The Village staff ladies (Margerita, Sherry, and Julie) enjoy a spot of tea with the Village Board ladies (Angie, Lori, and Heidi)

I have always enjoyed St. Valentine’s Day, as it is a good excuse to tell those special people in our lives how much we appreciate them. One group of “sweethearts” to those of us living in Long Grove would be the members of our Village Staff. We are small but mighty here in our community, with only four full-time staff members and one part-time employee to manage our Village of 8,000-plus residents. But what we lack in numbers can be more than made up for by the friendly smiles that will greet you on a visit to Village Hall.

Our small staff means that they sometimes have to be “jack of all trades” and flexible enough to fill in however needed. How many of you could: sell a used truck, fix a furnace on a 150 year old building, help a resident find garage space for a new garbage can, draft a zoning change, approve a building permit, smooth over a merchant’s ruffled feathers, and cheerfully mediate a neighborly dispute over a dead deer, all in a day’s work?

So, on behalf of all Long Grove residents, here’s a Valentine poem for Julie, Sherry, Margerita, Jim and Dave:

In a leafy, green ‘burb of Chicago,
Toils a crack Village Staff; and we all know,
To be pleasant and kind,
And not lose your mind,
Is a skill, and to you we say “Bravo!”

And the next time you’re tempted to call,
A complaint in to our Village Hall,
Be sweet and genteel,
And in turn, you will deal,
With our lovable staff, one and all.