The Lighthouse Keeper sees…

… that now that we’ve composted our Halloween pumpkins and changed the clocks, holiday lights are popping up everywhere. But what about Thanksgiving?

… that Evanston businesses encourage people to mark Small Business Saturday on November 27 by shopping locally. Downtown Evanston and the Main Dempster Mile are offering gift cards and gift bags to patrons who spend $100 or more at participating businesses. Shoppers downtown will get a passport to collect stamps and keep track of visits and purchases that add up to $100.

… that, if you’re in a position to shop on Small Business Saturday, consider purchasing a little something extra for the Mayor’s Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive. The city is collecting new, unwrapped toys in addition to staple food items for holiday meals, including stuffing, green beans, yams, mac and cheese, corn and corn bread mix. The city is also collecting new and gently used children’s books. 

… that, if you need ideas for children’s titles, Evanston Public Library encourages readers to stop by the Main Library November 22-28 to see – and touch – a display of the 2021 list of 101 Great Books for Kids, and then visit Booked OR Bookends and Beginnings OR Page 1 Books on Small Business Saturday to find gifts for Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas and Kwanzaa and for the Mayor’s Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive.

… that Small Business Saturday is also the first day of the Evanston Holiday Window Decorating Contest. This year’s theme is Nature & Wonder, and participating businesses will compete for three prizes: best overall, best display of theme, and best incorporation of product or service. Enjoy the windows while you shop, and vote for your favorites on Facebook. 

… that in less cheerful news, catalytic converter thefts continue to be a problem throughout the city and across the country. Just this month, Evanston Police Department reported thefts in the 1500 block of Maple, 2000 block of McDaniel, 2100 block of Pioneer, 1900 block of Noyes, 1800 block of Hovland and Emerson at Jackson. Police have scheduled an event to mark catalytic converters on Saturday, November 20, believing that marking may help deter theft. Pre-registration filled up quickly, so the Police Department is reportedly thinking of scheduling future dates. 

… that, if you didn’t pre-register for catalytic converter marking, an alternative activity for Saturday, November 20 would be to join the volunteers at the Ecology Center who will be removing invasive buckthorn from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Don’t let the red berries fool you. This plant does not belong in any holiday window nature displays. Bring a shovel if you can and meet the group on the wood chip path on the canal side.

The Lighthouse Keeper hears…

… that, after reading about extra fall street cleaning in this column, a reader from the 1600 block of Fowler wrote to share that he is “glad that the city has been doing these extra fall cleanings because our street rainwater grates get blocked by leaves and the water backs up into ‘Lake Fowler’ (as I call it) when there’s  a big rain.” Unfortunately, he was disappointed that despite receiving multiple text reminders from the city about the scheduled cleanings, “City street cleaning trucks never showed up either Thursday or Friday.”

The city acknowledged that the cleaning did not happen on Thursday as scheduled and said, “Unfortunately, the street sweeper was down for repair issues Thursday, November 4, 2021, so it did not make a pass on that street. However, street cleaning still took place in the form of leaf pushing and pick up, so parking restrictions had to be enforced. The street sweeper was operational Friday, November 5, 2021 and all street cleaning was completed as scheduled.” 

… that, speaking of parking restrictions, it has already snowed this week so the city’s video reminder for “Five Ways to Make Winter Easier” is timely. If you park on the street, sign up for snow alerts by texting COE SNOW to 468311.

The Lighthouse Keeper wishes everyone a happy Thanksgiving and reminds readers that if they have a comment, question, or news tip for the Lighthouse Keeper, they can post it in the comments below or send an email to lk@evanstonroundtable.com.