Carpentersville's trustee-neighbor truce offers lesson for everyone

I'm so relieved Carpentersville Trustee Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski has worked things out with the black neighbors she offended when she compared their sons to monkeys.

Hopefully, they'll get along better and put this entire episode behind them, since all parties agree she didn't mean anything racial by her comments.

That story seemed to take on a life of its own.

At first, it was a story about a squabble between neighbors; but then, because Ramirez-Sliwinski is a pledged delegate for Barack Obama, it attracted the television cameras and instantly became national news.

At first his campaign said she was leaving her spot as an Obama delegate, then reversed itself, saying she was staying on after all.

I even got a call from CNN's "Glenn Beck" show for an interview.

I'm used to reporting the news, not being part of it!

The interview never took place, because I was out in the field working on the story, and by the time I returned the phone call, it was too late.

It was a very stressful week for me, and it was very difficult to get any sleep.

I felt like we had to be the authority on this story, since Carpentersville is right in our backyard.

This story showed me that even today, race is still a touchy subject for many people.

Some people still don't believe it exists and that people of color are "over-sensitive."

Others want to blame everything on racism.

All we can do is talk things out with one another and try to get a better understanding of where we're coming from.

Just like Ramirez-Sliwinski and her neighbors did.

Algonquin and South Elgin speak: Remember when Pingree Grove Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey said he wanted to establish a retail-rich corridor along Route 47, much like Algonquin and South Elgin have done with their portions of Randall Road?

I asked the appropriate officials to get their thoughts on whether they were flattered, or had any advice as to how Pingree Grove should proceed.

Jeff Mihelich, the assistant village manager of Algonquin said the small village of 2,500 people will "find it challenging to encourage commercial development, while at the same time keeping high architectural standards that protect and enhance the community's quality of life and sense of place."

"I hope Pingree Grove is successful," he said via e-mail.

And Steve Super, director of community development in South Elgin, said he's honored that Pingree Grove looks to the village as a role model.

In addition, he says there's much more to the town's success than Randall Road.

"South Elgin wasn't named 82nd best place to live by Money magazine because we have a lot of shopping opportunities," he said. "There are great neighborhoods, beautiful parks, great schools, good jobs and great people here!"

He goes on to give credit to the village board for hiring the right people to make South Elgin run smoothly.

"It has always been very clear to me that my job is to do what is in the best interest of the village," Super said. "It is fun to work with these good people, and I am proud that these efforts have translated into something that others are looking at so positively."