🌱 4th Of July Parade Today + River Forest Prez Wins National Award

Good morning, everybody! I'm Nicole Fallon-Peek and I'll be your new host of the Oak Park-River Forest Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening locally.

P.S. - The Patch team is off for the holiday today, so you won't receive a newsletter tomorrow, but I'll be back in your inbox on Thursday with your next update!

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny, hot and humid. High: 94 Low: 71.

Here are the top three stories in Oak Park-River Forest today:

1. Oak Park is set to host its annual Independence Day Parade beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Longfellow Center & Park located at 610 S Ridgeland Ave. Celebrating diversity, the parade will feature a vibrant mix of social and special interest groups, community organizations, athletic teams, politicians, businesses, service organizations, children’s groups, animal enthusiasts with their pets, and musical bands1. Participants and traffic volunteers are encouraged to register in advance, and for additional information, they can contact the Village of Oak Park at 708.358.5407 or email community@oak-park.us (Patch)
2. The Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4), involving River Forest, Oak Park, and other Illinois suburbs, received the 2023 Small City Mayors’ Climate Protection Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci accepted the award on behalf of the 14 communities in C4. The initiative focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through projects like community solar, electric vehicle infrastructure, and residential food scrap collection. (Wednesday Journal)
3. Oak Park and River Forest High School underwent a communications audit that identified seven areas for improvement. The recommendations include implementing a strategic communications plan, enhancing stakeholder engagement through social media, and training staff as ambassadors to share positive stories about the school. The report noted a discrepancy in perceptions, with parents and staff holding a more positive view of the school compared to the broader community. (Wednesday Journal)

Shoutout to the awesome local businesses who keep this newsletter running:

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Click here to get your business featured in this spot.

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

Tuesday, July 4

• July 4th Parade 2023: Oak Park At Longfellow Center & Park (10:00 AM)
• Just Breathe - Lunchtime Guided Meditation At Oak Park (12:15 PM)

From my notebook:

• In case you missed it, Oak Park police are stepping up traffic enforcement for holiday. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Drive High Get a DUI and Click It or Ticket campaigns remain in effect through tomorrow, Jul. 5. (Oak Park Police Department via Twitter)
• The next Oak Park Village Board Meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Jul. 5, at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing. View the agenda here. (Village of Oak Park)
• Tomorrow's Economic Development Commission Meeting in River Forest has been canceled. (River Forest Village)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Laura Ruiz, REALTOR® at REALTY OF CHICAGO — (Visit website)
• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In The Village — (Visit Website)
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• Anime Midwest's Massive Annual Anime Festival (July 7)
• Mutt Strut Virtual 5k Run/Walk (July 14)
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Featured announcements:

• All One Up and Live Savers on Patch (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed. Have a happy Fourth of July!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.