The Sugar Beet Co-op Asks the Candidates

By Amy Henderson

The Sugar Beet Co-op recently spoke with both candidates for Oak Park Village President. We wanted to hear their views on a more sustainable environment, locally and globally, and a collaborative relationship between the Village and our future community-managed store. 

Interview with John Hedges

SB: You became the executive director of the Oak Park Park District in 1980. Can you tell me about how Oak Park has changed since you started that position two decades ago? What was done to enhance green space in the Village?

JH: I ran the park district for twenty years. It was a great experience. The Oak Park community is now in much better condition, for example, economic development and improved housing stock. We rehabbed green spaces. We removed asphalt that covered the land near our schools, and put in grass. Oak Park is much more solid, and people are committed to it.

SB: You, along with the Board of Trustees, worked to adopt not only the PlanIt Green planning document, but also other sustainability initiatives, like the community choice electricity aggregation program sourced with 100% renewable energy. Why was that an important policy choice? How will sustainability be a driver for further policy choices by the Board?

JH: Oak Park was the first community of our size in Illinois to buy energy in bulk. All of the energy we use in Oak Park is sourced from wind power. The community has saved $5 million in electric costs in the last 18 months.

We also recently started a small pilot project with residential compost pick-up, and it is expanding to entire community. I see real possibilities. We are working with a company out of South Korea on a smart grid program using solar power as a residential energy source.

SB: What do you think of the Sugar Beet's role as a small business in town and potential anchor tenant in one of our business districts?

JH: I think it's exciting and I'm anxious to see it happen. Oak Park will definitely benefit. The Village would help through either our economic development or community development. I have a brother in Ft Wayne, IN that is very involved in something similar, and it gets a lot of use.

I think through communication and marketing, once people know the store is there, people will respond, just like the Farmer's Market. The market keeps moving along, people love it, and the Sugar Beet store would see similar movement.

SB: What suggestions do you have for people in our community to get involved in the local and sustainable food movement?

JH: I think Oak Park is really into this movement. People like knowing where their food is coming from, what's in it. I have a garden and I grow tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. I have a neighbor that has chickens.

SB: The Farmer's Market is going to be open before we know it! What are you most looking forward to at the market?

In the earlier part of the summer, I like to buy asparagus and plants for my garden. In July, August, and September, I buy a lot of corn, beans, and tomatoes. The Village trustees set up a tent and talk to people. It's really nice to be there.

Interview with Anan Abu-Taleb

SB: Oak Park has many sustainability initiatives, community-wide composting, the electricity aggregation program, etc. What ideas do you have for Oak Park to further our green initiatives? 

AAT: First of all, sustainability and green efforts require a culture change. Oak Park has been working hard in many areas to make this change, but sustainability is more than green issues. It's about the entire functioning of our village: the diversity of the people who live here,  the housing and character, the cultural and educational resources, the transportation, toxics reduction, conservation of natural resources, and local business creation and retention. It's the big picture, and an effective government strives to have all these systems work together in harmony. 

Creating and promoting green initiatives has several components; one of which is larger projects in which the village will make decisions for the community as a whole, and the other is how the village can facilitate the residential and business community in their own efforts to become more green. 

In order to further our green initiatives for the Village as a whole, I would first work with the rest of the Board and the Manager to ensure that all of our staff understand the role that each of their departments plays in being green. For example, reducing the number of our vehicles through intergovernmental sharing of vehicles, and continue walking and biking Police Patrols.

I would restore our Forestry commission, and remove the 50 foot rule for tree planting.

We could also work towards converting village buildings, and promote residential properties owners to convert to grey water systems when financially feasible.

We live in a community in which residents and businesses are interested in making sustainable changes in their daily lives, but may need help getting there. To facilitate the process of helping residents and businesses become greener, a committee of volunteer citizens could be created to help these stakeholders set up their homes or businesses to be more efficient in recycling, reusing, converting to paperless options, setting up rain barrels, etc.  Often times the interest is there, but how to get there prevents people from following through. A volunteer citizens committee could provide resources, and help in achieving these goals for residents and businesses.

Also, we could work on the creation of more community gardens in cooperation with other intergovernmental agencies, such as the schools and park district.

At Maya del Sol, we recycle glass, plastic, paper and cardboard. This has resulted in a great reduction in non-recyclable waste. However, there is still great potential for restaurants that create a large amount of compostable waste. Working towards composting for larger buildings and businesses could be the next step if the current composting pilot program is successful. An option to keep the garbage local may include creating a partnership with the Chicago based Resource Center (our original recycler) in the empty industrial sites east of the Island (Austin) or on the site of the closed incinerator near the empty Brach’s candy factory.   

SB: You own the very popular Maya del Sol restaurant in Oak Park. Where do you get most of your food? Do you use any from local farms?

AAT: I am looking into possible sources of food from nearby farms, and would be very happy to work with the Sugar Beet Co-op in joint purchases from local growers. We could partner in this effort, and even reach out to other restaurants in Oak Park and beyond to provide markets to help these farms develop their business outlets right here. As the urban agriculture movement builds in the city of Chicago, we will look into those sources.

SB: What do you think of the Sugar Beet's role as a small business in town and potential anchor tenant in one of our business districts?  

AAT: The Sugar Beet Co-op is a model for businesses of the future. Co-ops, in general, are a wonderful, democratic way to run and manage businesses, and I will be very happy to support our village manager in finding ways for our Business Development departments and staff to support your efforts. I would encourage Oak Park Development Corporation to work closely with your co-op. There are also many Village-owned properties that are available in our business districts such as Madison Street and the Oak Park Arts District that could be looked into as locations for your cooperative business. The Sugar Beet Co-op would be an excellent addition, and an economic engine in these two areas, but I'm sure there are other locations, and look forward to hearing what the Sugar Beet Co-op considers good locations.   

SB: Do you have a garden? What are your favorite things to grow?

AAT: My wife is an avid gardener. She has taken many classes at the Morton Arboretum. In a typical summer, we always have herbs and tomatoes. Her primary interest has been in trees, shrubs and flowers. Last year, she planted nasturtiums in the back of the restaurant hoping to be able to provide garnish for our plates, but the flowers did not do well. Tough summer! She is hoping to try nasturtiums again, and possibly add pansies.

We are very excited about the Sugar Beet Co-op, and hope to be able to take part in the classes you may be offering as well.

Amy Henderson is a Sugar Beet Co-op member and volunteer. She is a mom to two young boys, and with her husband's help, she's starting her first garden this year.