Caucus Party trustee Edie Sue Sutker is a product of the Skokie school system. She is seeking reelection this April.
She attended Devonshire, Old Orchard Junior High and Niles North High School. A village trustee since 2004, Sutker is following in her parents' footsteps by serving her community.
She is currently a licensed clinical social worker at Jewish Child and Family Services. Sutker said she’d like to continue to build on existing efforts and implement new ideas.
"I would love to see us use new technology,” Sutker said. “I think people should be able to get a [Skokie Police Department] app on their phone. It would make it easier for residents to give police tips or report crimes.”
Sutker also added that she’d like to see security cameras at troubled parks to help prevent crime.
“I’m a big picture, progressive kind of thinker,” she said. “I am open to using security cameras in the parks. I don’t think we have to man the cameras. We can use civilians, for example."
Sutker added that it would be best for police to determine where the cameras would be installed.
“I've heard of certain parks - we call those hot spots - and those are the ones I think cameras should go in,” she said.
What should Skokie’s long-term goals be?
“I would like to see more new single-family homes in Skokie. I think that would bring in younger couples and new families to Skokie,” Sutker said. “This is a long-term goal. We would have to be creative and investigate this and see how it could get done.
“The other long-term goal is economic development,” she added. “It is really important. It brings in revenue. It brings in people. It is crucial to a thriving community and I think we've done a good job with that.”
Sutker said the village needs to be creative with its incentive program for bringing new business in.
“We’ve added Oberweis, Kaufman’s, First Bank and Trust [on Dempster Street] and it’s starting to have energy,” she said. “There’s more to come. We have the momentum. We have to continue and become aggressive.”
Should Skokie hire more police?
While greater police presence is important to Sutker, she said hiring more officers may not be the answer.
“We have 109 now and we're committed to having 114,” she said. “The more important thing to me, is to figure out how to have more police presence on the streets - I think that's the most important thing. There might be other ways of doing that besides hiring more police officers.”
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Eugene Salganik
8:44 am on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
I agree with Edie Sutker regarding greater economic development efforts required to bring more businesses to Skokie. We have to be more creative how we do it. Old methods bring old results. In this day and age, it is almost a requirement to think and act creatively. I would like to see Skokie prosper, but, at will require an "out of the box" thinking.
Eugene Salganik
Co-Founder
FunderHut
gail frank
8:52 am on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
I think we have plenty of single-family houses available in Skokie, especially with all the foreclosures, to attract young families with children. I think the reputation of good schools is what brings families to an area i.e. Stevenson High School in Buffalo Grove. That's what brought us here.
Sandrina Roc
12:34 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
I totally agree. But what we need with the local schools is consolidate our many feeder school districts into the HS district.Having 8 smaller elementary school districts feeding into the Niles Township HS is not economical.
Also the trustees shouldn't take credit for 'adding' Kaufmans. Kaufmans has been here many years. The Village gave them a grant to allow them to stay here after the fire. There's a difference.
LisaJoinPatch
9:59 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
I agree! With so many foreclosures, why would we build more? Maybe there is a good reason for Sutker's opinion and perhaps Sutker will explain her rationale.
I love the idea of cameras in the parks as a crime deterrent as long as there is solid evidence to support it.
Even more important, Sutker has been in office for a while now. I would like to know what she has already done, personally, to bring her ideas to fruition.
patty o"malley
10:29 am on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Skokie is a community divided by 5 school districts, 6 if you include the Skokie residents that go to Evanston Schools(District 65) one school district all of Evanston and part of Skokie. 75% of Skokie residents that live in District 69 go a school in Morton Grove. All of these districts are managed and funded differently. The quality of schools is the basis of a community and its ability to draw residents and businesses. There seems to be some inequality in the way Skokie schools are funded. Maybe it is time to look at this issue and build from there.
shp
9:26 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
I agree with patty o'malley that the division of funding between the school districts doesn't seem fair. Apparently, it is not as easy as it sounds to fix this issue as this issue has been talked about at a Skokie Voice School Forum. I'm not confident this will be resolved any time soon.
Michael Patrick
1:14 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Unfortunately the Village has no control of the school districts, which are independent taxing bodies, nor do they have any legal authority to create a unified school district. There are many arguments both for and against unification, and I'm not informed enough to argue either way. Perhaps the issue could be raised to the five separate school superintendents and their five separate staffs. I believe the issue of unification is within their purview.
Adam Turetzky
10:43 am on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Cameras in public parks? Publicly monitored? Are you kidding me? Absolutely NOT! Our laws are not written to be automatically enforced 24 hours a day. At what point do people realize this surveillance society is not helping us or keeping us safe but filling up jails and municipal penalty coffers with cash. Our punishment is the new growth market. Ridiculous.
h m
4:03 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Parents watching over their children and taking responsibility for them is much better than a surveillance society.
Combine the 5/6 school districts in Skokie.
Have a common core of academic classes between all schools. That way when they feed into Niles township HS, everybody has a common educational background.
LisaJoinPatch
10:16 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Adam, I don't understand what you mean by "laws are not written to be automatically enforced 24 hours a day." Are you saying there are some times during the 24 hour day when it would be ok for a teenager to deal drugs and have sex in a public park? Are you saying there are some times during the 24 hour day when it would be ok for a teenager to deface, vandalize, or destroy one of our swing sets or play slides? I'm thinking that just having the obvious and proper public notice at the park that it is under surveillance will be a deterrent and that the parks will become safer for those who are using them for their intended purpose and enjoyment. I'm not in favor of a "Big Brother" society but in the public domain at a public park there should be no reasonable expectation of privacy.
shp
7:07 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Once again, the Skokie Caucus Party keeps on giving. While I commend Ms. Sutker and her parents for their loyalty to Skokie she is more of the same (it would to be good to hear from her parents on what they think of the changes in Skokie today compared to 40 years ago) Do we want more of the same in Skokie? I think not! It's time for a change. I think there are plenty of single family homes in Skokie that we don't need to build any more. I hope she is not referring to "affordable" single family housing. Also, I thought the Skokie Police cleaned up the parks at least that is what a Skokie Police officer said. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES IN THE APRIL ELECTION. EARLY VOTING IS IN MARCH! PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE!
shp
9:20 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Crime and safety should be at the forefront of this campaign. I haven't heard any Skokie Caucus Party candidate talking about the serious crime that has been invading Skokie for several years. The Skokie Police officers have told people they need more police officers. That's good enough for me. I think the police know better than a Skokie Trustee. If you have read the Citizen survey results on the Village website, you know that 35% feel less safe in their neighborhoods than they did two years ago. Communicating information to Skokie residents is also lacking with the current trustees. A perfect example is the new Walgreens on Crawford. Residents did not have a chance to object as it was a "done deal" long before the board meeting that approved the new Walgreens. Do I want more of the same? No thanks.
LisaJoinPatch
10:06 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
I agree that if our police department is asking for more help, it should be given.
Michael Patrick
1:05 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Ms. Sutker should acknowledge that she was on the Board when the Fiscal Year 2010 budget was approved, which "froze" two pollce officer position, and when the Fiscal Year 2011 budget was approved, which eliminated one officer and one sergeant, as well as eliminating funding for the two previous positions. At least she has gone on record as committing to bringing the force up to 114. This is an improvement, although a curious turnaround from last month, when Caucus candidates spoke of the long-term costs ("30 year committment) of "adding" police officers. I would ask what timeframe she anticipates for the restoration of the four lost positions, though.
patty o"malley
8:18 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Village may not have control over the school districts but their decisions impact the school districts differently. A underdeveloped downtown has a much greater impact on District 69 then other districts in Skokie. Some see it as a inconvenience, others see it as a major obstacle in providing a equal educational experience for all students in Skokie. At the very least, the discussion should begin on this issue that truly impacts all of Skokie. We may not be able to change it but we need to do a better job of recognizing the impact this has on our community.
Michael Patrick
3:35 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Downtown TIF district, created to revitalize the area, has negatively impacted District 69. So too did the loss of Searle. The assessed valuation there dropped by half before the Science and Technology Park opened. I'd be curious where it stands now in comparison to Searle.
Other school districts have been impacted by conditions in the village as well. Districts 72 and 72.5 have lost from changes in the industrial base on the east end. 72 will gain from the new Walmart on Touhy, while 72.5 will lose as the old Rand McNally site becomes the tax-exempt private high school. The Board has been proactive, more so of late, to varying degrees of success. The current theme seems to be that residents support redevelopment, so long as it's not in their neighborhood (Walgreens, Oberweiss, et al.)
Michael Patrick
8:45 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
I've heard it said that lunacy is doing the same thing as before but expecting different results....
Sweetg
1:22 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
If Skokie is to remain a viable community, it needs to encourage residents to stay and raise familes here. To achieve this residents of Skokie need to see real measures taken to increase safety & improve overall property values. Rather than the secret new Tenant Tax that the board wants to enact - raising resident fees and creating more bureaucracy, the Village should be helping property owners increase the safety & appearance of thier (now 50+ year old) properties. Where does Ms Sutker stand on this issue? I'll be tracking the answer to this question, for every Village Board candidate, at www.Skokielandlord.org
Sharon Abelman
6:17 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Sharon Abelman
I believe Ms. Sutker has brought out relevant, stunning, conservative and valuable ideas for Skokie. She has touched on pertinent issues which should be addressed, and taken into consideration the Village's capacity to work on these improvements, for the Village concerning crime, safety and growth for our community. A younger population would be encouraged with appropriate housing for families. Her forthright approach, based on experience, provides Skokie with valuable aspects to be implemented. I appreciate her progressive and feasible ways to improve our community. Having lived here over 40 years, I appreciate our existing Board of Trustees as being excellent for Skokie and look forward to many more years here in Skokie.
Susan Donian
11:49 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2013
She says, when speaking of economic development: "We've added Oberweiss, Kaufmans, First Bank.....".... as if Oberweiss was a successful venture? It was a disaster, and it will likely FLOP and close! (after forcing out a viable business and ruining family and people's lives using Eminent Domain) and Kaufman's isn't new, it wasn't "added", how dare she try to take credit for that... these statements are misleading to say the least, lies to say the most, and adding Oberweiss at what cost? Millions of Skokie Taxpayer hard paid money, and for what? driving out a successful business with Eminent Domain when Oberweiss should have gone into the vacant deserted DESIREE Restaurant? Great planning, NOT!!!!! Economic Development, NOT! Every quote she says begins with "I", I did this and I did that....what's that about? Also, she says they will be "Becoming More Aggressive" that sounds terrible! Not encouraging at all; nice family name though...
Sweetg
9:51 am on Sunday, April 7, 2013
Not only does the board take credit for Kaufmans (which was here before they were) I've also seen them take credit for bringing a "big new Walgreens to Dempster & Crawford" - which was simply the existing Walgreens moving two blocks over, leaving the old building vacant while knocking down five other local businesses to build a larger store. Not really community development I would brag about. I can't wait to see how they frame the need for a multimillion dollar little league field (development already begun with no public debate) on the Evanston border, next to the sanitation plant & heavy duty power lines, on toxic landfill. (I wouldn't let my child play there.) We need a board that asks for community input and listens to our needs. Not one that uses politics and parliamentary procedure to do whatever they want. Check out how the Village Board tried to sneak in a new Tenant Tax in Skokie, at www.skokielandlord.org and bear in mind that they have publicly stated on the record that phase two of the tax is going to extend to condos and homeowners.