July 17, 2025
Headlines

Bob

Bob Seidenberg is an award-winning reporter, covering issues in Evanston for more than 30 years. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism.

Crosby Theodore’s historic landmark building, 1817 Church St., stands to the left od Mt. Pisgah’s current location.

Court denies neighbor’s request for a preliminary injunction on Church and Dodge development

Bob013 mins

By Bob Seidenberg The Illinois First District Appellate Court upheld Monday a Cook County Circuit Court decision denying a property owner’s request for a preliminary injunction to stop a mixed-use development proposed for Church Street west of Darrow Avenue from moving forward. In a 25-page opinion, the three justices affirmed the circuit court ruling that the…

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Lenice Levy, owner of the Good to Go restaurant at 711 Howard St., responds to questions from members of the city’s Economic Development Committee April 23.

Committee reluctant to back restaurant’s request for assistance after fire

Bob014 mins

Economic Development Committee cited precedent and the past loan payment history of Good To Go Jamaican Cuisine By Bob Seidenberg A request from the owner of Howard Street’s Good To Go Jamaican restaurant for city assistance to rebuild after a devastating Nov. 29 fire failed to win initial support from members of the Economic Development…

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Evanston Public Library’s main branch at 1703 Orrington Ave.

Library board hires consultant to study financial future

Bob08 mins

Meristem Advisors, the chosen consultant, will review the value of services that EPL receives from the city   By Bob Seidenberg Facing significant renovation costs on a building it doesn’t own, the Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees is reaching out to a consultant to look at the library’s financial future and recommend options, including…

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At a 2015 ceremony, then-Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and former Mayor James “Jay” Lytle study a plaque designating the council chambers in Lytle’s name.

Council approves honorary street sign for former mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl

Bob08 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Eight years out of office, Elizabeth Tisdahl, the only one of the city’s mayors to also have school board service on her record, now has  a honorary street in her name. Council members unanimously approved at their April 14 meeting, designating a portion of Martha Lane at Simpson Street as “Elizabeth Tisdahl…

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Evanston Budget Manager Clayton Black warned Tuesday that uncertainty around federal funding that the city relies on presents “a grave concern.”

City budget manager: Federal funding threats ‘a grave concern’

Bob07 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Evanston has not experienced the same shock of an impending loss of federal funds as Northwestern University, but city officials are keeping a watchful eye on their own situation as the next budget season grows closer. At the April 8 Finance and Budget Committee meeting, as members talked about new tools to tame a longstanding…

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Have Dreams student Caleb Jensen, an intern at the Thermal Laminating Corporation, fits a laminating roller into place.

Evanston nonprofit connects people with autism to jobs

Bob022 mins

But the program is running short on participating employers and hoping Evanston businesses will step up By Bob Seidenberg Henry Testard has been on the job roughly a half hour at the Thermal Laminating Corporation at 2220 Greenwood Ave., carefully lining up cardboard pieces on a wood frame to make into the boxes used to stabilize…

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A city committee will take more time to decide what to do about a homeowner’s leaning elm.

Committee wants guidelines in place before ruling on homeowner’s request to remove leaning elm

Bob013 mins

‘I feel like I’ve done my part in planting other trees, and this is one I’m not comfortable where it is,’ Kristina Pierce tells city committee By Bob Seidenberg/rseiden914@gmail.com A northwest Evanston homeowner will have to wait a little longer for a decision from the city on whether she can remove an elm tree from…

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Shawn Iles, newly-elected Third Ward Council member.

A big assist from the ward’s ‘soccer moms’ helped push Shawn Iles over the top in a tight 3d ward race

Bob04 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Shawn Iles brought experience from a number of past roles to his campaign to succeed Melissa Wynne as the alderperson for the city’s Third Ward. Overnight Shelter Director for Interfaith Action of Evanston, former president of the Evanston Public Library Board, former president of the Evanston Rotary Club, coach in the AYSO…

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Mayor Daniel Biss makes the rounds at his victory party at Bluestone on Tuesday following his reelection.

Two ways to view Mayor Daniel Biss’s victory margin

Bob03 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Considering the late start mayoral challenger Jeff Boarini got and his lack of name recognition at the start, how should Mayor Daniel Biss’s 62.4% to 37.59% percent victory over the challenger be viewed? Jeff Smith, a longtime observer of Evanston’s political scene, took a crack at that question in a podcast interview…

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Matt Rodgers

‘Old-fashioned politicking’ proves formula of success for Matt Rodgers in 8th ward victory over incumbent

Bob04 mins

By Bob Seidenberg/rseiden914@gmail.com “A lot of good old-fashioned politicking,” proved the key for Matt Rodgers, the one candidate in Evanston’s municipal election field Tuesday to defeat an incumbent for a seat on the city council. Rodgers, the former chair of the city’s Land Use Commission, took home 810 votes or 64.18% of the vote compared…

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