Good Sunday morning, Evanston.
There’s a rumble in the distance from possible thunderstorms this afternoon, the National Weather Service tells us. So, enjoy the hazy morning and then snuggle up to your computer this afternoon with your Evanston RoundTable weekend newsletter. We promise each Sunday to deliver a new weekend read as we do today. Now, on to the news:
When Carol Voogd sent a letter to the current owner of her Evanston childhood home, she said she wasn’t expecting much. Voogd said she hoped Abby Brown would acknowledge the picture and the little slice of neighborhood history she shared. But she was not expecting a RoundTable look into the more extensive history of the Brown Avenue house that has touched the lives of its past owners.
In a move that Rabbi Andrea London describes as “putting their money where their mouth is,” a consortium representing 16 leaders of faith institutions in Evanston will announce Monday, June 13, their intent to participate in local reparations.
“We feel, as religious communities, our communities should be offering financial support for reparations within Evanston,” said London, senior rabbi at Beth Emet Synagogue, one of the organizing faith institutions leading the event.
In case you missed any of the most important news last week, here’s it is:
City News
Five Evanston athletes bring home gold, silver and bronze from the 2022 Special Olympic USA Games. As part of Illinois’ team at the 2022 Special Olympic USA Games, Alex Anderson, Riley Hoffman and Grayson Deeney won gold medals in the team competition of flag football; Kirk Nelson won four medals in powerlifting and Caroline Colianne won a silver medal in the 800-meter run.
City might help ease switch to electric-powered leaf blowers. With gas-powered leaf blowers on their way out, city officials are moving forward with a financial-assistance program to support the transition by Evanston-based landscape companies to electric-powered machines.
Buildings slated for demolition to pave way for Northlight Theatre, apartment complex. Within the next couple of weeks, Evanstonians can anticipate demolitions for two different long-term projects: the new Northlight Theatre and the apartment building going up in place of the former Vogue Fabrics store.
Rules committee supports ranked-choice ballots and keeping Evanston’s form of government. In case you’ve heard rumors about Evanston changing its current form of government – council-manager – be assured the idea doesn’t have much support from council members, according to the discussion at Monday night’s Rules committee meeting.
Committee passes series of regulation amendments brought by Reid. The City Council’s Human Services Committee Monday approved several amendments to city regulations and codes aimed at decreasing potentially negative interactions between Evanston residents and law enforcement.
Upcoming Albany Care hearings may provide answers on facility’s future. The future of mental health facility Albany Care remains largely uncertain, though two upcoming hearings may provide the community with some answers. An Albany Care status hearing is scheduled for Wednesday and a licensing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 29.
Schools
ETHS, Northwestern join a national effort to elevate forgotten history. Evanston Township High School teachers have taken up the challenge to throw a spotlight on an important but obscure piece of 19th century African American history as part of the national Colored Conventions Project.
Ted Fund celebrates 25 years of sending Evanston kids to summer camp. Named in honor of the late Ted Muller, an ETHS graduate and former District 65 teacher, the Ted Muller Camp Scholarship Fund partners with District 65 social workers at each school to identify students to fill what now add up to 160 slots for low-income Evanston students to attend camp for free.
Evanston officials show interest in fair work week ordinance. A Fair Work Week ordinance that assures specific workers’ rights is expected to be presented to the city’s Economic Development Committee on June 22. During its recent meeting, committee members spoke in support of the ordinance, modeled after one in Chicago that requires some employers to provide workers with predictable work schedules and compensation for changes. If passed, it would move to the full council for approval.
District 65 students turn page on school year, celebrate last day. Schools are out! Students in kindergarten through seventh grade in Evanston/Skokie School District 65 finished the academic year on Wednesday afternoon.
District 65 draft budget includes $151.8 million for operating expenses, $20.7 million for Fifth Ward school. At the June 6 meeting of District 65’s Finance Committee Business Manager Kathy Zalewski presented a report estimating how the District will end its current fiscal year on June 30, 2022 (FY’22), as well as a draft tentative budget for the 2022-2023 school year (FY’23).
Dewey principal: ‘Need to create stronger community’ at school. At a school board meeting on Tuesday, board members discussed alleged abuse directed at Dewey Elementary School Principal Kimberly Watson from parents and families at the school.
Chute students walk out to support gun control laws. Hundreds of students at Chute Middle School walked out of class Tuesday to protest gun violence and support government restrictions on the sale and use of guns.
Art & Life
Aging but not bowed, famed actor performs Mamet at senior living complex. At age 98, Mike Nussbaum is the oldest (and still, perhaps, one of the best) working actors in the Actors’ Equity Association. His memory is sharp and he can still memorize his lines.
Local band Suite Mollie had Evanstonians of all ages busting a move in the park behind the Levy Center on Friday. “This was the best time I had in the last two years,” said one audience member. “Fantastic, marvelous.” The band played songs from Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Beyonce, Prince and Bruno Mars at James Park to an intergenerational crowd of more than 400 people.
North Shore Choral Society offers concert of mourning, light and beauty. The choir highlighted the music of composer John Rutter at First Presbyterian Church last Sunday, singing four pieces by the modern English composer: Toccata in 7, A Ukrainian Prayer, The Lord Bless and Keep You and the seven-movement Requiem.
C&W Foundation pantry to bring food to those who need it most. Clarence and Wendy Weaver, founders and owners of C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor, said the numbers keep increasing for the bags of groceries they and a host of volunteers organize, distribute, bag and give away each Saturday morning.
Youth car parade brings families together for Pride. Evanston Pride directed a procession of more than 30 decked-out cars through the city last Sunday for the second annual Evanston Pride Youth Car Parade.
Public Square
Sweet spring. Even foreshortened, spring is grand, when nature reveals her most astonishing displays of vernal plenitude, writes RoundTable columnist Les Jacobson.
Letter to the Editor: LWV report looks at persistence of health inequities. The average life expectancy in Evanston is 82, but depending on where you live, it ranges from 86 in northeast Evanston to only 75.5 in west Evanston. The difference persists despite a strong health care infrastructure in our city.
Peggy Tarr: Life, Grief and Coping. This is National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness month and RoundTable columnist Peggy Tarr reflects on loss and the victims of violence.
Guest essay: Open letter to Evanston’s Mayor and City Council on City Manager search. “As we enter the next chapter in Evanston’s increasingly desperate search to find a new City Manager, some reassessment is in order. Why do we not seem to be able to get candidates who both suit our needs and who actually want the job?” local activists asked city leaders in a letter published in the RoundTable.
Sports
From Sunday hoops to senior silver medalists. Eight seconds to go, game on the line. The ball is in the hands of Rob Bady, the spark plug and most accomplished of the players from the Evanston basketball team competing in the 2022 National Senior Games 50-to-55-year age category.
ETHS girls soccer: Wildkits finish 4th at state tourney. ETHS lost as many games on the final weekend as they dropped all season. The flat ending to one of the best seasons in program history left coach Stacy Salgado’s squad with a final record of 21-4-1.
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