In every primary and general election it seems voters are presented with a long list of judges up for retention or competeing for a vacancy.

In the past ... newspapers printed guidelines ... bar asociations published recommendations ... voters clipped the articles, assembled the bar association recommendations and head to the polls. Some would assemble handwritten hit lists of either who to vote for or against. However, for many, long minutes were spent in voting booth matching newsprint articles, recommendations; handwritten lists and the names on the ballotts.

Now, newspaper articles are behind paywalls and without a subscription you are out of luck ... bar associations have poliferated as have their recommendations ... no one makes paper lists ...and the list of judges is not getting shorter.

Fortunately one on-line organization has made an effort to sort throuh this maze:

www.voteforjudges.org

Here you can find a lot of information including:

The summary recommendations of the 12 bar associations that jointly evaluate judges and make separate recommendations:

• Alliance of Bar Assoviations Evaluations Report

The recommendations of the Chicago Bar Association which conducts it's own, separate and highly regarded evaluations:

• Vote Smart: CBA Judicial Voters Guide

These two pretty much cover the subject.

For those who want to explore further there are the evaluation narratives of two organizations that participate in the Alliance of Bar Associations evaluations ... and the grid of the 12 Alliance Associatioins individual evaluations:

• Chicago Council of Lawyers - State Judicial Evaluations Report
• Illinois State Bar Association - Judicial Evaluation Narratives
• Alliance of Bar Associations evaluations ratings grid

But, whether judges are your thing or not, remember to do one thing on November 3rd ...

VOTE!

Source: Tom Suffredin 9/15/2020

Entities that submitted proposals for the Harley Clarke Mansion and Coach House, located at 2603 Sheridan Rd., will present their proposals at a Special City Council Meeting on Monday, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m.

The meeting, which will be conducted virtually, will be broadcast live on Channel 16 and on the City's YouTube channel.

Proposals to be presented include:

• Artist Book House Proposal
• Evanston Community Lakehouse & Gardens Proposal 
• Evanston Conservancy Proposal  
• ONECommunity Museum Website 

More information is available at cityofevanston.org/mansion.

(Presenters will have 15 minutes to present each proposal.)

The Evanston RoundTable has asked that we pass along the following survey:

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Hello,

To prepare for the relaunch of the Evanston RoundTable newspaper, the Roundtable is conducting a short survey.

The RoundTable recently transitioned to a nonprofit organization to better serve its mission assuring that Evanston maintains an authoritative, independent journalistic voice that can hold accountable our elected officials and government, and keep us informed on the social and cultural life of the community.

The RoundTable has just launched an online survey of local reader habits. We want to hear from current readers of the RoundTable, as well as former readers and people who never read the paper at all.

The survey is short and no personal information will be collected.

Would you please consider forwarding this survey to the CSNA?

Thanks in advance for your help - and here’s a link to the survey:

https://bit.ly/3jY7EYZ

Dear Neighbors,

City Council will vote Monday night on a Special Event Permit for the American Legion Post 42 Patio Events. 

If you value live local music here on Central Street please write your alderman and ask them to support the permit, or let them know your position.

Post 42 is unique. For many years it has collaborated with Blue Grass Chicago to provide one of the best indoor Blue Grass venues in Chicago.  Building on that tradition Post 42 has remodeled the patio area to support a COVID compliant outdoor event space delivering local entertainment to local residents and benefiting local veteran programs ... a triple 'Win' at a time when we all need some safe entertainment.

Please write your alderman and let them know your position on SAFE live local music at Post 42.

The agenda Item is A5 on the Consent Agenda

A5.Approval of Special Event: American Legion Post 42 Patio Concerts
Staff recommends approval of the special event permit application submitted by the Evanston American Legion Post 42 to host live music concerts on city property adjacent to the Chandler-Newberger Center. Costs for city services provided for events require a 100% reimbursement from the sponsoring organization or event coordinator. These fees are waived for City events and City co-sponsored Events.
For Action
Approval of Special Event: American Legion Post 42 Patio Concerts

The City Council  9/14 meeting packet information for this agenda item is available here.

CSNA
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Post 42 has provided the following information:

Members and neighbors who have been expecting the construction of the Central Street Bridge by the City to have begun will be disappointed to know (or maybe happy to know) that the bridge demolition work that was scheduled to begin this fall will not begin in earnest until Spring 2021.

The contract between IDOT and the Contractor has not been signed.  Rather, it is in the final stages of negotiations, whereby the Contractor must produce documentation including proof of insurance and identification/approval for the chosen disadvantaged businesses (DBEs) that the Contractor will use for parts of the work.  This process has taken longer than expected.

Traffic staging and demolition of half of the bridge will begin in Spring 2021.

Other supporting work that will not impact traffic this Fall may take place, however, but is dependent upon the yet-unknown detailed Contract schedule.  This supporting work might include the Contractor’s temporary yards for storage of equipment and materials (work off of the right-of-way), tree removal , and possibly the installation of the temporary traffic signal at the Bryant/Central intersection.  The temporary signals will not be operational until the Spring, when traffic begins to be re-routed to one side of the bridge to facilitate the demolition.

Behind the scenes, the Contractor will also use the Fall and Winter to order the steel girders for the proposed bridge (about a 10-week lead time) and to solidify and line-up the subcontractors.

As a result of this delayed start, traffic will remain as-is on Central Street this Winter.  Emergency vehicle access will not be affected, service to the hospital will be maintained, pedestrians will continue to be able to cross Central, and Canal Shores Golf Course will be open for business as usual.

The delayed start is not expected to impact the ultimate completion of the project in late Summer 2022. 

Note that some of the above information is subject to the Contractor’s detailed schedule.  As we know more, CSNA will keep you informed.

The Library Board has posted the packet for the meeting tomorrow Wednesday August 19 at 6:30 PM.  The packet includes the agenda for the meeting.

A separate link provides instruction on how to join the Zoom meeting to participate remotely via either computer or smart phone. Instructions are also available for listening in via telephone.  This link also contains instructions for participating in public comment.  You must register before the meeting to provide public comment.  The Zoom and/or telephone connection alone does not allow for publlic comment. You can register right up to the meeting start at 6:30 PM.

Here is the link:to the EPL Board Agendas & Meetings page: https://www.epl.org/essentials/board-of-trustees/agendas-minutes/

Here is the link to the Agenda/Packet for thiis meeting:  https://www.epl.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/library-packet-20200819.pdf

Here is the link to the Zoom meeting and the public comment sign-up: https://www.epl.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Remote-Access-to-Library-...