With construction work set to begin next week on Oak Park Avenue, the Renew the Avenue project team met with businesses in the Hemingway Business District on Wednesday at the Oak Park Township's Senior Services office to share information and answer questions about the major capital improvement project that will continue until November. The first phase of the project involves replacing infrastructure that is more than 100 years old with new, state-of-the-art water and sewer pipes. Oak Park Avenue will be closed from Randolph Street to Pleasant Street and from Lake Street to Ontario Street starting next Wednesday, weather permitting, as the sewer replacement work begins. 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. Construction signs and traffic control barriers arrived this week ahead of the start of underground work and will be moved into place next week as pavement saw cutting begins. Visit www.RenewtheAvenue.com for the latest information about the project and to sign up for construction updates.

Oak Park has been recognized by CDP, a global environmental non-profit, for its leadership in transparency and action, securing a place on CDP’s respected annual ‘A’ List. CDP operates the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system, with more than 1,000 cities, states and regions reporting environmental data through CDP in 2025. Achieving an ‘A’ places Oak Park among the leaders demonstrating comprehensive disclosure, mature environmental governance and meaningful progress towards environmental resilience. To achieve an A score, a city must meet a series of robust leadership criteria. Oak Park is the only municipality in Illinois named to the list for 2025. Click here to view CDP’s full Cities, States and Regions A List. For more information about the achievement, visit www.oak-park.us/CDP25.

The Office of Sustainability & Resilience is rolling out the Climate Ready Canopy program, a new initiative designed to expand Oak Park's vital tree canopy by supporting new tree plantings on private properties. Through this program, the Village is providing residents and other groups with free native trees to help make Oak Park cooler, greener and more resilient for generations to come while furthering the comprehensive Climate Ready Oak Park Plan. The current Climate Ready Canopy pilot program focuses on planting larger, 10-gallon native trees in areas where they can provide the greatest climate benefit. The selected priority neighborhoods in Northeast and South Oak Park have been identified based on the Village’s vulnerability assessment, which shows that these areas have limited existing tree canopy coverage and are more vulnerable to the impacts of extreme heat and localized flooding. Find more information about the program and links to apply at www.oak-park.us/canopy.

The Village this week welcomed the arrival of Kevin Bueso as the organization’s new Chief Financial Officer. A seasoned public-sector finance leader with more than 15 years of experience, Kevin will oversee the Village’s financial operations, long-term fiscal planning, budgeting and financial policy development. Kevin arrives in Oak Park after most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Deputy Executive Director of Finance, Innovation and Technology for the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Prior to his tenure at the RTA, he served in a similar capacity as Chief Financial Officer for McHenry County, where he oversaw all financial operations for a countywide organization with an annual budget exceeding $250 million. Click here to read more about Kevin’s background.

Firefighter/Paramedic Collin Duggan graduated from paramedic school on Jan. 9. Collin, who joined the Fire Department earlier this month, passed his license test and was certified as a paramedic by the Illinois Department of Public Health prior to his graduation, reflecting his hard work and above-average paramedic skill, knowledge and abilities.

Village Hall will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Should an incident that doesn't quite rise to the level of a 911 call occur when Village Hall is closed, call the Police non-emergency number 708.386.3800 for assistance. Regular Village Hall hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More information about Village Hall is posted online.

Join the Oak Park Area Arts Council and the Oak Park Art League for the closing exhibition for their “Of the Moment” Photography Contest. This free event will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30 at the Oak Park Art League, 720 Chicago Ave. Enjoy free bites and wine while taking in the selected contest finalists. The exhibit will mark the final chance to vote for the winners of three different categories. Can’t make it to the closing exhibit? Don’t miss out on your chance to vote for the winners. Stop by the main branch of the Oak Park Public Library any time before Jan. 29 to view the contest finalists and participate in voting.