Oak Park and other Suburban Cook County voters can cast an early ballot for the 2024 Presidential Election seven days a week starting Mon., Oct. 21 through Mon., Nov. 4 at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Voting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays (Oct. 27 and Nov. 3). Voters are asked to enter Village Hall via the courtyard entrance on Madison Street. A wide range of information about early voting, including grace-period registration and transportation for residents age 60 and older, is posted on the Village website.

Oak Park voters are advised that community members filed a petition with the Village earlier this year to place a binding referendum on the Nov. 5, 2024 general election ballot asking voters whether to implement a version of ranked choice voting for certain Village elected officials. If the referendum is approved by voters, a new election process could possibly be implemented beginning with the April 2027 consolidated election. Answers to frequently asked questions related to the referendum are available on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/RCV. The Village is sharing information about the referendum through via its social media channels and weekly e-newsletter.

Join the Village for a discussion about policies, programming and strategies designed to prevent homelessness for individuals and families. The forum will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wed., Oct. 23 in the Veterans Room at the Oak Park Public Library. More information, including the list of panelists, is at www.oak-park.us/forum.

Community members are invited to share feedback about short-term, medium-term and long-term bicycle network recommendations at the Village's Oak Park Bike Plan Update Open House from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 24 in in the Veterans Room on the second floor at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. The open house is part of the Village's planning process to develop the Oak Park Bike Plan 2024 update. More information is at www.engageoakpark.com/bike-plan.

Development Services Director Emily Egan and Assistant Director and Economic Vitality Administrator Cameron Davis recently delivered a C-FIP grant check to Bead in Hand building owner Mark Finger and Bead in Hand representative Laurel Wolff. New windows and a door were recently installed at this local business with the assistance of the Village’s C-FIP grant program, which assists local commercial business or property owners with improvements like new signage, awnings, lighting, windows, doors and tuckpointing. For more information about the Village’s grant program, please contact 708.358.5421 or cdavis@oak-park.us.

The Village has completed the permitting process and is ready to move forward with the installation of a new plymovent vehicle exhaust extraction system for all three fire stations. The project was made possible thanks to more than $117,000 in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of an Assistance to Firefighters Grant that the Village received earlier this year.

More than 400 community members visited the main fire station on Oct. 12 for the Fire Department’s annual open house. During the event Oak Parkers of all ages were able to get up close to the Fire Department’s equipment and talk to the firefighter/paramedics who keep the community safe. A total of 21 people also donated blood as part of a blood drive held in conjunction with the open house, including 13 first-time donors. Officials say the blood collected could help save more than 60 lives.

The Public Health Department is continuing its series of free trainings for anyone interested in learning more about opioid overdose and how to administer Narcan. The next training is set for 1 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 611 Randolph St. This training lasts about two hours, and participants receive Narcan to take home. Click here to register for the training. For more information about opioid overdose prevention in Oak Park, including a map showing where free Narcan is available, visit www.oak-park.us/overdoseprevention.

The Development Services Department worked with the Office of Communications and Engagement to send the October edition of the Pick Oak Park Report on Economic Vitality. The monthly e-newsletter launched in July as a way to more readily share important economic vitality information with the community. To sign-up to receive this and other e-newsletters from the Village, visit www.oak-park.us/signup.

The Park District of Oak Park's annual Frank Lloyd Wright Races will bring street closures along the route from about 7 to 10:30 a.m. this Sun., Oct. 20. Several streets will be closed and traffic flow on others will be restricted to one way. Click here to view a map of the race route. Please observe all no parking signs and give yourself extra time to maneuver around the race course. More information about the event is posted at www.flwraces.com. Motorists who find themselves stuck within the race route are asked to navigate to the intersections of Chicago Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue or Chicago and Oak Park Avenue where Oak Park Police officers will be stationed to provide assistance.

The Oak Park Arts District is hosting its annual Harvest on Harrison event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 26. Activities will include an artist vendor fair, costume contest and trick-or-treating at businesses in the Arts District along Harrison Street from Austin Boulevard to Ridgeland Avenue. The Fall Family Fun event, coordinated by the Hemingway Business District Oak Park and the Collaboration for Early Childhood, is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 26. The event will include a costume parade, early childhood resource fair and treats on the avenue. Last but not least, grownups can check out the Downtown Oak Park Business Alliance’s Chills and Thrills on Tues., Oct. 22. The event features a Halloween Happy Hour at Beer Shop from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by a free showing of "Nightmare on Elm Street" at the Lake Theater at 7 p.m.

The national chain Wing Snob is planning to open an Oak Park location at 7115 W. North Avenue. This growing restaurant chain offers chicken wings, tenders, sandwiches and comfort-food based sides. Look for more information to come on this future addition to Oak Park’s North Avenue business corridor.

Water & sewer improvements – The contractor spent the week on South Boulevard excavating the trench to begin patching the roadway. The main line trench will be filled with concrete by the end of the week. Once the patching operations are complete, the contractor will place the first lift of asphalt and begin parkway restoration.

Madison Street improvements – The contractor placed the first lift of asphalt on Madison Street between Oak Park Avenue and East Avenue, and the existing pavement was removed at the intersection of Wesley Avenue and Madison to prepare for the raised intersection. The contractor will complete the raised intersection in two phases. The first phase will begin this week and shift traffic to the south side of the street while the north side is closed and under construction.

Street resurfacing project – The final lift of asphalt is on target to be placed on all street resurfacing locations by the end of the week. Pavement striping and parkway restoration will begin 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.

Pavement preservation project – The contractor spent the week patching and crack filling areas on Harrison Street and Jackson Boulevard. No Parking signs are posted in the affected areas. Micro surfacing and rejuvenation work will begin on other planned streets following the completion of work on Harrison and Jackson. The 2024 capital improvement map at www.oak-park.us/construction displays locations scheduled for pavement preservation work this year.