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Tim Ubben of Glencoe is making a difference. P34
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NO. 362 | A JWC MEDIA PUBLICATION
NEWS
Women Build HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LAKE COUNTY INSTALLS A SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION IN NEW HOME FOR SINGLE MOM. EDITED BY SHERRY THOMAS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Tanya Duffie may as well be receiving keys to the city this weekend as a project led by Habitat for Humanity Lake County presents keys to her new, energy efficient home. The Waukegan single mother of four was selected to receive the house as part of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build initiative. This is the first U.S. Women Build project in the organization’s 28-year history that will include the installation of solar panels that will produce clean renewable energy. Solar panels will be installed on September 21 at 10 Washington Terrace in Waukegan as part of the house dedication ceremony. The Sun Company, the U.S.’s first solely woman-owned national energy company, donated the solar panels, inverter, and installation equipment. The contribution showcases solar power as a more affordable energy solution for lower-income families hoping to reduce their utility bills, and it Continued on PG 10
POETRY IN MOTION RAGDALE’S HIGH SCHOOL ARTS WEEK IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING IT OFFERS YEAR-ROUND. BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Six young poets gathered one recent summer week in a soft-lit sitting room at Ragdale, architect Howard Van Doren Shaw’s former Lake Forest estate, and now one of the country’s largest interdisciplinary artists’ communities. The women sit, lounge, stand and pace, eyeing the microphone that shines with silvery challenge at the front of room. Waiting her turn for voice check, Fildaus Umutoniwase leans in to whisper. “I like your dress,” Fildaus tells me, her head wrapped in a brilliant purple dhuku. “Your shoes too,” she smiles, confiding in even more hushed tones, “I’m nervous, but excited, too!” For the next two hours, the poets, plus another 33 youth, show and perform works they created during the week-long High School Arts Week (HSAW) intensive they’ve just completed. The celebration packs the grounds with friends and parents, Ragdale supporters, and the teachers who led the students through courses in visual arts, puppetry, prose, poetry and creative writing. After each performance, the crowd erupts with applause, cheers—even tears. “I’m proud of them,” says Quraysh Ali Lansana, who has taught the prose and poetry module at HSAW for the last eight years. “All of them, despite varying gender identifications, ethnicities, and faiths—deeply bonded over the course of the week. They tackled challenging subjects, both personal and worldly, with courage and compassion.” Regin Igloria, Ragdale In-Schools manager, agrees. “These students show so much resilience! Some were nervous about presenting or were unsure about their work—but everyone was so impressive. They pulled off a lot despite the awkwardness and pressure of performing and putting oneself out there in front of strangers. Their youthful energy reminds me why art is so important to support. They aren’t afraid of telling the truth. You have to love their ability to just trust their ideas.” Cultivating confidence and providing an accessible space for youthful artists of all backgrounds to bloom were key reasons Ragdale launched the HSAW program eleven years ago. Although well-known for the residencies and fellowships it offered to architects, artists, writers, musiContinued on PG 10
Puppetry students collaborate in the Ragdale Ring. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS
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