EDITORIAL

The Needle in the Fog

The Planning and Development Committee of the City Council is scheduled to hear the presentation on the 49-story tower proposed for 708 Church St. on March 10. In order for the Committee's - and ultimately the Council's - deliberations to be meaningful, aldermen must address certain questions and be sure they are fully and honestly answered, for the good of the citizenry and the community of Evanston. These questions deal with the closed session meeting held last March at which all members of the Council heard the tower proposal; the benefits and detriments that would accrue to the City from the construction of the tower as well as the costs to the community; and possible alternatives to building the tower.

The Meeting
Council members have never given a sufficient explanation as to why they agreed to a closed-session meeting last March with developers Tim Anderson and James Klutznick and architect Larry Booth to hear the proposal for the tower. Despite a finding by the Illinois Attorney General that the meeting violated the Open Meetings Act, the explanation from the Civic Center has been that they relied on the advice of the corporation counsel, who continues to maintain the closed-session meeting did not constitute a violation of the Act.

The minutes of that closed-session meeting have been released. Many of the aldermen made positive remarks about the proposed tower, based solely on the developers' presentation, without receiving public input. Many in the community perceive that the private presentation unfairly predisposed aldermen toward favoring the tower and may have spillover effects on future deliberations. The Council needs to address this important issue.

Costs and Benefits
The present zoning code permits a building of much more modest height. However, under the City's planned development process, the Council can grant zoning relief if it believes sufficient counterbalancing benefits will accrue to the City. The concerns expressed already must be fully addressed: the impact on neighboring properties, traffic congestion, fire protection, wind, and shadows to name a few. There is also concern that, given the increasing vacancy rate of condominiums in Evanston, the building could become a large tenement in downtown Evanston.

The primary benefit for the community of Evanston, according to the developers, will be the building itself: an aesthetically pleasing, LEED-certified, stepped-back, "iconic" tower. The developers have also purchased the adjacent Hahn Building, a local landmark, and have promised to rehab rather than "develop" it. The rehab of this beautiful building is indeed a benefit that would accrue to the entire community. The developers have also promised to make a cash contribution toward the rehabilitation of Fountain Square if their proposal is approved.

Council members need to balance the benefits versus the detriments. As part of this equation they should consider whether other uses of the site would be better alternatives for the long-term growth of Evanston. Would the City be better off with a building permitted under existing zoning and that could be built as a matter of right? Would the City be better off with a shorter building that included some office space? Our City Manager, Julia Carroll, has remarked twice in less than a month that condo-ization and retail will not lead Evanston out of its financial crisis. She said the City must foster existing businesses and try to entice new businesses to Evanston. These and other alternatives need to considered as part of the equation.

To be fully prepared for an honest and open debate, the community must have honest answers and residents must be assured that Council members will take an unclouded, unbiased look at this proposal. If that does not happen, the tower will be a stake in the heart of Evanston.

Detaching

By Charles Wilkinson

"Our kid is driving me nuts, Doc," Will said, turning to his wife for support. "He's struggling, that's all," Ann added softly.

"Struggling? Gimme a break, hon. He's using us and you know it."

"Will," she sighed. "We've been through this a hundred times. You always ..."

"And nothing changes," he broke in. "He's a parasite. Frank should be married by now, have a job, kids, the whole deal. Like Joey."

"Frank is not Joey; you know he's different."

"I know he's my son and he's breaking my heart; that's what I know."

"So obviously you love him, Will," I said. "Your heart wouldn't be hurting if you didn't." I thought a moment, then asked, "Frank is how old, 23?"

"Almost 25, for Pete's sake, and sitting on his fat ..."

"He's working hard and you know it, Will." Ann said, turning to me, "He's a waiter at a high-end restaurant in the city and eventually wants his own place."

"And we keep bailing him out," Will chanted the words, "because only God knows what he does with his money. I'm tired of it."

After a stretch of uncomfortable silence, I told Will and Ann they needed to stop parenting Frank, to detach from his struggles, not without love and with insight.

"Insight? Whadaya mean?" Jim asked.

I explained that some parents forget, because the gift of a child is so precious and powerful, that the child's life ultimately belongs to the child and not to them.

"You need to let Frank take on the responsibilities you had for his growing-up years so he can do his own growing, just like you both did."

"So, what are you saying, Doctor?" Ann said.

"Simply that you have to let go and let Frank, as they say, get a life. At his age it's his, not yours, to do with as he chooses. Your job is to let go or be dragged along, which, I believe, is what you're both feeling."

Will and Ann looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

I went on to explain that the insight I was talking about had nothing to do with not loving their son, but loving him enough to let him go; to tell him that they would be there for him always but that his life was his own adventure from now on. "My guess is," I said, "if he really hears what you're feeling - the being dragged part - he'll understand and be relieved to find and feel his own freedom. After all, detachment does have two sides to it."

"That sounds a lot different than the tough love stuff I've been hearing about," Will said.

"It is," I replied, "but letting go is never easy unless there is no love there to begin with. If you trust that about yourselves and especially all that you've given Frank along the way, you'll find out the tough part will be as much his as yours."

After they left I thought of my own kids and was grateful for the lessons I could try to pass on.

Chrystal*

By Peggy Tarr

It's National Women's History Month.

Chrystal was a relatively young, well-mannered and educated black woman. She had been raised to read and base her life on the teachings of the Bible. Chrystal read the Bible every night before going to bed. On her job and in social situations, Chrystal maintained a polite and pleasant demeanor. Anybody could feel comfortable around Chrystal. Maybe this was the problem. Coworkers wondered how Chrystal managed to be calm when insults and extra work were constantly thrown her way. When asked about her tolerance for such negative behaviors, Chrys, as she was called by those close to her, would smile and calmly say, "They shall reap what they sow." This futuristic remedy didn't satisfy her coworkers, but they could only shrug their shoulders and say, "That's Chrys!"

It happened to be Black History Month. Chrystal watched some of the programs on TV that honored black people and/or gave the history of black people in America from slavery through the Civil Rights movement. After watching some of these programs, Chrystal realized she felt a bit angry about the dogs that had attacked her people for just marching to get their American rights and the hoses that knocked her people down to the ground just because they wanted their American rights and the people, white and black, who were killed because they sought equal rights for all Americans. This night, per usual, Chrystal turned off her TV, dressed for bed and read her Bible. But tonight, she read and reread passages about Job, "a man who endured much suffering but did not lose his faith in God." Chrystal closed her Bible and turned off the light. She reminded herself, as she had done many times when stressed by family, friends, coworkers or strangers, "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord." Chrystal went to sleep.

The next day at work, a supervisor rudely plopped some papers down on Chrystal's desk and ordered Chrystal to complete an assignment another worker had not done. Chrystal calmly explained that she did not have the necessary information to perform this task. The supervisor told Chrystal she would either do what she had been told or there would be serious consequences. Chrystal stood up, picked up the papers the supervisor had plopped on her desk and threw them across the room. She opened the drawers of her desk and placed all her personal belongings in a plastic bag. She put her purse under her arm, grabbed her coat and walked to the door. When she reached the door, she turned around and said calmly and sweetly to her coworkers, "The Lord bless you and keep you. I am not Job." Chrystal never returned.

*A play on the word ‘Chrysalis' = hard-shelled pupa (non-feeding, immobile stage of insect between the larva and final moth or butterfly stage).
Cocoon - silky case which larvae spin around themselves for shelter during pupa stage; any protective cover like this

Letters to the Editor

Lack of Direction in Evanston
Editor:

I have lived on the North Shore all of my life and have been a resident of Evanston for the past 18 years. During that time I have seen many changes.

Years ago Evanston was considered the place to shop and dine, due to mostly moderate-priced housing, fair taxes, a superior school system, and efficient government. It was considered a most desirable place to live and raise a family.

Today all that has changed - and not for the better. The City of Evanston is lacking in efficient and responsible leadership from the Mayor through the City Council and at every level. Consider the most obvious changes. The Mayor and the City Council have let the City (i.e taxpayers) owe the Fire and Police Pension Funds $140 million. The City Council held a secret unauthorized meeting last spring, a meeting under close scrutiny by the state. The school system has suffered major deterioration; school meetings have been boisterous, argumentative, often unproductive and not attentive to the real problems.

All of the above are the result of poor leadership and lack of direction at all levels. Perhaps it is time to "vote the rascals out of office." Evanston citizens and taxpayers deserve much better. I have had enough. Have you?
--Thomas B. Blair

Ted Fund Grateful for Support
Editor:

On behalf of the Ted Fund Board of Trustees, I wish the Woman's Club of Evanston great success with their 57th Annual Benefit, "LOL - GR8 FUN 4 U," running March 7-9, 13-15 at 1702 Chicago Ave.

The Ted Fund also extends its deep gratitude to the Woman's Club for naming us the beneficiary of this year's show. This generosity and thoughtful support will help us meet our goal of sending 100 less fortunate kids from Evanston to day camp this summer.

We know the cast, creative and production teams have dedicated a great deal of time to make this show a success. The benefit will showcase some incredible local talent, including some Ted Fund board members, and is guaranteed to keep folks in stitches.

We hope everyone in the community will take the opportunity to attend the production, supporting a very worthwhile cause in the process. Tickets can be purchased by visiting either www.cofe.com or www.tedfund.org.
--David A. Parlin, President,
Ted Fund Board of Trustees

Snow: Here Today, Here Tomorrow
Editor:

This pall of bitter weather has heightened the inadequacies of Evanston's City services, eliciting a sad commentary on how drivers and pedestrians fare in such times of stress. The lack of snow removal from City streets has been appalling. On a recent cab ride returning from O'Hare, our driver commented (without prompting) that, of all the Chicago suburbs, Evanston has the worst record for maintaining its streets during snow accumulation. Two days later, driving from Prairie Avenue in Evanston to Wilmette, the truth of his comment was evident the minute I crossed Isabella. This encounter was not an isolated incident. Even main arteries such as Central Street remained ice-encrusted for almost three days after a storm. Speaking of Central Street, I've been dismayed by the hazardous conditions of the sidewalks in commercial areas during these snowy days. Is there no ordinance that requires snow removal from these public thoroughfares?

How is it that municipalities with smaller tax bases can provide services superior to those of Evanston? Has the City Council conducted a serious, comparative study to the determine the answer? Were Frances Willard in our midst today, would she still dub our City as "Heavenston" or "The Cambridge of the Midwest"?

The non-responsiveness from officials in the departments of Forestry and Streets and Sanitation, even in normal weather, is a disgrace. Such should not be the case for over-burdened tax payers.

If there are other readers who share these concerns, I trust that they will speak up.
--Morgan Simmons

Beware of a Costly Tax-Time Error
Editor:

Unfortunately, certified public accountants and tax preparers are experts at tax planning and preparation, not college financial aid planning. For example, they might suggest that you put some or all of your assets in your child's name to save money on taxes.

While this advice is well-meaning, it will usually kill most or all of your chances of getting financial aid. Also, they are not trained in filling out college financial aid forms. Errors could cause them to be re-submitted and could cause loss of aid since it is awarded on a first-come,
first-served basis.
--Richard Schwartz

Branch Libraries, Boards And Budgets
Editor:

City Manager Julia Carroll's annual threat to close the City's branch libraries, this time sneaking this category into the budget process after she initially announced her plan, reveals her lack of understanding about why branch libraries were put in place decades ago: need and a demand by the public. Worse yet, she reveals a cultural/educational lack of appreciation of the fact that libraries and senior centers are extensions of the whole educational system of our society. Furthermore, her proposal to cut City services by 25 percent sounds like an ignorant child's solution to making their math assignment come out "right."

Ms. Carroll loves to say at budget time that "everything is on the table." Well, if that is the case, I would presume that her City Manager position is included. After all, Chicago has an aldermanic council and a mayor with a city of close to 3 million people. Evanston has about 73,000 persons, a council, a mayor and a business manager. Why? With nine aldermen, a mayor, and in case of a tie vote, a city clerk, it seems that tens of thousands could be saved by letting the aforementioned take care of "the budget."

Another anomaly in Evanston is two boards of education for a city of 73,000. Why? Chicago has one board of education.

Further, Ms. Carroll suggests expanding the City payroll by $2,277,030. This at a time when the City is not only in debt with municipal bonds but way behind in pension payments to police and firemen. Fiscal integrity seems to be waning.

With the outrageous volume of development in recent years, sold to the citizenry as a panacea for tax relief, shouldn't we be thinking of building more branch libraries and increasing services to the expanding population?

I just heard an interview by a Northwestern University official attesting that the University's endowment today totals $6.5 billion, the highest of any university in the United States. With the claim that it has the best business school in the country, maybe Evanston should "hire" NU to run the town. (I wonder how much tax revenue has been lost by Evanston with Northwestern taking over such a huge volume of properties over the years?)

Congratulations are in order to the Council for keeping our branch libraries in place. Thank you.
--Gordon B. Peters

ETHS Must Balance Priorities
Editor:

As an ETHS student, I am concerned by the administration's decision to create a new job for new head football coach Mike Burzawa despite recommending cuts of 12 teaching and staff positions next year to balance the budget. The decision shows a lack of priorities no Evanston parent or student should overlook.

In addition to making him head football coach next year, the administration plans to give Mr. Burzawa a full-time job in a new position, System of Supports Advisor. Mr. Burzawa has no teaching license and couldn't be hired as a teacher, but the administration circumvented the problem by creating a job outside staff and teachers' unions requiring no qualifications.

As SOS Advisor, Mr. Burzawa will be responsible for helping students with attendance problems in AM Support, the mandatory tutoring program for struggling students, and enforcing punishments. When administrators worked individually with AM Support absentees earlier this year, they identified over 100 students who never showed up for tutoring, many of whom faced serious family issues or even homelessness. Connecting with these students and giving them the help they need to get their lives on track is a monumental and critical task.

If the administration takes helping these students as seriously as they ought to, why did they create the position for a man whose only experience is as a football coach and physical education teacher at a Catholic high school in Addison? If the position needed to be created, why didn't the administration seek out someone with the background needed to do the best job possible for the worst-off students? And why didn't the administration consult any of the teachers already working on SOS at ETHS, or the teacher- and student-based SOS Steering Committee?

Or, if the SOS Advisor is meant to take a smaller role, only enforcing detentions and not helping students, how can the administration justify paying a full salary for a service the deans already provide when they need to cut teachers and staff just to balance the budget?

No blame should rest with Mr. Burzawa. He may still turn out to be a great addition to the ETHS staff. But the administration's decision shows a serious lack of priorities. At a time when the administration is trying to sell restructuring to the community, how can parents and students take the effort seriously if football comes before struggling students? As restructuring plans continue to be made at a rapid pace, the community needs to be more involved to make sure the administration's priorities are in the right place.
--David Hertz, ETHS senior

SEPA Thanks Community
Editor:

I write this letter to say "thank you" to all who supported Southeast Evanston Parents Association's "Charlene Marshall Parent Involvement Challenge" and "Vallorie Perkin's Christmas is For Family To Share" programs. Because of your support we were able to enhance parenting skills and give Christmas gifts to more than 250 families.

We challenged parents to attend three of our four workshops; 65 parents completed all four. First, we would like to thank the local media for helping us get the word out about workshops, registration, and fundraisers; this enabled us to help more families. Thanks to Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin and his director of outreach, Karen Chavers, for facilitating a workshop. Thanks to the Evanston Police Department for all your help. We also thank Bonnie Dohonge of Evanston Childcare Network for a partnership that will continue again this year.

We also must acknowledge the great partnership of Fresh Anointing Church, our holiday potluck participants, and all of our partners and sponsors.

I would also like to thank SEPA members and volunteers for their hard work throughout the year.

If you are interested in volunteering your services or facilitating a workshop please contact SEPA at 224-489-5121.
--Lucia Norris, president of SEPA

Tax Burden Leans Too Heavily On Homeowners
Editor:

A 10 percent property-tax increase was chosen as an alternative to the defeated real-estate tax referendum to fill the depleted City coffers and pensions? This is a complete conundrum to me. Aldermen looking for future votes, didn't you get the message? Let's try again to find a way to improve the pensions and the City's operating budget. The City doesn't even get all of the money. The school system gets more of it. Leaders of Evanston, aren't you above the "shell-game" politics of your brethren to our south?

Personally, I would like to thank our police officers and firefighters. I am saddened that the men and women of our City who put their lives on the line to protect us feel cheated. Someone did cheat you, and someone needs to pay for that. Yet, I do not believe that the homeowners of Evanston should face the burden year in and year out of subsidizing our City services due to inappropriate management.

Realistically, let's put some things into perspective. Pensions are all but becoming extinct in the business world. Public service is still a business. Living for the pension is a thought of the past. Re-funding the lost millions to the funds will take years, which means additional huge tax increases in the future. An alternative may be that we tax public servants differently in the future, perhaps by providing a direct tax abatement to those who serve us and investing the current pension appropriately through a conservative "outsider" organization. Other small cities have faced the same issues. What can we learn from them?

For me, a new homeowner with a young family, Evanston has been a hamlet compared to the corruption and cronyism I experienced while living in Chicago. Yet, as the days pass, I am dismayed at the confusion and hypocrisy displayed throughout the town. The Evanston I see pushes to grow its revenue, promotes us as a destination town, and wishes that the town maintain the aesthetic value and boom with empty-nesters and young families. On the other hand, they still want to provide services through the tax base that most non-profits usually serve, impede development unless it suits a select few, avoid privatization, city-service volunteerism and a confrontation with Northwestern University.

Our quaint little town is the single biggest marketing tool that Northwestern University uses. Yet, they turn a blind eye and a deaf ear when asked to additionally subsidize services that their students and administrators enjoy every day. In a Feb. 13 Chicago Tribune article, Alan Cubbage, vice president of University relations, said the University "pays enough" through the $4.8 million set aside for the City and county. This is just $340 per student, considering NU receives a total annual tuition of $65 million from an average of 14,000 students. I am not taking into consideration any of the $6.5 billion in endowment funds that come to the University on the Lake. My family of four pays almost $340 of taxes for the Forest Department and the mosquito project. My tax bill enumerates services that not only my family enjoys , but I believe the students do as well -- water abatement, Evanston general services, Cook County healthcare and Cook County public services, to name a few. I believe that the students' tuition should be taxed appropriately. If the University appropriated another $400 per student, the revenue base would increase by $5.6 million. The impact would be substantially more than raising the parking ticket fees by $5 or increasing the late payments on library books by 5¢. Also, isn't it time to look at privatization of City services, market City service advertising and call for volunteers to man certain City services? Also, isn't it time for some non-profits to step up and put their money where their mouths are regarding the environment and maintaining our historical sites? The City homeowner should pay its fair share as well, but let's not bleed dry the residents who are most connected with Evanston and its future.
--Jay Ryan

New Transit Fares Will Shut In Many Disabled Riders
Editor:

Public transit carries with it many benefits - less pollution, greater access to commerce and employment, reduced dependence on oil, reduced traffic congestion - and seniors and the disabled should have mobility and access to all public accommodation.

What an irony, then, that while seniors and persons with disabilities able to board fixed-route transit will ride for free beginning March 17, Chicago-area paratransit riders - arguably the most economically disadvantaged and severely disabled - had their monthly-pass fare doubled on Feb. 1, from $75 to $150.

Surely neither the Governor nor the General Assembly could have intended such an absurd result. Healthy, and in some cases wealthy, seniors will ride for free, while severely disabled and impoverished citizens will become, once again, what society used to call "shut-ins."

Since the doubling of transit fares on some of our poorest and most helpless citizens must be a mistake, let's fix it now. Everyone, sooner or later, is going to become mobility-challenged. Tens of thousands of baby-boomers will be joining those ranks in the next few years.

The Americans with Disabilities Act has mandated access to mass transit for all disabled persons for over 15 years. While the transit agencies have made significant strides, the so-called "fixed route" non-paratransit system is not accessible at many points. Even where it is arguably accessible to some disabled persons, many simply are not physically able to get themselves to the access points or get on and off the train/bus.

It is the paratransit riders, therefore, who are accommodating the mass transit authorities, not the other way around. Their right to full mobility is being compromised to obtain an artificial "farebox" contribution target that places the burden of funding on the most powerless.

The ADA's promise of the right to be a full member of society is not being kept when we increase the financial burden on the severely disabled while reducing or eliminating it for elders and those with less severe disabilities.

It is my sincere hope that elected representatives and the mass transit community will work out some sort of relief for those citizens who have been overlooked in this current funding arrangement.
--Christopher Kruger

Mr. Kruger is an attorney for the plaintiffs in Crosby v. PACE Bus, currently in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Reader Questions the Merits of Black History Month
Editor:

Once again this February, American public schools and libraries celebrated Black History Month. Display cases and posters were erected presenting "black" accomplishments, discoveries and inventions for the only shade-specific, historically dedicated month of the year. It may sound like nit-picking to ask why there should be a Black History Month, rather than an African-American one, or any such month at all. But the distinction presents an important question of principle. Why shouldn't the definition of racism be the belief that the human species is divided by race? Consider for a moment the outcry that would ensue over a White History Month, or the emergence of a popular "white power" hand gesture. Is it right to accept these double standards as a societal norm, as they are in America?

In fact, Black History Month, and the notion that blacks need their own quota of days set aside each year, might be rather insulting to many African-Americans. And doesn't setting aside a month for black history suggest a segregation between Black history and American history? African- Americans have contributed a great deal to American life, but why do we need to necessarily hear about it? And if we are going to, why not also cover what German and Japanese Americans have contributed to our country too?

Is it any of our federal government's business to tout the resume of one ethnic group or another anyway? It proves what seems quite apparent: that Black History Month is, in many ways, an annual attempt to both raise African-American self-esteem and to help clean the guilty consciences of many non-African-Americans. While Black History Month and affirmative action may seem to be harmless public programs that can only have a positive effect, in reality both feed the racism they are intended to combat. It's long been time that we attempt to combat the shallow "for us by us" notions of "talking black" and "acting white" that are rooted in the basic concept of shade-exclusive "races," and retiring Black History Month is a necessary step in doing so.
--Daniel Schwartz

The Myths of Evanston's Proposed Tower
Editor:

You've got to give the Klutznick/Focus Development team some credit. In relatively short order, they have managed to distort the facts of their proposed 49-story skyscraper while perpetuating the myth that the proposal is good for Evanston. For example:

They have suggested that the new development will generate $3 million annually in tax revenue for Evanston. The reality is that the long-term revenue generated would be closer to $400,000 annually.

They have told us that the development will bring much-needed retail to downtown Evanston. In reality, the development will have less than half the retail space that currently exists. The development would force many long-term Evanston retailers out of the area and possibly out of business.

They have told us that the development would not require any financial assistance from the City. Yet, on Feb. 4 they requested a minimum of $3 million in financial assistance from the City to help them restore and re-tenant the historic Hahn building.

They tell us that we need the residents of the proposed 218 luxury condominiums to support downtown Evanston retail. However, they neglect to address the fact that the clients of the 109 existing businesses in the current building already give as much or more support to downtown retail as the proposed new residents.

The proposed development is wrong for the site and wrong for Evanston. It does nothing to benefit the City or taxpayers, and only benefits the wallets of the development team. I would encourage those wanting additional facts to visit the website of the Evanston Coalition for Responsible Development at www.evanstoncrd.org.
--Christopher Ernst

Where the Sidewalk Ends
Editor:

I walk often, and one of my many routes is to walk from the intersection of Main Street and Ridge Avenue to downtown Evanston. On Feb. 16, I was unable to complete that walk because the sidewalks were layered with ice.

I began to wonder, "I'm a young woman. What if, however, I was an older woman, afraid of a hip fracture?" I wouldn't risk going out. One of Evanston's major attractions to residents and new homeowners is the ability to walk anywhere. I was unable to take advantage of this feature, however, because my community did not realize the value in clearing the sidewalks.

While I am doing my part to decrease my carbon footprint and rely less on fossil fuels, my efforts are being hindered because of the dangerous ice left on the sidewalks. As a result, I was forced to take the bus, a route threatened because of budgetary cuts in the CTA. How green is that? Put your car away and walk two or three blocks and see how far you get before you have to catch yourself from falling. Put your principles where your hands are and use them to lay sand, salt or whatever product on those sidewalks to protect yourself, your postal workers and your neighbors.
--L. Pratt

Three Crowns Needs Fixing
Editor:

I'm thrilled that the new McDaniel Courts development at Three Crowns includes a casual dining café, fine-dining restaurant, pub, swimming pool, spa, fitness center, library, movie theatre, business center, convenience shop and complimentary underground parking. Oops. That last one must be a mistake because, while Three Crowns was busy designing all the bells and whistles at McDaniel Courts, they forgot to create adequate off-street parking for their new residents, visitors and employees -- something they promised to their neighbors in early-stage planning meetings.

They also failed to secure off-site parking for the multitude of construction workers, and their cars have been clogging the streets and inconveniencing neighbors for the past 20 months. Evidently that was another thing they forgot. And then there are the sodium vapor lights, brighter than the street lights, which cast an eerie airport-runway pallor over everything within eyeshot of Three Crowns. Neighbors have complained and petitioned. Meetings are being held. The City has taken an interest. Now we're waiting to see if Three Crowns can find solutions to the problems they have created.
--Gary Cole