Research and Planning Officer John Hummons was celebrated this week as he reached 40 years of service with the Police Department. John began working for the department in January 1986 and is currently the longest-serving Village employee. He has served as a patrol officer, a foot patrol officer, evidence technician and has been recognized for his meticulousness in collecting evidence that helped the department solve many crimes over the years. He currently serves in Research & Planning in the Police Department’s administrative division and is a valued member of the organization. Congratulations to John on 40 years (and counting!).

The Police Department celebrated the promotions of two new sergeants as Jessica Brimmer and Ian Miller were sworn into their new roles during a ceremony Monday in the Council Chambers at Village Hall. Sgt. Miller has been with the department since 2008. Sgt. Brimmer joined the department in 2013. Meanwhile, the Fire Department welcomed new Firefighter/Paramedic Brendan McManus during a swearing-in ceremony Friday in the Council Chambers at Village Hall. Brendan joins his brother, Colin McManus, as a member of the Fire Department.

The Renew the Avenue project to revitalize Oak Park Avenue through the Hemingway District is set to begin next week and continue until November. The first phase of this major capital improvement project involves replacing infrastructure that is more than 100 years old with new, state-of-the-art water and sewer pipes. Next Wednesday, Jan. 14 contractors are scheuled to begin installing construction signage and traffic control for the project. Construction work will begin the week of Jan. 19, weather permitting. Sewer main replacement will start on Oak Park Avenue from Randolph Street to Pleasant Street and from Lake Street to Ontario Street. Through traffic on Oak Park Avenue will be detoured to Ridgeland Avenue or Harlem Avenue from Madison Street to Chicago Avenue. Local traffic will be maintained on Oak Park Avenue outside of the Randolph to Pleasant and Lake to Ontario work zones, including east-west traffic on South Boulevard, North Boulevard and Lake Street. The Avenue Parking Garage will remain open and accessible during this work. All businesses will also remain accessible to pedestrians. Check out the project website at www.RenewtheAvenue.com for more information, to sign up for construction updates and for spotlights of businesses in the Hemingway Business District.

The Village is transitioning to a new alert system to notify residents when emergency situations occur. The new system, powered by Everbridge, requires community members to register for a new account to receive notifications at www.oak-park.us/notifyme. The registration process allows citizens to choose how they wish to be notified – by text, email and/or voice message. Registrants also can indicate the types of alerts they wish to receive and can add an address to receive geographically targeted alerts. Anyone who was enrolled in the previous emergency notification system will receive a message prompting them to set up a new account. The Village distributes messages only when deemed important, such as alerts about severe weather, snow emergency parking and mosquito spraying. The Everbridge Mass Notification platform is widely used for real-time emergency alerts. The platform is available to municipalities in Cook County at no cost through the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security’s contract with Everbridge, resulting in cost savings for the Village’s Public Health Department, which oversees emergency preparedness in Oak Park. For more information, email prepare@oak-park.us.

Residents are urged to move their cars from the streets when temporary no-parking signs go up to allow private contractors to prune parkway trees quickly and safely during the winter pruning cycle. A portion of the Village’s 18,000-plus parkway trees are scheduled to be pruned this winter. Crews will focus on trees located in the central section of Oak Park. Additionally, younger trees in the north section of Oak Park will also be pruned. Contractors and staff follow industry best management practices for tree pruning to address three key issues — tree health, resident safety and protecting property from damage. Residents may call 708.358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us with questions or concerns about the type or quality of work being performed by contractors. More information is available at www.oak-park.us/treepruning26.

New Oak Park residents are advised that all vehicles registered to an Oak Park address are required to have a current Village vehicle license. The standard annual rate for a Village vehicle license is $74, which covers the full licensing period beginning in July each year. For residents who recently moved to Oak Park, a prorated rate of $37 is available from January through July. This prorated amount applies only to new residents obtaining their first Village vehicle license. New residents who have moved into Oak Park within the past 30 days are encouraged to take advantage of this prorated rate and ensure their vehicle is compliant. After the 30-day window, late fees will apply. Vehicles that are not properly licensed are also subject to citations. Purchase a vehicle license online at www.oak-park.us/ParkingPortal. For more information about vehicle licenses, visit www.oak-park.us/vehiclelicense or contact the Parking and Mobility Services team at parking@oak-park.us or 708.358.7275.

Chief Sustainability Officer Lindsey Roland Nieratka, Village President Vicki Scaman and Trustee Derek Eder are joining other local and statewide climate leaders as speakers at Bringing Clean Energy Home to Oak Park, a free event taking place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26 at the Community Recreation Center, 229 Maidson St. Attendees will hear about how recent policies are accelerating the transition to clean energy in Oak Park and across Illinois and learn how their household can take positive steps toward fighting climate change. Click here for more information and to reserve a spot.

The Village is spreading the word about two new extended producer responsibility (EPR) recycling programs now available to all Illinois residents. Households and businesses throughout the state can now bring leftover paint, stain, sealers and varnish to more than 250 drop-off locations for recycling at no cost through the PaintCare Illinois program. This initiative makes it easier than ever to keep leftover paint out of landfills. Find a nearby drop-off site using the PaintCare Illinois locator. Similarly, the new Call2Recycle battery recycling program allows residents to search locations in Illinois where rechargeable, single-use, cell phone, medium format and damaged/defective batteries can be recycled. Click here to find a battery drop-off location. Information about these programs and other options for disposing of hazardous household waste is available on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/hazardouswaste.