A proposal for the construction of a new residential apartment building at 1620 Central Street will be the subject of a community meeting beginning at 7 pm on Thursday, June 26 at the Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick.  The project will replace the vacant brick building across from Mustard's Last Stand.

Join me as we meet with Myefski Architects, the developers, and discuss and review drawings for a planned development at this site.

Thank you to the Evanston Fourth of July Association for putting on our annual Independence Day celebration.  See below for list of scheduled events:

• 9 am: Playground sports at various school and park locations
• 12:45 pm: Kids Fun Run, Ackerman Park
  (Registration to participate in this event will be held from 12 pm to 12:30 pm.)
• 2 pm: Parade on Central Street
• 9:15 pm: Fireworks (tune your radio to 90.5 FM for the soundtrack)

Community members can claim their viewing spot along Central Street for the parade beginning on Tuesday, July 1 at 6 am.  For more information, visit www.evanston4th.org.

Register today for the third annual 4.1 mile run and 5K family walk to honor former Northwestern Head Football Coach Randy Walker.  The race, which begins and ends at Ryan Field, joins the growing list of great local fitness events.   Registration also gets you one ticket to a non-conference home football game.  Register online >>>  

Thank you for your patience with the nearly year-long reconstruction of the Bridge Street bridge at the Ecology Center.  The expanded bridge is now open, with new concrete beams and decks, new approach slabs, wider and raised pedestrian sidewalks, better connections to the paths in Twiggs Park, and bike lanes in both directions.   This project was first proposed in 2004 and funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation, along with the City of Evanston.  Remaining work on this project includes new street lights and upgrades to the traffic signals at Bridge Street and McCormick Boulevard. 

For a practical application of math to bridges, click here to learn how to calculate the new bridge's rainwater runoff in the direction of the Ecology Center parking lot.  Thank you to our bridge consultants, Alfred Benesh, and Sub-Consultant Engineer and Evanston resident, Carl Bova. 

A significant donation has jump-started fundraising efforts for upgrades and renovations to the Wildcats' baseball facility, Rocky Miller Park, located at Ashland Avenue and Isabella Street.  The first ballpark improvements could happen as early as Fall 2014 on the playing field itself, with installation of a new turf playing surface.  

Other improvements, including new home and visitor locker rooms and training facilities, a new press box and scoreboard, better seating, and possibly lights to enable television coverage, are intended to bring the facility up to the standards of a Big Ten baseball program. However, these renovations are dependent on reaching the project's fundraising goals.  Rocky Miller Park was last renovated in 1983. Today, the best baseball facility in Evanston belongs to Evanston Township High School, home of The Blue Monster. 

The approval process has begun to bring Hackstudio to the former Domicile space on Green Bay Road.  Check out Hackstudio's website for more information about the innovative, structured building studio for kids ages 8 to 18.  

Canal Shores in the news:  Check out this story about our local golf course and its goal of creating more golfers through a new collaboration with FAAM (Fellowship of African American Men).  Thank you to Evanston resident and ABC 7 News Anchor Ravi Baichwal for the great coverage.  Sign up now for your next round of golf, or lessons. 

Youth Citizens Police Academy, July 14-18:  This free week-long, evening program gives Evanston residents ages 13-17 the opportunity to tour police headquarters; understand DUI and traffic enforcement; talk to evidence technicians and crime scene investigators; understand police use of force; and self-defense.  Click here for more information >>>

Citizens Fire Academy:  This 10-week, Thursday evening program for residents over 21 years old runs from September 11 to November 13 and offers an inside look at the Evanston Fire & Life Safety Services Department. Click here for more information >>>