EDITORIALS

Ethics Ordinance Needed Strengthening

The amendment to the City's ethics ordinance enacted recently by City Council is valuable for both the public servants and the citizens of Evanston. It was needed, not because of anything any alderman, present or retired, has done or might even contemplate, but because it clarifies things. It clarifies that anyone acting as a representative of the City or its citizens should be disinterested and avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

It clarifies that anyone who feels he or she cannot vote on an issue because of a possible conflict of interest should also refrain from lobbying his or her colleagues about the issue. It clarifies that there should be a waiting period of a year before anyone formerly in a position to decide a matter brings any matter before the City on behalf of him- or herself or on behalf of a client.

But the amendment also sheds light on the occasions when Council members can vote on matters that affect them personally: When the result will impact the citizens in the same way as it does the City official, then the official may vote. Otherwise, aldermen might have to abstain from, say, approving the budget, on the theory they would be personally affected.

Evanston is a small town in many ways, but it has an urban edge and an urban sophistication. It is important that we keep our standards in line with those of progressive municipalities as well as federal and state guidelines.

This amendment shows that Council is not afraid to monitor itself.

A last necessary part is lacking, in that no sanctions are provided at present. The members of the Board of Ethics, as well as the aldermen, are to be congratulated for their work thus far. We hope they will not falter in crafting reasonable and fair sanctions; it is good to keep the momentum and to begin considering what these sanctions should be. They need to be in place well before it becomes necessary to impose them.

Opening Night

Tonight is opening night for the 523-foot-tall residential and retail tower proposed for downtown Evanston. Formal hearings begin with the Plan Commission's 7 p.m. meeting. The word on the street seems to be that most planners like the proposal and most residents do not. Those who like it point to its skyward elegance and its closer-to-the-ground setbacks that, they say, would make for pedestrian-friendliness. Those who do not like the proposal point to Evanston's ever-more-crowded skyline and wish for something other than condominiums to be built here. (OR wish that Evanston could attract other kinds of economic development).

It is hard not to have an opinion on this, because downtown planning has been at the center of attention for several months, and the buzz about the tower is increasing.

It is important not just to hear the developers, but also to consider the alternatives. At least twice the City has been left aesthetically poorer because a developer decided to build as-of-right rather than go through the time-consuming process of hearing neighbors' complaints.

It is too late to amend the zoning code to keep our comfortable, mostly low-rise downtown.

Growth has come upon our community in recent years, and, as a landlocked City, we can only go up. How high and how dense is up to our elected officials.

As residents we can give them guidance by casting aside our nostalgia for the sleepy little town we once were and our disdain for the New Little Chicago we fear we will become. Evanston is struggling to manage its growth, just as a few years ago we were struggling to persevere its stagnation.

Time, consideration, attention to detail and commitment to compromise as well as to growth will see us though this next stage of Evanston.

The Bonds Question

By Charles Wilkinson

I want to take a stand on the Barry Bonds question, "Did he or didn't he?" Like everyone else, except those few who really know, I have no answer to offer so I write from the land of "innocent until proven guilty." But that does not mean I cannot take a stand. Facts may be wanting, but for this baseball fan feelings are aplenty.

Now that Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs no longer stands alone, there is another story to be written. Baseball's commissioner, Bud Selig, decided to "be there" when the record was tied and broken, and rightly so. Selig, saying there is no greater record in American sports, realized that moment would be truly historic, however tainted. Fact is, Barry Bonds' numbers will continue to make only sad history until - and likely after - the Bonds question is answered.

My feelings deal with a mix of many factors: among them the game of baseball, Bonds' fans and Bonds himself.

Steroids are poison to baseball, not only to the game itself but to its history and its heroes. That said, I believe baseball will survive its chemically blemished years, however the story gets told. What remain important are the lessons learned for protecting and guaranteeing the integrity of the game and its players.

Bonds' fans need to stand tall enough to see beyond their hero. They need to honor Hank Aaron for the purity of his talent while admitting, at least, the validity of the suspicion of steroid use by their idol. "Bonds was not the only one!" as a defense betrays both ignorance of right vs. wrong as well as a lack of respect for the game and its history.

The same applies to Barry Bonds. I feel sad for the man, even more so should he be found innocent of the charges. A great run deserves to be just that - great. The steroid stench destroyed any chance of that, at least for this fan. And now there is no saving grace in sight, even though there was such a possibility until last weekend.

What if, after Bonds hit #755,  he called it quits? His place in the record books is a given, with or without an asterisk. Why could he not stand tall enough to see beyond himself to honor, not only Aaron, but the game that had given him this moment? Such a choice did not have to be an admission of guilt but could simply speak to an awareness of the controversy. It could have given Bonds a certain stature in whatever history eventually writes. Maybe even a silver asterisk instead of black.

I know; it is all about feelings, not facts. Baseball may be a game of numbers, but the Bonds question, until and even after the facts are in, will continue to generate such feelings for years to come, long after Bonds hits #s 756, 757, 758 or however many his legs and his ego allow.

Expectations

By Peggy Tarr

I awoke one morning to hear on National Public Radio a man who had set his sights on washing dishes in all the states. At a restaurant in Louisiana, he encountered resistance to his doing so because he was white. He was told that only black (colored?) people did this kind of work in the kitchen. As a white person, he would have to work out front. The man insisted on washing dishes as part of his goal. Finally, to accommodate this man's goal and accommodate the philosophy of who did what at the restaurant, a new position was created for him, a supervisory position that put him in charge of the (black) dishwashers.

Beulah,* a black woman in America, worked as a maid six days a week and sometimes seven if her family** needed her. Beulah did not have a high school diploma and considered herself fortunate to have a job with such a nice family. Her hours were long, since she was there from breakfast through dinner. She was the person to clean, cook and listen. The only advice for which Beulah was sought pertained to food and cleaning products. She was not expected to be knowledgeable about anything else. Little did her family know that Beulah read the newspapers every day and had her own kids teach her how to do math and construct sentences properly when she got home in the evenings.

There is no question that the family for which Beulah worked loved her. But love, respect and expectations are not the same. As life would have it, a situation arose that earned Beulah a new kind of respect.

Beulah's family wanted to have new carpeting laid before one of their parties. Beulah accompanied "The Mrs." to the carpet store to pick out the carpeting. After showing The Mrs. all the samples, the carpet man asked The Mrs. which one she wanted. The Mrs. flushed. Her husband had given her a limit as to how much to spend, but she was at a loss as to how she was going to figure it out. The carpet man asked if she had the measurements of the room. She didn't. Beulah, who had not been included in the conversation, spoke up: "I have the measurements." She pulled out a piece of paper with the measurements and gave it to the carpet man. She told The Mrs.; "You can go up to $15 per square foot and still be within Mr.'s limit." The Mrs. stared at Beulah. The carpet man, after doing some calculations, confirmed what Beulah said.
"Thank you, Beulah," The Mrs. said.

"The head of a man … a secret storage place." - Chayya People
.........................
*Beulah - I used the name "Beulah" in this story because of my childhood history with an older African-American woman, Miss Beulah, who worked as a maid but taught classical piano lessons and because of the "Beulah" show. The show was a sitcom about an African-American maid and the white family for whom she worked. It started out as a radio show in the '40s and then became a television show in the '50s. Hattie McDaniel, Ethel Waters and Louise Beavers played this role. The show was criticized for its alleged stereotypical content.
**her family - domestics frequently referred to the family for whom they worked as "my family."

Letters to the Editor

Stands by Statement To School Board
Editor:

RE: Letter to the Editor by Jonathan Baum, Evanston Roundtable, July 25

As chair of our local NAACP branch, my statement was clear and consistent with the NAACP mission and purposes at the District 65 School Board Meeting, July 16 regarding the June 28 decision of the Supreme Court that "race" as a single criterion cannot be used to place students. My opinion is based on our national, as well as, local agenda.

In my statement, I quoted our NAACP national leadership staff and several of the Supreme Court Justices. I was offering the interpretations of these key representatives of our national organization and the highest court of our judicial system, for the school community, representing our civil rights organization.

Mr. Baum is entitled to his opinion, as we all are protected by our First Amendment right of ‘Freedom of Speech." Yet, in his letter, he interjected "(…or income-…)" in his paraphrasing of the ruling: "concerning school districts like District 65 (and those involved in the recent Supreme Court decision) voluntarily adopting race- (or income-) conscious measures to promote integration." This may be an option Mr. Baum desires. But, my comments were directed to address using income as another de facto, race-conscious component in maintaining the status quo or "business as usual."

Although Mr. Baum and I may disagree on the use of "income," I nevertheless look forward to the real discussion of the impact of this ruling on our School District, in the near future, with our School Board.

For the benefit of focusing on the process of integration, a little history needs to be reviewed.

Our District voluntarily de-segregated their schools in 1967, as a result of the impending lawsuit by the Evanston branch of the NAACP and community pressure.

It had been 13 years since the Brown vs. Board of Education decision to de-segregate public schools. Over the years, schools were not becoming "naturally balanced," because of the lack of integrated housing patterns in Evanston.

In addition, there was a declining white student population in some schools. The housing patterns, a declining white student population in the neighborhood schools in the traditionally white neighborhoods, created an opportunity for the District: Keep schools open by creating new "attendance areas" for more black students to be bused, thus increasing school building populations and racially balancing the schools at the same time.

In 1985, the District 65 School Board implemented the 60-percent guideline. It directed the administration to maintain a racially balanced school by not allowing any student population of any race to exceed 60 per cent of the school's population. And, with this policy, busing was further extended with the revised attendance area schools. Again, the burden of who would be bused fell on the black students.

Maintaining the 60-percent guideline continued to be difficult in the late 80s until today. Oakton School had a growing black student population because of the density of rental housing and the federal program that subsidized rent (Section 8). The more than 60-percent black student population at Oakton created another opportunity to maintain the guideline by moving black students out of Oakton to the then District 65 school in Skokie, Timber Ridge. Black students were recruited, with permissive transfers and free busing to Timber Ridge (now Bessie Rhodes Magnet School). For the first time, black parents had a "choice" to bus their children to a school to maintain racial balancing. This was a choice they never had before.

What may be a "misimpression" to Mr. Baum, regarding my comments, is a viewpoint that the NAACP's sole focus is "integration," just for the sake of integration. Thus far, "social integration" has not been a "magic bullet" for ameliorating the harm of slavery, nor correcting the inequities that resulted.

In that context, I was further recognizing the impact of the ruling on our School District which is parallel to the positions we, as the Education Committee of the local branch have been espousing for years; equity in education and the elimination of any racial disparities in the school system that do not promote a successful academic experience for black students.

Academic success for black students is the issue. It is not whether or not they attend an integrated school. For that reason, we do not see any difference in using income, continued involuntary busing of black students, or the lack of a school in the predominantly black community on the west side of Evanston, inconsistent with the rulings intent to eliminate the impact of a race-conscious criterion.

I would suggest that those interested in our local initiatives contact our local branch, 847-864-0038. For more information about our national programs and initiatives, go to our website, www.naacp.org. Each branch may have more intense focus on local issues, yet we are advocates on all issues put forth at our annual national conventions and directives to work towards the elimination of racism and racial disparities in our society.

--Judith Treadway, Chair, EducationCommittee Evanston/North Shore Branch of NAACP

Kudos for Gold Rush Articles
Editor:

Thank you for Janet Messenger's wonderful articles about our family's most notable patriarch, Alexander McDaniel. Alexander's Gold Rush experiences are among many of his achievements - builder of Winnetka's Smith-Burnham log cabin, real estate developer, Wilmette's first postmaster - but Ms. Messenger's description of the years he spent prospecting for gold in the "California country" were made most vivid in your little jewel of a local newspaper.
Judith Burke McDaniel

Hopes Bike Race Will Continue
Editor:

The bike race was a blast. I hope that Evanston will continue to support that event and have a criterium bike race every summer. We got there at 5 p.m. and the crowd was disappointingly thin except at the start/finish line.

Sitting in front of Bar Louie, drinking a nice pint of beer and watching the racers go around the corner for a couple of hours, I felt like I was in Europe.

If we have one again next year I am rounding up the neighborhood kids and riding over. I think they would be thrilled to hear the sound of all those tires and to feel the rush of the wind as the group of riders goes flying by.

How many opportunities do our kids get to experience a sport so up close and personal? It made me feel like a kid again to see it and to dream of riding that fast.

-- Chisholm Weinman

Cable Companies Should Broadcast Women's Sports
Editor:

A few weeks ago the Big Ten Network announced its commitment to athletic-event equality. The announcement should have made headlines, but instead it received little to no media attention, and cable companies are still refusing to include the network on basic cable.

As a female and a Big Ten fan I'm thrilled that the great female athletes in the Big Ten will finally get the respect and attention they deserve.

Women's sports are increasing in popularity across the country, and it's fitting they start receiving more air time. At Northwestern there are several women's sports that deserve to be broadcast. With a first-place finish for the women's lacrosse team, Northwestern's women's sporting teams have proved their ability.

Now it's time cable companies give fans the access to watch them.
-- Matti Fieweger

Loved the Biking, Loved the Recycling
Editor:

I was impressed that the bicycle race held on Sunday had provisions to recycle plastic bottles. Why can't we install this type of system beside every trash can in the downtown area? I would be glad to volunteer to help maintain this kind of system and make Evanston greener.
--Tom Clark

Adults and Youth Must Change the City Together
Editor:

I attended the candle vigil at ETHS on July 19. It was a beautiful and respectful ceremony for Shannon Pickett and other youth who have fallen due to the violence in our community. There were quite a few speeches and prayers, but one speech in particular made me sit up and listen. The innocent wisdom of Jacqueline "Jackie" Newsome really made an impact on me, and I believe it is a message that our entire community of adults needs to embrace. Although the entire speech is great, I have highlighted some areas I believe deserve our attention and time.

[Jackie said,] "I wasn't sure what to say tonight. I wanted to make sure my message was memorable and not too repetitive. I can say that my heart is heavy because I know that a mother should never have to bury her child and students should never have to bury their friend.

"No one ever thought that something like this would happen to us, but it has, and now we are faced with the harsh reality of death. This [is a] reality many of us want to deny. And if we're not in denial, we are angry, and that is not the way to be. Yes, an angel has fallen, and unfortunately he is not coming back, so we are left to not only mourn a friend but to change a city.

"To mourn is appropriate, to have channeled anger is appropriate, but to bicker and fight amongst ourselves is wrong. All of these people have died senselessly if we continue to fight and even kill each other. Not only Shannon, but all of the other victims have died in vain.

"We can continue to fight and kill each other over nothing, and we can continue to bury our friends. Or, we can let go of this anger and hatred, we can turn in the guns and show respect for Shannon and others by keeping peace. We don't have to live in a community where our friends are shot and killed. Our community will be what we make it.

"It would be incomplete for me to stand before you and not address the parents and adults of the community. I must say that we learn from you. We did not learn anger and hatred and violence on our own. So before you chastise a child, look at yourself, because stopping the violence starts at home.

"After burying a friend, classmate, neighbor and son, we are left in a state of shock and denial. It is at a time like this when we need to come together as a community. Regardless of what end of Evanston you are from, it is time to realize that the bickering and fighting has to stop, and we must come together."

I feel personally responsible for our teenage youth now feeling as if they have to "change a city." As an adult in Evanston I have turned a blind eye to what has been happening in regards to gangs, violence and the easy possession of guns.

As an adult in Evanston I have not taken the time to stop a fight I saw on the street or talk to youth who looked like they needed support.

As an adult in Evanston I have been comfortable in my community, knowing that the community to the south of me was struggling and needed my support. For Jackie to have to remind us that we taught these children their anger, violence and hatred was hurtful - but so true.

I thank Jackie for her courage to speak out to us, and I encourage each and every adult in Evanston - in the community we all love and wish to raise our children in - to take a stand and help our youth lead a safe, happy and well deserved blessed life.
-- Susan Trieschmann

Invitation to the Oakton School Opera
An Open Letter to the Civic Leaders of Evanston:

On behalf of The Musical Offering, I would like to share some very exciting news with you: The MO has recently received a generous grant from the Evanston Community Foundation, allowing our music school to commission and produce a children's opera for the students at Oakton Elementary School during academic year 2007-08.

As a part of its outreach mission to support music and music teachers in Evanston's public schools, The Musical Offering has been presenting monthly interactive concerts at Oakton School for the past four years. As director of the MO I wished to celebrate the fifth year of our relationship with Oakton School by commissioning a musical work that would allow Oakton students, teachers and parents to be a part of large-scale production that would also fit into their arts curriculum for the year.

Chicago composer James Falzone has agreed to write an opera based on the medieval Roland legend depicted in the newly-restored WPA-era murals in the Oakton School auditorium. The opera will be titled "Le Chanson de Roland." It will be a collaborative project involving Mr. Falzone, Musical Offering faculty as teaching support and the "orchestra" during the performances and the Oakton School community.

I would like to thank the Evanston Community Foundation for bringing this artistic vision to life. Performances are set to take place in May 2008. The specific performance dates will be decided in September. I invite you to attend a performance of what surely will be an artistic highlight of 2008. We are truly fortunate to live in a community which supports our children artistically. I am convinced that a vital arts program in our schools is a key component when it comes to preparing our children for successful and meaningful life experiences.
-- Rick Ferguson, Executive and Artistic Director, The Musical Offering

BP Persists
Open Letter to the Evanston Community:

With your help, BP is feeling the pressure and hearing the public outcry over its plans to increase dumping of ammonia and toxic sludge into Lake Michigan - and they're responding. Unfortunately, it's not the type of response that we'd like to see.

BP's PR spin doctors have responded to our concerns about the increased pollution levels allowed in their new permit by saying that it will actually be good for the environment, arguing that they plan on reducing the amount of mercury that they're dumping into the lake. Yet BP's new permit actually exempts them from achieving federal mercury emission standards.

We need to stop BP's spin doctors. While we may not be able to spend the big bucks on a massive PR firm or blitzing the airwaves with advertisements to try and fool the public, we can keep the heat on them with ongoing public scrutiny. We need to make sure that BP's permit is stopped in its tracks and a real solution for the pollution they're putting into our Great Lakes is put forward.

Please sign our petition to the EPA urging them to stop BP's permit today:
https://www.environmentillinois.org/action/protect-lake-michigan/bp-epapetition?id4=ES
-- Rebecca D. Stanfield,
Environment Illinois State Director