Linda Lutz Retires From Ecology Center

By Mary Mumbrue

The Evanston Ecology Center is a place that invites exploration and discovery. On June 30, Linda Lutz bid farewell to the Center, located at 2024 McCormick Blvd., where she served as manager since 1988.

Under her remarkable leadership the Center developed innovative classes, special seminars and symposia as well as a variety of nature camps.

Leading the Ecology Center seemed a natural progression in Ms. Lutz's career path. She holds an M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan. In Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire she taught and directed programs at residential environmental education facilities. After moving to Illinois, Ms. Lutz became the manager of education at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. These work experiences provided the Evanston Ecology Center with a leader whose vision and perseverance are evident to even a casual visitor.

Wildflowers Bloom, Camps Grow
A generation ago, said Ms. Lutz, children wandered in and out of the Evanston Ecology Center participating in early programs that captured their interests and drew them into a place where they could be actively engaged as learners. The camp programs grew out of the interest and needs of the Evanston community.

Perhaps the best-known camp at the Ecology Center is the "Wildflowers" program. Originally designed to develop small and large motor skills and to encourage creativity and imagination through children's experience of nature, Wildflowers, begun in 1988, is the Center's longest-running camp. Many alums, now young adults, return to the camp as counselors.

Under Ms. Lutz's leadership, Wildflowers blossomed into six separate camps: Wildflower, Kinglet, EcoQuest Day Camp, EcoExplorer, Summer Summit Day Camp, Extended Care and the Ecology Counselor-in-Training Ages 12-14 Camp.

Other offerings include programs for young children - "Nature Pals" (for 2-year-olds) and "Small Fry Science"; for youth - "Invertebrate Investigations"; as well as teen and adult ecology programs, such as "EcoAdult Camp."

Parent/child classes such as "Real World Recycling" and "Family Ecology" fill up quickly. Campfire programs, located behind the Evanston Art Center, as well as family canoeing on the North Shore Channel continue to be very popular. Some programs highlight changes in the season: the annual "Hibernation Hoe-Down," the "Winter Solstice Chilifest" and the "Groundhog Celebration."

Ms. Lutz played a role in all these programs. A former camper who began in the first Wildflower Camp and eventually became a counselor may have summed it up when he asked, "Is there anything Linda can't do?"

Community Gardens
The City's 220 community garden plots are also under Ms. Lutz's purview, coordinated by staff member Becky Kass. All the plots - at James Park Gardens, Twiggs Canal Gardens, McCormick Gardens and Lighthouse Gardens - are full for this year, and the current waitlist extends through 2009.

Leadership Is Partnership
Ms. Lutz's philosophy of leadership centers on forming partnerships with staff, class participants and donors. The key to success, she said, is to truly enjoy this ongoing interaction. She praised the "wonderful staff," saying she feels they have been integrated into the community and that Evanston has supported them in their work at the Ecology Center. As a team, she said, they worked diligently through the educational programs to build awareness and knowledge of the natural environment and our interdependence with it through ongoing educational hands-on programs.

Ellen Fiere and Karen Taira, both full-time environmental educators, have worked at EEC for 12 years. Beth Cullen, office manager since 2001, has been involved with EEC's programs since her sons were little. Never a micromanager, the staff members said Ms. Lutz was comfortable delegating responsibility, as well as the authority, to implement ideas. She created an environment that challenged, energized and empowered, staff members said. Ms. Lutz would, they said, acknowledge a contribution as an example, and then challenge the staff to go beyond their comfort zones - expanding their horizons both professionally and personally.

Community Involvement
Through inclusive and participatory community involvement, Ms. Lutz and her dedicated staff and volunteers have created a center that fosters lifelong learning. The Center also serves as host for many public activities: City-sponsored meetings, public hearings, ward meetings, educational workshops. It also serves as one of the Seventh Ward's polling places.

Two examples of collaboration between the Ecology Center and the community are last fall's Green Living Festival and the February nationwide bird count. More than 600 people participated in the community's first Green Living Festival in October. Ms. Lutz said she and her staff were encouraged by the community's interest in many environmental topics.

Results of the February bird count, sponsored by the Evanston North Shore Bird Club were reported to the Cornell University Ornithological Laboratory, where scientists are learning more about which birds have extended their winter range.

Another outreach program, Choices for Sustainable Living, is sponsored in part by the Archer Patterson Outreach Project of the Evanston Environmental Association, a not-for-profit organization closely linked with the Ecology Center. This 10-week program is held in cooperation with the Northwest Earth Institute.

Next Steps
Although she is stepping down from her role as manager of the Ecology Center, Ms. Lutz has been elected president of the Evanston Environmental Association for 2008-09. Ms. Lutz promises to remain active in Evanston, continuing her involvement in such City-wide organizations as the Ladd Arboretum Committee Environment Board, the Lighthouse Landing Committee, the Rotary Club, the Garden Council, the Traveler's Garden Club and the Camp Echo Committee of the McGaw YMCA.

Among her wishes for the future of the Ecology Center and its environs, the Ladd Arboretum, are to have the funds to maintain the trees in the Arboretum and placement of permanent identification markers on each tree. She also looks forward to the implementation of the Ladd Arboretum Master Plan, in which design she was involved. One aspect of that plan involves upgrades to the Ecology Center entrance; other parts will enhance the park itself. Looking at the Center, its programs, its growth and potential, Ms. Lutz said, "It is great that so many people of various ages can come here and have connections with the natural world. It is good for your soul and your brain ... and I am happy that we can provide and advocate for those experiences and spaces."

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The EEC and the EEA

The Evanston Ecology Center and the Evanston Environmental Association are closely intertwined but distinct. After the Center was built in 1974, citizens founded the Evanston Environmental Association, a not-for-profit group whose mission is to support the Evanston Ecology Center. More than 25 years ago, Evanston citizens privately campaigned for and successfully funded the building of the Ecology Center.

EEA continues the financial support and advocacy for environmental and ecological issues of importance to the City of Evanston. The Association also privately raised $750,000 from more than 600 donors to build the 2,725-square-foot addition, dedicated on Oct. 24, 2004, and an alarm system for the Center.

They also purchased canoes for the center's staff-led trips highlighting the natural history aspects of the North Shore Channel.

Ms. Lutz says she sees the EEC and the EEA as great examples of how an organization can partner and develop something that is so important on so many levels.

Notes aRound Town

Evanston Art Center 2008 Spring Benefit

One hundred forty-four artists from the Chicago area contributed artwork to Evanston Art Center's (EAC's) 2008 Spring Benefit Art Auction. The art-loving public had an opportunity to view and bid on paintings, drawings, photographs, ceramics, sculpture, prints and other artworks by renowned Chicago artists.

The event netted the largest income in the history of this 21-year event, with over $40,000 in art sales and donations. Proceeds will benefit EAC's school, exhibition, and outreach programs.

For the past 79 years, EAC has been dedicated to fostering the appreciation and expression of the visual arts. EAC is located at 2603 Sheridan Road. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-8 p.m. For more information please visit EAC online at www.evanstonartcenter.org.

Pictured above are, left to right, EAC Board members Gregory DeStefano, George Accattato (benefit chair), Sherry Winger, Harold Bauer (board president) and David Ervin.

Food, Clothing Donations to Help Belize City

Devastated by the recent Tropical Storm Arthur, residents of Belize City are in need of clothing and food.

To help the residents in Evanston's Sister City, the City of Evanston is accepting donations of clothing and non-perishable food items through the end of July. These donations will be transported to Belize City.

Drop off donations of clothing and food at Chandler-Newberger Center, 1028 Central St.; Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.; Robert Crown Center, 1701 Main St.; Fire Department Administration, 909 Lake St.; Fleetwood/Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.; and the Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave.

Monetary donations will also be accepted. Community members can make checks out to the Evanston/Belize Sister City Committee and mail the donations to the attention of Sam Hunter, Evanston Fire Headquarters, 909 Lake Street, Evanston, IL 60201.

For more information contact Division Fire Chief Sam Hunter, 847- 866-5927.

Ethnic Arts Fest Set for July 19-20

Set sail for a land cruise around the world as Evanston's lakefront turns into a global village for the 23rd annual Ethnic Arts Festival, July 19-20. This family festival is open noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, in Dawes Park, Sheridan Road at Church Street. Admission is free, and complimentary shuttle bus service is provided from the Northwestern University parking garage, three blocks north of the festival.

The festival kicks off at noon on Saturday, July 19, with a colorful Parade of Nations ceremony featuring the flags of more than 100 nations.

For a complete entertainment schedule go to www.cityofevanston.org/arts.

See our Fourth of July RoundUp

The Getaway Guys Visit Vernon Hills

By Neil Cogbill and Alan Barney

The Cuneo mansion in Vernon Hills was designed by Benjamin Marshall for Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Insull. The farm on the property provided Hawthorne-Mellody dairy products. Photo courtesy of the Getaway Guys.

A traveller does not have to fly to Italy to visit an impressive (well, perhaps ostentatious) villa. The palazzo now known as the Cuneo Museum and Gardens (www.cuneomuseum.org) is in nearby Vernon Hills.

The estate, originally called Hawthorne Farms, was designed by Benjamin Marshall, self-taught architect of Chicago's Drake and Edgewater Beach hotels. It was occupied in 1917 by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Insull. Except for small portions of this 32-room mansion, such as the Ship's Room, little evidence of Sam and Gladys Insull remains. About 17 years after moving in, the Insulls retreated in exile to Paris and the vast Insull electric utilities empire lay in ruins, brought to its knees by leveraged deals, the Great Depression and the Roosevelt Administration's determination to use Sam as a whipping boy for everything wrong with the economy.

In 1937, the property passed into the hands of John Cuneo, the enterprising owner of The Cuneo Press. Despite its grand seigneur appearance and atmosphere while occupied by the Insulls, Hawthorne Farms was a real farm, albeit a rich man's avocation, profit optional.

Unlike Insull's interests in what electricity could do for farmers and what they could do for his bottom line, Cuneo made Hawthorne Farms into a money-maker by marketing dairy products with the Hawthorne-Mellody label, now defunct but well-remembered by us older Chicagoans.

Today, the Cuneo Museum and Gardens acreage is smaller, but still larger than many contemporary estates. Laid out by Jens Jensen, the grounds today look more like a Poussin arcadia than a signature Jensen gurgling-brook primitive. Replicas of classical sculpture and architecture (most in a state of advanced age) dot the grounds, giving it a theatrical atmosphere.

The poured concrete (a Roman concept) mansion is essentially the way the Cuneos left it. John died in 1977 and his wife, Julia, in 1990. It is furnished with reproduced Louis XIV, XV or XVI furniture and genuine pieces from the late Renaissance and Baroque periods.

A substantial art collection focuses on thematic religious subjects along with ancestral portraits. Though not the Uffizi or the Farnese Palace, it is arresting anyway. A surprising number of objects come from former Chicago estates and an excellent self-guided tour brochure by John Byrne answers many questions about where the Cuneo's got this object or that.

Cuneo is a pleasant place to spend several hours trying to figure out which tycoon to empathize with, Insull or Cuneo. Alan rooted for John Cuneo, while Neil thought Sam Insull more interesting. The house is conceptually striking with its orientation around a classical Roman atrium. The glass roof of the atrium opened originally, but was later sealed shut because of leakage. Neil, a former blacksmith, spotted what he thought might be ironwork by the legendary Sam Yellin of Philadelphia. Regrettably, nobody on the staff knew the true origin of these masterpieces.

In a basement gallery dedicated to a visual survey of the Hawthorne-Mellody Farm operation, a case is devoted to photos and papers related to the Insulls. Along with a lot of invaluable and informative material about the Cuneo dairy operation, the Insull papers and pictures help fill in some blanks about the original owner.

Maybe Insull was the monster the Roosevelt Administration made him out to be, but John F. Wasik's book, "The Merchant of Power," paints a more sympathetic picture of this young English immigrant, who for all practical purposes was the embodiment of the American Dream. Insull was an up-by-the-boot-straps kind of guy who built an empire on an invisible commodity (electricity), a commodity he convinced millions to subscribe to because it could make life easier.

From illumination to high-speed transportation to labor-saving appliances, Samuel Insull changed the lifestyles of millions. Ironically the visitor cannot get to his former house by public transportation, despite Insull's futuristic plans to make earlier boondock towns like Libertyville into bedroom communities.

The most direct way to go from Evanston is via the Edens Expressway and I-94 to IL 60, then west to Milwaukee Road. Turn north on Milwaukee Road to the entrance about a mile on the left. The entrance fee is $7 to $12, with tours included.

Finding someplace nice nearby for lunch is a bit challenging. The Getaway Guys chose Lamb's Farm, a destination with a fascinating history in its own right. Restaurant service was very attentive and the food was good, plentiful and reasonably priced. Lamb's Farm is located at the intersection of I94 and IL 176, about fifteen minutes northeast of Cuneo.

Note: The authors maintain a free website, www.getaway-chicago.com, which offers recommended outings to nearby destinations that are often overlooked, but of genuine interest and delight.

All's Well That Ends Well

The Fountain Square Art Festival Rebounds After Storm

Shoppers enjoyed the artistic creations at the Fountain Square Arts Festival in the calm before a microburst tore through downtown Evanston.

A microburst of stormy weather with rain, hail and winds of more than 60 miles per hour tore through the Fountain Square Arts Festival on the afternoon of June 28, routing patrons and artists from the sidewalks and booths. The storm hit around 4 p.m. on a day with sporadic sun, clouds and gusty winds. Festival staff had been monitoring the storm, Jonathan Perman, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said in a prepared statement. "Winds were clocked in St. Charles at 60 miles per hour, and the storm was predicted to move northwest toward the Wisconsin border." Up to about a half-hour before the storm hit, "It appeared as if the storm would remain well west of Evanston," he said.

About 15 minutes later, as it appeared the storm was heading toward Evanston, volunteers, staff and artists themselves quickly began securing tents and artwork. Not everything could be held down, and the winds blew metal, glass and other sharp objects through the streets and sidewalks, causing some injuries and, in some cases, major loss of artwork. Tents were "literally lifted off the ground and sent tumbling down the street," Mr. Perman said.

Seven people were treated for injuries, including two broken arms, a sprained ankle, minor lacerations and cuts, according to the Chamber's statement.

A massive cleanup commenced at about 5 p.m., and by 6:30 p.m. the streets were clear enough to permit the City's public works crews to clear away the debris; they finished at about 11 p.m.

"No one will forget the ‘modern sculpture' of mangled tents and metal objects rising 8 feet high in the middle of the festival," Mr. Perman added.

Many of the artists were able to return on Sunday, for the second and final day of the festival, the 29th annual Fountain Square Festival of the Arts.

Introducing the Tulip Tree

By Libby Hill

Tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera.

Although I grew up in Maryland, in the land of the tulip tree, I never saw one until I was a teenager, on a glorious autumn day when my brother initiated me into the art of fishing. No wonder Walt Whitman called it "the Apollo of the woods."

The tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, is the tallest, straightest broadleaved tree in the eastern United States. It is native from the Great Lakes to the east coast down to northern Florida, mostly east of the Mississippi River.

In woodlands, this rapidly growing tree can reach nearly 200 feet, with a trunk free of branches for the first 80 feet. When open-grown, trees have widely spreading lower branches and are considerably shorter. Life expectancy in the wild can be as long as 500 years. Tulip trees are native to our region in the Indiana Dunes and Michigan's Warren Woods.

Tulip trees are not only tall, they have girth. Their trunks can spread to 6 feet in diameter. In "Specimen Days," Whitman writes about a hollow tulip tree "4 feet across about 18 feet up the trunk ... large enough [that] nine men at one time, ate dinner therein … and 12 to 15 men could now, at one time, stand within its trunk."

The glossy, green, simple leaf dangles from a long stem, from which it flutters in the slightest breeze. This similarity to poplars is responsible for two of its common names, tulip poplar and yellow poplar. Its shape resembles a maple leaf with a shallow notch at the top.

The resulting appearance, some say, resembles a tulip. According to a legend quoted in Juliette Huxley's 1987 autobiography, "Leaves of the Tulip Tree," the explanation lies with Adam and Eve. Upon being expelled from the Garden of Eden, "Eve tried to take a branch with her but succeeded only in snatching the tip of a leaf from the tulip tree. ..." Whether due to Eve or evolution, the tulip tree leaf is unmistakable.

Tulip tree is one of the few native shade trees with flowers. The flower gave the tree its scientific name, Liriodendron, from the Greek, meaning "lily tree," and tulipifera from tulip and fera, meaning "to bear." Trees begin to flower around age 15.

Flowers appear in June, high up in the canopy among the leaves, and may be 4 inches across and more than 2 inches long. Each has six yellowish-green upright petals and four smaller, drooping, bright-orange lower petals that create a splash of color.

Although poets sing their praises, the truth is that the tree has to be very mature, with branches hanging down, before a passerby would even notice the flowers. While individually exquisite, they seem shy, almost hiding among the leaves. If one knows they are there, the passerby glimpses one, then another and then, all of a sudden, as his or her eyes become accustomed to the hunt, a treasure trove of blossoms appears.

Not surprisingly, tulip tree is a member of the magnolia (Magnoliaceae) family. Famed botanist Donald Culross Peattie called it the "King of the Magnolia family" and described flowers that "hold the sunshine in their cups, setting the whole giant tree alight." Nineteenth-century American poet and editor William Cullen Bryant waxed eloquent in this excerpt from his poem "The Fountain":
The tulip-tree, high up,
Opened, in airs of June, her multitude
Of golden chalices to humming birds
And silken-winged insects of the sky.

Flowers are "perfect," meaning a single flower contains both the male and female reproductive parts. Insects, especially flies, beetles and bees, are the pollinators and have to be alert, because flowers are receptive to pollination for only a day. Donald Beck, who seems to be the principal student of the tree, said, "flowers from a 20-year-old tree produce enough nectar to yield four pounds of honey."

The fruits are samaras - winged seeds enclosed in a hard coat that spiral to the ground like helicopters driven by the wind. They appear in fall, hang on through winter, and drop individually to the ground, where they can wait seven years for a sunny opening in which to sprout.

Tulip tree has a multitude of uses, both medicinally and commercially. The wood is lightweight, straight-grained, easily worked and does not split. It takes glue and paint well, making it ideal for framing construction, furniture veneers and musical instruments.

Its sapwood is cream-colored, explaining the common name "whitewood," which is used by carvers. Its heartwood is yellowish, explaining the lumberman's common name for it, yellow poplar. The wood was used by pioneers for carriage bodies and shingles for homes. Daniel Boone is said to have carved his 60-foot dugout canoe from the tulip tree.

Natives and other pioneers did the same, leading to another common name, "canoe tree," because it could be easily worked to the thinness necessary for a lightweight craft. It colonizes bare ground, preventing soil erosion, and will often be found near water. Tulip trees were growing proof to pioneers that the land would bear fruit.

In 1805, Thomas Jefferson described the "tulip poplar," as he called it, as "The Juno of our Groves."

He thought the lands in his Louisiana Purchase would resemble his familiar east. Touchingly, he wrote,

Beyond affection and farewell glaze of tears, I saw
My West - the land I bought and gave and never
Saw, but like the Israelite,
From some high pass or crazy crag of mind, saw -
Saw all,
Swale and savannah and the tulip tree
Immortally blossoming to May. ..."

Alas, as Mr. Jefferson would learn from Lewis and Clark, the cottonwood, not the tulip, was the goddess of the plains.

At last count, Evanston had 83 tulip trees on its parkways. Several specimens may be easily seen along Payne Street adjacent to Eggleston Park.

Photo courtesy of Libby Hill

Young Evanston

First-Place Scouts

Evanston Girl Scouts VISTA 8 won first place in the Youth Category for their entry in the 2008 July 4 parade in Evanston. They gathered over 80 girls from 18 troops, representing all age groups, to march in the parade. The theme of the float was "Proud Past…Bright Future."

Led by a color guard, ten girls wore vintage uniforms, most of which were from the 1950-1960 era, representing the past of Girl Scouts. The float featured past and future, followed by a contingent of Girl Scouts with a banner that said, "We are the future!"

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Governor Blagojevic Signs Universal Preschool Bill at Reba.

On June 30, at the Reba Early Learning Center in Evanston, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the Preschool For All bill (PFA). The signing extends the program for two more years.

According to statement prepared by the Governor's office, the past year's budget included $45 million dollars in preschool funding and the next year's budget raises that number to $60 million. In Evanston the PFA funding is allotted to District 65's preschool prorgam, Reba Early Learning Center and Puerta Abierta, covering 120 children in Evanston. The funding provides the children with two-and-one-half hours of early education each weekday.

The program targets children identified as being at risk for educational failure or or as being in a household with income under the federal poverty level. In photo above, Governor Blagojevich was given a handfull of pens so children at Reba Place could help him sign the Preschool For All Bill into law.
Story and Photo by Nathan Carley

Idle Cars Do the Devil's Work

By Jordan Graham

Since its conception about a year ago, School District 65's Ad-Hoc Green/Sustainability Committee has dedicated itself to developing environmentally sound practices, specifically aimed at reducing the size of the District's carbon footprint. The group, composed of teachers, administrators, parents, community members and members of District 65's Board of Education, has, among other things, devoted energy towards an anti-idling campaign.

An idling vehicle is defined as one that remains parked or immobile for any period of time with the engine running. According to a series of fact sheets provided by the Ad-Hoc Green Committee, idling is fiscally and environmentally irresponsible and is bad for health.

An idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollutants than one traveling at 32 miles per hour, and one hour of idling can burn up to a gallon of fuel.

With every gallon of fuel producing about 19 pounds of carbon dioxide, as well as significant amounts of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, benzene and other toxic chemicals, the Ad-Hoc Green Committee seeks to inform the public of the numerous harmful effects that idling can cause.

"People idle out of ignorance," says Katie Bailey, a member of the committee, as well as the Board of Education. "They don't necessarily know how bad it is." Ms. Bailey, who referred to the proposed policy as one that is "primarily educational," says she hopes that word of mouth will help to spread the message, adding that part of the goal is "to just get people to think about what they are doing."

Dick Peach, a committee member and manager of Dempster Auto Rebuilders, said he agrees. When asked how the policy might be enforced, he says he believes that the public wants to help. "You don't have to beat people over the head with a club," said Mr. Peach. "If you put the verbiage in, simple little things, the impact is huge. A lot of it is common sense." Mr. Peach cited distributing literature and classroom education as key tools in the process.

Both Ms. Bailey and Mr. Peach pointed to the fact that in this case, individuals, too, will benefit through "greener" actions. According to documents provided by the Ad-Hoc Green/Sustainability committee, "just 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine," and "idling your vehicle for 10 minutes a day uses more than 27 gallons of fuel a year." With gas prices over $4 and rising steadily, Mr. Peach says he hopes financial incentives will help steer people towards their cause. Stressing that idling can also cause health and engine problems, the committee provides plenty of reasons to park and turn off the engine.

The District has already taken steps towards a greener future. District 65 contracts its busing responsibilities out to Alltown Bus Service, which has chosen to implement an anti-idling policy for several years now. Recently, according to District officials, District 65 has begun the process of joining the Illinois Sustainable Schools Compact, which aims to lower carbon emissions and conserve energy throughout the state.

In addition to the anti-idling campaign, the Ad-hoc Green/Sustainability Committee has put forth efforts to reduce energy consumption, improve recycling and waste management programs, and implement new environmentally friendly policies in Evanston's schools. Though bigger plans may lie ahead for the committee, right now the group chooses to focus on the "small, obvious changes" centered on communication and education.

"Many in our community will make simple changes," reads the group's informational packet, "once they are educated on why it is important and how easy it is to make those changes. Conservation needs to be second nature to every student, teacher, parent and administrator."

The Ad-Hoc Green/Sustainability Committee hopes to finalize the environmental policy on Aug. 12.

Fifth NU Solar Car to Race in North American Solar Challenge

Forty undergraduate students at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science have designed and built a car fueled by the energy of the sun. The solar car, called NUsolar sc5, will race against more than 20 teams from universities around the world in this summer's North American Solar Challenge.

The student team, representing a range of disciplines, has worked on the vehicle for two years, creating a lightweight car that, in addition to being powered by Sunpower A-300 solar cells, also harnesses the latest lithium-ion battery technology. The car is called NUsolar sc5 because it is the fifth created by the Northwestern University Solar Car Team in the past 10 years.

The team and car headed to Texas on July 3 for qualifying trials and the start of the race. Four students will alternate driving the car 2,400 miles from Plano, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta, Canada.The race will last from July 13 to 23.

Students Vytas Bradunas and Patrick Markan are co-managers of Northwestern's solar car team project. Advisers to the team are Kornel Ehmann, James N. and Nancy J. Farley Professor in Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship; Walter Herbst, director of the Master of Product Development program at McCormick; and
Chi-Haur Wu, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science.

Pictured with the solar car (without the solar panels that fit on top) during a practice run on June 30 are, left to right, Professor Wu, Ren Chung Yu, Patrick Markan, Vytas Bradunas and Phil Dziedzic.

‘The Outcast'

A Book Review By Sue Brooke

"The Outcast," a first novel by Sadie Jones, is sure to launch this British author.

Lewis Aldridge has been born into the upper class of English society and there are certain expectations that must be met. Society children must be polite, well-groomed, and act like little adults at social occasions.

Lewis's mother was warm and loving, though, and with his father Gilbert off in World War II, Lewis had his mother all to himself until the age of seven. When Gilbert came home from the war, however, Lewis was pushed to the shadows.

His father thought he was spoiled and mollycoddled by his mother and needed to be sent off to boarding school. When his mother died, Lewis was left with his distant father and a young stepmother who had no idea what to do with him.

Lewis kept trying to live up to his father's expectations but with each rejection the hurt and anger built until violence erupted at the age of 17 and Lewis was sent away to reform school for two years.

When the novel begins, Lewis is 19 and has just been released. He wants to go home and try to begin a new life.

But the people in the small English village on the outskirts of London are fearful of him. His stepmother says she wants to be friends this time, but she is as brittle as ever.

Again Lewis's father is just as distant. Appearances seem to be more important than feelings, and once again Lewis is told he should keep his emotions under control. Demonstrative acts of affection are unseemly. The only people who reach out to Lewis are the two daughters of Gilbert's boss. Tamsin is 21 and beautiful and sees Lewis as a sort of social work project. Kit is only 15 and idolizes him but she is still just a child.

This novel is an explosive page-turner about family relationships and the redemptive power of love.

Appreciative Crowds, Intermittent Rain at Annual KEB Garden Walk

Although this elegant pergola is in the front yard at 2637 Ridge Ave., surrounding shrubbery makes for a tranquil setting for outdoor dining.

Dodging the raindrops of one of June's last storms, visitors admired the intimacy of backyard gardens, the elegance of formal gardens and the enticements of a school garden and a nature center on the Keep Evanston Beautiful annual Garden Walk. Some of the gardens showcased the work of the owners; others, the talent of local landscapers and designers.

Paloma and Mark Howry, 1433 Wilder St., said they bought the house because of the garden. The parkway bed includes rocks from the family's travels. Because Mr. Howry is in the tropical plant business, the Howrys have some unusual plants and orchids in the garden. A bonus of this stop on the garden walk was a stroll through their neighbors' garden. Visitors to the Howrys' back yard walked under a wooden arch to the garden of Laura Rodelius and Bob Bartholomew, where an island of summer blooms dominates the yard. The neighbors have shared their gardens for years, leading Ms. Howry to say the two yards seem like a community garden.

This wooden arch connects the backyard garden of Mark and Paloma Howry with that of their neighbors, Laura Rodelius and Bob Bartholomew.

When Mark Milkint and Ray Saleh moved into their house at 2637 Ridge Ave. in 2005, they found an overgrown garden that, in Mr. Milkint's mind, needed a chainsaw to fix. Shades of the garden move from pastels in early spring, through a summer of white to the bright colors of autumn. A pergola on the north lawn makes for luxurious outdoor dining, while the patio serves as an extension of the house for entertaining. Mr. Milkint said his philosophy for entertaining and for this classy, inviting yard is, "If you're going to make a statement, don't mumble."

Other gardens featured on the walk were those of Beth and Davis Hart, 2311 Lawndale Ave.; Stuart and Leslie Shulruff, 1140 Forest Ave.; Judith and David Saunders,1133 Forest Ave.; Cydnee Keiser and Fred Wall, 1138 Sheridan Road; Pat and Robert Atkins, 2005 Orrington Ave., the garden at Dawes School, 440 Dodge Ave., and the Evanston Township High School Nature Center, a few blocks east of McDaniel Avenue on Church Street.

Evanston's ‘Green Fleet' Still on Hold

By Nathan Carley

On June 23 City Council approved the purchase of 22 Ford Crown Victorias for the Police and Fire departments. Each vehicle comes with a price tag of just under $23,700 and a fuel efficiency of 17 city miles per gallon.

At the Administration and Public Works Committee meeting that night, members questioned the Manager of Fleet Services, Lonnie Jeschke, about hybrid vehicles after he proposed the purchase. A new four-door Toyota Prius has a manufacturers' suggested retail price of $23,535 and a fuel efficiency of 48 city miles per gallon. A budget memo from February 2007 asserted the City's "dedication to building a ‘green' fleet," but since then only one hybrid has been purchased.

That hybrid is still on the road to Evanston, because the order was backlogged for months. Mr. Jeschke identified sudden popularity as one of the problems with adopting the new technology. "Right now, hybrid technology comes at a premium," said Mr. Jeschke. A new squadron of hybrids would demand new parts and repairs from the City's Fleet Services, and the mechanics would have to be trained for the hybrid technology, he said. Mr. Jeschke also noted the risk inherent to spending money on something that is still unproven.

It is much wiser, Mr. Jeschke told the RoundTable, to "funnel [hybrids] in a few here, a few there, and see how they do." Fleet Services will closely compare their new hybrid against the other 300 vehicles with software called Computerized Fleet Analysis (CFA), he said. Among other things, the program tracks the fuel economy of each vehicle in the fleet.

Seventh Ward Alderman Elizabeth Tisdahl, who posed the hybrid question at the committee meeting, said that Mr. Jeschke "is doing a wonderful job of what we asked him to do, saving us money," but she would like to see more hybrid options considered. The City Council only saw two options presented by Fleet Services. Ald. Tisdahl would like to see a dialogue between Fleet Services and the City's Office of Sustainability and Network for Evanston's Future when considering new purchases.

Mr. Jeschke meets with the City's employees who will be using the vehicles to discuss their needs and preferences. Alderman Tisdahl would like to see him meet with the people who are monitoring the City's environmental impact as well.

The City's 300 Fleet Services vehicles have a significant impact on the City's carbon footprint; they are projected to drive a combined total of 2,100,000 miles this fiscal year. Alderman Tisdahl is thrilled that Evanston has made the purchase of one hybrid, but maintains,

"One is not enough."