Top News Stories
January 2013
Mayor backs assault weapons ban.
“We have too many guns in our communities and we must work together to get them off the streets,” Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl said. “I am grateful to see that Sen. Feinstein is introducing this bill not too long after the president and vice-president announced their simple solutions to this issue, which would require a background check for all gun sales; banning military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines; and placing additional resources in our schools and towards our mental health services.”
Mayor Urges Support of Assault Weapons Ban
Tisdahl said she “wholeheartedly” supported the proposed Assault Weapons Ban of 2013, a bill that U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced in Congress Thursday. If passed, the bill would stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacture of military-style assault weapons.
Arts plans: So where's the money?
Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl says a new report on development performing arts spaces downtown seems great -- but "got very hazy about the funding." Despite that, Alderman Jane Grover, 7th Ward, said it was important not to shelve the downtown arts study, which was paid for with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Evanston City Council salutes NU’s big bowl win.
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl presided over the ceremony where City Council members honored the Wildcats and their special season. She presented Jared Carpenter, MVP of the Gator Bowl, and NU athletic director Jim Phillips with a trophy bowl in honor of Northwestern’s 34-20 Gator Bowl win over Mississippi State in Jacksonville on Jan. 1.
Evanston to host third race dialogue
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl invites residents from all over Evanston to participate In the city’s third and final session in a series of race dialogues titled “My Evanston, My Neighbors: Constructive Dialogues on Race, Understanding and Our Hopes for Evanston.”
Evanston schools, mayor respond to Newtown, Conn., shooting. Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl has called for stronger gun control in response to the Dec. 14 shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that killed 26 people. Evanston-Skokie School District 65, which serves more than 7,500 students, responded to the Newtown shooting with precautionary measures such as asking local police for an increased presence and the district’s school security company to visit schools.
December 2012
Mayor issues statement on violence.
Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl issued a statement this evening decrying recent violence in the city and saying the incidents are being vigorously investigated by the police.
Mayor Calls Shootings 'Unacceptable,' Asks For Participation in Gun Buyback. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl released a public statement after the shooting of Javar Bamberg, 23, on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Bamberg's shooting is the third shooting and second death in two weeks.
Glasses raised for ribbon cutting at Howard wine bar.
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl joined 8th Ward Alderman Ann Rainey and bar owners Anne Carlson and Cody Modeer for the ceremonial slicing of the ribbon in the Ward Eight bar at 629 Howard. The enterprise received financial aid from the city of Evanstonn as part of an effort to revive the Howard Street commercial strip.
Mayor at Shooting Victim’s Funeral: “Let Us Have Peace On the Streets”
Speaking at the funeral of a 19-year-old Evanston man who died in a shooting, just a few hours after another Evanston man was shot and critically injured, Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl described the situation as “a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions,” and called for an end to violence.
Evanston confronts another shooting death. Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Alderman Delores Holmes, along with some city staff members wore grim looks Friday as they walked the 1800 block of Brown, where 19-year-old Justin Murray was shot the night before.
NovembeR 2012
Evanston plans gun buyback. The death of 14-year-old Evanston Township High School student, Dajae Coleman, sparked outrage and triggered a community forum to collectively brainstorm ways to address youth violence, said Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl.
Evanston kicks off holiday season with tree lighting.
Fire trucks, a flash mob and a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus were all a part of the Chamber of Commerce Holiday Bash & Tree Lighting ceremony. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Santa Claus then led the tree lighting.
Tisdahl reverses approval of 7-Eleven liquor license.
Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl reversed approval of a 7-Eleven franchisee’s liquor license application Thursday after reported community backlash over the new class of licenses needed for the convenience store to sell alcohol.
Donations sought for holiday food and toy drive. Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and several community groups are holding a holiday food and toy drive with drop-off locaions available at several city buildings.
OCTOBER 2012
City Shares Ideas From Anti-Violence Meeting.
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl hosted a community meeting in early October to discuss ways to promote nonviolence following the shooting death of 14-year-old Dajae Coleman. Some 400 people packed the Fleetwood-Jourdain Center for the public discussion that night, meeting in small groups to share their ideas, then reporting back to everyone.
Food beat: A toast to Tag's
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl proclaimed October 22, 2012 “Tag's Bakery Day” in Evanston. The proclaimation honored the family-owned establishment on its 75th year on Central Street. Tisdahl, known for her cookie diplomacy with Northwestern University's president, was on the receiving end at the City Council meeing, getting a box of Tag's Florentines in thanks for the proclamation.
Community Health Center Opens in Evanston. Local officials, including Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen, held a ribbon cutting for a new community health center in Evanston Monday.Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and NorthShore University Health System, the Erie Family Health Center will serve Evanston and Skokie residents.
Downtown wedding boutique opens
Avail & Company, 1106 Davis St., hosted its ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening Wednesday night. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, who wielded the giant scissors at the ribbon-cutting event, said she was pleased with the addition of the bridal business. “We are so glad you decided to choose Evanston,” Tisdahl said during the opening ceremony. “This officially makes Evanston a wedding destination.”
Skokie shows off fire tower it's to share with Evanston.
Officials from Skokie and Evanston gathered this afternoon to talk up an agreement between the two towns that will give Evanston regular access to Skokie's fire training tower in return for funding from Evanston for improvements to the structure.
Northwestern, Evanston assess off-campus lighting. Representatives from Northwestern's administration, Associated Student Government, University Police and Evanston evaluated lighting surrounding the western edge of campus in an annual Off-Campus Light Walk, a day after a tour to assess on-campus lighting. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) participated, while Betsi Burns, assistant dean of students for NU, and NU Police Officer Frank Walsh represented the University.
Community of Evanston comes together to stop youth violence.
Mayor Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl gathered the city's residents this past Tuesday for a meeting to discuss ways to keep the city safe and to put an end to youth violence. Mayor Tisdahl stated in an interview with ABC 7 news that the city's residents "are very concerned for all of the children" and "we are determined to make this community safe." At the event, residents offered solutions by having small group interaction. One of the main goals discussed was to keep the guns off the streets. Another solution involved more jobs for teenagers.
Teen's killing spurs youth violence forum in Evanston.
In the aftermath of the shooting death of an Evanston teenager earlier this month, several hundred concerned community members gathered Tuesday night to revisit a difficult issue: Youth violence. When tragedies occur in a community, we all change,” Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl said. “The question is: Are we going to change for the better or the worse? But we will change as a result of this death.”
Evanston WestEnd organizes tour for National Manufacturing Day. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl says Evanston police and other law enforcement agencies involved "did a marvelous job" investigating the murder of 14-year-old Dajae Coleman. The mayor, speaking at a news conference announcing the arrest of 20-year-old Wesley Woodson on murder charges in the case, also voiced sympathy for the Coleman family.
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl official portrait.
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Memorable Moments
We Must Work to Get Guns Off the Street
From Mayor Tisdahl: This past week has been a difficult one for all of us in Evanston. Dajae’s killing shocked his friends, family and our entire community. Dajae was doing everything right with his life; his successes showed a promise we hope for all young men and women in Evanston. However, this bright promise for all Evanston youth remains endangered by senseless acts of violence and easy access to guns. We have too many guns in this community. We must work to get guns off the street through buy-back programs and other means until local jurisdictions have the authority to enact real gun control legislation. We know what it takes to engage youth in meaningful activities, but we must do more of it and we need more Evanston residents and businesses partnering with us.
A new town-gown initiative at ETHS
Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro, Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, and ETHS Superintendent Eric Witherspoon (L-R in photo above) performed a celebratory ribbon-cutting to open a new office in the center of the school for a new fulltime coordinator to help students utilize the vast resources available at the university.
Mayor Tisdahl, a former member of the ETHS District 202 School Board, touted the benefits of collaboration in community governance and said “we now have a visible office to show that there is a collaboration.” Credit: Charles Bartling
Ribbon cuttin for Avail & Company
Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and Downtown Evanston executive director Carolyn Dellutri took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Avail & Company, owned by Rachel and Ted Avila. The store is the first location for the business, which creates custom formal wear.
Credit: Chelsea Sherlock/The Daily Northwestern
Evanston Wins “City Livability” Award
Evanston was recognized by the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual “City Livability” awards for it’s women’s fitness program, Women Out Walking.
“This best practices model shows now, more than ever, that mayors are committed to improving our cities and neighborhoods through increased access to healthy lifestyles and fitness initiatives,” said Jocelyn Bogen, Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors City Livability Awards Program.
“The judges were impressed by Mayor Tisdahl’s leadership and felt that this program exemplifies the partnership between city government and citizens to bring about a positive change and improve the quality of life.” Credit: Eric Palmer
Jeremy Piven whose parents founded the Piven Theater Workshop, and Mayor Tisdahl at the Piven Theatre Gala.
Photo Credit: Bill Smith
CTA President Forrest Claypool speaks to reporters as County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg and Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl stand behind him.
Photo Credit: Bill Smith
Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl thanked State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg for helping to secure the funds to replace Evanston's aging viaducts. Photo Credit: Jennifer Fisher
