Evanston Review

Orrington parties like it’s 1912

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:40:00 -0500

Orrington School parents and teachers didn’t want the school’s centennial in 2012 to pass without giving current-day pupils a sense of what school was like for the first children who attended Orrington in 1912. So on May 2, students entered the building through a “time machine” tunnel that transported them back in time by 100 years. They spent the morning reading and listening to books that were popular at the time. Teachers dressed as newspaper carriers delivered a May 2, 1912 newspaper, which drew its stories from those reported in the Evanston Index, a local newspaper of the early 1900s. …

Host exchange students

Fri, 25 May 2012 22:40:01 -0500

America International Exchange, a Chicago-area non-profit, is looking for families on the North Shore to host each of its high-school-aged visitors from Spain. This year’s students will be here July 27-Aug. 18. The students speak English, are insured, and have their own spending money. All they need is a warm bed, meals, and a window to the American way-of-life. It is not necessary to have teens in the family; singles, young families; and seniors also make great host families. Interested parties can contact Elise Egan, local program coordinator at (847) 431-5110 or elisebundlegan@gmail.com. …

Northbrook man cited in Evanston accident involving pedestrian, 7

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:46:37 -0500

A 50-year-old Northbrook man has been cited with two traffic violations after allegedly striking a 7-year-old pedestrian Thursday in south Evanston.

District 65 teachers grant strike authority

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:08:40 -0500

Members of the District 65 teachers’ union have authorized their leadership to “take the steps necessary for a potential strike” in the event talks don’t produce an agreement. The School Board and its teachers’ union are negotiating an agreement to replace a four-year pact that expires June 30.

Evanston police blotter for May 24, 2012

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:48:01 -0500

Police arrested two people on drunk-driving charges early Wednesday. Those incidents were among those reported in the Evanston Police Department’s Daily Crime Bulletin for Thursday, May 24.

1.5 million people to use Midway, O’Hare this holiday weekend

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:24:01 -0500

About 1.5 million people are expected to pass through Chicago’s two airports this Memorial Day weekend, city aviation officials say.

Evanston’s public beaches to open Saturday, May 26

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:21:55 -0500

The city of Evanston’s 2012 beach season will begin on Saturday, May 26. The last day of the season will be Monday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day). A daily pass or season token must be presented for beach admission.

Evanston police blotter for May 23, 2012

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:58:01 -0500

Police investigated an armed robbery, took nine reports of theft in recent days and made arrests on drug, battery and criminal trespassing charges. Those incidents were among those reported in the Evanston Police Department’s Daily Crime Bulletin for Wednesday, May 23.

Evanston police blotter for May 22, 2012

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:25:34 -0500

Police made three arrests Sunday. One involved a drunk-driving charge, a second on a domestic battery charge and a third on a charge of violating an order of protection. Those were among the incidents reported in the Evanston Police Department’s Daily Crime Bulletin for Tuesday, May 22.

Study says Chicago traffic congestion actually got better

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:50:34 -0500

Drivers in the Chicago area were stuck in traffic an average of 36 hours in 2011, 12 fewer than the 48 wasted in traffic in 2010, according to INRIX, a company that studies traffic patterns.

New interim principal named for Bessie Rhodes in Evanston-Skokie District 65

Thu, 24 May 2012 03:46:56 -0500

The District 65 School Board Monday approved the appointment of Carlos Mendez, assistant principal at Haven Middle School, to step into the top job at Bessie Rhodes Magnet School for the 2012-13 school year.

Park Ridge woman gets burial for MIA brother after 40 years

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:14:07 -0500

The Vietnam War was waging and George Macdonald knew he wouldn’t be returning home. “He gave away his track trophies and told the family he wouldn’t be coming back,” his only sister, Jeanette Frye, recounted. It was 1972 and Macdonald, an Evanston native, was heading toward the war for which he had been training with the U.S. Air Force. Five months later, on Christmas Eve, his family would learn what Macdonald seemed to sense before he left. An Air Force gunship had been shot down over Laos. Macdonald had been on it, but he wasn’t among the two sole survivors. …

Evanston teachers protest work changes

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:15:06 -0500

Wearing T-shirts proclaiming the District 65 teachers union is “650-plus members strong,” teachers jam-packed Monday’s School Board meeting to protest changes in teachers’ evaluations and workloads that District 65 administrators hope to impelement during the upcoming school year. The meeting also drew many parents and some children who were mostly protesting a realignment of art and music instruction that will force more teachers to split their time among multiple schools. “Our teachers are deeply concerned about the ever-changing and confusing messages they receive,” said Jean Luft, president of the District Educators’ Council, which is negotiating a new contract to replace …

Evanston police blotter for May 21, 2012

Tue, 22 May 2012 01:26:00 -0500

Police made one arrest on drunk-driving charges Saturday and took nearly a dozen reports of graffiti. Those were among the incidents reported in the Evanston Police Department’s Daily Crime Bulletin for Monday, May 18.

Wilmette’s American Legion: Come visit

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:47:48 -0500

Area residents looking to honor veterans and to help the American Legion as it does the same, have another way to help — they can look to the American Legion Huerter Post 46 at 1925 Wilmette Ave., take advantage of its facilities, and in doing so support the many charitable efforts Post 46 members organize.

Voterama in Congress, week ending May 18, 2012

Sun, 20 May 2012 23:02:01 -0500

House Violence Against Women Act: Voting 222 for and 205 against, the House on May 16 approved a Republican bill (HR 4970) to renew the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) through fiscal 2016 on a budget of $680 million annually. The bill was disputed mainly because it omits provisions in a bi-partisan Senate-passed bill to expand protections for battered women who are illegal immigrants, Native American women who are assaulted on reservations by non-Indians and gays, lesbians and transsexuals. A conference committee will reconcile the competing House and Senate bills. Since it was enacted in 1994, the VAWA has funneled …