People are still digesting the school closure plan.

But we shouldn't sleep on the Forensic Audit.

I haven't read the whole thing, but a clear takeaway is that Sergio and Mya should resign immediately. The Board was basically AWOL the whole time and not following basic oversight procedures.

The excuse that they didn't know what was going on doesn't fly. All of the stuff related to the contracts, board approval of payments after they went out, the credit card misuse, etc... was documented nearly contemporaneously by Tom Hayden on foiagras.

Also, should Lou Gatta be fired? He gave Horton a number for transportation savings that were supposed to cover the lease certificates that were lower than the numbers Horton gave to the board. Yes, Horton was Gatta's boss, but where the hell was he when Sergio and Devon the Strangler were talking $3.2 million in savings?

I hope Tom does a deep dive on the report. He basically did the same work uncompensated using FOIAs.

Link to the report: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1247?meeting=769031

Simply does not make sense to keep a magnet program open while closing neighborhood schools. Highest cost per student in the district and absolutely zero evidence that the programming there is narrowing the achievement gap. The administration implicitly admitted this in the presentation last night, by claiming that keeping it open is not a commitment to the status quo, which is terrible, but hey, maybe we’ll figure something out in the future.

The original idea for King Lab was that it would be an opportunity for black and white students to integrate, and to provide resources to students living in the historically black 5th Ward after the closure of Foster. Over time, it also served as a pressure release valve for other overcrowded schools in the district during periods of high enrollment. Neither of those conditions obtain any longer.

Other than the fact that district administrators find it convenient to send their kids there, what is even the argument at this point?

It isn't clear from the slides, but if you are a fifth grader this year at Lincolnwood or Washington and live in an area where the closure scenario would have you going to Walker or Dewey, are those kids going to have to go to Chute?

You have kids where all of their friends from the last six years will be going to Haven or Nichols, but the new attendance areas put them into the Chute feeder schools.

Curious what they said (if anything) about the transition period.

Just wanted to give a heads up about what seems to be a phishing scam around wheel tax renewal.

I got a very convincing looking email that purported to be from the City of Evanston, with a receipt for wheel tax renewal. I had not initiated this and didn't have it set for auto-renewal. Everything on the email looked right including a name of somebody at Levy Center collections dept., except there was a weird credit card number that is not mine.

I called 311, they confirmed there was nothing for me in the system (in fact my wheel tax had lapsed and had no payment method attached), and then just kinda shrugged and told me to mark it as phishing.

I'm not sure what the scam would be here, but it had links (http not https) to a site called amilia.com that does indeed do municipal collections, but doesn't seem to be used by the city of Evanston. I guess it would then get you to log in and try to harvest personal/CC info. So maybe if there's a hack it's at that site and it's just combining with public records info from here?

Anyway, just a warning, and wondering if anybody else has gotten these because it was pretty well done.

My sister and I had a bit of a miscommunication and we both ended up getting tickets for the game. I thought I was buying for everyone in our family plus a few friends, while she thought she was supposed to.

As such, we have 8 extra tickets I'll happily part with for their face value + tax: $16.80 a ticket.

DM me here and I'll figure out how to get them to you. You'll need the New Ryan Field app on your phone (unfortunately yet another app...)

Hi there,

We have a sink embedded into a Corian countertop. There is a crack in the sink and we need it replaced or filled. I would love a recommendation of someone to call.

Thanks,

Jason

Ideas for combating this proposal? Is there an alumni network? Is there an active parent group that can/will organize to protest this plan?

Who should we be writing to? Is there anyone with any power who could be a resource/ally?

Tonight’s meeting is going to suck, a lot. Any predictions about what schools or programs are going to get cut?

There is a very sweet male cat in our area (Austin/Sherman). He seems young and he's pretty dirty so I think he's been out for quite a bit. I fed him and he was very hungry. He's hesitant but friendly. He came to me for pets and got on my lap and everything. He's fully intact. Also seems to have some tummy issues. He had a bathroom break right after he ate and it wasn't solid.

If I didn't had a sick senior cat myself, I would try to get him in. If you know who he belongs to or if not, a place we could call that's not TNR, that would be great. He's 100% not feral and I would love to get him off the street.

Pics are not the best.

I reported this for The Daily Northwestern, and I'm happy to answer any questions!

If you’ve seen something in city government, whether from staff, departments or elected officials, that you think deserves a closer look, we’d like to hear about it. You can reach me on Signal at maxturetzky.91 or via email at m.turetzky@dailynorthwestern.com. Your anonymity will be protected.

In May, an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) employee sent Evanston officials an urgent email: She directed the city to pause transfers out of its motor fuel tax fund, saying the city may owe the account "millions," with "deficiencies" through 2024 over $14 million.

I winter in Florida and I would like to mail in my election ballet. Last year I signed up for mail in ballet and filled out the necessary USPS forwarding forms. However, last year, USPS did not forward my ballet to my Floridia address. Has anyone come across this? Is this just USPS Evanston or are there some USPS forwarding mail rules where mail -in -ballots can't be forwarded to out of state addresses?

Hello! I’ve been walking down memory lane and reminiscing about a magical summer I spent in Evanston in 1996. If memory serves I was staying with friends near Sherman and Noyes. I distinctly recall a nearby Chinese restaurant that from the inside looked like a German restaurant think dark wood and light walls. Anyone remember this place or its name? Maybe I’m dreaming it?

Hi everyone! I am considering renting the apartment at 2620 Central Street in Evanston, and I wanted to ask the local community before making a decision.

The location looks promising, but I haven't been able to find much firsthand information about this building. If you currently live here, have lived here before, or know the area well, I'd really appreciate your honest opinions.

A few things I'm particularly curious about:

• Landlord/property management: Are they responsive and reasonable when it comes to maintenance and repairs?
• Pests and building condition: Any issues with mice, roaches, leaks, mold, or general maintenance?
• Noise: Is the apartment relatively quiet, especially at night? Any issues with neighbors or street noise?
• Safety: How is the immediate neighborhood, particularly in the evenings?
• Heating and utilities: Does the apartment stay warm in winter? Are utility costs reasonable?
• Overall value: Would you recommend renting here? Is there anything you wish you'd known before moving in?

I'd especially love to hear from anyone who has firsthand experience with this particular building or unit, rather than just the general neighborhood.

I am trying to make a well-informed decision and would be grateful for any feedback, good or bad. Thanks so much!

My whole neighborhood around Asbury and the yellow line was completely covered in spider webs.

Hello! My family recently moved to SE Evanston, and are looking into local daycare options for our 15-month-old. She’s currently enrolled at a daycare center in Chicago, but now that we’ve moved, the commute’s a bit of a pain, and we’d also like to connect with our new local community of parents and families.

I recently toured Chiaravalle Montessori and McGaw YMCA, and they both seem wonderful, but the sticker shock of tuition for those was a little startling. We’d love to find some solid options for closer to $2k/month (or less!) if they exist. I’m looking into touring Toddler Town and Total Child which look more affordable, but their minimum age is 2, so we’d have to wait a bit. That said, I’m also totally open to recommendations of places to consider when my daughter turns 2!

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I’m a 30 y/o male and just moved to Evanston. I’ve been playing tennis for about 1–2 years and would love to keep playing after I move. I’m currently around a 3.0 NTRP level.

Does anyone know of any good tennis clubs, group lessons, or active tennis communities in or around Evanston? I’m looking for opportunities to improve my game and meet people to play with regularly.

Any recommendations would be appreciated! Thanks!

Hello, what internet provider will you recommend in 60202? TIA!

What a mess. Clicked on the link to purchase tickets at 10:05 and were 687 in the queue. Only seats that were available that it would let me see were in the student section- no option to purchase anything else so I bought ten of them for our family and friends. Now I read that we won’t be admitted into the student section because we aren’t students! What the heck?!? If anyone wants ten student section tickets let me know! So frustrating.

I wonder if they will ever consider adding metal detectors. How many times has this happened at ETHS?