12 | March 7, 2019 | The winnetka Current NEWS winnetkacurrent.com Police: Rash of home burglaries nothing out of the ordinary Christine Adams Freelance Reporter After a string of residential burglaries in Glencoe and Winnetka over the last two months, police officials from both villages are reassuring the public that they are not experiencing a spike in crime. Still, they say residents should take precautions in securing their homes. Glencoe has recently experienced four forced-entry residential burglaries, one reported on Jan. 12, two on Feb. 12 and one more on Feb. 26. In two of the burglaries, jewelry was taken from the homes, and in the other two either nothing was taken or the resident is unsure if anything was taken. In Winnetka, there were two residential burglaries on Jan. 14 — one through forced entry, the other through an unlocked door — and an attempted third forced entry on Jan. 23. Though there were items of value in plain sight in the homes, nothing was taken in any of these incidents. Still, the homes were ransacked and there were obvious signs of entry. All events are still under active investigation and it is not yet known if any are related at this time. Though the recent episodes may seem alarming to locals, Winnetka Deputy Chief of Police Brian O’Connell reminded that these break-ins bring the total number of burglaries in the village over the last six months to four, which is a typical number for that course of time. Glencoe’s Deputy Chief of Public Safety Richard Weiner agrees that the frequency of these crimes is not out of line with what the village normally sees. In an effort to deter future crimes, police are asking residents to be mindful of their home security and surveillance. Weiner asks that, if a home is equipped with a security system, it be turned on, and to secure anything of value in non-traditional ways. Cameras not only possibly prevent homes from being targeted, but can also help identify offenders caught on tape. He also asked that home address signs be highly visible from a distance. “So that officers approaching the home from either side on a burglary can park their squad out of sight and approach the house in an attempt to catch the offenders in the act,” Weiner added. O’Connell also asked residents to be good neighbors by being vigilant in knowing who is around, and not hesitating to contact police if they see something out of the ordinary. Doors should be locked, and surveillance equipment and alarms should be utilized even when leaving the house for something as simple as taking the dog out for a walk. “It happens that quickly,” he said. Park From Page 8 households to 30 compared to 16 in 2017. Even though there was an increase in Northfield Park District households purchasing season passes, Shea said staff did not receive any documented negative feedback or concerns from Winnetka Park District residents regarding the increase of Northfield Park District residents visiting the beaches. “They don’t have access to park down at the bottom at Tower (Beach),” he said. “They park up on top. There were no documented issues that there were any concerns with Northfield residents being at the beach.” The board also approved the purchase of a track skid loader, 2019 Case TV370T- 4BC, from Burris Equipment of Waukegan through the Sourcewell cooperative for the price of $66,039.94. Sourcewell is a cooperative purchasing organization serving various governmental agencies. The Winnetka Park District is a Sourcewell member. By purchasing through the Sourcewell cooperative, this will allow staff to order the unit at a greater cost savings to the district and not have to go through the formal bid process, said Superintendent of Parks Costa Kutulas. “We’re getting a really good price with the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing,” he said. This piece of equipment will be used throughout the entire district to perform such tasks as earth moving, tree planting, tree clearing, loading/unloading aggregate and material and utilizing district implements to perform additional tasks. The district currently rents this equipment, but due to the high cost and frequency, staff has identified that purchasing this equipment is a better investment of district resources, said Kutulas. “Right now we are renting this piece of equipment at $175 an hour,” he said. “Over the last three years, we have spent close to $27,000 in rental fees. So we’re looking to recoup some of that money.” This machine was identified as a necessary purchase through the long range plan approved in the 2019 capital budget and staff identified the Case unit as the best option that will fit the needs of the district, added Kutulas. “Having this in-house will allow us to expand our operations of what we do,” he said. “This will give us more versatility to do more clean-up.” Charity From Page 11 were parts of Green Bay just north of Lake Cook where it was too hard to get on the sidewalk, so we took St. Johns the rest of the way to Highland Park.” The group took on the lengthy walk as part of Highland Park High School’s annual Charity Drive, in which the school hosts a series of fundraisers, all raising money for one charity. This year, the beneficiary of Charity Drive is Rainbows for All Children, a charity dedicated to providing support for young people who are suffering from a loss — whether their loss is from death, divorce, deployment, incarceration, deportation or a lifealtering illness. “These are small organizations, and it really is like the tipping point for them,” Pujara said. “Highland Park usually picks an organization, not a huge one like the American Red Cross, which has huge donors, but a small place, like Rainbows for All Children, which makes a huge difference for them.” Pujara holds a half marathon event of some sort every year for Charity Drive, and has since 2011. From 2011 to 2015, the event was a half-marathon run, but since 2016, Pujara and his students have walked the 13.1-mile distance. “Some of the girls were on the cross country and track teams, and they told us exactly when we were in Highland Park,” Pujara said. “From the school, they knew exactly where the three-mile mark was along the Green Bay trail. They felt accomplished.” He said it was “great” to see his students dedicated to the walk, as with their additional outreach, the group could fundraise more money. “I’m limited to the students who are in my classes and their parents,” Pujara said. “They feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment when they see how much we raise as a group.” Due to the cold temperatures during the walk, the group stopped at a Walgreens along their route to buy handwarmers because the students’ hands were cold, according to Pujara. The students who participated weren’t only generous with their fundraising efforts, but also with one another throughout the walk. According to Pujara, the eight students shared the sets of handwarmers purchased at Walgreens. They also made time to stop at a Starbucks and a Winnetka Mc- Donald’s for lunch. Due to warming temperatures, Pujara said the students didn’t stop after their lunch break, continuing to make their way toward the school. “It was cold at the beginning of the day, and the sidewalks weren’t as clear, so it was more challeng- Josh Gross (left) and Benny Cohen (right) show their makeshift weather-proofed sneakers (lined with plastic bags). Nicole Carrow/22nd Century Media ing on the ankles, but after that it was smooth sailing,” Pujara said. A highlight of the walk was when Stephanie Garrity, the executive director of Rainbows for All Children joined the group for the last four miles of the walk. “It was nice to have the director of Rainbows walk the path with us,” Pujara said. “The kids got to see the Rainbows facility, meet the people who work there, and it was just nice for the students to see what kind of impact their fundraising was doing.”
winnetkacurrent.com Winnetka the winnetka current | March 7, 2019 | 13 Truly Spectacular in Every Way! 222 Forest Street |Winnetka | $2,395,000 Stunning 6bedroom, 5.1 bath home by Heritage Builders on a100’ wide lot! Agorgeous foyer with sweeping staircase invites you into this gracious home complete with formal living room and dining room, cherry wood paneled library, cook's kitchen featuring top line appliances, light filled breakfast room, butler's pantry, first floor laundry room and great mudroom with lots of built-ins. Architectural details throughout boast exquisite millwork, beamed ceilings, hardwood floors, and 3fireplaces. Second level offers aluxurious master suite with spa bath and heated floors. Three more large bedrooms, one with en suite bath &additional laundry room complete this level. There is aguest retreat on the third level with full bath. An amazing lower level includes recreation room, bar, wine cellar, exercise room, sauna/ steam room and media room. The beautiful yard is highlighted with an expansive bluestone patio, 2car attached garage and custom storage shed. The Best Journey Takes YouHome! All of this and more in the Heart of Winnetka! Frank and Trish Capitanini 847-652-2312 Home@CapitaniniTeam.com CapitaniniTeam.com 568 Lincoln Avenue Winnetka, Illinois The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by asubsidiary of NRTLLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 1/19
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