At This Time: To the lake
Beach mats that provide wheelchair access to Lake Michigan are installed at the Clark Street Beach. The mats were placed at five Evanston beaches—Lighthouse, Clark Street, Greenwood, Lee Street, South Boulevard and the Dempster Sailing Facility. “I see more parents using the Mobi-mats…
TOday in evanston
Latest news from Evanston: Your Monday daily digest
Good Monday morning, Evanston. Here are the latest news and feature stories from around the city.
around town
RECENT POSTS
Letter to the editor: The problem with housing in Evanston
I just read your article on Evanston’s affordable housing and…
The Green Thumb: Introducing our new gardening column
Gardening is a wonderful hobby that offers many benefits, including…
Friends gather for a hike to remember Patrick O’Sullivan
Tails were wagging and the sun was shining Mother’s Day…
Photos: Ryan Field demolition diary
Watch Ryan Field disappear, as the RoundTable keeps tabs on…
Wraparound Evanston seeks to provide integrated support
Allison Harned, a District 65 social worker, gave a presentation…
Tenants in Wesley apartments forced to vacate early
Tenants were relocated from 2018 Wesley Ave., one of the Wesley…
Ultimate frisbee pro team moves home games to NU’s Martin Field
As many tune in to the Summer Olympic Games and…
City expects downtown vacancy rate to ‘gradually improve’
Downtown businesses have a higher vacancy rate than the city…
Upcoming events
Preservation Commission seeks nominations for new Cultural Heritage Awards Program
In honor of Historic Preservation Month, the Preservation Commission is sponsoring a new…
NU music school sets 2024-25 chamber, piano, guitar and keyboard series
Audiences will enjoy 11 debuts in the 2024-25 concert season…
After unexpected vocal change, opera star refocused her career on cabaret
Cynthia Clarey had a 35-year career as an international operatic…
Meeting about private school students with disabilities on May 23
District 202 and District 65 will hold a virtual meeting…
How to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in Evanston
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a…
Downtown Evanston launches free outdoor concert series
Experience the vibrant rhythm of summer at Downtown Evanston’s free…
CITY NEWS
‘A rough couple of years’ for Main Street businesses
Everything feels lush and green. A warm blanket of foliage surrounds you on entering Louise Rosenberg’s plant shop, the Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery, at 704 Main St., snug in the Main Street business area. The business’ mission is to share the vibrant love the store has…
Car wash fundraiser on May 11 to raise money for Evanston Fire Dept.
Get your car washed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, at Fire Station 5, 2830 Central St., and help raise funds for the Evanston Fire Department’s Explorer Post. Funds will help send explorers to a summer training opportunity at the University of Illinois…
Land Use Commission recommends approval of church’s move
Second Church of Christ Scientist, 2715 Hurd Ave., will have a new location soon if the City Council approves a plan allowing the church to move into a vacant space near downtown. The Evanston Land Use Commission voted to support the move at its Wednesday, May…
Biss celebrates ‘bold action,’ previews challenges ahead in State of the City address
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss recapped a turbulent year for the city and local politics Wednesday afternoon in his 2024 State of the City address, landing on a hopeful call to be “audacious” in meeting the still larger challenges ahead. Residents, city staff, elected officials and other…
Mayor Biss discusses zoning policy and what Evanston might change
“All ideas are on the table,” Mayor Daniel Biss told students at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management during a discussion Tuesday of possible zoning law changes in Evanston. He spoke during a moderated event with Kellogg Professor Therese McGuire at the Kellogg Global Hub. The event,…
ART & LIFE
At This Time: Pre-prom pageant
Isa de los Reyes joins Jonah Hofeld as they and Evanston Township High School friends gather before heading off to the school prom. “It’s fun to get dressed up with all your friends,” said de los Reyes. More than 100 students and their families met in Mallinckrodt…
Evanston loves moms: Your guide to Mother’s Day gifts, flowers and more
Sunday, May 12, is Mother’s Day and E-Town is the place to be. When it comes to celebrating the moms, grandmoms and great-grandmoms in our lives, look no further than Evanston for your gift and dining inspiration. Central Street Evanston, the Main Dempster Mile and Downtown Evanston…
Stuart Rosenberg, musical icon and one of the founders of SPACE, has died
Stuart J. Rosenberg, age 68, passed away on May 7. Stuart was the beloved husband of Rachel née Lerner and the loving father of Allegra and Theo. He was also the dear brother of Aaron (Iris), Robert (Lisa) and the late David (Barbara). Cherished uncle of Arianna,…
Evanston cyclists circumnavigate city
More than 30 bicyclists circumnavigated Evanston Tuesday evening on the inaugural 2024 Evanston Rides! bike ride, sponsored by Downtown Evanston and led by the Evanston Transit Alliance. Thunderstorms and threatening skies loomed over the city for much of the afternoon but cleared just in time for the…
Local music roundup: Top 10 best bets for May 9-15
My favorite show on the top 10 this week is a concert by the innovative harmonica player and pianist, Corky Siegel. He will be leading his famous Chamber Blues group, a collection of fine musicians that mash up blues and classical music. Also on the list is…
SCHOOLS
Letter to the editor: Reinstate the District 65 sustainability coordinator as designed
We are members of the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center Climate Action Team. For the last two school years, we have had the pleasure of working with Karen Bireta, District 65 sustainability coordinator. Karen attends our monthly meetings and supports us…
New challenge brings out the best in Rollins
Personal records are always a plus for athletes competing at the end of a high school track season, and Evanston’s young team chalked up more PRs than you could count Wednesday at the Class 3A Deerfield Sectional girls meet. As head coach…
Two ETHS students win National Merit Scholarships
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced this year’s National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. Among those chosen were Evanston Township High School…
NU receives $4 million in carbon-capture initiative
Recognizing that carbon dioxide (CO2) removal is a critical tool for thwarting the worst of climate change impacts, the U.S. Department of Energy has dedicated billions of dollars to explore the potential of direct air capture technologies that can pull CO2 out of…
District 65 names new head of student specialized services
Corina Herrera will begin July 1 as the new assistant superintendent of student specialized services for District 65, replacing Romy DeCristofaro. The school board approved the appointment at its April 22 meeting. Herrera will be responsible for a variety of programs at…
PHOTOS
At This Time: The city’s tree clouds
Jennifer Roberts and Jim Iorio show the backyard trees that they covered with netting to protect them from cicadas. “We planted all these trees last year and the cicada-apocalypse is coming,” said Roberts, who lives on the 1400 block of Dempster Street. Naturalists recommend covering new woody plants with netting to…
Picturing Evanston: Blue skies
A perfect spring day for a run in Elliott Park. (Photo by Joerg Metzner.)
At This Time: True colors
“We are trying to create a welcoming environment for all of Evanston community beachgoers,” said Tim Carter, of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. To do just that, city employees painted the center lifeguard chair in pride colors at the Clark Street Beach, 1811 Sheridan Road. “It will be very prominent…
At This Time: Senior Sendoff
“I can’t wait for the future,” said Joe Salgado (center) as he greeted friends Joey Harrison and Destinee Howard at Evanston Township High School’s Senior Sendoff at Lazier Field after their last day of class. “This year’s class was unique,” said Denise Clarke, director of student activities. Students started school during…
At This Time: One last look
View out the window of the main reading room of the Deering Library on the Northwestern University campus. The Deering, in the heart of the campus, will close in June for renovations. Modeled after the 16th-century King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England, the Deering opened in 1933 and was the university’s…
PUBLIC SQUARE
Peggy Tar: ‘Mothers,’ a special poem for a special day
May 12, the second Sunday in May 2024, is Mother’s Day. Mothers, as humans, have skin that is made in a mixture of colors with a variation in shade.All over the world, where different religions and languages are found, are places where mothers also abound. To become a mother…
Letter to the editor: A lifeline for caregivers
I’m writing to support the caregiver portal in Illinois House Bill 4677. I am a third generation Evanstonian, and returned to live in Evanston several years ago for the first time since graduating ETHS in 1973. I returned to care for my mother, the widow of a career…
Letter to the editor: Stop politicizing our Noyes Cultural Arts Center
To my fellow Evanstonians, Last Monday, Mayor Biss, again, placed one of his hallmark Special Orders of Business on the agenda for the April 29 City Council meeting. This time, it was about our beloved Noyes Cultural Arts Center (NCAC). NCAC has been a well-run and relatively well-maintained building…
Letter to the editor: Will Evanston address equitable and diverse housing needs?
Evanston is currently undergoing rapid gentrification, exacerbating an already severe income gap and soaring rents. Many low- and middle-income earners, as well as the unhoused, are being forced out of the marketplace as a result. In 2020, the then manager of human resources for the city told the…
Guest essay: A local pastor’s response to the NU protest
Like most older Americans I am viewing campus protests around the nation while also reflecting upon the past. Since we seem to be a nation that lives in the moment, we often forget or neglect to consider what has happened in our history. Just four years ago, our…
SPORTS
ETHS girls soccer: Wildkits rule CSL for third year in a row
No championship plaque was awarded again this year. There wasn’t even time for a team selfie celebrating Evanston’s dominance of the girls soccer competition in…
ETHS boys gymnastics: Kits end 50-year drought with sectional title
How did Evanston celebrate at the conclusion of the Glenbrook South sectional gymnastics meet Saturday? The noon start to the competition left the athletes famished…
Evanston educator named to Italian basketball team’s hall of fame
Mason Rocca, an Evanston teacher and school administrator who played professional basketball in Italy from 2001 to 2015, was recently inducted into the Olimpia Milano…
ETHS girls water polo: Top-seeded Kits advance to sectional semifinals
Evanston’s top-seeded girls water polo team cruised to a 17-1 victory Saturday over Chicago Taft in the first round of the Glenbrook North Sectional tournament.…
REPORTS & ANALYSES
Evanston’s lead pipes are everywhere, and could become a significant health risk
This series was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. This is part 1 of the RoundTable’s three-part series: Lead pipes in Evanston: How local government inaction…
Developing a Segregated Town, 1900-1960
Evanston’s first African American residents arrived in the 1850s, and by 1880 there were approximately 125 African Americans in Evanston. The number grew to 737 in 1900.…
Fifth Ward STEM School Plan Promises Equity
The Fifth Ward of Evanston, the historic heart of the Black community in the west-central part of the City dating to the days of redlining, has not…
Ninth Ward Residents Battle Environmental Justice Issues: ‘This Area Has Really Been Abused and Neglected’
Seven years ago an explosion in Evanston’s southwest Ninth Ward rocked the homes of some nearby residents. Highly flammable and combustible materials were densely packed behind the…