Friday, June 28, 2024 | View in browser
Hello Fourth Ward friends and neighbors,
I hope you are having a great start to your summer! The beaches are open, the sun is shining, downtown is bustling, and the Custer Street Oasis is also open—summer is the perfect time to Enjoy Evanston.
Here's the latest news:
Another residential development is in progress in our neighborhood. A five-story multi-family residential building is proposed for 910-912 Custer Avenue. You are invited to our ward meeting next week on Tuesday, July 2, to attend the developer's presentation where they will present the concept and address any questions we may have.
See below for more news:
 Dard Development
The team that converted Vogue Fabrics into the Tapestry Station apartment building is now planning to develop another underutilized property in the 4th Ward for housing. The location is on Custer Avenue, just north of Main Street, between the post office branch and Evanston Lumber. This property, the former home of Dard Manufacturing, was previously intended for townhomes, but that plan has expired. The new proposal is for a five-story, 230-unit apartment building.
We invite you to join us at the 4th Ward meeting next Tuesday, either in person or online, to learn more.
4th of July Celebrations
 The Evanston Fourth of July Association encourages community members to cultivate new ideas with this year’s ‘Seeds of Change’ theme as the celebration enters its second century.
The 4th of July celebrations kick off with games at 9 a.m. at seven different locations. The Kids' Fun Run starts at 12:45 p.m., followed by the Parade at 2 p.m. The day continues with a Band Concert at 7:30 p.m. and ends with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. For a musical accompaniment to the fireworks, tune in to 90.5 FM.
For more information, visit the Fourth of July Association’s website.
Evanston Recycles: July 6
 The annual "Evanston Recycles" event will take place on Saturday, July 6, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave. Please do not line up before 8 a.m.
During this free event, residents can easily drop off a variety of items for recycling and donation, as well as securely shred documents. This year, the City will be accepting electronic waste, documents for shredding, and unused prescription medication and expired over-the-counter drugs. No other items will be accepted.
The following electronic materials will be accepted:
- Cell phones
- Computers (PCs and laptops)
- Computer monitors
- DVR/Cable boxes
- DVD and VHS players
- Fax machines
- Mice and keyboards
- MP3 players and PDAs
- Printers and scanners
- TVs
- Video game consoles
Learn more.
Starlight Movies, Concerts, and Food Truck Fest
 The City’s 2024 Starlight Movie and Food Truck Fest will take place on Saturday, June 29, at Ingraham Park. The feature film will be the blockbuster hit "Barbie" (2023, ASL), which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks will be on-site (aka the Ingraham Mojo Dojo Casa House) beginning at 5:30 p.m. This Starlight Movie and Food Truck Festival is proudly sponsored by Evanston Folk Fest.
Attendees will enjoy delicious offerings from a variety of food trucks, including Cocina Azteca, Soul & Smoke, Kona Ice, Firehouse Grill, Sweets on Meals - Misericordia Truck, C&W Ice Cream, Treats by Thomas, Pinoy Grill, Sweet Ride, El Zorro Tacos, Harold's Chicken, and Travelin' Tom’s Coffee.
Upcoming movies (7 p.m. start time unless otherwise noted):
- Friday, June 28, at 6 p.m., Greenwood Beach: The Little Mermaid (2023)
- Saturday, July 13, Leider Park: Space Jam: A New Legacy
- Friday, July 19, at 6 p.m., Lee Street Beach: Luca
- Saturday, July 27, Mason Park: The Color Purple
- Tuesday, August 6, at 6 p.m., Dawes Park: PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
- Saturday, August 17, at 3:30 p.m., Robert Crown: Wonka (2024)
Upcoming concerts (6:30 p.m. start)
- July 2, McCulloch Park: Big Style Brass Band
- July 9, Lovelace Park: Suite Mollie
- July 16, Twiggs Park: DJ Onwa
- July 30, Eiden Park: The Howard Levy 4
For more information, visit cityofevanston.org/starlight.
More Free Concerts: Downtown Summer Sounds
 Downtown Summer Sounds is a free outdoor concert series on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Fountain Square, from July 11 to September 26.
For nine of the twelve weeks, Downtown Evanston is collaborating with a different local nonprofit (see below) to select the band, activate the Fountain Square plaza, and help us to ensure that the concert series reflects the diversity of our community and features a wide range of musical genres and performers.
On the three remaining nights of the 2024 concert series (July 11, August 1, and September 5), Downtown Evanston will also host an outdoor Thursday Night Market, featuring artists, makers, and retailers from the regional community.
During the concerts, there will be beer for sale from Sketchbook Brewing Co., and wine, cocktails and soft drinks for sale from Five & Dime. There will also be several food trucks, and ice cream for sale from the C&W Market & Ice Cream Parlor.
After the music ends, be sure to make plans for dinner in Downtown Evanston!
Here’s the lineup through the end of August:
This series is presented by Downtown Evanston with help from the following sponsors:
- City of Evanston
- Northwestern University
- UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement
- Rotary International
- Core & Rind Hospitality
- Golub & Company
- ZS
Construction Update
 Main Street Streetscaping Project
- The north side sidewalks are almost done; they’ll be switching to the south side the week of July 8.
- Heads up that the direction of traffic will change! it will still be one way, but the other direction (westbound.)
- Street resurfacing is scheduled for late August.
- MAIN STREET BUSINESSES REMAIN OPEN!
Larimer Park
The Larimer Park renovation project will begin in July and run into October.
Work will include a new playground, improvement to the basketball court, renovations to the gazebo, new pathways, new LED lighting, new site furnishings, and landscaping.
During construction, the park will be closed to the public. Construction activities may create some inconveniences for adjacent residents, but efforts will be made to minimize these issues. Limited parking restrictions on nonadjacent roadways may be required to accommodate construction activities and will be indicated with temporary “No Parking” signs posted 48 hours in advance.
CTA Purple Line Work
In an effort to maintain track along the CTA Purple Line and provide quality rapid transit service, the CTA will be performing work through Saturday, November 30.
Work will include track maintenance on the Purple Line between the CTA's Linden and Howard stations from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays, and possibly some weekends if necessary.
There will be noise while the work is being performed, but the CTA will aim to keep inconveniences to a minimum.
View the CTA Construction Notice.
Public Health News: West Nile Virus
 The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (NSMAD) has found the first West Nile virus positive mosquitoes to occur in their traps in Evanston this year.
Two batches of mosquitoes collected June 21, 2024, from NSMAD traps in Evanston, tested positive for West Nile virus in their lab on June 25.
While the risk of being infected with West Nile virus is low at this time of year, NSMAD recommends that residents take personal protection measures to minimize mosquito bites, including:
- Use EPA registered insect repellent
- Wear loose fitting clothing
- Avoid peak mosquito feeding times during the hours around dawn and dusk
- Examine property and eliminate any items that can hold water, particularly smaller items that may be easily overlooked
Please contact NSMAD by calling 847-446-9434 to report areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. Remember, if it can hold water, it can breed mosquitoes. Those experiencing mosquito related issues should submit an NSMAD Service Request.
For additional information, contact the Evanston Health and Human Services Department via email at health@cityofevanston.org or call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may call 3-1-1 directly while in Evanston.
Upcoming Meetings
July Ward Meeting
The July ward meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 2, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Robert Crown Community Center or attend online.
Please note, we will not be hosting office hours in July, and there will be no meetings in August. Enjoy the summer!
September Ward Meeting
The September ward meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 3, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Jonathan Nieuwsma
Councilmember, 4th Ward
jnieuwsma@cityofevanston.org
www.cityofevanston.org
Visit the Enjoy Evanston webpage!
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