Dr. Avery Hart, Erie Evanston/Skokie Health Center

The Erie Evanston/Skokie Health Center is currently located within the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Avenue, but will move to a much larger, state-of-the-art facility at 1285 Hartrey in November (corner of Dempster and Hartrey).

 The Center is federally qualified, meaning it serves all residents regardless of their ability to pay; both insured and noninsured patients are welcomed.  Primary care services as well as pediatric dental services are provided, and the Center partners with the local hospitals for any needed follow-up care. 

For more information or to make an appointment, call 847-666-3494 or find more information on their website: www.eriefamilyhealth.org.

Barbara James, NoParkSale

Ms. James thanked those who posted signs to stop the sale of the Harley Clarke Mansion. A flier was distributed with additional details. Contact info@noparksale.org or www.NoParkSale.org for more information.

Jill Skwerski, Community Engagement Librarian

Jill Skwerski is the new Community Engagement Librarian and is spending time reaching out to the community with a goal of determining, and then responding to, community needs.

The Evanston Library wants to hear from residents about what services should be provided. Already, the library provides a variety of programs for infants through adults on a wide range of topics like the Accountable Care Act to citizenship. The Evanston Public Library also offers a digital collection of eBooks and audiobooks - accessible from the comfort of your home, 24/7. Go to the website for more info: www.EPL.org

 Jessyca Dudley, MPH, CHES, Public Health Educator

If you are an Evanston resident age 18 or older, you are invited to participate in the 2013 Community Health Survey. The info you provide identifies health needs throughout the City. The survey is completely anonymous and can be taken online at http://www.cityofevanston.org/health/survey/. Additional information about City health programs can also be found at this link.

Reggie Napier, PST Officer  2nd Ward Safety Report

There is an Evanston Police Beat Meeting for 2nd and 9th Ward residents on Friday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at the Robert Crown Center, 1701 Main St. The meeting will address crime stats, prevention tips and other matters. Officer Napier will also provide a tutorial on using Crimereports.com (a new system that tracks crime incidents and allows residents to relay information to the police).

Officer Napier distributed a packet of information detailing the locations of all police activity from June 1-August 31, 2013. Crime remains low in the 2nd Ward. Officer Napier and Ald. Braithwaite credited the diligence of 2nd Ward residents and neighborhood block groups. 

Kevin Brown, Youth and Young Adult Program Manager

Approx 350 residents ages 14-18 were employed this year through the Mayor’s summer jobs program. There are four full-time staff members employed by the City who focus mainly on disengaged residents ages 18-26. Twenty residents ages 18-26 completed career training, of which 80 % earned some sort of  job certification.

West Evanston- Economic Development Update

Meagan Jones, Economic Development Coordinator, was introduced. Ms. Jones is a liaison between local businesses and the city. She works on economic development, ensuring that businesses know about city programs, and helps to fill vacant spaces and properties.

 Other new developments coming soon in the 2nd Ward:

o   Heartwood Center expansion in October
o   Erie Health Clinic will open in the fall of this year
o   Temperance (brew pub) will open in the fall of this year (see photo above)
o   Team Evanston Sport Training Facility, Jan 2014

Community Discussion:  Intergovernmental Agreement between The City of  Evanston and ETHS 202 for the Safe School Zone

Ald. Delores Holmes and Ald. Tendam were present.

Ald. Braithwaite opened the discussion by saying, “As a panel we are all concerned with the safety of our students. Currently there is a difference in how best to achieve this. Ald. Holmes and I have advocated for a more public forum to allow residents to share their thoughts on this proposal and to help brainstorm ideas to keep our ETHS Community safe."

Bill Geiger: “We do all share a common goal of keeping our kids safe…. Today I am here to listen. From my perspective, this plan is not perfect... ETHS safety staff does a good job of helping students stay safe. This is an opportunity to have the ETHS safety staff extend the property reach a bit further to across the street on all sides of the high school. The thinking is that if they do well inside the school, they could also do well outside. We don’t expect that there will be a need to go across the street every day.”

Ald. Holmes:  “This process doesn’t sit well with me. The first step should have been to inform residents…."

 Description of proposal per Ald. Braithwaite:

This proposal would extend the current Safe School Zone to the sidewalk across the street and around the perimeter of the school. 

School safety officers would be allowed to engage individuals in the zone and ask them to move along. If they don’t move, individuals would be given a citation and if that doesn’t work, the police would be called and potentially lead to an arrest of the individual(s).

Dr. Witherspoon: “There is no ‘trespassing or citation’ language in the proposal….It is rare that anything escalates because we take preventative action in dealing with gang activity.”

Chief Eddington: “The Evanston police are into conduct not color.” The actions of the department are directed by city government. “We enforce what is passed.”

Community comments:

There are issues of liability to deal with. Some of this proposal is not supported by state statutes. 

Concern for the safety of our students shouldn’t change when they are in front of the high school. We need to address how to make our students staff across the city.

The school should encourage neighbors to help report what they see and to be vigilant during school dismissal.

Why not add more cameras?

Many of the resources needed to accomplish the goal of “safe students” may already be there (cited state safe school zones language that could already apply to across the street but the language is confusing).

“Why use a cannon to kill a mosquito?”

“What is the difference between ‘reasonable suspicion’ and ‘racial profiling’?”

This proposal creates a negative image of the high school and the community.

We already pay taxes to the police, can they be better facilitated?

This proposal seems to be inviting confrontation.

School officers should not be the ones confronting serious threats.

Troublemakers have more respect for the police than for the faculty and staff.

We don’t want to just ‘kick the can down the road’. There was concern expressed about what happens when a suspicious person is moved off ETHS property and into the surrounding neighborhoods.

If 2% of people are causing problems and we give them all this attention, they are getting what they want. We don’t want the ‘inmates running the asylum.’