WB_041819

28 | April 18, 2019 | The wilmette beacon SOUND OFF
wilmettebeacon.com
A Word From The (Former) President
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 2 days ago
Some thoughts on the recent election
John Jacoby
Contributing Columnist
Next month, 23
newly-elected officials
will replace
an equal number of officials
whose terms have
come to an end. The new
officials are to be congratulated,
but just as important,
the retiring officials
deserve our thanks for
their many years of public
service. They’ve donated
their time and considerable
talents to make local
government effective and
responsive. We’re fortunate
to have been served
by these highly competent
and dedicated officials:
• Wilmette Village
Board: Julie Wolf and
George Pearce
• Kenilworth Village
Board: James McClamroch,
Jr.
• Wilmette School
District 39: Tracy Kearney
and Alice Schaff
• Kenilworth School
District 39: Melinda
Kelly, Danielle Boros,
Donna Keller, and Scott
Wallace
• Avoca School District
37: Joel Raynes and
Sheryl Swibel
• Wilmette Park
District: Shelley Shelly,
Stephanie Foster, John
Olvany , and Ryrie Pellaton
• Kenilworth Park District:
Heidi Higgins
• Wilmette Library District:
Kathleen O’Laughlin
and Virginia George
• Kenilworth Library
District: Elizabeth Cittadine,
Jennifer Davidson,
and Debbie Zelten
• New Trier District 203:
Lori Goldstein and Patrick
O’Donoghue
Ideally, large numbers
of informed citizens would
turn out to elect the local
officials who collectively
decide, among other
important issues, how to
spend more than 85% of
each homeowner’s annual
property taxes. But history
shows that this isn’t the
case. In Wilmette, the turnout
this year was 17.24%
of registered voters, and in
Kenilworth, only 8.59%
went to the polls. (These
numbers may be somewhat
below the actual turnout,
because some “registered
voters” may no longer live
in the jurisdiction.)
By comparison, in the
City of Chicago, turnout
this year was 32.96%; in
suburban Cook County,
it was 14%; in Winnetka,
it was 32.65%; in Northfield,
it was 15.9%; in
Glencoe, it was 5.22%;
and in Glenview, it was
8.59%. There’s nothing to
brag about in any of these
numbers, but not surprisingly,
turnout was higher
in places with contested
elections (like Chicago,
Wilmette, and Northfield)
and in places with important
referenda (like the
Winnetka school district’s
proposal to issue bonds for
a $90.6 million building
program).
While disappointing,
it’s also understandable
why turnout is low. Why
vote when all or most of
the races are uncontested?
Why vote when you have
no major complaints about
the way local government
is functioning? Why
vote when the available
information about candidates
is limited and doesn’t
clearly reveal their policy
differences? And how
can we expect citizens to
be informed about and
interested in all six of the
units of local government
that appear on the ballot?
It’s far easier to leave elections
in the hands of voters
with a particular interest
and knowledge, and hope
that everything turns out
okay, than it is to become
familiar with, for example,
the issues facing Oakton
Community College and
the policy positions of the
thirteen candidates running
for its Board of Trustees.
There may be ways to
stir up interest in local
elections, and I wish some
civic-minded group(s)
would look into this,
because widespread participation
in the political
process is the best way to
assure the continuation of
effective and responsive
local government.
On a related subject, I’m
told that one issue raised
by Wilmette residents
during the recent election
campaign is the large number
of potholes on streets
and alleys. These residents
are correct. This winter’s
severe freeze/thaw cycle
was especially damaging.
The Village received more
than twice the number of
pothole complaints this
year (January through
March) than last year and
has already repaired 50%
more potholes this year
than last. Crews will be
working as long as necessary
to repair the rest, and
you’re encouraged to call
and report potholes that
haven’t been addressed.
Long term, the Village will
probably have to spend
more to maintain streets
and alleys in a condition
that meets the standards of
the community.
Letters to Editor
Winners of contest thank
Beacon, Depot Nuevo
We want to thank you
for the contest prize, which
you made possible, in your
pre-Valentine Wilmette
Beacon newspaper column
on the subject of “How We
Met.”
We finally were able to
use the $50 gift certificate
at the Depot Nuevo restaurant
this past Saturday.
April 6. The restaurant
staff was most gracious
and courteous, considering
how hopping busy the establishment
was that evening.
The dinner was excellent
with large portions
for my wife and I.
The restaurant was an
Excellent choice for a
“War Of The Roses,” feuding
couple that agreed to a
truce, that evening, over a
good meal with a colorful
atmosphere. Kudos to you
and your staff. With much
gratitude and appreciation,
your Wilmette Beacon
reader fan.
Anastasios J. Vasilatos
Wilmette residenta
Planting trees can reduce
stormwater runoff
How can municipalities
reduce storm water
runoff? Some increase the
size of underground pipes
and holding tanks, and
spend millions of dollars.
Others consider greener
and cheaper solutions in
concert with the grey infrastructure
of pipes and
holding tanks.
One of the cheapest
green solutions is to plant
large canopy trees. USDA
Forest Service research
shows that large trees reduce
storm water runoff
by acting like large umbrellas
that intercept the
evaporating rainfall in
their canopies. A large oak
or cottonwood canopy tree
can intercept 3,000 gallons
annually.
Wilmette’s storm water
plan excludes planting
large canopy trees.
Even worse, Wilmette’s
storm water plan includes
destroying Community
Playfield’s grove of large
canopy cottonwood trees.
Wilmette residents cannot
allow this senseless and
unnecessary destruction.
Cottonwoods were important
to Wilmette’s Native
Americans who used
the trunks for dugout canoes,
the bark as forage
for horses and medicinal
tea for humans, and the
sweet sprouts and inner
bark as food. They turned
the trees into trail markers
and used them as meeting
places. Native Americans
and early European settlers
knew that a Cottonwood
in a sweltering prairie indicated
a welcome water
source.
These Cottonwoods
flourished for about a century
in Community Playfield
because they love its
sun and marshy moisture.
Native to Wilmette, these
versatile trees tolerate
soils ranging from welldrained
to wet, dry, alkaline
or clay, and drought
and flooding. The site’s
Cottonwoods provide Wilmette’s
small mammals,
woodpeckers, songbirds,
and butterflies with vital
and irreplaceable food and
habitat. Cottonwoods are
favorite Baltimore oriole
nesting sites. And they
host 368 species of Lepidoptera,
including spring’s
first butterfly, the Mourning
Cloak whose large velvety
maroon wings have
bright blue dots and yellow
edges.
Following a winter of
hibernating in logs or
tree bark, adult Mourning
Cloak butterflies emerge
in spring and mate. The
females lay clusters of
pale yellow eggs on tree
twigs which produce white
speckled, black, bristly
caterpillars that eat the
host tree’s leaves and then
pupate. The emerging
adult butterflies will spend
the coming winter hibernating
until the following
spring. A primary Mourning
Cloak butterfly tree for
all these activities is the
Cottonwood.
Wilmette is spending
millions of dollars to cre-
Please see Letters, 29