rd WINNETKA TALK A Weekly News-Magazine for Winnetka -------- VOL. XV, NO. 45 WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, JANUARY 15, 1927 PRICE FIVE CENTS SUGGEST 50-FT. ROAD FOR NORTH CENTER ST. Chamber of Commerce Also Asks Village to Re-zone Street as "C" Commercial The Winnetka Chamber of Com- merce at its meeting Monday evening, heartily approved the report of its civic committee, of which George Park is chairman, relative to the contem- plated improvement of Center street from Elm street to Tower road. The action of the civic committee, in this connection was taken at a recent spe- cial session of the committee and the petition and accompanying recommen- dation submitted to the Village coun- cil, which will be taken up for con- sideration by that body on Tuesday evening, January 18. "To fit the contemplative local im- provement of Center street from Elm street to Tower road; to accommodate the fast moving automobile and auto truck; to safeguard as much as pos- sible the pedestrians in transacting business with some degree of protec- tion of life and limb, the property owners will be called upon to spend much money. Petition for Rezoning "You will find enclosed a petition signed by nearly all the property owners of residential property in the district affected, the remaining two or three owners of residential property in this district being away for the winter, but whom, we are assured, are in favor of the petition. This is a petition to re-zone as "C" commercial, all of the "A" and "B" residential property fronting on Center street between Pine street on the south and Tower road on the north. "The problem confronting the im- provement of Center street, is the pres- ent narrowness of the street from Elm street to Tower road. The Winnetka Chamber of Commerce, therefore, makes the following recommendations : "'"That Center street be made into a fifty foot road, starting from the west me ot the Nqrth Western railroad property, between Tower road ara Spruce street. " "That the Village get a twenty-five foot easement from the North Western railroad between Spruce and Elm streets. "'That Chestnut street be extended north straight through to Center street. 4 "The project of the North Western railroad to depress tracks and bridge intersections from east to west, will make an ideal improvement." Committee Ponders New Work on Center Street Preliminary consideration of several alternate plans for the improvement of Center street from Elm street north to Tower road, were considered by the street, drainage and forestry com- mittee of the Village council Tuesday evening. The meeting was attended by Presi- dent John S. Miller; H. M. Raclin, chairman of the committee, Mrs. Ma Langworthy and R. H. members of the committee; Frank A. Windes, village engineer and H. L. Woolhiser, villace manager. | Gertrude C. Lieber, secretary of the BUILD $600,000 Excavation in Progress on New Trier's $600,000 Addition to High School Plant GYM Excavation for New Trier High school's new $600,000 gymnasium, which is to be constructed on the site facing on Essex road and lying be- tween the girls' gym and the heating plant, was started during the Christ- mas holidays and is progressing rap- idly. The building, which is designed in order to be in architectural harmony with other buildings on the campus, will be T-shaped with the stem, which is 270 feet long, facing on 'Essex road and the 200 feet bar lying between the girls' gym and heating plant. It will be constructed of red brick and the front steps will extend the full width of the building at the Essex road end. The first floor will be below the grade level and will be used as the boy's field house. It is 270 feet in length and in it will be located a 16- lap track and rooms for shot putting and baseball practice. The floor will be of cinders throughout. The second floor will be divided into a boy's gym in the east end, a girl's gym in the west, auxiliary gym rooms for both girls and boys, volley ball court rooms, rooms for wrestling and tumbling, club rooms and offices. The boys' gym will have tiiree bas ketball courts; two for practice pur- poses and one of standard dimensions upon which interscholastic games will be staged. Around three sides of the room will run a balcony seating ap- proximately 1,500 people while the main floor will also be equipped with removable seats, making it possible tp use the gym as an auditorium seating in the neighborhood of 3,500 people. The girls' gym is situated at the end of the room and separated from it by a folding partition. It is 90 by 60 fect and the floor three feet above the level of that of the boys' gym, which allows it to be used as a stage of con- siderable -proportions. Immediately be- low this are the locker and shower rooms for both boys and girls. Christ Episcopal Church to Hold Annual Meeting The annual meeting of the Christ Episcopal church will be held in the Parish House, Monday evening, Jan- vary 17, at 8 o'clock. Refreshments will be served after the meeting by the women of the guild. The executive board will be on the reception commit- tee and they extend a most hearty in- vitation to all the congregation, and especially to new members. SPECIAL ELECTION A special election for the pur- pose of voting on the proposition to authorize the Winnetka board of education to purchase or locate a school house site has been an- nounced for Saturday, January 29. Notice of this special election was issued this week over the signatures of Ernest S. Ballard, president of the Board of Education and Mrs. board. Polls will open from 1 to 6 p. m. NEXT WEEK IN WINNETKA Listed at Community House Monday, January 17 8 Prof. O'Shea of the University of Wisconsin (Lecture) Skokie school. Tuesday, January 18 2:30 -- Winnetka Woman's meeting, Woman's club. Wednesday, January 19 6:30 -- Winnetka Congregational church annual dinner, Community House. Friday, January 21 Noon--Rotary club luncheon, Com- munity House. Winnetka P.T. A. to Join Country Day for Program The Parent-Teacher association of the Winnetka public schools, and that of the North Shore Country Day school, are joining forces and meetings next Monday night, January 17 at 8 o'clock, in Kuppenheimer hall, of the Skokie school. Through the efforts of both organizations, Professor M. V. L. O'Shea, professor of education in the University of Wisconsin, will make an address at this time on, "Youth and the New Times." Due to the fact that Professor O'Shea is an authority on education, and one of the "modern prophets" in the latest methods, it is expected that he will discuss many problems facing the parents here in Winnetka. The question of sending children to movies, and many other vital and interesting problems will most likely be touched upon by the professor. His modern approach and scientific background of theory and practice, promise a most valuable evening for the parent- teacher organizations. Indian Hill Body Opposes Vacation of Essex Roadway The Indian Hill Improvement asso- ciation Monday of this week went on record as opposed to the proposition to vacate Essex road from Winnetka avenue north to Sunset road. Discussion of that issue was promp- ted by the presentation of a communi- cation from the Village board citing a petition from the New Trier High school board of education requesting vacation of Essex road over the terri- tory cited above. The Improvement association, how- ever, stressed the point that it was anxious to co-operate with the High school board in working out some other plan to avoid the difficulties at- tendant upon traffic. on Essex road during school hours. : Vacation of Essex road, it was felt by members of the association, might have the effect of diverting an ex- cessive amount of trafic to Wood- land avenue, thus creating a serious club | hazard to the children. attending the Greeley school. The new high school boys' athletic field is to be located just east of Es- | sex road, while the boys' entrance to | the new gym will face the road on the west. They must therefore cross the road in going to and frem the field. BASIL SYDNEY APPEARS AS GUILD DRAMA STAR Internationally Famous Actor to Have Leading Role in "Henry IV" Production When the North Shore Theater Guild stages its production of Shake- speare's comedy, "Henry IV," at the Jane Kuppenheimer Memorial hall, Skokie school, Winnetka, January 21 and 22, the leading part will be taken by a Broadway star of more than na- tional reputation, Basil Sidney, who will play Prince Hal. Mr. Sidney's ap- pearance with the North Shore Thea- ter Guild is a unique event in the his- tory of the Little Theater movement in this country, for this will be the first time that a professional actor of the standing of Mr. Sidney has ap- peared, supported by a non-profession- al group. ! Supporting Mr. Sidney will be a long 'list of the most prominent actors who have appeared in Guild performances in the past. Samuel Otis of Winnetka has the part of Falstaff and J. Lincoln Gibson of Evanston will play Hotspur. William Boyden of Winnetka will play King Henry IV; Perry Smith, Win- netka, will play Poins; Waldo Allen of Winnetka will play Pistol, and Leslie Parker of Evanston will have the part of Bardolph. Peto will be played by Francis Fabian of Evanston; Mor timer, by Wesley Brown of Winnetka; Glendower, by . L. Buchanan; Northumberland, by E. Lyman, Jr, and Westmoreland, by Victor H. Hoppe. The part of the Prince Clarence will be taken by Edwin Felke, and that -of the Earl of War- wick by Eugéne Macy. Henry JL Cary-Curr of Winnetka will play the part of the Chief Justice, and the Sheriff will be played by L. D. Mec= Kendry. The three women's parts, Lady Percy, Mistress Quickly and Dol Tearsheet," will be played by Erma Blaine McKendry, Mrs. Cecil Barnes and Janet Fairbank, and the Page will be played by Evelyn Brown. In addi- tion to these, there will be a large number of other characters, soldiers, etc. it In First Ranks {a Basil Sidney is best known in Chis cago by his performance here, two vears ago, in the leading role of the New York Theater Guild's production of "Peer Gynt." by Ibsen. "The Devil's Disciple," by Shaw, and "He Who Ge Slapped," by Andriev. He played Ro in Fthel Barrymore's production o "Romeo and Juliet," and also won fame in London, a few years ago, as leading man under Doris Keane, in her productions of "Romance" a "Romeo and Tuliet." He also played the part of Hamlet, in the "mod clothes" production of "Hamlet," which ; made such a sensation in New York t year: Bast May, he played the nart of Prince Hal in the New Yo Players' Club revival of "Henry IV," "e most famous all-star revival that has ever been produced in this country. Sunvorting him, on that occasion, were such plavers as Otis Skinner, John Drew, Peggy Wood, Blanche Ring, Tames T. Powers and William Court- teigh. ae The North Shore Theater Guild's production of enry IV" will be in (Continued on page 48) H / ----