Read all about it: the latest news from Evanston - Evanston RoundTable

Aux entrepreneurs (from left) Lori Laser, Gabrielle JP Walker, Juli Kaufmann, Jacqui White, Tosha Wilson (partially obscured), Jessie Tobin, Tiffini Holmes and Gabori Partee Sr. pose for a photo near the entrance. (Photo by Kristin Brown)

Good morning, Evanston.

Several hundred Evanstonians descended on the building at the intersection of Pitner Avenue and Washington Street for the “Raise and Reveal” of The Aux, the site for a planned business incubator for African American-owned businesses, some already established and others getting ready to launch.

The name “Aux,” derived from a the auxiliary jack on a sound system, refers to “plugging in and inspiring change,” using a business model in which tenants work together, share resources and support each other. Most of the businesses have a focus on wellness.

Evanston’s lakefront still rates as the preferred site for a dog park among dog owners. (*RoundTable* photo)

Acknowledging the City was at a crossroads on the issue, Evanston officials turned to Council members at their Sept. 20 meeting for direction on where the City’s second dog park should be located.

The City is down to one dog park, aptly named Pooch Park, on a 2.5 acre tract that runs along the North Shore Channel south of Main Street and north of Oakton Street, in a space shared with the Skokie Park District.

Kensington School proposes new site on Central Street. An attempt to bring Kensington School, a private day care and preschool, to Evanston failed earlier this year, but Kensington owner and CEO Charles Marlas is back again. Marlas is proposing a new location for the day care and preschool, in place of Unity Church on the North Shore at 3434 Central St.

In case you missed any of the most important news last week, here’s a roundup of the top stories from the RoundTable this past week.

City News

Mashup Award Winners and circus performers. (Photo by Kristin Brown)

Mask up and MashUp: Welcome back, Evanston. The City, the Evanston Chamber of Commerce and Northwestern University threw a party on Howard Street Wednesday evening, Sept. 29, and a good time was had by all. The MashUp gives people involved with Evanston businesses, nonprofits, City government and the University an opportunity to mix, mingle and share ideas while partaking of food and drink from local establishments.

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Schools

In its latest proposed intergovernmental agreement, District 65 asked the City to assist in locating a site for a new Fifth Ward school. Yet the City says District officials have said publicly the District would build the new school on Foster Field, the sports field between Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center and the Weissbourd-Holmes Family Focus building. (*RoundTable* photo)

How Fifth Ward school issues are affecting proposed TIF agreement. Discussion about the proposed tax-increment financing district in the City’s Fifth Ward continued Sept. 29 at the City-Schools Liaison Committee meeting. Two days earlier, at the request of two School District 65 Board members, City Council voted to delay a vote on the TIF until Oct. 25 so the parties could work out an intergovernmental agreement.

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Art & Life

Crossing Borders Music performs works by Haitian composers in Dawes Park. Photo by Debbie-Marie Brown Credit: Debbie-Marie Brown

We Walk: A celebration of Black community. The Haitian American Museum of Chicago and Crossing Borders Music teamed up in Dawes Park Sept. 26 for a mobile display of Black history, music and heritage. The event featured three small exhibits on Haitian western classical composers, aspects of Black internationalism and the Black underground railroad on the Illinois Trail of Tears.

Public Square

We are Water | ‘When you are homeless … water becomes gold’. This second in a seven-part series by We are Water Evanston, a community-based participatory research project, continues to explore our relationship with and concerns about water. As Evanstonians discuss beachfront accessibility, housing reparations and racial justice, it is important to consider the challenges encountered by Evanston’s housing-insecure population.

Sports

Wildkits crushed Niles West 49-0 in Friday night’s football game. (Photo by Becky Kremin)

Kits have all of the answers in 49-0 blowout victory. Evanston’s football team had two issues to deal with after toppling rival New Trier for the first time in a decade last week. The first was the danger of a letdown, since the next opponent on the schedule – Niles West – didn’t figure as a contender in the Central Suburban League South division race this fall.

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