Evanston RoundTable

After years of complaints from community members, the City of Evanston on July 9 cited Northwestern University for failing to officially register several off-campus properties as “vacant,” the latest step in a long-running dispute over the homes’ deterioration. The citations mark a new phase of city oversight after years of maintenance complaints from neighbors and will subject the properties to additional legal requirements. Six of the seven homes are in the Northeast Evanston Historic District.

Illinois is first state in nation to authorize specially trained speech-language pathologists to diagnose autism in children under age 3 For parents who worry that their child might be autistic, timing is vital.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to add an advisory referendum to the county’s Nov. 3 general election ballot gauging support for a statewide millionaire tax, eclipsing an incoming effort in Evanston and overriding a recent rejection in Chicago. Commissioner Donna Miller (D-6th District) introduced the referendum resolution on July 8 and announced its passage Thursday through her congressional campaign.

Organizers of Evanston Made’s fifth annual Plein Air Festival were forced to make last-minute pivots during the festival’s final days after smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed the area. Plein air painting, from the French phrase meaning “in the open air,” is the practice of painting outdoors, capturing scenery in real time and in natural lighting. Throughout the week, artists can participate in daily “paint out” competitions, which began Sunday, July 12, at Arrington Lagoon at Dawes Park.

Community members gathered to wish former District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner (second from right) well. The event was hosted at Comida on Central Street by Baxter Swilley (center left) and Kimberly Holmes-Ross (third from right) of Evanston Cradle to Career. At an intimate gathering hosted by Evanston Cradle to Career Friday, community members celebrated outgoing Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner.

A new canoe launch on the North Shore Channel moved a step closer to reality last month with the news that the 2027 state budget includes $609,000 in support for the project. Then on Monday, City Council voted to hire Christopher B. Burke Engineering to draft a request for construction proposals and complete necessary permitting. “This project’s been a long time coming,” says Matt Poole, deputy director of Parks and Recreation.

The National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality Alert, based on an Air Pollution Action Day declared by the Illinois EPA, for the Evanston area through midnight tonight, Friday, July 17. Smoke from wildfires remains in the area with southwesterly breeze pushing smoke northeastward throughout the day. The AQI is over 400 and well into the hazardous category.

While Thursday’s Paint Out award presentation was canceled due to the severe air pollution, some plein air painters braved the hot and smoky weather to honor their commitment to Evanston Made’s Plein Air Festival. We encountered two of them downtown. Jinsheng Song and his downtown Evanston painting. Sachin Mehta working on his painting of the Orrington Hotel. Sachin Mehta working on his painting of the Orrington Hotel. Sachin Mehta working on his painting of the Orrington Hotel.

Clyde Brummel Park may see a new playground by the end of this year, following a unanimous vote by the Parks and Recreation Board to partner with KaBOOM! for the upgrade.

The city’s Equity and Empowerment Commission planned a fall working session to get feedback and other ways to raise awareness for its Equity Scorecard project and presence in Evanston during its Thursday night meeting. While the commission did not have a quorum, members started planning for a working session to gather feedback on the scorecard project. The session is planned for October or November, in place of a monthly meeting.