🌱 Churches Make Plans + Art League Turns 100 + Friday Football

Happy Friday, Oak Park and River Forest readers! Let’s end this week with local news.

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First, today's weather: Rain overnight. High: 76, low: 49.

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

1. Oak Park churches are expected to announce their “Renew My Church” plans to parishioners today. The Archdiocese of Chicago said this week St. Frances of Rome parish in Cicero and St. Mary of Celle parish will merge due to declining membership. (Patch)

2. The 18th Annual Ulyssean Awards Dinner will take place tonight at Pleasant Home. The Senior Citizens Center of Oak Park-River Forest is expected to honor the community contributions of Mary Kay O’Grady, Charles Williams and Robert K. Downs. (Wednesday Journal)

3. A consulting firm will help Oak Park achieve its sustainability goals. Wisconsin-based firm GRAEF will assist the village in creating a climate action plan over the next year. (Wednesday Journal)

4. The Oak Park Art League is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It remains one of the oldest nonprofit arts organizations in Illinois. There are currently more than 200 members of the OPAL, and more are welcome. A new exhibit opens Oct. 5 and a Centennial Celebration is set for Oct. 24. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

5. “City So Real” cinematographers and Oak Parkers Jackson and Steve James made the “IndieWire Influencers” list for their work on the National Geographic docuseries. The father-son team captured the 2019 Chicago mayoral race for the Emmy-nominated series. (IndieWire)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• OPRF Museum hosts “Ask the Historians.” (11 a.m.)
• The River Forest Park District hosts a free family campout in Priory Park. (6:30 p.m.)
• OPRF High School plays Hinsdale Central in its homecoming game. (7 p.m.)
• Fenwick varsity football takes on Loyola at Triton College. (7:30 p.m.)
• NASA Ambassador Mark Benson hosts Telescope Night in Lindberg Park. (8:30 p.m.)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• Tomorrow is the last day to register for the Oak Park Farmers’ Market’s Pie Bake-Off. (VOP)
• Pace has resumed bus service to Soldier Field for Bears games. (Pace)
• Oak Park residents can donate an engraved tribute paver brick to help the Parks Foundation meet its fundraising goal for the Community Recreation Center. (PDOP)
• “Chicago’s most famous lifeguard,” Joe Pecoraro has died at 91. He taught P.E. at St. Edmund’s School on his days off. (Paid source: Sun-Times)

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That's all for today! Have a safe and restful weekend, OPRF.

— Georgi Presecky

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