Evanston Review

Why should anyone care about Wilmette Harbor?

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:44:00 -0500

With the exception of the 300 or so folks who keep a boat there, it’s easy to overlook the importance of Wilmette Harbor. But if you live in Cook County, you owe a debt of gratitude to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Commissioners for recently approving a lease for management of the small north suburban harbor – even if you’ve never stepped foot on a boat. That’s because by approving the leasing agreement with the Wilmette Harbor Association (WHA) earlier this month, the MWRD will save Cook County taxpayers more than $500,000 in annual maintenance costs, reduce the risk …

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:16:07 -0500

Committed to serve I have been a New Trier High School social worker for 23 years. I have worked with Pat Savage-Williams in many capacities these past years- administrator, facilitator of diversity work, psychologist. I have always found Pat to be open minded, skilled, and intelligent. She is well respected at New Trier by faculty who find her supportive and accessible, as colleague and supervisor. As a 31-year Evanston resident and educator, I highly recommend Pat for Evanston Township High School Board member. She is a skilled facilitator and negotiator who will stand her ground in advocating for Evanston’s educational …

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:10:29 -0500

Asscessible leader As a community activist, I am well aware of which of our elected officials are responsive to the interests of residents and which are not. That is why I am supporting Mark Tendam for re-election as alderman of the sixth ward. Alderman Tendam is amazingly responsive to his constituents. Although he and I don’t always agree on issues, he is always willing to hear and weigh everyone’s perspective. A calm, thoughtful person, Alderman Tendam does a great job of building coalitions and securing compromise among community leaders and his colleagues on the City Council. During his four years …

Evanston letter to the editor: In face of tragedy, take action as a community

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 06:04:37 -0500

Members of the District 202 Board of Education are horribly shocked, deeply sorrowful and profoundly saddened by the senseless killing of our student, Dajae Coleman. Though words seem inadequate in the face of such tragic loss, we offer our most heartfelt condolences to Dajae’s family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this most difficult time. To a grieving community ... the noted English philosopher George Henry Lewes once said, “The only cure for grief is action.” We are especially proud of how our ETHS students are rallying to turn their grief into action; their exemplary response …

Evanston letter to the editor: You make the choice

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 06:02:29 -0500

I feel the Viewpoint editorial about the vetoed plastic bag bill was very misleading. Vetoing the bill takes the use (and misuse) of single-use plastic bags out of the hands of the plastic-bag industry with their statewide, fee-based proposal, and puts the decision about plastic bag use back in the hands of the Illinois citizens. In their communities, they would decide how to regulate and recycle the bags or whether to allow them at all. If you are conflicted about this, I urge you to rent the documentary “Bag It” from the Evanston or Wilmette libraries. I’d be surprised if …

Letter: Cat Grandma to the rescue

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:08:45 -0500

To the Grey Lantern: Call me Cat Grandma. I am a super hero, too. As Cat Grandma, I bring wrongs to right. You know the texting fool in front of you who doesn’t move when the light turns green? I, Cat Grandma, am the one who uses her horn to get the line moving. Surely you are aware of people who lose their doggy’s doo on a neighbor’s lawn. I, Cat Grandma, return it to the owner’s front porch. Yes, I admit it, I’m partial to kitties, so when dogs roam the forest preserve bike trail unleashed, I confront the …

Letters to the editor for the week of Sept. 6, 2012

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 06:03:18 -0500

Bikes on the sidewalks? No, no, no! I have always loved to walk, but recently walking in Evanston has become dangerous. Bikers ride on the sidewalks. Usually those heading toward me seem to expect me to make way. I am an old woman with osteoporosis. If a biker knocks me down I may not get up again, except in a wheel chair. Would the city of Evanston please make pedestrian-only paths? Since the sidewalks seem to be for bicycles, walkers need other areas in which to walk. Perhaps the lanes in the streets marked for bicycles could be for walkers …

Evanston letter to the editor: Don’t penalize collectors

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:36:25 -0500

The city should leave “junk collectors” alone. They are valuable entrepreneurs. It should help them, subsidize them instead of raising bureaucratic obstacles for them. Hearsay and innuendo should not be used against them. If “junk falls off the truck,” if their trucks are unsafe, if they park illegally, then the specific instances should be quoted. The individuals should be helped to operate safely and if necessary the particular individual should be fined instead of enacting a global ordinance punishing all of them, whether they are at fault or not. Such knee-jerk reactions characterize bad management and bad government. John Tuzson …

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 11:47:04 -0500

A little respect, please Look, I’m old, but not so old I can’t decide what your fingers are shouting at me. The index finger is saying you’re number one. Yeah I get it. And your gnarly third finger is telling me what you think of me. Perfectly clear. The only two I’m bitching about are two and three. Lately you’re flashing them at every camera, cop or crowd you see. This is where I take exception. You see, kiddo, I grew up during the great achievements of the Greatest Generation. Back then, that “V” stood for only one thing . …

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 06:11:37 -0500

Animal compassion There seems some misconception that regional animal shelters (including Evanston’s) are sufficiently staffed and funded. Reality is that very limited volunteers through groups such as Community Animal Rescue Effort remain strained to the breaking point while juggling their own personal issues. Please consider offering a little time or to your kids a valuable experience in responsibility and compassion. If unable to allocate a donation to CARE, might you at least devote a small space in your schedule weekly for basic animal care and loving interaction? Many pets are confined for long periods and crying for human attention beyond …

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:02:44 -0500

Aphasia awareness Northwestern University is launching a new intensive aphasia treatment program and, with June as National Aphasia Awareness Month, this summer is a perfect time to better understand this often unrecognized but all-too-common disorder. An acquired communication disorder that impairs a person’s ability to understand and use basic language, aphasia affects 1 in 250 people, according to the National Aphasia Association. Adults of all ages can acquire aphasia from stroke as well as head injury, brain tumor, or other neurological causes. A new reality often accompanies aphasia, as basic communication challenges alter relationships, family roles, and work. Daily activities …

Closure finally comes for MIA soldier’s family

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 08:12:36 -0500

My brother, Cpt. George Duncan Macdonald, of Evanston, was from a family of eight brothers and one sister. Six of my brothers served in the military. George’s twin brother, Chris, joined the Air Force after he graduated from high school. George went to Ohio State University and joined ROTC. He received track awards and was the 16th best freshman college runner in the United States. He was recognized as a leader and became “Student Commandant” of his ROTC unit. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State in March of 1971. At graduation, he received the “Airman …

Letters to the Editor Focus on city services

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:13:27 -0500

Members of the city government of Evanston should not mess with renewable energy. They should stick to what they were elected for: administering city services. They should not meddle in things they don’t know anything about. The employees of the power companies have been trained and have the resources to deal with such issues. “Renewable energy” companies are only after the money of the city, our money. Individuals who want to spend on renewable energy should give their money directly to renewable energy companies. “Renewable energy” in Evanston would only replace nuclear energy that is nonpolluting. John Tuzson, Evanston …

Letters to the Editor

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:44:38 -0500

Time to talk This letter was triggered by the recent communications from ETHS regarding the April 16 sexual assault investigation. I applaud the school for promptly notifying parents so we could be prepared to discuss the incident with our students. I am deeply troubled, however, by a portion of the second notification sent by the school (sadly, amplified by the Evanston Review). It inadvertently casts some blame on the victim, saying, “Although the district cannot provide specific information regarding the students involved or any ongoing police investigation, we can confirm that the incident in the stairwell was not a random …

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:09:23 -0500

Help weed the woods Saturday, May 5, is the 21th annual Garlic Mustard Pull in Perkins Woods. We will be in the woods from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Garlic mustard is a chief competitor of the native grasses and wildflowers that bloom each spring. This non-native plant will out compete the native plants for space, light, water and nutrients. Perkins Woods is part of the Cook County Forest Preserves, located in Northwest Evanston between Ewing Avenue, Grant and Colfax streets. We will also clean and pick up trash for our annual cleaning of the woods. We need your help! Perkins …