In partnership with several mental health service providers in the region, Village staff members Vanessa Matheny, Chelly Richards and Sara Semelka assisted in hosting more than 160 participants Sept. 19 in Oak Brook for a regional suicide prevention summit, entitled “Healing Together: Mental Health, Community, and Connection.”

The day of learning, collaboration and action featured keynote speakers Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, Chief Behavioral Health Officer of the state of Illinois and Illinois State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe from IL-19. The event was designed to build cross-sector collaboration, center diverse voices and lived experience, promote evidence-based practices and innovation, foster community resilience and connection, and encourage action and accountability in addressing suicide prevention. Breakout sessions included topics such as the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ youth, addressing suicide prevention in faith communities, grief informed care and crisis intervention tools. Click here for more information about the summit, including suicide prevention resources located near the bottom of the page.

The Village remains committed to advancing community well-being and addressing mental health needs through collaborative initiatives such as this summit. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or considering suicide, help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Village staff representing a variety of departments, including Public Health, Neighborhood Services, Sustainability & Resilience, the Fire Department, the Village Clerk's Office and several elected officials, took part in Oak Park and River Forest High School's Civics Service Learning Fair on Sept. 18. The goal of this biannual event is to connect local youth with meaningful service opportunities, including those within municipal government. It also provides a way for Village staff to have one-on-one conversations with students about the role of local government, the services government provides, the importance of voting and civic engagement.

Community Services Administrator Vanessa Matheny presented to the Adult Education Committee at First United Church of Oak Park on Sunday. The presentation highlighted key Village initiatives and services, including E.C.H.O. (Engaging Communities for Healthy Outcomes), ongoing efforts to support unhoused residents, and the Make Real Change campaign. This engagement provided an opportunity to share information, answer questions and strengthen partnerships with the faith community in addressing important service needs in Oak Park.

Development Services and Economic Vitality staff joined the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce for the official ribbon cutting at Breakfast House last week in Downtown Oak Park. Located at 138 N. Marion, Breakfast House has fresh-made meals with a signature flair. Local business owners and Village staff came together to celebrate the popular Chicago-based restaurant’s first suburban location. Owner Jaime Lara was joined by his team as they shared their excitement about joining the Oak Park community.  

Oak Park has welcomed 80 new businesses that have opened their doors in the community so far this year. From cozy cafes to unique boutiques to tasty new restaurants, these businesses are helping the community thrive. These new businesses include The Book Loft, a family-owned bookstore that recently opened at 1047 Lake St., and Wing Snob, a new wing restaurant that opened at 7115 North Ave. When community members shop local, they’re not just making a purchase, but also investing in their neighbors. Check out the list of new businesses in the community on the Pick Oak Park website.

The Public Health Department is recognizing Chris Simpkins after he successfully passed the Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner (LEHP) exam. This nationally recognized credential demonstrates advanced knowledge and competency across all areas of environmental and public health, including food safety, water quality, housing, vector control and epidemiology.

The Public Works Department welcomed Dwayne Ellis as a new Equipment Operator in the Streets Division this week. Dwayne has experience in construction and plumbing. He also has a certificate in low-voltage electronics installation and completed a Cybersecurity Engineer Bootcamp and earned CompTIA Security+ certification.

The Village is committed to transparency and ensuring all residents have accurate information about public safety. To that end, the Village is clarifying that a public forum being organized and promoted for Oct. 3 has been organized by members of Oak Park Firefighters Local 95 and is not sponsored by the Village of Oak Park or the Oak Park Fire Department. The study planned for discussion at that event was commissioned by Local 95, the labor union representing firefighter/paramedics employed in Oak Park. To help guide decisions about the future of fire services, the Village authorized its own independent study conducted by Baker Tilly. That report is available here: Read the Baker Tilly report. The Village Board anticipates receiving an overview of that study and holding a discussion of its findings and recommendations on Oct. 14. All community members are encouraged to review the Village’s study and stay engaged as we work together to ensure Oak Park remains safe and strong.

Celebrate the changing seasons this weekend at Oaktoberfest in Downtown Oak Park. Enjoy an exciting live music lineup, delicious food from local restaurants, specialty craft beers and kids’ activities until 10 p.m. today (Sept. 26) and from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27. Organizers say this year’s event will be more sustainable than ever. The Village is helping the effort by sponsoring refillable water stations, allowing guests to bring their own reusable bottles to take advantage of complimentary water refill stations, reducing the need for single-use plastic bottles. Click here to read about all the new sustainability initiatives. Click here for a map of street and parking lot closures related to the event.

Oak Park’s charming Pleasant District will host the final First Friday special event of the year from 5 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 3 along Marion Street between Pleasant Street and Randolph Street. Enjoy an evening of live music, local vendors, family fun and late-night shopping as we say goodbye to summer in style. Grab a bite, sip something seasonal and soak in the community vibes. First Fridays is hosted by the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce with support from the Village. More information is at www.firstfridaysoakpark.org.

The CTA’s Austin Green Line station will be temporarily closed from 4:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 through 2:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29 as part of an ongoing project to make the station 100% accessible. Green Line trains will bypass the Austin station during the closure, and a shuttle train will operate between the Harlem/Lake and Laramie stations. A free shuttle bus will also operate between the Austin and Laramie stations. Click here for more information.

Water and sewer improvements – On Forest Avenue, full depth pavement excavation is underway. Both the 900 and 1000 blocks of Forest Ave. will be fully excavated by the end of the week. The contractor will then begin preparing the base by placing stone and geotextile fabric. The first layer of asphalt is anticipated to be placed late next week. On Columbian Avenue, the final layer of asphalt was placed last week. The contractor spent this week cleaning up the Columbian site in preparation for landscaping. The landscaper will be onsite to restore the parkway areas disturbed during construction. On Iowa Street, all concrete removals are complete. The contractor will be back early next week to pour the remaining curb and sidewalk locations. One side of the sidewalk was backfilled with stone to allow for pedestrian access.

Street resurfacing – The existing asphalt surface was milled on Scoville Avenue, Linden Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue this week. Thomas Street is scheduled to be milled next Tuesday. Patching of the existing roadway base will begin on Tuesday as well, with new asphalt to follow. Curb installations on Belleforte Avenue and Ontario Street are expected to finish early next week. Preparation at the Marion Street cul-de-sac is expected next week in anticipation of a new bike cut-through. Sidewalk and curb repairs at Harlem Avenue and Lake Street are expected to start Oct. 6.

Bike boulevards – The contractor will be in town over the next week to wrap up pavement markings along bike boulevards. The installation of signs along the bike boulevards is tentatively scheduled to start early next week.

Bridge repairs – The contractor is finishing up work on the Lombard Avenue bridge this week. The bridge will be fully reopened at the end of the workday today (Sept. 26). Work on the Oak Park Avenue bridge is planned to start on Wednesday, Oct. 1 and is expected to take two weeks to be completed. The work includes joint repairs and replacement. Deck, sidewalk and curb repairs are also planned. There is no expected traffic detour or road closure planned for Oak Park Avenue. One side of the sidewalk will always be accessible for pedestrians. The CTA station will always remain open as well, though at times, pedestrians will need to use the other side of the sidewalk and cross at Harrison Street or Garfield Stret to access the station during repairs adjacent to the entrance. The Oak Park Avenue bridge is the last bridge to receive these planned repairs this year.

ComEd fiber installation – ComEd continues to progress on the installation of a fiber optic cable on Randolph Street between Oak Park Avenue and Chestnut Lane. Crews have completed the first three blocks and are now working between Kenilworth Avenue and Grove Avenue. The project will continue to move east with each block taking around three to four days to complete. Once the cable installation is complete the roadway will be resurfaced. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.

Sidewalk improvements – The sidewalk contractor completed all replacements and angle cuts on Thursday. The contractor is continuing to restore grass landscaping and clean up the work sites.