Evanston gets donations for parks

The City Council this week accepted donations to provide ballfield scoreboards and restore an architectural landmark.

Evanston Baseball Softball Association co-presidents Bill Blanchard (pictured at the podium) and Michael Weber brought several players to the council meeting to mark the agreement the city's reached with the group under which the association will provide four scoreboards for baseball diamonds the association uses in James Park in southwest Evanston.

The illuminated scoreboards are valued at about $50,000 and the association expects to recover the cost through the sale of advertisements on the scoreboards.

At the other end of town, in northeast Evanston, the city agreed to accept a $44,965 donation from Pamela and James Elesh to pay for restoration of the grotto fountain designed by noted landscape architect Jens Jensen on the grounds of the Evanston Art Center at Lighthouse Landing Park.

The donation will pay to have Clauss Brothers, Inc. of Streamwood fix leaks in the structure that have caused it to fail to hold water in recent years.