byDuncan Agnew
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Good Sunday morning and happy Father’s Day, Evanston.
Above, Evanston Township High School students march in Saturday’s Juneteenth Parade, which ended with a festival in Ingraham Park. View more parade and fest photos from Joerg Metzner and other photographers, and read coverage from the RoundTable’s Andrew Katz.
In case you missed any of the news last week, here’s a roundup of the RoundTable’s most-read stories, with a few new ones thrown in for good measure.
The Environment Board on Thursday heard the results of a study into local carbon emissions by Northwestern doctoral student Elisabeth Latawiec. As shown above, Latawiec’s research revealed that the city is on track to eliminate emissions from electricity and transport by 2050, but she projects natural gas will take up an increasingly large percentage of total emissions without future intervention.
On Friday evening, the Chicago Funk and R&B band Midnight Sun (above) brought the proverbial house down in front of hundreds gathered at James Park for the city’s latest free Jamming Jean Concert. (See story, more photos by Heidi Randhava.)
The Big Ditch: Two centuries ago, people in what became Evanston only lived on one of two ridges – now Chicago and Ridge avenues – because of wet marshes that covered the rest of the area. Drainage ditches are what made the city livable. In a guest essay, Richard Lanyon, former executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, explains the history of Mulford’s Ditch, the Big Ditch and the North Shore Channel.
There were protest signs, pleading speeches – and ultimately, a few tears – on Monday as the school boardvoted 5-2 to closethe Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, District 65’s only entirely bilingual school. “It is difficult to make these decisions that do have negative impact. But I think that’s part of change,” said board member Soo La Kim. District 65, soon to break ground on the Fifth Ward school, is emphasizing walkable neighborhood schools. Rhodes supporters said they are talking with other groups about possible legal challenges.
Evanston Rules: Podcasters Laurice Bell and Ron Whitmore talk with Evanston Police Chief Schenita Stewart about “her dedication to Evanston and her vision as police chief” as well as her “inspiring story and deep commitment to her hometown.”
After more than 30 years in Evanston, women’s clothing store Lois & Companyis saying goodbye. Lois Combs said her business “never really reached the same levels” after the pandemic. Combs’ eye for comfy, casual and colorful apparel gained her many loyal fans – and not a few dear friends. “My customers are my social life,” she said.Alicia Mohr, who currently runs a boutique at Old Orchard, is set to take over the 2014 Central St. space in July.
The Wild Onion Market co-op, a dream almost 12 years in the making,celebrated its grand openingWednesday in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. The locally focused grocery store has more than 2,800 co-owners, many from Evanston.
On Monday, District 65 Superintendent Angel Turnernamed a new principalfor Lincoln Elementary School: Amber Samuels (above, in an image from the school website), a middle school principal in Tacoma, Washington. Last year, 93% of the staff there voted no confidence in Samuels, according to a Seattle area TV station. In a Wednesday email to Lincoln families, Turner said she and the school board knew about that vote before hiring and called claims against Samuels “unfounded.” Turner wrote that “the stories reported … do not accurately represent the situation.”
More than a dozen local vendors participated in the June 9. “If you want to make things better in your own backyard, you have to support people and businesses around you by giving them revenue and sharing their stories,” said market organizer Drew Atienza (above).
Evanston will receivenearly $12 millionfrom Northwestern University in permit fees for the demolition of the old Ryan Field (above, in early May) and construction of the new stadium. City Budget Manager Clayton Black said at a recent meeting that the first permit revenue is expected in “a couple of months.” The one-time windfall will go into the city’s general fund and is in addition to the $3 million a year pledged for 15 years in the city-NU Community Benefits Agreement.
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Duncan Agnew
Duncan Agnew covers Evanston public schools, affordable housing, City Hall and more for the RoundTable. He also writes long-form investigations, features and the morning email newsletter three times a...More by Duncan Agnew
