Arlington Heights may be stop for next year's Art Train

Arlington Heights might become a stop for the Art Train next spring, the Arts Commission told the village board Monday.

The Art Train, a project sponsored by the Northwest Area Arts Council, designates a day when people get on the Metra Northwest Line at any stop and use a weekend pass to ride to different communities to see art exhibits.

In April 2009, the second year for the Art Train, only the last three stops - Crystal Lake, Woodstock and Harvard - participated in the project said Ted Balcom, chairman of the Arlington Heights Arts Commission.

Arlington Heights, Park Ridge and Palatine have been invited to participate this year, he said. In Arlington Heights, riders could be encouraged to visit Heritage Gallery, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, the downtown and perhaps a performance at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre.

Other ideas being considered by the arts commission include honoring a person with ties to the village who has a national reputation in some artistic field, and there are at least five people to choose from, said Peter Long, a member of the commission. He has also proposed an artist in residence program with Arlington Park. The selected person would have access to different aspects of the track for artistic inspiration.

Also on Monday, the board heard from the village's Housing Commission.

Carolyn Buford, a member of the Housing Commission, said the village's program of zero interest loans to help people with low and moderate incomes repair their single-family homes should have a larger budget.

Owners of many homes in the south end of the village, which are older than those in the north, are obviously not able to keep them up, she said.

This year's budget is $142,200, enough for repairs at about 10 homes, said Nora Boyer, housing planner.