Good morning, Evanston.

A guest essay urges Evanston dads to engage more in community volunteer efforts as mothers have shouldered most of the work in school and neighborhood projects.

The piece calls for greater dad participation to share responsibilities and strengthen local civic ties (appealing to a balanced partnership).

Corky Siegel, an 83-year-old musician known for decades of performance, will play today at Studio 5 (1934 Dempster St) with friend Kalyan Pathak.

Although tickets are sold out, a livestream option will let local fans enjoy his unique fusion of blues and classical sounds.

Squeezebox Books & Music marks its 15th anniversary month with an event featuring Chicago band The Empty Pocket.

They perform a stripped-down set, hold a conversation (6:30 to 8 p.m.) on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 743 Main St., ending the anniversary sale.

Evanston’s unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in September from 5.4% in August, according to data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security released Thursday.

This drop marks the lowest local jobless rate this year.

Parents at the final superintendent search meeting on Thursday at Nichols Middle School (800 Greenleaf St.) said the next leader should be humble, budget-savvy, and attentive to community needs; the board, which has gathered about 400 survey responses, plans to make an official hire in late January or early February.

At Washington Elementary School, bilingual STEP program students run a monthly coffee cart that teaches real-world math & customer service skills while offering orders in English and Spanish.

Teacher Annika Newell said the initiative, supported by the PTA, helps students on the autism spectrum learn social and practical job skills.

Evanston environmental justice advocates will host a community meeting to address noise, odor, and truck traffic issues at the Church Street waste transfer station.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center (1823 Church St).

Evanston's Environment Board debated whether to stop using the grant funds for renewable energy certificates from MC Squared because rising costs no longer offset renewable power claims & staff will consider funding alternatives and ask the Utilities Commission for input before a final decision.

Evanston Public Library trustees approved a job description requiring union experience for the next executive director on Wednesday, aiming to hire by February to rebuild staff trust & strengthen union relations.

Nurses at four Endeavor hospitals, including Evanston Hospital, filed paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board yesterday to form a union, and they will hold a press conference at Endeavor's Central Street headquarters at 10:30 a.m. today.