Photos: Story Sessions Open Mic at West Town Bakery
At the end of last year Jill Howe was ready to close the book on Story Sessions, her monthly storytelling showcase, due in part to the lack of a venue. But thanks to popular demand…
TOday in evanston
Latest stories from Evanston: Your Monday newsletter
Good Monday morning, Evanston. Here are the latest news and feature stories — plus our always awesome photography — from around the city.
around town
RECENT POSTS
‘A huge group effort’ succeeds in disbanding Howard encampment
Under the viaduct at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Howard…
Second Baptist minister brings musical spirit to his services
At Evanston’s Second Baptist Church, getting someone to rise to…
Sprinklers help contain blaze at Barton Avenue apartment fire
A fire broke out on the garden level of a…
Ask the Historian: An update on mailbox posts
We had some great responses to our October article about…
Everybody gets a part in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
On Tuesday, the Evanston Children’s Theatre will hold auditions for…
Zenol Moore, 30-year McGaw YMCA exec, dies at 101
Zenol Louise Moore, 101, passed away December 18, 2024 at…
Letter to the editor: In defense of Envision Evanston 2045
For more than 30 years, I’ve been working on the…
Playing with fire: Burl restaurant to open on Prairie Avenue in the fall
Burl, the farm-focused restaurant that will open in northwest Evanston…
ETHS boys basketball: Kits settle for 2nd after last-second layup
Evanston’s boys basketball team was poised to win its second…
Upcoming events
City’s Summer Camp Open House set for Jan. 10
On Jan. 10, the Levy Center will come alive with…
NU to host series of public events commemorating the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Commemoration celebration at…
Envision Evanston 2045 releases new drafts, seeks community input on Jan. 22
The Envision Evanston 2045 team continues to make progress on…
County to host Environmental Justice policy town hall on Jan. 12
Cook County’s Department of Environment & Sustainability, in partnership with…
Registration for Camp Echo and McGaw YMCA Summer Day Camp begins Jan. 7
Families can look forward to the ultimate summer adventure at…
CITY NEWS
Look out above: Change in flight patterns has planes flying over North Shore like never before
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in The Record North Shore, a nonprofit community newsroom that covers six suburbs north of Evanston. A change in flight patterns into Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling is causing headaches for residents in surrounding communities, including Wilmette. According to officials, in November…
“The Nutcracker on Ice”: An Evanston holiday tradition
The crowd cheers for most every jump, every rotation, every toe loop and every turn. And they have at every The Nutcracker on Ice for 49 years. This past weekend, almost every one of the 800 seats at the Robert Crown Community Center was sold for…
Fifth Ward TIF funds may go for property improvements
The Five-Fifths Tax Increment Financing district, the newest of the city’s five active TIF districts, has already amassed close to $1.4 million in incremental revenues — funds that officials are looking to tap to improve housing quality and maintain affordability within the district. City Council members…
Effort to rename community center for Prietos hits a snag
An effort to name the South End Community Center for longtime Evanston residents Dr. Jorge Prieto and his wife, Luz Maria Prieto, hit a procedural hiccup Thursday, when members of the Parks and Recreation Board learned they couldn’t approve the move. It wasn’t because they disapproved;…
Books & Breakfast new director focuses on creating community
Kyle Hanawalt has been with Books & Breakfast since 2015 and stepped into the executive director role in July. Books & Breakfast is a before-school program that offers students educational support and a healthy meal in Evanston. About 400 volunteers are paired one on one with…
ART & LIFE
Picturing Evanston: After all this time, still stuck
There’s something almost poetic about this tire, which has been wedged between the rocks on Greenwood Beach for at least almost two years. Does it qualify for landmark status? (Photo by Joerg Metzner.)
Winter Comes
Editor’s note: Reginald Gibbons — a renowned poet, literary critic and Northwestern University professor — wrote the following poem for the RoundTable about winter in Evanston. The leaves are down — piled high but weighing nothing. No longer fluttering on the trees, but still with some color.…
Evanston celebrates Kwanzaa with vibrant festivities
Evanston celebrated Kwanzaa in style on Dec. 26, starting with a Kwanzaa kinara lighting outside the Robert Crown Community Center at 5:30 p.m. This was followed by “A Legacy Kwanzaa Celebration” in the upstairs gymnasium. Kwanzaa’s history Kwanzaa is a holiday that celebrates family and African culture.…
Picturing Evanston: Color coordinated
Is the harmonious color coordination at this building on the 700 block of Ridge Avenue accidental?
Life Without My Child supports bereaved parents during the holidays
The winter holiday season — a time of family togetherness, traditions and joy — is one of the hardest times of the year for bereaved parents. At a time when traditions can trigger pain instead of joy, the support group Life Without My Child (LWMC) offers something…
SCHOOLS
Nobel laureate Fraser Stoddart, pioneer in nanoscience, dies at 82
Nobel laureate Sir Fraser Stoddart, a Board of Trustees Professor at Northwestern University, died Dec. 30 at the age of 82. Stoddart, a pioneer in the fields of nanoscience and organic chemistry, was an outsized figure on the Evanston campus and on…
Checking in with ETHS sophomore Anthony Swanson after he bowled perfect game
The Facebook post on the Evanston Township High School account on Dec. 21 was straightforward: “Anthony Swanson (2027) bowled a perfect 300 game for the Kits at today’s Tom Cat Classic Tournament!” followed by an emoji of a bowling ball and two…
Dennis Mahoney: Telling stories from the sidelines
Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Friday, Dec. 13 edition of The Evanstonian, the Evanston Township High School student newspaper. Dennis Mahoney and I sat on opposite sides of the table in room S103, the Evanstonian headquarters, about to start…
Learning Bridge Early Education Center celebrates 80 years of equitable early education
This year, Learning Bridge Early Education Center celebrated 80 years of providing equitable access to high-quality early learning for children ages two to five. On Oct. 26, 150 attendees, including donors, alumni and community leaders, gathered to honor the nonprofit’s milestone anniversary…
District 65 announces January public meetings on budget cut scenarios
In less than a month, the Evanston/Skokie District 65 school board is expected to hear from its consultant, Student-Centered Services, on “three to five” scenarios for cutting next year’s budget by $13.2 million, a requirement for the district to avoid fiscal insolvency…
PHOTOS
At This Time: ‘Back in action’
“A couple of weeks off really rejuvenates you,” said Arthur Valentine as he waited for a Metra train to return to work. “I’m back in action. I’m really ready to go,” he said. Valentine, who works in Salesforce Tower Chicago, not far from the Ogilvie Transportation Center, has been in the…
At This Time: Community new year
Michael Jackson celebrates the new year at First Night Evanston in the Nichols Concert Hall. More than 300 people filled the hall to watch mind reader Chris Carter, folk music group The Sons of the Never Wrong and music artists Ernie Watts and Corky Siegel until just past midnight. “I think…
At This Time: Mr. New Year’s Eve
Musician Corky Siegel plays Auld Lang Syne in the rain across from the Nichols Concert Hall to promote his upcoming New Year’s Eve concert. Siegel will be joined by folk group The Sons of the Never Wrong, saxophonist Ernie Watts and Chris Carter (The Mentalist) at this year’s First Night Evanston…
At This Time: Edzo’s last meal
“I really like the smash burgers,” said Rafael Gomez, center, on the final day of Edzo’s Burger Shop. He brought friends Armando Perez, left, and Juan Perez. “I came because I thought one of these days I’m really going to be craving it, and it will be gone,” Gomez said. The…
At This Time: After hours
The scene at Lemoi Ace Hardware in Aisle 6 just minutes after closing.
PUBLIC SQUARE
Eye on Evanston: Design Evanston reviews proposed Civic Center Plaza plan
On Nov. 6, 2024, Design Evanston participated in a Zoom presentation of the Civic Center Plaza proposal by City of Evanston Economic Development Manager Paul Zalmezak, Living Habitats consultants; Heidi Natura, and other members of her team. Following is a summary of comments received by Design Evanston’s professional…
Les Jacobson: Expressing gratitude
One of the many wonderful features of the annual Thanksgiving holiday, in addition to the food and the company, is the opportunity to express our gratitude. In many gatherings, people are encouraged to share what they are grateful for, to express love for those with whom they’re breaking…
Peggy Tarr: Happy holidays to all
The month of December has many titles, including: Universal Human Rights Month, National Human Rights Month, Month of Giving, Gift of Sight Month, Worldwide Food Service Safety Month, Made in America Month, Art and Architecture Month, National Cat Lovers’ Month and Read a New Book Month. Whether the holiday you celebrate…
Here in Evanston: ‘This is the place’
The story goes that in 1850, Orrington Lunt brought several fellow Methodists to a hummock along the swampy shores of Lake Michigan. The group had almost settled on a site in Chicago to establish a Methodist university, but when they saw the area, just south of Grosse Pointe,…
Simone Larson: When teaching meets parenting
Back in 2018, after my teacher colleagues found out I was pregnant, I started hearing about a commonly held theory. “Just wait until you have the baby,” they’d say. “Your life will go up in flames. Your teaching style will totally change.” With raised eyebrows, I nodded along,…
SPORTS
ETHS wrestling: Marshall’s plan pays off in heavyweight title bout
Jeremy Marshall knew he needed a new plan if he wanted to capture the 285-pound title at the 59th annual Rus Erb Tournament at Glenbrook…
ETHS boys basketball: Kits crush Maine East with 3-point barrage
The sample size is too small for Mike Ellis to describe this as the best group of shooters he’s coached since he took over the…
ETHS girls basketball: Experience counts for Trevs in 49-41 rivalry win
A combined total of 54 turnovers is just what you might expect from two girls basketball teams desperately seeking a point guard to provide some…
ETHS boys basketball: Wildkits bounce back, bury Riverside-Brookfield
Evanston’s basketball team hasn’t experienced much adversity over the first month of the season until stumbling Thursday with a 46-40 loss on the road at…