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Good Tuesday morning, Evanston.
Newly elected Council Members Krissie Harris (2nd Ward) and Juan Geracaris (9th Ward) were sworn into office Monday night. They had been appointed to fill vacancies last year but won election last month. (Photos by Richard Cahan)
Evanston City Council members voted 6-2 on Monday to introduce an ordinance approving Connections for the Homeless’ request for special zoning to operate a permanent shelter at the Margarita Inn. Council members Eleanor Revelle (7th Ward) and Devon Reid (8th Ward) backed the measure after addressing conflict of interest issues. Revelle (left) is a donor to Connections and Reid (center) has received rental assistance. A final vote is expected May 22.
Also at Monday’s meeting, the council tripled the budget for a consultant investigating the city’s Human Resources Department after misconduct allegations by the Black Employee Action Group. After a request by City Manager Luke Stowe, council members unanimously backed an increase from $24,500 to $75,000 to fund another 288 hours of work by GovHR, which is conducting a racial equity review.
A new District 65 program to help struggling students catch up in math and reading shows promise: At a Curriculum and Policy Committee meeting Monday, officials said about two-thirds of students tutored through the Academic Skills Center this year are on pace to hit expected grade level proficiencies within one academic year of tutoring. Administrators and board members said it could be a breakthrough in the district’s long fight against historical gaps in educational opportunities.
Spring membership drive kicks off with News & Brews
An overflow crowd came together Sunday evening at Sketchbook Brewing Co. to support quality journalism in Evanston as we kicked off the RoundTable Spring membership drive with the second annual News & Brews party.
The program included comments from Charles Whitaker, dean of the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and RoundTable Executive Editor Tracy Quattrocki. Then came the music, provided by Reva Goodman of country band Diamondback and the RoundTable’s Mark Miller.
Thanks to everyone who helped us launch the Spring campaign – and to our friends at Sketchbook for hosting!
If you couldn’t make it to the party, there’s still time to show your support for the RoundTable during the spring membership drive. Keep local journalism strong by joining as a sustaining monthly member today!
COVID-19 by the numbers: No new cases and no new deaths were reported Sunday, May 7, the last day the city updated totals. The seven-day average is 3.57 cases per day. The RoundTable will discontinue daily reporting of this data when the national COVID-19 emergency ends Thursday, May 11.
More RoundTable reads
Pat Savage-Williams (left, with new board member Leah Piekarz) and Monique Parsons were re-elected to their posts as president and vice president, respectively, of the ETHS School Board. Savage-Williams has served as president since May 2015.
More purr-fect shelters: Nonprofit Paws and Claws Cat Rescue will open its first dedicated cat adoption center Saturday at 829 Chicago Ave., just a few blocks away from the Evanston Animal Shelter’s temporary cat and kitten shelter, 611 South Blvd.
In an alley off Grove Street, between Sherman and Chicago avenues, is an offbeat artists’ space called Studio 3, run by Angela Lyonsmith (left) and Melissa Raman Molitor. Gay Riseborough tours the studio and explains its social justice mission.
More than 200 athletes 40 and up played in the Hoops for the Ages basketball tournament last weekend at Levy Senior Center and Robert Crown Community Center – more than double last year’s participation.
‘made in china’: Chute Middle School celebrated Asian, South Asian and Pacific Isalnder (ASPA) heritage month with a wall decorating contest that concluded with a reading of this original poem by its author, seventh grader Jayne Diversiev.
The neighborhood around Firefighter’s (formerly Firemen’s) Park came together in November to plant more than 1,00 tulip bulbs in the park, and that work is paying off as a floral salute blooms this spring. Check out the before-and-after photos.
Photos from our readers
Jim Brown brings us this Red Admiral butterfly, spotted at Lighthouse Beach. The Red Admiral flies south during winter and returns north in late spring, when food is more plentiful. Send your photos to news@evanstonroundtable.com for a chance to be included in this newsletter.
Around the web
Vanderbilt Prof. Teresa Goddu talks climate crisis, race and Gothic literature. The Northwestern English department’s American Cultures Colloquium features scholars examining American history through shared artifacts.
Sherman Avenue Starbucks employees file to unionize. Employees at the store seek to join the national Starbucks Workers United movement.
Illinois isn’t reimbursing allegedly stolen SNAP benefits. Low-income people have been caught up in a nationwide skimming spree of SNAP benefits.
Chicago on high alert for migrating birds this weekend. Here’s how to help our feathered friends. BirdCast, which predicts the movement of migratory birds, has placed Chicago on high alert in the coming days.
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