🌱 Elmwood Park Underpass Gets Funding + Block Parties Set Return

Good morning! Georgi Presecky here with another issue of the Oak Park-River Forest Daily.

First, today's weather: Heavy rain and a thunderstorm. High: 64 Low: 39.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Oak Park-River Forest:

1. Elmwood Park will receive $3.1 million in federal funding for plans to improve the train underpass on Grand Avenue between 76th Avenue and 77th Court. Sen. Tammy Duckworth pushed for the village to receive the funding from the Transportation Appropriations bill signed into law by President Joe Biden. (Paid source: Elm Leaves)

2. Lakeshore Recycling Systems will become Oak Park’s new refuse hauler beginning Friday. Collection rates and schedules will remain the same. (VOP)

3. Oak Park and River Forest High School will put more than $900,000 into repairing the West Pool. The 95-year-old pool was closed last month after an inspection found severe deterioration. (Wednesday Journal)

4. Tom Arvetis was named the new managing director of Oak Park Festival Theatre. One of his top priorities is finding a “more permanent solution” to the loss of their offices and storage in a November fire. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

5. Oak Park block parties are expected to return to pre-pandemic rules this summer, the Village announced. Each block is allowed to host two events and applications are now open. (VOP)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Take a Senior Fitness Walk in Thatcher Woods. (1 p.m.)
• Make painted rocks at Dole Center. (1 p.m.)
• Join local libraries for a virtual conversation with humor author Jenny Lawson. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Noodle bar Kyuramen plans to open April 8 on Marion Street. (Wednesday Journal)
• Registration begins Friday for Elmwood Park summer camps. (VOEP)
• The Oak Park Area Arts Council announced five scholarship recipients. (OPAAC)
• The Oak Park Public Library announced a new Scrabble club, with the first meeting set for April 12. (OPPL)

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That's all for today, OPRF! See you tomorrow for more local stories.

— 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.