When you see a block or more of lights out, please
immediately call 866 5000. The police desk is supposed to call the on call street light person for a repair.

Jeanne - two weeks ago, a woman called me - someone stole her newly installed sod out of her yard. I hope the police were given the # of the truck that stole your water.

Kristin - if you are checking the Daily Bulletin you note that the 8th ward is the least impacted of all areas - lately.

Would be nice to have a low decibel level but hopefully the jerks with the noise are just passing through our ward.

I called 5000 both on Saturday night and this morning when I saw all those lights actually on in bright sunlight. So the on-call people should know that the timer is out of sync again.

Here's a site that might be worth exploring while considering someof Evanston's planning issues:

http://www.pps.org/

With the July 4th fireworks just around the corner, I thought that I'd pass along some information from a lesson learned last year:

Don't go to the St. Francis parking deck, expecting to see the fireworks. We, along with our neighbors, went with our young children last year and we left very disappointed.

We had heard that families from the area had been watching the fireworks there for years. So we decided to give it a try.

It was as if the security detail took great pride in crushing the children's and families' plans. They waited until the fireworks had been going for about 5 minutes then a security guard came screaming up in his car and ordered us out in a very gruff voice. It was quite surprising to see the jollies that this guy obviously got from being "the man" barking orders to a bunch of families with little kids.

It would have been much nicer if they had posted a sign saying no fireworks watching please. Or they could have shooed people out long before the fireworks began so the carloads of people (four or five cars on our level) could have had the option to go elsewhere. We had been there about 30 minutes before the fireworks started. If there had been a sign, we would not have driven in and parked.

Just today, my young daughter reminded me how mean the hospital security staff was last year and how disappointed all of the children were. I had almost forgotten but my children didn't.

I called and spoke with someone at the hospital the evening that it happened. I asked that a hospital administrator call me back. Not surprisingly, I never heard from anyone there.

We've had the opportunity to use the emergency room in the last year. But Evanston Hospital got the business. I'm certain that others have had a positive experience with St. Francis but their handling of some 20-25 families that night and the failure to get a call back has soured me on using their services.

I noticed police cars (about 5-6) racing up Callan and Hull Terrace this morning at about 7:30-8am. No sirens, just a lot of police cars. Anything happen? just wondering. I didn't see any activity.

From public works regarding the street lights in the Brummel and Callan area.

Paul,

Both these areas are handled by the same power center. The on-call electrician was called out Saturday night (6/27/09) for this area not having any street lights. The electrician responded and found that the automatic switch that controls the lights had burnt up. He was able to over ride the switch to get the lights on and left them on through Sunday, hence the lights on 24/7 complaint. Repairs were made this morning and the lights are off and ready to turn on at dusk.

Tom

It was brazen when thieves stole our park bench from our front yard and a Tallmadge light top being installed. Then someone stole a large metal guardrail at the top of our alley while it was removed to let cars pass while Ridge was being repaved (the city still refuses to replace it so we've had a beat up wooden barricade for a year). Stealing a yardful of sod is a new low. Then again, I suppose the thieves correctly figured that with a truck and looking busy, they could look to the casual observer as installers, rather than takers, of sod. Regularly filling your water truck from someone's tap is pretty low, also.

Leaf Blower Ban Violators: Is there actually any enforcement of this ban? And if an employee of a lawn service is caught in violation does the individual get the fine or the business owner get the fine? Nearly every time I've seen them used outside of approved times it's a lawn service. While I do really hate the noise I'm not sure I want a lawn service employee held accountable for doing what their boss tells them to. Though seeing the same worker using one again a week after I politely informed him it was illegal makes me feel differently about that.

Most recently I saw NU grounds crew using one along Sheridan Rd, now there's a chance to get some of the "fair share" cash :)

I've read the city's notice & know where to report violators, I just doubt they'll still be around by the time EPD responds to a non-urgent matter like this. Frankly one could simply ride around town any given day & find violators in the act rather than waiting to respond to a complaint.
<end of rant>

Happy Birthday Ann!

Thanks for the warning, Cyndi!

Happy Birthday, Ann!

Happy B-Day, Ann. I hope that you won't see these messages until tomorrow because you are celebrating with the ones who are most special to you.

On the recent rash of boom-boom cars...anyone seen a newer model white Cadillac doing the boom-boom routine?

I heard an especially loud boomity-boomer about 5 p.m. today and I went to the front of the house to see a flashy-looking white Cadillac in the middle of the block and no other cars around.

Can't ever get a ticket issued because the boomers in our block tend to be moving through. But you can heard them coming and going for about 2-3 blocks.

Is this white Cadillac our white whale?

Happy Birthday from all the Keplers, too!

Regarding the leaf blowers, the ordinance seems to be pretty specific about the violation being related to gas-powered models. I have a corded electric blower, but I tend to avoid using it during the ban period because some of the warnings in the past have seemed less specific. Does anyone know whether the purpose of the ordinance is pollution or if it's noise? If the latter, mine is every bit as loud and obnoxious as the gas ones (and I can guarantee that I hate the noise at least as much as anyone else who can hear me), but if it's about the gas consumption and exhaust, I'll go back to using mine sparingly when it really helps.

Happy Birthday Ann, where are we meeting you for drinks? ;-)

Have a great time, whatever you're doing today!

Gosh, we forgot! The very best of birthdays, Ann, from us, the kids and cats!

What wine goes best with cupcakes?

A very Happy Birthday :)

Tom,
The current .pdf on the city website clearly indicates gas blowers.
http://cityofevanston.org/departments/park...wer_regulations.pdf

The more I think about it the the less I really care. If they don't use a blower there's nothing to stop them from running their gas mower w/grass catcher bag over the sidewalks to gather up loose clippings. And the gas mowers & gas trimmers, both legal are no less noisy or polluting than the blowers.