Bob Seidenberg

1 week ago | evanstonroundtable.com | Bob Seidenberg

Nina Wade, the co-owner of the Free Flow Kitchen restaurant, said she and her panini press have been “hand-in-hand” since the restaurant opened May 20. She produces breakfast sandwiches with it in the morning, and then turns back, cranking out Tuscan sandwiches, to-go soups and salads for lunch. She and co-owner Nichole Pinkard say they are limited in that regard.

1 week ago | evanstonroundtable.com | Bob Seidenberg

The pastor and family members of an 86-year-old Evanston woman say she is being harassed by unfounded police calls and parking enforcement after a May 3 domestic-related shooting at her residence on the 2300 block of Greenwood Street. During the public comment portion of Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Pastor Ken Cherry and two of Juanita Ross’ granddaughters, as well as other family members, appeared before the council on Ross’ behalf.

2 weeks ago | evanstonroundtable.com | Bob Seidenberg

The president of the Evanston’s Firefighter’s Pension Board pushed the city Thursday to disclose how much of a special tax is being used to pay retiree pensions. Jack Mortell, the board president, pressed Hitesh Desai, the city’s chief financial officer and treasurer, to release figures for the revenues generated through the personal property replacement tax (PPRT). The public deserves greater transparency about pension contributions, Mortell said.

2 weeks ago | evanstonroundtable.com | Bob Seidenberg

City officials expect to begin laying out a course next month to replace revenue from the state grocery tax, which is due to expire next year. The city is already struggling with a structural budget deficit and the state grocery tax has reliably generated around $2.5 million annually — money not easily found elsewhere, officials agree.

3 weeks ago | evanstonroundtable.com | Bob Seidenberg

Members of the city’s Preservation Commission on Tuesday sharply criticized some design features proposed for a new city dog park at Grey Park, raising concerns that the project would undermine the park’s core feature and also limit access for some current users. Staff’s plan calls for the dog park to be constructed at the center of the park, located at Main Street and Ridge Avenue, encompassing an existing limestone amphitheater, regarded as the park’s main feature.