Central Street Neighbors Association

The Virtual Online Library Fundraising Auction which ended on June 2nd raised over $34,000 towards funding ongoing neighborhood library services.
A tremendous effort spearheaded by Colleen Chapelle and Cheryl Chamberlin brought together individuals from all over Evanston and the country who donated artwork, services, vacations and more. This is the 1st online auctionon behalf of EPLF (Evanston Public Library Friends), and next years auction is expected to be bigger and more successful. Visit WWW.eplfriends.org for upcoming events and to volunteer. 

Welsh-Ryan Arena, Northwestern University's athletic facility at 1501 Central Street, will host a number of graduation ceremonies during the next month.  They are: 
 

 
For more information, go to www.NUsports.com/neighbors or contact wildcatmarketing@northwestern.edu.

The Evanston Garden Fair, an institution in town for over 60 years, and sponsored by Lincolnwood Garden Club of Evanston, is ongoing today and tomorrow, Frday and Saturday, May 21- 22, at Independence Park from 9 AM to 4 PM. The Fair is a great place to pick up perennials and annuals, including many shade-loving plants and native species from members' own gardens, or well-suited to Evanston. Booths are staffed by knowledgeable members of numerous garden clubs.

The Talking Farm  will also be onsite selling more than 2,000 plants and seedlings, grown locally using organic methods.

Evanston Public Library Friends continues to raise eyebrows as well as funds. Crain's Chicago Business this week listed the ongoing EPLF "Armchair Auction" and tonight's "sneak preview" as one of the top 10 things to do in Chicago this weekend.
 
The online auction, ongoing thru May 30, has a large number of unique and interesting items, and all money raised will benefit EPLF in their quest to save the neighborhood branch libraries from threatened shutdown by the City of Evanston. A party to view the auction items up close and personal will be held tonight, May 21, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., at the site of the former Table Manners shop, 2112 Central St., Evanston.

It's time to shop......

• Dinner with best-selling author, Evanston native Audrey Niffenegger of The Time Traveler's Wife fame,
• Autographed copies of Evanston author Scott Turow's best-sellers.
• Sox, Bears and Blackhawks tix
• Artwork
• Jewelry
• Spa treatments
• Delicious dinners
• Vacation getaways and more

It's all here - live now through May 30.

Above: A city worker installs protective fencing at the just-dedicated Howell Park rain garden on Earth Day weekend.

On April 24, during Earth Week, the City of Evanston and a number of partnering civic groups dug and dedicated a demonstration rain garden at Howell Park, on the corner of Pioneer and Hartzell. The hope is that the garden's success will make it a model for similar public and private gardens throughout Evanston.

A City worker installs fencing and a sign at the just-dedicated Howell Park rain garden, 4/24/2010.

Just-planted native species at the Howell Park Rain Garden, April 24, 2010.

Ald. Jane Grover and neighborhood residents discuss the proposed Howell Park rain garden at a community meeting at the North Branch Library in March, 2010. Forestry chief Paul D'Agostino looks on.

Organizers and residents discussed the concept for a rain garden in Howell Park onsite in March, 2010.