Good Tuesday morning, Evanston.
Rain is in the forecast and it’s chilly again, and the cooler weather marks the end of boating season. RoundTable photographer Richard Cahan on Monday captured city workers Gordon Campbell (above left) and Jason Kowalewski removing the floating dock at the Church Street power boat ramp as part of a seasonal lakefront shutdown. Next week the gates to the pier will be closed until spring for safety. Time to batten down the hatches as fall settles in and winter approaches.
But ahoy, there’s more news ahead!
Evanston City Council members on Monday unanimously approved giving $500,000 in federal COVID-19 recovery funds to Family Focus for the social service agency to establish a welcoming center for new residents. In a memo to the council, city Housing and Economic Development Analyst Ana Elizarraga said 18% to 19% of Evanston’s population is now foreign-born, with those from Mexico comprising the largest immigrant group.
The many faces of Evanston’s reparations movement were on the big screen in Chicago this past weekend. The Big Payback, a documentary about Evanston pioneering the nation’s first reparations program for Black residents, played at the Chicago Film Festival. Our recap of the event features an array of photos plus thoughtful reactions from first-time viewers and other audience members.
At the joint meeting of the school boards of Evanston/Skokie District 65 and Evanston Township High School District 202 on Monday, the discussion was about collaboration between the districts on issues of security, career readiness and literacy. The pandemic and struggles comparing middle school and high school test score data have delayed both districts’ progress on student reading proficiency.
Please join the Evanston RoundTable and a leading champion – and critic – of the American news media for an online conversation about the threats facing journalism and democracy. At 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, Margaret Sullivan, former media critic of The Washington Post and public editor of The New York Times, will join the RoundTable for a webinar about her latest book, Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life.
This event kicks off our fall NewsMatch fundraising campaign – a chance for the Evanston community to support our work as Evanston’s nonprofit news source.
COVID-19 by the numbers: 14 new cases and no new deaths were reported Oct. 24, the last day the city updated totals. The seven-day average is 14.1 cases per day.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable website
Saville Flowers, a true Evanston perennial, marks 80 years. Saville Flowers, at 1714 Sherman Ave., is celebrating its 80th year in Evanston and it marked the milestone with a celebration Saturday. To the Jones family, the business is about far more than just flowers.
Books: Will Linder turns a pandemic passion into a co-authored book. Linder, a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, was captivated during the pandemic by a series of “fascinating lectures on important figures who had changed medicine” given by Dr. Ralph H. Hruban, a professor at his alma mater. But it didn’t stop there.
Camelot: An offbeat version. Lerner and Lowe’s beautiful and heartbreaking musical Camelot opened in 1960, but its messages of love, honor and loyalty are as relevant today as they were then. Our reviewer Cissy Lacks tells you how Music Theater Works did with its tongue in cheek, gender-bending interpretation.
Letter to the editor: Ranked choice voting will be boon to Evanston, says Daniel Biss. The City of Evanston does not take a position on the referendum question, but in his personal capacity Mayor Biss urges voters to back ranked choice voting on the Nov. 7 ballot.
Early voting is open now. Read more about ranked choice voting before you cast your vote, and Tweet your opinion to us at @EvRoundTable. And don’t forget to check out the RoundTable’s ballot guide.
Ethel Migra: 1930-2022. Although Ethel D. Migra, 92, was a longtime educator, her thirst for learning was never quenched. She was a voracious reader and went on to get her doctoral degree while in her 40s. Read more about the legacy Migra left behind.
Northwestern to host three-day event commemorating Title IX anniversary. Northwestern University is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title XI’s enactment with a three-day series of panels and events Oct. 27 through 29. The program will explore the 1972 law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in education and programs receiving federal financial assistance, and to confront the need for improvement moving forward.
City reminds residents of additional fall street cleaning dates. Evanston’s fall street cleaning dates are posted. They start in November and run through early December.
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Around the web
La Niña winter forecast: Chicago should brace for more snow than normal, NOAA says. A colder than normal winter is predicted to be blowing into the Chicago area this year.
City asked to provide lead water filters to address ‘crisis.’ Advocates said Chicago must ramp up its distribution of free water filters to protect residents against lead poisoning as the city moves at a “glacial” pace to remove pipes with the brain-damaging metal.
Star-studded lineup speaks at Northwestern for Chicago Humanities Festival. The Chicago Humanities Festival fall event featured many big fish speakers, such as Phil Rosenthal, creator of Everyone Loves Raymond and former Capitol police officer Michael Fanone. The event featured discussion about topics such as public art, culinary exploration and American extremism.
Defense rests in Waukesha parade trial as Darrell Brooks displays aggressive behavior. Defendant Darrell Brooks, accused of killing six people among other charges, is representing himself. Brooks forfeited his right to call any other witnesses to testify.
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