Mundelein Review

Mundelein needs Steve Lentz as mayor

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:28:00 -0500

This election the voters of Mundelein have many choices. Among them is the choice to go back to a Mundelein from days of old or a new progressive and inclusive Mundelein. I believe the best choice for a new Mundelein, full of potential, is Steve Lentz. He is the best person to lead us as mayor because Steve has the experience, vision, communication skills, intelligence and integrity that we require in a good mayor. As a village trustee, Steve has been involved in negotiations for many projects, including the development of the downtown. He helped get the best deal possible …

Letter: Be careful with Lake County tax appeal rule-changes

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:10:34 -0500

Lake County’s assessment and appeals system is a model of accuracy, openness and fairness. With an increase in appeals from taxpayers feeling financial distress or seeking fair tax levels, officials are now pressured by lawyers to change the rules of the game — not to insure consumer protections or enable appropriate regulation — but to limit competition. Lawyers have no special training in the administrative process of real estate tax appeals. Nor do they have special knowledge of appraisals and property valuations, financial and property management, or about government agencies that oversee assessments and appeals. Yet they want to tell …

Letter: Former Cook Library president endorses candidates

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:10:29 -0500

I was proud to serve on the Cook (Memorial Public) Library Board for six years. During most of those years, I had the privilege to serve with Bonnie Quirke and Ann Oakley. As a former Board president, I know the tremendous amount of volunteer hours that Bonnie and Ann put into the library district. They have a strong record of fiscal responsibility and maintaining quality library service in all areas of the district. Bonnie has served diligently as board president, ensuring that the Cook Park and Aspen Drive facilities are operating effectively and within our means. Ann brings strong private …

Letter: Mundelein walkways should be pedestrian-friendly

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:17:24 -0500

In our concern to make Mundelein more business friendly, it baffles me that those same businesses and the Village cannot clear snow off downtown sidewalks. The Lake Street upgrades are attractive but, as I tried to walk along Lake Street during a snow early this month, it was at times dangerous. The shape that they are in is not very negotiable for someone able-bodied like myself, but out of the question for anyone in a wheel chair. If we really want Mundelein to be “a destination village” as one of the election flyers says, we need to do far better …

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:29:32 -0500

Demanding concrete explanation We are very upset with our Trustee, Steve Lentz, and have decided not to vote for him as mayor. Why? The village paid $42,000 for a plan for roads, sewers and water mains in Loch Lomond (where we live). The plan was based on a survey of residents and input from the various village departments. One key element of the plan was that concrete ribbons should replace the gravel shoulders and that the existing swales (shallow grass ditches bordering the streets) should be maintained. These swales are very important to the ecology of the lake, because the …

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:08:01 -0500

Its time to do right! Illinois can soon make history. In the next few weeks, the Illinois House and Illinois Senate can extend the freedom to marry to gay and lesbian couples in our state. It is the right thing to do and now is the time. I urge the General Assembly to pass this measure of basic fairness and dignity. Lesbians and gay couples all across Illinois are building lives, buying homes and raising families. These couples should be allowed the freedom to marry. Same sex couples will strengthen the institution of marriage. They want to marry because they …

All students deserve quality education

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:17:39 -0500

To the Editor: Stand for Children is a bipartisan, grassroots education advocacy group with a focus on improving education outcomes for all children. We believe that every child – regardless of his or her background – has the fundamental human right to a high-quality public education. We are proud to endorse State Rep. Carol Sente for re-election. In Illinois, we have a disparity among our highest- and lowest-income districts, schools, and students, both in terms of funding and student outcomes. The North Shore is no stranger to that disparity. In the 10th Congressional District, we have one school ranked seventh …

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:25:15 -0500

You be the judge Pioneer Press ran an editorial on Sept. 20 calling for passage of a bill (House Bill 1855) to require gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons withing 72 hours. Voting was indefinitely postponed on this bill in March. I oppose this bill on several grounds. It imposes an arbitrary time limit to report a crime, and penalizes the victim for failure to meet this requirement, including revocation of the right to own firearms in Illinois. It places the burden of proof on the victim that he is compliant with this limit (the moment of discovery). …

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 …

Owner heartbroken over stolen bike

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:21:16 -0500

To the person who stole my son’s bike, I want you to know the story behind the bike you stole, after you picked the lock from Highland Middle School sometime between the afternoon of June 2 and 10 p.m., June 3. The bike belongs to my son, Christopher James -- or CJ -- who is 12 years old. CJ is the youngest of our four boys and is very familiar with the word hand-me-down. But last year CJ did extremely well in school as a fifth grader. In fact he got all A’s on his report card and was named …

Libertyville High School bands deserve recognition

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 06:07:25 -0500

Music, it’s one of the major strengths of Libertyville schools. The music programs are some of the best in the state. They are often overlooked. The schools have invested in music and it has paid off in the quality of the bands, orchestras, and choirs that perform concerts throughout the school year. Often the achievements of high school sports teams come up, but rarely do the accomplishments of the band program surface. LHS bands have won the Superstate competition every other year for many years. In the world of high school band programs few are as prestigious as those at …

Hear well, think well

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 08:24:51 -0500

New research from Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine and Center on Aging has documented a link between hearing loss and dementia. The articles have appeared in the prestigious Journal of Gerontology and the Archives of Neurology in 2011, and most recently in JAMA, in 2012. Frank Lin, M.D., who is an otolaryngologist as well as an epidemiologist, is lead investigator and author. Mild hearing loss (which causes an individual to experience problems hearing in difficult listening environments such as restaurants) was associated with two times the risk. Moderate hearing loss had three times the risk and severe hearing loss had …

Civil War Day a huge success at Hawthorn Middle School

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:24:05 -0500

Hawthorn Middle School North had its third annual Civil War Day on Friday, May 11. The whole seventh grade class participated and professional reenactors came in to make Civil War history come alive. Abraham Lincoln, Mrs. Mary Todd-Lincoln, General Thomas, a period surgeon and other characters provided students with information and perspective to complement their social studies teachers’ instruction. Many people helped to continue this successful school event. Along with the teachers and staff at Hawthorn, we would like to thank Jason’s Deli, Bakers Square, and Target for their support of this event. Their dedication to the school and community is very …

Paying more in property taxes a disgrace

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:33:19 -0500

Now is the time of the year when we receive our property tax bill. While we have prior knowledge of the new assessed value of our property and the opportunity to challenge it, the property tax bill simply gives us the new rates of the taxing bodies with no visibility as to an explanation and justification of the changes. Your readers and taxpayers deserve more from government officials. From my tax bill, if I’ve calculated these correctly, here are the tax rate increases of various taxing bodies: County of Lake - +27 percent; County of Lake Pension - +4.7 percent; …

Lake County stressed by property tax appeals

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:06:12 -0500

Regulation could make a good assessment system better. These are challenging times. Families and local governments are trying to manage stagnant and falling incomes and revenues. Property values are plummeting, but property tax bills are not dropping commensurate with marketplace realities. Lake County has seen an explosion in property tax appeals, from about 6,000 to 26,000 appeals last year. According to assessment officials, 60 percent of these appeals are being submitted by property tax consultants. A number of these consultants, and even some lawyers, appear to be new to the industry or unqualified. Lake County has a lot going for …