The City of Evanston’s stated “confusion” over what’s currently being called Lincoln Street Beach is a teachable moment that spills over into other issues – and should. How we manage our natural and public resources is the most visible symbol of who we are as a community. The acreage in question is a manmade problem. […]

In winter of early 2010, a group of citizens convened in south Evanston for a day to workshop a vision of what libraries could be going forward. While the usual benefits were quickly identified – educational supplement, literacy, jobs resource, digital divide bridge, economic development driver – the surprising element distilled from the discussion was […]

If your doctor told you that you had to lose 10 pounds, would you cut off your foot? If you didn’t have enough gas in your tank to get to your destination, would you pitch your luggage and force a passenger to get out, or slow your speed to save fuel? If income for your […]

A friend of mine who’s spent a lot of time knocking on doors recently advised that there’s a lot of anger “out there.” In particular, though they’re not the only targets, anger at politicians and the political system. My friend puzzled as to both cause and effect of this discontent; he wasn’t sure where it […]