The Village began sharing a video this week featuring Police Chief Shatonya Johnson and Fire Chief J.T. Terry discussing how their respective departments are working with the E.C.H.O. team to reimagine public safety in Oak Park by integrating compassionate care with traditional response. The video highlights the work of E.C.H.O. Care Coordinators, who meet residents with a steady presence that walks alongside them toward a long-term solution. This approach ensures that those in need are not just assisted in the moment, but also connected to resources that create lasting stability. Click here to watch the video, which is posted on the Village’s YouTube page and being shared across its other communications channels. For more information about E.C.H.O. – Engaging Community for Healthy Outcomes, visit www.oak-park.us/ECHO.

The Village’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and legal aid nonprofit CARPLS are hosting a series of three workshops packed with important information for tenants renting homes and apartments in Oak Park. The first session on Aug. 27 will focus on how to use the Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO) for lease compliance. The series continues with workshops on how to use the RTLO for code compliance on Sept. 24 and how to obtain legal services on Oct. 22. All three sessions will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 101 at Village Hall. Registration is free but space is limited. Find the link to register and more information about the workshops at www.oak-park.us/tenantworkshops25.

Calling all bakers! The Oak Park Farmers' Market Pie Bake-Off is taking place Saturday, Sept. 6, and applications are now being accepted. Create a delicious pie featuring Market ingredients and see if you can impress this year’s judges. The registration form and more details about the contest can be found at www.oak-park.us/piebakeoff. Accepted applicants will be contacted on or before Aug. 29. If you're more of a critic than a pastry chef, apply to be a judge by sending an email to farmersmarket@oak-park.us and sharing – in two paragraphs or less – your passion and qualifications to be a Bake-Off judge. Contest winners receive a small trophy and bragging rights, and the bakers with the top three scores will have their recipes shared with the community. 

Save the date for the Climate Ready Oak Park Progress Report and Community Conversation on Thursday, Sept. 4 in the Veterans Room at the Oak Park Public Library. Following a brief progress report from Chief Sustainability Officer Lindsey Roland-Nieratka, community members and groups will have an opportunity to converse, listen and share their priorities for the next few years. Light refreshments will be served. The event is coordinated by the Village’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience along with community partners. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the presentation and discussion to take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Click here to register.

Now in its sixth year, Tour de Proviso is set to roll through Oak Park on Saturday, Oct. 4. Co-hosted in 2025 by the Village of Oak Park, the Village of Forest Park and the Village of River Forest, this free annual event is organized in partnership with Best of Proviso Township as it helps promote health and wellness throughout Proviso Township and its neighboring villages. This year’s event begins and ends at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. All riders will receive a 2025 Tour de Proviso t-shirt and participation medal. Learn more and register to participate in this free community event by visiting www.oak-park.us/tdp25. Registration must be completed by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 14 to receive a T-shirt and medal.

Oak Parkers will be able to safely dispose of sensitive documents and foam products with the No. 6 symbol at a free paper shredding and foam recycling event scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Public Works Center. Residents can drop off foam products with the No. 6 symbol, which are not accepted as part of the Village's single-stream recycling program. Please collect foam products in a clear, translucent bag. For paper shredding, each household can bring two bags or small boxes of paper items with personal information such as canceled checks and documents containing credit card numbers, social security numbers and medical information. Click here for more information.

The Police Department celebrated a promotion this week as Yesenia Carrasco moved into the role of Court Liaison. She previously served as a Police Records Clerk after arriving at the Village in 2023. Yesenia has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and prior work experience as a records aide for the Hanover Park Police Department.

Repairs on the East Avenue bridge over I-290 are planned to begin the week of Aug. 25, weather permitting. The work is expected to take about two weeks and will include patching the bridge deck and repairing curbs and sidewalks. During the first week, the southbound lane over the bridge will be closed and traffic will be detoured to Ridgeland Avenue. The following week, all lanes will be open, and no traffic will be detoured. Northbound traffic and pedestrian access on at least one side of the street will remain open throughout the project. Repairs on the Oak Park Avenue and Lombard Avenue bridges over I-290 are also upcoming following the completion of the East Avenue work.

Water and Sewer Improvements – Water service installation is in progress on the 900 block of Forest Ave. All services on the public side will be completed this week, with private water service replacements and roadway excavation to follow next week. On Columbian Avenue, concrete curb, sidewalk and driveway removals and replacements began this week in various locations where needed. Concrete work is anticipated to continue into next week.

Bike boulevards update – The remainder of the work on Scoville Avenue is wrapping up this week. This includes the installation of green MMA bike markings, thermoplastic striping and polyurea bike “Blvd” symbols. The next phase of the project is tentatively expected to start Aug. 25 as crews will continue to build the bike boulevard network throughout the Village.

Resurfacing project – Resurfacing work is on a pause as the project's MWRD permit is pending. Site layout and saw-cutting will continue, but removals will not move forward until the permit is approved.