Evanston Holiday Portrait by Kristy Smolkovich

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2014 | CUSTOM MEDIA SOLUTIONS, A DIVISION OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 4, 2014

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Health & Community Page 5 _____ f _____ Education Page 7 _____ f _____

Local Business Page 14 _____ f _____ Arts & Culture Page 16

Photo courtesy of Evanston History Center

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Enchanted Evanston brings holiday magic to the North Shore BY MONICA CARTER For Sun-Times Media

vanston will transform into a winter wonderland for the season with festive celebrations, trolley rides for shoppers throughout the business districts, strolling carolers and the annual tree lighting ceremony. The city will host events through the end of the year for residents. To keep with the spirit of the holidays, Evanston residents can find a number of ways to give back. Food and clothing drives, Small Business Saturday and other charitable events will take place throughout the area for those who would like to participate.

Small Business Saturday

Evanston prides itself of on the wide variety of small shops and independent businesses throughout the community. Browse through a number of distinctive boutiques on Main Street, in Downtown Evanston, through Central Street and Chicago and Dempster. On Nov. 29, the shopping districts will be participating in an event known as Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday was designed to encourage customers and community mem-

Deck the halls and streets: Hundreds of people gather in downtown Evanston to watch the tree lighting ceremony. bers to discover independent shops and businesses throughout the area; thus, holiday shoppers will bring in and keep money in the neighborhoods that Evanston residents call home.

Downtown Evanston’s Holiday Bash and Tree Lighting Ceremony

Businesses along the popular downtown-shopping district will offer a number of specials, refreshments and entertainment during the suburb’s tree lighting ceremony. Complimentary trolley rides, sponsored by the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, will transport shoppers along Evanston’s shopping districts. Hilda’s Place Transitional Center and Connections for the Homeless will be accepting warm clothing donations.

Evanston History Center’s Annual Holiday Food Drive

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there: On Nov. 22, 2013 Jack Bucciarelli, of Evanston and a Washington Elementary School kindergartner, smiled in front of the Fountain Square holiday tree that was illuminated about 20 minutes before. | KARIE ANGELL LUC/FOR SUN-TIMES MEDIA

Learn more about the community while helping neighbors in need. The Evanston History Center is collaborating with the Greater Chicago Food Depository for the Center’s ninth annual holiday food drive. All the food collected will go to an Evanston pantry to benefit area residents. The food drive is held in honor of the Dawes fam-

| ADAM ALEXANDER~FOR SUN TIMES MEDIA

ily, who would prepare baskets of food and delivered them to needy families on Christmas Eve. The center will also be hosting an annual open house on Dec. 7. “Our annual open house will offer live music, holiday treats, and three period trees, from the 1870s, 1890s, and 1920s,” said Eden Pearlman of the Evanston History Center. “We will also be offering candle light tours of the house.” The Dawes House will be decorated and open to the public during the holidays.

First Night

Ring in the New Year with First Night, Evanston’s family friendly celebration. Live music and entertainment by entertainers who call the North Shore home will perform in a number of venues, historical buildings and houses of worship. Celebrate 2015 with friends and neighbors while discovering local talent.

EVANSTON AT THE HOLIDAYS! Welcome to the Evanston Holiday Portrait: Pioneer Press and Sun-Times Media’s new special section that celebrates everything merry in one of the most fascinating places anywhere. Whether you are witnessing a spectacular tree lighting, giving back to the community in innovative ways, strolling down historic avenues, finding that perfect gift or partaking in an unforgettable New Year’s Eve bash, Evanston Holiday Portrait is your festive guide to this one-of-a-kind place. We will see you again soon! We are now publishing Evanston Portrait in June and Evanston Holiday Portrait in December. Have ideas for future editions? Contact Tony Ralenkotter, Evanston Review advertising sales executive, at tralenkotter@pioneerlocal.com.

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FEATURES _____ f _____

Health & Community Page 5 _____ f _____ Education Page 7 _____ f _____ Local Business Page 14 _____ f _____ Arts & Culture Page 16

Health & Community

Education

Local Business

Arts & Culture

05 GROUP FITNESS

07 LEARNING DOESN’T TAKE A VACATION

14 EVANSTON SHOPPING DISTRICTS

16 NEW YEAR’S EVE, FIRST NIGHT EVANSTON

08 NONPROFITS

12 CRADLE TO CAREER

18 DINING

}

Photo courtesy of Evanston History Center

FOOD & TOY DRIVE:

}

Make the holiday season joyful for needy Evanston families. Bring toys and non-perishable food to one of the nine dropoff sites through Friday, Dec. 12. Visit cityofevanston.org/ resident/holiday-food-toydrive for the site list.

BEHIND THE SCENES PRODUCTION BARBARA HARRINGTON Custom Media Solutions Director TAMMY MATTHEWS Editor KRISTY SMOLKOVICH Designer

PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, DEC. 4, 2014 BY:

CARRIE CADWELL Layout

MICHAEL HARVEL Advertising Director, North Region

SALES

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Find complete stories online at: specialsections.suntimes.com Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this book The Publishers cannot guarantee the correctness of all the information available to them and assume no liability arising from error or omission. Comments concerning this book should be sent to: 350 N. Orleans St., Chicago, IL 60654. Copyright© 2014 Sun-Times Media. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing any part of this book by photocopying, by electronic storage and retrieval or by any other means is prohibited.

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Cross-Train Community: The benefit of group workouts BY MONICA CARTER

For Sun-Times Media

xercising with a group can be a motivating way to begin a workout routine. Group exercise can help improve your fitness level and offer therapeutic benefits not commonly found in individualized workouts. David Lanz, owner of Orangetheory, fell in love with the program’s cardiovascular and strength training workout and wanted to bring it to the North Shore. Developed as heart rate-based interval training, Orangetheory is derived from a personal training style workout adapted to a group setting. “The best way to tell you have been embraced is when your members want to share the feeling they get with their friends and family,” Lanz said. “We are thrilled that the community has embraced the workout and our gym.”

Simple holiday fitness tips

A little help from my friends: Group exercise can offer social engagement, motivation and consistency. | SUPPLIED PHOTO

Benefits of group exercise

According to a study conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine, group exercise can offer a variety of benefits including social engagement, motivation and consistency. Working out with a group can also have positive effects on psychological wellbeing. Executive director for North Shore Village, Tommi Ferguson, echoed these statements. North Shore Village is a senior living advocacy center focused on health and wellness, and it offers its older population a variety of

‘Remember that beach season is right around the corner. The weather will change. Set yourself small, achievable reasonable goals. It may be cold until you get to the gym. Once you finish, you will forget about the cold.’ DAVID LANZ, owner of Orangetheory programs to keep them active and moving as much as possible. “We offer a number of group programs for seniors,” she said. “We have a monthly group that works with an individual trainer

at the local YMCA. We have a Tai Chi group. We also think about wellness in therapeutic ways and what we [found] was that social engagement activities are best. Anything that can get

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people out and connect them to other people, all the better.” North Shore Village recently hosted Charlotte’s Challenge, a wellness initiative inspired by Charlotte, a 92-year-old Village member. Her peers know her to exercise daily and volunteer within the community. “She is our inspiration that physical and mental wellbeing will improve your state of being,” Ferguson said. “If a 92-year-old woman can do it, then what excuse do the rest of us have?”

As the temperature drops and invitations to holiday parties start to rise, motivation to keep up fitness routine can wane, even amongst the most dedicated and connected. David Lanz offered up some fitness tips that encourage movement for everyone, even if routine takes a break for the holidays. “Make sure you integrate resistance training. Full body multiplane functional training sessions add great variety to your fitness routine,” he said. If you are flying home from the holidays, Lanz suggested walking through the terminal and stretching after flying. Do simple bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, lunges, squats and crunches. “Make time for you a half hour a day. Packing a jump rope is an excellent way to get your cardio in even in bad weather,” he said. “Remember that beach season is right around the corner. The weather will change. Set yourself small, achievable reasonable goals. It may be cold until you get to the gym. Once you finish, you will forget about the cold.”

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LEARNING DOESN’T TAKE A VACATION BY MONICA CARTER

For Sun-Times Media

he holiday season brings a welldeserved break from the school year for many students. Their enjoyment of the time off, however, doesn’t have to be a complete break from learning. Local educators — Carol Teske, director at the School for Little Children; and Geoffrey Anderson, director at the Options for College Success, a nonprofit program that provides year-long services to students that struggle with learning challenges — provided the following educational suggestions that will keep kids on the academic track while enjoying the holidays.

Pre-school and young children

“The preschool years are all about rich learning experiences and daily discovery,”

Teske said. “Extending this goal while at home over the holidays is easy. The idea is to keep children engaged and to encourage meaningful play.” Teske gave the following tips for those with young children: “Go on a polar expedition in your own neighborhood and look for tracks in the snow. Take pictures and make doubles. Cut out the pictures and create a matching game of what you observed.” “Make a family and friends faces bingo game,” she continued to say. “Using duplicate photos, place faces on cardboard in different positions. Spell out name cards for calling. Use gummy bears for markers.”In addition, she suggested scheduling trips to the library, local gyms or ecology centers.

School-age children

“Children enjoy hands-on, childcentered activities,” Teske said. “As the holidays approach, begin collecting large baskets or plastic bins to store materials according to a specific theme such as math, art, science and music. Fill the bin with materials related to the theme and encourage your child to explore and create.” You can also check with your child’s teacher if reading lists are available so students can maintain their readings skills throughout the holidays.

High school students

Master chef: Options for College Success uses a team approach. The students, parents and staff all work together to support success. | SUPPLIED PHOTO

Options for College Success is a yearround school; however, director Geoffrey Anderson suggested that older students use the time between semester breaks to prepare for placement tests or work on weaker academic skills. Options specializes in helping students with learning difficulties. It offers individualized tutoring in order to target areas where students struggle the most, as well as social development.

“We also focus more on independent living skills and special social activities that we normally don’t have time for when school is in session,” Anderson said. He also suggested that students maintain what routines they can during the day throughout the holidays. “This is a great time to make a chore chart and figure out with your student where they would like it on their weekly schedule. The student should decide with the parent or adult what would be the best day of the week to do this and make this a part of the weekly schedule. Getting used to chores is easier when you do not have the added responsibilities of school.” While it may be hard to resist the

Hands-on help: Options for College Success encourages learning-challenged postsecondary students to develop the skills, confidence and courage to transition into living and working productively. | SUPPLIED PHOTO temptation of being online or in front of television through most of their vacation, Anderson cautioned on how much children interact with technology during their time off. “Be very aware of how much your student is on the Internet, playing video games, cable, [and] on the cell phone,” he said.“These are often a hindrance to success. Help your student to learn to monitor [and] be specific in your expectations.”

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Giving back:

Live here. Help here.

BY MONICA CARTER For Sun-Times Media

2014 was a successful year for many Evanston nonprofits. Some underwent physical transformations and renovations while others began new programs or reached out to a variety of members throughout the community.

Evanston Community Foundation

The Evanston Community Foundation launched a pilot program this year entitled The Two Generation Initiative, a 13-week program that provided educational, financial and career guidance for parents, as well as early education for their children up to age six. “We successfully offered 13 low-income mothers the opportunity to focus on their aspirations for themselves and their children and to shape per-

Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program: The 2015 job fair will be held from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave. Visit cityofevanston.org/resident/ youth-young-adults for information. | SUPPLIED PHOTO sonal goals to move closer to realizing their hopes,” said Evanston Community Foundation CEO Sara Schastok and

VP for Programs Marybeth Schroeder. The program concluded with a graduation ceremony that brought

together all 13 families. The initiative raised enough money to continue and develop the program through 2015.

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The Evanston Community Foundation Two-Generation Education: Thirteen parents, with young children enrolled in quality early childhood programs in Evanston, completed the 13-week Two-Generation Initiative pilot program from February 17, 2014 through May 20, 2014. The program partners with and builds upon the strengths of low to moderate income families by sharing information that can be used to increase their economic stability. Parents gained knowledge and developed skills in the areas of employment readiness; education and training opportunities; financial literacy; and personal and interpersonal skill development. Parents set and accomplished goals moving them closer towards achieving their long-term goals. Out of the cohort of 13, close to half of the parents indicated applying financial literacy strategies to improve their families’ finances, several gained new employment, and one parent started as a full time student this fall. A second cohort began in mid-November. | SUPPLIED PHOTO

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First Bank & Trust

First Bank & Trust have been working with area youth to provide financial literacy classes and free direct deposit checking accounts for at risk teens with summer jobs. The initiative was made possible by the mayor’s summer employment program. First Bank also partnered with Northwestern University’s LEND program, to provide start up loans for new businesses. “The financial literacy program was a direct response from the community [and] the community was very receptive to our initiative with LEND,” said First Bank & Trust managing director, Jay Lytle. “In the new year, we hope to enhance this initiative so we can provide more workshops, specifically tailored to different age groups, for more community organizations.”

JJ’s List

JJ’s List places youth with disabilities into jobs in the area. This year the organization opened a new storefront and launched the No Boundaries — Train for Work, Train for Life program. “[We] continue to connect businesses to people with disabilities through employment and customer service and No Boundaries gives local business people and neighbors a resource for disabilityaware service,” said founder and executive director, JJ Hanley. The organization also raised $3,000 for disability service programs.

Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center

Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center, which provides behavioral health care services to residents in need, offered sexual harassment and anti-violence training to seventh graders at Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School. The training, which builds on the anti-bullying workshops, taught students how to disagree respectfully, how to negotiate and compromise, how to give and receive support and how to define and deal with sexual harassment. “It’s important that students as young as seventh grade learn about how to navigate their own boundaries when it comes to dating and how to communicate about what is and is not comfortable for them,” said Turning Point CEO, Ann Fisher Raney. “By providing this training, we hope to give them tools to de-escalate violence and demonstrate respect for each other.” Turning Point also developed a partnership with Erasing the Distance, a group of actors who tell the story of mental illness and recovery. “We keep growing and changing, seeking recommendations and support from our community,” Raney said. “Our building renovation will be complete, and we’ll be continuing to design ways to provide more advocacy and public education. We will seek new partnerships and strengthen the ones that allow us to deepen and expand our programs.”

Evanston Corps 1403 Sherman Ave, Evanston 847-866-9770 We need YOU! This year we have over 500 children 1-12 years old signed up for Christmas toys. We hope each child will receive a coat or a pair of pajamas. Get an Angel Tree Tag today! Or sign up to help us pack Christmas Food Boxes or Package gifts for needy families. Be a volunteer bell ringer and partner with us to help people all year long. www.salarmychicago/evanston/volunteer/

Big moments, small breakthroughs, powerful relationships, a community of support. High school memories shape us forever. The ETHS Educational Foundation is multiplying opportunities for each new generation of Wildkits to excel and make their own memories. Explore your own ways to support ETHS at www.eths.k12.il.us/foundation Funding Excellence. The ETHS Educational Foundation.

Network: Senior Sabrina Kaplan (left) and freshman Hans Mueller-Schrader (right) smile with Evanston entrepreneur Victoria Adams (center). LEND, the Northwestern University student run nonprofit, is developing a business plan and website for Adams’ vocal coaching business. | PHOTO BY KATHERINE NAGASAWA

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Parents benefit from Head Start program

ead Start programs may help lowincome parents improve their educational status, according to a new study by Northwestern University researchers. The study is one of the first to examine whether a child’s participation in the federal program benefits mothers and fathers – in particular parents’ educational attainment and employment. “Studies on early childhood education programs have historically focused on child outcomes,” said study lead author Terri Sabol, an assistant professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy.“We asked whether there could be beneficial effects for the parents,” said Sabol. Head Start is the oldest and largest federally funded preschool program in the U.S. From its inception, the program was designed to support both children and parents facing economic hardship. It currently serves more than one million children below the poverty line, just under half of all eligible children, and it receives almost $8 billion in annual funding. In 1998, Congress mandated an evaluation of Head Start, called the Head Start Impact Study, a randomized trial of more than 4,000 children, ages 3 and 4, newly entering the Head Start program. Findings from that study indicate that Head Start had less of an impact on children’s academic and social development than expected. Although participating in Head Start led to short-term improvements for children, these began fading by kindergarten, continuing through the third grade. “In our study, we asked whether there could be a separate story for parents,” said Sabol, an expert in research, practice and policy in early childhood education.“Head Start may provide the ideal place to promote parents’ education via a network of parents and staff, in addition to information and referrals to postsecondary educational opportunities.” Head Start also may help parents manage their work-school-family balance by providing an affordable, safe place to send their children while they go to work or school. The researchers used the gold standard data from the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS), a randomized trial, to examine the effect of Head Start on parent outcomes rather than on child outcomes. The study found that parents of 3-year-olds in Head Start had steeper increases in educational attainment, but not their employment by the time their children turned 6 years old, compared to the parents in the control group,

whose children were not assigned to Head Start. The pattern was especially strong for parents who were African American and for parents who had at least some college experience but no degree. “Parents who had some college but no degree were particularly likely to increase their own education due to their children’s participation in Head Start. This suggests that Head Start is particularly helping families who have the motivation to improve their education but need extra support,” said Sabol. The researchers did not find effects among parents whose children entered at age 4. This may be because the 3-year-olds had the opportunity to stay in the program for two years, rather than one. Possibly, the parents who enrolled 3-year-olds were different from those who enrolled them at age 4. The children who started at age 3 had parents with higher levels of education at baseline. The study,“The Influence of Low-Income Children’s Participation in Head Start on Their Parents’ Education and Employment” was published in the current issue of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. Sabol coauthored the study with P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, the Frances Willard Professor of Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern. Chase-Lansdale, the associate provost for faculty at Northwestern, is one of the nation’s leading researchers on two-generation educational interventions for young parents and children. Her research is currently studying programs that provide services to promote parent education and employment to improve family well-being. “Parents with young children enrolled in Head Start are very motivated to expand their children’s life chances. This study illustrates great potential for Head Start programs to be a platform for expanding parents’ own educational opportunities,” said Chase-Lansdale. The majority of research on Head Start focuses solely on children’s cognitive and social outcomes rather than on the impacts on parents. This study finds that Head Start leads to improved parent educational attainment by the time children are in kindergarten. “We hypothesize an interconnection between the learning of parents and children. Parents who see their child doing well might be inspired to improve their own education and employment,” she said. “This is a very positive story for Head Start,” said Sabol.“The program may not only affect children, but parents as well.”

Courtesy of the Northwestern News Center

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Cradle to Career BY MONICA CARTER

For Sun-Times Media

n 2012, a group of leaders from Evanston’s community based organizations wanted to align their goals of supporting and educating area youth with other like-minded groups. Their vision was that by the age of 23, all of Evanston’s young adults would be leading productive lives, building on the positive support provided to them as children from their families and community. This vision became the roots of the Cradle to Career initiative, a program designed to give Evanston’s youth the resources they needed to become socially responsible adults. After more than two years, the program is

One at a time: The Evanston Cradle to Career initiative is a collective impact effort to mobilize the community assets to make a lasting difference in the lives of the community’s children, youth and families. | SUPPLIED PHOTO now coming to fruition, supported by a number of organizations and programs determined to help young people succeed. “Cradle to Career is about working together

to create a system that better helps youth and families reach the goal of being ready for [a] successful adult life,” said Evanston Community Foundation vice president

SHOPEVANSTON FORTHEHOLIDAYS Come discover all that Evanston has to offer: a thriving downtown plus unique commercial districts, local charm, national brands, and more. Explore Evanston online, then shop in person! Visit our holiday shopping guide at evanstonedge.com/holiday-guide

The vision: By the age of 23, Cradle to Career hopes that all Evanston young adults will be leading productive lives while building on the resources, education and support that they and their families have had to help them grow into resilient, educated, healthy, self-sufficient and socially responsible adults. | SUPPLIED PHOTO of programs, Marybeth Schroeder. Identifying problems and developing solutions in any community can be an overwhelming task. Many issues can overlap. Cradle to Career is looking to incorporate solution design methodology to help identify its community’s needs and find answers. “The real work of establishing solution design working groups to examine where we currently are in the community and what our goals are will begin,” she said. “Then, we will look at how to improve and change what we offer in the community.” Cradle to Career is priding itself on using a number of guiding principles — known as a collective impact — to tackle social problems by targeting specific issues including controversial topics such as racism and income disparity. “Many stakeholders began meeting to explore whether a collective impact initiative would be right for Evanston,” Schroeder said. “After several meetings, the group decided we should pursue establishing a collective impact Cradle to Career

Collective impact: Cradle to Career is actively seeking organizations to join the initiative. Visit evanstonforever.org/ventures/collaborations/evanstoncradle-career to learn how you can help. | SUPPLIED PHOTO initiative for Evanston.” The organization is also developing a sharedperformance measurement system in the name of transparency. Through the use of data collection, Cradle to Career is hoping to view the information over time to see where the community needs improvement and how to approach these issues. “Cradle to Career is not about creating new programs [but] about working together in the community,” she said. Looking towards the future, the initiative is looking to launch the program in winter 2014 with more than 25 organiza-

tions signed on and with an estimated budget of $250,000. If the program is successful, additional funding would be sought after through foundation grants. “We are very proud of having signed on organizations in Evanston with their boards’ approval, including most of the major nonprofit organizations, both school districts, the City of Evanston and Northwestern University,” Schroeder said. “Each organization has made a financial commitment, which not only established the base of our funding but [will] also establish the work integral to each of our organizations’ missions.”

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Eureka! Discover unique, thoughtful gifts the shopping district. Retailers and restaurants will be hosting special events while entertainers, which include characters from Frozen and the Evanston Children’s Choir, will be a part of the festivities. The downtown district will also host Hanukkah and Kwanza celebrations during the month of December.

BY MONICA CARTER For Sun-Times Media

Whether shopping for the perfect gift or looking to treat yourself, Evanston’s shopping districts are filled with one-of-a-kind boutiques and independent businesses that offer unique gifts.

Chicago and Dempster

Central Street

More than 60 merchants and businesses can be found along Central Street, one of Evanston’s distinct shopping districts. A majority of the retail stores and services along Central are locally owned and independent. This year, Central will celebrate the holidays by hosting Central Street’s Holiday Open House on Dec. 7. “Many of the participating businesses will offer in-store promotions, sales and treats,” said Rachel Hershinow, owner of clothing and accessory shop Stella Boutique.“We also will have a visit from Santa and his elves [and] the All-Village Singers will be providing caroling up and down Central.” The family-friendly event is the shopping district’s way of thanking customers for their loyalty to independent business. For those looking to grab a cup coffee before embarking on a day of shopping, Curt’s Café offers cappuccinos with a mission. The café is a nonprofit organization that provides training in the food service industry for at-risk Evanston youth. With guidance by food service professionals, Curt’s teaches students food preparation as well as life skills. “We teach them, in the food service industry, some basic entry level skills,

Holly jolly shopping spree: Downtown Evanston offers a unique blend of one-of-kind shops, boutiques and national retailers. The walkable downtown allows you to park at an easily accessible garage and explore on foot. | SUPPLIED PHOTO but more importantly, we teach them life skills,” said Curt’s Café founder, Susan Garcia Trieschmann, in an interview with the Evanston Review earlier this year.“Curt’s Café is a place of worth because we’re working with young adults that are ready to make a change in their life and we’re here to help them make those changes.” Curt’s Café recently celebrated its second anniversary as part of the Central Street district this past November.

Downtown

The Downtown shopping district is a blend of independent shops and national retailers. Self-described as the place where Chicago and Evanston meet, there are an abundance of dining and entertainment options. Downtown’s annual tree lighting ceremony in Fountain Square will feature live local entertainment and a visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus who will

For those on the nice list: Oliver’s Trains and Toys opens a second shop on Main Street this year. | SUPPLIED PHOTO help Mayor Tisdahl light the tree. “On the day of the tree lighting ceremony, a trolley will go through all the different shopping districts to pick up customers,” said Matt Dinello, marketing and events coordinator for

Ayla’s Originals invites you to:

An Original Jewelry Artist and Accessory Show Showcasing local talent just in time for the holidays! One Day Only! Sunday, December 14, 2014 • 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Ad Free

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1501 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL Call 847-328-4040 for information. • www.aylasoriginals.com

The Chicago and Dempster shopping district has seen a growth in new businesses within the last two years. “The explosion of unique businesses in our neighborhood has made it a really fun destination,” said Tim Peterson of Squeezebox Books & Music. To celebrate this, the local independent merchants of the shops along Chicago and Dempster will be hosting Small Business Saturday at the end of November. Small Business Saturday gives residents the opportunity to learn more about new businesses while visiting local favorites. The event will include food, wine and shopping sales. Local shops will start the holiday season with a Love Local theme. Custom-made bags for the Chicago-Dempster neighborhood will be given away at certain business establishments. “Small Business Saturday is all about supporting the little guy,” said Paulette Leffler of Stumble & Relish. “Our customers love to shop at neighborhood businesses and buy goods from small artisans. It always helps when we can give them something to show their pride.”

Main Street

The Main Street district is home to a wide variety of businesses

A bun in the oven: Hewn on Dempster specializes in hand-hewn, naturally fermented breads and pastries. | SUPPLIED PHOTO including a number of ethnic restaurants, a Belgian chocolatier, a theatre and two museums. The district saw a new addition to its area when the owners of local business Oliver’s Trains and Toys opened a second shop on Main Street. According to the Main Street Merchants Association, the owners of Oliver’s were looking to open another shop when they found out Main Street was going to lose its only toy store. The district was more than happy to work with Oliver’s owners to bring the shop to fruition. Oliver’s and other area independent businesses will also be participating in Small Business Saturday. For an area that boasts such diversity, it is also one of the most inclusive. This idea is not lost on Malik Turley, an instructor of the dance and fitness studio Hip Circle Studio who is also president of the Main Street Station Merchants Association. “We’re working on coordinating the efforts of Main Street, Dempster and Chicago, Downtown Evanston, and Central Street for Small Business Saturday and beyond.”

SPECIALSECTIONS.SUNTIMES.COM • CUSTOM MEDIA SOLUTIONS | EVANSTON HOLIDAY PORTRAIT | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 | 15

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16 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 • CUSTOM MEDIA SOLUTIONS | EVANSTON HOLIDAY PORTRAIT | SPECIALSECTIONS.SUNTIMES.COM

First Night returns for family-friendly fun BY MONICA CARTER

For Sun-Times Media

irst Night — Evanston’s New Year’s Eve musical celebration — is back after a small yet successful return last year. The event had a comeback in 2013, but not to the record-breaking crowd numbers of its past. Board member Emily Guthrie,

who has been a part of the event planning for a number of years, isn’t discouraged. She anticipated building the night again for this year’s celebration. “Over 2,700 people showed up last year, despite the fact it was snowing at noon,” Guthrie said. “We’re hoping for large crowds this year too. We’re hoping to draw 4,000 [people].”

Join the party: Purchase a button to attend First Night. Your button will get you into all seven venues. The venues are The Music Institute of Chicago (1490 Chicago Ave.), Immanuel Lutheran (616 Lake Street), First Presbyterian Church (1427 Chicago Ave.), First Congregational Church (1445 Hinman Ave.), The Evanston Public Library (1703 Orrington Ave.) and The First Methodist Church (516 Church Street). Visit firstnightevanston.net for more information and to purchase a button. | SUPPLIED PHOTOS

SPECIALSECTIONS.SUNTIMES.COM • CUSTOM MEDIA SOLUTIONS | EVANSTON HOLIDAY PORTRAIT | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 | 17

First Night Evanston began in 1992, modeled after the alcohol free event in Boston. From there, it grew quickly, with more than 15,000 attending its millennium celebration. Before its demise, due to financial and personal disagreements among its members in 2006, First Night had more than 100 acts in 20 locations around the suburb. While Guthrie admits the organization is still finalizing venues for this year’s celebration and the numbers of acts and venues available will be more conservative, First Night will still offer its unique variety of family friendly events and performances, including a teenage battle of the bands and improv. Guthrie is also counting on well-known performers to bring in the crowds. Jazz violinist Regina Carter will headline. Carter comes to the festival after performing a number of sold out shows, including several shows at the Chicago Symphony Center earlier this year. “She is an amazing musician,” Guthrie said. “She’s going to be a big draw for us.”

Other acts include multiple Grammy Award winning harmonicist, pianist and local resident Howard Levy, as well as Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues band. “Howard Levy was very popular for us last year,” she said. “Corky Siegel was another who performed to an overflowing crowd.” Food trucks will also be on hand to feed hungry event goers. In this area Guthrie is looking to add on to the amount of food trucks to meet what she is hoping is an increase in demand compared to last year. “Last year, we had five food trucks and a couple of them sold out,” Guthrie said. “The food trucks tend to be very popular. This year, we are looking at having at least 10.” The venues are still being decided but are ones chosen have already been recognized for their acoustics and include some of the area’s classic houses of worship. “We’re getting good response already on Facebook and the website,” she said. “The excitement is contagious. It’s what kept us going through the first two years of planning.”

Kids are welcome: Children’s entertainment — including award-winning performers, balloon animals, puppets and face painting — will be held at the Evanston Public Library from 1-4 p.m. | SUPPLIED PHOTO

The

Nutcracker on Ice December 12-14

Fri. 7:30pm Sat. 2:30,7:30pm Sun. 2:30pm

Robert Crown Community Center 1701 Main St., Evanston Buy Tickets Call: 847-448-8258 or at the door. General: $9. Reserved: $10. Group discount. Online: cityofevanston.org/crown (general only)

anniversary

18 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 • CUSTOM MEDIA SOLUTIONS | EVANSTON HOLIDAY PORTRAIT | SPECIALSECTIONS.SUNTIMES.COM

Evanston Dining and Entertainment: SLOW FOOD and FAST MUSIC BY MONICA CARTER

For Sun-Times Media

n recent years, Evanston has seen a growth of new restaurants influenced by the slowfood movement, which supports sustainability, preserving traditional cuisine and promoting small businesses. This is a growing trend in the North Shore. Hewn bakery, located in the Dempster shopping district, fully embraced the idea of the slow food movement. “There is nothing fast about any of our process,” co-owner Ellen King said.“We work with local farmers for all of our grains.We use organic grains.We hand mix all of our breads to incorporate the ingredients.We don’t use any machinery.” The hand-mixing process can take three to four hours to complete. “I don’t know anybody else in the area that is doing that right now,” King said. Hewn bakery has worked with other restaurants in the area. The spent grain Hewn bakers use for their breads are from local brewers Peckish Pig and Temperance. “It’s fun,” King said.“After the brewing processes there aren’t a lot of uses for their grains so we utilize their waste.” Jamie Evans, co-owner of restaurant and brewery Peckish Pig, considered the idea of collaborating with Hewn and other local sustainable restaurants as part of a natural progression. “We take the grains to Hewn, they bake the bread, and we bring it back to serve in our restaurants,” Evans said. Evans admits that while sustainable restaurants were expensive to open and maintain in the past, the growth in popularity of the slow food movement has made it easier. “We have been blown away with how busy we’ve been,” Evans said.“We get a lot of great feedback from people in the area who have been underserved. People have been really happy to have us here.” Sustainability and locally resourced doesn’t apply only to the food served. The owners of Hewn decided to make the interior of their shop as unique and as handmade as their baked goods. According to King, the rustic nature of the store was created to reflect the rustic nature of the bread they make. The walls are made of salvaged metal from an

Music fanatics rejoice: Since opening its doors in 2008, SPACE has brought thousands of world-class performances to Evanston audiences. With a rustic and warm ambiance and state-of-the-art technology, the venue has become a favorite among musicians and music fans. Visit evanstonspace.com for more information. | SUPPLIED PHOTO old barn roof from southern Illinois. The shelves and counters were made from a local old tree from Wilmette that had to be cut down; the lighting was salvaged from an old Wisconsin factory that had also closed. Hewn takes pride in presenting warmth with familiarity with both food and ambience. “No matter where you are in the world bread is always familiar,” King said. Both Peckish Pig and Hewn will present special holiday offerings to their menus throughout the end of the year. For Evanston trend-setting entertainment this season, head to SPACE.

SPACE will offer a number of holiday concerts throughout the month of December, including an Americana holiday rock concert and two special New Year’s Eve shows with indie folk duo The Milk Carton Kids. The venue, which is adjacent to popular eatery Union Pizzera, boasts a lively ambiance with state-of-the-art technology and has become a neighborhood favorite. “SPACE doesn’t fit standard labels such as jazz club or rock club,” general manager David Inman said.“It’s a place where music fanatics can get closer to their favorite music and have a uniquely intimate and memorable

experience.” The following performances will take place in December. Dec. 6: Decembersongs with Amy Speace, Rod Picott and Wild Ponies Dec. 13 and 14: A JOHNNYSWIM Christmas Dec. 18: Harry Shearer and Judith Owen present Christmas Without Tears Dec. 20: The Empty Pockets Rock ‘n Roll Holiday Concert Dec. 26: Mud Morganfield, son of Muddy Waters, with Jimmy Johnson Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve with The Milk Carton Kids

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NOV 22 – DEC 22, 2014

Find one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list during the Arts+Crafts EXPO, featuring over 100 artists. November 22 – December 22, 2014 Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm Sundays, 12 – 4 pm

Don’t miss these shopping events

Jewelry Fest Men’s Shopping Day

Sat., Dec. 13 Sat., Dec. 20

10 am – 4 pm 10 am – 4 pm

EAC Student Expo ~ December 6 – 22

Handcrafted items made by our very own Art Center students featured in the 2nd floor gallery.

2603 Sheridan Road Evanston, IL 60201-1799 847.475.5300 www.evanstonartcenter.org