Earth Day Bash at Unitarian Church – Friday, April 22

A Multigenerational Earth Day celebration with fun and informative events for the whole family will be held Friday, April 22, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Evanston.

Highlights include sharing an organic potluck dinner, creating “earth art” treasures, shopping for fair trade items from Ten Thousand Villages and buying seedlings for planting this spring.

Eggplant at ETHS's Edible Acres

The cost is $5 per person/$15 per family. Please bring an organic dish, serving 10-12, to share for the potluck dinner. Proceeds from the event will help purchase a hoop house for the Evanston Township High School Edible Acre pilot project, a joint effort of The Talking Farm and the high school.   

The Unitarian Church of Evanston is located at 1330 Ridge Ave., one block north of Dempster St. Enter the free parking lot from Greenwood St. between Ridge and Asbury avenues. The building is accessible and located along the CTA’s #201 bus route. Walkers and bike riders are welcome, too.

Bank holds Shredding Day to prevent identity theft

If you’re concerned about identity theft, one solution would be to buy a good shredding machine for $50-$150. A better solution is to attend Shredding Day on Saturday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2925 Central St., Evanston.  

The quarterly event is sponsored by First Bank & Trust with site rotating among the bank’s branches. This Shredding Day coincides with Earth Day 2011 and residents may bring up to 25 pounds of paper documents for shredding at no cost.

Neal Houcek, senior vice president of branch administration, noted that “This is the fourth year that First Bank & Trust has offered this service.” He estimated that about 100 people brought documents to the last shredding event.

“People are concerned about protecting their personal information and we are pleased to provide this service to the community,” Houcek said. 

 With household budgets stretched to the limit, don’t spend money on another device…bring your personal documents to be shred for free. I’ve done it twice and watched the equipment operator shred my stuff. So there is no reason to be concerned. 

Bring confidential papers to First Bank & Trust’s Shredding Day…you'll save time, save money and save the environment!

Indie film lovers feast at Talking Pictures Festival

My friend Mary and I braved wind, rain and cold to feed our independent film cravings at the Talking Pictures Festival held April 14-17, 2011. Our marathon adventure started at 1:55 p.m. when we met to catch the 201 bus on Ridge Ave. 

The CTA bus driver accommodated our request to exit at Chicago Ave. and Sheridan Rd., which saved an extra half block walk to the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art for our first screening. My memories of navigating Northwestern University’s campus are fuzzy, but we arrived at the Block Cinema with time to spare.

Beekeeper at work.

“The Colony,” an 87-minute film about beekeepers, was co-presented with The Talking Farm. It documents the discovery of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) for beekeepers in the U.S. and its threat to seriously impact our nation’s food supply. Representatives from The Talking Farm and a local beekeeping family were available for a post-film discussion.

Next was “Paradise Recovered” an examination of Esther, a devout young woman who is part of a conservative Christian sect. After taking a job at a local health food store, she begins to experience life anew with the help of co-works Gabe and Mark. 

Esther at church.

 

This retelling of the Good Samaritan parable looked at tough issues involving faith, tolerance and spiritual abuse in modern culture. A value-added feature was the presence of the film’s director, writer/co-producer and lead actress for a post-screening Q&A.

Locho, Yama and baby at dinner.

Our last film was “Summer Pasture,” a beautifully shot documentary about a young nomadic family in the high grasslands of eastern Tibet. It shows how Locho and Yama struggle with the harsh climate and challenges of yak herding. Set in the most remote corner of China’s Sichuan Province, this personal account of nomadic life has universal appeal as a story of family survival.

When the movie ended, our growling tummies reminded us that, except for candy bars and a shared bag of chips, we hadn't eaten for nearly eight hours. As we headed to the Davis St. L station, the neon lights of The Globe Cafe on Orrington Ave. beckoned.

Both of us ordered the soup and sandwich (tomato bisque and grilled cheese with prosciutto on marble rye). The plate arrived with a nice portion of delicious fries and dill pickle slices. This meal left us satisfied and ready to deal with the L ride home.

Plenty of people were waiting on the L platform for the next train. Is there a colder place to be on a wet, windy night than an elevated platform? A southbound train arrived and we sat near the exit doors. Our concern wasn't with the late-night L ride, but with exiting at South Blvd., a station that has no businesses or bright lights nearby.

Walking hurriedly toward Oakton St., we adopted the most menacing 'tough old broad' personas we could muster. At the corner of Oakton and Sherman Ave., Mary and I parted for our respective homes. Each of us had a few more blocks to walk alone and it was past 10:30 p.m.

It would be a lie to say I was unafraid. Sorry, Evanston PD...those are the facts. These are the times we live in and a woman alone after dark has reason to be fearful. CTA bus routes in Evanston stop running about 8 p.m. on Saturdays and don't run at all on Sundays, so the L was the only option.

The decision to use public transit goes deeper than a wish to lead a greener lifestyle. It is one of economics...having been unemployed for 20 months, a car is an unaffordable luxury.

So a brisk, uneventful walk home was the cap to a truly joyful day. Good films, good food and good company...a scarce treat.

Look for details on Sunday’s films in another post soon.

Retail shop’s sustainable design yields tasty results

Tiny DogCupcake at 616 Davis St., opened on November 26, 2010 and has been satisfying sweets cravings ever since. 

Evanston’s first “cupcakery” occupies the space formerly held by Ritz Camera and the magical transformation is the work of 2 Point Perspective Inc. The eco-architecture firm’s commitment to sustainable design is reflected on the minty green walls and periwinkle blue wood panels finished with low-VOC paints. Eco friendly materials were used for the flooring and other interior details.

The dots and dashes incorporated into the interior and exterior wood panels represent Morse Code, as store owner Rob Mockard is a private pilot. Tiny dogs, specifically a Jack Russell Terrier, cupcakes and aviation are a few of this NU alum’s favorite things.

Lisa and Ron Elkins, co-owners of 2 Point Perspectives, held a reception at Tiny Dog Cupcake yesterday evening so that friends and guests could take a look around the shop and sample the yummy cupcakes. Additionally, everyone was asked to make three eco pledges.

So far, I’ve tasted the Red Velvety, Dark Chocolate Minty and Carrot Cake…each flavor was pleasing to the palate. Plan to return with friends to try Barking Blueberry, Lemon Lemon and other tempting treats. 

A stop at Tiny Dog Cupcake is the perfect ending to a long walk on a beautiful spring day. Reward yourself and think sustainable thoughts.