It’s Friday, Evanston! We made it.
Good day, sunshine with a high of 78 today! Let’s mash that up a bit with the smiles returning to our faces. And the National Weather Service forecasts winds no more than 10 mph with gusts no higher than 20 mph. “In short, there’s simply not, a more congenial spot, for happily ever aftering.” Get outside if you can and if you are stumped for what to do, check out The Weekender. Now, on to other news:
The Design and Project Review committee, more commonly referred to as DAPR, is a rarity. It’s comprised of staff members from a variety of city departments – building, parking, fire, engineering and preservation – who weigh in on developers’ proposals from curb cuts to fire exits. It also invites members of the public to sit in on the discussions and add their views on upcoming projects. But, perhaps, not for long. The Council’s Planning & Development Committee, acting on a referral from Sixth Ward Council Member Thomas Suffredin, has recommended the group be dissolved from formal committee status.
Early voting is underway and Illinois’ primary elections are Tuesday, June 28. We have your Evanston Voter Guide for the 2022 primaries. We answer some of your soup-to-nuts questions about the where, when and how of local voting – that most fundamental of democratic privileges and responsibilities.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable website
COVID-19 update as of June 16: Cook County remains in a ‘high’ community risk level, Evanston is in the ‘medium’ risk level. The total number of new cases of COVID-19 in Evanston was 202 for the week ending June 15, 12% lower than the week ending June 9. The number of new cases in the state increased by about 2%. Hospitalizations remained at about the same level.
2022 Evanston Special Olympians review their USA games experiences. Recapping their journey to Orlando and competing on a national stage, the five athletes and their families and coaches made it easy to believe the hype for the games: For a week, it was indeed the happiest place on earth.
Freedom for Everyone Exhibit Timed for Juneteenth. Spread among four glass cases, totems of history silently greet visitors entering Northwestern University’s Deering Library. They are part of a special exhibit, Freedom for Everyone: Slavery and Abolition in 19th Century America, which runs through the fall quarter and is free and open to the public.
A tribute to Jerry Succes from Willard teachers. “His humane and humorist self makes him approachable. Jerry believes in working as one, collaboration, and most importantly trust. His leadership and feedback is always appreciated and wanted. No matter what your job is at Willard, he makes you feel valued, respected, and welcomed,” a group of teachers at Willard wrote in honor of their outgoing assistant principal.
The Weekender: The RoundTable Roundup for June 17-19. It’s Father’s Day this Sunday, and there’s a lot going on around town to keep dad happy. On Saturday, join the city in celebrating Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., with a parade and a full day of food, art, music and dancing. On Sunday, the Ricky Birdsong Race Against Hate will take place along the lakefront.
At This Time: Thursday at 4:29 p.m. Many painters live in Evanston – but few are more accomplished than Josh Garcia, who paints stripes on 10 miles of roadway a day. Striping is also done by high-tech equipment, but Garcia thinks his handwork is more accurate and precise. “I’ve been doing this for five years. I’m very careful,” he says. Garcia, who works for Precision Pavement Marking, followed the old stripes of Emerson Street west of Green Bay Road for guidance in dropping hot thermoplastic, which takes about 30 seconds to dry. (Photo by Richard Cahan)
Picturing Evanston. Sanctuary found in the Community Garden off Simpson Street on the east side of the North Shore Channel. (Photo by Joerg Metzner)
City to host annual Evanston Recycles event. The City of Evanston will host its annual “Evanston Recycles” event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 9, at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave. Each year this free “drive up, drop off” event provides residents an opportunity to recycle and donate a variety of items and securely shred documents.
Join our team: The Evanston RoundTable is growing! Check out our jobs page for opportunities in editorial.
Become a member!
From day one, it’s been the RoundTable’s mission to bring you unbiased, in-depth reporting about the Evanston community. But we need your help to continue investing in high-quality and in-depth journalism, reporting news that strengthens and enlightens our community, encourages civic engagement and bolsters our democracy. Please join our community of readers and become a member today.
Around the web
As cops leave Chicago public schools, staff move fitfully toward a new model of helping students. In the last two years, the Chicago Public Schools system has eliminated a third of its police officers present in school buildings in order to reduce suspensions and the over-policing of children. But with behavioral problems on the rise amid the pandemic, replacing cops has proven to be a difficult and demanding task.
Jan. 6 hearing updates: Pence resisted Trump’s pressure to reject electoral votes. Thursday’s testimony in the latest of a series of Congressional hearings designed to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol centered around pressure that Donald Trump put on Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election results by rejecting electoral votes. Pence reportedly “never budged,” according to his lawyer.
F.D.A. Panel Recommends Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines for Youngest Children. After families and parents of young children waited months for the FDA to greenlight COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5, a panel officially recommended the FDA approve the shots for the only population yet to become eligible to receive them. Vaccine clinics could start administering doses to babies, toddlers and preschoolers next week if the FDA grants full approval in the coming days.
Like what you’re reading? Share it!
If you appreciate the RoundTable newsletter, please forward it to friends and suggest that they sign up!