Running for Two

Soldier's Wife Does Him Proud in Memorial Day 10-Mile Race

By Victoria Scott

Shari Missman Miller had expected to cross the finish line in the Fleet Feet Soldier Field 10 Mile run last Saturday with her training partner and inspiration. Instead, she finished among a throng of 3,400 runners that did not include him.

In the Memorial Day race honoring those who have served in the armed forces through U.S. history, Ms. Miller dedicated her effort to one particular soldier: Her husband, Chris, absent from the race, was deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, with the U.S. Air Force on April 18. "We've been together seven years and he's never had to go [to a war zone]," she says. "I feel very lucky; it's only six months."

Shari Miller ran the Soldier Field race wearing his picture – and, thanks to special dispensation from Fleet Feet, the number 13 that has belonged to him through his long and varied career in amateur sports.

The couple moved to Evanston from Tampa, Fla., in October 2004, when Master Sgt. Miller accepted a job in Chicago with the National Civic Outreach Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. After researching homes in the Chicago metropolitan area, they chose Evanston for its "great location."

On the lakeshore path behind Northwestern University they discovered a joint passion for running. They entered the Chicago Half Marathon and several other small races in 2005.

It was her first experience with racing. Ms. Miller, who turned 40 the day after her husband left for Kabul, says she always "stayed active." But she says it is her husband, once the winner of the Air Force European Athlete of the Year award, who is "the jock."

"I'm average Joe; he's in his [Ohio] high school hall of fame," she says. Recipient of a baseball scholarship to college, he also plays basketball, says his wife, and is "a huge golfer. A fraction better and he could be a pro."

On April 14, just days before he left the United States, Mr. Miller threw the first pitch at the White Sox game. It was the perfect surprise, says his wife, for a man who has a Chicago Cubs credit card but defines himself more broadly as a "Chicago fan."

Last winter the Millers began training together for the Memorial Day 10-Mile and the 2006 Chicago Marathon. But their training schedule was interrupted when Mr. Miller was called to a 179-day tour half a world away.

By phone from Afghanistan, Mr. Miller talked about his first month in that ravaged land. In a 23-year Air Force career that has included postings all over the globe, he says this is his first deployment as part of the Air Expeditionary Force. A media specialist for the Combined Forces Command in Afghanistan, Mr. Miller writes press releases from a guarded compound near the presidential palace in the capital city.

There are still 23,000 American troops in Afghanistan, he says. Many are involved in rebuilding schools, clinics and infrastructure. But Taliban activity is heating up near the Pakistani border, and he expresses "the greatest admiration" for the young soldiers stationed there. "It's surreal to be in this country while this is going on," he says.

On frequent trips to Bagram Airfield an hour away, he sees camels, sheep and nomads. From his office window Mr. Miller watches the sun rise between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m., heating the parched air to nearly 90 degrees by noon. No rain has fallen since he arrived on April 20. The day of his call a suicide bomber attacked a convoy on a road just six miles east of the compound, killing six Afghan's.

Missing the man with whom she says marriage "still feels like a honeymoon," Shari Miller has focused on her goal to cope with his absence. "Training is the only thing that's keeping me going," she says – that and her job with Nogginlabs, an award-winning e-learning company based in Chicago. By chance the husband and wife who head the business are themselves Iron Man triathletes who have inspired her.

But she is most appreciative of the people at Fleet Feet who heard her story and took up her cause.

The Soldier Field 10-Mile was already closed at 2,700 runners when she applied. But the demand was so strong that Fleet Feet applied to the city of Chicago for an improved race route and re-opened applications. Within hours, says Ms. Miller, they filled 3,400 spots.

The sports store chain pledged the proceeds of their third annual Soldier Field race to the Veteran's Assistance Commission of Cook County and to FitMatters at LaRabida Children's Hospital.

Shari Miller ran to recognize her husband – and to make a point. "When people hear ‘Memorial Day,'" she says, "they think ‘barbecue.'" She wants them to think, in addition, about the military personnel who are "preserving my freedom to run."

Upon Chris Miller's retirement from the Air Force his wife expects he will look for a public relations job here. "I can't leave Chicago," she says. "I'm in love with it." Meanwhile, she awaits his homecoming – in time, she hopes, to watch her run the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 22.

Torture Forum Draws a Crowd

By Charles Wilkinson

On May 21 at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, more than 200 people attended a two-hour forum on political torture. The event was sponsored by 14 interfaith and activist groups, including many representing North Shore churches, Amnesty International and North Suburban Peace Initiative (NSPI). Featured speakers were Jennifer Harbury, Washington D.C.- based lawyer and author of "Truth, Torture and the American Way," and Patricia Bronte, an Evanston resident and lawyer currently representing clients at Guantanamo. Both spoke through personal pain and frustration about governmental abuses of human and individual civil rights.

Ms. Bronte focused her remarks on the political/legal maneuverings justifying Guantanamo as well as the inhumane conditions she witnessed there. She described the place, not as an antidote for terrorism but rather as a breeding ground for future terrorists. She decried the government's use of the word "detainees" rather than "prisoners" as well as the four-plus year detention/imprisonment of 759 Muslims, only ten of whom have been criminally charged. Her descriptions of terror tactics there as well as her challenges to the effectiveness of torture itself in gathering information provided an effective framework for the next speaker.

Ms. Harbury, a human rights' activist for the more than 20 years since the torture and death of her husband in Guatemala, spoke out against the government's policy-makers, specifically the CIA, for gathering information. She questioned the government's re-definition of torture to justify its use as not being "cruel and degrading treatment" and, with Ms. Bronte, feared torture's backlash on America, including the "loss of our nation's soul." She spoke strongly against the blatant abuse of legal processes long before 9/11 and since. She argued for a diligent respect for and application of the laws and principles our country claims to live by.

Questions and comments followed, and the event ended with a clear call for all to witness their opposition to torture of any kind

aRound the Community

Cultural Fund Grants Recipients Announced
Twenty Cultural Fund grants totaling $46,100 have been awarded by the Evanston Cultural Fund Grant Program is administered by the Cultural Arts Division, a division of the City's Department of Parks/Forestry and Recreation, and the Evanston Arts Council. The Cultural Fund is supported by the City of Evanston and partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

The 20 recipients are a blend of not-for-profit arts organizations and individual artists: Actors Gymnasium, Art Encounter, Evanston Art Center, Evanston In-School Music Association (EISMA), Evanston Symphony Orchestra, First Night Evanston, Alice George, Lynne Pace Green, Joanne B. Koch, Light Opera Works, Literature for All of Us, Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Mudlark Theater Company, Music Institute of Chicago, Next Theatre, Open Studio Project, RHINO, Shorefront N.F.D., Thick Routes Performance Collage, and Judy Veramendi.

Cultural Fund grant applications are available each fall through the Cultural Arts Division. Call 847-448-8260.

First Hat Tea Fundraiser a Parade of Successes for Infant Welfare Society of Evanston

Sunday afternoon May 7 at Hotel Orrington boasted a flurry of little girls in pastel dresses, white gloves, and festive hats. The Infant Welfare Society of Evanston's Hat Tea brought together almost 200 grandmothers, mothers and daughters in support of services for families in poverty and at risk in our area.

Evanston residents ranging in age from 3 months to 101 years came out to raise funds for the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (IWSE). The event was held in the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Orrington, where guests enjoyed stations of activities along with a high-style, high tea repast.

For more information visit www.infantwelfaresocietyofevanston.com. Anyone wishing to donate or volunteer can reach IWSE at 847-491-9650, 2200 Main Street, Evanston, IL. 60202.

Connections Benefit at Gallery Mornea
Long-time Chicago history and architecture guide Bill Hinchliff will present a slide lecture, "The Chicago World's Fair of 1983: The Greatest Show on Earth" at 7 p.m. on June 23 at Gallery Mornea, 602 Davis St.Mr. Hinchliff will talk on the event that sparked the award-winning book "The Devil in the White City," by Erik Larson. A $5 minimum contribution will be collected at the door. All proceeds will benefit Connections for the Homeless. Call Gallery Mornea, 847- 864-1906, or Connections, 847- 475-7070, ext. 106.

Child Care Providers Honored.
Pictured standing left to right are Cris Baer, Eryn Jones, Deana Scurry, Martha Arntson, Socorro Clarke, Bonnie Dohogne and Nerode Abraham. Seated left to right are Beth Fabijanic and Damaris Oritz.

After having put in a full day of caring for young children, about 60 child-care providers gathered at the Civic Center for a dinner and speeches acknowledging the importance of quality child care and early education.

The Childcare Network of Evanston sponsors the annual event to "recognize and appreciate the vital contributions of Evanston's early care and education professionals who foster learning and development in young children."

Child Care Center Open House
There will be an open house 2-4 p.m. on June 3 for the preschool program of the Child Care Center of Evanston, 1840 Asbury Ave. Prospective families are invited to tour the indoor and outdoor classrooms and see the plans for the new tricycle path. Call 847-869-2680 or visit www.childcarecenterofevanston.org.

Cooking for One on a Budget
As a service to the community, Allied Home Health Care will present a monthly "cooking show" beginning June 8 at 2 p.m. on how to cook for one on a budget. There will be samples, recipe cards and shopping lists. There is no charge, but pre-registration is requested. Call 847-448-8250.

Organic Class at Ecology Center
"Everything About Improving Your Soil and Composting" is what organic gardener Irene Gregory is offering in a June 15 class, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd. Free parking; free class.

Mary Lou's Meet Market

"Mingling at the Metra": It has not escaped the attention of Mary Lou Smith that "so many nice single people take the train," she says. Never one to pass up a challenge, the smile behind the morning rush at the Top of the Tracks café turned her talents to after-hours matchmaking. She passed out questionnaires ("Are you single?" "Are you over 38 years old and loving it?" "Do you like trains and/or train stations?") and registration forms for "Mingling at the Metra" – Mary Lou's first "'Meet' Market for Singles."

She arranged for security and spiffed up the space. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, some 38 slightly apprehensive singles climbed the stairs to the Central Street Metra Station with a friend or colleague of the opposite sex in tow ("to keep the numbers even," says Ms. Smith). They snacked, they circulated – and "they never stopped talking," she says.

They followed the rules – "No one was allowed to marry that night," she says - and they departed shortly after 9:30. But some matches were struck, and everyone clamored for a sequel. The hostess is considering a "repeat engagement" in July.

2006 Summer Reading Game Kickoff

Children can make reading a habit while school is out. This year's theme, "Voyage to Book Island," includes special activities related to exotic tropical birds, sandy beaches, treasure maps and pirate ships. The Evanston Public Library's Summer Reading Game runs June 8 - Aug. 6, including an all-ages kickoff with Dave Dinaso's amazing World of Reptiles at the Main Library,1703 Orrington Ave., on June 11 at 2 p.m. The Summer Reading Game is offered at the Main Library and both branches. Children read books of their own choice to have fun and earn prizes. Call 847-866-0300.

The Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre Ensemble Presents "The Dark Water After"
"The Dark Water After," a look at the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and its residents, opens May 21, at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St. Based on first-hand testimony, "The Dark Water After" tells the story of people who survived the hurricane and are now rebuilding their lives in New Orleans. Get a unique look at the history and culture of the Crescent City, from the original Congo Square to the Convention Center.

Staged by the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre Ensemble, "The Dark Water After" will be presented over four weekends, May 21-June 11. Performance times are at 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $5. Call 847-448-8260, ext. 109.

"Saving the World"

"Saving The World" by Julia Alvarez is a novel of past and present about two women finding their own strengths.

Writer Alma, who left the Dominican Republic as a child, now lives in Vermont. She is happily married and has everything she should want.

Yet she is restless.Her doctor says she is depressed. She has written several successful novels, but the one she is working on is just not coming. She has found herself lying to her agent about it. And worst of all, she has even let her husband, Richard, believe that it is almost done. Instead, she is absorbed by research she has started about a woman, Isabel, who in 1803 took a group of orphans across the ocean, carrying the smallpox vaccine to the New World.

Isabel had lost her whole family to smallpox but survived herself, her face and body heavily marked. She found refuge in an orphanage for small boys and has fallen in love with one, Benito, whom she thinks of as her son.

One day, Dr. Francisco Xavier Balmis approaches them with the dream of using the boys as cowpox carriers. Two boys would be inoculated before they left Spain and then, as their vesicles matured, they would inoculate two more boys and thus keep the vaccine alive crossing the ocean. They have to find 22 boys who have never been exposed to smallpox.

As their journey unfolds, they meet incredible obstacles of nature, male egos, communication and revolutions, but Isabel, although often discouraged, never gives up.

As Alma in Vermont reads about Isabel, she thinks of her own Dominican Republic, where such things as an extra roll of toilet paper in a public restroom are luxuries most cannot even imagine.
Sometimes she feels guilty that she left. Richard works for a health organization and has been asked to set up a clinic in the Dominican Republic. He assumes that she would be happy to go back to her old country, but she does not really want to go. She wants to stay where she is and try to finish her novel. The project will only take a few months, and they can get together on weekends in Miami.

The clinic is also testing experimental drugs for AIDS, and that has angered some locals. Like Isabel and her quest to rid the world of smallpox, Richard is facing real problems.
Alma eventually finds she has no choice but to fly to the Dominican Republic. She knows the culture and the language and understands how the people can resent all the luxury in America and resent being used as guinea pigs. She wants to sympathize with them if she can.

What finally gives her the strength is thinking about Isabel, who never gave up on her dream.

"Art School Confidential"

Comic books and the film industry have made lucrative bedfellows for decades. This summer alone, Hollywood is ready to unleash a slew of celluloid blockbusters adapted from comics, such as "Superman Returns" and "X-Men: The Last Stand," along with the second and third installments of "Batman" and "Spider-Man".

Recently, both big and independent studios have mined the inked pages of graphic novels for lesser-known stories, hoping to appeal to a niche audience. Since 2000, graphic novels such as "Hellboy," "Constantine" and "Sin City" have made the transition from page to screen.

Terry Zwigoff, whose directorial canon includes "Crumb," a documentary on the life of counterculture comic artist R. Crumb, the sublimely sardonic "Bad Santa," and the graphic novel adaptation "Ghost World," takes the helm. Graphic novelist Daniel Clowes, who created both "Ghost World" and "Art School Confidential," wrote the screenplays for both films.

While "Ghost World's" self-absorbed characters thrived on the performances of Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi, "Art School Confidential" suffers from unenlightened performances by its predominantly young cast, and as the film delves into darker territory toward an ironic conclusion, it becomes easier to despise the pompous little brats.

The desire to be the most famous artist who ever lived is the driving force for our protagonist, Jerome (Max Minghella, who plays George Clooney's son in "Syriana"). After briefly detailing Jerome's artistic beginnings as an adolescent (he draws revenge sketches to mock the bullies who regularly beat him up), we come to understand Jerome's artistic inspiration is to use his talent for sex.

We are whisked off to Strathmore Institute, an arts college where freaks are the norm and preppies are the weirdoes. The initial "Revenge of the Nerds" character introduction is mired in stereotypes. Instead of anguished souls with endless depth, we get butch lesbians, a Quentin Tarantino/Kevin Smith wannabe ( Ethan Suplee of "My Name is Earl"), the fashion design roommate who does not know he is gay (Nick Swardson, in full-on queen mode), and a host of misfits, none of whom is loveable.

Mr. Minghella is unassuming in the role of Jerome, but his muse, Audrey (British actress Sophia Myles), takes center screen. The "Tristan and Isolde" star brings a worldly ease to her role as the artistic society girl looking to ride the coattails of the next big thing. Mr. Zwigoff also takes advantage of the talents of Anjelica Huston (as an art history professor) and even brings back "Ghost World" star Steve Buscemi for an uncredited role as Broadway Bob, a restaurant owner looking to exploit Strathmore's finest.

Mr. Zwigoff and Mr. Clowes create some very funny classroom scenes, most notably in Jerome's drawing class, taught by none other than John Malkovich (as Professor Sandiford). Mr. Malkovich's character is that of a bitter, failed artist who hopes to sculpt the next "it" thing out of one of his students for vicarious success. These interludes provide a biting irony, as students critique each other's work; in general they dismiss works of talent and praise lesser works using their own, misguided perceptions of the artist's intentions.

Had the film remained a chronicle of the struggles of a geeky art school student trying to deal with the art world, Mr. Zwigoff could have created a very intelligent and witty film. Instead, "Art School Confidential" has a conclusion and epilogue that validate the notion already explored in "Natural Born Killers": that we are a society obsessed, impressed and too often blindly disposed to the deification of the sociopaths of society. The conclusion is an uninspired regurgitation, disappointingly not an original statement about societal and social justifications.

1 hr. 42 min. Rated R for language including sexual references, nudity and a scene of violence.

"X-Men: The Last Stand"

Much like the first two X-Men films, "X-Men: The Last Stand" is at its best during the plentiful action sequences, highlighted by the latest in special effects and the thrill of watching the mutants unleash their specialized powers. Yet, like its predecessors, the third installment also suffers when it moves away from the action and into the personal relationships and the moral questions surrounding the coexistence of mutants and humans, which are convoluted by lame dialogue and an obvious haste to return to what the X-Men do best: kick butt.

In "The Last Stand," a "cure" for the mutant gene has been discovered. To the more thoughtful mutants residing at Professor Xavier's (Patrick Stewart) "School for Gifted Youngsters," this is viewed as a good thing. Most of the professor's students and proteges do not want to change who they are, but they feel the option to live a normal life as a human being is a welcome choice.

The more surly mutants led by Magneto (Ian McKellan) think otherwise. They foresee an all-out attack by the humans to rid the world of mutants and are determined to destroy the source of the cure, which is a boy whose mutant power is to neutralize all other mutant powers.

Director Brett Ratner ("Rush Hour") takes over for Bryan Singer and proves that he can deftly handle highly choreographed fight scenes with copious special effects. Rarely during the fighting sequences is the suspension of disbelief betrayed by technology as the mutants seamlessly defy gravity, slip through walls and clap their shock-wave inducing hands. Mr. Ratner recognizes that the demonstration of their unique abilities is by far the most appealing aspect of the X-Men franchise and he gives them plenty of screen time to show off their skills.

It is when the mutants do more human things like express love, regret, and concern for others that the movie loses steam. Armed with cliched lines like "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," and "everything he stood for is lost, and I'm not going to let that happen," these human moments can be downright laughable. And when the movie is punctuated with the last line- "way to go, fur-ball"- it is clear that "The Last Stand" has retained its comic-book roots of heavy action and terrible dialogue.

"X-Men: The Last Stand" is an entertaining display of special effects and creative superpowers that could have been much better if only it had focused even a fraction of the energy spent on the action into providing the characters with more interesting things to say.

1hr. 46min. Rated PG-13 for violence, language, and some sexual content.

N.I.M.B.

By John Macsai

Most developers need or want to exceed the limitations imposed by zoning: a greater number of units than allowed, greater building height, fewer parking spaces, etc. The concept of Planned Development was introduced to respond to such requests by helping the developer meet his needs and at the same time providing the community with what are considered public benefits.

Thus a negotiation process is created, and the zoning ordinance lists all the benefits from which the developer may choose:

1. Preserving and improving open space
2. Preserving natural vegetation and topography
3. Preserving historic resources
4. Creating a pleasing environment with architectural features
5. Providing a variety of housing types
6. Eliminating blight
7. Enhancing local economy and tax base
8. Improving utilities

Point number 5 includes, among other options, the provision for affordable rental or condominium housing units. This is what developers desperately try to avoid for several reasons. One reason they give is that they will lose money on these units compared to market rate units.

In reality, they are compensated for any possible loss by being allowed to have more total units, including some at market rate. Developers quickly forget this.

The other, and I suspect the real reason, for developers' reluctance is that affordable units are for people who are less well-off – poorer – and the general assumption is that they are not desirable, that they create trouble or even that some are drug addicts. Citizens who can afford market rate units do not want to live with them.

In order to avoid the provision of affordable units – but gain all the benefits – developers offer a donation to the City's affordable housing fund. This is usually a pittance compared to what affordable units would cost to build.

Evanston must develop a fair formula and stick to it instead of being misled by developers' offers.

Do not shed tears for the developer. The reality is that our neighbor Highland Park has a serious affordable-housing ordinance requiring that all multi-family residential buildings include 10 percent affordable units – and, obviously, this has not discouraged development. What are we waiting for?

Those who are afraid to locate poor people where there are already too many of them (see the reasoning of the opposition – and that of the Plan Commission – at the Darrow Avenue and Church Street development) should feel good, because an affordable housing ordinance would tend to disperse the poor around the entire city where there is multi-family housing development.

It is time to act if we want to maintain Evanston as a liberal, caring, progressive community with a heart and
1. Insist that in exchange for zoning variation, developers actually provide affordable units.
2. Not accept an outrageous financial contribution that is a pittance compared to the real value of affordable units.
3. And, finally, instead of getting affordable units as the result of a bargaining process and thereby rewarding developers to exceed the zoning-required limits, pass an ordinance that demands all multi-family housing to include a set percentage of affordable units.

Reviving "Charlemagne" Mural at Oakton School

By Kathleen Ratteree

Gazing at the 70-year-old frescos in the auditorium of Oakton School, one is both delighted by the vibrant medieval procession and shocked by the state of the mural. Titled "Charlemagne," the mural consists of four peeling panels in Italian Renaissance fresco-style and eight lunettes (diminutive of French lune, "moon"), or half-moon shaped spaces. These murals depict "The Song of Roland," an anonymous Old French epic dating perhaps as early as the middle of the 11th century. The poem glorifies the ideals of medieval French nobility.

Because of roof leaks, instability in the walls and several patch jobs that have bandaged rather than stopped the damage, "Charlemagne" has continued to decline rapidly. Mark Cleveland, an Oakton parent and former PTA member, dedicated his free time, beginning in 1993, to organizing a mural restoration project subcommittee to address these problems. Unfortunately, restoration would not come cheap – after the roof leak, the Chicago Conservation Center estimated the cost of restoration at about $130,000. "For nearly ten years the murals have been in an aggressive state of decline in a landmark school facility in the Evanston community, and our PTA could not raise the funding to address this problem," says Mr. Cleveland.

In 2001 Mr. Cleveland, along with other committed parents and Oakton Principal Q.T. Carter, began petitioning Representative Julie Hamos for funding. "We received a letter describing the disrepair from the Oakton PTA subcommittee in March, along with pictures of the mural," says Mike Gwinn, Julie Hamos' chief of staff. "Ms. Hamos, then-Illinois Senator Kathleen Parker and I went over to Oakton to look at the damage. Soon after, we began working to get some funding released from the State," said Mr. Gwinn.

The Oakton mural, along with many other Evanston art projects, began with the creation of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. The WPA provided work for jobless artists, but it also had a larger mission: to promote American art and culture and to give more Americans access to what President Roosevelt described as "an abundant life."

The project enabled Americans all across the country to see an original painting for the first time, attend their first professional live theater, or take their first music or drawing class. One familiar example of a surviving Evanston WPA project is the group of cast aluminum sculptures in the interior lobby of the Davis Street Post Office.

An artist employed by the WPA was required to produce a set number of artworks for which he/she received a monthly stipend and money for supplies. The "Charlemagne" fresco was one such artistic endeavor, overseen by Chicago native Carl Scheffler and completed around 1936.

Rep. Hamos told the RoundTable, "This is really a wonderful project for two reasons: First, the murals represent a slice of history that is in danger of vanishing. Having the murals restored would instill a sense of pride and could be a teaching tool connecting history and art."

Mr. Cleveland's concerns go beyond cultural allusions. Every day 450–500 District 65 children participate in programs held in the deteriorating auditorium, which is also the venue for community meetings. "When prospective parents see the auditorium, their first impression of Oakton School is that it offers low-quality education. Parents with means, parents with choices, who can help address the diversity, economic and skill-gap issues in Oakton School, find their "negative perceptions" validated upon seeing the walls," says Mr. Cleveland.

On May 10, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) of the governor's office notified District 65 Superintendent Dr. Hardy Murphy, and the Board of Education for School District 65 that a $100,000 grant had been awarded for the restoration of the murals at Oakton Elementary School. "The murals at Oakton School represent a significant part of history, and to be able to restore them to their original beauty for future generations is truly magnificent," says Dr. Murphy.

The next step is to decide who will do the restoration work. "With the release of $100,000 from the state, we can begin the bidding process for the cost of the work," says Mr. Carter. Restoration companies will submit their estimates to the School Board in a public bidding process. Once a company is selected, the real work of bringing "Charlemagne" back to life can begin.

Mayor Lorraine Morton recalled that when she was principal of Haven Middle School, she asked the School Board to allow a custodian to spend two weeks cleaning comparable murals on the fourth floor of the school. "The look of joy on his face as the picture was restored was wonderful, she said. "The red birds came alive under his touch. It was worth it.

Get fired up About Grilling

By Claire Bryant

Lynn Epps, meat and seafood manager at FoodStuffs on Central Street, offers grill-ready meats and rubs. Photo by Claire Bryant

Barbecuing, along with baseball, is one of those great American traditions. Every summer the grills come out and backyards are transformed into outdoor dining rooms. In just a few weeks, the smells of hamburgers, hot dogs and brats will fill the air as neighbors gather for Memorial Day celebrations. As many begin preparing the menu, the thought of choosing a meat as the main course may seem overwhelming, but there is a meat out there for the skill level and budget of every barbecuer.

When getting ready to choose the meat for a barbeque, Lynn Epps, meat and seafood manager at FoodStuffs, offers a piece of helpful advice: "Keep it simple, and stick to what you know."

For the novice griller, hamburgers and hot dogs maybe the safest route and are also an economical choice. "The classic barbecue is burgers and dogs; you can't mess that up," says Kosta Douvikas of D and D Finer Foods. Although it may seem easy, there is still a variety of choices when it comes to choosing hamburgers; they are not just beef anymore. Ground turkey is a good choice for a healthier version, but if beef is preferred, ground sirloin has the least amount of fat, says Mr. Douvikas. Foodstuffs offers a leaner burger taken from hormone-free, grass-fed cows, and although they may be a healthier option, they are also much more expensive.

The "standards" are also a good way to please a crowd, because "everyone likes hot dogs and hamburgers," says Mr. Douvikas. Grilling these are also good practice for the less experienced. "You can learn to become a great griller by cooking burgers and hot dogs," says Mr. Epps.

If flipping burgers seems dull, steaks, though pricier, are available in many varieties. "Sirloin is the cheapest, but it's tough," says Mr. Douvikas. He recommends choosing a New York strip steak or a rib-eye for grilling. They are more tender and, though a little more expensive, are still moderately priced. When purchasing a steak, the leanest cut may seem like a good idea for the waistline, but giving up the fat will sacrifice the quality of the meat. "The leaner they are, the tougher they are going to be," says Mr. Epps. He suggests looking for a cut that is "nicely marbled" and is thinner for easier cooking.

The filet mignon, whose name suggests a heavy price tag, is usually the most expensive of the steak cuts but is also the most tender, says Mr. Douvikas. He recommends keeping the meat together by wrapping the edges with bacon or suet, a fatty tissue that comes from cattle; this will hold it in place and help prevent overcooking. If the extra fat does not sound appealing, a piece of twine will also do the job, says Mr. Epps.

To add extra flavor without adding fat, cut a slice lengthwise into the side of the meat and stuff it with garlic or spices, says Mr. Douvikas. To make sure none of the cuts gets too tough, he suggests cutting into the meat to check the color several times until it is cooked.

Pork tenderloin is a lean and tender option for the grill. "There's no fat on the tenderloin," says Mr. Douvikas. But beware: if cooked too long, "it will taste like sandpaper," he says. Pork tenderloin can be prepared for several people at once since it is cooked in large pieces.

A less temperamental pork product is the pork chop. Mr. Epps says these are often available at his counter, rubbed with seasoning and ready to grill. They are also relatively easy to cook and take about only six minutes on each side, he said.

Because of its light weight and tender meat, fish may seem difficult to grill, but it is relatively simple and needs little attention on the grill. Any fish, from salmon to walleye, can be cooked easily by creating a steamer. Take a large piece of foil and poke holes in it, then wrap the fish loosely inside the foil, place it on the grill, put the lid on the BBQ pit and let it go. "It will finish by itself," says Mr. Epps. It allows the cook to leave the grill without having to worry about overcooking because the closed grill will "steam it perfectly, he says. Check back on the fish every 4 1/2 to 5 minutes.

With summer almost here, it is time to take advantage of all the warm weather has to offer. For only a short time each year the smells, tastes and the wonderful grill lines of the barbeque pit are avalaible in one's own back yard.

Seminar Helps Educators Teach Healthy Eating Habits

By Perry S. Ames

From left Jean Saunders, Lynn Hyndman and Joel Smith teach the habits of eating "slow foods" instead of fast food. Photo courtesy of KEB

A recent seminar held at the Ecology Center showed about 50 Evanston educators how to instill healthy eating habits in their students. Judy Elsass, vice-president of Keep Evanston Beautiful, Inc., welcomed the group and talked about KEB's exciting collaboration with Slow Food Chicago to create a model edible school garden at Dawes School.

Joel Smith, co-director of Slow Food Chicago (slowfoodusa.org) explained the need to bring families back to the dinner table as a center of family life, of our culture and as a place to enjoy wholesome food.

Lynn Hyndman, KEB's School Gardens chair, presented an overview of the Dawes School edible garden project. This program teaches an ecological approach to growing food and involves students in planting, harvesting, preparing and tasting the end results.

Jean Saunders reviewed local policy initiatives governing food in our schools, including the work of the Healthy Schools Campaign (healthyschoolscampaign.org) and the Wellness Policy Committee of District 65. She also touched on the Farm to School programs that will be implemented in some Illinois school districts.

To comply with a federal law, school districts throughout the United States must establish a wellness policy by the beginning of the school year 2006, which is late August or early September for many districts.

After the program, in the Slow Food tradition, guests enjoyed fresh spring salads prepared by Keep Evanston Beautiful board members. In keeping with the event's earth- friendly theme, biodegradable plates, knives and forks (made from corn) were used.

The seminar's co-sponsors, KEB and Slow Foods Chicago, are grateful to the individuals and groups who participated, helped fund and facilitated this gathering. Special thanks to the staff of the Evanston Ecology Center.

Student Essays

Read the student essays here.

Excellence in Mentoring Awards

Three teachers were honored with Excellence in Mentoring Awards at the May 5 ceremony:
• Dale Campbell, Library Media Specialist at
Dr. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School, nominated by Jan Troy
• Bernadette Simcoe, Special Education Teacher at Evanston Township High School, nominated by Bryan Millington
• Lynn Sperling, Fourth-grade Teacher at Lincolnwood School, nominated by Mona Taman

Health and Fitness

Exploring Firsthand the Benefits of Massage Therapy
By Anna Mussa-Ivaldi

To better explore the benefits of therapeutic massage, this reporter decided the direct approach was the best approach. In the name of professional accuracy, she subjected herself twice to a massage. Both visits achieved the same results: relaxation to the point of forgetfulness; relief from shoulder and neck pain; a widespread, pleasant feeling of joint looseness; and a recovered memory of the notion that it is possible to feel physically good.

Therapeutic massage is one of many tools used by professional massage therapists to remediate both physical pain and serious stress caused by trauma. The RoundTable interviewed staff at Therapeutic Massage and Body Works and Healing Touch Massage Therapy.

"We are different from a spa," said Ellen Kruse of Therapeutic Massage and Body Works. "Spas don't go beyond boundaries. We, instead, work with people who are in pain or are seriously stressed."

The term "therapeutic massage" covers a large spectrum of modalities. The most basic is Swedish massage, which stimulates circulation, promotes relaxation and "pushes out toxic waste," says Kristine Karlson-Flynn of Healing Touch Massage Therapy. Among the more complex are myofascial massage, neuromuscular massage (NMT), known also as deep-tissue massage, sport massage and Reiki.

In their training, therapists learn basic massage therapy as well as pathology, physiology and kinesiology. Ms. Karlson-Flynn says, however, that many other kinds of therapeutic massages can be learned outside the classroom.

Myofascial massage works with connective tissue and its underlying muscles. To explain what connective tissue is, Ms. Kruse compared the human body to a big ball of yarn: Connective tissue is the membrane that holds everything together, even individual muscle fibers. "It wraps muscle bundles together," Ms. Karlson-Flynn added, "and holds our organs together. It looks like a web." Damaged connective tissue, she says, is the result of tension, stress, injury, repetitive motion or poor posture: The fascia becomes "glued" to the underlying muscle, impairing the blood flow to it.

Massage therapists use myofascial massage to release the restrictions in the body's connective system. The massage is gentle at first, at a superficial level, and then goes deep into the muscles and the bone structure. Myofascial massage also is said to help release any holding pattern developed through bad posture. People who spend long hours sitting at the computer, for instance, tend to come forwards with their heads, and the muscles at the base of their neck have to work harder to keep the head back, said Ms. Karlson-Flynn and Ms. Kruse.

Elizabeth Robins has been a faithful visitor to Ms. Karlson-Flynn's office for seven years. She travels 70 miles every week to find relief from her headaches and from the tendinitis in her elbow. "If I can't come for six weeks or two months, I really notice the difference," she said. Ms. Robins stressed the importance of trust in the relationship between massage therapists and their clients. "If you are in pain and somebody is touching you, you really
need to trust that person," she said.

Massage therapists claim that most people who suffer from spinal injury can find relief in neuromuscular therapy, also known as both deep-tissue massage and trigger-point myotherapy. In this type of massage, the pressure on the area of the muscle spasm is applied in different levels of intensity with the fingers or knuckles. The purpose of the therapy is to restore proper blood flow and oxygen to the muscles affected by the spasm by eliminating lactic acid, said Ms. Kruse. "We are trying to lengthen the muscles so the person has greater possibility of motion. To get long-term results, a good therapist will concentrate on dealing with releasing muscle attachment," she added.

The recommended duration of treatment depends on the type of problem, said Ms. Kruse. If the problem is posture-
related, she said, people who make enough changes to keep good posture do not need to return.

"It takes a long time to reverse bad habits, because we don't want to force the body too much and all at once," said Ms. Karlson-Flynn. People with chronic diseases, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and degenerative disk problems, may need weekly treatments. Some, said Ms. Kruse, are eventually able to reduce treatment to a maintenance level.

Although most people seek massage therapies for their healing powers, some use them for prevention and general wellness. An expert massage can be relaxing after a long day of work. For this reporter, the only regret after an exploratory session was that it did not last longer.

After attending the Chicago School of Massage Therapy or a similar institute for two years, massage therapists have to take a national test and, since 2004, must be licensed by the state. The cost of therapeutic massage varies with the length and the type of massage. Although most insurance companies do not pay for them, health savings accounts established by independent owners or flex-spending accounts for those who are employed can absorb part of the cost.

Reiki Massage
This is a healing technique born in Tibet 2,500 years ago. The idea behind it is that physical pain is the external manifestation of emotional, mental and spiritual states. When performing Reiki Massage, the therapist places her/his hands on the person's body in order to let the "energy from the universe flow from it to heal the patient."

Hot Stone Massage
Smooth stones are heated by the therapist
in 140-degree water and applied to the skin in
a constant movement pattern. Swedish massage is used in this therapy, but the therapist may also leave the stones in a specific area, for instance, along the spine, or in the palm of the hands. Although this massage has long been practiced in India and was practiced in the Mayan culture, it was introduced in this country in 1993 by Mary Hannigan, a native of Tucson, Arizona.

Aging Well, Breathing Well
Participants in the breathing workshop at the sixth annual Aging Well conference, held May 6, learned the importance of correct breathing. The conventional "taking a deep breath," if done properly, can help control stress and calm the mind. Above, participants practice the "Ujjayi" or "victorious breath," breathing through the nose with mouth closed.

During a class in seated aerobics, participants learned what to do when someone who is alone in the house takes a fall: without getting up, a person can pull himself or herself along the floor to a solid object such as a chair or table, preferably one with a phone in close range.
Still without wholly standing, and using the furniture for support, a person can pull up and onto the chair, reach the phone and call for help. Staff from the YMCA and local nurses pointed out that calling 911 in such cases is proper. "The firefighters don't mind making a wellness check," said Ellen Butkus of Senior Connections. "They're glad to do this and glad to know you're ok."

Fifth Annual Community Mental Health Conference
"Depression in Adults between 20 and 50: Prevention and Solutions," the Fifth Annual Community Mental Health Conference, will be held on June 4 at Beth Emet Synagogue. Community members can register online at the conference web- site at www.naomicohenfoundation.org For additional information or conference brochure, contact Harvey Saver, Mental Health Services, 847-448-8053.

The scheduled keynote speaker is Dr. Peter D. Kramer, clinical professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. Dr. Kramer is the author of the groundbreaking books, "Listening to Prozac," and "Against Depression."

Terry Wise is the featured speaker for the conference. She wrote "Waking up: Climbing Through the Darkness," which provides a road map for the restoration of emotional health. Wise was the recipient of a National Mental Health Award sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company. Ms. Wise is a survivor of several attempts of suicide and speaks from the patient's chair about the consequences of untreated depression.

Mental Health Association of the North Shore Honors Community Mental Health Volunteers

The Mental Health Association of the North Shore honored community volunteers Irene Doyle Sandler of Evanston and Dr. Frederick E. Miller
of Glencoe, chairman of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare's (ENH)
Department of Psychiatry at its Spring Benefit on May 7. "The two volunteered their time, energy and creative resources to improve mental health accessibility and to dispel stigma in our communities at its spring benefit," said Sue Laue, MHANS president.

Dr. Miller, MHANS' 2006 Outstanding Community Service Honoree, has created nationally award-winning video programs to reach teens with a powerful message, "there's No Such Thing As Crazy," and a website, www.nosuchthingscrazy.com. "Kids in our culture are so overexposed to negative stereotypes about mental illness through movies, TV, and jokes, that it's not balanced," he said.

Through the videos and website, Dr. Miller creates compassion in teens for their peers suffering from a mental illness or emotional disorder, and gives them a first-person perspective that instills a more balanced view. He also wants to reassure struggling teens that they could make it and come out on the other side, still struggling but with a note of hope.

Irene Doyle Sandler, MHANS 2006 Outstanding Community Volunteer
honoree, is a MHANS past president and active community volunteer. "Irene is someone who focuses on a task and gets the job done with a smile and a positive spirit that engages and empowers others. The new ideas just keep
coming to dispel stigma and promote mental health," Ms. Laue said.

Some of Ms. Sandler's accomplishments for MHANS include serving as past president (1994-96), breathing new life into the organization. She spearheaded an incredible outreach campaign on depression and suicide prevention by promoting "Rock Against Depression" with its creator, volunteer Paul McComas. They also created the MHANS Youth Advisory Committee.