🌱 Communities Mark Two Years Of COVID-19 + Trinity Women's Walk

Good morning! Here's your five-minute guide to today's neighborhood news.

First, today's weather: Warmer with rain and drizzle. High: 62 Low: 40.

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Here are the top 3 stories today in Oak Park-River Forest:

1. According to the health department, 82 residents of Oak Park and River Forest have died of COVID-19 since March 2020. Members of both communities are reflecting on two years of the pandemic in this week’s Oak Leaves, from faith congregations to local nonprofits. Jeff Banowetz shares local stories of “illnesses, school closures, social distancing, remote work, mask mandates, vaccine appointments and personal tragedies.” (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

2. Oak Park’s next community safety assessment meeting will be held tonight via Zoom. The focus will be on the Oak Park Police Department’s calls-for-service model and police operations, according to a village press release. (VOP)

3. More than 110 yard signs outside Trinity High School are honoring women’s achievements in honor of Women’s History Month. Trinity’s Women Supporting Women Club paid tribute to “mothers, sisters, teachers, leaders” and more. (Paid source: Elm Leaves)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Join the Oak Park Public Library’s “Shake, Rattle & Read.” (10 a.m.)
• Oak Park Art League hosts “The What, Why & Where Of Social Media For Artists.” (6 p.m.)
• Pianist Ann Chang performs at The Nineteenth Century Club. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Autre Monde raised $3,500 to support Ukrainians during the Russian invasion. (Wednesday Journal)
• Two Oak Park breweries made the Axios list of “Chicago’s lost iconic places.” (Axios)
• The OPRF Infant Welfare Society is accepting donations of new and used books. (OPRFIWS)
• The Chamber of Commerce will host a Speed Networking event next month. (Chamber)

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That's all for today, OPRF! See you tomorrow for another daily digest.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based newsletter writer and partner content curator. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her feature articles have been recognized with awards from the Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As editor-in-chief of the Lewis University newspaper, she and her staff earned honors from the Associated Collegiate Press and American Scholastic Press Associations. She began working for Patch in 2019.