
victims came forward to
authorities to report they
were shown in the materials
found during the September
search of Laird’s
home. Since that Oct. 30
hearing, prosecutors have
filed almost 60 new charges
against Laird.
Reporting by Jason Addy,
Contributing Editor. Full
story at HPLandmark.com.
THE GLENVIEW LANTERN
Glenview Village Board to
reconsider minimum wage,
sick leave ordinances Jan.
3
The Glenview Village
Board opted out of Cook
County’s new minimum
wage and sick leave ordinances
last year, but
during the Nov. 6 general
election, village residents
voted overwhelmingly in
favor of changing course.
According to Cook
County election results,
approximately 76 percent
of voters in precincts that
include at least a small
section of Glenview registered
their support for a
$13 hourly wage starting
by July 2020, while 82
percent backed a proposal
to provide employees in
the village with paid sick
time benefits.
The questions on the
November ballot read:
- Shall the minimum
wage in your municipality
match the $13 per hour
Cook County minimum
wage law for adults over
the age of 18 by July 1,
2020, and be indexed to
the consumer price index
after that?
- Shall your municipality
match the Cook County
earned sick time law,
which allows for workers
to earn up to 40 hours (5
days) of sick time a year
to take care of their own
health or a family member’s
health?
As a whole, approximately
84 and 89 percent
of Cook County voters, respectively,
supported opting
into the ordinances.
The questions were
posed to voters in every
municipality in Cook
County, regardless of
whether their elected officials
opted into the ordinance,
but local governing
bodies are not obligated to
opt in or out based on their
constituents’ votes.
Reporting by Chris Pullam,
Freelance Reporter. Full
story at GlenviewLantern.
com.
THE WINNETKA CURRENT
Assisted living and
memory care facility
unanimously rejected
In front of a packed
crowd at Northfield Village
Hall, the Village
Board unanimously rejected
a special-use ordinance
to allow for an assisted living
and memory care facility
at 1622 Willow Road at
its Dec. 4 meeting.
The facility was proposed
to have 44 units,
with 33 assisted living
apartments and 11 memory
care apartments. Trustee
Tom Roszak felt this was
not the right location for
this facility next to a residential
neighborhood.
“These uses are not
compatible,” Roszak said.
“Having an assisted living
and memory care facility
next to these 200 homes is
not compatible. It would
cause extreme hardship on
the neighbors. I just think
it should be in a more appropriate
location and not
in this location.”
Trustee Greg Lungmus
concurred with his fellow
trustee Roszak that this
was not the right place for
this facility.
“I think there’s a need
for a facility like this and
I’d like to see one built in
Northfield, but not in this
location,” Lungmus said.
“I’m excited about the idea
that this building could be
reutilized, but at the end of
the day, I really have trouble
with the structure itself
being used as a memory
residence, so I just don’t
see it working.”
Trustee John Gregorio
was concerned with the
impact this project would
have on the adjacent residential
neighborhood.
“I just have too many
issues with the parking,
deliveries, traffic, traffic
safety and ambulance
calls,” he said. “They
talked about a couple a
week, that’s 100 a year.
Most streets in Northfield,
you see two a year. I can’t
support something that requires
a resident of Northfield
to have a semi blocking
their garage.”
Twenty-two Northfield
residents voiced their
thoughts on the proposal
during public comment,
with 20 people against the
project and two in favor.
Reporting by Todd Marver,
Freelance Reporter. Full
story at WinnetkaCurrent.
com.
THE GLENCOE ANCHOR
Winter Express shuttles
residents from Takiff to
Watts for activities
Glencoe families found
the perfect way to cel-
Please see Neighbors, 15