Letter to the Editor

Updated: February 27, 2012 8:23AM

District 74 expenses were shocking

When I read the details that emerged from the FOIA request regarding the expenses incurred by the administrators and the members of the School District 74’s Board of Education, I was stunned, to say the least. When I heard board members Michael Davros and Darlene Fourkas motion to seek reimbursement for past cell phone expenses in excess of $ 10,000 each, I fell off my sofa.

During my years on the Village of Lincolnwood’s Board of Trustees, I was always in awe of the many board members, commission members, committee members, volunteers, room mothers and PTA members who dedicated their time, resources and efforts to improve our community without seeking reimbursement or entitlements other than those provided by stature. I am sure many of these residents spent hard earned money at the expense of their pocketbooks. Did the Barbinos seek any reimbursement or compensation for their time spent in running the Toys for Tots program for so many years? Did the Blackmans seek any reimbursement or compensation for their time and effort spent in helping coordinating the many village events? The list could go on and on. The answer is no!

I have learned from them that serving the Village of Lincolnwood is an honor and privilege that provides very little, if any, in the way of compensation and entitlements. They also taught me that the inner joy of being able to contribute to your community and the sense of accomplishment will outweigh any material compensation or entitlements you might receive. When you seek to be involved in the community, you should expect very little financial rewards but you will have the opportunity to meet and work with all of the wonderful residents of Lincolnwood.

A sense of entitlement and expectation of financial gains might exist at the federal, state and county levels, but not here.

I might sound too idealistic, but that is the only way I can make sense of all the past and present residents who have contributed so greatly to our community with little to show other than their pride and joy of residing in Lincolnwood.

Not only did board members Davros and Fourkas fail to execute proper oversight of the administration’s spending, but they were also willing participants in the excesses. If you were serious about your motion in seeking reimbursement from Lincolnwood School District 74 for past cell phone usage, you should resign from the board immediately because you are serving for the all the wrong reasons.

Peter Moy

Lincolnwood

Will Skokie promote
existing businesses?

Kudos to Dempster Street merchants seeking to be proactive and unite to promote their business. One can only wish them the best of success.

I can’t help but wonder if the Village of Skokie will do anything to promote existing businesses. To date it seems Skokie’s only involvement has been throw away money to bring in new business to Dempster (blowing over a million dollars on Oberweiss) while kicking existing business in the teeth with an additional tax burden (for the West Dempster Development) or eminent Domain attacks.

Earl Weiss,

Skokie

Planning your 2012?

Time is a fragile thing.

Poets, painters and physicists each try to define it. You and I get to live it. But what should we do when it’s over? As in that old calendar you just took down from the kitchen wall.

The pragmatists and environmentalists among us will simply say: “Dispose it.” I say: “Study it. Take a little sliver of 2012 time to reconsider what you and I didn’t do with 2011 time.”

Here’s what I see in my 2011 calendar: the days that were used for tasks, appointments, deadlines, family dinners, parties, weddings and funerals; and the everyday rhythms of my life that were scheduled and most times kept.

I see them scattered among those now-expired hours, never to be regained or relived again: The days I spent dreading the bad weather that never came; the days I hated going to a job that now I wish I still had; the days I canceled attending an event that I now regret missing.

But if held to the light just right, 2011 could very well be your very best map for traveling your 2012.

Jack Spatafora

Park Ridge

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