Page 4 Section 1 Daily HeralD

Northwest suburbs

WeDneSDay, June 17, 2009

Trustee calling for ethics panel

By Steve Zalusky
szalusky@dailyherald.com

The FBI has released these images showing a man robbing the same bank in Roselle twice in May. Hes also suspected in a Rolling Meadows bank robbery.

CourTesy of fBI

fBI searching for Beach Bum Bandit

By Alissa Groeninger
agroeninger@dailyherald.com

The FBI is looking for a man suspected of a robbing a Rolling Meadows bank this month and a Roselle bank twice last month. The bureau is seeking the publics help in finding the man dubbed the Beach Bum Bandit because of his casual attire that included baggy shorts. Hes thought to be responsible for at least three robberies at suburban banks since mid-May. The first occurred in Roselle at the Mutual Bank branch at 801 E. Nerge Road on May 8, and the same robber is suspected of returning again on

May 22. The most recent incident occurred June 4 in Rolling Meadows at the MB Financial Bank branch at 2251 Plum Grove Road. A witness at the last robbery said the suspect entered the bank, announced the robbery and ordered an employee to fill a blue-fabric bag with cash. He then fled the scene on foot and left the area on bicycle, authorities said. No injuries were reported in any of the robberies, though the FBI considers him dangerous because he was armed with a handgun. The suspect is described as a white male with brown hair, 20 to 25 years old and about 6 feet tall with a thin build, weighing

170 to 190 pounds. During two of the robberies he wore a bandanna or scarf around his face. In surveillance images, hes shown with a brimmed hat in one robbery and a University of Miami baseball cap in another. The Chicago FBI branch and investigators from the Roselle and Rolling Meadows police departments are carrying on a joint investigation. Anyone who recognizes the man or has information about the robbery is asked to contact the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700. More information about the robbery, including photographs of the suspect, can be found at bandittracker chicago.com.

Although Buffalo Groves village board OKd an offtrack betting facility two weeks ago, the dust raised by the issue not only has yet to settle, but was stirred up a bit Monday night. Lisa Stone, the most vocal board opponent of the offtrack betting facility at Adams Rib and Ale House, suggested the village form an ethics commission to promote greater transparency in government. I think a lot of what went on in the past couple months would have been avoided had we had a separate body (whose members) cant be related to anybody on the board, not even a first cousin, she said. Village President Elliott Hartstein and other trustees said they might support

an ethics commission, but took issue with what they believed was her implication that the board had behaved unethically. She (inferred) there was some connection between some of us here, Trustee Jeffrey Braiman said. And Im offended by that comment. Braiman said he doesnt have a problem with creating an ethics commission, and also thinks it might be wise to establish a conduct code for board members, given the problems the board has had for the last two months. After the meeting, Stone clarified her position, and said she was merely suggesting that in forming the panel, the board follow guidelines from Attorney General Lisa Madigan, which state that no relative of any board member occupy such a panel. Stone also suggested other Buffalo Grove trustees were

guilty of a double standard when they criticized her two weeks ago for seeking resolutions against the off-track betting facility from neighboring towns Wheeling, Lincolnshire and Riverwoods. Stone reminded trustees they passed a resolution in 2004 opposing a condo project in Arlington Heights. Braiman said there were differences between the Riverwoods resolution and the Buffalo Grove one aimed at the Arlington Heights condo, which was being built on the Buffalo Grove border. The Buffalo Grove board, he said, was reacting to concerns from its own residents over traffic and other issues they feared the condo would bring. By contrast, he said, Stone had urged other towns whose residents were unaffected by the facility on Milwaukee Avenue to recommend against it.

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Veteran festival volunteers looking to pass the torch

By Alissa Groeninger
agroeninger@dailyherald.com

150 Artists
Free Admission
Live Music, Great Food

Jeani Cunningham was enjoying the entertainment at Arlington Heights Frontier Days when she saw festival volunteers in their traditional red shirts and decided to get involved. That was 25 years ago, and the Arlington Heights resident still volunteers. This year, she serves as co-chairwoman for the fourth time. Frontier Days started in 1976 when then-mayor James Ryan asked 75 volunteers to put on an event for Americas bicentennial. It was so well received and they had such a good time doing it that they decided to do it every year, said Donna Jonas, now the festivals marketing coordinator. This year, Frontier Days runs from Wednesday, July 1, to Sunday, July 5, at Recreation Park, three blocks east of Arlington Heights Road

along Miner Street. Three of the original volunteers are still part of a core group of participants, many of whom have been helping for 20 to 25 years. It gets in your blood, Cunningham said. Jonas said volunteers come back year after year because helping put on the festival for the community proves enjoyable and rewarding. But the committee is looking for a new generation of volunteers to help out. One of them, Ann Marie Gunn, said there are only a few under 30. Many of the most committed volunteers have been with the festival since its early days and are looking to pass the torch to a new, younger group. Jonas said Frontier Days needs younger generations to step up because it is put on solely through volunteer work. We always encourage people to become a part of making this happen every year,

she said. Anyone interested should attend a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at North School Park at Arlington Heights Road and Eastman Street. Volunteers are asked to work at least two hours. If they came and did something and see the community coming back, theyd come back, Cunningham said. Families are a big part of the volunteer base, and some families now have three generations giving their time. Cunninghams 81-year-old mother from Des Plaines volunteers, and her kids helped out when they lived in the area. Jonas said more than 500 people help with Frontier Days yearly, some putting in 20 hours a week the entire year. We have a good community and we have a phenomenal group of volunteers ... who want to give back to the community, Jonas said.

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Bartlett debates extending Town Center taxing district

By Ashok Selvam
aselvam@dailyherald.com

Corrections and clarifications

To correct the Out & About box on the front page of todays Neighbor section, there is no Arlington Heights Community Concert Band concert at 7 p.m. today in North School Park. The concert in question was held June 10. To clarify a June 12 story about Newsweeks annual list of top schools nationwide, Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire was the highest-ranked school in the Daily Herald coverage area at 149. RiversideBrookfield High School is the highest-ranking suburban school at 139.

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Bartlett officials are exploring whether extending a Town Center special tax district by a year would benefit local businesses. The tax-increment financing district, or TIF, is scheduled to expire in December. The village created it back in 1986 to help spark downtown development. It has generated a total of about $14.5 million that has gone into improvements aimed at reshaping the center of the village. But some local officials and businessmen say results have been mixed, with many storefronts still vacant. The Town Center is the largest of Bartletts four TIFs and generated $1.6 million in 2007, according to Cook County data. The village board could vote in July on extending the TIF through 2010. A one-year extension wouldnt be subject to approvals from the state or any affected taxing bodies. TIFs are a commonly used vehicle for redevelopment in which property taxes generated from them that would normally go toward local taxing bodies like schools and

parks are frozen. As property values rise, the increased taxes generated are instead used to help pay for redevelopment of the property. Thats why many of those local taxing bodies oppose the TIF extension; they want access to the higher property taxes as soon as possible. Bartlett Community Development Director Jim Plonczyski said village officials are analyzing data and taking public input to see if the TIF extension would be a good idea. For example, the village could expand its rebate program for businesses. Newly elected Mayor Michael Kelly opposes the plan and said its unfair to propose an extension only six months before the expiration date. The village had more than two decades to work on a development plan and doesnt need extra time, he said. Theyre talking about coming up with a plan in the last at bat, in the last inning? he said. To me, that doesnt make a lot of sense. The village plans additional meetings on June 29 and July 13. Trustees want public input as they, too, hold mixed opinions on the issue.

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