On what is typically an upbeat night for the Northbrook Village Board of Trustees when local community organizations receive contributions by the village, the tone on March 12 changed when a Northbrook neighbor asked why the village’s Earth Day celebration for 2024 was scrapped.
Edward Samson, an approximate three-decade Northbrook resident who is a longtime volunteer with the Northbrook Civic Foundation and local environmental conservation groups, spoke at the podium when speakers have three (timed) minutes at public comment time regarding items not on the agenda.
Samson asked why the village is not hosting Earth Day activities. In previous years, the village’s free annual Earth and Arbor Day event drew large attendance at Village Green Park. Depending on itineraries and collaborations each year, there were educational green expos with community sponsors, free seedling, and food giveaways like carrot (hot) dogs plus complimentary children’s games with amenities including pony rides.
The west commuter train station parking lot brought long queues of motorists who transported cans of unwanted paint, widescreen television sets, computers, sensitive documents for shredding and other hard to dispose of recyclables.
Prescription and OTC medicines or supplies (no sharps) are typically recycled elsewhere at designated drop-off points such as the Northbrook Police headquarters lobby 24/7 at 1401 Landwehr Road. See https://www.northbrook.il.us/DocumentCenter/View/4180/Save-a-Star-Program-Details for examples of allowable recyclables (requirements could change, please check first if there are questions).
On May 15, 2021, Northbrook Civic Foundation conducted a Clean Up Northbrook collaborative with approximately 75 volunteers at 15 locations.
Safety vests, bags and garbage pickup sticks were distributed at the Civic Building (2002 Walters Ave.). Advanced Disposal removed collected trash later.
On March 12, 2024, Samson said, “I am here tonight representing the Northbrook Civic Foundation and the volunteers who work in Somme Woods on restoration activities,” Samson said. “We’re all disappointed that the village does not have anything on the agenda for Earth Day this year.”
Samson contacted the village via email to public works including Northbrook Village Manager Cara L. Pavlicek. Earth Day is Monday, April 22, 2024.
“Earth Day is coming up in a few weeks,” Samson reminded trustees on March 12.
“What Civic wants to do, Civic says, if the village is not going to do a cleanup day, Civic would like to take on that activity,” Samson said.
“We ask if public works could provide us with safety vests, pick up sticks, trash bags and a pick up of the trash afterwards,” Samson said.
“And that’s where it stands.”
Official Northbrook Civic Foundation Response
Steve Amberg of Northbrook, vice president of the Civic Foundation board of directors, indicated Samson is a Civic member, but, “not on the board of directors so he’s not authorized to speak on our behalf.
“It’s not Civic’s intent to make any demands on the Village of Northbrook, that’s not what we do, and that’s not any wording that we would authorize to speak,” Amberg said.
“We have contributed to the clean up when the village sponsored the activity and it is something that we would be interested in doing again,” Amberg said. “But as far as making demands and requests of the village, that’s not something that we would do.
“We’re certainly not in a position to make any demands of the village,” Amberg said. “We didn’t discuss anything with Ed about saying anything to the village, he wasn’t authorized.
“If there’s something we can do to help this year, we’re certainly open to it,” Amberg added about Earth Day volunteerism.
Tessa Murray, former village sustainability coordinator at the village, left the position last October. The new sustainability coordinator is Kate Carney, who started the second full week of March at an annual salary of $73,500.
Earth and Arbor Day, as an event, is not listed under the “Village Happenings” calendar in the village “Northbrook Voice” newsletter for March and April 2024. Electronics recycling is indicated, plus a two-page “Recycling Guide” interior publication spread.
“The Earth Day question is still open at this point,” Northbrook Village Communications Manager Nicholas Glenn told Pioneer Press.
“With a new sustainability coordinator just starting last week, we do not have any official Earth Day-themed events at this time,” Glenn indicated.
Northbrook Village Vehicle Sticker Sticking Point?
The resolution approving the 2024-2025 special village vehicle sticker was taken off the Administration and Finance agenda portion with no explanation during the March 12 meeting. Each year, the village issues a special vehicle sticker for residents with a donation benefiting a recipient local organization.
At the Feb. 13, 2024 Committee of the Whole meeting, a consensus chose the Northbrook Civic Foundation as this year’s recipient of the special vehicle sticker with its optional minimum $20 donation.
The design honors the 100th anniversary of Northbrook Days Festival, Civic’s primary major fundraiser each summer. See http://www.northbrookdays.com/.
“We have not been advised of anything,” Civic’s Steve Amberg said about the sticker. “We have a letter that says that we were awarded the special village sticker.“
Glenn said about the March 12 sticker status, “It looks like at least one board member wanted to pull this item and discuss it further at the next board meeting on April 9.
“The reason for the action and what the outcome of what the discussion will be on the sticker program would be speculation until the board meets in public and has the discussion,” Glenn said.
Village Community Organization Financial Support
Ten community organizations serving Northbrook received contributions with approval by trustees at the March 12 board meeting.
They are CATCH (Northbrook), $2,625, Family Service Center (Northfield), $25,000, The Josselyn Center (Northfield), $137,500, North Shore Senior Center (Northfield/Niles), $7,500, Northbrook Historical Society (Northbrook), $25,000, TotalLink2 Community (Northbrook), $15,000, Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook, $157,237, GBN Grad Night, (Glenbrook North High School) $1,500, Hunger Resource Network (Northbrook), $5,000 and North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic (Highland Park), $10,000.
Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook received the largest contribution and Amy O’Leary, YSGN executive director, told Pioneer Press, “The partnership between the Village of Northbrook and Youth Services is crucial to our ability to serve all of the children whose families look to us for services.
“It has also fostered thoughtful and impactful partnerships with the Northbrook Park District, first responders, school districts, and so many other community organizations in Northbrook looking for support.
“The agency responds to the needs of the community and as those needs have become greater, so has our relationship with the village,” O’Leary said.
“To date, more than $1.5 million has been invested into the agency, which supports critical services and sliding scale access for the children in Northbrook,” O’Leary said.
To Pioneer Press, Northbrook Village President Kathryn L. Ciesla said, “One of the criteria that we look at is how our departments, for example, the police department, the fire department, use those social services organizations to supplement our offerings and our efforts at public safety.
“And year after year, those organizations continue to be invaluable members of our community because they assist our departments in performing their functions,” Ciesla said.
“It’s essential to rely on these organizations because we’re a small municipality and it really helps spread the load of work.
“So it’s just tremendous,” Ciesla said. “The organizations are absolutely stellar.
“A lot of the work of these organizations goes into helping youth, young people who sometimes fall between the cracks,” Ciesla added.
“It’s really helpful that our young people are also taken care of in a positive way.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
