The Village’s annual fall leaf collection begins Monday, Oct. 30 and continues through the week of Dec. 4. Six pickups are planned for each quadrant of the Village, based on address. Leaves should be raked into the street at least 18 inches from the curb the day before the scheduled pickup dates. Leaves will be collected the following day. Residents who miss a scheduled pickup date should keep their leaves on the parkway until the night before the next scheduled pickup. Residents are urged to consider composting or using the leaves as garden mulch instead of raking. More information is posted on the Village website.

The Public Health Department hosted vaccine clinics this week at Cheney Mansion focused on providing vaccines for people without insurance or whose insurance plans do not cover the cost of vaccines. The Health Department has been working with Oak Park Elementary School District 97 and Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 to connect with families whose children needed certain vaccines required to attend Oak Park schools. The department offered nine different types of immunizations, including polio and measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, and about 20 children received vaccines that will allow them to attend local schools. Many of the families served at the clinic are seeking asylum in the United States and are living temporarily with Oak Park families. Spanish language interpreters were on-site to help families understand the medications and to help answer any questions from clinic participants.

The Oak Park Farmers' Market season concludes this Saturday, Oct. 28. Vendors will set up shop for the last time this year from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot at 460 Lake St., one block west of Ridgeland Avenue. In keeping with tradition, stone soup made from vendor vegetables will be served up from about 9 a.m. until the pot is empty as a way of thanking patrons for supporting the Market this season. Brad Knaub from Carnivore Oak Park is creating a vegetarian squash-based soup and a meat-based broth. In addition, Pilgrim Church will be selling chocolate donuts and apple cinnamon donuts. More information about the Farmers’ Market is posted at www.oak-park.us/farmersmarket.

A street safety survey and interactive map where users can place pins at locations where they feel safe or unsafe when traveling through Oak Park are the latest tools available at www.engageoakpark.com/visionzero to provide feedback as part of the Village’s Vision Zero initiative. The input gathered from community members will help inform the approach the Village takes as it works toward the goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on local roadways. The Vision Zero Oak Park team will also be collecting feedback about traffic safety at the season’s final Farmers’ Market this Sat., Oct. 28 at 460 Lake St. Residents are encouraged to stop by between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. to learn more about the Vision Zero project.

The Village has updated building codes, including a new electrification ordinance set to go in effect Jan. 1, 2024. The Development Customer Services Department is offering several free seminars for anyone interested in learning more about Oak Park’s codes. A building code seminar is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wed., Nov. 1 at Village Hall. The following week a residential code seminar will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wed., Nov. 8 at Village Hall. A Codes & Coffee chat is also planned for 9 to 11 a.m. on Wed., Dec. 13 at Village Hall. More information about all of the upcoming events is available at www.engageoakpark.com/electrification.

Oak Parkers are preparing for a spooky swarm of children in the streets this Halloween. Official hours for trick or treating in Oak Park are 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Parents are urged to accompany their young children, especially after dark, and inspect all treats. Police also are asking drivers to be extra cautious and watch for costumed pedestrians, particularly at intersections and along busy neighborhood streets. Officers will be out in force to help ensure a safe holiday on the roads. Only blocks that have been approved by the Village to host a block party on Halloween are permitted to close streets during trick-or-treating hours. Parking vehicles or placing other immovable objects near an intersection is strictly prohibited as it prevents first responders from accessing the roadway in the event of an emergency. More information about Halloween in Oak Park is posted on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/halloween.

Chief Sustainability Officer Marcella Bondie Keenan represented the Village and the Chicagoland Regional Trees Initiative at an in-person convening of 16 national teams who participated in the first-ever Urban Nature-Based Climate Solutions Accelerator. Click here for more information. Additionally, Sustainability and Adjudication staff and administrative law judges met to discuss the Village’s suite of new sustainability policies, and the benefit of integrating climate and sustainability into local ordinances.

The Village welcomed Darryl Allen as the new DEI Research Assistant in the Village Manager’s Office. Darryl is an organizational development professional who has helped develop programs for the U.S. federal government, State of Ohio, Illinois municipalities, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and JPMorgan Chase. He has a master’s degree in project management and completed Ph.D. work at the University of Cincinnati.

Oak Park families are invited to participate in the Fall Family Fun event this Sat., Oct. 28. Coordinated by the Collaboration for Early Childhood and Hemingway Business District, the event will feature a costume parade through Scoville Park, with lineup beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the parade stepping off at 10 a.m. Following the parade, an early childhood resource fair hosted by the Collaboration for Early Childhood will take place at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., and trick-or-treating will ensue at participating Hemingway District businesses along Lake Street, Oak Park Avenue, North Boulevard and South Boulevard. More information is available on the Collaboration for Early Childhood website – click here to view.

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 to 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. Click here to access the meeting or enter via Zoom using meeting ID 824 6519 3020 and passcode 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.

Pete’s Fresh Market update – ComEd and its contractors will be performing final restoration work for the underground improvements associated with the Pete’s Fresh Market development on Madison Street starting the week of Oct. 30. The work, which will primarily consist of about one week of concrete restoration followed by about two weeks of milling and resurfacing asphalt pavement, is expected to be completed before the Thanksgiving holiday. The concrete restoration work will primarily be located at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Washington Boulevard. The asphalt restoration work will involve the milling and resurfacing of the roadway on the 300 and 400 blocks of Euclid and the 600 block of Washington (from Euclid to Wesley Avenue). All affected residents are being notified and receiving parking passes. Additionally, ComEd will transfer service to AT&T’s new meter at the development site in the next week or two, after which ComEd will remove the remaining overhead lines and poles.

Water and sewer improvements – The contractor for this year’s water and sewer repair project began pouring concrete base course along Augusta Street between Lombard Avenue and Taylor Avenue this week. Weather permitting, concrete work will continue in the coming days, resulting in temporary road closures to allow new concrete to cure.

Street resurfacing project – The contractor continued to frame and pour sidewalks at the Augusta Street, Berkshire Avenue, Cuyler Avenue and Greenfield Street locations tabbed for street resurfacing this fall. The contractor is preparing to mill Augusta, Berkshire and Greenfield in the coming days. Reconstruction of the roadway on Elmwood Avenue began this week, resulting in the closure of Elmwood between South Boulevard and Pleasant Street.

Division Street improvements – Striping is 80% complete along Division Street, with the last task involving bike lane striping once the weather dries up. Punchlist and other corrective work will continue through October as the months-long water & sewer and street resurfacing project draws to a close.

Pleasant & Marion update – Masonry façade work will be complete on the north elevation of the new Focus Development at the corner of Pleasant and Marion streets by Monday, Oct. 30. Demolition work is in progress on the east elevation, with the work being done within the extent of the jersey wall. The parking spots along 212 S Marion St. remain blocked off. Alley demolition and restoration at the site is scheduled to begin Nov. 6.

Miscellaneous construction updates – Concrete replacement is ongoing in the area of Forest Avenue and Ontario Street, resulting in continued closure of the roadway. Elsewhere, Nicor crews are excavating the 1000 block of Gunderson Ave. this week before moving on to the 1100 block of Highland Ave.