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Good Sunday morning, Evanston!
This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Evanston RoundTable’s first edition. Over the years the publication has changed from paper to pixels. But our commitment to Evanston and its residents and our mission of providing important information and analysis have never wavered. No matter how the RoundTable arrives at your home, we always want to make sure we get it right and write it well.
To mark the silver anniversary, Les Jacobson talks to RoundTable founders Mary and Larry Gavin (above) about the start of the news organization, why it’s called the RoundTable and how it has grown since that first issue was put together on the Gavins’ basement pool table.
And we have compiled below some of the most important news you might have missed. Here’s our roundup of the most-read stories this past week.
Good news for Downtown Evanston as two more dining options arrive: Soli Grill and Thomas & Dutch plan to open March 1. Also, Michael Lachowicz’s just-opened Fonda Cantina brings sophisticated Mexican dining to downtown.
Math education is facing an inflection point. Nationwide, math scores have declined. District 65 has eliminated regular eighth grade geometry courses in a shift to a “low floor, high ceiling” model, and some parents have concerns for student engagement and class rigor. ETHS has added geometry as a summer school option.
Ryan Field discussions are heating up. The Community Alliance for Better Government, which has been skeptical of Northwestern’s stadium plan, is sponsoring a town hall at 3 p.m. today at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center. Last week, people spoke up at a Seventh Ward meeting, a new group backing Northwestern, Field of Opportunities, announced itself in a letter to the RoundTable and the city council postponed voting on a contract for a study of the stadium’s economic impact amid concern over apparent Twitter racism.
Four Northwestern University staffers were injured when a large tree fell over on campus Thursday. The EFD has said one person was in critical condition and two were in serious condition. No one at the hospital or the university would update the RoundTable on their conditions Saturday.
Pickleball vs. Tennis: The fate of the courts entered the court of public opinion as supporters of both sports spoke about proposed court resurfacing Thursday to the Parks and Recreation Board. Pickleball players want their own dedicated courts.
The city suspended its contract with the Streetplus Clean Team after an incident Monday in Fountain Square. Video footage shows an encounter between Streetplus staff and a person allegedly urinating on a utility box that ends in an altercation. “The actions captured in the footage of this incident are disturbing and entirely unacceptable, and are not in line with the city’s values,” a city news release stated.
The city council had been expected to consider a special use permit for Margarita Inn last week, but a Cook County judge granted a temporary restraining order barring the discussions as part of a suit by local real estate investor Cameel Halim, owner of the museum next door to the inn. The issue goes back to the Land Use Committee.
City officials are negotiating the terms of a 40-year lease with the Jens Jensen Gardens of Evanston for maintaining the coach house and grounds around the Harley Clarke mansion. City council is not expected to make any final commitments until learning more about new leasing proposals for the mansion.
The city’s Equity and Empowerment Commission on Thursday backed an ordinance that would ban cashless businesses. Several small-business owners have opposed the idea. The Economic Development Committee is gathering feedback through a survey that it will discuss this week.
Most residents at a joint First and Fourth Ward meeting Wednesday night opposed Horizon Realty’s plan for a 15-story, mixed-use residential building at 1621-31 Chicago Ave., with 140 residential units. The project’s height was a major concern.
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