Sherman Garden Cooperative Apartments A monthly publication for residents of Sherman Garden Apartments, 1856-66 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL

NOVEMBER 2017 NEWSLETTER _____________________________________________________________

Henry and Norman White (1860) decided to share their pumpkins with everyone by putting them in the courtyard Halloween evening. What a nice thing to do, boys!

Photo by Mary Powers

NOTE: There are more Halloween pictures scattered throughout the newsletter, so don't be scared when you see them!

WELCOMING SGA’S NEW RESIDENTS 1866 Unit 6NE James Edgren H 312.788.8966 C 773.860.4981 jedgren@sbcglobal.net Eva Mecic H 312.788.8966 C 773.860.4980 emecic@yahoo.com 1864 Unit 1NE Elizabeth (Liz) Sellers 312.956.8300 zsuzsup@yahoo.com UPCOMING EVENTS Your officers and building coordinators are working to increase learning and social opportunities here at Sherman Gardens. Our year-end calendar of events is:

NOVEMBER 8 (Wednesday) – Artist Salon, 7:30 pm, 1860 basement. Participants are: Patricia Powell, Kate Poole, Jerry Galich, and Hsui Ling Robertson. There is space for two more participants. Our last show was a great success and lots of fun. Please come and see what talented individuals we have here at Sherman Gardens! IF YOU’D LIKE TO SHOW YOUR WORK – SUCH AS PAINTING, FABRIC OR PAPER ART, NEEDLEWORK, OR ANY OTHER VISUAL MEDIUM – PLEASE CALL SUE LAFFERTY AT 847.475.8625. DECEMBER 3 (Sunday) – Annual Holiday Party, time to be determined, 1860 basement. We are planning future meetings. Possible topics include: · Judy Fiske on current events here in Evanston · Energy use at Sherman Gardens & how we can save money on our assessments · Evanston police & an update on crime and race relations · Evanston City services available to the public PLEASE LET THE SGAA OFFICERS KNOW IF YOU HAVE OTHER SUGGESTIONS. Our current SGAA officers will continue for the next year: Sue Lafferty, President; Diane Keely, Vice President; Jeanie Henry, Treasurer; Anastasia Wehrenberg, Secretary. BOOK CLUB TO MEET Our October meeting was rescheduled to November. It will be hosted by Blair Laden at 1864-2E on Friday, November 17 at 7:00 pm. The book is Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad by Waris Dirie and Cathleen Miller. Waris Dirie ran away from her oppressive life in Africa and traveled alone across the Somali desert to Mogadishu then to London and finally to New York City where she became a human rights ambassador for the United Nations. We would love to have you join us. Please let me know if you would like more information about the group. Thanks, Anastasia Wehrenberg at avwvickie@aol.com.

FROM THE TRUSTEES 831 EMERSON The preliminary construction schedule dated 10/30/2017 (please note that all dates are approximate) is as follows: • Asbestos Removal and Inspection begins 11/27/2017 and ends 12/29/2017 • Demolition begins 1/8/2018 and ends 2/2/2018 • Construction (foundations) begins 2/5/2018 and ends 6/22/2018 • Vertical construction begins 6/25/2018 and ends 7/26/2018 • Inside work begins 7/1/2018 and ends 7/29/2018 We will be speaking with Alderman Fiske about soil remediation oversight and applicable noise and construction ordinances and will report back to you next month. ANNUAL MEETING Monday evening (10/30) we held our annual meeting. Andrew Lott, our auditor from CBJS, LLC, gave his report on our fiscal year May 1, 2016 through April 30, 2017. He went through the Financial Statements page by page and answered questions – then opened it up for general questions. The one question that is of great general interest was on assessments. When asked about his recommendation for an assessment increase next May, he stated that it really should not be below 2% which will barely keep up with inflation and should really be 3-5%. HEAT We heard from many of you that we waited too long to turn the heat on. As we've said before, we started with the target date of November 1 and then tried to balance the weather forecasts with our need to be careful with your money. Based on everything we heard, we will change our target date to October 15th next year and move forward (or backward) from that date, based on current weather forecasts. There is an article on page 5 about ways to stay warm this winter. If you are uncomfortable, please speak with your downstairs neighbor. GARNETT PLACE PARKING LOT The alley north of our parking lot and south of SOE (Symphony) is a city-owned lot that is permit parking only. All permits have apparently been purchased by the two businesses north of the lot.

2018 CAPITAL EXPENDITURES As many of you know, we have an engineering study done every five years or so to determine the wear and tear on the buildings and to give us a timeline for future work that will be needed. These are projects in the report that will most likely be done in 2018: front door overhangs, 1856-66 roof OR 1860 roof (one or the other, not both), the fire alarm system in all buildings. The plumbing riser project in 1860 will begin next spring. We will also do repair work on the 1862-64 basement wall and replace the basement stairway of 1862. The following projects suggested in the report are ones that we will most likely defer to the future: replacing building front doors and re-keying security doors, balcony railings, stairwell windows, hallway carpeting, hallway light fixtures, and mailboxes. None of the above are urgent for our safety and/or well being. UNITS FOR SALE Currently there are no units for sale.

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Meet Captain Arrgghh (sometimes known as Matt Al Jassar) accompanied by his sister Amara and his Grandma Cindy (1856). Photo by Diane Petersmarck

PARTNERS FOR LIFE AND LAUGHTER By Walter Henebry (1866)

Jerry and Lorna Galich have been living in Sherman Gardens for over two years. They had been homeowners in Northwest Evanston for the past 50 years. They raised their three children there and accumulated lots of good friends from their diverse community involvements. Downsizing to fit an SGA two-bedroom apartment has been a challenge! Know anyone who wants a pier mirror that is just a smidgen too tall for our SGA ceilings? Lorna grew up in Wilmette and graduated from New Trier High School. She and Jerry, whose roots are on the south side, met at the Art Institute in 1954. They were married in 1956. Jerry worked as a Graphic Artist and Lorna had a long and varied career in Organization and Development. Her official title was Organization and Development Consultant." I managed people," she said. She added, "I facilitated groups of managers and supervisors on how to handle their people." In addition to her consultant work Lorna served on various boards: The Art Encounter Board and the North Shore Art League Board to name a few. Early in their marriage (1967) they moved to Evanston to take advantage of the desegregated school system. They wanted their children to be educated in a more diverse environment and help them understand some of the social and political conflicts that were sprouting up all around them.

Speaking of political conflicts: during the height of the Vietnam War, Jerry was the Pack Master of a local diverse cub scout troop that recruited scouts and their parents from several schools, including physically handicapped kids from Kingsley School. The troop marched in the Memorial Day Parade and made a collective decision to wear black arm bands to protest the war. Emotions were running high both for and against the war. When the troop started marching, Jerry unfurled a newly designed troop flag which displayed the Peace sign. That's when all “hell” broke loose. As Jerry states, "All the big Parade Muckity Mucks were waiting for me" at the end of the parade and Jerry was given a lecture, but the real fallout came from the press. The Chicago Tribune and the Evanston Review branded Jerry and those involved as communists and fascists and, according to Jerry, the write-in letters "called us everything in between." Gazing around their apartment, one can see lives dedicated to artistic beauty and intellectual curiosity. A complete collection of Scottish history takes up one wall and many of Lorna's watercolors decorate the apartment and fill the hallway. This love of literature and art was passed down to their children. Lorna says they were all English Majors. Gigi, their oldest, worked at the Evanston Children's Library until she was tragically killed in accident while bicycling to work. Their son Gavin works as a Systems Analyst for Northern Trust and Abigail followed in her mother's footsteps. She is an Organization Development manager for Forsythe. As the couple escorted me down the hallway, Lorna pointed out a water color of an interesting bird. It’s a ptar migeon, the Alaskan State Bird. Jerry made some remark about Sarah Palin's connection to the bird and we all laughed. Humor is an important ingredient of their long-lasting marriage. They have been married over 60 years, have had interesting and varied careers, lost a daughter, gained six grandchildren, and continue to nurture their intellectual and artistic passions. For Lorna the key to happiness is beauty, a beauty she expresses in her paintings and gardening. Jerry says humor is an important ingredient for their happiness. If you are in need of some humor or just an interesting social hour, you can Join Lorna and Jerry for what Lorna calls "the attitude adjustment hour" every afternoon next spring on the patio at 4:00 pm (weather permitting).

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Oooooeeeeooooo - this scary little goblin is Olivia Fisher (1864)

Photo by Cherie Fisher

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS Sunday, November 5 at 2:00 am is the end of Daylight Saving Time, and we’ll happily turn our clocks back an hour. It’s also the recommended time to make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are in good working order. You’ll find a little button on your ceiling smoke alarms – push to see if it beeps. If it doesn’t, replace the battery. If the alarm still doesn’t work, you should replace the alarm. The average lifetime of a smoke alarm is about 10 years. Ace Hardware has a large selection. Your carbon monoxide alarm (to detect a gas leak) is working if a small red light shows steadily. If not, replace this battery. As a rule, it’s best to replace all the batteries twice a year when the time changes to protect both you and your neighbors.

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By Jack Stern (1862) Hollywood Picture: BATTLE OF THE SEXES Emma Stone and Steve Carell playing Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs take you back to 1973. Stone holds her own, playing an ironic sports leader during a changing time for women in sports. Along with her tennis challenge, Billie Jean comes to terms with being a lesbian. Carell plays the antics of Riggs with spot-on over-the-top energy for his foolhardy behavior. Also some great supporting performances by Sarah Silverman and Alan Cummings. Hollywood/Specialty: THE FLORIDA PROJECT William Defoe plays a budget hotel manager of "The Magic Castle," a hotel where low income workers live by themselves or with kids paying a weekly rent. The story follows a very young, rebellious mother raising her precocious six-year old. The young girl and her mom give wonderful performances. The movie shines the light on the survival of people under challenging circumstances. These people have to, once a month, "move out" for one night so that their hotel room is not considered a permanent residence. The children find ways to entertain themselves over their summer break. Well done, interesting, great acting. Art Film: LOVING VINCENT Handpainted animation of his life at its end. Documentary: CHAVELA Biography of Mexican singer Chavela Vargas. An amazing woman way ahead of her time who sang late into her long life. Documentary: FACES PLACES French movie following 89-year old filmmaker Agnes Varda and 33-year old installation muralist JR across the countryside. The two play off each other's artistic roots to make the ordinary … ART. On my list: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER WONDERSTRUCK MARSHALL BLADE RUNNER 2049

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Oh my, when this fellow appeared in the courtyard everyone who saw him trembled. The Grim Reaper (alias Calvin Whitmore (1860) scared us all! Photo by Mary Powers HOW TO BE COMFORTABLE THIS WINTER AND HELP SAVE MONEY Submitted by Madeline Binder (1860) using information from the following two articles: 1) Tips to reduce energy consumption and maintain comfortable temperatures in your home. By Niccole Schreck, Contributor https://money.usnews.com 2) 14 Sneaky-Smart Ways to Cut Your Home Heating Bills By Brett Martin http://www.popularmechanics.com/ Whether you're hoping to ease your impact on the planet or just want to save a few dollars, reducing your energy use can help you get there. Even in the middle of winter, you can slash your energy bills without sacrificing comfort. Here are several tips to reduce energy consumption and maintain comfortable temperatures in your home this winter.

Use the sun for free heat. That bright orb in the sky should be the focus of temperature control in your residence throughout the year. Open the curtains on your south-facing windows during winter days to bring free heat into your home. Close your window coverings when the sun goes down to keep the heat inside. Bundle up with warm accessories. This is one of the easiest ways to save on your heating bill. Instead of turning the heat up, put on a cozy winter sweater and warm socks. Keep throw blankets on your couch, and add an area rug to insulate the floor. Get a humidifier to add moisture to the air. The air inside your home can become very dry. Moist air feels warmer and holds heat better, so a humidifier can help you feel comfortable when your thermostat is set at a lower temperature. You can also increase the humidity in your apartment with a collection of house plants. Cover your air conditioners, which will stop cold air from seeping through the vents. You can purchase a cover or put a black plastic bag around the air conditioner and seal the edges with painter’s tape. Only use exhaust fans when necessary. Exhaust fans in your kitchen pull the hot air out of your apartment. Use exhaust fans sparingly, and shut them off when you are done with them. Worn and torn weather stripping around doors and windows creates drafts and lets in cold air. Seven to 12 percent of a home's heat loss occurs around windows and doors, according to Black Hills Energy, and these leaks often prompt homeowners to turn up their thermostat to keep comfy. Some weather stripping needs to be replaced every few years because of wear. Replacing it is typically as simple as pulling off the old and tacking on the new. Covering the windows and patio doors with clear plastic film can also reduce that loss. The transparent film is inexpensive; you can find it for about $6 for 62 x 84 inches at home centers. The film is simple to put on and won't harm your trim, and if you put it on correctly you'll barely notice it. In the spring, the film comes off easily. Put a space heater in the place where your family gathers, like the living room. Of course, you have to buy the heater and use electricity, which cuts into the overall savings. An electric heater that uses 1500 watts will cost you pennies per hour. The savings from reducing the thermostat temperature should offset the cost of using the space heater.

GIFTED HANDS AND EYES By Diane Keely (1866)

This article continues the story of Jane Danielson-Rickard (1862) whose grandfather, an immigrant journeyman carpenter, had very likely fashioned a dresser Jane surprisingly discovered and retrieved from destruction. Jane grew up in Greece, a suburb of Rochester NY. She attended Catholic schools and began playing the flute in fourth grade. She attended the University of Dayton for two years with a music grant for non-music majors, but her father’s serious illness drew her back home. Jane then enrolled at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) as a criminal justice major, intending to go to law school. Here she lived with photography majors, fellow students who passed photos around and critiqued them as they watched TV. Her own eye gradually became trained and she too started photographing, mostly (unmoving) flowers because they were “cooperative models.” Her subjects expanded to include musicians and sailboats, still using an automatic camera. One time a gardening TV show in Rochester showed her photos with credits. When Jane found there were no jobs available in criminal justice (during the Carter administration), she went to nursing school. After her wedding, Jane and her new husband moved to Buffalo. They bought an FHA home and it became her job to repair and renovate the house. When her Minolta camera fell and broke, she still didn’t want a digital camera. A friend gave Jane a Fuji, which she loved, and she found a mentor in Bill Vasquez, “a remarkable photographer.” She still shoots with Canons, as he advised, and now has a little Sony.

While in Buffalo, Jane served as a music minister and choir member at St. Christopher’s Church, which required music ministers to also become liturgists. When her father died, Jane performed her dad’s graveside service. When she moved to Chicago, Jane worked as a school nurse, which she also considered a ministry. Jane next worked as the photo editor for a newspaper, winning multiple awards while working a stressful 60-70 hours per week. She took a metals class to relax and started making her own jewelry. When people saw the jewelry she created and wore, they literally “bought it off my body.” Jane today considers herself a photographer and jewelry designer, but that’s not all. Jane had done some genealogical research on her mother’s Irish roots, discovering she still had family in an ancient fishing village called Howth. ”In Ireland they say if you have red hair, you are descended from Vikings.” In fact, centuries ago Viking invaders suffering defeat had crossed Dublin Bay to an island and walked to Howth. Already knowing how to make nets and fish, the Vikings settled in Howth and married. The Ricards are descended from Danes, whom Jane has traced back through Irish church records to a Robert Ricard, alive in the 1780s and named after Irish hero Robert Emmett. Unfortunately, a flood destroyed earlier records. Jane’s maternal grandmother began teaching her to embroider when she was just three years old. When Jane was in her late 30s and again single, she traveled to Ireland and had a formative experience. When visiting the National Museum of Ireland, the staff was very surprised to learn she was experienced in this very old Irish embroidery tradition. She received a grant from Comhalts Celton Erin to work with the museum for three months in the summer of 1996, during which she enjoyed a “pivotal experience” that “changed my life.” A highlight was seeing a beautiful brown silk dress that had belonged to the Lord Mayor’s wife, an Edwardian style garment with a flat front and bustle in back, created over 100 years ago by Worth, an eminent designer. Jane traveled all over Ireland that summer, played her flute constantly in sessions with other musicians, and enjoyed time with relatives. Jane learned she comes from a long line of women healers. Her Aunt Kathleen, the head of the family although uneducated, said there has been at least one a generation. Jane wasn’t really surprised – she had heard of “therapeutic touch” when she was in nursing school and had recognized then that she had this gift. Jane uses it sparingly. With her photography, jewelry designing, music making, and healing touch, she truly has gifted hands and eyes.

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Once again we see our intrepid warriors Ninja Turtle (Henry White) and Spider Man (Norman White) challenging all foes!

Photo by Mary Powers

By Jeanie Henry (1862) GARDEN Our final acquisition of the year is a new Blaze Autumn Maple on Emerson by the 1864 stairwell. It is a match to our other new tree on Emerson. Say farewell to our wonderful garden. Till next Spring… WINTER PLANS Now that we’re getting closer to frost and to winter, it’s time to take care of the window boxes and planters on your balconies and to dispose of dead and dying plants. We don’t want the cold Chicago winds to knock any down or damage them. It is also time to remove things from your balcony that go to your storage unit or the dumpsters. The cleaner and clearer your balcony is, the better it looks from inside and outside your unit.

BARGAINS Do you know what your assessments cover? They pay for electricity, gas, water, heat, refuse collection, regular maintenance and janitorial services, and real estate taxes. They also fund regularly required maintenance updates, such as elevators. In addition, they pay for a host of special projects, including plumbing updates, tuck pointing, sidewalk repair and maintenance, replacement of outside stairwells, plus many more projects. You cover your phone, internet, and cable. It’s quite a deal when you compare these costs to those of most Evanston apartments. Have you heard? Barnes & Nobles has a special offer during November. If you become a member, you will get 12 cups of coffee/tea – one per month. The cost of membership is $25 so you’ve already made your money back and more. In addition, you will receive 10% off all purchases both in the store and in the café. Deal of the month: With the holidays coming, cookware sets from big names, such as T-fal and Rachael Ray, will offer discounts of up to 50%. Kitchen Aid mixers and Ninja juicers are also expected to hit the sales floor with savings of 20% to 40%. DATES Nov 1: Open enrollment for coverage under the ACA – a.k.a. Obamacare – starts. Go to www.healthcare.gov to view insurance exchange plans in your state. Nov 5: Reset your clocks as Daylight Saving Time ends. (“Spring forward, Fall back.”) Nov 6: It’s Lung Cancer Awareness Month. For more info, go to Kiplinger.com/links/cancer. Nov 11: Veterans Day – no mail delivery. Nov 15: Reduce, reuse and recycle on America Recycles Day. Head to www.freecycle.org to find and join a Freecycle group in this area. The Freecycle Network is a free listserv where members list items they need or they want to donate. (Also it’s a great time to review SGA’s recycling notice for what is and is not recyclable!!) Nov 23: Thanksgiving Day. Nov 24: Black Friday, a day to look for sales. Before you head out to snag the best deals, sign up at www.bfads.net for the BF Ads Black Friday mailing list. Nov 25: Support local merchants on Small Business Saturday. Look for sales promotions on your local chamber of commerce website, news websites, and social media. Search www.shopsmall.com for participating retailers. EATS

St. Germaine, the crepe place on Sherman, will change to Z Breakfast Bar on October 28. It will now focus on breakfast with a French influence. I haven’t made it to Aloha Poke yet, but hear that another “authentic” Hawaiian fair poke restaurant, Pono Ono, will open mid-November at 1630 Orrington Ave. I went to Todoroki, a long-term Evanston restaurant at 526 Davis St, and enjoyed a Hibachi meal. They also have Sushi Burritos, Bento Box selections, and Sushi Set selections. Got a very good and filling meal. Also tried out the long-awaited Tsim Sha Tsui on Chicago Ave across from Peet’s. This place has hot pots, Malatang Spicy soup pot combinations and regular noodle meals – I liked the basil chicken with bok choy. You can fill a bowl with items of your choice, have it weighed and made into a Soup Bowl. A tremendous amount of food in various styles. I’ll return. Sad news: Sam’s Chicken and Ribs on Orrington closed after about 6 months.

### The newsletter accepts paid classified ads. Residents: $5 for 3 consecutive months Non-residents: $10 for 3 months Approximately 60 words or 3.5” wide x 2” long maximum.

For Deep or Swedish massage please contact Inna

1862 Sherman Avenue (773) 885-3150

TAI CHI CHIH A non-martial art form of Tai Chi - proven by National Institute of Health. studies to improve the inner organ functioning, musculature, immune system as well as balance, stress, etc. Based on the Chinese self-healing tradition of Chi Gong, soft movements allow the chi energy (life force) to flow in a meditative way in the body and mind. 19 independent movements quite easy to learn make the benefits well accessible to the Western Lifestyle. This class is for beginners, all ages and abilities. For info call Blair Laden in 1864 at 847-630-0675. Certified teacher. Class is Fridays 10-11 a.m. at Noyes Cultural Art Center.

Sherman Garden Trustees Diane Petersmarck Term ends May 2018 John Coughlin Term ends May 2019 Keith Johnson Term ends May 2019 Marcia Bosits Term ends May 2020 Barbara Pearson Term ends May 2020 Sherman Garden Association President, Sue Lafferty, 1856 Vice-President, Diane Keely, 1866 Secretary, Anastasia Wehrenberg, 1864 Treasurer, Jeanie Henry, 1862 Building Coordinators: 1856 – Sherre Brutzkus 1860 – Jean Whitmore, Joan Taylor 1862 – Jack Stern 1864 – Olga Ryskin, Sarah Vanderwicken 1866 – Rosemary Powers, Diane Keely

Sherman Garden Apartments is managed by Heil, Heil, Smart & Golee 5215 Old Orchard Road, Suite 300 Skokie, IL 60077 847.866.7400 hsd@hhsg.net Property Manager: Gregg Rithmiller

Building Engineers Rafael Del Rio, Ziggy Moric Boiler Room Phone: 847.864.6887

SGA Newsletter is edited by Diane Keely. It is written by Jeanie Henry, Roving Reporter Cherie Fisher, Diane Keely, and Diane Petersmarck along with various other residents (submissions welcome) and produced by Diane Petersmarck.