Village President Vicki Scaman, Trustee Chibuike Enyia, Police Chief Shatonya Johnson, Deputy Fire Chief Bob Murphy, Village Attorney Greg Smith and HR Generalist Brittany LasCola were among the featured presenters at the Career Exploration Days at Brooks Middle School and Julian Middle School this week. The annual event allows sixth, seventh and eighth grade students to rotate through 30-minute sessions to learn about different professions. The representatives from the Village discussed their work through a municipal lens and answered thought-provoking questions about their respective fields. As part of its presentation, Murphy and the Fire Department brought students outside and allowed them to explore the fire engine up close, climb aboard, sit inside and, of course, sound the horn. They also got a firsthand look at the equipment firefighters use, from protective gear to tools like the Jaws of Life.

On Wednesday, Village Manager Kevin Jackson participated on a panel at the UIC Urban Forum with other local leaders called The Next Generation of Public Service. Hosted by the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, the event explored the current state of the public sector, its nuances and an ethical vision for a thriving future in public service. Click here to view a recording of the Village Manager’s session (begins at approximately 2:10).

The Village coordinated the delivery of 50 native trees to residents last Saturday to plant on private property as part of the Climate Ready Canopy program. Volunteers from OPRF High School and other Oak Parkers joined Village staff from the Office of Sustainability & Resilience and the Public Works Department’s Forestry Division in support of the plantings, one of which is a beautiful River Birch on the south lawn at Village Hall. The demand for trees was so great that a second set of 50 trees is scheduled to be delivered and planted next month.

The Village is partnering with the Alliance to End Homelessness Suburban Cook County to promote participation in the “Yes to the Address” initiative taking place on Friday, May 1 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Oak Park Public Library. The event is a targeted effort to connect property owners with individuals and families seeking stable housing in suburban Cook County. This initiative brings landlords together with housing providers, case managers and prospective tenants to help address housing instability and expand access to available units. “Yes to the Address” events are designed to streamline the leasing process by offering direct engagement opportunities, reducing common barriers and providing support to both landlords and tenants. Participating landlords benefit from access to rental assistance programs, tenant support services and ongoing case management – tools that help ensure successful tenancies and reduce risk. Landlords interested in participating or learning more are encouraged to visit the program website to review details and complete a registration form.

The Village hosted its first E.C.H.O. Exchange on Friday at George’s Family Restaurant. The E.C.H.O. Exchange initiative is designed to strengthen connections between residents and public safety teams. Throughout the remainder of the year, community members are invited to join the E.C.H.O. team alongside the Oak Park Fire and Police Departments at local coffee shops for informal conversations. These monthly events provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions, access resources and learn more about how E.C.H.O., Police and Fire work together to support community safety and well-being. The next E.C.H.O. Exchange event is set for May 22 at Wise Cup, 1018 Lake St.

The Village welcomed a nice turnout of community members for the second annual Arab American Heritage Month Celebration on Saturday in the Village Hall courtyard. The event – which was coordinated by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office with help from a volunteer event committee – featured music, dancing, delicious Middle Eastern food and more. Click here for a gallery of photos from the event.

Oak Park community members joined Village staff and the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce in celebrating Gyumon Japanese BBQ’s ribbon cutting this past week at 105 N. Marion St. Gyumon is an all-you-can-eat Japanese’s barbecue restaurant, where guests grill meats and vegetables right at their tables. After the celebration, some members stayed for lunch and listened to Chief Sustainability Officer Lindsey Nieratka discuss Village resources and sustainability initiatives.

Village staff and community members joined the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce in celebration of the Lake Theatre’s 90th anniversary. Over nine decades, the Lake Theatre has evolved alongside the film industry while maintaining its historic charm, continuing to draw audiences to Downtown Oak Park and serving as a reminder of the community’s long-standing commitment to the arts.

Village staff and community members gathered in celebration of EcoWilde opening its doors at 1046 Pleasant St. Known for its sustainable approach to florals and decor, EcoWilde specializes in custom arrangements, interior plant design and environmentally friendly practices such as composting and reusing materials. EcoWilde’s opening adds to Oak Park’s growing mix of locally owned, environmentally minded businesses while offering customers a fresh way to bring greenery and natural design into their homes and events.

Oak Park is home to six independently owned booksellers offering everything from bestsellers and graphic novels to used books and limited-edition printings:

• AfriWare Books, 137 N. Oak Park Ave.
• Dandelion Bookshop, 139 S. Oak Park Ave.
• Mission Curiosity Bookstore, 319 Madison St.
• One Stop Comics, 111 S. Ridgeland Ave.
• The Book Loft Oak Park, 1047 Lake St.
• The Looking Glass, 823 S. Oak Park Ave.

The Village has been highlighting each of these businesses on its Pick Oak Park Facebook and Instagram social media pages leading up to Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 25. Check out the posts to see what makes each business unique, and to meet the owners behind the store. For more information about Independent Bookstore Day, visit www.oak-park.us/bookstore26.

The Police Department welcomed four new Police Officers this week. Tyrin Bates, Austin Romero, Abigail Jones and Margarito Ramos (pictured above from left to right) were all sworn in during a ceremony Wednesday at Village Hall. Abigail earned a bachelor’s degree from North Park University and has been serving in the National Guard since 2020. Tyrin has an associate’s degree in arts and Austin is a former college football player from Chicago. Elsewhere, Yuchi Hill arrived as the new Account Clerk in the Development Services Department. Yuchi earned a physics degree from the University of Denver. The Office of Adjudication also welcomed Jose Ortega as a new Municipal Court Bailiff. Jose has 26 years of hospitality experience working with multiple hotels. He also previously worked as a security officer with Madden Mental Health Center and with the first district judicial appellate court.

The Fire Department is joining fire stations across the country next week by lighting its fire headquarters in red as part of the “Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters” event leading up to International Firefighters’ Weekend on May 2-3. More information about the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is available at www.firehero.org.

The Public Works Department is sending a postcard to every residential address notifying community members that Oak Park’s water system has sampled for unregulated contaminants. The notification fulfills a requirement set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of monitoring these contaminants is to help the EPA decide whether the contaminants should have a standard. The postcard includes a QR code that links to the results – click here to view the results.

The newest episode of the Village’s Inside Oak Park podcast takes a deep dive into all things Renew the Avenue. First, Village Engineer Bill McKenna and project manager Brian Racine discussed the infrastructure updates, construction timelines and more. Then, Oak Park Business Services Manager Noemy Diaz and Hemingway District Business Association President Moses Valdez hopped on to talk about ongoing support for the business community during the transformation. Click here to listen on Spotify or visit www.oak-park.us/podcast for more.

Renew the Avenue update – The electrical contractor for the Renew the Avenue project continues work installing the new underground electrical conduit and temporary light poles for the new streetlights on Oak Park Avenue from Lake Street to Ontario Street. Crews working on the north side of the project have completed the sewer services between North Boulevard and Lake Street and will begin installing new water main next week at North Boulevard heading towards Lake. One lane of eastbound traffic will be maintained on North Boulevard during the water main work. The south crew has completed the sewer services between Pleasant Street and South Boulevard and will begin installing new water main next week on South Boulevard. Through traffic may be detoured on South Boulevard west of Oak Park Avenue for short durations when access is limited due to excavation limits in the roadway. AT&T remains onsite for the next few weeks installing new utility vaults on Oak Park Avenue as part of its infrastructure upgrades. Union Pacific Railroad crews will be onsite next week repairing steel girder sections on the bridge that have been damaged over the years from vehicle strikes.

RRFB installations – The contractor finalized installing the foundation for the rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFBs) and bike buttons this week. Crews will begin installing the underground conduit next week.

Alley improvement project – Sewer improvements were completed in the alley between the 300 blocks of S. Lombard Ave. and S. Taylor Ave. Sewer construction began in the alley between the 200 blocks of S. East Ave. and Wesley Ave. this week. Earth excavation and pavement removal was completed in the alley between the 300 blocks of N. Humphrey Ave. and N. Austin Blvd., and new concrete pavement is expected to be installed next week. Concrete removals are expected to be completed on Monday in the alley between the 300 blocks of S. Taylor Ave. and S. Lombard Ave.

Bridge repair project – The contractor for bridge repairs over the I-290 expressway expects to complete the asphalt patches at the Oak Park Avenue and Lombard Avenue bridge approaches next week. Traffic flow will be maintained in both directions with flaggers.

Oak Park tenants and building owners are invited to a workshop highlighting how they can work together to reach energy efficiency goals. The Shared Momentum workshop will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7 at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. Buildings that go beyond traditional energy efficiency measures and incorporate water or waste reduction opportunities can boost the building’s value to tenants, lower operating costs and prepare for greater building resilience. This workshop will focus on transforming opportunities to wins, creating clear next steps for both building owners and tenants to follow. Find more information and register to attend at www.oak-park.us/SharedMomentum.

Save the date for the Village’s next electronic recycling drop-off event on Saturday, May 9 at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd. Due to strict regulations on collecting and processing these materials, residents are required to register for a time slot between 9 a.m. and noon and identify their electronic waste items in advance. Click here to sign up for a time slot. There is a limit of seven items per household, and within that there is a limit of two televisions and/or computer monitors. The recycling drop-off event is for Oak Park residents only and is particularly intended for residents in large multifamily buildings. Residents in single-family homes and buildings with up to five units served by the Village’s waste hauling contract can also schedule an E-Waste Pickup from their home by filling out the form at www.lrsrecycles.com/oakpark. More information about the electronic recycling event is at www.oak-park.us/e-waste0526.

The Village is encouraging residents looking to install solar panels at their home to consider the Switch Together program, which provides homeowners with affordable solar panel and battery system installations through a group buying initiative. The program is supported by the Village and nonprofits Midwest Renewable Energy Association and Citizens Utility Board. A recent auction resulted in a 22% discount on the average size system. This translates to an average savings of $6,358. It's free to register and there's no obligation to purchase. Visit www.SwitchTogether.com/solar/oakpark to learn more or register today to immediately receive a personal solar recommendation. 

The annual Good Life Race will bring street closures along the 5K run/walk route in north central Oak Park from about 8 to 11 a.m. this Sunday, April 26. Several streets will be closed and traffic flow on others will be restricted. Drivers should expect they will not be able to cross the racecourse during the event. Please observe all no parking signs and give yourself extra time to maneuver around the racecourse. Click here to view the race route.

The City Nature Challenge is back from April 24–27. The Village’s Office of Sustainability & Resilience is encouraging community members to help the Chicagoland region compete globally by documenting the plants and wildlife in our community. The City Nature Challenge is a global bioblitz that strives to document as many wild species as possible. You don’t need to be an expert – just grab your smartphone and start exploring your backyard or local park. Participating is easy:

1. Download the free iNaturalist app.
2. Take photos of wild plants, animals or fungi between April 24–27.
3. Upload them to be counted toward the Chicagoland regional total!

ComEd’s newest affordability initiative, the Low Income Discount (LID) program, launched earlier this year to provide income-based percentage discounts on monthly electric bills. Approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission in 2024, LID is designed to help ComEd customers keep their electricity costs within 3–6% of household income to help income-eligible customers manage their energy bills. Anyone approved for LIHEAP since October 2024 is automatically enrolled. Those who do not meet the eligibility requirements for LIHEAP but have incomes between 201% and 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, can qualify to receive LID. For more information about the program, visit www.comed.com/LID.