The Village of Oak Park and the Village President and Board of Trustees are mourning the passing of Faith Julian, beloved daughter of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian and Dr. Anna Roselle Julian and cherished member of our community for 75 years. Faith Julian passed away last night at age 82. She was not only a steward of a celebrated name in Oak Park, but she was also a living witness to history, a keeper of her family's extraordinary legacy and a woman of remarkable resilience and grace. Read more at www.oak-park.us/faith.

West Suburban Medical Center’s announcement Wednesday that it is suspending patient care operations led to the involvement of multiple Village departments in monitoring the situation and remaining in communication with the hospital’s leadership and the Illinois Department of Public Health. As of today, one patient remains at West Suburban, down from approximately 70 earlier this week, most of whom have been transferred to other healthcare facilities. Village staff will do a final walk through once all patients are transferred out of West Suburban. Any residents requiring emergency medical care should continue to call 911. Oak Park emergency services remain fully operational. Click here for a statement issued by the Village regarding West Suburban Medical Center.

The Village Clerk’s Office is not only bringing back the Oak Park Neighborhood Clean-Up for 2026, but the program is expanding. Building on the one-day success of previous years, this community-driven initiative is expanding and inviting residents, families and local groups to come together to help keep Oak Park clean, vibrant and welcoming. Clean-up events will take place on the first Saturday of each month from April 4 through October, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, in different Oak Park neighborhoods each time. Volunteers who participate will receive a complimentary t-shirt as a token of appreciation for their service. To learn more or to sign up to volunteer, visit www.oak-park.us/cleanup26.

The Village is once again partnering with Wild Ones of West Cook to subsidize the purchase of native plants through the West Cook Native Plant Sale. Oak Park residents can get a $20 discount on orders of $40 or more. Enter the discount code OPPLANTS26 at time of purchase. Online ordering is open now through May 15, or until supplies last. Orders can be picked up June 4-6 at the Forest Preserves of Cook County Miller Meadow location in Maywood. Click here for more information and to purchase plants. Officials say native plants support pollinators and wildlife, help absorb stormwater, reduce water and pesticide use, and improve Oak Park’s natural beauty. The initiative is tied to the Village’s participation in the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, which includes a commitment to create habitat for monarch butterflies in the community. This also aligns with the Climate Ready Oak Park commitment to establish 30% of Oak Park’s land as native species and green infrastructure and the ongoing Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure Plan.

The Police Department welcomed a new Patrol Officer as Abdul Muhammad was sworn in Monday during a ceremony in Council Chambers. Abdul comes to Oak Park after spending the past 12 years as a member of the City of Harvey Police Department.

The Village is spreading the word that it is seeking applicants for the position of firefighter/paramedic with the Oak Park Fire Department. The starting salary is $80,943 with a paramedic stipend, and the position includes a range of competitive benefits. Find more information about the position, job requirements and hiring process at www.oak-park.us/firejobs.

Episode 2 of the Village’s Inside Oak Park podcast is now available on Spotify. Hear from John Melaniphy, Assistant Village Manager of Economic Vitality, and Economic Vitality Administrators Michael Mertes and Nicole Nodi as they discuss how the Village’s new Office of Economic Vitality is working to make Oak Park one of the most attractive and supportive places in the region to open, grow and sustain a business. For more info about the Inside Oak Park podcast, visit www.oak-park.us/podcast.

Village President Vicki Scaman has been appointed to the ICLEI USA Board of Directors, joining a distinguished group of local government leaders from across the country committed to advancing sustainability and climate action. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI USA) is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments established in 1991. As a member of the ICLEI USA Board, Scaman will help guide the organization's strategic direction and advocacy on behalf of member communities throughout the United States. Click here for more information.

The Village will host its third annual Holi Celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 on the south lawn at Village Hall. The entire community is invited to participate in the event, which will feature music, dancing, food for purchase and the throwing of brightly colored powders. Find more information about the event at www.oak-park.us/Holi26.

The Hemingway District is working with Village officials to plan a special block party along Oak Park Avenue to celebrate the kickoff of construction for the Renew the Avenue project within the business district. The construction-themed bash for the entire family takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. rain or shine on Saturday, April 11 along Oak Park Avenue from Lake Street to Pleasant Street. Be sure to save the date for this community celebration filled with games, food, deals and surprises from Lake Street to Pleasant Street. For the latest event information, visit the Hemingway District website.

Renew the Avenue update – Water and sewer services will be completed along Oak Park Avenue this week between Lake Street and Ontario Street. Next up is the new lighting conduit and foundations on this block. The north water and sewer crew will move one block south on Oak Park Avenue between North Boulevard and Lake to begin sewer main installation next week. To the south, the sewer crew will be finishing the sewer services between Randolph Street and Pleasant Street this week and move into the intersection of Pleasant and Oak Park next week to install two new manholes and new sewer main. East-west traffic on Pleasant will be detoured during work hours while the work in the intersection is performed. Once the work in the Pleasant intersection is complete, the crew will move north to the block between Pleasant and South Boulevard. Private utilities (AT&T & Nicor) will continue installation of their infrastructure upgrades within the project limits, with Nicor completing its gas main and service upgrades next week. Visit www.renewtheavenue.com for more information and local access maps on how to navigate the new traffic patterns to visit and park in the Hemingway District.

Sewer televising update – The sewer televising contractor completed its work this week. In all, the contractor televised 35 locations and about 34,000 total feet of pipe throughout the Village.

Traffic signal improvements – The contractor is expected to finalize the traffic signal timing this week at the intersection of Oak Park Avenue and Garfield Street. Restoration work is still pending as the contractor navigates the weather and availability of materials.

RRFB installations underway – Lyons Electric Company began preliminary work installing rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFBs) this week. A total of 40 RRFBs and 18 bike buttons will be installed at 11 intersections in town. This work will be completed in stages, beginning next week with installing the foundation at each location, followed by the conduit for the bike buttons at each location and so on until each unit is fully installed. As a result, residents can expect to see intermittent work at each location. The RRFBs are expected to be fully installed and operating by the end of June.

Alley improvement project – Galaxy, the underground contractor for this year’s alley improvement project, will begin saw-cutting alleys for storm sewer installations on Monday. Excavation is expected to begin at the alley between the 900 blocks of Hayes Avenue and N. Taylor Avenue on Wednesday. Effected residents have received parking passes for alternative parking during the project.

Manhole inspection project – The Village’s program for assessing manhole conditions will commence next week. Crews will be working on inspecting manholes on local streets in the southwest part of town. Minor traffic delays and partial lane closures are anticipated while work is in progress.