News Posted in: May 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The City of Evanston Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department has been awarded over $40,000 in funding for a senior congregate lunch program to begin in fall 2011. The grant is administered through AgeOptions, the regional agency that distributes federal funding under the Older Americans Act. This grant will offset the cost of each meal and no eligible senior shall be denied participation because of inability to contribute. The Department received funding for a senior lunch program at two different…
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Recently at the Evanston Public Library, scientists from Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History , the Shedd Aquarium and the Brookfield Zoo banded four baby peregrine falcons, three boys and one girl. They are the eighth batch of baby falcons to be born at the library. About 150 residents, bird watchers and elementary students were in the audience to view this spectacular event. View photo album here>>> The library had a ballot (both on-line and paper) with seven male and seven…
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Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl went to Washington, DC Thursday for a series of meetings on behalf of the City’s application for Federal support to create a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the Evanston. This FQHC would be managed by Erie Family Health Care in partnership with the City. Accompanying the Mayor on the trip was Dr. Lee Francis, CEO of Erie Family Health Care and Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz. The Mayor met with Representative Jan Schakowsky and Senator…
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Monday, May 30, 2011
Due to the heavy rain on Sunday, May 29, the locks in Wilmette were opened from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., releasing untreated water into Lake Michigan. Although Evanston's swimming beaches are not open for the season, the Dog Beach opened April 1. Updates will be posted as they become available. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago generally posts updates here>>>, but there may be a delay due to the Memorial Day holiday.…
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Friday, May 27, 2011
The City of Evanston's Office of Sustainability has recently launched new web pages with up-to-date information on a wide-range of topics from renewable energy to community resources along with creating its first e-newsletter. The Evanston Office of Sustainability works with City departments, residents, businesses, regional, state and national partners to develop policies and implement initiatives that strengthen the environmental and economic sustainability of Evanston. The Office of Sustainability focuses on seven areas for which they now have newly created, user…
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On Saturday, May 28, Friends of Evanston Farmers Markets is hosting a Scarecrow Bee (like a quilting bee, except we’re making scarecrows). Local families are invited to come and help us make these crop-saving effigies for the farmers who bring us their wonderful fresh fruit and produce. Bring some old clothes and join in the fun! WHEN: 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Sat., May 28 WHERE: Evanston’s Downtown Farmers Market, north of the Maple St. parking garage, behind the Hilton…
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Posted in Parking
The City of Evanston will begin repairs on Parking Lot 60 located at 1236 Chicago Ave. just south of Dempster St. on June 1. The repairs include: Selective removal/surface preparation on the Street Level Parking Deck; Treatment and repair of existing concrete deck; Installation of a new waterproof traffic coating system over the top of the existing concrete deck; and Removal and replacement of fireproofing below the Street Level Parking Deck. Meters in the 1200 block of Chicago Ave. will be…
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Thursday, May 26, 2011
The City of Evanston's Economic Development Division is actively working to leverage the access that the El and Metra bring to Evanston by working to create new work and play opportunities adjacent to these transit stations. One of the keys to the city’s future economic development successes, growing office developments beyond downtown to other parts of Evanston is a priority. In keeping with this goal, the city is working with OMS Evanston LLC to develop the lot located at the…
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Expanded Summer Reading Game Registration Has Begun Every summer for almost 40 years, the Evanston Public Library’s Summer Reading Game keeps kids reading through the summer months. Children who stop reading often fall behind while those who are encouraged to read more have a head start when they return to school in September. Registration has begun for this year’s Game - Take Flight, inspired by the peregrine falcons that are nesting in the window boxes of the third floor of the…
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Water will be shut down today at 11:30 a.m. for 4 hours to repair a water main break located on the 1800 block of Grey the affect area is: 1700 and 1800 Blocks of Grey Ave.…
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The City of Evanston Recreation Division is still accepting applications for lifeguards for the 2011 season. Lifeguards must be certified by the American Red Cross or Ellis. Applicants must apply in person from noon to 5:00 p.m., Thursday, May 26 through Sunday, May 30, at the Dempster Street Beach Office, 1251 Lake Shore Blvd., Evanston. Training begins on Tuesday, May 31. Evanston's five public swimming beaches are scheduled to open for the season on Saturday, June 11. For more information,…
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Evanston Fire and Life Safety Services proudly placed a new 2011 Aerial Tiller Ladder Truck into service today. The new aerial truck was custom built for the City of Evanston by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin. The new fire truck will replace the 1990 Pierce Tiller Ladder presently housed at Fire Station #2 at 702 Madison Street. The new aerial ladder truck was purchased for $958,121. Evanston Fire and Life Safety Services was awarded $600,000 grant towards the purchase through the…
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Over the next eight weeks the City will be contracting road resurfacing work on Dodge Avenue between Oakton and Lee Streets. This project will involve the replacement of existing curb, roadway base repair, replacement of asphalt surface from curb to curb along with selected sidewalk replacement and driveway aprons. Accessible ramps will also be built at the intersections. The road work is part of the City’s continuous program to improve the roadway system throughout the community. The funding for the project…
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Evanston Advocate Action Alert Please Contact your Legislators Today! The General Assembly is completing its work on the 2012 Illinois State Budget, but important decisions still hang in the balance over the next few days. At least one of these proposed pieces, a reduction of the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF), WILL directly affect you as a resident of the City of Evanston. This money is collected at the state level on behalf of local governments and should continue to…
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Join State Representative Daniel Biss this summer for a Summer of Service! Contact his office for a list of service projects or make up your own. Spend ten minutes a week taking out the trash for your neighbors or take a few days to volunteer at a food pantry – you determine your time commitment and pick your own projects. Then simply tell him how many cans you donated, the agencies where you volunteered, or which books you read to…
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Water will be shut down today at 10:00 am for 4 hours to repair a water main break located on the 900 block of Dodge the affect area is: 900 Block of Dodge 1102, 1104, 1106, and 1108 Lee…
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Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Posted in Woofstock Pooch Park
Woofstock, the annual open house at Pooch Park, will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 5. Pooch Park is located at 3220 Oakton St. in Evanston. Dogs and their favorite humans can enjoy food, dog demonstrations, games and contests for dogs and humans, as well as visit vendors specializing in making dogs healthy and happy. Admission is free to Woofstock, but all dogs must be on leash during this event. Pooch Park is a 2.7 acre…
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Evanston Economic Development Update from Nancy Radzevich, Economic Development Manager, City of Evanston Evanston has long been a vibrant, exciting place to live, work and shop. The strengths of the community have supported the strengths of the overall Evanston economy. With the national economy beginning to see the first signs of recovery, so is the City of Evanston. Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and the Evanston City Council have identified economic development and economic revitalization as a primary goal for the city.…
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New SmartPhone App Delivers Downtown Evanston Passport Offers Digitally SweetPerk, a student project team in Northwestern University’s NUVention:Web course, announced recently that it is collaborating with Downtown Evanston to introduce a mobile application (app) for the “Passport to Downtown Evanston” program. The app (developed for both the iPhone and Android smart phones) is the brain child of a partnership between students of the university and the downtown Evanston business community. The free app makes it easy for consumers to find and…
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ComEd has scheduled an outage for repair work on Michigan Ave. between Main St. and Kedzie St. starting at 9 a.m. this morning and last until about 3 p.m. this afternoon. About 46 customers will potentially be affected. Any questions should be directed to ComEd at 1-800-Edison-1.…
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Monday, May 23, 2011
Posted in Dutch elm disease insurance
Private elm tree insurance is available to Evanston residents through the City of Evanston’s Park/Forestry Division. Completed applications and payment for private elm tree insurance must be received no later than Tuesday, May 31, 2011. While the City maintains elm trees on public property, homeowners are responsible for removing diseased elms from their private property. Costs for removing diseased trees can range from $1,000 for a medium-sized tree to more than $4,000 for a very large tree. The Private Elm Tree…
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Saturday, May 21, 2011
All links to Adobe Acrobat Files 1. Consideration of new two year, eight month contract to operate City parking garages. 2. Consideration of the first of multiple revisions to the Evanston City Code. The Law Department has done a beginning to end review of the City Code and will be bringing revisions to the Code by Title over the next several months. These first revisions include changes to the General Administration, Boards and Commissions and Administrative Adjudication sections of the…
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Friday, May 20, 2011
The City of Evanston can help you out when it comes to your next birthday party or special event. From Arts Camp Parties at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center to birthday parties at the Evanston Ecology Center or Levy Center, from ice-skating parties at the Robert Crown Ice Complex to preschool and sports party packages at the Chandler-Newberger Center, the city offers many opportunities to rent its facilities for your special occasion. Arts Camp Parties at the Noyes Cultural Arts…
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Four baby peregrine falcons hatched in early May high above the downtown Evanston streets at the Evanston Public Library. The library has been home to eight consecutive generations of the world’s fastest birds hatching over twenty peregrine falcons. “For the past several years, a pair of peregrine falcons has nested on one of the columns along the south side of the library and at least one baby falcon has successfully fledged each year,” explained Evanston Public Library Director Mary Johns. “While…
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Thursday, May 19, 2011
The City of Evanston will do a make-up bulk trash pick-up for Thursday refuse collection routes ONLY on Friday, May 27. This is part of the City's twice yearly bulk trash pick-up program that occurs every Spring and Fall. See details for Fall pick-up schedule here>>> All trash must be out by 7 a.m.; City crews will not return for late set outs. If crews are unable to complete routes on Fridays, collection will continue on Saturdays. Refuse route map…
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At the May 16, 2011 Evanston City Council Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl presented the 2010 Preservation and Design awards to a handful of local home owners, architects and contractors. View presentation with photos of sites here>>> View photos of winners here>>> Award for Proper Rehabilitation/Alteration: 2100 Ridge – Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center (Listed in the National Register of Historic Places) Project: Roof replacement, cornice restoration, replacement of balustrades, new copper gutters, repointing of brick mortar joints. Jury Comments: • Great…
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Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Posted in Office of Sustainability
The City of Evanston will be holding a community meeting to discuss a proposed ban on disposable carryout bags in the city. The meeting will include a presentation from the Office of Sustainability on the current use and impacts of disposable carryout bags and an overview of the proposed bag ban. A question and comment session will follow. The Community Meeting on Proposed Carryout Bag Ban will be held in the Parasol Room, 4th Floor, Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center,…
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Posted in Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
Five Guys Named Moe and From The Mississippi Delta will be Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre’s mainstage productions in June and July, followed by three dramatic readings in August. All shows will be performed at the Theatre at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. The 2011 season kicks off with Five Guys Named Moe. This Tony-nominated musical features the whimsical hit songs of Louis Jordan, one of the most beloved songwriting talents of the Twentieth Century. Jordan, a great composer and…
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The Evanston Police Department will be conducting a Roadside Safety Check beginning on Friday May 27, 2011, from 10:00 p.m. to Saturday May 28, 2011 at 4:00 a.m. The safety check will be conducted in a high volume traffic area within the City of Evanston. The objectives of the Roadside Safety Check are designed to reduce traffic crashes and the liability associated with violations of vehicular safety laws. Our goal is to detect and enforce violations associated with impaired driving,…
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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The City of Evanston’s three downtown parking garages are set to get much needed repairs starting in July as part of the 2011 Comprehensive Parking Garage Repair Project. The repairs were targeted as a result of a 2009 comprehensive analysis where in some cases some repairs and upgrades had not been made for nearly twenty years. Invitations for bids went out for contractor services in mid May and work will begin in July on the Church Street, Maple Street and…
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Posted in Water Quality Laboratory
The City of Evanston's Water Quality Laboratory is audited every two years by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The audit consists of an onsite evaluation in which procedures, records and equipment are inspected. Over 200 different criteria must be met in order to be in perfect compliance with Zero Deviations. " We are proud to report that once again the Laboratory achieved a Zero Deviation evaluation," explained Utility Department Director Dave Stoneback. "The lab has achieved Zero Deviation status for…
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Posted in West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus season begins in May and the Evanston Health Department is asking residents to inspect their yards and homes for any containers holding water for more than three days. These containers include watering cans, pet dishes, Frisbees and plastic cups among others. West Nile Virus mosquitoes are not associated with floods but rather heat and drought. West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Most…
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Monday, May 16, 2011
The Evanston Parks Coalition will be sponsoring a clean-up day at Grey Park, located at the corner of Ridge Ave. and Main St., on May 21st from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Projects planned for the clean-up day include: planting annuals on the corner of Ridge Ave. and Main St., spreading out wood chips provided by the city around all trees, placing a border around the community garden (the city is providing the materials), painting the benches and tables, and cleanhing up trash. Volunteers are asked…
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Hundreds of school children have been working hard all year for this special day when their visual and performing art is the focus of Evanston’s only children’s art festival. The excitement goes from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the corners of Chicago Ave. and Dempster St. In case of rain, Yea! will take place at Dawes School, 440 Dodge Avenue at Oakton. Come experience the magic! The purpose of YEA!Day is to provide a forum for children to exhibit…
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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Posted in City Council
The City Council is transitioning to a new schedule that will include a regular meeting on the third Monday of each month. Items for this meeting at 7 PM will be reserved for presentations and discussions of larger community-wide issues. Items on Monday's agenda (all links PDF): 1. Discussion on issues related to construction of new salt dome. This is an issue that was discussed at some length by the City Council most recently in late 2008 and early…
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Friday, May 13, 2011
The latest E-news letter from the City of Evanston>>>>…
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Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios announced today that his office has started the 2011 assessment process and has begun mailing out the first notices. In an effort to provide homeowners with as much information as possible, the residential reassessment notice has been redesigned. “This new notice provides taxpayers with all the tools necessary to determine if their assessments are accurate and fair,” Berrios said. “They shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to find out what comparable properties are assessed at in their…
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Thursday, May 12, 2011
The Illinois General Assembly will finalize the state budget over the remaining weeks of May. Legislators in Springfield are busy analyzing varying ways to reach a balanced budget that reduces overall spending while not eliminating necessary state programs. Cities, villages, and towns all find themselves looking at possible reductions in state-collected local government revenues as part of the final state budget solution. If these severe reductions are included in the state budget then the City of Evanston will be faced…
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The second annual Chicago Craft Beer Week (CCBW) comes to Evanston’s very own Prairie Moon restaurant May 19-27. The Chicago Craft Beer Week aims to celebrate all the outstanding beers available in the Chicago area and the restaurants and bars who bring them to us. CCBW is organized by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild as an exhibition of the city's craft beer community, the venues serving craft beers and the breweries served in those venues. The week is celebrated through…
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Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Posted in Spring Ice Show Heroes and Legends
Hundreds of local skating school students and professionals will perform in “Heroes and Legends” at Robert Crown Center. The show celebrates obvious heroes, such as Superman and Captain America, as well as heroes in our daily lives — teachers, doctors, police officers, and fire fighters. In fact, any person may be a hero to the people around them. Legends can be celebrities, superstars, or someone who is at the top of their field. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May…
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Monday, May 9, 2011
Driven to Abstraction: drips, cubes and fields of color: an exhibition of artworks by artists who live and work in Evanston. Gallery 4502, 4th floor, Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center 2100 Ridge Avenue in Evanston Exhibition is free and open to the public through August 19. Exhibition Artists: Bill Anders, Harold Bauer, Elizabeth Bolich, Gail Cotovsky, Melanie Deal, Judy Edelman, Anne Hayden Stevens, Ruyell Ho, Barbara Horowitz, Sarah Kaiser, Sharon Knipmeyer, Jim Lange, Joan B. McLane, Katherine Nemanich, Martha…
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The Housing & Community Development Act Committee will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, May 17 at 7:30 PM in Room 2404 of the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Avenue to receive citizen comment on the City of Evanston’s Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for fiscal year 2010/11, and for input on needs in the community for planning purposes for the 2012 CDBG fiscal year. All interested persons are encouraged to attend. View the CAPER…
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Thursday, May 5, 2011
The newly branded local business community, the Evanston West Village Business Association, will host, in partnership with the City of Evanston, “Makin’ It Happen in the West Village” on Friday, May 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will highlight the unique businesses, artists and craftspeople in West Evanston; spotlight the strong residential community there; and welcome people who may not be familiar with all that this city’s newest destination location has to…
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Posted in Farmers' Market
The Downtown Evanston Farmers’ Market opened for the season on Saturday, May 7. It will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Saturday through November 5, 2011. This crowd-pleaser offers over 35 vendors of fruits, vegetables, meat, flowers, cheese, milk, eggs and bakery items. The Market is located at the intersection of University Place and Oak Avenue. The Downtown Evanston market features many special events. The Talking Farm will sell 35 varieties of warm and cool weather seedlings…
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The City of Evanston is holding a community meeting to discuss a proposed ban on disposable carryout bags in the city. The meeting will include a presentation from the Office of Sustainability on the current use and impacts of disposable carryout bags and an overview of the proposed bag ban. A question and comment session will follow. Read the overview developed by the City of Evanston's Office of sustainability here>>> Community Meeting on Proposed Carryout Bag Ban Tuesday May…
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council (ESAPC) will be visiting local stores that sell alcohol on May 11th to place stickers on doors and alcoholic beverages warning of the dangers of adults buying alcohol for minors. ESAPC is a local coalition whose mission is to increase the health of Evanston youth by preventing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use through community-level strategies. The coalition consists of multiple groups, one of which is working on implementing Evanston’s first Sticker Shock campaign.…
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Monday, May 2, 2011
Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center held its annual afternoon dedicated to children on Sunday, May 1, 2011. There was face painting, games, food and fun! The fun also included a performance by the Jesse White Tumblers! Photo album here>>>…
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Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Jo-Anne Hirshfield Memorial Poetry Awards is a competition open to all adult and high school age Chicago area poets. There is also an elementary and middle school category open to Evanston elementary and middle school students. The awards are funded by an endowment to the library in memory of Jo-Anne Hirshfield, who found pleasure and delight in poetry. The Thirty-third annual Hirshfield Poetry Competition is now closed and the winners have been announced. …
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