The City of Evanston has joined with the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters Apprentice & Training Program to increase minority, female and veteran participation in the construction workforce.

Through April 4, the program will be accepting applications for future General Construction Pre-Apprenticeship training classes.

Questions should be directed to Assistant Coordinator Kina McAfee, Carpenter Training Center, at 847-640-7373 or kmcafee@chicap.org.

Come and learn about employment opportunities within NorthShore's Patient Access Center (PAC) at a career fair on Thurs., March 14.

The PAC's hiring team will be collecting applications and conducting on-site interviews from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 4901 Searle Parkway, Skokie. Applicants are encouraged to bring a copy of their resume.

Please apply in advance, register with Haley Proszek, hproszek@northshore.org.

Employers from Chicagoland's premier retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, and related tourism industries are looking for qualified people to fill hundreds of jobs. All participants must complete a first interview in preparation for the March 19, 2019 hiring event. Details about location, time, what to bring, and more will be provided upon registration. There are three ways to register:

1. Register at: https://hhcevents.weebly.com
2. Call us: 1.312.281.7925  or
3. Text: “HIRE4” to 77453

The City of Evanston has contracted Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO) and Lawyers Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) for residents and landlords needing assistance with landlord-tenant issues. MTO is assisting through its hotline and Evanston’s 311 system. 

MTO's hotline number is 773-292-4988. The hotline has live operators Monday through Friday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Outside of those hours, callers can leave a message and someone from MTO will get back to them within two business days. In addition, MTO is partnering with LCBH for legal consultation services. This collaboration with LCBH will more effectively help low-income tenants avoid displacement through free legal representation in eviction cases and illegal lockouts.

MTO will be holding office hours at the Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave, to assist residents with landlord-tenant inquiries every Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Please call 311 for questions by dialing 3-1-1 or 847-448-4311.

Please join Senator Moseley Braun on Sun. March 24, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave., for an open, candid conversation with Evanstonian author and professor, Cheryl Y. Judice PhD, about her amazing life journey.

From growing up on Chicago’s south side to becoming America’s first Black female U.S. Senator and beyond, Ms. Moseley Braun’s courage and determination to succeed in the face of adversity is a story worth sharing and hearing. For more information visit cityofevanston.org/fjt or call 847-866-5914

The Evanston Public Library is offering free tax preparation assistance for households earning up to $55,000 and individualsearning up to $30,000 annually. This service is provided by the Center for Economic Progress. Tax preparation is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Assistance is offered on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., through April 13, at the Main Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.

The City of Evanston’s Draft 2018 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) is open for public comment from Monday, March 4 through Tuesday, March 19, 2019. The Draft 2018 CAPER discusses the City’s accomplishments during fiscal year 2018 in meeting its community development and housing goals using federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs.

The Draft 2018 CAPER may be viewed online at cityofevanston.org/caper or in print at the Morton Civic Center, Room 3304, 2100 Ridge Ave., Evanston, on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Evanston Public Library is now offering free access to Kanopy, an all-movie streaming service. Kanopy brings more than 30,000 of the world’s best films to stream on computers, tablets, and other mobile devices.

Arts organizations are invited to apply to the City of Evanston’s Cultural Fund Grant Program. The Cultural Fund, administered by the Evanston Arts Council, supports artistic excellence throughout the community by providing financial assistance to not-for-profit arts organizations for operational costs or projects. Applications must be submitted online at cityofevanston.org/culturalfund by Monday, April 1, 2019 at 5 p.m.

The City now allows for property owners to rent their coach houses/accessory dwelling units to people who are not related to the family in the primary home. Additionally, property owners who are renting unregistered eligible properties will not be subject to fines during the "amnesty period" that ends on May 31, 2019. 

The amazing Chef Q will be hosting a culinary workshop Sat., March 16, 10 a.m. to noon, for grades 5th to 8th, at Y.O.U., 1911 Church Street. Youth will have the opportunity to learn healthy recipe preparation, knife skills, and fundamental cooking techniques in a fun supportive environment. Youth will be creating Asian style crunchy spring rolls and miso soup during the two-hour session.

Registration is required.

Evanston Scholars calls on high school sophomores to apply to Evanston Scholars. Applications are being accepted trough April 18.

Evanston Scholars is a non-profit organization that improves college access and success for a diverse group of Evanston students who are traditionally first-generation college entrants, low-income students, and students of color, starting with the college admissions process and continuing through college graduation.

The comprehensive, six-year program offers workshops, mentors, ACT prep, and college counseling to support students with financial and/or academic needs.

For questions, please contact info@evanstonscholars.org.

Please save the date for the "Pray 4 Peace 2019" event on June 15,  2019.

If you would like to join the planning committee, please mark the following dates on your calendar:

Fri., April 5, 10 a.m. - Faith Temple, 1932 Dewey Ave.

Fri., May 3, 10 a.m. - Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave.

Fri., June 1, 10 a.m. - ETHS 1600 Dodge Ave.

RSVP is required, please contact pray4peace2016@gmail.com.

Sharon A. Johnson is the Business Workforce Compliance Coordinator, for the City of Evanston providing compliance oversight to the Minority/Women/Evanston-based enterprises as well as the City’s Local Employment Program. Sharon provides all primary contractor compliance data, analysis, and advocacy with a focus on evaluating program effectiveness.

Q1. What is something most people don’t know about your job?

The program I monitor includes a resident who has a physical limitation. Despite their minor restriction, they are a very successful participant in the program, and the challenge they face does not impact their work achievements.

Q2. What task/project are you most looking forward to working on this year?

I look forward to contributing to the City’s 2019-2020 goals for Workforce Development and Job Creation. In particular, enhancing the City’s Workforce Development efforts citywide is a primary focus this year.  I always look forward to working with skilled contractors, building developers and local community-based organizations as we create a more robust effort to recruit, prepare, train and employ local residents for sustainable careers in the work place.

Q3. What is something you cannot leave the house without?

I cannot leave the house without my cell phone.

Q4. What are you watching/reading/hearing right now?

There is an article in the New York Times by Joe Gose highlighting the importance of training programs, for the construction trades, to address requirements for meeting local hiring goals. In my role this article and similar reading is crucial because the construction industry, is addressing a stretched pool of qualified candidates to work on large Capital Improvement Projects. Many stakeholders involved with local development of our communities, are making use of construction commercial projects to give residents an opportunity to explore viable career pathways.

Q5. What advice do you have for women looking to work in municipal services/public works departments?

Advice I would have for women looking to work in local government would be to:

Ascertain your skill set to determine where your particular talents would best serve the community.

Become familiar with the landscape of what is available in your area of interest – read articles and attend industry conferences. 

Engage and build your professional network – this may include registering with viable agencies that can assist with locating potential opportunities.

Do not be afraid to ask for “informational “interviews with city officials, directors, or other industry professionals, in the area where you would like to pursue your career. This is crucial because you need to be prepared to communicate how your skill set would benefit and transfer successfully to the needs of the community. 

Have your resume updated with relevant projects.

SheLeadsGov celebrates women in leadership roles as Local Gov professionals, working hard every day. Check out @SheLeadsGov on Twitter and share your posts using the hashtag #SheLeadsGov!

On Friday, March 8, 2019, at 9:35 p.m. Evanston Police responded to 1827 Simpson Street for a death investigation. Officers arrived and located a man laying in the yard behind 1827 Simpson, close to Twiggs Park. The man had suffered numerous gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Evanston Police and the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force are investigating. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Evanston Police Detective Bureau at 847-866-5040 or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) and then start your message with EPDTIP.