I have lived in Waukegan for almost my whole life, which are more decades than I am ready to admit (at least in print). I have read some of the stories that people have been sending in for the celebration of 150 years of Waukegan’ s history and have written about some of my own memories in local papers in the past.
Against popular opinion, I love Waukegan. I always have. Even when the downtown area became a ghost town and all my memories as a kid, teen, and young adult were erased by an economic blight that seemed to go on for too many years. I am a former Bulldog who went to school when WTHS was not Warren Township High School, but Waukegan Township and some of our politicians were teachers there. West Campus and East Campus was one school and our colors were purple and gold-no green.
I remember taking the bus downtown on Saturdays and even to the Belvidere Mall to see a movie. Hein’s, the Globe, and Waukegan Dry Goods were my stomping ground for clothes, with lunch at LakeView Restaurant or fries and a coke at Woolworth’s lunch counter. I told you- I go way back.
Scooping was my social realm as soon as my friends and I could drive. Or dancing at the Wild Goose- who remembers that? Movies at the Genesee or much later working shows with pride after its renovation, I have been part of it all.
I suffered through the demise of the Lakehurst Mall. It saddened me when it finally closed. Although Lakehurst killed downtown Waukegan, it was disappointing that it had the same fate with the rise of Gurnee Mills. As a teen I worked there, as a young mother I brought my daughter, and as a columnist I documented its demolition with tears in my eyes.
The News-Sun has been my family staple throughout my life. As a child, my mother worked for the circulation department and I was first published on its pages. I have read it faithfully regardless if I agreed with its comments or who was being quoted. It is how I learned what was going on in town.
My history in Waukegan is a similar story as our current mayor. Certainly, the specifics of our lives are varied, but the timeline is basically the same. His dad was the mayor when I was a kid and as a young adult. Although, my mother was a great fan of the first Robert Sabonjian, I was not. Not that he was not a good man or a great politician in his time; rather we did not share the same vision.
However, I am glad that the current Robert Sabonjian has taken the reins and is trying to lead us to a better place. It is not going to be easy. Like most municipalities in this country and especially in this state, Waukegan is hurting financially. The status quo is not acceptable anymore. Politics and special interests can no longer dictate policies in government anywhere.
Jobs are in great demand. The mayor reported that Waukegan’s jobless rate is at 11.2%and holding. No one wants to join the unemployment line. Most of the city’s residents do not want their services cut and would actually like to see improvement s in their neighborhoods for safety, as well as, aesthetic reasons. We want to be proud of our town.
There are few draws to Waukegan these days. So, when there are some events or venues that do bring people to us, we should keep them alive. Regardless of the financial climate, we cannot ignore the positive because of a lack of monetary gains. The Municipal Band that plays in a beautiful bandshell at the Lakefront throughout July is an event that should be allowed to flourish. The Genesee Theatre and MainStreet calendar items are priceless in their goodwill and public relations. A nice way to show off what works in the city. The old adage, "cutting off the nose, to spite face, works well I think here.
None of this will happen unless we are willing to do things differently. I would like to see, a city hall working together to bring us to a better place. Compromise and the more importantly, forgetting about partisan politics, while concentrating on public service. Our new mayor does not have all the answers. He needs to hear from his constituents and know what we are thinking. Yet, we elected this man because we believed change was possible. How about allowing him to do his job?
Until next time...
