Winnetka Talk (IL) back issues from January 2004:
Classical concerts in 2003 offered a treasure trove
Jan 01, 2004; ... The music scene on the North Shore is an embarrassment of riches -- and we're not just talking about the Ravinia Festival. From the first of the year to the last, outstanding, soul-satisfying concerts take place in our own backyard. My choice for the best of the year is limited by space, and ...
Dining truly fine at Olive's
Jan 01, 2004 ... When the table is set with a white tablecloth, not a square piece of white paper, this is a fine-dining restaurant.When the thin-stemmed, uniquely shaped crystal wine and water glasses are better than you have on your own dining table, this is a fine-dining restaurant. Open ...
Out with the old
Jan 01, 2004 ... Happy New Year, if all goes well. This past year hasn't been terrible for music, but it hasn't been great either. Early 2004 will see the release of some promising material, so let's drink to that. In the meantime, here are a few that made 2003 bearable. Radiohead, "Hail to the ...
Best CDs of 2003
Jan 01, 2004; ... 1. M. Ward, "Transfiguration of Vincent" -- This Portland, Ore., singer delivers a folk-rock masterpiece with one incredibly strong melody after another. The mostly acoustic arrangements sound fairly basic on first listen, but reveal rich layers upon further spins. Dedicating the album to a ...
'Bark' and Bird fly high in 2003
Jan 01, 2004; ... Several musicians hailing from Chicago's suburbs released compact discs that stand among the best -- and in some cases, the strangest -- music of the year. The following are this writer's choices for the best CDs released in 2003 by local (or in some cases, formerly local) musical ...
Big or small, art was beautiful in 2003 shows
Jan 01, 2004 ... The visual arts enjoyed growing support and emphasis on the North Shore this year. Without dipping a toe south of Howard Street, you could have viewed works by new and emerging artists at festive spots such as Highwood's Street Level Gallery, Highland Park's Aaron Freeman Gallery or ...
Rewinding 2003
Jan 01, 2004; ... Funny, isn't it, how reviewers tend to reach a consensus of sorts each year when it comes time to compile a list of the 10 best films? A number of factors may be involved in this phenomenon. It may be that in any given year only a certain number films achieve a level of excellence that ...
Relatives recall stories of Iroquois fire's horror
Jan 01, 2004 ... A century after the Iroquois fire, no one is left to give a firsthand account of the disaster, but descendants of the victims and witnesses of the day grew up with the stories and their relatives' lingering memories of that horrible event. Here are their stories: Alice ...
'Living memorial' emerges from tragedy
Jan 01, 2004; ... It's been said that out of intense suffering comes a beauty that is equally profound. Such was the impetus for the construction of Winnetka's Christ Church. The white stone building was built as a "living memorial" to a young mother and her three children who perished nearly a century ...
North Shore victims of Iroquois fire
Jan 01, 2004 ... This list of the dead was taken from the book, "Lest We Forget: Chicago's Awful Theater Horror."Evanston * Bennett Butler, 13, 649 Michigan. * Mrs. F.S. Butler, 649 Michigan. She suffocated by smoke in the first balcony, body identified by sister. * Helen ...
Glencoe woman recalls aunt's injuries from fire
Jan 01, 2004; ... Majorie Sachs in her mid-80s, can still vividly recall the story of how her dear Aunt Leona became disfigured in the tragic Iroquois Theatre fire at the turn of the century. "It's always been our family story," said Sachs of Glencoe. Sachs' daughter, Mari Gimbel of Highland ...
Deal near for final sale of Harkness Hall
Jan 01, 2004; ... A land deal was set to close this week to virtually assure that Winnetka's Harkness Outreach Center will retain its charitable presence in the community, though last minute haggling over financial details has resulted in the transaction being temporarily postponed.Bill McKay, ...
New booster seat law to take effect on New Year's Day
Jan 01, 2004; ... Seven-year-old Johnny Shepherd isn't exactly thrilled with his new booster seat. He thinks he's too old and too big, and besides, his friends don't use them. But mom Mary Jo is buckling him in anyway. For four months, she's been preparing Johnny for the new booster seat law that takes ...
EDITORIAL
Jan 01, 2004 ... Lose those extra few pounds? Quit smoking? Learn a new skill? Find a new job? What is your New Year's resolution? While most of us aren't really committed to these promises we make every Jan. 1, it is still important that we continue making them every year. Many people ...
NEWS BRIEFS
Jan 01, 2004 ... Corrections An article in the Dec. 25 edition about the hunt for former Wilmette resident Robert G. Hershenhorn, who did not show up for a sentencing hearing on bank fraud charges, mistakenly stated he was a graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law. The man wanted by authorities actually ...
OBITUARIES
Jan 01, 2004 ... Andrew Scott Adsit, 69, a resident of Northbrook, former resident of Kenilworth, died Saturday, Dec. 20. Mr. Adsit was born March 19, 1934 to Harold and Esther Adsit. He was raised in Kenilworth where he attended Joseph Sears School followed by New Trier High School (class of 1952), ...
Trevs stagger to split
Jan 01, 2004; ... Want a statistic guaranteed to drive a basketball coach crazy? Then just imagine how New Trier boss Rick Malnati felt after the Trevians connected on just 8-of-20 free throws in one game, then came back less than 24 hours later and converted 24-of-27? That's the kind of ...
Eckenhoff scores for Emory booters
Jan 01, 2004 ... Carrie Eckenhoff, a junior from Glencoe, finished the season with three goals and one assist for the Emory University women's soccer team ....
Something's fishy
Jan 08, 2004 ... The Marx Brothers' classic comedies are not currently in print on DVD. The word is that these zany movies may eventually become available with extra features. This got me thinking ... As Groucho said, "Pardon me while I have a strange interlude." Groucho is chatting with his ...
Pop goes Iggy
Jan 08, 2004 ... Iggy Pop "Skull Ring" (Virgin) It's belated, but after reviewing the end of the year wrap-up from my peers and from other publications, as well as listening to my personal collection, I've decided that Iggy Pop's "Skull Ring" warrants writing, though it was released in early ...
French food with a twist
Jan 08, 2004 ... Bêtise is delicious, friendly and comfy ...A little quiet time was in order after work and the drive from downtown to beautiful Wilmette. How fortunate for Plaza del Lago to have Bêtise. Great food, excellent service and a warm atmosphere make this restaurant a perfect place for lunch ...
Chamber festival boasts star lineup
Jan 08, 2004 ... Pianist Daniel Barenboim, cellist Janos Starker and the Vermeer Quartet are among the distinguished artists performing in Northwestern University's Winter Chamber Music Festival, which begins Friday. "This year we are presenting two works of Mozart and three of Schubert that are each in ...
Seeing art with 'A Sharp Eye'
Jan 08, 2004 ... As the Evanston Art Center prepared to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year, it asked former director Martha Slaughter to curate an exhibit. Rather than creating a show focusing an any particular artist or art movement, Slaughter decided to honor an influential art dealer, Roberta ...
An author's travels in time
Jan 08, 2004; ... Like a time traveler suddenly appearing out of the past or future, a phrase popped into Audrey Niffenegger's head one day in 1997 as she was drawing. "The Time Traveler's Wife," she thought, not sure what had prompted the words. Nice title for a book. Niffenegger, an ...
Girl-powered 'Sleepover'
Jan 08, 2004; ... Highland Park's Marc Kravitz and Sandy Weber had an advantage as producers of the new DVD "Best Ever Sleepover" -- a built-in focus group for their target audience of preteen girls. Namely, their daughters and their daughters' friends. Then again, there were times the focus ...
Faces of the street
Jan 08, 2004 ... Jack Cain of Highland Park has used a camera for years, but he didn't consider the results to be art until a few years ago. "I took pictures," he said. "But now I take photographs." Although Cain, 72, who used to live in Buffalo Grove, used to take pictures of nature on ...
Movies without malls
Jan 08, 2004; ... Out here in the land beyond Howard Street, we're fortunate to have two theaters devoted exclusively to foreign, art and independent film: The Century Cinearts 6 in Evanston and the Landmark Renaissance Place in Highland Park. Yet the best stuff, when it comes to movies you won't be ...
More work slated for Metra stops
Jan 08, 2004; ... Now that Metra commuters are getting a new roof over their heads, they can expect further renovations at Winnetka's Elm Street and Hubbard Woods stations to follow. Tuck-pointing work and the installation of a slate roof at both stations should be completed soon, said Metra spokesman ...
News Briefs
Jan 08, 2004 ... League to focus on area teardowns Residents struggling with dramatic architectural changes in their neighborhoods will be the subject of a special League of Women Voters forum on teardowns this month. The Winnetka, Northfield, Kenilworth league sponsors Teardowns the Good and the ...
Union authorizes Pioneer strike
Jan 08, 2004 ... The Chicago Newspaper Guild Pioneer Press News Unit Sunday rejected a tentative agreement it proposed last week during federal mediation, and authorized a strike against Pioneer Press' 50 community newspapers. The agreement, which was proposed by the union, would have run through 2007 ....
County might drop lease tax from budget
Jan 08, 2004 ... Members of the Cook County Board are continuing behind-the-scenes negotiations in an effort to reach agreement on a 2004 budget amid reports that Board President John Stroger has given up on a proposed 4 percent lease tax on computers, automobiles and other equipment. Stroger had ...
Wilmette man faces charges after shooting
Jan 08, 2004; ... A Wilmette homeowner who shot and wounded an intruder succeeded in driving the burglar out of his house and may have ended a series of cat burglaries on the village's east side, but this week he faces weapons charges that include a local ordinance banning handgun possession. The ...
Villages digging out from weekend snow
Jan 08, 2004; ... Advance warning gave workers plenty of time clear Winnetka streets after Sunday's snowfall, the first of the winter season. "We worked through the night getting the streets clear, so it'd be clean pavement Monday morning for school and work," said Steve Saunders, public works ...
New fares take effect for Chicago Transit Authority
Jan 08, 2004 ... The Chicago Transit Authority's new fare structure went into effect on Jan. 1.Changes include a 25-cent increase to the base bus and rail fares, a 5-cent reduction in the price of a transfer from 30 cents to 25 cents, and elimination of the 25 cent surcharge on express bus routes ....
Church thefts
Jan 08, 2004 ... Wilmette police this week are cautioning people at churches and synagogues to review their security and watch for suspicious activity after an increase in thefts from collection boxes, offices and other areas of buildings. Police made an arrest in the theft of cash from one area church ...
Manhunt ends in Texas
Jan 08, 2004; ... A former Wilmette resident was captured in Texas last week, ending a nationwide manhunt that began when he failed to appear at a federal sentencing hearing on charges he defrauded a pair of Chicago area banks out of more than $450,000. Officers of the Chambers County, Texas, Sheriff's ...
EDITORIAL
Jan 08, 2004 ... A Wilmette resident's defense of his home from a burglar, by use of a handgun, is likely to be hailed by gun advocates as proof of the need for public ownership of guns. In that sense, the actions in this case deal a blow to the efforts under way for years to reduce the number of ...
OBITUARIES
Jan 08, 2004 ... Harry "Budd" Bairstow, 68, a resident of Northfield, died Jan. 4 in his home. Mr. Bairstow was born June 4, 1935 in Chicago and owned his own contracting company before going into sales. Survivors include his wife, Joanne Bairstow; his son, Jeffrey (Katie) Bairstow; his ...
Crowley skates to sprint title
Jan 01, 2004 ... Speedskater Maggie Crowley of Winnetka won the national junior women's 19-and-under sprint crown and finished fifth overall at the U.S. Long Track Speedskating Championships held Dec. 20-23 ...
Ramblers bounce back at Wheeling
Jan 01, 2004; ... After losing a winnable game with Maine West 53-45 in the second round of Wheeling's 26th-annual Hardwood Classic boys basketball tournament early last week, the Ramblers made a pledge. "We felt like they (the Warriors) out-worked us and that was disappointing," said coach Bryan Tucker ....
Late rebound tips Cats
Jan 01, 2004 ... Willie Neal rebounded Atarruis Norwood's missed jumper with four-10ths of a second remaining to give Mississippi Valley State a stunning 49-47 victory over Northwestern Sunday night in the consolation game of the Sierra Providence Sun Classic Tournament in El Paso, Texas. Neal scored ...
Trevian girls clear second round hurdle
Jan 01, 2004; ... Little things often add up to big victories. Little things like fundamentals that New Trier coach Teri Rodgers has preached from Day 1 in her tenure continued to help the Trevians thrive last week at the Dundee Crown Charger Classic Christmas tournament. New Trier advanced to ...
Boards better, but Cat women still bow
Jan 01, 2004 ... Occasionally this season, the Wildcats have struggled to hold their own on the boards. But during Sunday's 63-45 loss to host Loyola Marymount at the LMU Marina del rey Marriott Beach women's basketball tournament, Northwestern out-rebounded the Lions 32-30. In other contests, NU has ...
Missed free throws bring no consolation for Trevs
Jan 08, 2004; ... If New Trier head basketball coach Rick Malnati is contemplating any changes in his lineup for the new year, he might consider resorting to an old playground tactic. You know, the one where the first five guys to make a free throw get to take the court as starters. Free throws ...
Trevs take second, enjoy block party
Jan 08, 2004; ... There will be plenty of big moments ahead in the high school basketball career of Amy Jaeschke. That's a pretty safe prediction. But there's no doubt what the highlight has been so far for the 6-foot-4 New Trier freshman center. She blocked a shot by Naperville Central's Candace Parker, ...
Schober shows way for 7th place Regina
Jan 08, 2004; ... Put Lauren Schober in the paint and let her go to work. The idea worked for the artist Picasso, and last week's seventh place game at the Dundee Crown Charger Classic Christmas tournament turned into a masterpiece of sorts for Schober. The Regina Dominican junior showed her ...
Win sets stage for North showdown
Jan 08, 2004; ... Contenders or pretenders? It won't take long for the Loyola Academy basketball team to figure out this week. Coach Bryan Tucker's squad should know after Friday night's trip to St. Ignatius whether or not the Ramblers can be considered legitimate challengers for the Chicago Catholic ...
Ramblers repeat as tourney champs
Jan 08, 2004; ... Nothing comes easy even when you're undefeated. If the Loyola Academy girls basketball team hasn't learned that by now, then the new year will definitely pose some problems for the Ramblers. Fresh from repeating as champions of the Chicagoland Holiday Basketball Challenge with a ...
Ancient art of storytelling is still alive and well
Jan 15, 2004 ... 'Myths come from the artists ... They are the ones with ears open to the song of the universe." In "The Power of Myth," anthropologist Joseph Campbell defined the storyteller. The harpist at an ancient court, a shaman in a Cherokee village -- these images come to mind with the word ...
Lovell's home on the range
Jan 15, 2004 ... Lake Forest is the place where Chef James Lovell III is at home on his very own range.He serves up the staples that his clients expect to see on the menu: quail breast, roasted Indiana maple-leaf duck, antelope, New York strip steak, grilled fillet of beef, Kansas City veal strip ...
Hitting it big with big hair
Jan 15, 2004; ... Big hair can be hazardous to your health -- more precisely, towering big-haired wigs fashioned in beehives, Afros and pompadours. And if you are a performer in a big-haired show like "Hairspray," it's a major challenge to sing, dance and act wearing one. Highland Park native Jackie ...
Back in Black Black
Jan 15, 2004 ... Black Black Ocean "Operacion" (Pigeon Kicker Records) and "Vultures for a Permanent Fix" (Red Triangle Records) It's true what they say about timing being everything. I first saw this band completely by accident, when they played at the now burned-to-the-ground Prodigal Son in ...
Morgan says her songs 'feel' right
Jan 15, 2004; ... 'I choose songs for my concerts because they are well-written. I like the feel of them. That's it," said jazz vocalist Wendy Morgan of Evanston. She was speaking about the concert she and fellow Music Institute of Chicago faculty member Karl Montzka will be doing at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at ...
Iroquois fire tragedy remembered
Jan 01, 2004 ... Tuesday marked the centennial of the tragic Iroquois Theatre fire that killed approximately 600 people, mostly women and children. The event remains the worst single-building fire in the country. Absolutely fireproof. So boasted the Dec. 30, 1903 playbill from Chicago's Iroquois ...
From therapy to poetry
Jan 15, 2004; ... The story of Pulitzer-winning poet Anne Sexton, who succumbed to extreme depression and committed suicide 30 years ago, is remarkable not only for great accomplishments after a late start but also for the possibility she might not have written at all if she had been born in 1958 instead of ...
Luxury home is gallery for a weekend
Jan 15, 2004; ... Real estate and art will converge this weekend, as gallery owner Lora Drobetsky displays paintings in the spacious rooms of a luxury Highland Park home that's currently on the market. "It's very hard to bring people from the suburbs to Chicago," says Drobetsky, a Highland Park resident ...
Keep on cringing
Jan 15, 2004 ... Are we laughing with Larry David or laughing at him? David's secret is that it's a little bit of both. On the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," David plays what is apparently a more extreme version of himself. He's socially inept, telling lies that will inevitably get him into ...
Japanese classic on 'Living'
Jan 15, 2004 ... The Japanese director Akira Kurosawa is most famous for his samurai action adventures, including "The Seven Samurai." But Kurosawa's films were not always swordfests set in historical times. He also directed a number of movies set in 20th century Japan, including 1952's "Ikiru" ...
Fire hits local home while under construction
Jan 15, 2004; ... Firefighters braved arctic temperatures last week in battling a blaze that started on the first floor of a Winnetka home that had recently been gutted.Winnetka Fire Cpt. Dale Solberg said the structure fire started at about 7:30 p.m. Jan. 6 on the east end of a two-story frame home at ...
Avoca Board to seek referendum
Jan 15, 2004; ... A successful petition drive will prevent Avoca Elementary District 37 from immediately selling bonds to fund a $3.2 million school expansion and improvement package, but board members this week voted to put the question before voters in March. The board voted 5-1 Monday to put the ...
Volunteers sought for action teams
Jan 15, 2004; ... New Trier High School District 203 is looking for volunteers to help create action plans for a new strategic plan which will guide the school over the next decade. A total of six action teams of 10 to 20 members each will develop recommendations in their areas over the next seven months ...
New Trier plan eyes 'whole person'
Jan 15, 2004; ... New Trier High School already can claim some of the strongest test scores in the nation, a wide selection of class offerings and extracurriculars, and a long history as a path to many of the top colleges. But school officials are convinced they can do better. After eight years ...
Drivers ed fees may increase next year
Jan 15, 2004; ... Faced with growing costs and revenues that district officials say cover only a fraction of actual costs, New Trier High School is joining the ranks of suburban schools seeking permission from the state to hike drivers education fees. The school will seek a waiver from the state that ...
Feds' rail crossing rules raise ruckus
Jan 15, 2004; ... Municipal leaders across the U.S. have waited years for new federal rules to define what's required to preserve the train horn bans in their communities. Now that they've got the rules, many town leaders say they don't completely understand them, and don't like what they do understand, ...
Charges bring national gun debate to area
Jan 15, 2004; ... As far as the legal system is concerned, the Dec. 29 shooting of a burglar in a Wilmette home involves two people: a man who police say forced his way in two nights in a row and the homeowner who they say was well within his rights to open fire, but who ran afoul of state registration and a ...