tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42246935219515562942024-03-14T03:37:01.773-05:00Evanston LiveI love Evanston and Illinois. I tweet at @EvanstonLive about things Evanstonians might or should care about. When a tweet isn't enough, I post here and feature posts by guest bloggers from the community.Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-9432940349638280232020-05-07T11:52:00.002-05:002020-05-07T11:59:35.534-05:00Three Evanstonians weigh in: What should the post-pandemic “new normal” include?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Maybe you’ve heard it too: I look forward to getting back to normal.<br />
As for me, I’m not sure I want to go “back” or if we even can.<br />
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This pandemic has changed the whole landscape of our world personally, locally and globally.<br />
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When we evaluate all that has happened during the pandemic, we’ll find that loved ones and neighbors have been taken. Students’ education have been impacted. Jobs have been lost. Businesses have been closed and many will not open again. While isolating, all of our mental health has been challenged. On an up note, government agencies have learned to cooperate (to a certain extent). Some of us have gotten stimulus checks. The kind and generous side of many individuals and organizations have been exposed.<br />
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But now what?<br />
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I’d like to see our kind and generous sides expressed through our governments, corporations and other systems to continue, but more robustly.<br />
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Mom <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-kulke-131ab410/" target="_blank">Stephanie Kulke</a> offers her thoughts on the subject:<br />
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<i>The first thing the new normal should include is us humans having greater awareness of our interdependence. Who has not gotten teared up by the lawn signs thanking our hospital workers? Or inspired by the generosity of restaurants and neighbors who have made food available to the hungry? </i><br />
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<i>I hope this knowledge of our interdependence leads to greater respect and appreciation for those who make our communities work, and generosity toward those who are vulnerable (which is all of us).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I asked my middle schooler how he thinks things will be different. He says he will appreciate everyone more when he gets back. Not just his closest friends and favorite teachers, but everyone in his classes and on staff whose presence make the day more fun and productive, because they are in school together. </i><br />
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<i>I could not have said it better. I don’t just miss my closest friends and family—I also miss the people that are part of everyday life in the community. The cast of characters at the McGaw YMCA I share a laugh with every week. My church community—who although we still meet virtually—have been kept apart for major life events like baptisms and funerals. And the big events that knit our community together like the YWCA’s Race Against Hate.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>The second thing the new normal should include is a universal proficiency with best Zoom mic and lighting practices. My teens have been mocking me for speaking overly loud at my screen as if I were talking to someone in another part of the house. Now I am practicing modulating my volume. I have even learned to elevate my laptop a few inches, so my chin and neck look better on camera. And I avoid backlighting! When this prolonged period of social distancing is over, the YouTube and Twitch celebrities will have nothing over the rest of us middle aged and older non-digital natives.</i><br />
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...and artist <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriana-poterash-a7990b5a/" target="_blank">Adriana Poterash</a> shares her perspective: <br />
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<i>Everything changes. That is the only constant in life. </i><br />
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<i>Adjustments will be many and painful at the beginning. The old ways of life are not coming back: the instant gratification and pleasurable excess of accustomed consumerism is over, the sense of invulnerability, and the reliability on efficiency of government and adequate medical supplies in time of need - are gone. </i><br />
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<i>We learned that economic class disparity is deadlier for those in need. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Maturity comes with price, but it has a prize too: we learned how to take care of ourselves and to care for others from small local communities to the global international actions. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The world has shrank in two months, as we understood that we are all in the same boat, so better get alone. We learned daily frugality, appreciation of basic needs and humbleness of our non-importance in the eyes of the natural world that we shamelessly abused for so long. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We became wiser and stronger due to learning about our inexperience and fragility in the eyes of disaster. </i><br />
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<i>We will keep going forward without falling apart and living every day to the best of our personal ability. We will develop a ‘sense of elbow’–as being more together interconnected vs detached individualism.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We will navigate our ship through this storm carefully and intelligently to be prepared for, yet, harder times ahead before this is all over. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>History shows many examples of incredible human survival through much worse atrocities and disasters—by all means, we can overcome our challenge. </i><br />
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…and lastly here’s some specific ideas from musician <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevereinfranck/" target="_blank">Steve Reinfranck</a>:<br />
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<i>There are so many areas that could be changed as we head to our new normal. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Closing at least half of the 800+ military bases we operate around the world would be a start. Make the Pentagon accounting open to oversight investigation. Identify those weapon programs that are already outmoded, but are continued to provide “pork" to the legislators whose home states "benefit" from building those weapons.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-41LSeDU6qAI/XrQ7v-XgV3I/AAAAAAABt9E/VEc4buzMaaQJbDS2TK0taXegUUrMrJQkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/PullQuotes_NEWnormal_SteveReinfranck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="500" height="186" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-41LSeDU6qAI/XrQ7v-XgV3I/AAAAAAABt9E/VEc4buzMaaQJbDS2TK0taXegUUrMrJQkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/PullQuotes_NEWnormal_SteveReinfranck.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Guarantee universal health care as a human right.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Eliminate the Electoral College and re-examine the Second Amendment—both are vestiges of slavery!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Reinstitute <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass%E2%80%93Steagall_legislation" target="_blank">Glass-Steagall</a>. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Levy colossal taxes and penalties on the corporations who license themselves overseas to avoid paying taxes, who deliberately sabotage pension funds of the workers (Bruce Rauner and Mitt Romney come to mind), and who shut down factories in the U.S. and re-open them in low-wage countries to increase their own profits without regard to the fate of the American workers.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/05/03/mcdonalds-corporate-welfare-moocher" target="_blank">Terminate subsidies to petroleum companies and corporations such as MacDonalds</a> . </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Make voting an automatic right of every citizen.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Limit and regulate lobbyists.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Campaign finance reform—get rid of Citizens United as soon as possible.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Student loan reform/forgiveness. Free state colleges for all.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>• Green New Deal—time is running out!</i><br />
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<a href="https://msdempsterst.blogspot.com/2020/05/post-pandemic-what-should-new-normal.html" target="_blank">Some others share their perspectives on my Ms. Dempster St. blog</a>. </div>
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<i>✿*•.¸¸.•*✿*•.¸¸.•*✿*•.¸¸.•*✿ </i></div>
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-34354649015044273662020-01-19T14:40:00.000-06:002020-01-21T15:20:05.444-06:00February 15: What Would Make Evanston an Extraordinary Place for All Kids to Grow Up In?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">This in from Rotary Club of Evanston</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">Evanstonians of all stripes are invited to share their ideas at “Evanston Big Ideas 2020: What Would Make Evanston an Extraordinary Place for ALL KIDS to Grow Up In?” at Evanston Township High School’s South Study Cafe scheduled for Saturday February 15, 1-4 p.m.<br />
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“Every voice and perspective will have something to bring to this conversation,” says co-facilitator Kelly Fidei, PhD, a member of the Rotary Club of Evanston.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">To encourage collaborative dialogue and constructive possibilities for action, Evanston’s two Rotary clubs—the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvanstonRotary/" target="_blank">Rotary Club of Evanston</a> and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/evlrc" target="_blank">Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club</a>—have organized this community conversation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">“Both Evanston Rotary clubs like to have their finger on the pulse of Evanston. This is just one fun way for our neighbors to inform us on what should get more attention in the name of making Evanston a great place to raise ALL kids” and encourage fellow Evanstonians to do what they can to make greatness happen," says co-organizer Kathy Tate-Bradish, a member of the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club.</span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Js4hdtNSPhw/XiTPkv7nboI/AAAAAAABtMI/k6vgYxReIWgfgyyapWtOI5YNQmoyBfGPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/KellyFideiTiffiniHolmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="433" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Js4hdtNSPhw/XiTPkv7nboI/AAAAAAABtMI/k6vgYxReIWgfgyyapWtOI5YNQmoyBfGPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/KellyFideiTiffiniHolmes.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="color: #666666;"><b>.</b></span><span style="color: #666666;"><b><br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Kelly Fidei</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"> (left) and <b>Tiffini Holmes will lead the conversation.</b></span></span><br />
Kelly Fidei is an executive leadership coach. She is an active <br />
member of the Rotary Club of Evanston. Tiffini Holmes is a life <br />
wellness coach and HR consultant. Tiffini is active in Evanston’s <br />
Organization for Positive Action and Leadership, OPAL.<br />
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</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">This community conversation will follow a process called “World Caf</span></span><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="st">é</span>”. After an ice breaker, neighbors will form groups of 4, 5 or 6. Questions relating to the primary question will be discussed and ideas written or illustrated on butcher block paper. Teams will split up and go to new tables and continue to share ideas. The butcher block paper will be tacked to the wall and teams will report out on their ideas.</span></span></div>
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A report on all ideas discussed and other achievements will be share with all participants shortly after the event, as well as a survey for organizers to learn participants’ reaction to what they learned and if they plan to take some kind of action.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">Participating partners include:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/evanstonc2c/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Evanston Cradle to Career</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/evanstonpubliclibrary/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Neue Plak", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Evanston Public Library</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETHSD202/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Neue Plak", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Evanston Township High School</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FamilyFocusEvanston/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Neue Plak", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Family Focus</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHarbourInc/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Neue Plak", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">The Harbour</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.mcgawymca.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7bPNhs-V5wIViMDACh2xxQuVEAAYASAAEgJHnfD_BwE" target="_blank">McGaw YMCA </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "neue plak" , , , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/morancenter/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "neue plak" , , , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "neue plak" , , , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.opalevanston.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">OPAL</a>/Organization for Positive Action and Leadership</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "neue plak" , , , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "neue plak" , , , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/yjcevanston/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Youth Job Center</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "neue plak" , , , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span class="s2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "neue plak" , , , "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/YWCAEvanstonNorthShore/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">YWCA Evanston/North Shore</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">Light refreshments will be served. Child care will be available.<br />
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Walk-ins are welcome, but seating is limited, so <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/evanston-big-ideas-2020-what-would-make-evanston-an-extraordinary-place-for-all-kids-to-grow-up-in-registration-89362476573" target="_blank">registering online</a> by February 10 is advised.<br />
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In 2020 the Rotary Club of Evanston will celebrate 100 years of service, and the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club, 35 years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"> ✿*•.¸¸.•*✿.</span></span><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">¸</span></span></span></span>¸.•*</span></span>✿*•.¸¸.•*✿</span></span></div>
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-60088361825659450642019-12-23T19:31:00.000-06:002019-12-24T10:15:29.669-06:00StoryCorps adventure with Dan Coyne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm still laughing a little at Dan Coyne, and life in general.<br />
<br />
"I'm an open book," he claims.<br />
<br />
Yeah, but it depends on what page the book is opened to, I say.<br />
<br />
Around Evanston, some know Dan has the guy who covers the city council meetings live for Evanston's Facebook audience.<br />
<br />
Others know Dan has a Ridgeville Park District board member and an active member of Reba Place.<br />
<br />
A few know him as the guy that donated a kidney to his favorite grocery store clerk approximately 10 years ago. That is where we started our conversation in the StoryCorps booth at the Chicago Cultural Center on September 21, 2019.<br />
<br />
I learned that he moved to Evanston from Portland, Oregon and grew up in Toledo, Ohio.<br />
He has O- blood.<br />
Rotary played an important role in his life early on. <br />
It wasn't until the end of our conversation that I learned something very surprising, not covered in any press about him. <br /><br />I appreciated the trust he gave me. I'm in awe of his grace and equanimity.<br />
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Give us a listen <a href="https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/chi003132/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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✿*•.¸¸.•*✿*•.¸¸.•*✿*•.¸¸.•*✿<br />
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Media coverage of part of his story:<br />
<br />
February 7, 2010 - <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2010-02-07-1002060223-story,amp.html" target="_blank">A surprising transplant offer </a><br />
<br />
June 15, 2010 - <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/ct-met-kidney-donor-20100615-story.html" target="_blank">Man honored for donating kidney may lose job</a><br />
<br />
July 1, 2012 - <a href="https://www.goshen.edu/news/2012/07/01/a-gift-of-life-dan-coyne-80-has-been-inspired-by-gcs-culture-for-service/" target="_blank">A gift of life...</a><br /><br />
October 7, 2014 - <a href="https://wgntv.com/2014/10/07/kidney-donors-cps-job-in-jeopardy-again/" target="_blank">Kidney donor's CPS job in jeopardy--again</a> (video)<br />
<br />
December 22, 2015 - <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2015/12/22/18575978/cps-fires-social-worker-who-donated-kidney-to-stranger" target="_blank">CPS fires social worker who donated kidney to stranger</a> <br />
<br />
December 22, 2015 - <a href="https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/termination-of-school-social-worker-raises-questions-about-residency-rule-caseloads/b19df9ed-804e-49ef-98bd-0075961c7ea9" target="_blank">Termination of School Social Worker Raises Questions about Residency Rule, Caseload</a><br />
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-61470039570889376412019-12-23T18:13:00.002-06:002019-12-23T18:13:48.014-06:00Rotary Club of Evanston celebrates 100 years of "service above self"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-59389350607907646582019-09-13T12:03:00.000-05:002019-09-13T12:03:08.356-05:00A Poem: Two Bird<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OE3KjXWBLTE/XXvLhF2abiI/AAAAAAABsTk/ZjjpMaNqySAYiHkLCsmDFeMp50816SwxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TwoBIRDS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OE3KjXWBLTE/XXvLhF2abiI/AAAAAAABsTk/ZjjpMaNqySAYiHkLCsmDFeMp50816SwxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/TwoBIRDS.jpg" width="614" /></a></div>
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-10307537586839196412019-08-27T13:16:00.001-05:002019-08-27T13:42:07.791-05:00Tuesday Toasters TONIGHT/August 27 at Five and Dime.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub8lpqj-Aq0/XWVy4H8R-xI/AAAAAAABsHk/YpYsbp5LuJEipfNverW7ojWn3RmURKXlACLcBGAs/s1600/TuesdayToastersAugust2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ub8lpqj-Aq0/XWVy4H8R-xI/AAAAAAABsHk/YpYsbp5LuJEipfNverW7ojWn3RmURKXlACLcBGAs/s320/TuesdayToastersAugust2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">TONIGHT: The Rotary Club of Evanston invites you to Tuesday Toasters at <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/stFvg2vQgu2VLgtP8" target="_blank">Five & Dime at 1026 Davis St., Evanston</a> from 5:15 - 7:15-ish p.m.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Join us friends and neighbors, some of them Rotarians, for conversation over food and/or drinks.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bring a friend, if you like.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tuesday Toasters is the Rotary Club of Evanston's monthly no-agenda meetup of Evanstonians and friends gathering in the name of promoting friendship. </span></span></div></div>Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-25299195714231117252019-05-03T17:39:00.000-05:002019-05-03T18:12:46.477-05:00Evanston Rotary's PizzaFest May 21<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dArDVpyzW1A/XMzB7f4kL6I/AAAAAAABrMI/CGlC5ybPCI8Z5_zgfyUCjyehrC5YsHGxgCLcBGAs/s1600/59350677_2431178503567894_1855968459385470976_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dArDVpyzW1A/XMzB7f4kL6I/AAAAAAABrMI/CGlC5ybPCI8Z5_zgfyUCjyehrC5YsHGxgCLcBGAs/s640/59350677_2431178503567894_1855968459385470976_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This in from the Rotary Club of Evanston...<br />
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Stephanie Murray--with other member of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvanstonRotary/" target="_blank">Rotary Club of Evanston</a> Paul Fischl, Gene Servillo, Jane Lawicki, Paul Larson, Dick Peach, Dave Stumpf, Diane Krier-Morrow, Ada Kahn, Janet Butterfield, Björn Gylling, Pete Giangreco, Tori Foreman, Helen Dickson, Harry Vroegh, Gary Bowen, Paul Giordano, Bill Logan, Shawn Iles, Evelyn Lee, April Jensen, Jason Orloff, Pam Rosenbusch, John Robertson, Bridget McDonough, Tracy Tebear, Mark Lowry, Michele Berg, Wally Bobkiewicz, Kelly Gilbert, Brian King, Tom Swigert--invites you to this year's PizzaFest <br />
at <br />
<b>Gigio's Pizzeria, 1001 Davis, Evanston </b><br />
on <br />
<b>Tuesday, May 21, from 4:30-8:30 p.m.</b>. <br />
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<a href="https://mckinleypark.news/components/com_rseventspro/assets/images/events/TheGreenleafBand_logo570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="800" height="297" src="https://mckinleypark.news/components/com_rseventspro/assets/images/events/TheGreenleafBand_logo570.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
New this year is outdoor dining on Maple Street ad entertainment by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/greenleafmusicChicago/" target="_blank">Greenleaf Band</a> and Johnny Price aka <a href="https://www.facebook.com/superdjjpgunnz/" target="_blank">DJ JP Gunnz</a>.<br /><br />Bennison's will be bringing the dessert.<br />
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The growing list of "celebrity servers" expected to be there slinging slices includes John Hewko, Rotary International; Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty; and Evanston Alderman Peter Braithwaite.<br />
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Tickets for all the pizza and pop you can consume run $20 for adults and $12 for kids, if you purchase from a club member or <a href="https://squareup.com/market/evanston-rotary-charity" target="_blank">online</a>. Tickets at the door will cost a bit more.<br />
<br />
This umpteenth annual pizza and pop extravaganza raises funds to support community projects and initiatives vital to the well being of Evanston. Past recipients of the club's philanthropy include James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy, Family Focus Evanston, On Your Feet Foundation, Curt's Cafe South, Evanston Food Exchange, Park School PTA, School for Little Children, Youth and Opportunity United/Y.O.U., Mudlark Theater Company, Youth Job Center<br />
and others.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-MowbUpBak/XMzE2HNEKUI/AAAAAAABrMY/ZuMrq7Vszhgq1hBjmaEzjwvFC1qrxInGwCEwYBhgL/s1600/JohnnyPrice_6607_KarenKring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y-MowbUpBak/XMzE2HNEKUI/AAAAAAABrMY/ZuMrq7Vszhgq1hBjmaEzjwvFC1qrxInGwCEwYBhgL/s640/JohnnyPrice_6607_KarenKring.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deejay JP Gunnz aka Evanston's own Johnny Price</td></tr>
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-75150278442005548392019-03-29T11:22:00.000-05:002019-03-30T11:43:54.144-05:00Grants to combat hate and intolerant behavior<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a class="navbar-brand" href="https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2372/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> <img alt="Evanston logo" height="143" src="https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000002372/Images/Evanston--1-.png" width="320" /> </a>This in from the Rotary Club of Evanston...</div>
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National statistics indicate that hate crimes are on the rise, accompanied by an alarming increase in hateful speech and intolerance in the nation’s social discourse.</div>
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<br />
Recent incidents of intolerant behavior and language among school-age children indicate that this broad societal problem can have a local impact, “trickling down” to affect our youth at a particularly important time in their intellectual and emotional development.</div>
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<br />
Recognizing the destructive impact of hateful speech and intolerance on communities, and particularly its significantly harmful impact on youth, the <b><a href="https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2372/Page/ShowSitePage?ClassCode=SitePage&Slug=learn-about-and-donate-to-our-charitable-fund" target="_blank">Rotary Club of Evanston Charitable Fund</a> </b>is turning its attention to this issue with its annual request for local grant proposals. The Charitable Fund will award community grants this year to local organizations that are interested in addressing the issue through innovative programming. The grants will range in size from $500 to $2,500.</div>
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To be considered for a 2019 grant, local organizations are asked to demonstrate programming intended to reduce the impacts of hateful speech, cultural insensitivity or intolerance among children, while promoting youth communities that are characterized by tolerance, empathy and respect for diversity. Because these issues impact children of all ages, program proposals aimed at children from pre-kindergarten/early childhood through middle school and high school are encouraged, including those focused on parenting skills and support for families.</div>
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<br />
Funding for this effort is being provided by the generous contributions of four Community Partners who are supporting this year’s grants: <b><a href="https://www.bylinebank.com/locator/" target="_blank">Byline Bank</a>, <a href="http://hagertyconsulting.com/" target="_blank">Hagerty Consulting</a>, <a href="https://www.northshore.org/" target="_blank">NorthShore University HealthSystem</a></b>, and <a href="http://romanowealth.com/" target="_blank"><b>Romano Brothers & Co. Wealth Management.</b></a></div>
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Completed <a href="https://bit.ly/RCEGrantApp" target="_blank">applications</a> may be submitted by email to <a href="mailto:RCEvanston@gmail.com" target="_blank">RCEvanston@gmail.com</a> or sent by U.S. mail to: Rotary Club of Evanston, P.O. Box 84, Evanston, IL, 60204. <b>The application deadline is May 10, 2019. </b>Grant awardees will be announced in June 2019.<br />
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0Evanston, IL, USA42.0450722 -87.68769689999999241.9979052 -87.76837789999999 42.0922392 -87.6070159tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-72720221693364962382019-03-25T18:10:00.000-05:002019-03-25T18:11:55.046-05:00Apply to Evanston's Cultural Fund Grant Program by April 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This in from the City of Evanston...<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_w-xst-t-9E/XJlfa9g2KxI/AAAAAAABrCM/m_DxusPKotM1kuO2oTXwXHV6KEzg9FOSQCLcBGAs/s1600/EAC%252BLOGO%252BBLACK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_w-xst-t-9E/XJlfa9g2KxI/AAAAAAABrCM/m_DxusPKotM1kuO2oTXwXHV6KEzg9FOSQCLcBGAs/s1600/EAC%252BLOGO%252BBLACK.jpg" /></a></div>
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Arts organizations are invited to apply to the City of Evanston’s Cultural Fund Grant Program. The Cultural Fund, administered by the Evanston Arts Council, supports artistic excellence throughout the community by providing financial assistance to not-for-profit arts organizations for operational costs or projects. Applications must be submitted online at <a href="http://cityofevanston.org/culturalfund">cityofevanston.org/culturalfund</a><br />
by <u>Monday, April 1, 2019 at 5 p.m.</u><br />
<br />
The City will award a total of $30,000 in grants in the following two categories: Grants to Organizations, awards up to $5,000; and Special Programs and Projects, awards up to $5,000. Applicants may only apply for one of the grant categories. All projects must take place in Evanston in order to successfully qualify for a grant.<br />
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There will be a free grant-writing workshop offered specifically for the Cultural Fund Grant Program. All applicants are encouraged to attend the session on Wednesday, February 27, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Morton Civic Center, Room 2402, 2100 Ridge Ave. For special considerations, such as sign language interpretation or Braille translation, please call 847-859-7833 at least one week prior to the meeting date.<br />
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The Cultural Fund Grant application must be completed and submitted online only. This allows applicants to easily submit financial records and supporting documents, as well as save progress throughout the application process.<br />
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All information about the grants, guidelines and applications can be found by visiting <a href="http://cityofevanston.org/culturalfund">cityofevanston.org/culturalfund</a>. For questions, please contact Assistant to the City Manager Paulina Martínez at <a href="mailto:pmartinez@cityofevanston.org">pmartinez@cityofevanston.org</a>.<br />
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The goal of the Cultural Fund Grant Program is to sustain and advance the community’s arts industry. Evanston’s vision for its Cultural Fund Grant Program is to activate the extraordinary assets of the community to develop Evanston as an arts hub and destination.<br />
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For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.</div>
Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-89486476237847263382018-11-22T20:30:00.000-06:002018-11-22T20:37:46.661-06:00Chilling at King Spa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;">updated November 22, 2018</span></span></span></b></div>
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I go to <a href="http://www.kingspa.com/chicago/about.html" target="_blank">King Spa</a> almost monthly. It feels like a vacation, because it's such an uncommon-to-me atmosphere and I leave feeling good, body and soul.<br />
<br />
By uncommon-to-me, I mean that it is a Korean-style spa. Most of the staff seems to be Korean. The televisions are tuned into Korean programs. Most of reading materials are in Korean. I’m not Korean. That said, it feels as common-to-me as going to my neighborhood pool. Little kids try to swim in the hot tubs (to the annoyance of some). There are signs telling us the rules and minders, a combination of lifeguards and librarians, making sure we observe them, rules like no water in the hot rooms and only whispers in the hot tubs. There are lockers, towels, showers, and what I call a concession stand, but with tasty, healthy Korean/Asian food. No hot dogs here.<br />
<br />
If you’ve never been there, I wholeheartedly encourage you to go. <br />
Here’s some tips.<br />
<br />
* Entry costs $40. Discounts are available via coupon sites and on their website, but I think the best deal is found next door at <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/super-h-mart-niles" target="_blank">Super H Mart</a>. Their customer service desk staff sell passes for $24 each, if you give them cash. Note that while the spa is open 24 hours, the customer service desk closes at 9 p.m., last I checked.<br />
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* The locker key issued to you includes a fob that allows spa staff to track your purchases — food, slippers, facial masks, plus <a href="http://www.kingspa.com/chicago/price.html" target="_blank">facials, massages, scrubs and other services</a>. You’ll pay for those items on your way out.<br />
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* Hot tubs are not co-ed. They’re accessible only through locker rooms and include lots of nakedness. If one is not used to this, this can be challenging at first. To me, the scene by the hot tubs is like an impressionist's painting. This I believe: a) If any of the other women in and around the hot tubs looks at you at all, it won't be for too long. No one there cares much about your looks. b) You won't have the most unusual, noteworthy body in the place. <br /><br />
Before going into the cool tub, spend as much time as you can in the hottest tub. If you do that, the cool tub will feel refreshing, not freezing. <br /><br />A Korean women long acquainted with the hot-cold system of recommends continuing to move in the hot and cold tubs to help the toxins leave your system and keep your joints nimble.<br />
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* Hot rooms are co-ed. You’ll be issued blousy shorts and a top. No one looks good in them, but no one looks bad either. No dust or dirt on the floors, but in the hottest rooms, those floors get very hot, so wearing socks is a good idea.<br />
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I hope you’ll go and enjoy it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h_1MhZxPwAA/WE9dCPLtb-I/AAAAAAAAsZA/UUT-DMO8gtINQXP51VfdABbh63l035hbQCLcB/s1600/KingSpaDiptych1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h_1MhZxPwAA/WE9dCPLtb-I/AAAAAAAAsZA/UUT-DMO8gtINQXP51VfdABbh63l035hbQCLcB/s640/KingSpaDiptych1000.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[ Photos courtesy King Spa's website ]</td></tr>
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-73232322738807170662018-11-02T22:06:00.001-05:002018-11-03T15:04:46.675-05:00Learn about artist Gabriele Munter--or Pirate Women--at the Evanston Public Library, courtesy Rotary Club of Evanston<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Gabriele Münter (1877–1962) was a central figure of German Expressionism and the artist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider)--artists who believed the Neue Künstlervereinigung München had become too strict and traditional--which was founded at Münter’s house in Murnau, in Bavaria, Germany. Her role as a dedicated proponent, mediator, and longtime companion of Wassily Kandinsky is widely recognized. <br />
<br />
Less known is the fact that Münter is one of the few women who played an early role in developing modernism. <br />
<br />
Her openness and willingness to experiment as a painter, photographer, and graphic artist will now be presented in detail for the first time at an exhibition now at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany, until January 13, 2019.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-efzUiFjP4mg/W90P5j2sWEI/AAAAAAABqlU/eMZDpGoxs3gAZas-FIMEt10YfyJkCEOZgCLcBGAs/s1600/GabMunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-efzUiFjP4mg/W90P5j2sWEI/AAAAAAABqlU/eMZDpGoxs3gAZas-FIMEt10YfyJkCEOZgCLcBGAs/s400/GabMunter.jpg" width="300" /></a><u><br />
</u>For those of us not going to Cologne: <u>Gabriele Münter: Painting to the Point</u>, by Isabelle Jansen, Matthias Muhling und Johannes Eichner-Stiftung has been gifted to the Evanston Public Library by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvanstonRotary/" target="_blank">Rotary Club of Evanston</a>, in honor of fellow Rotarian Julie Clark's visit to one of their Thursday lunch meetings. (Better than a pen or a mug.)<br />
<br />
A few of the other books we've donated in the name of our guest speakers:<br />
> <u>Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement</u> by Naomi Andre <br />
<br />
> <u>A Guide to Improvised Weaponry: How to Protect Yourself With Whatever You've Got</u> by Terry Schappert<br />
<br />
> <u>The Science of Positivity: Stop Negative Thought Patterns by Changing Your Brain Chemistry</u> by Loretta Breuning <br />
<br />
> <u>Pirate Women : the Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers who ruled the Seven Seas</u> by Laura Duncombe<br />
<br />
> <u>Critical Race Theory: An Introduction</u> by Richard Delgado<br />
<br />
> <u>1,001 Ways to be Creative : a Little Book of Everyday Inspiration</u> by Barbara Kipfer<br />
<br />
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✿*•.¸¸.•*✿*•.¸¸.•*✿*•.¸¸.•*✿</div>
<br />
Sources: <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/gabriele-munter-1877-1962-painting-to-the-point/oclc/982099207">https://www.worldcat.org/title/gabriele-munter-1877-1962-painting-to-the-point/oclc/982099207</a> >< <a href="https://www.museum-ludwig.de/fileadmin/content/07_Presse/ML_GM_PressRelease.pdf">https://www.museum-ludwig.de/fileadmin/content/07_Presse/ML_GM_PressRelease.pdf</a> >< <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Blaue_Reiter">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Blaue_Reiter</a><br />
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-63273139905421050742018-09-17T09:37:00.001-05:002018-09-17T09:52:39.579-05:00Help neighbors and strangers celebrate their birthdays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/6654766-3x2-940x627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="425" src="https://www.abc.net.au/news/image/6654766-3x2-940x627.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Imagine.<br />
<br />
You’re doing what you can to make ends meet. <br />
Your loved one’s birthday is coming up. <br />
Do you spend funds on ends meat--sold at some deli counters, sometimes they include cheese--or on baking supplies to make a birthday cake?<br />
<br />
Skevanton’s <a href="http://www.hillsidepantry.org/" target="_blank">Hillside Pantry</a> has got your back. <br />
They provide birthday cake kits: Cake mix, frosting, candles, sometimes a card.<br />
<br />
If you have the means, consider creating some birthday cake kits for the pantry.<br />
<br />
You can drop them off at Rotary International's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rotary/" target="_blank">headquarters</a> on Sherman. In the lobby, by the sundries shop, is a collection box. A member or friend of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvanstonRotary/" target="_blank">Rotary Club of Evanston</a> will take contributions to the pantry.<br />
<br />
Learn more about the kits and what else the Hillside Pantry is looking for <a href="http://www.hillsidepantry.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/pantrydonate.pdf" target="_blank">online</a>, because while cake is nice, so is tuna.</div>
Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-70753736444956930852018-08-06T17:52:00.001-05:002018-08-06T23:10:23.845-05:00Meet Rotary's Michele Berg<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
That's Michele with one "L".<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bWiV21jsn-g/W2jKHdA99BI/AAAAAAABpG0/3Zf_BnviNGYR1sN5HVUg4IFUxsWn-FozgCLcBGAs/s1600/Michele_26904747_1789395287746222_4273845222012522848_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="473" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bWiV21jsn-g/W2jKHdA99BI/AAAAAAABpG0/3Zf_BnviNGYR1sN5HVUg4IFUxsWn-FozgCLcBGAs/s400/Michele_26904747_1789395287746222_4273845222012522848_n.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Michele Berg, as Susan Trieschman discusses<br />
restorative justice and her passion for <a href="https://curtscafe.org/" target="_blank">Curt's Cafe</a> <br />
at one of the Rotary Club of Evanston's <br />
Thursday lunch meetings.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br /></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Maybe you've already met Michele Berg. Maybe you met her at an Evanston Fourth of July parade. She'd have been there marching with Rotarians. Maybe you met her at a Evanston Community Foundation gala. She's on the foundation's board. Maybe she seems familiar, because last year you read about her in <a href="https://issuu.com/evanstonwomanmagazine/docs/2017_20brillant_20business_20women_/12" target="_blank">Evanston Woman magazine.</a><br />
<br />
By day, Michele Berg is the deputy general secretary for the Evanston-headquartered <a href="https://www.rotary.org/" target="_blank">Rotary International</a>, the second highest ranking person in the organization.<br />
<br />
In 2009 she doubled down and joined the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvanstonRotary/" target="_blank">Rotary Club of Evanston</a>. She was the only RI staffer in the club at the time. She became a Rotarian during fellow Rotarian Dick Peach's first stint as club president. On July 1, <a href="https://evanstonlive.blogspot.com/2018/08/thanks-again-dick-peach.html" target="_blank">Dick ended his second term as president</a> when he handed the gavel over to Michele.<br />
<br />
As a fellow club member, I was curious about what was on Michele's mind as she took the top post in our club.<br />
<br />
Here's what I learned.<br />
<br />
Q: What do you especially enjoy about your job at Rotary International these days?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #073763;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">As Deputy General Secretary, I have a broad portfolio of work including Global People & Talent, International Operations, building operations of our world headquarters, support for Rotary Board/Trustees and audit. I also have the opportunity to represent the General Secretary at events locally and internationally. I enjoy the variety of the role and the ability to work with people from all around the world.</span> </i> </span></div>
<span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #073763;">Q: What’s on your mind as you begin the next Rotary year as president of the Rotary Club of Evanston?</span><br />
<i><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Our club has a rich history and is made up of enthusiastic, dedicated volunteers. I’m proud to lead the club as the 100th president, but certainly I can do nothing alone. I’m grateful for how many individuals have stepped up to plan service projects, invite compelling speakers, promote our activities on social media, and work on member events. I hope we continue to have fun and contribute to our community at the same time. </span></i><br />
<br />
Q: Years ago you and I collaborated on inviting guest speakers to our weekly lunch meetings. I enjoyed working with you on that. I especially appreciate your equanimity and intelligence. I think you’re going to be a great president. <br />
<br />
As club president, do you have any specific goals you’ll be focusing on this year?<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Thanks, Karen! So kind of you. <br />
<br />
The Rotary Club of Evanston has a strategic plan with goals to increase membership, focus on a signature fund raising activity, focus on a signature service project, and improve our public image. As club president, I certainly want to support our strategic plan and keep us on track for a successful year. Other than these goals, I’m hoping to engage as many members as possible in club activities and get us ready to celebrate our 100th year. </span> </i><br />
<br />
Q: What inspired you to join our Rotary club years ago?<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>I’ve been involved in Rotary for over 20 years as a member of the Rotary International staff. I believe in the mission and I see the impact the organization is having to create lasting change in our communities and in our world. I wanted to join the Rotary Club of Evanston, because I wanted to get more involved in the community. I live and work in Evanston and am raising a family in Evanston – I thought it was important to be involved and connected. </i></span><br />
<i> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mL2Ia71Dh50/W2jKZqmwz_I/AAAAAAABpG8/oqa6sMjE6LUQoZfiSmOv9R0cvX9cS03_ACLcBGAs/s1600/DickMichele_36367646_1967146786637737_3179551704974622720_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="473" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mL2Ia71Dh50/W2jKZqmwz_I/AAAAAAABpG8/oqa6sMjE6LUQoZfiSmOv9R0cvX9cS03_ACLcBGAs/s320/DickMichele_36367646_1967146786637737_3179551704974622720_n.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Dick Peach and Michele Berg at the <br />
annual transition party at Rotarian<br />
Elio Romero's Chef's Station.<br />
#peopleofaction</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br /></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</i><br />
Q: Any of us can conjure up some "good" reasons to NOT serve as club president, but what ideas coaxed you into taking the gavel this year?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>A Rotary club is run by volunteers and someone needs to step up to lead the club each year. And Dick Peach asked me. As we both know, in Rotary you just say yes!</i> </span><br />
<br />
Q: What does your family think of you taking on the role of club president or should I ask them myself?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Ha! Definitely ask them, but if I had to guess... I met my husband working at Rotary International, so my family has grown with Rotary always in the mix professionally and personally. I’ve always involved them in service projects and some of my travel for work. They understand that Rotary is about helping people, so they are supportive of all that I do with Rotary. </i></span><br />
<br />
Q: You’re one of the leaders of your family and Rotary International. What lessons learned in those roles do you expect to make use of as you lead our club?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Delegate! I am grateful to have a great team in my family, at work and in the Rotary club - I’m surrounded by wonderful people, so it is really about having a goal and then working together as a team to reach our goals. </i></span><br />
<br />
Q: What would you like more people to understand about being a Rotarian?<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>I hope people understand that being a Rotarian opens a network of 1.2 million other Rotarians who are all committed to working together to bring lasting change to our communities and around the world. It is a powerful group – we are literally changing the world with our efforts in polio eradication, water and sanitation, peace, economic development, maternal and child health, education and literacy, disease prevention and treatment. And we work locally in Evanston as well – community grants, scholarships. We need more hands to do good work – anyone interested should come check us out! Like our Facebook page or come to a meeting – we meet Thursdays at 12:15 at Rotary International, 1560 Sherman Avenue in downtown Evanston.</i></span><br />
<i> </i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b> </b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>To take up MIchele's offer of lunching with <br />the Rotary Club of Evanston, </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>RSVP to her via <a href="mailto:michele.berg@rotary.org" target="_blank">email</a><i>.</i></b></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nk9dZefLzg4/W2jNWsXxjeI/AAAAAAABpHI/Q2lELyS1pm0-39SEq7hnmgdM4HNjSjRyACLcBGAs/s1600/31945554_1903860486299701_7295397437139582976_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="900" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nk9dZefLzg4/W2jNWsXxjeI/AAAAAAABpHI/Q2lELyS1pm0-39SEq7hnmgdM4HNjSjRyACLcBGAs/s1600/31945554_1903860486299701_7295397437139582976_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Michele Berg plants a tree with her daughters a<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">t Evanston's Harbert Park <br />
in May. One of Rotary International's goals for last year was for </span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br />
1.2 million new trees to be planted, one for every Rotarian in the world. <br />
The Rotary Club of Evanston pitched in.</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-41514191037299524062018-08-03T17:43:00.000-05:002018-08-09T19:55:26.875-05:00THANKS, again, Dick Peach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I8919_m5Y8A/W2TLGl0pW0I/AAAAAAABpFY/Rh54JSYFVqk0DQDhGNnK5BE-l5HitX1IgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Monarda_9263_KarenKringVertical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="557" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I8919_m5Y8A/W2TLGl0pW0I/AAAAAAABpFY/Rh54JSYFVqk0DQDhGNnK5BE-l5HitX1IgCEwYBhgL/s400/Monarda_9263_KarenKringVertical.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Monarda, aka Bee Balm.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Roses, lilies, black-eyed Susans, bee balm and purple cone flowers are just some of the flora at home in Evanston's <a href="https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2372/SitePage/international-friendship-garden">International Friendship Garden</a>. Maybe you've strolled through it or ridden past it at McCormick and Bridge St. in the middle of the Ladd Arboretum. Established in the early 1960s by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvanstonRotary/">Rotary Club of Evanston</a>, not widely known is that Dick Peach, with his wife Shelley Peach, have lead the maintenance of it for many years, until recently, on behalf of the club.<br />
<br />
Few people active in Evanston's civic life don't know Dick Peach. He's consider by many one of the unofficial mayors of Evanston. By day he's the general manager of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DempsterAutoRebuilders/" target="_blank">Dempster Auto Rebuilders</a>. In his spare time he's doing all he can to help Evanston be all it can be, plus a little more fun. He plays Santa during Evanston winter Holiday Bash. He writes the <a href="https://soundcloud.com/lisa-degliantoni/the-lisa-d-show-with-dick-peach" target="_blank">Hooked on Fishing</a> column for the <a href="https://evanstonroundtable.com/main.asp?SectionID=20&SubSectionID=29&ArticleID=14741" target="_blank">Evanston Roundtable</a>, which he's won awards for. He's served in leadership positions in numerous Evanston's community organizations: Evanston Chamber of Commerce, City of Evanston's Liquor Control Board, Evanston Community Foundation, Evanston Environmental Association, Evanston's 4th of July Association, WE Foundation and probably others. The position he takes a special pride in is being a Rotarian. It is a rare day he's not wearing one of his Rotary shirts, and if he's not, he's wearing a Rotary pin.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZfPFdTVUAE/W2TQI6Ej_yI/AAAAAAABpFk/4wDMRT6ApSsrO_v-elJ3o-Y9iiAxQWs0gCEwYBhgL/s1600/DickPeach_Vertical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZfPFdTVUAE/W2TQI6Ej_yI/AAAAAAABpFk/4wDMRT6ApSsrO_v-elJ3o-Y9iiAxQWs0gCEwYBhgL/s320/DickPeach_Vertical.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dick Peach</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This past Rotary year, July 2017-June 2018, Dick served as president of the Rotary Club of Evanston, again. The first to serve as president twice in the club's nearly 100-year history. <br />
<br />
Dick is not hard to get to know. What you see is what you get. For certain details, one has to dig a little deeper. I pressed him a bit on his thoughts about his recent stint as club president. <br />
<br />
Here's what he had to say: <br />
<br />
Q: How are you feeling about your year leading the club, again?<br />
<br />
<i>Feeling pretty good, the year was not a bad year for our Club. We lost a few members due to job changes, and we gained a few new members. Leading this club is a joy because we have so many outstanding Rotarians leading the way and their showing the newbies how we do it.</i><br />
<br />
Q: How did this year differ for you from your first time serving as president during the 2009-10 Rotary year?<br />
<br />
<i>This year we didn’t make any major shifts in the club's operations. Last time when I came in I changed how we collected for lunch, by adding it to the dues instead of everyone paying at the door. Last time I de-emphasized taking attendance and offered a number of new ways to ‘make-up’ a meeting like Tuesday Toasters. This year was pretty uneventful in comparison. </i><br />
<br />
Q: What was the high point of the year for you?<br />
<br />
<i>Getting the dues structure realigned with the financial reality of our membership. With the shift from most companies covering all the dues for the members, to most not covering the dues cost, this putting the weight on the individual. I think it was prophetic that it was on my first presidency we added the meals to the dues making them substantially higher, that on my current watch I was able to restructure dues and make it easier on the membership to pay dues. Big change.</i><br />
<br />
Q: Is there anything you feel you left undone?<br />
<br />
<i>I wish I could have had more new members. I couldn’t find a way to get our members to invite more people to join us.</i><br />
<br />
Q: What’s next for you? Any projects you’re looking to take on within the club or outside of it?<br />
<br />
<i>Within the club, finish another big banner with club banners from around the world to make our meeting area look even better. I told [current president] Michele [Berg] I would be happy to work on our 100th Anniversary project for the club and I’m on two other committees, so I’ll stay involved. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Outside of Rotary I’m working with the WE Foundation to help kids get ahead. I’m taking a back seat on the 4th of July doings, stepping down from Celebration Manager for next year. I’m also going to be working full time on my retirement and move to Minnesota.</i><br />
<br />
Q: What else is on your mind as you transition out? Any advice for new president <a href="https://evanstonlive.blogspot.com/2018/08/meet-rotarys-michele-berg.html" target="_blank">Michele Berg</a>?<br />
<br />
<i>I told Michele the best thing she can do is to delegate as much as possible, because otherwise the job will overwhelm you in a minute. Pick good people to run your committees hold them accountable. And most of all…have fun. Remember you have lots of experienced past presidents to lean on for advice and guidance.</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MGxVtFXqPcI/W2TTUQaavaI/AAAAAAABpFs/VNcTq76vJz8Jea7CYnYeHwgtHQkWhamvwCLcBGAs/s1600/KarenEldridgeDickClaus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="720" height="307" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MGxVtFXqPcI/W2TTUQaavaI/AAAAAAABpFs/VNcTq76vJz8Jea7CYnYeHwgtHQkWhamvwCLcBGAs/s400/KarenEldridgeDickClaus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Santa Sandwich: Elf Eldridge Shannon (center) with </b><br />
<b>Dick Peach (right) and I at the first annual Evanston</b><br />
<b>Holiday Bash and Tree Lighting. November 2012.</b><br />
[Photo by Genie Lemieux]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">More about the Rotary Club of Evanston</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span>Planting trees, rehabbing homes for low-income families, cleaned-up beaches, packing backpacks of school supplies for K-12 students, tending to the International Friendship Garden and raising funds for not-for-profit organizations addressing issues from illiteracy to HIV/AIDS to homelessness, poverty, and gang violence is just some of what Rotary Club of Evanston does locally. <br />
<br />
Through the network of 35,000+ clubs connected through Rotary International--which just happens to be headquartered at Sherman and Grove--the Rotary Club of Evanston, as well as the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/evlrc/" target="_blank">Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club</a>, partner with other clubs to do what they can to tackle the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges, which include eradicating polio, disaster relief, clean water and micro-enterprise in Kenya, and upgrading health care systems in Guatemala. <br />
<br />
Most of the humanitarian efforts Rotarians work on globally fall under six areas of focus: peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development.<br />
<br />
If you'd like to learn more, check out the club's website and Facebook page. All are welcome to our Thursday lunch meeting in downtown Evanston. For an invitation to lunch and to learn more about membership in the club, contact club member <a href="mailto:brian.king@rotary.org" target="_blank">Brian King</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dick Peach, with fellow Rotarian Gene Servillo, at a Tuesday Toasters, one of the</b><br />
<b>Rotary Club of Evanston's events that is only about fun and friends.</b></td></tr>
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-56382606182254908552018-05-28T21:35:00.001-05:002018-06-19T22:33:20.532-05:00Gale West's Success with Soul Summit starts June 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><b>Success with Soul Summit host <br />
Gale West</b></span></h3>
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What do <a href="https://fearlessliving.org/about/">Rhonda Britten</a>, <a href="https://soulofmoney.org/about/lynne-twist">Lynne Twist</a>, <a href="https://selfleadership.org/about-richard-schwartz.html">Dr. Richard Schwartz</a>, <a href="http://touchedandtransformed.com/about-us/">Ben Saltzman</a>, <a href="https://www.shamanichealingwork.com/about-susan/">Susan Jenkins</a>, <a href="http://www.mikistrong.com/prosperity-interview-with-georgina-sweeney/">Georgina Sweeney</a>, <a href="https://upsidethinking.com/about-lisa-marie/">Lisa Marie Platske</a>, <a href="http://brandonpeele.weebly.com/about.html">Brandon Peele,</a> <a href="http://www.markesackett.com/Mark_Bio.pdf">Mark E. Sackett</a>, <a href="http://www.understandmen.com/about/alison.html">Alison Armstrong</a>, <a href="http://thewideawakening.com/about/team/">Jennifer Hough</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahar-nafal-98747930/">Sahar Nafal</a>, <a href="http://projectheavenonearth.com/meet-martin/">Martin Rutte</a>, <a href="http://www.jeffreyvandyk.com/about-jeffrey/">Jeffrey Van Dyk</a> and <a href="http://jodiebaudek.com/about-us/">Jodie Baudek</a> all have in common?<br />
<br />
<i>They’ve all been on Oprah?</i> <br />
<br />
Close. A few of them have been.<br />
<br />
They’re authors, coaches, and thought leaders in the area of personal transformation. All are participating in the <a href="http://successwithsoulsummit.com/KarenKring">Success with Soul Summit</a> hosted by Evanston’s own transformation coach <a href="http://www.sacredmoneymastery.com/galewest/">Gale West</a>. It starts June 4 and runs for two weeks.<br />
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Gale talked to these leaders about living fearlessly, designing your own destiny, love, the need for community, the value of creativity and other topics relating to aligning passion and profession in agreement with the nature of one's own being...and recorded their conversation.<br />
<br />
One thought leader/coach is featured daily. <a href="http://successwithsoulsummit.com/KarenKring">Sign up online</a> to receive the link to his/her conversation with Gale in your inbox each morning. <br />
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The summit is "free" and hopefully freeing. ;-)<br />
The summit will only cost you some time and attention. It might even cost you some limiting beliefs, which would surely make this all worthwhile. <br />
(If you'd like access to the talks after the summit, that will cost you some money.)<br />
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If you’ve been feeling that our society’s current definition of success, which tends to foster competition and values image, status and money for money’s sake, is soul sucking, this is for you. <br />
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Gale says this summit aims to promote new definitions of success that are soul nourishing, life enhancing, celebrate your unique gifts in the marketplace, allow your magnificence to shine and for money to be an agent for good.<br />
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It promises to be inspirational. Maybe it will change your life. <br />
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Ooh. Cool. Thank you, Karen.</i><br />
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You're welcome.<br />
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-67948769268330271822018-05-18T13:53:00.001-05:002018-05-18T13:53:32.915-05:00PizzaFest ala Evanston Rotary at Gigio's May 22<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Incoming Rotary Club of Evanston president <br />Michele Berg, with outgoing club president Dick Peach,<br />at last year's eat-a-thon. </b></span>[Photo by Ada P. Kahn]</td></tr>
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Evanston's annual May all-you-can-eat pizza and pop extravaganza is a go for Tuesday, May 22 at <a href="http://www.gigiospizzaev.com/">Gigio's Pizzeria</a>, at Davis and Maple. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and close at 8:30 p.m. Go having combed your hair, washed your face and wearing a clean outfit, because lots of pictures will be made at this party. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/EvanstonRotary/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1539197639432656">Last year's doings can be seen online</a>.<br /><br />The big cheeses expected to serve up the slices include Rotary International's John Hewko and Evanston Community Foundation's Monique B. Jones, and Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse's Aina Gutierrez, as well as Evanston's own Mayor Steve Hagerty, Alderman Peter Braithwaite and one of Evanston's unofficial mayors, Dick Peach.<br /><br />Organized by the <a href="http://www.evanstonrotary.org/">Rotary Club of Evanston</a>, tickets to this eat-a-thon run $20 for adults and $12 for kids, if you purchase from a club member or <a href="https://squareup.com/market/evanston-rotary-charity">online</a> before May 22. Tickets at the door will cost a bit more.<br /><br />Funds raised will support community projects and initiatives vital to the well-being of all of those in Evanston.<br /><br />Past and recent beneficiaries include James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy, Family Focus Evanston, On Your Feet Foundation, Curt's Cafe South, Evanston Food Exchange, The Ridgeville Foundation, Park School PTA, School for Little Children, Youth & Opportunity United/Y.O.U., Mudlark Theater Company and Youth Job Center.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.evanstonroundtable.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=15034">The Evanston RoundTable ran a piece about the club's recent philanthropy.</a> <br /><br />Rehabbing homes for low-income families, cleaned-up beaches, packing backpacks of school supplies for K-12 students, planting trees, maintaining Evanston's International Friendship Garden and raising funds for not-for-profit organizations addressing issues from illiteracy to HIV/AIDS to homelessness, poverty, and gang violence are some of the other things Rotary Club of Evanston does locally. <br /><br />Through the network of 35,000+ clubs connected through <a href="https://www.rotary.org/en">Rotary International</a>--which just happens to be headquartered at Sherman and Grove--the Rotary Club of Evanston and the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club partner with other clubs to do what they can to tackle the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges, which include eradicating polio, disaster relief, clean water and micro-enterprise in Kenya, and upgrading health care systems in Guatemala. <br /><br />Most of the humanitarian efforts Rotarians work on globally fall under six areas of focus: peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development.<br /><br />To donate to the Rotary Club of Evanston (or a buy a ticket to PizzaFest), you can go <a href="https://squareup.com/market/evanston-rotary-charity">online</a>. Another way to donate is to walk a check over to Dick Peach at <a href="http://www.dempsterauto.com/">Dempster Auto Rebuilders</a> before July 20. In exchange you can get a hug, but if you're not into that, he'll shake your hand.</div>
Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-7860269949114816412018-04-24T19:00:00.000-05:002018-04-27T18:18:57.431-05:00What’s on your mind, Evanston? What do you believe?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #999999;">Update: April 27, 2018</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="color: black;">The <a href="https://onthetableevanston2018.eventbrite.com/">On The Table Evanston 2018 dinner</a> will be at Evanston Township High School on May 8. Anyone and everyone who cares about Evanston is invite. That said, seating is limited, so if you want to come, sign up soon. Click <a href="https://onthetableevanston2018.eventbrite.com/">here</a> to RSVP and for other additional information. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;">March 2018</span><br />
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Tell me and my colleagues <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3QYJ99S" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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Below I ask again, but more graciously, and explain why it matters.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-19eBTRMuTMc/Wps3Gr6ZMUI/AAAAAAABjKM/sxNbHp8Mb9ESoHjjx2fXhgzynCEYmIa0gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/on_the_table_2018_Evanston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="834" height="250" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-19eBTRMuTMc/Wps3Gr6ZMUI/AAAAAAABjKM/sxNbHp8Mb9ESoHjjx2fXhgzynCEYmIa0gCPcBGAYYCw/s400/on_the_table_2018_Evanston.jpg" width="400" /></a>THIS I BELIEVE: When you and I come together, as fellow human beings and community members, to listen and learn, we have the power to enhance the lives of our neighbors and the quality of life in our community. I also believe that all of us--I say ALL OF US--have stories and perspectives to share that others would benefit hearing about. Can I get an AMEN?!<br />
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What do you believe? I'd like to know. Others would like to know. Really.<br />
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In the works for mid-May is an On The Table Evanston dinner. I hope you’ll come. I’m one of its organizers, on behalf of the <a href="http://www.evanstonrotary.org/" target="_blank">Rotary Club of Evanston</a>. My co-organizer is <a href="http://moran-center.org/joi-anissa-russell/" target="_blank">Joi-Anissa Russell</a>, Director of Strategic Partnerships for the <a href="http://moran-center.org/" target="_blank">Moran Center for Youth Advocacy</a>. The exact date, time and place for this meal has yet to be determined. The point of this gathering is to get neighbors talking, listening and thinking about the issues that matter to them, as well as inspire new relationships and collaboration in the Evanston area.<br />
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How lovely would it be to break down some of the us vs. them perceptions that creep into the way we think? <br />
<br />
Joi-Anissa and I don’t pretend to know everything, so we’re asking for guidance.<br />
<br />
Here’s what we want to know: What topic(s) would you be most interested in exploring with community members at this meal? What is on your mind regarding the larger Evanston community and your specific neighborhood?<br />
<br />
Please answer <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3QYJ99S" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Note that if you give us your email address, we’ll make sure you get an invitation to what we expect to be a rare, very interesting event. Thank you.<br />
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On The Table meals are not new to the Chicago area or Evanston. I hosted a dinner 2 years ago at Peckish Pig. That same year a variety of Evanston organizations hosted their own gatherings. Initiated by the <a href="http://cct.org/about/partnerships_initiatives/on-the-table/" target="_blank">Chicago Community Trust</a> in 2014, On the Table is an annual forum designed to elevate civic conversation, foster new relationships and inspire collaborative action across the region.<br />
<br />
Terry Mazany, Chicago Community Trust's former President and CEO reflects on his takeaways: <a href="http://cct.org/2017/06/listening-with-courage-and-compassion-lessons-from-on-the-table/" target="_blank">Listening with Courage and Compassion: Lessons from On the Table</a><br />
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-65730938476844624192018-03-28T13:54:00.003-05:002018-03-28T13:56:23.217-05:00Let's Talk about Engineered Foods, Pesticides and Health at ETHS April 10<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">ETHS Green Team invites everyone who cares about the food they eat to a conversation with Drs. Thierry Vrain and Susan Buchanan. They will discuss</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tuesday, April 10, 7 p.m.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ETHS Auditorium</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1600 Dodge Ave.</span></span><br />
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Tickets: Free <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/engineered-foods-glyphosate-toxicity-and-your-health-the-latest-tickets-43099519824">RSVP via Eventbrite</a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Thierry Vrain is a longtime soil biologist and genetic engineer at the Canadian Department of Agriculture, past president of national and international associations of soil biologists, and an associate editor of scientific journals in Europe and the USA.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Susan Buchanan is the Director of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s Environmental Health/ Region 5 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Co-hosts include Go Green Oak Park and Citizen's Greener Evanston. </span></span></div>
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As a primer to this discussion, consider listening to <br />
what Dr. Vrain has to saw about GMOs here.</div>
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-63771943782795690612018-03-10T18:15:00.000-06:002018-03-11T10:30:24.891-05:00My Spouse Daniel Biss: Our Best Choice for Governor of Illinois <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Karin and Daniel with their children, <br />
Theodore and Elliot.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">by <a href="https://twitter.com/k_steinbrueck" target="_blank">Karin Steinbrueck </a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
It’s not every day that someone gets to vote for their spouse to be the Democratic candidate for governor in the state of Illinois – but that day is almost here for me. And I couldn’t be prouder. <br />
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Since <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielBiss" target="_blank">Daniel</a> and I met thirteen years ago, I’ve always supported him in all his endeavors. I wouldn’t have said yes to this campaign if I didn’t believe that he is truly the best person to be out next governor and rebuild Illinois for working families. Here are a few reasons why: <br />
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• <a href="http://senatorbiss.com/bio" target="_blank">Daniel</a> has been a standout progressive leader in the Senate of the Illinois General Assembly, passing over 80 bills that have improved the lives of working families like ours. From protecting patients with pre-existing conditions to banning the gay panic defense to protecting reproductive freedom -- <a href="http://senatorbiss.com/" target="_blank">Daniel </a>works harder than anyone I know (with maybe the exception of his mother) to get things done. He may not always remember where things belong at home, but he never forgets that his work in government is to help and better the lives of the people of Illinois. <br />
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• As a middle class father with kids in public schools, he is in a much better position to represent everyday Illinoisans than any inexperienced billionaire – because he knows what it’s like to worry about things like sticking to a budget in order to pay the mortgage, and to cover property taxes that are 10% of our income. <br />
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• Even though our family isn’t part of the 1%, Daniel's campaign for governor has the resources to succeed. He has actually raised more money than the other guys, and he did it through small grassroots donations from passionate supporters. He has the kind of support that money can’t buy, while others have to write giant checks to themselves to meet their quarterly deadlines. <br />
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• I’m in a unique position to tell you that Daniel is compassionate, committed, and works harder than anyone I know. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Any of his colleagues in the Illinois General Assembly will tell you the same thing. <br />
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Even though I am biased, I ask that when you vote in the March 20th primary you’ll cut through the noise and consider Daniel’s proven record of progressive leadership, <a href="http://senatorbiss.com/legislation/my-bills" target="_blank">legislative experience</a>, and commitment to working families – and, like me, that Daniel has earned your vote. Thank you. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-wBAddqbpg/WqRrS-HGApI/AAAAAAABjNM/8rfyDfs1xhcXSBmlrOY5CTezYehAPxkSwCLcBGAs/s1600/Jusdk9GX_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-wBAddqbpg/WqRrS-HGApI/AAAAAAABjNM/8rfyDfs1xhcXSBmlrOY5CTezYehAPxkSwCLcBGAs/s200/Jusdk9GX_400x400.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Karin grew up in New Hampshire, but traveled often to Illinois to visit her maternal grandmother in Chicago and family in Mt. Prospect and Addison. She is a first-generation American and the first in her family to earn a PhD, which she received from Northwestern in 2017. She is a historian of modern European history, specializing in 20th century Communist Central and Eastern Europe. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the former Soviet Union, was Fulbright Scholar in Romania, and worked as a photojournalist. Currently, she is an adjunct professor in history in National Louis University's Pathways Program. In her free time she loves to cook, knit, and be in the forest or at the beach. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I hope when you go to the polls on March 20 or vote early, that you'll have done your homework, consider all you've learned about candidate in all the races and cast an informed vote for the women and men you think will do the best job for all of Illinois. </i></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I've known Daniel Biss since as early 2010 when I started working with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/advocatesforabbeyfishmanromanekforjudge/" target="_blank">Abbey Fishman Romanek</a> on her election for Cook County judge. I like him. I appreciate his intelligence and demeanor. He's a good listener and supportive of what others are working on. Translation: He's really smart. He's put up with my smartass-ery very well. He's been nice to me and said nice things about me in public. He didn't mock me when an event for new voters that I planned didn't go as expected. </i></span><br />
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-72368281499122185512018-02-02T16:15:00.000-06:002018-02-06T18:23:26.134-06:00Joys of Canvassing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">This New York Times Magazine <a href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/magazine/how-do-you-change-voters-minds-have-a-conversation.html" target="_blank">piece</a> I just came across </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "sf optimized" , , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: -0.12px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">is such a lovely read, you’ll consider canvassing to see if you too can blow someone's mind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "sf optimized" , , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: -0.12px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">“…After a long day of canvassing on that Saturday, tired but exuberant volunteers returned for a debriefing. One canvasser stood up and spoke of moving a man to a seven from a three. Another — a tattooed student who identifies as gender-nonconforming — proudly recalled persuading a voter “who clearly had no experience with anyone who identified as being outside the gender binary. He said I blew his mind, and that he would never forget the conversation we had!”…” Read more <a href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/magazine/how-do-you-change-voters-minds-have-a-conversation.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "sf optimized" , , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif;">✿*•.¸¸.•*✿*•.¸¸.•*✿*•.¸¸.•*✿</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;">Originally posted January 19, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #666666;">by Anne Crowe</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Saturday morning, 10 a.m. It’s sunny and crisp as I pull up to my local Democratic office. Gear check: comfortable shoes, hat, gloves and chapstuff. There’s a spring in my step and a smile on my face. Canvassing today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Inside, there’s coffee and donuts and collecting packets for the canvass. The packets include your walk map, lists of names and addresses of Democratic voters</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and a script. I could go alone, but I prefer a walk partner. Both to commiserate and cheer with. More importantly, for me, a walk partner shares tasks and its easier for both of us. Sometimes, we do odds and evens, making our way on blocks that maybe we’ve never seen before and talking to people who have never heard of our candidate. </span></div>
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So off we go, into the neighborhood. We check where we are, house numbers and names. The first door knock and the next. This is where the real work starts and the reward. </span></div>
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This is a chance to interact with my neighbors on a meaningful level about a candidate I know and believe in. Some people aren’t home, aren’t answering or aren’t interested. When someone comes to the door, we are elated. We establish rapport by introducing ourselves and our candidate. We offer information, answer questions and discuss the ideals and values of the candidate. <br />
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Even when the weather is awful, the idea that I can be an instrument of political change is enough to keep me going. The people we meet make it worthwhile and perhaps, in part because of us, our candidate will garner another vote. </span></div>
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The camaraderie in a Democratic campaign office after a successful canvass is energizing. Our packets are complete and given to the campaign manager. Stories of friendly supportive neighbors are exchanged over the last cups of coffee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Community building is a civic privilege. Canvassing allows citizens a unique means of connecting with each other, the ability to educate neighbors and effect real change.</span></div>
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That said, walking around talking to people is a great way to lift body and spirit. And at the end of the day, to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from doing the good work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/annie5050">Anne Crowe</a> lives in Chicago, near the shores of Lake Michigan. Anne enjoys all aspects of campaigning and volunteers for local, state and presidential campaigns. When not involved with politics, Anne is a licensed clinical professional counselor and works at <a href="http://www.norc.org/Pages/default.aspx">NORC at the University of Chicago.</a></i></span></div>
Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-23299854963363895292017-12-30T13:09:00.001-06:002017-12-30T15:00:15.523-06:00New Years Eve Lite: Hacks for First Night Evanston 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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by Victoria Reeves<br />
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What are your plans for New Year’s Eve? Many folks want to stay home where it is warm and safe. What if there was a low stress way to celebrate New Years without dressing up? <br />
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Come check out <a href="https://firstnightevanston.org/wp/" target="_blank">First Night Evanston</a>, a community event located in 3 venues surrounding Raymond Park at Chicago Avenue and Lake Street. First Night is a family-friendly celebration of music, comedy, poetry, storytelling, puppetry and circus arts.<br />
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First Night began in Boston in 1975, when a group of artists and musicians wanted to celebrate New Year’s Eve by sharing their creativity in an indoor/outdoor, all-ages format. From Burlington, VT to Monterey, CA, cities across America host these unique cultural celebrations. Why not join the movement and take back New Year’s?<br />
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I am all about convenience and comfort. After attending First Night for over 10 years, I’ve come up with some First Night hacks to help you end the year on a fun note:<br />
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<li> Buy your First Night Evanston button(s) at either Whole Foods Evanston location (service desk) before the night of the event. It’s $30 for adults and $10 for teens/children. Pin the button to your backpack for easy entrance to all events. </li>
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<li> Take the Purple Line to Dempster Station and walk a few blocks. If you are driving, you can park for free at the Evanston parking garage adjacent to the Holiday Inn at 1501 Sherman. This parking garage is a central location that will get you to most venues within a few blocks. Check the website for other free parking alternatives.</li>
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<li> Dress in wool layers and bring a large backpack to carry your clothes. If possible, avoid wearing a large coat that you will have to carry around. The venues get crowded and hot, so stripping down to a base layer of a t-shirt and jeans will keep you comfortable. There is also folk dancing, so bringing a water bottle is a great idea. In the performances, you can put your backpack under your feet or your chair to allow others to sit near you.</li>
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<li> Bring snacks. Once you find a seat at that performance you were dying to see, you won’t want to leave it to forage for open restaurants in sub-zero weather!</li>
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<li> Plan out which performances you want to attend in advance. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early to line up for seating. That may mean leaving 15 minutes early from a previous performance. It will be worth it in order to get a good seat. I always try to sit at the end of a row, near the door, so I can leave early without disrupting others.</li>
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<li> Go alone! Many people attend by themselves as this is a great way to fight cabin fever, hear some quality music, watch some storytelling and poetry performances or even hang with the families during the children’s programming from 2-4pm. The energy at this event is very welcoming, so feel free to join in with or without a plus one.</li>
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For information on the 3 venues, <a href="http://firstnightevanston.org/wp/speakers" target="_blank">artists</a> and times, go to the First Night Evanston <a href="http://firstnightevanston.org/wp/" target="_blank"> site</a>. There is a <a href="http://firstnightevanston.org/wp/1505-2/" target="_blank">day time schedule</a> focused on family and kids fun and an <a href="http://firstnightevanston.org/wp/1505-2/" target="_blank">evening schedule</a> especially for adults. A sincere thanks to all the former and current <a href="http://firstnightevanston.org/wp/board-of-directors" target="_blank">organizers</a> and <a href="http://firstnightevanston.org/wp/sponsors" target="_blank">sponsors</a> of the celebration of creativity. <br />
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There's a nice write up about about this year's <a href="http://www.evanstonroundtable.com/main.asp?SectionID=15&SubSectionID=26&ArticleID=14500" target="_blank">December 31 fun</a> by Peter Winslow on the Evanston RoundTable news site.<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>Victoria Reeves is a <a href="http://www.prosperitycareercoaching.com/" target="_blank">writer and career coach</a> based in Evanston, though her focus is worldwide. For more than 15 years, she has worked with thousands of college students and professionals in the U.S. and abroad on all aspects of their written and spoken communication skills. "I'm fascinated with the process of clarifying, quantifying and actualizing one's true voice," she says. Through this experience of unearthing "<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/lewis-richmond/right-livelihood-is-consc_b_832298.html" target="_blank">right livelihood</a>", Victoria helps her clients open doors to personal, academic and professional success. She is passionate about empowering others to clarify their values, discover their true paths and map out steps towards integrating their intentions with concrete actions.<br /><br />Along this line, Victoria is also an artist who makes textile art iterations called <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/EmpowermentDolls" target="_blank">Empowerment Dolls: Art Dolls for Grown Folks</a> and writes essays about Explorations on Internal and External Journeys on her blog, <a href="https://victoriareevescoolgirlwriter.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Victoria Reeves: Cool Girl Writer.</a></i></span> </div>
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-33703544327408787702017-11-19T17:27:00.000-06:002017-11-19T18:39:24.322-06:00 When Ta-Nehisi Coates came to Evanston<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
...and we talked about race.<br />
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Last month <a href="http://ta-nehisicoates.com/" target="_blank">Ta-Nehisi Coates</a> came to Evanston Township High School. He was interviewed by Assistant Superintendent-Principal Marcus Campbell and queried by students. Approximately 2,000 people came to the school for this Family Action Network event. Close to 300 watched via live stream.<br />
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I appreciate the Q & A part of the program, which went about 32 minutes, as well as the "talk back", which went for another 32 minutes. <br />
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Why can't everyone use THAT WORD?: Many of us know the answer to that question too, but few of us have expressed it as eloquently as Mr. Coates does at the start of the Q & A.<br />
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The commenters of all ages during the "talk back" really give you a feeling about what some of our neighbors are concerned about and where they come from.</div>
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Mr. Coates is a journalist and author. He is a national correspondent for The Atlantic. His book <a href="http://ta-nehisicoates.com/books/between-the-world-and-me/" target="_blank"><i>Between the World and Me</i></a> won the National Book Award for Non-Fiction in 2015. Coates is a MacArthur Fellowship recipient. Since 2016, Coates has written Marvel’s <a href="http://ta-nehisicoates.com/graphic-novels/black-panther-2016/" target="_blank">The Black Panther comic book</a>.</div>
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To see the full talk October 18, 2017 talk at ETHS, check out the Family Action Network (FAN) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bcOPDMhG_k" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/ta-nehisi-coates-imagining-a-new-america-nov2017/" target="_blank">Krista Tippet talked to him this month</a> at the Chicago Humanities Festival. </div>
Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-55294401590790357352017-09-24T11:39:00.000-05:002017-09-24T11:56:49.132-05:00Getting out of the bubble: What are your limiting beliefs?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Evanston community leader <a href="http://moran-center.org/about/staff-board/" target="_blank">Joi-Anissa Russell</a> and I have been having a continuous conversation for more than two months now about “limiting beliefs”. She has some. I have some. Most of us do. They can affect us in very personal ways and as a society. <br />
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One glorious day I realized I'd busted one of my myths that had been rattling around in my head. My little story goes like this:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>When I was in high school, I'd take the el to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the art. I'd be told not to go any further south than that. I'd gone to the AIC many times, so I was told this many times. </i></blockquote>
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<i>I don't remember the day it happened, but I went further south. It was no big deal. There was no physical line. It just happened...or rather nothing happened. Nothing at all.</i></div>
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<i>It had been built up in my mind that the south side of Chicago, being the baddest part of town (tip of the hat to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvwDohEEQ1E" target="_blank">Jim Croce</a>), was gray and dismal. Instead what I noticed was that the sun shines there too, and nothing was black and white.</i></div>
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Joi and I are planning on including more folks in our conversation. We'll let you know more as soon as we know more.<br />
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In the meantime, start your own conversation. <br />
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For a chuckle and some insight, check out what Theo E.J. Wilson had to say during his recent TED Talk.<br />
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Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-88068726273098997142017-08-16T21:59:00.000-05:002017-08-17T10:56:32.918-05:00Evanston, My Launching Pad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #999999;"><b>by Margaretta Swigert-Gacheru</b></span> <br />
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EVANSTON--August 15, 2017 :: I’m an ETHS graduate, but one who spent half my high school years hanging out with a New Trier boy from Kenilworth who was a huge distraction. <br />
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Somehow I made it to DePauw University where I got seriously radicalized. ETHS had primed me for ‘enlightenment’. ETHS’ multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-class community provided me with more than adequate preparation for my making a graceful move eventually into the global community.<br />
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After winning a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Fellowship to study in at the University of Nairobi, in Kenya, I stuck around and got another degree. (I’d already gotten one at DePauw and another at National Louis University.)<br />
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That third degree would cost more money, so when the fellowship funds finally ran out, I got a great job as a journalist writing locally about the Kenyan (read African) arts scene. Of course, that would include my writing stories about former colonials and other Europeans as well as about Asians, and other visiting tourists (like Mike Jagger, Jesse Jackson and even British royalty like Sarah Ferguson, former wife of Prince Andrew, the Queen’s youngest son, to name-drop just a few of the ‘celebs’ that came to Kenya who I interviewed). <a href="http://mobile.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/Margaretta-wa-Gacheru-love-affair-with-Kenyan-art/1950774-2373140-format-xhtml-hkns26/index.html" target="_blank">My focus was and continues to be on writing about Kenyan Africans, both visual artists and performers, particularly theater people.</a><br />
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Early on I fell for an African classmate of mine at Nairobi University who I thought would be my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samora_Machel" target="_blank">Samora Machel</a>--the handsome freedom-fighter from Mozambique who was assassinated by South African pro-Apartheid forces a while back--but not quite. In any case, Gacheru is a great man and he gave me (or I gave him) a beautiful son who is now a Major in the US Army based in Vicenza Italy.<br />
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This ETHS grad might look like a globe trotter since she flies back and forth from Nairobi to Chicago twice a year, but really I’m slightly schizophrenic since I seriously have two homes.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Evanston will always be the ‘home in my heart’ and the one that I may return to eventually. The town has gotten so very cool, I must say! Some will contend it always was super cool, but I was always keen to escape…which I clearly did.</b></span><br />
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I am here now for only a few more days and I have fallen ‘head over heels’ for Evanston. I have a wonderful brother Tom who’s here and I also have many incredible friends in the neighborhood. Evanston may have to welcome me back home sometime soon. That’d mean I’d finally get to attend one of those crazy high school reunions. ;-)<br />
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Until then, I’ll simply say ‘bon voyage’ while I get set to fly back to a country that unfortunately is in a bit of turmoil, having just had a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyan_general_election,_2017" target="_blank">contentious national election</a> in which the loser refuses to concede defeat. People have died as a consequence. Hopefully we will see peace happening there soon. We pray there will be forgiveness on all sides and concern to see that beautiful country move forward.<br />
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For those of you who may have had plans to one day realize your planned safari to Africa: Do not fear coming to Kenya. Irrespective of momentary turbulence, it is a breathtaking country that you can easily fall in love with…possibly just as I did several decades ago.<br />
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<i>Margaretta Swigert-Gacheru eventually got a fourth degree, her Ph.D in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago. Her dissertation </i><a href="http://ecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1264&context=luc_diss" target="_blank">Globalizing Kenyan Culture: Jua Kali & theTransformation of Contemporary Kenyan Art:1960-2010</a><i> is up on Loyola’s eCommons. </i><i><i>Known in Kenya as Margaretta wa Gacheru, and as mentioned she has been writing about the visual and performing arts in Kenya for decades. </i>Currently, she works as an Arts Correspondent for The Nation Media Group (Kenya). MSG contributes to </i><a href="https://thisisafrica.me/lifestyle/author/margarettawagacheru/" target="_blank">This is Africa</a><i>. She blogs at <a href="http://margarettawagacheru.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Margaretta's Jua Kali Diary</a> and at <a href="http://kenyanartsreview.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kenyan Arts Review</a>. She also lectures at Kenya Methodist University. Margaretta is the author of </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Contemporary-African-Art-Networks/dp/3659312762" target="_blank"><span class="short-name__txt">Creating Contemporary African Art Art Networks in Urban Kenya</span></a><i>. She's listed in </i><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=kpNarH7t9CkC&pg=PA454&lpg=PA454&dq=Margaretta+Swigert-Gacheru+kenya&source=bl&ots=Wprvx8Vzk3&sig=_kY78div41qdG45DWzZfx-DpSiw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjUvb761dzVAhUH7IMKHabCDw0Q6AEIOTAD#v=onepage&q=Margaretta%20Swigert-Gacheru%20kenya&f=false" target="_blank">Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975</a><i>.</i></div>
Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224693521951556294.post-22376315485279744522017-08-14T19:16:00.002-05:002017-08-16T16:03:49.666-05:00Confounding Fear<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b>by Marta Lettofsky</b></span><br />
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Recently I was with a friend when a red-winged blackbird swooped down and started attacking her head. A bird is attacking my friend! Flapping and scratching and screeching, in the middle of a highly populated park with kids running around.<br />
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The same thing happened to me several years ago while jogging. Twice. In the same location. After the second time I gave wide berth to that area to avoid the mad bird. I no longer live in the area, so that’s another way to avoid that mad bird.<br />
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Logically I knew I was safe. Nothing bad happened in the ‘attacks’, but still it freaked me out. I felt slightly nervous, jumpy, watchful every time I jogged by that same bush.<br />
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Our brains and bodies are hardwired for safety. </b>A small bird is no real threat to my survival, and yet, those moments of red-winged blackbird close encounters left a little mark.<br />
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It’s all about survival.<br />
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The primitive parts of our brains are not great differentiating between real life threats and just mini-threats to our egos. That part of brain’s entire job is to be on constant lookout for danger. So if you have a negative experience around your creative or performing endeavors, that too might leave a mark. <br />
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<b>As a professional pianist, people tell me all the time about a desire to learn play the piano. Or sing. Or learn another instrument. Often people I meet will remember fondly when they could do those things and wishing they could do it again, but...</b> <br />
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<b>SOMETHING. GETS. IN. THE. WAY.</b></div>
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Sometimes that thing getting in the way is fear or the effects of old creativity and performing wounds.<br />
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If this is you, be kind to yourself. Your brain and body are doing their jobs of looking for danger, remembering potential threats and doing their best to keep you safe. <br />
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It is challenging to tolerate these unpleasant emotions and to remember that they are normal, part of being human. Remembering this is normal makes healing possible. <b>By tending to those hurt and sticky places, relief happens. New courage is found. Compassion is uncovered. Creativity becomes unfettered.</b><br />
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<b>If you’d like more information about relating to fear, consider signing up for my <a href="http://innerartistry.space/" target="_blank">newsletter</a>.</b> You’ll receive a link for two videos on <i>Dealing With Fear</i>, and a page of <i>Quick Hits for Fear</i>. They can be used for anything in life that triggers fear, not just performance. My clients and I have used these tools to quit jobs, deal with conflict, create better boundaries for time and family, not to mention for performing music on stage in front of hundreds or thousands of people.<br />
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<i>Marta Lettofsky wears many hats in life: pianist, performer, collaborator, vocal coach, teacher, <a href="http://innerartistry.space/" target="_blank">inner artist coach</a>, wife, mother, yogi, avid cook, lover of beauty, striver-to-do-all-things-well.<br /><br />She’s made music with Chicago’s finest arts organizations, including Lyric Opera, Grant Park Festival Chorus, Music of the Baroque and Light Opera Works (now called <a href="http://www.musictheaterworks.com/" target="_blank">Music Theater Works</a>). Marta performs as a soloist and regularly with some of Chicago’s most talented singers. She teaches through <a href="https://www.chicagooperatheater.org/education/cotforteens/" target="_blank">Chicago Opera Theatre for Teens</a> and in private vocal studio.<br /><br />Blindsided by a serious bout of performance anxiety several years ago, Marta nearly quit being a musician. Instead she sought ways to tackle this problem. She studied with Dr. Noa Kageyama and enrolled in improv acting classes at IO Chicago. She dug into the underlying causes of her performance anxiety, acquired new tools and coping strategies, and experimented through the improv classes (which caused absolute terror on a weekly basis). She overcame her performance anxiety and gained greater life skills by connecting to the inner work of being an artist.<br /><br />-------------------------<br /><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credits: Red-winged blackbird by Alan Murphy. Marta Lettofsky by Tina Smothers.</span></b></span></span></i></div>
Karen Kringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07151376633457165880noreply@blogger.com0