The Daily Northwestern Thursday, September 28, 2017
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Clerk challenges FOIA suspension Devon Reid opposes vote to freeze database By MOLLY GLICK
daily senior staffer @mollyglick
City clerk Devon Reid challenged City Council’s decision to suspend the local Freedom of Information Act request database after Ald. Donald Wilson (4th) claimed it revealed confidential information. Even though aldermen promised no disruption in the handling of FOIA inquiries, Reid told The Daily Wednesday the suspension would cause a backlog of requests and inconvenience citizens. Reid and his staff are responsible for maintaining the NextRequest website, which Wilson said publicly disclosed the names of juvenile offenders and sexual assault survivors. At Monday’s meeting, Wilson proposed a temporary freeze in order to audit requests on the database. As of Monday, more than 1,000 requests had appeared on the website before they were removed. Council will discuss the possible designation of a new FOIA officer at the next Rules Committee meeting. “I think that the real effort here is to take FOIA away
from an independently-elected office,” Reid said. “(We were) changing the direction of the clerk’s office and moving it into a direction that’s fighting for transparency, looking to empower residents and increase civic engagement.” Though he did not clarify the situation in council, Reid said Wednesday that aldermen misrepresented both the number of names and the severity of the situation. Wilson told The Daily he stumbled upon the names of multiple juveniles and sexual assault survivors, but Reid pointed to just two examples — one of which had already been resolved. Reid said a police report request disclosing the name of a minor, Iain Bady, was justified after the parents spoke publically about their son’s arrest at City Council in August. The name of a sexual assault survivor did initially appear publicly on the database, Reid said, but has since been taken down. Wilson clarified to The Daily on Wednesday that he does not advocate for NextRequest’s complete overhaul. He said he only wants to stop publishing FOIA requests for police reports due to their sensitive nature. An email exchange between Wilson and Reid four days before Monday’s City Council » See FOIA, page 5
Katie Pach/Daily Senior Staffer
Medill Prof. Patty Loew is the director for the new Center for Native American and Indigenous Research. Loew, along with other faculty and administrators, is working to create a Native American and Indigenous Studies minor, which she said will be available within two to three years.
Weinberg to establish new minor Formal track to focus on Native American and indigenous studies By MADDIE BURAKOFF
daily senior staffer @madsburk
Medill Prof. Patty Loew, director of the new Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, said she is working with other faculty
and administrators to establish a Native American and Indigenous Studies minor. Loew, who is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, said she is “very confident” that the minor will be available through the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences within the next two to
Park Evanston owners consider sale By SYD STONE
daily senior staffer @sydstone16
The Park Evanston apartment building is being placed on the market in an effort to renovate the facilities, a move that could increase residents’ rents, said Ald. Donald Wilson (4th). The 24-story building, 1630 Chicago Ave., sits among many Evanston businesses and restaurants, including a Whole Foods. It also houses numerous Northwestern students who live off-campus. Wilson, who represents the ward that houses Park Evanston, said the renovations could affect how much each unit costs. “There’s a reference to investors spending $15,000 a unit to fix up the building’s apartments,” Wilson said. “One would imagine that if they’re going to invest additional money the rents would probably increase.” The median net rent on the North Shore is already rising, according to a report by Chicago-based consulting firm Appraisal Research Counselors. The rate rose 9.8 percent from last year.
Jeffrey Wang/Daily Senior Staffer
The Park Evanston apartments, 1630 Chicago Ave. The owner of the building is looking to sell and renovate the apartments.
Prices for Park Evanston apartments currently start at $1,486 for a studio apartment and $4,354 for a three-bedroom apartment, according to the building’s website. However, Evanston economic development manager Paul Zalmezak said he believes the building needs a renovation to remain competitive in the higher-end rental market. Zalmezak said the renovations would help Park Evanston
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compete with newer developments like E2 Apartments, 1890 Maple Ave., and other new proposals for mixed-used and residential buildings — including the two controversial proposals for 16- and 37-story towers on Sherman Avenue. “What it really suggests big picture is that Evanston is an attractive marketplace to invest in,” Zalmezak said. “That puts pressure on a building owner because now they either have
to upgrade to keep up, or they become mid-market and have more affordable rents.” TH Real Estate, the owner of Park Evanston, is “evaluating” a sale of the building after holding the investment for 20 years, TH senior director Brian Eby told The Daily in a statement. “This is a high rise product,” Eby said. “We believe (it) will be sought-after by the current » See SALE, page 5
three years. “There’s enough will here, certainly among affiliated faculty at the center,” said Loew, who was named CNAIR’s inaugural director this month. “I can safely say we’ve received a lot of encouragement and support from people at leadership positions in the college.”
NU football players to lock arms Saturday
Last Sunday, national anthem protests and demonstrations of unity permeated NFL action. On Saturday, Northwestern will join the conversation with arms locked when it takes the field against Wisconsin, athletic department spokesman Paul Kennedy confirmed to The Daily. Though the Wildcats will not be on the field for the national anthem — a common occurrence for teams at Camp Randall Stadium — the players have decided to enter with locked arms, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday. Senior superback Garrett Dickerson said Tuesday the team had a constructive meeting in which it came to the decision. “Everybody is entitled to their own opinion,” Dickerson said. “We just had a good talk about things that happened over the weekend and we’re just trying to figure out what we’re going to do going forward.” Last weekend’s protests came in response to President Donald Trump’s criticism of NFL players who kneel during the
The first step, Loew said, is to identify and categorize all courses related to Native American and Indigenous Studies. Currently, there are more than enough classes to meet the six-course requirement for a minor, Loew said, but they are » See MINOR, page 5 national anthem. Professional teams reacted in various ways, including kneeling, locking arms and refusing to stand on the sideline during the anthem. Dickerson praised the displays of unity and said it was good to see “people come together and stand up for each other.” Coach Pat Fitzgerald expressed his support in the Tribune for his players’ decision and referred to them as “the leaders of tomorrow.” Coaches and staff will also lock arms alongside NU players Saturday, according to the Tribune. Amid a tense political climate, Dickerson said he was comfortable taking a stance at the University. “Northwestern is very open in allowing you to think what you want to think and believing in those thoughts and voicing your opinion,” he said. “So I don’t think it’s necessarily hard to have my own opinion and voice such things at a great campus like Northwestern.” The Wildcats’ conference opener in Madison, Wisconsin kicks off at 11 a.m. The following Saturday, they will return to Evanston where they routinely take the field for the national anthem. — Garrett Jochnau
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