Evanstonian With ALS Leaves ‘Indestructible' Legacy

By Jordan Graham

On July 5, 2008, Ben Byer passed away at the age of 37, finally succumbing to a six-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

With his death, the actor, playwright and Evanston Township High School alum leaves his legacy in "Indestructible," a film that documents his journey and struggles after being diagnosed with the disease.

ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, weakening muscles and impairing voluntary movement.

In the film, one doctor bleakly refers to it as the "grim reaper of neurological diseases," as most patients who are diagnosed are given only a few years to live. No cure yet exists, and only a handful of treatments are available, many unproved or lacking significant data. Productive research in the area is scarce.

In the film director's statement, Mr. Byer says the project was "an attempt to understand and accept the reality of a mysterious and deadly disease that has brought science to its knees, an illness that is a paradigm for life's ultimate challenges."

Diagnosed in September 2002, Mr. Byer waited nine months to begin the project to which he would dedicate the remainder of his life. The film covers three years, following Mr. Byer as he interviews doctors, undergoes various treatments and travels the world for both medicinal and spiritual purposes.

Part of Mr. Byer's challenge was to inform the general public about ALS; to tell the story of every ALS patient, while maintaining that this journey was personal, intimate and his own.

"ALS doesn't have a face," said Rebeccah Rush, Mr. Byer's sister and a co-producer of the film, "[The patients] disappear pretty quickly. Ben was willing to be that person."

Throughout the filming, Mr. Byer met with many ALS patients to interview them about their experiences, bonding with them as he learned how they coped with the disease. "He developed some amazing relationships," said Ms. Rush, "The experience made him realize he wasn't so alone."

As both the director and subject of the documentary, though, Mr. Byer endured the challenge of creating the film as his body began to degenerate substantially.

Under near-constant surveillance by the camera, often adhering to a grueling schedule, struggling both physically and emotionally, he attempts to share his battle with his audience, walking the fine line between the privacy of his personal life and his goals as a filmmaker.

In one scene, speaking to his father, who had become quite involved in helping other patients in the ALS community, Mr. Byer reminds him, "This is my time."

Mr. Byer's ever-changing and evolving relationships with his family reinforce both the personal nature of the film and the reality of the events it documents.

The emotional toll the disease takes on Mr. Byer's loved ones is visible, and a good portion of the film concerns how Mr. Byer's illness affects those closest to him.

Speaking on the difficulty of emotionally coping with her brother's condition, Ms. Rush said "You want to help someone, but you feel completely helpless. When everybody feels helpless, you get desperate. It brought out the worst in us, but it also brought out the best in us."

One rock of consistency in Mr. Byer's life was his son, John Byer, who provides comic relief in the film, as well as hope for the future.

Seemingly unaffected by his father's declining physical condition, John's boundless energy and ingenuous enthusiasm somehow both reflect and contrast with Mr. Byer's life in his final years. The love between the two is apparent and unfaltering.

Toward the end of the film, one doctor theorizes that all one needs in life to be happy are "work and love." "Indestructible" certainly is a blend of both, as Mr. Byer reveals his most personal moments and relationships.

In one shot, a younger Mr. Byer relates to the camera how it is his wish to one
day shoot a film that will make it onto "the big screen." Ironically, in documenting the disease that killed him, Mr. Byer has achieved his goal.

"I have to find some peace in this," says Mr. Byer in the film, "This is not the way I thought my life would be, but this is how it is." Though he is gone, through "Indestructible," Mr. Byer records his legacy for all to see. "We all die," said Ms. Rush, "but we can choose how we live in the meantime. His spirit doesn't die. His
work doesn't die. What he contributed doesn't go away."

"Indestructible" held its Chicago theatrical premiere July 18 at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The 113-minute documentary is the first project produced by the ALS Film Fund, which aims, according to its website, to use "creative and accessible means...to [educate], [inspire] and [invoke] change for the future benefit of ALS patients worldwide."

"Indestructible" is scheduled to be screened at Northwestern University's Block Museum on Oct. 22. Visit www.indestructiblefilm.com for additional information.

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Saturday in the Park

A walk along the Lakefront on a clear Saturday found Evanstonians enjoying the day on water and on land. The bike bath beckoned some; others briefly left the hot sand while preparing to spike a volleyball.

Toys for kids and adults - soccer balls, kites and even hula hoops - added to the day's enjoyment.

The calm waters of Lake Michigan drew hundreds to the shore and scores of others into the lake itself to swim, windsurf, fish or kayak - all under the watchful eyes of the City's hawk-eyed lifeguards.

Introducing the European Black Alder

European alder, Alnus glutinosa

By Libby Hill

The black or European alder "Alnus glutinosa" is a member of the birch "Betulaceae" family and was imported to North America during early colonial times. It is indigenous to England, Eurasia east to Siberia, and northern Africa. It loves moist conditions and is often found growing along streams. The etymology of "alder" and "alnus" is far from definitive; the species name glutinosa means sticky, referring to the gluey feel of the buds and the young twigs and leaves, which are tacky enough to trap fleas.

On average, black alders can grow to 80 feet tall. The tree can be recognized in the growing season by its unique leaf and in winter by its unique cone. Leaves are oval, dark glossy green on top and lighter underneath. Leaf edges are irregularly toothed and, instead of coming to a point, they have a small, distinctive rounded notch at the tip. Bark varies from smooth to an appearance of stacked, curling potato chips.

The flowers are monecious: Male and female flowers grow on the same tree. Male and female catkins appear simultaneously in spring before the leaves. Male catkins are slender, reddish-brown and usually 2-4 inches long. Three to five may grow together. Female catkins are shorter, initially green, and grow upright from the tips of branches.

Flowers are wind-pollinated. After fertilization, female catkins grow into small woody-looking, scaly green cones. The seeds within are tiny nutlets with inflated sacs that help them float on water, their primary dispersal medium. They drop from the cones throughout fall and winter. Occasionally they are dispersed by wind, but, because they lack wings, they do not travel far from the parent tree. Once all seeds have been released, the cones turn brown and persist decoratively on the tree, sometimes throughout the following summer.

Black alder is a pioneer species and is among the first to colonize disturbed areas near water. It combines several characteristics that make it ideal for reclaiming strip mines and stabilizing spoil banks. It is fast-growing and sun-loving. It has a very long taproot that can reach the deepest water resources. It tolerates extremely acidic soil and can even tolerate iron in concentrations that would be lethal to other plants. It produces prodigious amounts of seeds beginning at age two.

In addition, it can "fix" nitrogen. As every gardener knows, nitrogen promotes vigorous, healthy plant growth. The nitrogen in the air, however, is unavailable to plants until it is "fixed." Bacteria form nodules on alder root systems and turn the gaseous nitrogen into complex organic compounds used by the plant. As the leaves fall (and the black alder produces a prodigious number of leaves) or the plant dies, decomposition adds nitrates to the soil. The fate of a pioneer tree is to make life better for species that follow.

Black alder is extremely valuable for underwater construction. Its wood is very oily. When immersed in water, the wood grows harder, making it useful for piles, pumps and troughs. It was used extensively in Holland and France for sluice gates, bridge and house supports and other purposes where there was a need for timber that defies rotting in water.

Venice was constructed at least partly on piles of black alder. From its first humble beginnings around the 7th century, Venice grew up on islands in shallow lagoons with unstable soils. The first huts were built on piles along the banks of the islands. As Venice came into its own during the Renaissance, canals were dug and lagoons were filled in. For construction of the Basicilica of St. Maria della Salute, we have this description, published in 1663 and quoted in "Venice, a Practical Guide": "The work was begun by driving one million one hundred and six thousand six hundred and fifty-seven [1,106,657] piles of oak, alder and larch, averaging four metres in length, into the mud. ... On top of them a huge raft - made of immense planks of oak and larch, firmly joined and chained together was placed."

Above ground, it has been used for a variety of practical items. To name just a few: wooden shoes, soles for clogs, broom handles, violins and cigar boxes. It is easily worked when young and is prized by carvers. Called Scottish mahogany when seasoned in water, it makes handsome furniture. Because the wood burns slowly, it makes excellent charcoal. The bark has been used for fine dyes, production of gunpowder, fireworks and fishermen's nets. For folk remedies, black alder has been used for a multitude of ailments: inflammation, rheumatism, skin diseases, itching, sore throats and cancers. It is said that lining shoes with alder leaves keeps the feet cool, a boon for hikers. It is a tree that may be useful for cattle feed because it is high in protein.

The black alder is deeply embedded in the mythology and folklore of Europe. In Homer's account of Odysseus' travels in the Mediterranean, the hero is marooned on the island with the nymph Calypso until Zeus commands the goddess to release him. He constructs a boat from "alders and poplars and firs" and sets sail for home, detected by an angry Poseidon who plans for him a "bellyful of trouble." (Translation by E.V. Rieu.)

When alder is cut, the sapwood turns red and is said to "bleed," leading to beliefs that it has a life force that combines the power of fire and water. In Celtic folklore First Man is said to have been an alder tree.

The black alder is now threatened in Europe by a fungus similar to the one that caused the Irish potato blight. It has not done well as a parkway tree in Evanston because of its intolerance of dry sites, salt and soil compaction.

Two handsome parkway specimens grow on the south side of Grant Street just east of its intersection with Pioneer Road

The Getaway Guys Check Out Towpaths On the I&M Canal

By Neil Cogbill and Alan Barney

In LaSalle, the Hegeler Carus Mansion is an absolute must stop. Built in 1876 by Edward C. Hegeler (1835-1910) and designed by Chicago architect William W. Boyington, it was occupied by a member of the Hegeler-Carus clan until 2004.

Last year we Getaway Guys bicycled along a stretch of the Illinois and Michigan Canal from the Isle a La Cache Museum just north of Lockport to the site of the old Joliet Iron Works in Joliet. This year, we decided to complete our I&M journey by starting southwest of where we left off. We cheated, though, and biked only a couple of times along the route. Still, this getaway would make a great trip by bicycle if the traveler is so inclined and equipped.

Starting with Channahon, then continuing through Morris, Seneca, Marseilles, Ottawa, Utica and LaSalle-Peru, we discovered towns that owe their existence to the I&M Canal, an engineering masterwork built in the 1830s by Irish immigrant labor to move freight from the hinterlands to Chicago and beyond in pre-railroad times.

But not unlike the Interstate Highway System in the 20th century, which killed many small communities, the arrival of railroads in the I&M Canal region before, and especially after the Civil War, meant decline for many canal towns. While most got a respite during World War II, decline ensued thereafter and is only being arrested today for some.

We think Ottawa is doing the best of the four towns we visited on this trip. Site of the first Abraham Lincoln-Stephen A. Douglas political debate in 1858, this small city has a number of old buildings in good repair and a vibrant downtown, a quaint anachronism in the time of Walmart.

Architecturally, Morris has promise, too, and there is ample evidence of efforts to make the town more visitor-friendly. Utica (that portion not blown away by a tornado in 2004) is struggling to survive. Luckily, Utica is the gateway to Starved Rock State Park and a convenient place to stop for gas or a snack prior to entering or after leaving the park.

The LaSalle County Historical Society is housed there in a stone general store dating to 1848, and its collections explain a lot about the canal and its communities. Finally, LaSalle has a fair amount of interesting architecture, but things are pretty quiet there these days. One exception is the recent addition of a replica 1830s canal boat as a combination tourist attraction-history lesson to tour part of the old I&M Canal. Eventually draft animals will provide locomotion.

For us Guys, the two gems on our itinerary were The Reddick Mansion in Ottawa and the Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle.

The Italianate Reddick Mansion, designed by architects William B. Olmsted and Peter A. Nicholson and completed in 1857 for local businessman and Illinois politico William Reddick (1812-1885) is quite an extravaganza. In the first floor rooms open to the public, the degree of restoration and preservation done thus far is remarkable.

Most spectacular are the ornamental plaster cornices and ceiling medallions, both for their original complexity and their faithful restoration. The mansion only served as a residence from 1857 until 1887; it was the Ottawa Public Library from 1889 until 1974.

Since 1974, the City of Ottawa leases it to the Reddick Mansion Association, a non-profit corporation charged with restoration and maintenance. Plans are pending for further restoration of some parts, while others are occupied by community organizations, still preserving the integrity of the original architecture for future generations. The city's Visitor's Center occupies a restored carriage house on the property, too.

In LaSalle, the Hegeler Carus Mansion is an absolute must stop. Built in 1876 by Edward C. Hegeler (1835-1910) and designed by Chicago architect William W. Boyington, it was occupied by a member of the Hegeler-Carus clan until 2004.

This strange four-story structure of oversized proportions might easily be mistaken for a movie set ("Great Expectations," including Miss Haversham, or the Benedict Mansion in Edna Ferber's "Giant"). The superlatives "giant," "elaborate" and "grandiose" do not cut it here: The place is not only big, but much is in a state of spooky decrepitude not usually associated with house museums.

Only the library has been completely restored to it original late 19th-century grandeur; the rest looks as though it was just vacated by a late nutty aunt. A lack of maintenance and/or concern contributed to leaky pipes and roof prior to its rescue by the Hegeler Carus Mansion Foundation in the 1990s, thus creating peeling paint, melting plaster cornices and moldings, and partially ruined parquet floors still waiting to be rescued. The place looks utterly haunted, and the original August Fiedler furniture in various states of wear and tear adds to its eerieness.

The differences between the restoration of the Reddick Mansion in Ottawa and stabilization of the Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle are astonishing. One shows a concerted effort to restore and maintain a mid-19th-century home as it probably was. The other, a later 19th-century house, serves as a tutorial about what not to do when your pipes and roof leak.

Neil, a closet socialist who gets a little edgy in house museums anyway, thought the Reddick Mansion, despite its size, accoutrements and intent to show off its owners' accomplishments, a comfortable and not-too-ostentatious fit historically. Meanwhile, the Hegeler Carus pile (just a tad bigger) is a commentary on greater wealth based on heavy industry.

Hegeler and his partner-friend from German university days, Frederick Matthiessen, built one of the world's most productive zinc works in LaSalle, then built mansions commensurate with their positions practically literally next door. Alan bet today's CEOs would build their mansions nowhere near their factories.

For lunch the Guys suggest a funky place in Ottawa called the Cheese Shop & Deli. Despite its slightly out-of-the-way location at 1219 Fulton St. and its haphazard appearance, the food is excellent. For dinner we tossed a coin and chose the Uptown Grill in LaSalle at 601 First Street, as opposed to the dining room in the main lodge at Starved Rock State Park. We have now eaten at both, and both are very good.

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.

Next, Please

Artistic Director of Local Theater Leads Search for His Successor

By Victoria Scott

Although Jason Loewith recently announced his departure from the Evanston theater he has led to national prominence, he plans to be around for the summer and much of the 2008-09 season. The RoundTable caught him in the midst of a hectic off-season - and the hunt for a missing deviled-egg platter - to ask him what is next.

The Next Theatre, where Mr. Loewith has served as artistic director since July 2002, currently makes its home at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St. It comes as a bit of a surprise that, when asked to recap the highlights of his tenure there, Mr. Loewith talks first about business and finance.

"I come from a long line of accountants," he says, explaining his conviction that institutional strength is the foundation necessary to "enhanc[ing] artistic output." When he arrived, he says, "the Next had a strong artistic reputation but was institutionally weak. I worked hard with the audience and the board to stabilize it."

Mr. Loewith presided over such changes as quadrupling the subscription base and the budget; tripling the board membership to 19; and increasing income from contributions by 500 percent.

Having attracted national attention with "The Adding Machine," a play that premiered in Evanston and just closed a successful New York run, the Next "is poised for some major institutional growth," Mr. Loewith says.

The next question, he says, is "Will Evanston step up to the plate and say, ‘We need a major cultural attraction'?"

He continues, "The Next is aggressively pursuing a number of options for a space that is more audience-friendly, artistically appropriate and that has greater visibility to the Evanston community. To attain that growth, the City needs to play a role."

The Next has distinguished itself among Chicago theaters by presenting "daring plays, progressive themes, emotional stories that radiate the heat and light of aesthetic inspiration," says Mr. Loewith in a brochure introducing the upcoming season.

A few of his Next productions stand out in his memory. One was his second play there, the dark and audacious "In the Blood" by Suzan-Lori Parks. Next was the first Chicago theater to stage one of Ms. Park's works, he says, and the company "took a huge risk and created something so special. I felt for the first time in synch with the community [as] they accepted [a work] that was edgy and progressive."

Mr. Loewith names "Omnium Gatherum" - a play about a dinner party in hell - as another highlight. "We broke single-ticket records," he says, recalling the "gripping production," with its "perfectly cast group of actors."

They served a six-course meal on stage each night, he says, each from a different Evanston restaurant, "and for dessert, the hostess announces she has brought a terrorist." It then comes to light that the guest who had been a New York City fireman died on 9/11.

He describes "The Long Christmas Ride Home" as "one of the best-reviewed, worst-attended" of Next's plays, adding, "As a director I felt I had never done such a good job of unifying all the elements of [a] play." He has special praise for local puppet maker Michael Montenegro, with whom he will be working again in the coming year.

One thing missing from a theater doing "socially progressive plays," says Mr. Loewith, was an outlet for community discussion. He created an outreach program to provide such an outlet, gathering together groups of people he says "would never be in a room together," and sometimes creating sparks of recognition across social and ethnic divides.

The zenith of his Next career was "The Adding Machine," which he co-wrote with Josh Smith. Describing it as "magical," as a "remarkable collaboration" that completely transformed the former grade-school auditorium at the Noyes Center, he says he is proud that it launched the career of Joel Hatch, who will open in "Billy Elliott" on Broadway.

No lame duck during his remaining time at the Next, Mr. Loewith says they wrapped up the last season in mid-June and will begin rehearsals for "The U.N. Inspector" on Aug. 11. He is occupied with hiring cast and crew for next season's four shows, one of which he is co-writing and two of which he will direct.

In a national search for his replacement, Mr. Loewith, with the Next board, is interviewing 18 candidates. "We are looking for someone with vision and charisma to rally people to the cause," he says. "It doesn't need to be someone like me," he adds, speculating that his successor might take the theater in a different direction while still dealing with "progressive themes and a sense of artistic adventure."

The pesky egg platter, which has been circulating in the Chicago theater community since Mr. Loewith received it as an Easter gift, remains at large. Otherwise, he says, "I have accomplished what I wanted, enhancing the Chicago profile [of the Next], giving it a national profile" and "almost eliminating" a $100,000 debt.

And what is next for him? Mr. Loewith is following a partner who is already in Washington, D.C., he says, and intends to "freelance" - look for directing work, get commissions for writing and "take a year off from running an institution."

Although Jason Loewith recently announced his departure from the Evanston theater he has led to national prominence, he plans to be around for the summer and much of the 2008-09 season. The RoundTable caught him in the midst of a hectic off-season - and the hunt for a missing deviled-egg platter - to ask him what is next.

The Next Theatre, where Mr. Loewith has served as artistic director since July 2002, currently makes its home at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St. It comes as a bit of a surprise that, when asked to recap the highlights of his tenure there, Mr. Loewith talks first about business and finance.

"I come from a long line of accountants," he says, explaining his conviction that institutional strength is the foundation necessary to "enhanc[ing] artistic output." When he arrived, he says, "the Next had a strong artistic reputation but was institutionally weak. I worked hard with the audience and the board to stabilize it."

Mr. Loewith presided over such changes as quadrupling the subscription base and the budget; tripling the board membership to 19; and increasing income from contributions by 500 percent.

Having attracted national attention with "The Adding Machine," a play that premiered in Evanston and just closed a successful New York run, the Next "is poised for some major institutional growth," Mr. Loewith says.

The next question, he says, is "Will Evanston step up to the plate and say, ‘We need a major cultural attraction'?"

He continues, "The Next is aggressively pursuing a number of options for a space that is more audience-friendly, artistically appropriate and that has greater visibility to the Evanston community. To attain that growth, the City needs to play a role."

The Next has distinguished itself among Chicago theaters by presenting "daring plays, progressive themes, emotional stories that radiate the heat and light of aesthetic inspiration," says Mr. Loewith in a brochure introducing the upcoming season.

A few of his Next productions stand out in his memory. One was his second play there, the dark and audacious "In the Blood" by Suzan-Lori Parks. Next was the first Chicago theater to stage one of Ms. Park's works, he says, and the company "took a huge risk and created something so special. I felt for the first time in synch with the community [as] they accepted [a work] that was edgy and progressive."

Mr. Loewith names "Omnium Gatherum" - a play about a dinner party in hell - as another highlight. "We broke single-ticket records," he says, recalling the "gripping production," with its "perfectly cast group of actors."

They served a six-course meal on stage each night, he says, each from a different Evanston restaurant, "and for dessert, the hostess announces she has brought a terrorist." It then comes to light that the guest who had been a New York City fireman died on 9/11.

He describes "The Long Christmas Ride Home" as "one of the best-reviewed, worst-attended" of Next's plays, adding, "As a director I felt I had never done such a good job of unifying all the elements of [a] play." He has special praise for local puppet maker Michael Montenegro, with whom he will be working again in the coming year.

One thing missing from a theater doing "socially progressive plays," says Mr. Loewith, was an outlet for community discussion. He created an outreach program to provide such an outlet, gathering together groups of people he says "would never be in a room together," and sometimes creating sparks of recognition across social and ethnic divides.

The zenith of his Next career was "The Adding Machine," which he co-wrote with Josh Smith. Describing it as "magical," as a "remarkable collaboration" that completely transformed the former grade-school auditorium at the Noyes Center, he says he is proud that it launched the career of Joel Hatch, who will open in "Billy Elliott" on Broadway.

No lame duck during his remaining time at the Next, Mr. Loewith says they wrapped up the last season in mid-June and will begin rehearsals for "The U.N. Inspector" on Aug. 11. He is occupied with hiring cast and crew for next season's four shows, one of which he is co-writing and two of which he will direct.

In a national search for his replacement, Mr. Loewith, with the Next board, is interviewing 18 candidates. "We are looking for someone with vision and charisma to rally people to the cause," he says. "It doesn't need to be someone like me," he adds, speculating that his successor might take the theater in a different direction while still dealing with "progressive themes and a sense of artistic adventure."

The pesky egg platter, which has been circulating in the Chicago theater community since Mr. Loewith received it as an Easter gift, remains at large. Otherwise, he says, "I have accomplished what I wanted, enhancing the Chicago profile [of the Next], giving it a national profile" and "almost eliminating" a $100,000 debt.

And what is next for him? Mr. Loewith is following a partner who is already in Washington, D.C., he says, and intends to "freelance" - look for directing work, get commissions for writing and "take a year off from running an institution."

EPD Officers Rescue Swimmers

Near midnight on Aug. 3, four Evanston police officers participated in the rescue of two drowning individuals at Lee Street Beach.

Officers Mikhail Geyer, Jeffrey Faison, Matthew George and Enjoli Daley assisted in the effort, fighting large waves, deploying rescue disks and swimming as far as 100 yards from the shore to save Jeffrey Greenberg of West Dundee and Heather Sue Muffett of Hammond, Ind., according to police.

Both victims were charged with violating the City ordinance prohibiting swimming at a closed beach. Officer Geyer was treated at a local hospital for ingesting a large amount of water.

Spending Dog Days at Dog Beach And Pooch Park

By David Hertz

Dogs can get some exercise or cool down in the water of Evanston's Dog Beach through October. The beach is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Beach tokens for season-long admission cost $50 per dog for Evanston residents and $100 for nonresidents.

Evanston's Pooch Park and Dog Beach are idyllic summer spots for dog lovers.

Dog Beach, just south of Church Street on the lake, is open to dogs with owners from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May to October. More than 100 patrons come to visit the beach, exercise and play with their dogs on a typical summer day, summer staff at the beach estimate.

"I come here practically every day," resident Seth Freeman says. Rubbing his dog's neck, he adds, "It's like Disneyland for doggies, isn't it?"

Barabara Barzilai and her Great Dane Jonah vouched for the community the beach fosters. "Many people who come here bring rescued dogs who haven't socialized," and the friendly atmosphere on the beach allows them to "learn to socialize and swim and play," she says.

For those who favor dry land, there's Pooch Park at 3220 Oakton St. The 2.7-acre park is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. There dogs can go off-leash and run to their heart's content. It also has a few special-activity areas, such as its dog agility area.

Beach tokens for all-season entrance to the Dog Beach cost $50 per dog for Evanston residents and $100 per dog for non-residents. Pooch Park permits are $40 for the first dog and $10 for every extra dog for both Evanston and Skokie residents, $80 for the first dog and $15 for each additional dog for non-residents.

Starlight Concert Series

The Reggae Cowboys, pictured above, played a mix of West Indies and Wild West music at James Park at the foot of Mount Trashmore on July 24. The Starlight Concert series continues with four concerts in August.

On Aug. 12 Bakelite 78 will play a mix of vaudeville, folk and early jazz at Dawes Park. On Aug. 19 Robbie Fulks will play country music at Dawes Park. On Aug. 26 pianist and composer David Drazin will accompany a Buster Keaton silent movie to be shown at Dawes Park.

The Starlight Concert Series is presented by the City of Evanston's Cultural Arts Division. All concerts are free.

Kids Get Access to Fishing

Lovelace Park's pond is open for fishing this summer through the Evanston Ecology Center's Access to Fishing program. This catch-and-release program is structured to introduce children to fishing.

Children aged 5 to 15 are welcome every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon through Oct. 25. Equipment, bait, and fishing advice from the Evanston Ecology Center staff are available for free. Lovelace Park is located on Gross Point Road at Thayer Street. Children must be accompanied by adults to participate. No fishing license is required for children in the program.

For more information, call 847-448-8256.

Evanston Stay-cation

By Larry Gavin and Victoria Scott

One of the greatest rewards of a vacation is the new perspective it can afford. With gasoline expensive and the economy ailing, the RoundTable searched to find a new point of view that did not require leaving town.

Which is why, on a perfect summer day in late July, we made our way to some of the highest places around.

We learned a few things about the buildings themselves and, looking down, saw our town in a new light.

The first residents of the 17-story Howard Street Station apartments, 415 Howard St., moved in July 1. Balconies - these on the top floor --

feature sweeping views north to Calvary cemetery and Evanston's downtown and north and east to the lake. But perhaps the most striking feature is the created landscape, the web of el tracks below.

July 1 was also the day Dong Kurn Lee began his one-year tenure as president of Rotary International, which has led the way to near-eradication of polio worldwide.

His 17th-floor office -- in Rotary's world headquarters at 1560 Sherman Ave., originally the American Hospital Association building -- overlooks the truncated triangle known as Fountain Square. To the northeast it looks to the lake.

And, poking up from our "Tree City" forest, it sees the Grosse Point lighthouse, a remnant of the days when shipping was the busiest means of transport hereabouts.

The south terrace on the ninth floor of the Hotel Orrington looks at one of downtown's most massive buildings, the Sherman Plaza condominium and retail complex.

A similar terrace on the north side of the hotel, which opened in 1923 during a construction boom and was completely renovated in 2004, faces historic and modern towers of Northwestern University, whose charter predates that of the City that grew up around it.

These views are from the newest City facility for parking automobiles, but the prominence of the train tracks is a reminder that Evanston is currently in demand for its "transit-oriented development."

The advantages of public transportation have spurred construction of the high-rise condominiums that now define the Evanston skyline.

‘Nina Simone: Between the Keys'

A Review By Natalie Wainwright

No one should miss this performance. Ebony Joy, writer and director of this absorbing, exciting, moving production about Nina Simone, the "High Priestess of Soul," has brought forth a gem.

It is in some sense a reworking of "Nina Simone: The High Priestess Speaks," written and produced by Ms. Joy and Jackie Taylor for the Black Ensemble Theater. That production took Ms. Simone from her childhood as Eunice Waymon in Tryon, N.C., on up to the 1970s.

Almost all of the songs sung in "Keys" were also performed in the Black Ensemble Theater production, which also starred Yahdeena U-Deen, in 2006. It also received great reviews.

Yahdeena U-Deen, the actress and singer who plays Ms. Simone in the Fleetwood-Jourdain performance, has superb pitch and a potent voice of her own. She captures the musician's distinctive vocal characteristics - transparent, often raw, emotion, whether it be love, lust, anguish or anger; Ms. Simone's sometimes more speaking than completely singing; her growly breathiness and tremolo - throughout the performance.

That Ms. U-Deen does not quite make the mark in a couple of Ms. Simone's most powerful tunes - "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," for example - can be attributed at the very least to the fact that by the time Ms. U-Deen gets to this song, the actress has been almost channeling Nina Simone - not merely playing her - for more than two hours.

The band - led by Robert Reddrick, drums, with Robert Woodten III, bass, and Dave Holloway, piano - is hot. Mr. Holloway plays the piano to Ms. U-Deen's convincing miming (her "piano" has its back to the audience and her hands are invisible), and maneuvers well through Ms. Simone's sophisticated classical-to-jazz-to-pop-to-soul-to-gospel-and-back moves.

Ms. U-Deen performs in a body-hugging black cat suit that allows the audience members to impose their own images of a changing wardrobe. The story includes Ms. Simone's growing up with her warm, supportive father, John Waymon (played beautifully by Darren Jones) and her god-fearing, upright, stern Mother (played to
a "T" by Raina D. Long, who also plays Ms. Simone's great friend, Lorraine
Hansberry).

Ms. U-Deen whispers, speaks, sometimes in dialog, sometimes as narrator, sometimes shouting or crying,

persuasively and smoothly transitioning as the chronology of the play moves from Ms. Simone's childhood as admired prodigy to her painful rejection by the Curtis Institute of Music; from her transformation from Eunice Waymon, classical music prodigy, to Nina Simone, international star; from her outraged and out-front participation in the Civil Rights Movement to her disillusionment after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King; to her divorce from the father of her child and her self-imposed exile years of wandering in Barbados, Africa and Europe.

The music is well-chosen for the second half of the play, too: "Sugar in My Bowl" is a keeper, and "I Put a Spell on You" is just right. "Ne Me Quitte Pas" is a little weak, but "Four Women" and "Mississippi Goddam" make up for it. The finale, "Feeling Good," had the audience up in a standing ovation.

Steven McClain is thoroughly convincing as Andrew Stroud, the police detective Ms. Simone married; the sizzle onstage between the two is nearly palpable. "Chauffeur," "Work Song" and "Tell Me More and More and Then Some" are exceptionally nice tunes, and move the story along just right. So does "Be My Husband," and Ms. U-Deen sings this song with a touch of searching question, doubt and incipient sadness that speaks volumes.

Andrew Malone and Jody Wilson support the core staff admirably. The set is minimal, and this works in the same way as Ms. U-Deen's attire. There are hints to what one should be seeing that prompt audience imagination to get to business.

The breadth of the play left one to wonder about only a few things that seemed to lack explanation. Simone tells the audience that she has sent her daughter to live with her husband's parents - but then what? Did the two have a relationship as the little girl got older? Where did the musician pick up her accent? Perhaps it was the result of her wandering years after she gave up on the United States after the Movement dissolved. It is not addressed, so the audience members do not know.

These questions do not detract from the show. It remains that this is a production not to be missed. It'll "Put a Spell on You," for sure.

Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St. 7 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 10. $15 adults, $10 students, $7 seniors. For information, call 847-448-8260.

‘Mudbound'

A Book Review By Sue Brooke

"Mudbound" by Hillary Jordan is a brilliant first novel told in many voices. Laura McAllan grew up in Mississippi, where her loving family encouraged education and she was happy.

She is the plain sister everyone expected to remain a spinster. Then Henry - an older man and a veteran of the Great War - shows up, and he seems to like her. This astounds even Laura, who, though not really attracted to him, is flattered by his attention. So, when he finally proposes, she says yes, expecting to live in the city where Henry works as an engineer. What Henry neglected to tell her was that he had been saving to buy a farm and return to the land he loves.

So five years into her marriage Laura is uprooted and taken to a muddy Mississippi farm where, in 1947, there is no plumbing, no electricity - and certainly, no indoor bathroom. The move was somewhat unexpected; Henry had intended to wait till he could afford a nice house in the nearby town, but when family disaster struck, he had to go home.

Along with the farm comes Pappy, Henry's cantankerous father. Pappy hates being old and is angry at everything - including Laura and her two daughters, whom he considers ill-mannered. Nor does he like Negroes, and he thinks his son is wrong to keep black tenants when some white ones have had to move out.

As Laura settles into the farm life, her daily routines become entwined with those of the Jacksons, the black tenants. Hap Jackson works hard so his family can have a better life and will not allow his wife, Florence, to work in the fields. A midwife and mother, she helps Laura with the cooking and other household duties.

The Jacksons' oldest son, Ronsel, served as sergeant in the Black Panther tank division under General Patton. Smart and personable, he discovered a different life in Germany, where white girls did not seem to notice skin color. Brothers Henry and Jamie, both soldiers, having done and seen too much, came home with nightmares.

Despite the war experiences they have in common and their shared wish to be friends, no white man and black man can be friends - or even share the front seat of a truck - in the South in 1947. The Klan sees to that.

This is an incredibly good book, easily read in one sitting, because it is hard to put down.

‘The Dark Knight'

A Film Review By Brian Murphy

Brothers Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, the dynamic screenwriting duo behind "The Dark Knight," "Memento" and "The Prestige," have an uncanny gift for exploring moral ambiguity, the perilous, thin line that can exist between good and evil, between hero and villain.

The violent collision of these contrasting forces, both external and internal, forces the Nolans' subject to choose one destiny or its opposite. What sets their characters apart from the norm, however, is that, whatever side they choose, light or dark, its opposite is always nipping at their heels, partially consuming them, making any simple character definition impossible.

In a Nolan brothers' film, our preconceived notions of archetypes are cast aside for something far more interesting.

The second installment of the updated Batman series is a near masterpiece - shot with plenty of incredibly precise action sequences, perfectly cast, superbly acted, wonderfully written - the greatest comic book/graphic novel adaptation ever put
to film.

The film picks up where "Batman Begins" left off. Batman, aka billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale is excellent again as the brooding, bruised vigilante), has to pick up after the destruction of Wayne Manor, moving to a sterile, high- rise residence. Lovelorn Bruce must accept that his childhood sweetheart, Rachel Dawes (critically acclaimed actress Maggie Gyllenhaal steps in for Katie Holmes), is now dating righteous District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart is solid). Vigilante copycats and continued corruption plague Gotham, but Batman's biggest problem lies with The Joker (Heath Ledger in a performance inspired by the devil himself).

While the rest of Gotham City's scum - corrupt cops and politicians, petty thieves and Mafiosi - are driven by money, power and the like, the sole goal of The Joker is to take the social mores of citizens and crooks alike and upend them. In other words, he wants to watch Gotham burn.

"I am an agent of chaos," The Joker states, and the hairs on one's arms stand on end - as they do each time Heath Ledger squeals, cackles or savors every line of dialogue.

I hear grumblings among cinema buffs about the fact that Mr. Ledger is already being considered for an Oscar, and I urge those who take issue to actually see the film and consider whether his performance is any less affecting than Javier Bardem's in "No Country for Old Men" or Daniel Day-Lewis' in "There Will Be Blood." It truly is a flawless immersion that will stick with the viewer long after the film ends.

A plot summary may be something lacking in this review, but as The Joker says, I don't want to ruin the surprise.

"The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan, a superb visual storyteller, somehow manages to exceed the immense hype of this summer's most anticipated blockbuster.

This film contains several of the most visceral car chases, fight scenes and confrontations ever shot. Further, his use of such settings and environments as the bitter, snowy waters and mountains of Alaska in "Insomnia," the bizarre, mysterious streets of pseudo-end-of-the-19th century London in "The Prestige" and the seedy hotels and back-alleys of southern California in "Memento" is truly uncanny.

Never before has Mr. Nolan captured the essence of a place that defines both characters and mood. As in "Batman Begins," a digitally enhanced Chicago becomes Gotham, but this time the city takes center stage and becomes a character in its own right. Towering, looming buildings -- canyons over city streets -- create fear and emphasize human insignificance, while James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer's immaculate score builds further on the atmosphere of darkness.

As in "Batman Begins," Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman, tremendous actors all, provide excellent support for Bale's tormented hero desperately in need of some humanity.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace.

The Lawn Habit - Can It Be Green?

By Ellen Rockwell Galland

Evanston has started plotting how to reduce its carbon footprint, and Its lawns are a large part of the picture.

A pleasant summer bike ride away in Lincoln Park is The Nature Museum's current exhibit, Lawn Nation (www.naturemuseum.org). The exhibit makes clear that American lawns are responsible for a vast amount of energy use and CO2 emissions. The exhibit illustrates the environmental challenges of maintaining our lawns and our lifestyle, as we try to reduce our collective carbon footprint.

Also weighing in on the subject of lawns this summer is Elizabeth Kolbert ("Turf War", The New Yorker, July 21). She notes that, "as the anti-lawnists correctly observe, the American lawn now represents a serious civic problem. That the space devoted to it continues to grow - and that more and more water and chemicals and fertilizer are devoted to its upkeep - doesn't prove that we care so much as that we are careless."

The amount of energy used and resultant carbon dioxide emissions in the creation and maintenance of lawns is enormous. There are three main areas in which lawns are environmentally demanding: water use; chemical, fertilizer and pesticide use; and maintenance.

Lawn Facts and Water Use
Lawns are the single largest irrigated crop in the US.

Landscaping accounts for a third to a half of all residential water demand.

Lawns use an average of 200 gallons of water per person per day.

Lawns use an average of 10,000 gallons of water per lawn each summer.

Solutions
A lawn can be allowed to become dormant in a dry summer. Trees need watering more than lawns. Lawns can grow back.

Turn off sprinkler systems during periods of adequate rainfall.

When watering, do it deeply, infrequently and in the morning.

Avoid sprinklers that shoot water in the air, as some of that water is lost to evaporation before it hits the ground.

Use rain barrels. That way, treated drinking water is not being used for irrigation. Water treatment uses energy.

Chemicals, Fertilizer and Pesticide Use
Chemicals on lawns get tracked into houses by people and their pets, so that what one person puts on his lawn may end up in someone else's house.

The chemicals may contaminate storm water run-off and ground water. Julie Siegel, landscape designer, says excessive nitrogen applications result in a "lawn on life support." Root systems are not able to develop adequately.

Solutions
The idea of a "Freedom Lawn" is that a common mix such as bluegrass, clover and whatever else happens to seed itself is simply mowed. This approach amounts to letting the plants fend for themselves. The diversity of the plant materials in the lawn keeps it healthy, with no chemical assistance and less water. Stephanie Levine, City of Evanston landscape architect, says Evanston's parks reflect this approach. Only the James Park and Lovelace Park athletic fields and the Rose Garden, are irrigated.

Before any fertilizer is added, soil testing can determine which nutrients are missing. Natural fertilizers, including household compost, are beneficial, as are the grass clippings that remain after mowing. Vinegar or boiling water can be used on weeds, and garlic concentrate helps with grubs. Kathy Lorden of Lorden's Landscaping says customers of lawn service companies are increasingly asking for lawn treatments that are not harmful to children and pets.

The Nature Museum features a low-maintenance and sweet-smelling clover and thyme lawn.

Maintenance
The environmental problems associated with lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and edgers relate to the excessive CO2 emissions, air pollution and noise associated with them. They also create health problems for people using them and exposed to them.

Since many communities have adopted partial or complete bans on leaf blowers (Evanston has had a seasonal ban since 1996), the companies appear to be making quieter equipment. But, to paraphrase one Evanston alderman, she will support Evanston's ordinance "until a leaf blower is as quiet as a rake."

The trusty push mower has enjoyed a resurgence for certain lawn sizes.

Breaking the Lawn Habit
The idea of getting rid of grass is psychologically difficult for most people.

But having a nice lawn should not be an either-or question. As with many sustainability and lifestyle decisions, there is a menu of options. One choice is to reduce the amount of lawn and replace some of it with buffalo grass, miniature thyme, low-growing sedge, wildflowers, grasses or vegetable gardens. Children can learn more from watching the cycles of plants and vegetables growing than from a homogeneous lawn. Native plants have a better chance of thriving in the prairie soil that is common here. They thrive without human attention, pesticides, chemical fertilizers or mowing and with what rain water they get. The idea is to work with the natural tendencies of grass rather than to fight them.

A major goal of the lawn industry is to develop new grasses through genetic modification that require less water, fewer chemicals and less mowing.

But a lawn cannot compete with an indoor carpet. Nature is messy. Our lawn habit should be making us take a new look at the meaning of lawn care.

For more information visit www.naturemuseum.org, www.openlands.org, www.tallgrassrestoration.com Safer Pest Control Project www.spcpweb.org or www.rainbarrelguide.com.

Chef's Station Celebrates 10 Years

By Mary Helt Gavin

A celebratory dinner at Chef's Station on Aug. 20 will mark the restaurant's tenth anniversary. The dinner, which owner Peter Mills terms a "many-course wine dinner" will showcase the culinary talents of award-winning chef Jose E. Romero, who has been at the restaurant for six years

On Aug. 20 Chef Peter Mills will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his award-winning restaurant, Chef's Station, 915 Davis St., with a seven-course special dinner and great wines. "It's essentially a many-course wine dinner," Mr. Mills told the RoundTable, "that will celebrate our chef, Jose E. Romero. He has won many, many prestigious awards and has been here for six years."

The Zagat-rated restaurant, is located on the ground floor of the Davis Street Metra station. The elegant inside restaurant, designed in homage to the luxurious dining cars from the heyday of train travel, is counterpointed in the summer months by a flower-filled outdoor patio, where guests can enjoy the sights of Evanston's bustling downtown.

The restaurant is a labor of love for Mr. Mills, who built it from scratch, with a love of food and loyal customers. He says, "I had almost no money when we opened. Then we were essentially shut out for several months by repairs, when both the City and Metra undertook rehab projects that essentially blocked the restaurant from view and detoured customers through a leaking viaduct on a makeshift boardwalk into the restaurant."

From the beginning, though, "it's been all about the food," Mr. Mills said, "and the food in the beginning was nowhere as good as it is today." Of Mr. Romero, who has won Sante magazine awards, Mr. Mills said, "His walleyed pike was voted by Chicago Magazine as one of the top 124 dishes in the area. And the Salvadorian chicken soup, no longer a peasant dish, wins raves from diners."

Mr. Romero, said Mr. Mills, "has a wonderful palate, and I let him use his imagination [in designing and preparing dishes]."

Choosing wines to complement the food is one of Mr. Mills's delights. "A perk of being the owner is an annual trip to wineries in Napa Valley, Cal. The wineries invite you to stay there while you sample and choose," he said. Chef's Station has won Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiasts awards, he said, and has been cited by Sante magazine twice. For couples who may not wish to drink a whole bottle of wine, or for those who would like more than one kind of wine with their dinner, Chef's Station offers more than 30 half-bottles of wine.

He added, "I can't tell you how proud I am of Mr. Romero. People are finally recognizing his talent and looking forward to his food." Asked his philosophy of designing and preparing good food, Mr. Mills said, "You have to paint for yourself. If you have to paint for others, you might as well be a [fast-food] restaurant."

Weekends, Mr. Mills is on hand not just to greet his guests but as owner, "to talk to people and make sure they are having a good time. ... It's like theatre, and my major joy is meeting the people and talking to them. I've made some very good friends and some loyal customers."

Mr. Mills says his joy is seeing his guests enjoying the food and the restaurant. "Even on bad days" - which are surely fewer and fewer - "I love it."

Hot Nights, Cool Eats In Evanston

The outdoor dining season signals the return of choice for Evanston residents to walk, bike, blade or drive to a favorite place for an evening of fine or casual dining al fresco. Evanston's beautiful lakefront parks make for fabulous picnic locations. Among the lakefront choices are Garden, Elliot Centennial and Lighthouse Landing parks. Tables and grills not marked reserved are available on a first-come, first-served basis.Picnic shelters are located at Lighthouse Landing Park and at the north end of the Dawes Park lagoon.

Those who are looking for catered picnics may find great food at Kim's Kitchen, Corner Chef Catering, Rollin' In Dough Catering, Foodstuffs, Sea Ranch or LuLu's Dim Sum and Then Sum.

Many local restaurants offer outdoor seating: the Celtic Knot, Tommy Nevin's Pub, Bluestone, Prairie Moon, the Wild Tree Café, Flat Top Grill, Trattoria Demi, Chef's Station, Davis Street Fish Market, Firehouse Grill, Jacky's Bistro, Tapas Barcelona, Pick-A-Cup Coffee Club.