History Columns

Published September 09, 2024, Daily Herald

WILL HISTORY LOOK KINDLY ON OUR USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES
By Kurt Begalka

When news broke about the global technology outage sparked by faulty software, and the rather cataclysmic aftermath across a wide swath of computer networks, it brought to mind a litany of other bad ideas that triggered even worse ripple effects across our environment.

• European starlings. Imported into the U.S. for pest control, they became the pest. Flocks numbering in the thousands devastate crops and crowd out native species.

• The European rabbit. Brought over during colonial times as a source of food and as a homage to their homelands, they have multiplied exponentially — breeding, well, like rabbits.

• Invasive plants. Kudzu, sold as a garden plant for food, spreads rapidly and can kill native plants. Water hyacinth, native to Brazil, imported into North America in 1884 for a New Orleans exposition, can double in size within a week. It blocks sunlight and prevents oxygen from reaching plants below the surface. Then there are a couple shrubs whose infamous reputation precedes them: Buckthorn, native to Europe and Asia, was introduced to North America in the 1880s as an ornamental plant. Bush honeysuckle, also from Eurasia, was introduced into the United States in the mid- to late-1800s as ornamentals, wildlife food and cover, and to control erosion.

• Asian carp. Bighead, black, grass, and silver carp were imported to the United States in the 1970s to control algal blooms in wastewater treatment plants and aquaculture ponds, as well as for the pet trade and for sport fishing. Not only are they voracious eaters, these invaders stir up sediment and crowd out native species.

A great deal of money and effort is being spent to keep carp from reaching Lake Michigan — an unrivaled recreational resource and a pivotal supply of fresh water for a host of communities, including Des Plaines. It is among a growing list of municipalities that receive Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago and the Northwest Water Commission. The commission also supplies water to Arlington Heights, Palatine and Buffalo Grove.

Des Plaines and neighboring Mount Prospect also tap into lake water as part of the Northwest Suburban Municipal Joint Action Water Agency, another consortium that serves several area communities and which South Barrington is looking to join. Last year Joliet announced a 100-year agreement to purchase treated Lake Michigan water starting in 2030.

City Engineer E.N. Fletcher predicted the use of Lake Michigan water back in 1946, when Des Plaines drilled its second deep well at a cost of $65,000.

According to the Illinois State Water Survey, the 90-square-mile Lake Michigan watershed is the smallest in the state, but it also has the highest population density. The watershed covers 45,600 square miles in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, not including the lake — an additional 22,300 square miles. Most of the runoff originates from tributaries in Wisconsin and the lower peninsula of Michigan, with the Fox, Menominee, Grand and St. Joseph rivers draining more than 4,000 square miles.

The re-engineering of the Chicago River in the early 20th century, redirecting water through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Cal‐Sag Channel, ultimately diverts 673 square miles of the Chicago and Calumet rivers into the Des Plaines River. Thank goodness its cleanliness has improved since 1933 when communities along the river called for a broad “purification” program and end of sewage being dumped into it.

Stephen Altman, water resource department manager for Illinois, said some 230 communities are using or contemplating the use of Lake Michigan water — which is reallocated every 10 years. Each municipality must present evidence that their water delivery systems are running at peak efficiency with minimal leaks, and that their access to underground water supplies is insufficient.

“They have to make a case to get Lake Michigan water. Is it the best source for them? We’re trying to be wise since we can only divert so much,” Altman said. “Also, what we’re starting to see is transporting water is expensive. The farther away from Lake Michigan you are, the more pipe you have to build and maintain.”

Will history look kindly on our use of this natural resource? Time will tell.

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Published July, 2024, in the Daily Herald

IT’S A GAS – UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO PAY FOR IT
By Kurt Begalka

On July 1, Illinois’ motor fuel tax jumped from 45 cents to 47 cents a gallon. Those filling up with diesel fuel also will see an increase of slightly more than three percent, with prices increasing from 52.9 cents a gallon to 54.5 cents.

According to the Illinois Policy Institute, the state has the second-highest gas taxes in the nation behind California’s 60 cents a gallon, forcing most drivers to pay $184 more a year in gas taxes compared to 2019.

Lawmakers doubled the 19-cent motor fuel tax in 2019 to fund a massive capital program — and they approved annual adjustments tied to inflation. Rising road construction costs paved over any effort to roll that back.

In fact, Illinois motor fuel tax increase joins a litany of municipal and county taxes imposed on gasoline around the state. For example, DuPage County levies 9.4 cents per gallon; McHenry, 8.3 cents; Kane and Will, 4.9 cents; and Lake County tacks 4.7 cents onto every gallon you buy. Considered a “regressive” tax, it affects young, old, rich and poor alike.

“ … By the early 1920s, states faced a growing constituency of largely urban drivers wanting urban roads and federal willingness to match state spending on rural roads and roads between major urban centers, but no good funding source. No state had a broad-based sales tax and relatively few had income taxes,” the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation reported.

“Thus, states made the reasonable choice of taxing motorists to generate matching funds to get federal grants.”

States with isolated, rural populations — such as Oregon, North Dakota, New Mexico and Colorado — were the first to adopt a gas tax in 1919. Kentucky followed a year later. But those states with large urban population centers — such as Illinois, New York and New Jersey — took longer.

“ … Their main need for road funding was for urban roads, which the federal government would not subsidize,” according to the Tax Foundation.

The June 15, 1927, edition of the Chicago Tribune reported that a two-cent-per-gallon tax would be implemented in Illinois on Aug. 1 — generating $13,000 that year. Last fiscal year, ending June 30, 2024, Illinois collected $2.9 billion in gas tax revenues.

It seems Rep. John Devine of Dixon may have had it right when he objected to the first Illinois gas tax all those years ago:

“Direct taxation is as high now as this legislature dare make it,” Devine told the Tribune. “The majority of the people do not want the tax, but the political influence and the farmer influence is too strong. This is but paving the way for a three-cent tax, then a four, then a five-cent tax.”

If only.

DROWNING DEATHS

Of all the ways to “shuffle off this mortal coil,” drowning would be among the worst.

Certainly, those living near the Des Plaines River have a healthy respect for water and the havoc it can cause. Still, I was surprised when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a spike in the number of drowning deaths. Typically, about 4,000 people drown each year in the United States. But following the COVID-19 pandemic, that number climbed to more than 4,500 each year between 2020 and 2022.

The highest drowning rates occurred among 1- to 4-year-olds and those over 65. This very real health threat was underscored by a rash of Lake Michigan drownings this summer. During our most recent heat wave, emergency personnel seemingly were retrieving someone out of the water at Montrose Beach several times a week — dead or barely alive.

By comparison, National Safety Council statistics show 10,300 Americans drowned in 1913, and just 3,542 drowned in 1992. The CDC lists drowning as the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5 to 14. In 2023, 20 Illinois children downed.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?

Dave Benjamin of Homewood, co-founder and co-executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (glsrp.org), said 36 people already have drowned in the Great Lakes this year — something he characterized as “situation normal.”

A lifeguard shortage, rip currents, winds and “upwelling,” which can force cold water near the shore, are contributing factors. But the largest culprit is a lack of swimming expertise. According to the CDC, an estimated 40 million adults do not know how to swim — many of them minorities. Women and older adults also appear to be more at risk.

“Knowing how to swim is not water safety,” Benjamin said. “We teach someone to swim when they are 7, but now they are 40. … Knowing how to run does not mean you can run a marathon. Swimming is an endurance sport. When we do our presentations, we tell them a person needs to be able to go 100 yards without stopping. Can you swim the length of a football field?”

Benjamin finds the lack of a concerted public health strategy to combat drowning deaths disturbing … and frustrating.

“We spend $7 to $8 billion to protect the Great Lakes, but we spend nothing to protect people from the Great Lakes,” he said.

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Published June 7, 2024, in the Daily Herald

Post Office Solvency Is In The Mail
By Kurt Begalka

 U. S. Postal Service will hike postage for the second time this year on July 14.

Ouch.

The new rates include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Forever stamp from 68 cents to 73 cents. The Postal Services Board of Governors also hiked the cost of mailing a 1-ounce metered letter by a nickel to 69 cents and cost of mailing a postcard by 3 cents to 56 cents. The adjustments are part of an overall hike of about 7.8 percent and represent the fifth time since August 2021 that the price of postal products have gone up.

When first introduced in 2007, a Forever stamp was 41 cents. Little did I know, when I uncovered a cache of Liberty Bell stamps in my aunt’s desk drawer, they would appreciate more than my savings account.

“We have to have a dramatic rethinking about the purpose of the USPS and post offices,” said Illinois 8th District U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. “(Postmaster General) Louis DeJoy is driving the U.S. Postal Service into a ditch by raising rates and reducing service. That is a recipe for disaster. It will drive customers to mail fewer packages and letters, and instead turn to more electronic forms. If they can’t afford the mail or they cannot rely on the mail being delivered in a timely fashion, I think we’re going to see the USPS go in downward cycle.”

According to Reuters, the USPS reported a net loss of $6.5 billion during the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2023. It is unlikely to reverse that trend in 2024, with the volume of first-class mail falling to 1968 levels.

DeJoy has been touting his “Delivering for America” as key to delivering profitability to the U.S. Postal Service. It includes closing as many as 10,000 post offices and branches, as well as restructuring the delivery network. The consolidation of delivery operations into Sort and Delivery Centers is predicted to impact nearly 500 network mail processing locations, as well as 1,000 transfer hubs and 100,000 carrier routes. But DeJoy predicts it will reduce transportation and handling time, while boosting reliability.

And he insists the post office is more than halfway toward its goal of erasing $100,000 billion in losses.

Krishnamoorthi is skeptical

“I would like to see more about that and to see him testify before Capitol Hill,” he said. “The problem is DeJoy doesn’t take criticism well, so he avoids speaking. That means Congress is not able to provide the proper oversight.”

A big problem is not being able to fill all the letter carrier slots, Krishnamoorthi said, due to the demands of working multiple shifts and on weekends. He believes this “really challenging work environment” is something postmaster general and the nine-member Board of Governors should be addressing. The board, appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate, serve nine-year terms. They earn $30,000 a year plus stipend of $300 a day for up to 42 days of meetings. Two seats are open.

President Biden’s March nomination of former Labor Department Secretary Marty Walsh remains – of course – “in the mail.”

On May 6, 2020, the Board of Governors, all selected by then-President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate, announced DeJoy’s appointment as postmaster general. But Krishnamoorthi insisted political affiliation is irrelevant.

“Regardless of who they are, as long as they embrace the mission of the USPS, I’m good with that,” he said. “I rely on the mail to deliver communications to my constituents. … One of my top complaints that come in the mail is about the mail: ‘I’m not receiving my check. I’m not receiving my packages. I’m not receiving my medicine. We know how important the USPS was during the pandemic. It was vital. Since then, DeJoy has slowly been dismantling the USPS. It’s going to be marked ‘return to sender.’”

How did we get to this point? Considering Des Plaines’ connection to railroads, I immediately thought of the celebrated Railroad Post Office operations of the past which boosted efficiency by combining the transportation and sorting of mail. In the 1800s, according to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union (It hosts a special weekend demonstration June 1-2) RPO cars were used on more than 9,000 train routes. Trains magazine notes: “By 1951, the network was still robust (30,000 clerks, 3,200 cars, 165,000 miles – handling 93 percent of all non-local mail.”

But following World War II, sorting shifted to large, mechanized regional centers. “As the Postal Service cancelled mail-by-rail contracts, passenger trains that relied on mail revenue lost more and more money,” according to the IRM. That eventually led to the creation of Amtrak in 1971.

Another hurdle was the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which required the Postal Service to prefund its retirees’ health benefits for 75 years. A law passed in 2022 eliminates this and is expected to save the agency $27 billion by 2032. But without the support of tax dollars, mail operations are completely dependent on the sale of services and products, such as stamps.

If it is any comfort, we went through a similar crisis in the 1840s.

“Average citizens, fed up with high prices – sending a letter more than 150 miles cost around 20 cents, or roughly $6 today – were turning to cheaper private carriers, almost putting the Post Office out of business,” Smithsonian Magazine wrote. “In response, Congress converted the post into a public service that no longer had to break even, and in 1845 slashed letter postage to 5 to 10 cents, depending on distance.”

Would a similar price cut today generate enough additional volume to offset the financial impact? Hard telling. But Krishnamoorthi believes something must change.

“The mail is a public service meant to knit the country together, and it is meant to deliver the mail in an affordable manner,” he said. “But the more you rob people of convenience, the less they rely on you.”

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Published May 3, 2024, in the Daily Herald

MUNICIPALITIES LOOK TO REDEVELOP MORE LAND, CLOSED BUILDINGS
By Kurt Begalka

Not since the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire has there been this much civic streetscaping going on.

History buffs among us might recall that the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 devastated more than 2,000 acres and destroyed more than 17,000 buildings in the city’s heart. Architects such as William Le Baron Jenney, Daniel Burnham, John W. Root, Louis Sullivan, and Dankmar Adler set about designing a new city — including streets, parks, skyscrapers, and even whole neighborhoods.

West Dundee bought the remainder of Spring Hill Mall, which straddles it and Carpentersville, for $7 million in October. The mall, built in 1980, sits on 100 acres — 85% of which is in West Dundee. All tenants were required to move out of the mall by March 22 —except for Kohl's, which is owned separately, and the Cinemark Theater.

The Daily Herald reported that Bloomingdale wants to go about revitalizing Stratford Square after following its purchase in April by infusing it with a mix of retail, restaurants, entertainment destinations, and public greenspace. Earlier this year, the village purchased the final piece of the 275-acre property for $8.75 million.

Similar, more targeted efforts are underway across the area. Crystal Lake has begun developing 30 acres along Route 14 — formerly home to a strip mall, grocery store and a Walmart — that abuts the Three OaksConservation Area. Dubbed Water’s Edge, the city hopes to create more than 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant spaces, 260 housing units and public open spaces.

The village of Fox River Grove bought up an entire block along Route 14 with the idea of demolishing all of the historic buildings, formerly its downtown core, and replacing them with a mix of commercial and housing uses. Compasspoint Development, LLC, hopes to build 60 studio, 60 one-bedroom and 30 two-bedroom units.

It is the same company that bought the former Journal & Topics Media Group building at 622 Graceland Ave., home to the Des Plaines Post Office from 1941 to 1974. Similarly, it intends to put a mixed-use, seven-story building that will accommodate 131 apartments, a restaurant and a lounge.

The recipe de jour for downtown development, in Des Plaines and across the Northwest suburbs, is for developers to offer retail space on the ground floor so long as they can cantilever housing units above it. Fortunately, there are exceptions.

The city of Des Plaines bought the Des Plaines Theatre for $1.3 million in 2018 after it sat vacant for many years. With the financial assistance of Rivers Casino, it invested $6.7 million in renovations with an eye toward creating a downtown destination. It is my hope that something similar will happen to the former Des Plaines State Bank Building at 678 Lee St.

The imposing 1915 building is sheathed in marble and boasts a terrazzo floor and a vaulted lobby. Efforts by the city to buy the building stalled, but it is actively marketing two other downtown signature properties.

Des Plaines acquired the Leela Arts Building in January 2023 for $2.09 million. The former Masonic temple spans 29,000 square feet. It also owns two buildings on the 1400 block of Miner St. — the 1913 former First National Bank of Des Plaines building and the former Bremer’s Stationers building next door at 1488 Miner St.

“We could sell them or lease them out to multiple users to do more things downtown,” said Emily Shaw, management analyst with the city. “It depends on what the vision is for it.”

Here’s hoping part of the vision includes historic preservation. Remembering where you come from is critical when determining the direction you intend to go.

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Published April 10, 2024, in the Daily Herald

HOW DES PLAINES FACILITIES ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT EARTH MONTH
By Kurt Begalka

With April being Earth Month, it is only natural that we focus on … nature. And there certainly are many opportunities to do so.

The Des Plaines Park District will celebrate Earth Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Arndt Park Field House, 1990 White St. Also, the group Clean Up – Give Back is cleaning up trash, via the Chippewa Woods entrance to Axehead Lake, 2760 S. River Road. Gloves, grabbers, safety vests and trash bags will be provided from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 13. Register in advance at cleanupgiveback.org or simply show up. The rain date is April 14.

Clean Up – Give Back also is conducting its annual plastic bag drive in April diverting some 10,000 pounds of pliable plastic bags and film from the landfill by partnering with locations such as the Des Plaines History Center at 781 Pearson St. Our box is filling up, but when it comes to recycling plastic: It’s in the bag. The History Center, for example, will be collaborating with the members of the Des Plaines Art Guild on a July 4th parade entry featuring flowers crafted from plastic bottles. Appropriately, this year’s theme is “Planting the Seeds of Happiness.”

A group of chemistry researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are working on way to recycle an increasingly popular form of plastic called Polyoxymethylene or “POM.” Delrin by DuPont is one popular version of this hard-to-recycle, crystalline resin used in the automotive industry to replace metal gears and in some zippers.

Yuting Zhou, a postdoctoral associate and co-author of the research study, was part of a team that used renewable energy to break down this rigid plastic into its original chemicals – which can be reused.

“As for the fate of used POM products, there's currently no reported data on their disposal after consumer use,” Zhou said. “If they are tossed in trash can, I believe they will end up in landfill.”

According to the U of I, more than 8 billion tons of plastics have been produced to date, with  80% ending up in landfills or as environmental pollutants.

“We're proposing a new approach to address the plastic problem,” Zhou said.  “Instead of traditional thermochemical or mechanical recycling methods, we're exploring the potential of leveraging electricity. While it may not immediately solve the entire plastic problem, we aim to inspire the scientific community to integrate renewable energy sources like electricity into a circular plastic economy.”

Such “interventions” are important, since we all covet a sustainable environment for our kids and their kids. Recently, the Chicago Sun-Times ran an article about need for bird-safe buildings such as the Robert Crown Community Center in Evanston. Its patterned glass helps migrating birds see glass windows as solid structures, while not detracting from the building's overall design or appearance.

Chicago’s development plan seeks to curb countless bird deaths by avoiding railings, elevated walkways and the use of landscaping and architectural elements that channel birds toward windows. Similarly, it encourages awnings to reduce glare, louvres for visibility and minimizing decorative lighting at night – particularly on upper floors. Recommendations can be found on the following websites, as well as others:

https://abcbirds.org/program/glass-collisions/bird-friendly-design/

https://www.usgbc.org/credits/new-construction-core-and-shell-schools-new-construction-retail-new-construction-32

https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/reducing-bird-collisions-with-buildings.pdf

The American Bird Conservatory singled out New York City; Mountain View, Calif., and Toronto, Canada, for their adoption of bird-friendly building guidelines. Toronto’s “green standard” affects all industrial, commercial, and institutional developments, residential buildings four stories or higher and low-rise residential development near natural areas.

Des Plaines has set a limit of 165 feet for commercial structures, but the pressure to rise even higher continues to build – further dwarfing historic buildings such as the old Des Plaines State Bank building at Lee and Ellinwood streets near the depot. It may be time to follow Chicago’s lead and reward bird-safe designs in new buildings.

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HOW DADS SLOT CARS IN DES PLAINES CREATED MEMORIES FOR FAMILIES
By Kurt Begalka

The children of Thomas and Reba Pelletiere grew up around slot cars — their dad’s way of keeping them on the straight and narrow.

“My dad didn’t want his five kids hanging out at bowling alleys and pool halls,” said Sue Almerigi of Des Plaines. “He always had a hand in business, so he decided to look for a place and open up a slot car track.”

Thomas bought the building at 700 Lee St., former home to Lee Dry Goods and later Muench Pharmacy, and opened Dads Slot Cars in November 1992. Then he set about creating memories for local kids. He even molded and painted his own line of custom car shells, which he sold at the counter.

“He did all of the graphics on the walls and painted everything himself,” Sue said. “He had someone make the track for him — building replicas of 1960s tracks he had seen, including the Tom Thumb Hobby Shop in Evanston.”

There eventually were three tracks — hand built by slot car enthusiast Chris Dadds — dubbed the American Orange, the Reverse Banks Tri-Oval and a 55-foot, quarter-mile scale drag strip where cars could reach 90 mph. The two, more traditional tracks could accommodate 1/24- and 1/32-scale cars, which young drivers could rent at Dads for $15 for a half-hour. Bring your own car and track time dropped to a mere $8 for 30 minutes.

“There were no age restrictions,” said Margaret Pelletiere. “My dad’s thing was if they want to play let them play. If you break it, I’ll fix it.”

Margaret is proud that her daughters — Charlotte, 8, and Emily, 12 — can take a car apart and put it together with the dexterity of a seasoned professional. After all, they learned from their mom and she learned from her father. Margaret inherited his mechanical gene.

“I was a daddy’s girl. I loved to help out and learn about slot cars,” Margaret said. “Even to this day, if I don’t

know how to do something I’ll figure it out.”

Thomas owned Tin Lizzie Antique Auto Parts in downtown Des Plaines, near Ellinwood and Pearson streets, where he restored antique cars and motorcycles. He continually had projects going on in the backyard of the family’s Woodlawn Avenue home.

Thomas met Reba in 1968 at ITWFastex in Des Plaines, where he worked as a tool and die maker and engineer. Reba delivered the mail. They married in February and began raising a family. All of the Pelletiere kids — Tom Jr., 50; Sue, 48; Mary, 43; Vito, 41; and Margaret, 37 — worked at one time or another in the store.

“We learned all about gear ratios and embankments,” Sue said with a laugh.

Kids could be kids. No wonder people came from as far away as Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. And they are still coming. Devoted customer John Frank of Evanston arrived with his family Feb. 23 and intended to come back for one last race on Feb. 25, before the business closed.

“I’m going to miss this place so much,” said the Brooklyn native, who grew up racing cars at the celebrated Buzz-A-Rama. “I started racing cars when I was 12, and I’m 71 now. Whenever I came here I could be a kid again.”

“It was amazing,” Sue said. “It catered to generations of people. Dads would come in with their young kids, then dads with teenagers, then teenagers with girlfriends. Now their children are bringing their children.”

My wife and I took our grandson to Dads, as part of a day that featured his first train ride and a trip — of course — to The Choo Choo. That was close to 20 years ago.

“When I think back, it was my dad’s personality — him being there — that set it apart. You felt happy and relaxed. There was no tension. There was no screens, no Wi-Fi. There was no reason for it. It was about being one with the family,” Margaret said. “It transported you back in time.”

Thomas died in 2018 at age 75. Margaret began helping her mom, working the weekends when demand was at its highest. But when Reba passed away in 2022, it became harder to juggle work responsibilities and run the store. They cut hours from six days a week to weekends only.

“After my parents died it was a place where I could go and still feel close to him, still feel close to my dad,” Margaret said. “I’ve been here for a huge part of my life.”

But on Feb. 25, after nearly 32 years in business, Dads Slot Cars closed for good. The 2,500-square-foot building is in the process of being sold. The tracks, ice cream parlor paraphernalia, signature neon sign and other items are up for sale. For information, contact Margaret at (224) 217-7630.

“It was a rough one. It was a very, very hard decision to sell,” Margaret said. “I’ll miss everything — as weird as that sounds: The artwork, the smell of burning motors, the music; the cars, themselves. And, being there so long, I developed relationships with many of the customers. Lately, there have been all of these people dropping by to reminisce. It was amazing. I’ll miss hearing the stories forever.”

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