The Public Health Department hosted three clinics this week to administer measles vaccines after the highly contagious virus was detected in Cook County earlier this month for the first time since 2019. Most people in the United States receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine as children, but in recent years, Illinois dipped below the 95% vaccination level that provides herd immunity. The Public Health Department offered vaccines at three shelter sites hosting new arrivals from Venezuela, which has different vaccine requirements and schedules than the U.S. More information about the measles is available in a community health alert posted on the Village website – click here to view. Anyone needing assistance obtaining an MMR vaccine is encouraged to contact the Public Health Department at 708.358.5480 or health@oak-park.us.

Public Health Department volunteers in the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) are stepping up to keep the Opioid Overdose Prevention Project going strong in 2024. Involving these volunteers offers the opportunity to increase ownership of the project among Oak Park community members. Anyone interested in joining the MRC or CERT can sign up online at www.oak-park.us/emergencyvolunteer. The Opioid Overdose Prevention Project hosts community trainings on how to administer the life-saving medication Naloxone (also known as Narcan), and also maintains seven boxes with opioid overdose prevention kits throughout the Village, most of which are accessible to the public 24/7. Click here for a map of the locations. Public Health staff recently trained a group of MRC and CERT volunteers on how to restock the boxes and check for maintenance issues, and they began their rounds this week. Learn more about the Oak Park Opioid Prevention project at www.oak-park.us/naloxone.

The Village is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program with a special event the evening of Thursday, April 4 at Village Hall. This event is being held during National Community Development Week, which runs from April 1-5. Over the past five decades, the funding provided by CDBG has been an important resource for Oak Park. These funds help to support public service programs that are focused on homelessness, domestic violence, intellectual and developmental disabilities, food insecurity pantries, foster children, seniors, infrastructure development and facility improvements for non-profits in Oak Park. As part of the celebration, the Community Development Citizen Advisory Commission (CDCAC) will be honoring seven individuals and organizations with the Community Partnership Award. Those individuals include U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, Romiesha Tucker from Housing Forward; Diane F. White from Community Support Services; Suzi Schrader from IWS Children’s Clinic, Y.E.M.B.A., UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago and the Way Back Inn.

The Village is collaborating with other suburban Cook County cohort members on a 100-Day Challenge addressing encampment and unsheltered homelessness. As part of the project, Oak Park is hosting one of three Accelerated Moving Events to bring together landlords with available units and households that are actively working with a housing navigator to identify a unit. The local event will be held from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on Friday, April 12 at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. Similar events will take place on April 13 in south suburban Matteson and on April 20 in north suburban Des Plaines. These events will expedite the housing search process and will provide more information to landlords about the benefits of partnership. Click here for a Landlord RSVP form. For more information about the 100-Day Challenge and other local resources for the unhoused, visit www.oak-park.us/unhoused. 

In celebration of Earth Month and National Volunteer Week during the month of April, the Village and the Village Clerk’s Office are organizing the 2024 Oak Park Spring Neighborhood Cleanup on Saturday, April 13. This family-friendly event will begin with a complimentary light breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at Village Hall. From 9 a.m. until approximately 1 p.m., volunteers, including Oak Park elected officials and staff, will take the streets for a coordinated effort to clean up the community. The Village will be providing heavy duty trash bags, coated safety gloves, brooms, shovels, litter pickers, etc. for the event. Community members are asked to sign up in advance – click here to register. More information is on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/springcleanup24.

The entire community is invited to participate in Oak Park’s celebration of Holi – the Hindu festival of colors. The free outdoor event will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 14 on the south lawn at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Holi is a vibrant and joyous Hindu festival that originated in India and Nepal, but is now celebrated by people all around the world. Holi falls on the last full moon day of winter according to the luni-solar calendar – March 25 this year. For more information about the Village’s Holi celebration, which is being organized in partnership with volunteers from a local South Asian community group, visit www.oak-park.us/holi.

Local groups and volunteers are invited to participate in the 50th annual A Day in Our Village, Oak Park’s annual festival celebrating diversity and community involvement! Scheduled for Sunday, June 2, the event features activity and information booths in Scoville Park at Lake Street and Oak Park Avenue and live entertainment. Groups can register for a booth at www.oak-park.us/diovregistration. In addition to participants, volunteers are needed to help with both planning for the celebration and ensuring things run smoothly the day of the event. For more information about participating or volunteering to help with the 2024 A Day in Our Village, call 708.358.5408, email community@oak-park.us or visit www.oak-park.us/dayinourvillage.

Earlier this month the Village welcomed Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois, for a presentation about The Relevancy Guidebook, which maps out a more inclusive, accessible and relevant future for historic preservation. Click here for more information about The Relevancy Guidebook. McDonald, pictured here at left with Historic Preservation Commission Chair Louis Garapolo (center) and Village Urban Planner Susie Trexler (right), was the latest special guest for the Historic Preservation Commission’s Speaker Series, which continues April 11 with a presentation about tax credits for commercial and residential properties. Find recordings of previous Speaker Series events featuring McDonald and Frank Lipo from the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest and details about the upcoming event at www.oak-park.us/hpc.

The Village and its Historic Preservation Commission support sustainable building practices like reusing historic buildings and materials as well as the use of alternative energy sources. However, officials say the incorporation of solar panels in historic districts should be done with care to preserve the historic character for which Oak Park’s historic districts are known. A list of things to consider when looking at adding solar panels in a historic district is available on the Village website – click here to view. 

Building Inspector Daniel Curry recently obtained his Residential Mechanical (M1) Certification from the International Code Council. As a result, he is now officially certified to inspect HVAC and mechanical systems for the Village. Daniel joined the Permits Division in the Development Services Department earlier this year.

Oak Parkers interested in making their homes and properties more climate friendly are invited to access resources and technical support provided by fellow community members at www.opcan.org. Oak Park’s neighborhood climate coaching initiative is a partnership between the Village and the volunteer group Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN) that offers a peer-expert advisory service to help residents navigate various pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including home insulation and energy retrofits, heat pumps, rooftop and community solar, geothermal systems and electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Community members can access individualized neighbor-to-neighbor climate coaching provided by residents with expertise and experience in a range of climate solutions. The website also includes links to relevant financial incentives, all intended to serve renters, landlords and homeowners at all income levels. More information about the initiative is available on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/climatecoaching.

Artists are being sought to create murals that will continue the transformation of the railroad retaining walls along the Green Line corridor from dull, blank concrete into canvases as part of the Oak Park Area Arts Council's Mini-Mural Program. Each artist selected receives $750 for materials prior to beginning the project and another $750 upon completion. The deadline to apply for the first round is April 26. A second round of applications will be accepted until June 7. Find more information, including the program application form, at www.oak-park.us/minimural24. The Arts Council is simultaneously accepting applications from artists for the 2024 Oak Park Sculpture Walk. The deadline for Sculpture Walk submissions is April 2. Click here for the application packet.

Carnival Grocery at 824 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park’s Southtown Business District will be celebrating the season with an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30. Participants are encouraged to arrive at Carnival at 11 a.m. for snacks, arts and crafts. The Easter Egg Hunt will begin promptly at 11:15 a.m. For more information, contact carnival785@gmail.com.

Forest & Ontario update – The contractor is finishing the electric service connection this week, with the new circuit set to be lit and the old light poles removed in the coming days in the vicinity of the intersection of Forest Avenue and Ontario Street. Once the electrical work is complete, the contractor expects to resume concrete and brick work in mid-April.

Euclid water main project – The water main improvement project on Euclid Avenue between Lake Street and South Boulevard is set to restart after being delayed last fall. AT&T crews will be onsite starting Monday, March 25 to begin lowering existing utility ducts adjacent to the North Boulevard intersection. This week, changeable message boards were installed on Lake Street and South Boulevard in preparation for the upcoming traffic detour. The AT&T work will require portions of the roadway to be closed to two-way traffic for the next two weeks. However, the site will be reopened at the end of each work day using steel plates.

Madison Street improvements – This week the contractor continued the installation of water main and water services along Madison Street between Oak Park Avenue and East Avenue. The contractor will begin installing new fire hydrants and storm sewer next week.