Skokie Review

Letter to the editor

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:38:00 -0500

Why risk Skokie’s future on inexperienced candidates? Opponents to the Skokie Caucus Party Team try to suggest that there is no “harm” in electing an independent to the Village Board of Trustees. The truth is, there are significant reasons not to vote for our opponents, whether they are “independents” or in reality “Tea Party candidates” and “Caucus Party members who tried to be slated as Caucus Candidates but where unsuccessful.” First, there is no wisdom to vote for an “independent” when the Caucus Party Team continues to hit home runs with economic development. We just announced that we have brought …

Letter to the editor

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:37:56 -0500

Are you kidding? At first I thought your April Fools Day Recipes included the Passover page. There are many wonderful recipes for gefilte fish but BUYING a loaf of gefilte fish is not one of them. I have no problem with people using store-bought gefilte fish that is doctored, but it isn’t a recipe. That’s like saying a recipe for chicken soup begins with “open a can of chicken soup.” The only tradition in that gefilte fish recipe was the paper the recipe was written on. Dalya HorowitzSkokie …

State pension plan kicks the can

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:53:32 -0500

Regarding your March 7 Viewpoint that the Neckritz/Cross pension bill’s shifting of new hire teacher pension costs to school districts is where the cost belongs ignores some important considerations. For the 2010-2011 school year, Illinois ranked dead last nationally, funding just 16.8 percent of public education costs despite the state constitution requiring at Art. X that “(T)he State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education.” Although the bill claims the cost shift will be phased in, ultimately, real estate taxes will increase, further stressing struggling homeowners and impairing the ability of those now in school from …

Skokie letter to the editor: Homeowners bearing burden of school retirements

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 06:04:23 -0500

I gasped a bit when reading the Sept. 27 Skokie Review piece on the District 219 budget with a 15-percent increase for employee benefits. I presume that figure includes pensions and retiree health care. From what I read, the Teachers Retirement System isn’t in the greatest fiscal condition, and the state is considering pushing more and more of the retiree cost onto homeowners. Is anyone out there giving any thought to older residents who work in the private sector and would someday like to retire and stay in their homes? And have something left over for food, heat and health …

Skokie letter to the editor: Bashing bicycle lanes

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 06:09:26 -0500

So here’s my take on this whole “bike lane” thing: Bicycles are silly. “Snap!” you say. Or, “Moron!” OK, OK ... ask yourself this: Wouldn’t it be better if there were “bike towns” instead of “bike lanes?” The walled towns could be three-blocks-square — replicas of real towns with offices, homes, shopping, seven Walgreens, nine banks, right in the middle of a Human Town. I know exactly where the Skokie Bike Town should be, but if I share this with the Village Planning Commission, I’d have to charge them a fee and then I’d lose my amateur status as a …

Letter: Cat Grandma to the rescue

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:08:45 -0500

To the Grey Lantern: Call me Cat Grandma. I am a super hero, too. As Cat Grandma, I bring wrongs to right. You know the texting fool in front of you who doesn’t move when the light turns green? I, Cat Grandma, am the one who uses her horn to get the line moving. Surely you are aware of people who lose their doggy’s doo on a neighbor’s lawn. I, Cat Grandma, return it to the owner’s front porch. Yes, I admit it, I’m partial to kitties, so when dogs roam the forest preserve bike trail unleashed, I confront the …

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 11:47:04 -0500

A little respect, please Look, I’m old, but not so old I can’t decide what your fingers are shouting at me. The index finger is saying you’re number one. Yeah I get it. And your gnarly third finger is telling me what you think of me. Perfectly clear. The only two I’m bitching about are two and three. Lately you’re flashing them at every camera, cop or crowd you see. This is where I take exception. You see, kiddo, I grew up during the great achievements of the Greatest Generation. Back then, that “V” stood for only one thing . …

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 06:14:42 -0500

Five-year plan gets an “F” District 219 sent out a brochure detailing its five-year plan. Among the notable entries: • Operating Fund Balance $142 Million “...which equals approximately one year of expenses.” • “...we carry $163 Million in long-term debt.” Any responsible fiscal manager knows unneeded debt service is money down the drain. Assuming a 3 percent interest rate, this is almost $5 million the district flushes down the toilet each year. It’s not like most businesses where they need to be concerned if the income will continue. They brag about “building the fund balance” and having a larger amount …

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:31:23 -0500

Not so “Swift” government spending $20 million for the new Swift station. Projected 900-1200 boardings a weekday some of whom will have used the Dempster Station a mile away. Say 260,000 weekday and 40,000 weekend boardings or 300,000 a year resulting in $675,000 in new revenue if everyone pays full fare. Interest/time value on $20 million at a conservative three percent is $600,000 a year. Annual operating costs for utilities, maintenance and labor? Perhaps another $175,000. (Probably a lot more). For a total ongoing annual cost of $775,000. So, this station will cost the taxpayers $100,000 a year forever, …

Letters to the Editor

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:36:03 -0500

Skokie company fined for selling products from endangered species The elephant’s tusks are its primary defense mechanism. Without the sharp, sword-like weapon, the elephant is vulnerable to predators. In January 2012, Atlas Fibre Company was fined for selling products made from endangered species, notably African elephants, without an export permit. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 strives to conserve endangered and threatened species. The fact that Atlas disobeyed this Act and deliberately concealed all evidence of illegally shipping the manufactured goods is reprehensible. Preservation of African elephants is imperative to Africa’s economy, as it attracts tourism and is therefore part …

Letters to the Editor An investment in Skokie’s future

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 08:02:05 -0500

Downtown Skokie is so lucky to have Bughouse Studio as a new business in the center of the village! There is nothing more wondrous than seeing children deeply absorbed in their own creative processes while having intermittent, friendly conversations with one another. This is precisely the way communities can invest in the development of their future — by supporting healthy and creative experiences for their own children. Adults have a blast at Bughouse Studio; they let themselves go on creative journeys that are typically far from their everyday stresses and responsibilities. And during adult studio time, it is common to …

Letters to the editor

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:17:12 -0500

District 219 and the tennis camp As Niles Township District 291 once again votes to increasingly burden the taxpayers, the issue of the Tennis camp supported by some came up. The following quote pretty much sums it up: “We are talking about a private enterprise using a district facility for free,” Silverman said after the meeting. Well, gee willikers, I have businesses that could benefit from the free use of a facility. How do I get this deal? Or, perhaps it could be a win/win. People apparently want something the District has to offer, so they should be willing to …

Letters to Editor

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:17:48 -0500

Skokie should think out of the box for business One insight to the downtown development is the realization that the current mix is mainly professional services from dentists to day care. They tend to draw older settled people or young struggling types from the near-by apartments. So, promote them as a Service Corridor. Another combination to develop is the Entertainment Connection. The Skokie Theatre needs development. It is a hard nut to crack, but does have potential. Another draw is a brewpub. The Desiree Restaurant site has lots of vacant space and parking. I know the fears of the Prohibition-era …

It’s not too late to learn

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:33:07 -0500

Winter is a season of reflection, and this time of year, many young adults tend to regret not continuing their education, especially as they see friends in school or returning for winter breaks. For those thinking “coulda-woulda-shoulda,” your situation may actually be a blessing in disguise. Instead of waiting for the next academic year to roll around, take action to kick off your career plans right now. Classroom study is not the only way to learn. Get a jump-start on your peers with an internship for the winter months. Internships are a great way to discover if a particular career …

Letter to the editor: Scary story in question

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:04:52 -0500

I read the story, “What the Sharks Caused to the Town,” in your Scary Stories segment for Oct. 27. To say that my family found it disturbing is an understatement. This story was supposed to be about Halloween. There was nothing about Halloween in the story. There were knives and blood, a drowned sister and parents being called slaves. What does that have to do with Halloween? We have a new baby at home. We were sickened by the end, which was a baby being stabbed in the eye followed by a chirpy, “The End!!” Please let me know how …