Letter to the Editor: Property tax justice for E-Town
I am asking for property tax justice for Evanston as a “sayer,” and not a “nay-sayer.” I feel compelled to point out the growing and yawning capital disparity between Northwestern University’s $16 billion endowment and the diminutive funds and budget that Evanston squeezes by on, with ever-increasing property taxes resting solely on Evanston residents. This is a gross economic injustice. The increasing property tax burden on Evanston’s citizenry is effectively gentrifying the socio/ethnic diversity, and middle/lower income families right out of our community. As a “sayer,” I am also very grateful to Northwestern University…
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letter to the editor: Don’t let grandiose plans kill Evanston’s magic
Why should you go to Europe or elsewhere to enjoy walkable cities and quaint towns, places that preserve their heritage, and make room for the new without obliterating the old? …
Letter to the editor: Ryan Field project is opportunity to build Black and brown wealth
The Ryan Field project in Evanston is an initiative by Northwestern University to rebuild its stadium. With a gift from the Ryan family, the proposal is to construct a state-of-the…
Letter to the editor: NU overselling Ryan stadium’s economic impact
Stadium developers across the nation routinely hire private consultants to conduct economic impact studies, which invariably promise that a new stadium will be a bounty of riches for the community.…
OP-ED
Peggy Tarr: Americans pursue King’s mission
On the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, I was pleased to see ways in which individuals and communities in America honored Dr. King and his pursuit of peace, equality and…
Les Jacobson: The write stuff
Along with the winter solstice come annual new year’s resolutions, a tradition said to be thousands of years old. The most popular resolutions are exercise more, lose weight and get organized. These are…
Carol Wilson: Bitter weather still coming, help us help the homeless
As fierce winds, bitter temperatures and blowing snow moved into the Chicago area ahead of the Christmas weekend, those experiencing homelessness in Evanston faced difficult choices. Many of the places…
Charles Wilkinson: One man’s mind
The question stopped me cold, blindsiding me and sending me deep into my self. “So, how does it work for you, Charlie, this God stuff?” I wanted to reply, “Just…
MORE PUBLIC SQUARE POSTS
Nancy E. Anderson: A list of tiny grievances and everyday annoyances
I don’t like complaining and negativity, but sometimes it feels good to vent about low-stakes situations and details that don’t matter. So, I’m starting the new year with a list of trivial things that bug me. Forced small talk. This usually happens in a service setting, like a hair salon. I’m friendly and I don’t mind a brief exchange about Covid or the weather, but I don’t need a long conversation. I often sense that…
Peggy Tarr: Human*
It is January 2023. The month of January has several titles, including Celebration of Life Month, National Poverty in America Month, National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. There are many celebratory days in January, including: I embraced the title “Peculiar People Day” after an interaction with a woman at a UPS store. A woman being waited on in front of me wanted to buy some stamps. The clerk told her that the UPS store only sold…
Les Jacobson: Highly resolved, in 2023 …
Each succeeding year demonstrates to me how much less I know of the universe than the year before – going right back to when I was 18 or so and knew pretty much everything. Nevertheless, from the depth of my ignorance I am free (and indeed encouraged) to do what I can for the common good. As the Mishnah, the codification of Jewish oral law, states: “It is not required that you complete the work,…
Jean Cunningham: Why do I pay for the RoundTable, our free local newspaper?
I very much appreciate the value the Evanston RoundTable, a nonprofit newsroom, provides by making its online newspaper free and available regardless of one’s capability to pay. I read the RoundTable to see what is happening: today, this weekend and upcoming. It helps me learn about the people that live in my town: artists, business owners, activists, government officials, etc. I keep up on the lakeshore and parks, the ever-changing places to eat and shop,…
Peggy Tarr: Noted in December, Part 2
It is December. The month of December has many significant dates. The last day of Hanukkah and the first day of Kwanzaa will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Dec. 26 at Fountain Square on Davis Street and Sherman Avenue. I grew up with a mother that let us know that there were “Jews and gentiles,” but that we would only judge folks based on their behavior, not their religion. When I was in high school, I…
Les Jacobson: How to survive the Gray Day Blues
I got those Gray Day Blues,O yeah, the Gray Day Blues,When my cerebellum goes on snooze. So maybe you can advise,O one so sage and wise,How to cope under gray skies? I got some real good news:Don’t dwell on sunless views,Just get busy – to end your blues! Not much of a song, as blues songs go, but this weather can dull one’s creativity. How many days in a row can the Chicago area endure…
Letter to the editor: Support the Protect Illinois Communities Act
No single piece of legislation will solve the public health crisis of endemic gun violence in our state. But this January, we have a chance to make meaningful progress with the Protect Illinois Communities Act. It has the power to unite us, whether we’re in Highland Park or East Garfield Park, Evanston or Rockford. That is what I heard at the first public hearing on the proposed legislation, and that is what I felt as…
Letter to the editor: ‘Positives are impressive’ for new stadium
Just a short note to add my support for the new stadium. I understand the concerns of nearby residents (my family lives about 10 blocks away) but the positives are impressive, not the least of which is the economic boost it will give to so many workers and their families. I also find the design very attractive. It definitely is enough to lure me back into attending NU football games. Bottom line: As a 50-plus-year…
Rev. Michael Nabors: Race and the election of a Georgia senator
“Two Black men, one representing nearly every Black voter in Georgia and one representing a predominately white political party.”Rev. Michael Nabors Herschel Walker was an embarrassment to nearly all Black Americans and those who associate themselves as part of the African American diaspora. An overwhelming majority of Black people were not pleased that Walker became a candidate for the United States Senate, nominated and endorsed by one of the major political parties. In fact, exit…
Simone Larson: A trauma-informed approach to education
Trauma is universal. It extends across color and socioeconomic lines. I highlight this fact at the risk of being labeled as “colorblind.” I highlight it to remind everyone that trauma can impact us all. Trauma negatively impacts the brain. And still, this profound truth doesn’t make it acceptable for traumatized children to misbehave in a school setting. Instead, we can frame this behavior differently. We can view this as scientific evidence proving why some children…
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