The E.C.H.O. team, along with representatives from the Police and Health Departments, recently hosted the third E.C.H.O. Exchange at the Onion Roll. The event provided a welcoming opportunity for residents to connect with Village staff, ask questions, learn about available services and programs and discuss community needs and concerns. The next E.C.H.O. Exchange will take place on July 24 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Whirlwind Coffee. Residents are invited to stop by, enjoy a cup of coffee and learn more about the services available in our community.

The Police Department’s Residential Beat Officers are hosting a series of virtual neighborhood meetings next week. RBOs plan to discuss crime statistics, crime prevention tips and more while getting feedback from residents on neighborhood issues. The meeting for zones 1-3 will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 29. The meeting for zones 1-3 will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30. Find your zone and the link to join the meeting at www.oak-park.us/rbo.

Village Clerk Christina M. Waters is once again hosting the Junior Deputy Clerk summer program, a free youth educational and civic engagement initiative designed to connect young Oak Park residents with their local government. The program will be held on Thursdays — July 9, July 16, July 23, and Aug. 20 — from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Village Hall. Click here for more information and to register.

The Office of Economic Vitality is excited to announce that the new Barnes & Noble bookstore is set to open in Oak Park on Wednesday, July 1, when a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at the new location, 1144 Lake St.. Located in the historic Marshall Field’s building, the new Barnes & Noble will offer nearly 24,000 square feet of books, gifts, games, a stunning Barnes & Noble café and more. Local author Mia P. Manasala, author of the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries, will be on hand to cut the ribbon and sign copies of the final novel in her series, Death and Dinuguan. The Cat in the Hat will join the festivities for photos, high-fives and hugs. Click here for more information.

The Village’s Office of Economic Vitality and Triton College’s School of Continuing Education Center for Business & Professional Development have announced the launch of the Oak Park Workforce Academy, an initiative that provides workforce-development support directly to Oak Park businesses. The series will span four consecutive weeks from July 14 – Aug. 4. Sessions will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Village’s Office of Economic Vitality, 1010 Lake St., Suite 100. For more information, and to register, please visit oak-park.us/workforce.

The Office of Communications and Engagement unveiled a refreshed webpage for the Office of Economic Vitality this week. Check it out at www.oak-park.us/vitality. The update highlights Oak Park's appeal to businesses and investors, strong sales growth, excellent transit connections, local attractions and more. The page also provides resources including links to local business associations, government economic development agencies and real estate information. Additional updates are coming soon. The communications team also worked with the Police Department and DEI Office to publish a new page designed to educate people on hate crimes and bias-based incidents. The page is intended to help explain the difference between hate crimes and bias-based incidents, how to report them and point to additional resources available in the community. Click here to view the new page.

The Village invites residents to attend an upcoming open house public information meeting to learn more about the bridge replacement alternatives being studied for Home Avenue Bridge and provide feedback on the future of this important connection. During the open house, attendees will be able to review project information, learn about the purpose and need of the project, view bridge alternative designs and talk with project team members. Community members will also have the opportunity to share input on topics such as walking and biking access, accessibility, bridge approaches and ramps and overall comfort and safety. The open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8 at the Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield St. For more information about the project, please visit www.engageoakpark.com/homeavebridge.

The Oak Park Health Department has confirmed the first mosquito batches to test positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in the community this year. The WNV‑positive mosquito pools were collected in south Oak Park on June 10. With the first detections of the season, health officials are reminding residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites and reduce the risk of illness. For more information on West Nile virus prevention and surveillance, contact the Oak Park Health Department at healthinspector@oak-park.us or visit www.oak-park.us/fightthebite.

Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Night from 5 to 9 p.m. this Friday, June 26 in Downtown Oak Park. This special edition of Thursday Night Out, rescheduled from June 11 due to severe weather, will take place Friday along Marion Street between Lake Street and North Boulevard. Enjoy live music, face painting, henna artists, drag queen performances and more during this free, inclusive community event. Find more information on the Downtown Oak Park website.

Oak Park’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary kicks off with Red, White and Blues Night at Thursday Night Out on July 2. Don’t miss a soulful evening of live blues, great food and patriotic vibes in the heart of Downtown Oak Park. The popular Thursday Night Out dine-around series showcases restaurants along Lake and Marion streets offering a variety of drinks, appetizers, entrees and desserts, with the option of eating in or carrying out. The holiday fun continues with Oak Park’s annual Fourth of July parade, which steps off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 4. Olympian and Oak Park native Emery Lehman will serve as this year's Grand Marshal. More than 50 groups typically take part in the parade, which marches north on Ridgeland Avenue from Adams Street to Augusta Street. Participants can still sign up to march in the parade at www.oak-park.us/july4parade.

Overnight on-street parking restrictions will not be enforced on most Oak Park residential streets around the Fourth of July holiday. Overnight restrictions will be lifted at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 1 and resume at 2:30 a.m. on Monday, July 6. All other parking regulations remain in effect, including restrictions in zones reserved for permit holders, daytime posted restrictions and regulations related to traffic and public safety. The holiday parking schedule for all of 2026 is posted at www.oak-park.us/holidayparking.

The Fire Department welcomed three new Firefighter/Paramedics as Marcus Shields, Jacob Richardson and Christopher Berardi were sworn in during a ceremony Friday at Village Hall. Marcus is a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School. All three newcomers now begin their one-year probationary periods.

Alley improvement project – All underground utility improvements have been completed for this year’s alley improvement project. The alley between the 1000 blocks of S. East Ave. and Clarence Ave. was officially reopened to traffic on Monday. Brick pavers were installed this week in the alley between the 1100 blocks of S. Oak Park Ave. and S. Grove Ave. Driveway aprons are planned to be poured early next week. Work in this alley is scheduled to be completed prior to July 4.  Meanwhile, pavement work will begin in mid-July in the final two alleys scheduled for improvements this year between the 800 blocks of N. Harvey Ave. and Mapleton Ave. and between the 200 blocks of S. Kenilworth Ave. and S. Grove Ave.

Renew the Avenue updates – The electrical contractor continues installation of electrical and traffic signal conduit roadway crossings along Oak Park Avenue between Pleasant Street and South Boulevard. Other Renew the Avenue project updates:

• The underground crew will wrap up the last of the new storm sewer installation on South Boulevard this week. Water service transfers will begin next week on the north block between North Boulevard and Lake Street.
• The roadway crew will be onsite next week between Pleasant and South Boulevard excavating and grading for the proposed concrete roadway base course, which will be installed in the coming weeks.
• Topsoil is being installed in the parkway along the project’s outer blocks on Oak Park Avenue from Randolph Street to Pleasant and from Lake to Ontario Street. Weather permitting, sod installation will follow. Parking on these blocks will be allowed once the topsoil is installed.
• Union Pacific continues concrete abutment repairs to the bridge overpass on Oak Park Avenue between South Boulevard and North Boulevard. This work is ongoing through early July.

Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) installations – The contractor began installation of the cyclist push buttons this week. A total of 18 cyclist push buttons will be installed as part of the project. The contractor’s landscaper plans to mobilize on Monday to finalize parkway restoration.

Water and sewer project – The contractor completed the installation of the water main in Rehm Park this week, ahead of schedule. The contractor also began installing the new water main on the 1000 block of S. Scoville Ave. No water services are being affected by this work currently. After the water main is completed on the 1000 block, the contractor will begin installing the new sewer main on the 1000 and 1100 blocks.

Street resurfacing project – The annual street resurfacing program is kicking off next week with preliminary construction activities including site layout, tree protection fencing installation and other minor work. Major construction activities, such as sewer main point repairs and pavement, sidewalk and curb removals, are expected to begin after the July 4 holiday. The following streets are scheduled for resurfacing this year:

• Forest Ave. – North Ave. to LeMoyne Pkwy.
• Euclid Ave. – Greenfield St. to Division St.
• Marion St. – Division St. to Augusta St.
• Augusta St. – Harlem Ave. to Oak Park Ave.
• Grove Ave. – Chicago Ave. to Augusta St.
• Lombard Ave. – Division St. to Iowa St.
• Iowa St. – Linden Ave. to Fair Oaks Ave.
• Iowa St. – Ridgeland Ave. to Harvey Ave.
• Euclid Ave. – Lake St. to Superior St.
• Erie St. – Elmwood Ave. to Taylor Ave.
• Scoville Ave. – South Blvd. to Washington Blvd.
• Randolph St. – East Ave. to Scoville Ave.
• Randolph St. – Humphrey Ave. to the Alley east of Humphrey
• Carpenter Ave. – Madison St. to Harrison St.
• Monroe St. – Harlem Ave. to Grove Ave.
• Clinton Ave. – Jackson Blvd. to Harrison St.
• Wesley Ave.– Fillmore St. to Roosevelt Rd.
• Humphrey Ave. – Harvard St. to Roosevelt Rd.
• Van Buren St. – East Ave. to Ridgeland Ave.
• East Ave. – Roosevelt Rd. to Fillmore St.
• Clinton Ave. – Lexington St. to Roosevelt Rd.
• Harvard St. – Taylor Ave. to Austin Blvd.