9 July 2008
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RoundTable Staff
EDITORIAL
NU Should Help the Evanston History Center Stay at the Dawes House
General Charles G. Dawes gave Northwestern University his mansion on the lake in 1942 — to help sustain a struggling but worthwhile local institution, the Evanston Historical Society, as it was called from 1898 to 2007.
Gen. Dawes had seen the Society almost close its doors during the Great Depression, and he wanted to make sure that would not happen. He offered his house to the Society, but the Society's president said the Society could not accept such a gift, because the house would require yearly and long-term maintenance beyond the capability of the Society to provide.
The Society's president then suggested that Gen. Dawes give the house to Northwestern University instead, with the stipulation that the Society have a permanent home there.
Thus, Gen. Dawes gave his house to Northwestern and provided an endowment to allow Northwestern to fulfill its obligation to maintain the mansion.
It was with the understanding shared by him, the Society and Northwestern that the Society would occupy Dawes House in perpetuity.
Ostensibly, that is still the case. The Society - now known as the Evanston History Center - has a $100,000 endowment. Northwestern University has more than a $7 billion endowment.
Last year alone, it averaged cash contributions of more than $4 million a week, just about what is needed to rehab the Dawes House and bring it up to code. Unquestionably, then, Northwestern has the resources to assist the History Center.
Rather than helping, though, Northwestern appears to be washing its hands of the History Center, ignoring the commitment it made in 1942 to Gen. Dawes, to the Society and to the community.
We trust that the University will reassess its stance in relation to the Dawes House and its obligation to maintain the mansion for the Evanston History Center.
As your fight song says, "Go U Northwestern." As your alma mater says, "Pledge thee victory and honor."
North Side Story
"Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something's coming, something good...
Gonna be great!"
-- "West Side Story"
I have been holding off since April writing my annual Cubs column for three reasons: First, the weight of importance for this particular season would challenge any wordsmith to express appropriately the hesitancies of most Cub fans to think, "This could be THE year!"; second, any too-early talk of playoffs, pennant, World Series and the whole enchilada might stir the jinxes and curses that haunt the eerie confines at Clark and Addison; and third, by the end of the first half of the season, some risks might be worth taking.
Now that the halfway mark has come and gone, the risks seem still not worth taking, especially after the south-side sweep -- but I have to say something. The tune and beat of "Something's Coming" has been playing non-stop in my mind since Opening Day. Every win notches up the volume, every loss turns it down, but the music plays on.
Seems like all the pieces are there this year: pitching, hitting, fielding, managing and coaching. Fan fervor is nothing new, but there is an intensity to it that is contagious and spreading. Even some away games sound like home games when distant fans start chanting, "Let's go, Cubbies!" "It's Gonna Happen" wrist bands and t-shirts may not be as noisy but they are humming a mantra for Cub fans everywhere.
I remember when the Mets did it all - in 1969 against the Orioles. The "Miracle Mets" pulled off one of the greatest upsets in baseball history and their fame still resounds through the ages. But they were not coming off a 100-year drought, nor were they haunted by Billy Goat curses, black cats and Bartmans.
Should the Cubs actually "Make It Great in '08," even the Mets will have to make room in the history books; and someone will have to invent a word to take the place of "miracle."
All of this leaves me looking at what is ahead. I will admit my heart is hopeful but I hesitate to believe the music between my ears. But I will not allow that to stifle my dreams, diminish the drama of the months ahead, or kill the joys of this boy of summer. It would help greatly, believe me, if I did not know the ending of "West Side Story." But, hey, I am talking north side, North Side.
'Dancing, Dancing, Dancing'*
Two friends and I went down to the Taste of Chicago to see (hear?)
Stevie Wonder. The crowd was beyond description. We inched
along in a line that was supposed to lead to seats.
When the line curved around, we found ourselves dumped into a free-for-all situation with nothing separating the line from all the other folks. People bumped, pushed, and even challenged each other to fights.
To top it off, people pushed wheelchairs through the crowd, getting angry and yelling because people couldn't move or move quickly enough to let the wheelchairs pass.
Hmmmmm! We managed to see Stevie on the big screen, glimpsed him in the flesh, heard him talk and sing, but after a while, being squashed like sardines and being hot and thirsty made us head for the fringes of the crowd.
We inched along again, at times coming to a complete standstill with no way to get around or through the people ahead of us.
We eventually wound up at an exit and decided to just go over to Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park and wait for the Orchestra Baobab concert. What a relief it was to sit down in the shade and have something to drink, thanks to the gallant efforts of one of my friends who hiked to a store and back.
As time for the concert approached, three women sat down in front of us. One of the women was mentally challenged, whom I shall call Clarissa.
The musicians in Orchestra Baobab are from Senegal and their music makes you want to get up and move. And that's what Clarissa did. As soon as the music began to play, Clarissa got up and danced. Clarissa's mother made her sit down out of consideration for those behind her.
Clarissa would get up again, and her mother would again make her sit down. Finally, Clarissa stayed up, dancing in perfect rhythm.
"Dancing, dancing, dancing.
She's a dancing machine. …"
"She's moving, grooving,
"Dancing to the music stop now."
When Clarissa finished dancing to one song, she looked back at us, smiled and did a high five with one of my friends.
The Orchestra invited the audience to dance in the aisles. My friends went down front to dance. Clarissa continued to dance in front of me, and when I clapped when she stopped, she bowed and said "thank you, thank you."
Clarissa too went out into the aisle across from her family to dance. She bobbed her head, twirled around, raised her eyebrows and smiled at me, making sure I was watching her. She never missed a beat.
"She's a dance, dance, dance,
Dance, dancing machine.
Watch her get down,
Watch her get down."
A lone man appeared, dancing in the aisle. He danced around Clarissa and with her. Clarissa never stopped
"…as she do, do, do her thing
‘right on the scene."
Finally, for whatever reason, Clarissa came over to the row in which her family sat, said something, and they left.
Well, I was disappointed about not getting a seat to watch Stevie in the flesh, but Clarissa had made my day.
*Sung by the Jackson Five.
Guest Essay
Evanston's Civic Center: An Opportunity to Model Sustainability
In October 2006, the Evanston City Council authorized Mayor Morton to
sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, thereby committing
the city to reduce Evanston's greenhouse gas emissions to seven percent
below 1990 levels by 2012 — the target set by the Kyoto Protocol for
developed countries like the U.S.
Council members now have an opportunity to make significant progress
towards this goal by making sustainability a priority in their decisions
about the future of Evanston's Civic Center.
It's encouraging that the council is investigating the scope of rehab
work that would be required to make the existing building safe and healthy
for continued use in the near term. At a minimum, renovations are needed
in the areas of life safety and ADA compliance — basic provisions of
the building code that the city itself enforces on others. Roof repairs
are also clearly needed so as to avoid further water damage and mold
formation and to allow removal of the scaffolding, which is both an eyesore
and an ongoing expense to the city.
But as council members consider allocating funds to this much deferr
ed maintenance project, they should also commit themselves to renovating
the Civic Center for the long term. A decision to remain in the existing
building, updated in accord with as many green design principles as practical,
is the most sustainable option for Evanston's civic headquarters. As
is often noted in preservation circles, "the greenest building is
the one that is already built."
Benefits of renovation over new construction
Renovating the existing structure will make use of the large investment
in its embodied energy — the energy required to extract and process raw
materials, transport finished products to the site and put up the building.
Constructing a new civic center of comparable size would require a similar
investment of new energy and resources.
Moreover, if the current Civic Center were to be sold and torn down,
the "demolition energy" — the energy required to raze, load
and haul away the old building — would also figure into the calculation
of the energy investment in constructing a new facility.
The energy that would be consumed in building a new 100,000-square-foot
civic center would be roughly equivalent to 1.4 million gallons of gasoline
— or slightly more than 14,000 tons of CO2. The energy needed to demolish
the old building would be the equivalent of about 10,400 gallons of gasoline
— or 102 tons of CO2. (Calculations were made using an embodied energy
calculator based on a model developed by the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation.)
A rehab project would also consume energy — but far less than new
construction. As an example, in an analysis of the adaptive reuse of
an 80,000-square-foot hotel into office and commercial space, the ACHP
found that the renovation required less than one-fifth of the energy
for materials and construction as needed for a comparable new facility.
For the Civic Center, this would translate into a savings of over 1.1
million gallons of gasoline — or more than 11,000 tons of CO2.
Even compared to a highly energy-efficient new facility, the rehab
option comes out ahead. The annual savings in operational energy for
a new civic center would be but a small fraction of the amount of energy
required for its construction.
Greening the civic center
Restoring the Civic Center also provides an opportunity to model how
green best practices can be employed in older structures, demonstrating
to other Evanston property owners the feasibility and environmental benefits
of reusing older buildings. Goals for a sustainable, redeveloped Civic
Center could include the following —
• Maximize the use of sustainable materials. Repair and reuse existing
materials where possible. Insist that new materials have recycled content
and that wood products come from independently certified, well-managed
forests. Seek locally-produced materials.
• Improve the building's energy performance. Increase insulation levels.
Provide for zoned heating and cooling and natural ventilation. Install
high-efficiency lights and mechanical equipment, programmable thermostats,
and high-performance windows. Explore active solar systems for hot water
heating and for electricity.
• Promote water conservation. Install dual-flush toilets and water-efficient
faucets.
• Enhance indoor air quality. Use only low-VOC finishes and formaldehyde-free
materials.
• Emphasize green solutions to stormwater management. Use permeable
materials for walkways, patios, and parking areas. Install rain gardens
and bioswales. Collect rainwater from roof surfaces and reuse for irrigation.
Landscape with water-efficient, climate-appropriate plants.
• Minimize environmental impact throughout. Reduce light pollution
with diffuse lighting. Provide ample bicycle parking. Make it easy for
city staff and visitors to recycle. Recycle construction waste.
Over the last six months, city staff and community volunteers have been
collaborating on the development of an Evanston Climate Action Plan,
a set of strategies designed to put us on the path towards fulfilling
the commitment made in signing the Climate Protection Agreement. A green
renovation of the existing Civic Center will advance this important goal.
Online resources
Assessing the Energy Conservation Benefits of Historic Preservation:
Methods and Examples, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. http://www.thegreenestbuilding.org/1979_A
CHP_Energy_Conserv_and_Hist_Pres.pdf
Embodied Energy Calculator. http://www.thegreenestbuilding.org/
Letters to the Editor
EHC ‘Rolling Over' on Dawes House Issue
Editor:
I've got a $10,000 challenge for the Evanston Historical Center Board.
A little background: It's been widely reported that Northwestern University, which considers Evanston its sandbox, is actively forcing EHC out of the Dawes Mansion that has been its home for the 60 years since General Dawes donated the home (and an accompanying endowment) to Northwestern with instructions that they were to be for EHC.
Last year, Northwestern refused to renew EHC's $1 annual lease. Early this year, Northwestern used the Dawes' endowment money to pay for an engineer's report to press its case further (the University maintains that the building is unsafe but won't spend any of its multi-billion dollar endowment for repairs while EHC is there).
Recently, Northwestern brought in the Evanston Fire Department to shut the building down. Northwestern could find plenty of uses for a historic mansion on an acre by the lake - such as a residence to lure a big name to replace retiring president Henry Bienen - and only needs to clear EHC out to do so.
Those in attendance at last week's EHC annual meeting heard the newly re-elected board members and staff mouth weak platitudes about their commitment to staying in the Dawes House while EHC board president Marge Wold stressed the complexity of the situation (citing the secretive nature of the negotiations, Ms. Wold refused to provide any detail). Other board members emphasized the need to be reasonable. Northwestern has terminated the lease and called in the City to shut them down. It's not clear where reasonable will get them at this point.
So, what is the board's plan? Basically, to roll over. "Plan A," according to Ms. Wold, is negotiating with the University. Northwestern has a phalanx of attorneys. EHC has none-- unless you count board member Jim Staples, who Ms. Wold mysteriously described as both head of the negotiating team and the Board's paid/pro bono outside counsel.
Mr. Staples seemed confident that his experience as a staff attorney at a steel company qualifies him to negotiate the finer points of complex trust agreements and endowments with Northwestern's legal army. "Plan B" is to abandon the Dawes House and move to Northwestern-supplied quarters. Only when pressed did Ms. Wold non-specifically promise a legal battle -- presumably using the board's paid/pro bono outside counsel (see "Plan A" above).
90 minutes of misstatements, "secret" negotiation details and obfuscation worthy of a White House press briefing left some in the audience wondering if waterboarding could drag out the truth.
But if Chicagoans know one thing, it's that rotting, putrid smell when the fix is in. The most likely deal? In exchange for not making a fuss, EHC will get a brightly lit basement someplace on the campus (with the implicit threat, if they don't, of being put out on the street). Northwestern gets what it wants and finds the millions needed to restore the mansion for its own needs.
So here's the challenge: If I'm wrong, and the EHC leverages a (minimum) five-year deal to stay in the Dawes House as Marge Wold and all the re-elected board members pledged, I'll humbly apologize and write EHC an unrestricted check for $10,000 which could go toward financing a capital campaign or paying for repairs.
You'd think the board would rush to pick that money off the table
- provided, that is, that Ms. Wold and Mr. Staples haven't already
done the deal that they promised they haven't.
-- Mel Birgé
1+1=$20,000
Editor:
The numbers in D65's math program do not add up. Sadly, this is not surprising. As an outside observer this past season to District 65'sproceedings, I have been sorely disappointed in the lack of both rigor and intellectual integrity of the leadership. I have failed to see the Board or management display logical, consistentapproaches to problem-solving, some of the same skills we hope our children are learning in math.
There has been a great deal of public comment this year about the administration's proposal to offer an optional program of instruction for accelerated geometry students on site. The D65 Board has continuously been told by management that theywill be provided data to make decisions about this option: Data on how many families are interested in the option; data on how many of the students interested in the program passed the final exam with a qualifying grade to move forward; data on what the incremental cost for the program will be to the District; data on where the incremental money will come from; data on theimpact of teaching smaller geometry classes in a middle school on remaining accelerated and non-accelerated math students and their class sizes; data onhowan optional program would be evaluated.
At theJune 23 D65 Board meeting, management addressed this open issue at the end of the meeting when a Board member asked when there would be more information. Dr. Murphy noted that they were moving forward in offering the first class at Haven in the fall with 18 students. The Board accepted this with no questions about finances, operational impact or teaching.
This is a great disappointment especially after Dr. Murphy's comments thatsame evening:
"We are in the midst of a tough budget year. … We must make sure we are not shifting away [resources] from students who are not meeting standards. … I just want to keep this [funding limitations] at the forefront."
For over 30 years D65 hasoffered one program for its accelerated geometry students, the ETHS geometry program. This fall D65 will add one more program option to that offering.
One plus one normally equals two. But in D65's initiative, offeringan additional program option for accelerated geometry students at Haven will cost the District at least an additional $20,000 that it would not otherwise spend. That means the District will have $20,000 less to spend elsewhere.
The District elected to spend $1,000 per child for a select
group of 18 students who are already part of theselect group
of about 85 accelerated math students Meanwhile, who is advocating
for our students who are not meeting "select"? Where are the
advocates for the kids who are not meeting standards or who are
not. in the top 10 percent of the class? Obviously they are
not on the Board or in the management of D65.
-- Pam Waymack
CASE Recommends Special Ed Services Improvements at D65
Editor:
At the June 23 Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board meeting, the nonprofit organization Citizens for Appropriate Special Education (CASE) presented 10 recommendations designed to improve special services for disabled children in the School District:
1. Meet the requirements for all students with IEPs and all requirements
of the federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA).
2. Stop moving disabled children from school to school to follow
services.
3. Readily provide aidesto helpstudentsremainin
the least restrictive environment.
4. Determine whether grouping children with differing diagnoses
together is good for those with special needs.
5.Assess the costs and benefits of participation in
a specialeducationcooperative such as the North Suburban
SpecialEducation District.
6.Research and develop a therapeutic day school program.
7.Create a Parent Special Education Advisory Board.
8. Develop a procedure for participation by the public atSchoolBoardmeetings.
9.Update the "Resource Guide for Parents of Children
with Special Needs."
10.Write specific goals for special education in the
Five-Year Strategic Plan.
Please help us improve special services in School District 65.
E-mail the School Board at schoolboard@district65.net. Learn
more by going to the CASE website at www.evanstoncase.org.
-- Nancy Traver
Only In Evanston
Possum Mom
One of my favorite running circuits is along the lake on the paths and sidewalks that stretch from Northwestern University to Cavalry Cemetery. Running along the lake is enjoyable not only for the views but also because of the wildlife one encounters there: birds, fox, rabbits and, this past Sunday, possum.
As I was heading north on the landfill, I saw a possum between the new parking lots and one of the University buildings. Possums are seriously ugly animals. But this possum looked scary as it seemed to have things growing out of its back. As I got closer to the beast, I saw that the things on its back were its babies. Five of them, lined up neatly, side by side, from their mother's neck to her tail (I assume this was the mother as I'm sure the father was getting ready for the Cubs/White Sox game later that day).
I came close enough to the possum brood to cause the mother to seek safety. As she began to waddle away, the babies started to slide around on her back. The baby near the tail was really hanging on for dear life. I thought I heard it say, "Mom, slow down!"
Mom and babies disappeared into the bushes and I continued on
my way. The possum doesn't seem as ugly to me anymore.
-- David Edelstein
"Fountain Square"
The Summer-time is now upon us all,
To forget about the winter and the fall,
And to enjoy the beauties that summer brings,
While the flowers are blooming, and the birds sing.
Fountain Square is rededicated and complete,
Come sit, talk, and relax with friends you meet,
While enjoying the music and special events,
Presented during the day, evenings and under a tent.
Fountain Square is the place to be,
With its cross winds and shading trees,
Settled in the middle of our busy town,
People visit from miles around.
Its fountain waters provide a cooling mist,
Where all can sit quietly and reminisce,
Of times long past and present too,
That is specific and privately only to you.
The War Memorial is there to view,
The names of our fallen Evanstonian crew,
They gave their lives to secure a peace,
So we could obtain freedom within our reach.
The fountains were called "The Ministry Of Water",
With the soothing sounds of its bubbling flow,
They restore and rejuvenate when you're feeling low,
Just pause for a moment regroup and then go.
Fountain Square is calling to one and all,
It doesn't matter if you are short or tall,
Whispering, slow down during the rushing of the day,
Come sit, relax, daydream, take a deep breath or pray.
There's no doubt you'll feel relief, for passing this way.
