Letters

Gift For Change

Dear Editor,

A small gift goes a long way. For the past several years, I’ve been giving my sister a gift subscription of Chicago WILDERNESS. She and her husband are very active naturalists in the Arlington, Virginia, area.

The article in the Fall 2007 magazine, “New Life in East Chicago,” caught her eye. She was fascinated by the fact that treating wastewater with ultraviolet light could have the side benefit of creating a natural environment that would aid in the filtration process.

After she forwarded the article to the right people, the managers of their local wastewater treatment plant are now looking to see if they could do something equally beneficial.

The end of the article says that the proponent of the process, Peter Baranyai, is “excited to play such a large role in this natural process and believes it can be replicated in other treatment plants.”

He no longer needs to believe it can happen. It is happening.

Michael Lawler
Vernon Hills, IL

Glass Is Out

Editors:

My daughter was in the Loop walking home to the Metra last night. By the Board of Trade on Adams Street, I believe, was a dead bird on the sidewalk. An American woodcock, in magnificent plumage. A sad sight for her, yet beautiful. The juxtaposition of it in a metropolitan setting was jarring to say the least.

Steve Kiecker
Glenview, IL

Dear Editor,

In addition to the loss of habitat discussed by Arthur Melville Pearson in the latest issue (“Plight of the Common Bird,” Fall ’07), the number of birds that are killed or hurt by hitting windows is dismaying. Nothing I have tried prevents it. If anyone on staff or other subscriber of Chicago WILDERNESS knows of a solution, I, and no doubt others, would like to know about it.

Eleanor Frew
Flossmoor, IL

Editors’ Note: A difficult window deserves a little study—glass causes many different problems for birds. Two common ones are images of adjacent landscaping in highly reflective windows, and transparent windows with a view through to a window on an opposite wall, but there are many others. Start by standing outside at different times of day and observing your window, imagining what a bird would see. You can download a Window Collision Fact Sheet, which will help you to think through your particular problem and suggest solutions, including places to purchase helpful products.

Trail Embraces River

Dear Editor,

This is to thank Ms. Kadin for the article about the Fox River Trail (Into the Wild, Fall ’07)—it’s my favorite place for biking. Though it can attract many people where it touches a town like Geneva or Elgin, for the most part it’s surprisingly open and uncrowded. I like that fen north of Elgin. Until I started riding there I didn’t know what a fen was. I used to live in Aurora from 1970 to 1972 and at that time you could smell the river and certainly wouldn’t fish in it. Now I see people fishing, boating, and picnicking on or near the river. And it’s notable that the service window at the Dairy Queen in East Dundee used to face south, looking out onto Route 72. Now it faces the bike trail.

The last couple of years I’ve particularly liked the Elgin–West Chicago spur that passes through Wayne Woods and connects with the Great Western in West Chicago.

I have one question: I used to ride through Fermilab, but maybe three years ago I was escorted off of the property by the guards who said that it was no longer open for bikers or walkers, due to the terrorism threat. Do you know if that’s still being done?

Curtis Mayfield
Buffalo Grove, IL

Editors’ note: Editors’ note: Here’s a response from Judy Jackson, Director of Communication at Fermilab: “At one point, the Department of Energy closed Fermilab to public access for a couple of years. However, for the past two or three years, in response to the government’s lowering of the threat level, Fermilab has once again been open to visitors, including bicyclists. Most areas of the site are open. While a few areas are restricted, they are clearly marked. I hope you will come back!” Click here for current site access information.

change of address?

Don’t miss an issue—remember to notify us of all address changes. The Postal Service will not forward Chicago WILDERNESS, and we cannot replace missed issues free of charge if you haven’t advised us of a change. Thanks!