The Village welcomed a new Deputy Public Works Director and Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator and celebrated a familiar face taking on the role of Police Records Supervisor this past week. Erin Duffy is the new Deputy Public Works Director and comes to the Village after spending the past eight years with the Western Springs Municipal Services Department. She held several leadership roles at Western Springs, including Assistant Director, and has a background predominantly in water, facilities and project management. Lee Christenson is the new Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator in the Health Department. He has more than 23 years of experience in the emergency management and response field in both the private and public sectors. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University, where he focused on public administration, criminal justice and public safety. In the Police Department, Angela Williams was promoted to the role of Police Records Supervisor. Angela previously served as a Community Service Officer in the Police Department.

Health officials recommend all community members six months and older receive an updated 2023/2024 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the virus, especially during the fall and winter months. For people with health insurance, most plans will cover the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost from local pharmacies and health care providers. Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you at www.vaccines.gov. The Oak Park Public Health Department is hosting vaccine clinics next week for people who don’t have health insurance or who have health plans that do not cover the cost of vaccines. For more information about the upcoming clinics, visit www.oak-park.us/vaccine or contact the Health Department at 708.358.5480 or health@oak-park.us. The clinic planned for Oct. 26 will include both COVID and childhood vaccines required to attend school and is ideal for migrant families or families who are seeking asylum given that Spanish-language interpreters will be on site. The Health Department is working with local schools to make sure families that could benefit from this opportunity are aware of the clinic.

Several hundred community members took up the offer to get an up-close look at the Oak Park Fire Department’s equipment and talk to the firefighter/paramedics who keep the community safe during the Fire Department’s open house on Oct. 14. The event included tours of the firehouse, presentations about safety and fun handouts. More information about the Fire Department is available at www.oak-park.us/fire.

If you spot a stork on the back of one of the Oak Park Fire Department’s ambulances, it means firefighter/paramedics had the privilege of assisting in the delivery of a baby in the field. Earlier this year the Fire Department established a program to mark these happy events with the stork decal. One youngster who was delivered by Oak Park firefighter/paramedics in March stopped by the Fire Department’s open house with her mom on Oct. 14 and snapped this picture with the stork decal placed in her honor!

Village officials and other key community stakeholders gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Saturday for a new mural titled “In Loving Memory” that commemorates Oak Park and River Forest High School students who have left this earth too soon. Local artist Tia Etu created the mural, which is located at the intersection of Scoville Avenue and South Boulevard. The Oak Park Area Arts Council project was made possible by funding from the Village and State Senate President Don Harmon. Click here for a video that includes with footage from the ribbon cutting and Etu discussion the project.

The Village’s series of Hispanic Heritage Month events wrapped up with a good turnout for the screening of Encanto on Oct. 14 at the Madison Street Theater. Village staff is grateful for the contributions of volunteers from the Oak Park Latine planning committee who helped coordinate the events, which included a visit from author Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, a Latinx roundtable discussion, language access listening session and the Village’s first-ever ¡Viva Festival! Click here for a video recap looking back at the ¡Viva Festival!

The Oak Park Area Arts Council and The North Avenue District invite members of the community to a North Avenue public art brainstorming session being held virtually on Zoom from 7-8 p.m. on Thurs., Nov. 2. Participants will be invited to weigh in on what kind of murals they would like to see on North Avenue between Austin Boulevard and Harlem Avenue and what other ideas they have for public art along the corridor. Anyone who lives or works on North Avenue and nearby neighborhoods, or owns a North Avenue business/property, is especially encouraged to attend. To access the meeting, visit rebrand.ly/NorthAveArt. The meeting ID is 824 6519 3020 and the passcode is 650491. The North Avenue Public Art Project is made possible with funds from the U.S. Treasury-American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). For more information, email info@oakparkareaartscouncil.org.

As part of its injury prevention initiative, the Oak Park Public Health Department encourages safe gun storage practices and urges families to talk about gun safety with friends and neighbors as a way of helping reduce accidental injuries via firearms. Anyone seeking help starting gun safety conversations can check out the conversation starters and safe storage tips from the Public Health Department at www.oak-park.us/gunsafety. For more information, contact health@oak-park.us or 708.358.5480.

The deadline to submit nominations for the Village’s Green Awards has been extended to Oct. 31. The Green Awards are presented each year by the Environment & Energy Commission as a way of recognizing community members and organizations, local businesses and nonprofits, institutions, and collaborative projects and initiatives that demonstrate leadership in advancing equity-centered climate action, climate resilience and sustainability. There are dedicated awards in the categories of community organization, local business and collaborative initiative for nominations that link with Oak Park’s community climate and sustainability plan, Climate Ready Oak Park. The online nomination form is posted at www.oak-park.us/greenawards.  

The community is invited to the Oak Park Fall Tree Stroll from 2 to 3 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 22. The one-hour walk begins on the 100 block of S. Scoville Ave. near the corner of Scoville and South Boulevard and offers participants with an opportunity to learn about Oak Park’s stately trees. Find more information and register for the free event at https://bit.ly/OP-tree-stroll. The Citizens Utility Board is hosting a Decarbonization 101 webinar at 6 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 26. Learn how to save money, make your home more comfortable and reduce your carbon footprint during the event. More information is on the Sustain Oak Park website – click here to view.  

With ComEd charging new electricity supply rates effective this month, residents are encouraged to check their electric bills to ensure they are not paying a higher rate from an alternative supplier. Many Oak Park residents participate in the Village’s community choice electricity aggregation program, through which electricity is supplied by the Village’s contractor MC Squared Energy, but participants are ensured they will never pay more than ComEd’s rate. More information about electricity aggregation is at www.oak-park.us/aggregationfaqs. The Citizens Utility Board has information about how to avoid rip-offs posted online – click here to view. Utility bill assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is available for income-qualified residents. More information is available on the CEDA (Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County) website – click here to view.

The Illinois EPA will open the next EV Rebate Program funding round on Nov. 1. The funding round will run through Jan. 31, 2024. Illinois residents purchasing a new or used all-electric passenger vehicle ($4,000) or all-electric motorcycle ($1,500) from an Illinois licensed dealer are eligible for the rebate. Applicants that certify as low income are given priority in disbursement of the rebates. The application and instructions are now available on the Illinois EPA Electric Vehicle Rebate website. Applications will not be accepted or reviewed if postmarked prior to Nov. 1, 2023. Funding for the round is limited and low-income applicants are given priority for rebates.

Water and sewer improvements – The second phase of this year’s water main improvement project, which involves repairs on Euclid Avenue between Lake Street and North Boulevard, has been postponed to spring 2024. All businesses and residents in the area will be notified in the coming days. The contactor is still working to complete exploratory digging but will begin removing equipment next week that had been staged for the project. Meanwhile, the first phase of the project continues on Augusta Street, where curb and sidewalk were removed this week. Next steps include framing and pouring concrete for the sidewalks.

Street resurfacing project – The contractor spent the week framing and pouring sidewalks, ADA ramps and curb at Berkshire Street, Cuyler Avenue and Greenfield Street. Preparation is in the works for milling and asphalt placement on Berkshire, Greenfield and Augusta Street within the next couple of weeks, followed by reconstruction of Elmwood Avenue.

Pete’s Fresh Market update – The final restoration on Euclid Avenue just north of Madison Street is expected to get underway the first week of November with milling and resurfacing of the roadway. All affected residents are being notified of the work, which is associated with the ongoing construction of the new Pete’s Fresh Market on Madison Street. AT&T is installing a new meter at the site this week, after which ComEd will connect AT&T’s power and AT&T will begin removing utility poles.

Forest and Ontario improvements – Concrete sidewalk and crosswalk replacements are expected to get underway soon in the vicinity of the intersection of Forest Avenue and Ontario Street. Road and sidewalk closures remain in effect as work continues.

Division Street improvements – Pavement restriping will resume this weekend, with the completion of striping on adjacent side streets and bike lanes as part of the months-long water & sewer improvement and street resurfacing project. The contractor expects to continue punchlist and other corrective work through October.

Pleasant & Marion update – Masonry façade installation is getting underway on the north elevation of the new Focus development at the corner of Pleasant and Marion streets. Cabinet installation and bathroom tile work continues in the upper levels of the building. Alley demolition and restoration is still on schedule to start in early November.