The Village received notice of an award of more than $1.12 million through a Safe Streets for All Planning and Demonstration Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. This grant will be used to implement some of the recommendations in the Vision Zero Plan, including to develop a Complete Streets Handbook and Design Guide; test quick build safety tools at up to 10 locations near parks and schools; develop interventions to deploy as a demonstration project on a high-injury network; and develop retiming plans to optimize pedestrian safety, utilizing tools such as automatic pedestrian recall and leading pedestrian interval (LPI) at 10 intersections near parks, schools, transit stations and high-traffic pedestrian areas. 

Starting this month through the end of the year, the Public Health Department will host free monthly in-person trainings on opioid overdose prevention and the use of Narcan nasal spray. This 90-minute training is ideal for people who want to be ready to respond if they encounter a person experiencing a potential opioid overdose. The training covers harm reduction principles, signs and symptoms of opioid overdose, how Narcan works in the body, hands-on practice with Narcan nasal spray and time for question and answers. Participants will also receive a free opioid overdose prevention kit to take home. The next training is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Click here to sign up for this and other upcoming training dates.

The Oak Park Farmers' Market's annual Pie Bake-Off is taking place from about 9 to 11 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 7 in the Pilgrim Church parking lot at 460 Lake St. A panel of judges will choose a first, second and third place winner from this year’s entrants. To top it off, samples of pie will be given away to Market visitors after the contest on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the Market, visit www.oak-park.us/farmersmarket.

BarrieFest is happening from noon to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 7 in Barrie Park. Hosted by the South East Oak Park Community Organization (SEOPCO), BarrieFest is a neighborhood celebration featuring food, fun and friendship. Several Village departments plan to be on hand to share information about programs and resources. More information is available on the SEOPCO website – click here to view.

September is National Preparedness Month, and to mark the occasion the Emergency Preparedness Division of the Public Health Department is sharing information to help community members start thinking about how to equip themselves and their family for potential emergencies. This includes resources for creating a family emergency plan, a guide for building an emergency kit and information about planning for pets in the event of an emergency. National Preparedness Month messaging was featured in the Public Health Department’s September Health Beat e-newsletter that was sent to subscribers this week and will continue to be shared across the Village and Public Health Department social media channels throughout the month.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the Village is partnering with the Oak Park Community Mental Health Board and Thrive Counseling Center to share resources and increase the conversation on this topic. Throughout the month of September, Oak Park residents are invited to pick up a You Matter sign at Village Hall, 123 Madison St., or the Community Recreation Center, 229 Madison St., and display it in their yards. Residents can participate in a social media contest by posting a picture of their yard signs. The yard sign highlights 988, the national suicide and crisis lifeline, which people can text or call at any time to talk to a mental health professional. If you notice a friend or family member is not acting like themselves, is excessively worried or anxious, or has mentioned thoughts of suicide, reaching out to them could make all the difference. Ask if they would like to talk, and visit www.oak-park.us/MentalHealth for more resources.

Development Customer Services staff members joined Village elected officials among the approximately 200 people in attendance at the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting this week at the Lake Theatre. Topics covered by Chamber officials during the meeting included a summary of the Chamber’s new strategic plan. A key element of that plan includes a restructuring of the organization, which will maintain its existing 501(c)(6) structure while working to establish a 501(c)(3) entity and a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to operate alongside the 501(c)(6). Click here to view the strategic plan.

The Village is continuing to share information with the community about changes coming to the Fall Leaf Collection Program later this year. Media Production Manager Joe Kreml recently produced a video outlining the changes and the options available to residents for disposing leaves this year. The video is posted at www.oak-park.us/leafcollection and will be shared across the Village’s communications channels in the coming weeks. The Fall Leaf Collection webpage also includes information about leaf collection assistance options, with a link for residents to sign up for leaf assistance and a link to sign up to volunteer to assist neighbors with leaf collection. Residents will also receive details about fall leaf collection in the September/October edition of the OP/FYI newsletter, which includes an insert with a yard waste bag coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase at Oak Park’s two Ace Hardware locations.

The Neighborhood Services Division welcomed two new Property Maintenance Community Development Inspectors this week as Keywane Woolford and Gabriel Ponce joined the team. Keywane was promoted to the position after previously serving in the Parking and Mobility Services Division of the Development Services Department. Gabriel, who is new to the organization, previously was a member of the Marine Corps and served two tours in Iraq. The Police Department also welcomed two new officers as John Campobasso and Roberto Martinez were sworn in Wednesday at Village Hall. John studied criminal justice at Harper College. Roberto served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from 2012-16 and double majored in Spanish and Biblical and Theological Studies at North Park University with a concentration in youth ministry. The officers will soon begin their training at the police academy.

At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration approved the 2024/2025 formulation of the COVID-19 vaccine, and manufacturers are working to create the supply for mass distribution. Click here for more information about this updated vaccine from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The 2024/2025 vaccine will likely be available from local health care providers and pharmacies in late September, and Oak Park public health officials recommend scheduling an appointment with your primary care provider and/or pediatrician for that time. Pharmacies will typically vaccinate anyone age 4 or older. Community members are encouraged to check with their local pharmacy for appointments. Anyone having trouble finding a vaccine or with questions regarding the new vaccine can reach out to the Public Health Department at health@oak-park.us or 708.358.5480.

Oak Park residents looking to install solar panels at their home are encouraged to consider Solar Switch Chicagoland, a program that provides homeowners with affordable solar panel and battery storage system installations through a group discount. By vetting and qualifying trusted installers and using a competitive bidding process, the program ensures consumer protection and saves the average consumer more than $4,000 on a standard-sized solar installation. Oak Park residents ready to make the switch to solar energy can sign up online at www.SolarSwitch.com/chicagoland before Sept. 10 to take advantage of the current Solar Switch winning offers. Solar Switch was featured in a Chicago Tribune article this week that includes comments from several Oak Park residents discussing how they benefitted from participating in the program – click here to read a PDF version of the article. 

Austin Boulevard sewer Improvements – Excavation work began at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Austin Boulevard earlier this week. The work includes filling two vaults and working with Chicago to cap an existing water main connection. Traffic control is set up around the site. The left turn lanes at the intersection will remain closed for the duration of this phase of the project, which the contractor expects to continue until at least next Thursday.

Water & sewer improvements – Roadway restoration on the 700 block of Linden Ave. is in progress and the contractor expects to reopen the roadway to residents early next week. The contractor is working to pour the concrete base over the utility trenches, and the new sidewalk, curb and driveway aprons are complete. Meanwhile, on the 900 block of South Blvd. crews started saw cutting and removing concrete this week.

Madison Street improvements – The contractor continues to install the underground conduits for the new street lighting and traffic signals on Madison Street. Patchwork was completed on Madison at the East Avenue and Wesley Avenue intersections. The electrical work will continue next week, followed by parkway cleanup and sidewalk replacement.

Pete’s Fresh Market update – Excavation and site grading is in progress for the new Pete’s Fresh Market on Madison Street. The earth retention system for the excavated area is expected to be installed late next week. Curb work for the west parking lot will also start next week.

Street resurfacing update – The contractor is working on pouring concrete in the first half of driveways on Garfield Street between Home Avenue and Harlem Avenue. The second half of driveways will be poured next week. Concrete removals are in progress for the remaining locations, and the contractor anticipates pouring back the curb next week. Visit www.oak-park.us/construction to view a map of 2024 capital improvement projects, which shows locations scheduled for street resurfacing this year.