The Lighthouse Keeper sees …

… that it must be fall because pumpkin spice lattes are omnipresent. Plus, Kilwins on Sherman has a window full of caramel apples and other fall treats.

… that the City received almost $50,000 in non-resident parking fees collected on the lakefront in August. For the 30 days from August 2nd through August 31st, there were 8,289 transactions almost evenly divided between pay stations (4,538) and the ParkEvanston app (3,751). The average transaction was $5.66 and the average total per day was $1,564.62, for a total of $46,938.71. 

… that Hispanic Heritage Month is upon us. Some 12% of Evanston residents and 20% of ETHS’ Class of 2025 is Latinx. The Evanston Public Library is committed to making sure Hispanics in Evanston are seen, heard and valued. To that end a number of events centered on the Hispanic experience have been planned, including an indoor mini scavenger hunt featuring the contributions and achievements of Latinos/as in the U.S.

… that, speaking of the library, EPL has scheduled 10 “listening and sharing” sessions to engage the communities it serves and advance its equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. Evanstonians can register for any of the sessions scheduled between now and the end of the year on the Evanston Public Library Community Listening and Sharing Engagements pages in English and Spanish.

… that new signs ask northbound bicyclists to dismount on entering Edgemere Court from the south, but no corresponding signs prevent southbound riders from remaining in the saddle. 

… that, speaking of bikes, cyclists of all ages are invited to pedal up and down Ridge Avenue between Howard and Church Streets from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26. “Bike the Ridge” is a free, non-competitive City-sponsored special event. Participants are invited to stop by Ridgeville Park, 908 Seward St., to enjoy live music from the Evanston School of Rock, as well as food trucks and bike repairs. 

The Lighthouse Keeper sees that children under age 18 are required to wear bike helmets per City of Evanston ordinance. The Lighthouse Keeper opines that adults over age 18 should also wear helmets, not because of a City ordinance, but because it’s the smart thing to do.

… that sometimes the best way to get around is with a scooter and a backpack for your dog.

… that the current phase of construction on Main Street wrapped up a day early. All of the traffic cones and road closure signs were moved from the middle of the street to the corner of Main and Sherman by Wednesday, ahead of the Friday deadline.

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… and, speaking of construction, Dempster is getting some nice, new accessible corner cuts.

… that at least one Evanstonian is concerned enough about the proposed pipeline from Alberta, Canada crossing Minnesota to Superior, Wis., that they have posted a sign to raise awareness of the issue at Snyder Park in Southeast Evanston.

The Lighthouse Keeper hears …

… that, speaking of safety measures, the Evanston Police Department issued 21 seat belt citations during its Labor Day traffic safety enforcement effort. The Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is funded by federal traffic safety funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and administered through the Illinois Department of Transportation. The EPD also issued 5 moving violation citations and cited 7 distracted drivers cited for use of electronic communication devices, 3 drivers for operating vehicles with no insurance and 2 for operating vehicles with a suspended driver’s license.