Three Reasons Why Misty Witenberg Didn’t Win

New Ways to Wellness

Evanston Health Collective promotes well-being in challenging times

As the founders of the Evanston Health Collective, we believe that the October issue of Evanston Magazine did not accurately represent our practice or who we are as practitioners. We welcome this opportunity to reintroduce ourselves and share how we can improve your life. Located in the Hahn Building in downtown Evanston, the new venture allows the practitioners to combine their skills and bring their expertise to a wider range of people. As they work together across disciplines, they guide their patients and clients toward personalized healing in a soothing environment.

-Dr. Melanie Katin, L.Ac.; Sarah B. McLaughlin, LMT; and -Dr. Melanie Katin, L.Ac.; Sarah B. Becky Paulin-Liston, PT McLaughlin, LMT; and Becky Paulin-Liston, PT

A global pandemic may not seem like the best time to start a new business, but the partners of the Evanston Health Collective knew the time was right for them. Becky Paulin-Liston, physical therapist and yoga instructor; Sarah McLaughlin, massage and shiatsu therapist; and Dr. Melanie Katin, licensed acupuncturist, bring a combined 50 years of experience to the newly formed collective. While each has their own skills and perspectives, the partners are united in their desire to provide a modern approach to health and wellness. They welcome patients and clients with acute and/or chronic health concerns, and offer services that complement and go beyond traditional medical care. They invite you to visit their healing space and see how their comprehensive approach leads to the most individualized care. A C U P U N C T U R I S T ACUPUNCTURIST

The partners met years ago while practicing at the Heartwood Center in west Evanston. Over time, they built strong working relationships and friendships. As their collaboration grew, they developed similar visions of health and well-being, and the idea for the Evanston Health Collective was born. Dr. Melanie Katin, L.Ac., started her practice 17 years ago in New York City. She was a professor of integrative pediatrics and oncology at the Pacific College of Health Sciences for 13 years before deciding to focus on private practice. She has helped all generations of patients using

acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Since moving to Evanston in 2017, she has rebuilt her practice, sometimes encountering those who are inexperienced with Chinese medicine. She practices Japanese acupuncture, a very gentle form that most people are comfortable with and enjoy.

With Covid-19 a serious concern, Dr. Katin monitors patients’ temperatures and pulse oxygen at every visit. One of the benefits of visiting an acupuncturist is the close attention they pay to subtle health anomalies. Each visit is an opportunity to discover small changes that might warrant a referral back to a primary care physician. Some patients might need several visits to address an acute problem, while some visit repeatedly to enjoy the calm they experience during treatment. To learn more and book an appointment, visit www.bebetteracupuncture.com.

MASSAGE THERAPIST

Sarah McLaughlin is on an adventure, discovering ways to transform suffering for herself and others. She became interested in massage therapy when conventional treatments failed to address her physical and emotional pain. She craved something that explored the hidden places we store our suffering. Having decided that self-work and exploration were essential to her healing, McLaughlin enrolled in the Chicago School of Massage Therapy. By the end of the program, she was certain that massage therapy was more than her career, it was part of her life’s calling.

Fifteen years later, McLaughlin still loves coming to work and creating spaces where people can experience a natural healing process. She finds that this healing space can be difficult to attain if one is too aggressive with their body or mind. Through the years, she has studied numerous modalities and healing work. Now, she uses Eastern and Western touch therapies to address a spectrum of imbalances. Her primary work combines shiatsu, myofascial release and visceral manipulation. It is unhurried, detail-oriented and energy-moving, often incorporating abdominal massage.

A certified meditation instructor and registered yoga teacher, McLaughlin often uses a combination of massage, meditation and movement with her clients. In addition to teaching online yoga and meditation courses with Becky Paulin-Liston, PT, she offers private lessons. While the yoga McLaughlin teaches may not look very conventional, it is uniquely effective, especially when taught alongside meditation. When combined with the healing space created during massage, McLaughlin facilitates a profound transformative process in her clients. For more information, visit For more information, visit www.abhayabodywork.com www.abhayabodywork.com . PHYSICAL THERPIST AND YOGA TEACHER PHYSICAL THERPIST AND YOGA TEACHER Becky Paulin-Liston has been practicing physical therapy since completing her degree at Bradley University in 1997. For the past 20 years, she has focused on helping people with orthopedic conditions and women with health concerns across their lifespans.

At the beginning of her career, Paulin-Liston felt something was missing. She found the answer in yoga, obtaining her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2001 at the Temple of Kriya Yoga. Since then, she has integrated her yoga training with her background in physical therapy, combining total body movement and exercise, breathing, and relaxation with manual therapy techniques to optimize movement.

“I feel mainstream physical therapy can miss the boat if you don’t step back to consider the entire person and how everything interrelates,” Paulin-Liston says. “Yoga provides a framework to do that. I am excited to continue to bring physical therapy and yoga to the north shore privately in person and via telehealth.”

Paulin-Liston has been treating patients in person as an essential worker through the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to provide a safe environment for this healing work. She also offers yoga classes over Zoom and welcomes you to join her for therapeutic yoga, yoga for women’s health, yoga for bone strength (offered through Grateful Yoga), or for her yoga and meditation collaborations with Sarah McLaughlin, LMT.

If you’re ready to move with less pain and more ease, visit www.ptandy.com to set up an appointment or join a class.

STAYING WELL AMID UNCERTAINTY STAYING WELL AMID UNCERTAINTY During the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the practitioners at the Evanston Health Collective are taking many measures to keep clients and patients healthy and safe. They have HEPA air filtration and UV light sanitization, and offices are fully disinfected between each appointment.

Difficult times can lead to new opportunities. With a range of expertise and talent, the partners of the Evanston Health Collective are ready to join you on your health journey. Come see the difference integrative care can make for your well-being.

Evanston Health Collective

1609 Sherman Ave., Ste. 308, Hahn Building Evanston Health Collective www.evansto nhealth.com 1609 Sherman Ave., Ste. 308, Hahn Building www.evanstonhealth.com

Why The Most Knowledgeable Clerk Candidate Lost

Misty Witenberg: The Peoples Champion

It was the Evanston City Clerks debate on Evanston Live TV, a Facebook forum hosted by Meleika Gardner. This debate was to help pick the official ballot for the April 6th election of the clerks’ office. I believe every candidate felt comfortable. Over 100 Evanstonians watched as candidates were asked questions. I only saw one candidates’ answers register as highly knowledgeable and competent. I concluded that Misty Witenberg knew what the clerk’s office actually does from watching most fumble through the debate. Thanks to Melieka Gardner, I personally had the honor of asking a question. Not many had this honor. Misty had the opportunity to “pass” and not answer, as many of the candidates did. She competently answered so brilliantly that many felt she would win. None the less she did not win a place even on the ballot to be voted on.

In this article, Evanston Magazine will examine, “What went wrong”. Why did the candidate who showed the highest degree of competency not win? My first time watching council I had the pleasure of seeing Misty Witenberg in a heated conversation with the whole Dias I do not remember what the topic was, but I do remember asking my friend who was this short spark plug? She radiated knowledge and unyielding fortitude. She seemed more like a Lawyer than Alderman Don Wilson, and he was a lawyer.

We joked and said that she was “the Champion fighter for the people”. Looking back, I was impressed by her knowledge of how the government of Evanston worked and that she was fully capable of navigating any of the actions done by the council on the dais as they were focused to dissuade her from making her point. She was fiery to the point that some of the older usually distant and more compliant attendees listened with a high level of focus. She seemed like the personification of a champion fighter.

In researching, I ran across a valuable article,“How To Win An Election”. The article was created and broadcast for/ on npr.org. If you would like to know the seven tips the link will appear on Evanstonmagazine.net. As I read the seven tips, I thought there were three that can be counted as specifically representing where it is that Misty fell short

By Aaron Foster Why The Most Knowledgeable Clerk Candidate Lost

of her goal to win and appear on the April 6th ballot.

How To Win an Election (EM snippet)

#1. (4. in the actual article) Build Your Own Campaign Staff And Don’t Ever Turn Down Help

Your team should be a mix of people who know campaigns well. I believe a friend and non-participant in Misty Witenberg’s campaign actually helped last minute to hire people and help. Other than that it was reported that Misty tried to run a one-person campaign with limited help from others. This proved to be an overwhelming task that helped the resulting loss actualize.

#2. (6. in the article) Fundraising Isn’t Scary!

One of the things I saw in the Evanston Mayoral Election (2021) was the power of fundraising done by MayorElect Daniel Biss. His marketing team did an incredible job with those funds. Evanston magazine was proud to make its own contributions and our staff was impressed with the effectiveness of Biss’ team. Every time I opened my phone I received a google ad from The Campaign to Elect Daniel Biss. It was the fundraising that gave him the money to pay for the advertising push. He had the money.

As for Misty Witenbergs’ fundraising, I have it from a reliable source that she did not reach the numbers adequate for a candidate to succeed. Lack of money is not the end-all to be all but it is an indicator. The candidate must advertise. It is imperative that candidates put out advertising to assure that they attract votes at a respectable number. I prefer they advertise in EM but there is also the Patch, Evanston TV Live, and Round Table just to name a few.

#3 (7. in the article) Finally- Get Out The Vote Before The Election.

I believe the results speak volumes for the represented result.

In conclusion, I wish the remaining candidates for the Evanston Clerks office a bit of sincere good luck. The clerk’s office is very important as the history of the city relies on a very accurate record. Learning on the job will have to be swift and high accountability will absolutely be a part of the puzzle after winning. A most important topic “Reparations”, a 400-year fight for economic leveling of the freedoms will most certainly at stake, and that’s too important to allow failure.

Thank you Misty and remember there is always the next election.