Glendale Heights’ Jackson marks 20 years

When Linda Jackson and her husband Bill moved to Glendale Heights in 1974, the small village was known to have little more than “beer, bars and a bowling alley,” she recalls.

Since then, the town’s population has tripled. New housing developments have sprouted alongside older homes. And what used to be a plant nursery is now an ever-expanding civic center, with a recently opened senior center and new police station under construction.

Jackson, who has been village president for more than a decade, acknowledges outsiders might still not give Glendale Heights much respect. But she argues that the services and amenities in her town are just as good as, if not better than, what is offered in nearby communities.

“I just want to see our residents have things other towns do,” Jackson said. “For many years you might not tell people, ‘I live here.’ But now people say, ‘I’m proud to live here.’”

On Friday, the village commemorated Jackson’s 20th anniversary as an elected official during an open house at the Glendale Lakes Golf Club.

When Jackson joined the village board in 1991, political tempers in town were still flaring from an election two years before. On election night, supporters of the winning candidate for village president paraded in front of the losing candidate’s house. A brawl ensued and five people were sent to the hospital — some with stab wounds.

There’s been relative calm in Glendale Heights since then. In the last election in 2009, Jackson ran unopposed for the first time. And trustees have largely been on the same page, she said, supporting $30 million in capital projects, primarily centered at the village’s civic center on Fullerton Avenue, east of Bloomingdale Road.

“We try to come to a consensus on what’s best for the village,” Jackson said.

A $13 million police station will be added onto the existing village hall, which is undergoing additions to its front entrance. The indoor sports hub facility and nearby aquatic center will also be updated. Last August, the village’s $3 million senior center opened.

The village is paying for the projects by use of federally subsidized bonds made available in 2009 as part of economic stimulus efforts. Officials say the bonds have allowed the village to borrow at low rates.

All projects are expected to be completed by next year.

Jackson also pointed to improvements at village parks and at Glendale Lakes, which the village bought in 1986 amid much controversy. But she said the purchase turned out to be a good thing.

One item remains unfulfilled on Jackson’s wish list: a high school. Glendale Heights students attend Glenbard North in Carol Stream, Glenbard East in Lombard and Glenbard West in Glen Ellyn.

Jackson says there’s a “natural camaraderie” between a community and the school within it — evident in neighboring towns such as Glen Ellyn and Carol Stream. Plus, the Glendale Heights kids have to travel farther.

“I don’t think it’s fair for our kids to go past Glenbard West to get to Glenbard East,” Jackson said.

But voters have rejected calls for a new school at the ballot box, and Jackson said she doesn’t see it happening in the near future.

In a separate episode of intergovernmental drama, Jackson was able to get her way when she rallied against installation of a waste transfer station in Carol Stream, on the border with Glendale Heights. She had argued that property values would’ve gone down. And the odor wouldn’t have been pleasant, either, she said.

“We were fighting very desperately for our quality of life in Glendale Heights,” Jackson said. “It was an all-out war.”

Already, Jackson is the longest serving village president in Glendale Heights’ 52-year history. Her term expires in 2013, and she said she will likely seek another one.

She said she doesn’t like giving speeches, but does enjoy the quieter moments, such as interacting with residents.

“You’re helping to form where your town is going to go,” Jackson said. “This is my passion.”