🌱 Housing Survey + 250-Teen Gathering Ends In Shooting, Vandalism

Hello, everybody. Nicole Fallon-Peek here with your Tuesday edition of the Oak Park-River Forest Patch newsletter, filled with all the things you need to know about what's going on locally.

But first, today's weather:

Clouds and sun with a shower. High: 81 Low: 62.

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

1. The Village of Oak Park, in collaboration with Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC), is conducting a community survey to address housing challenges and priorities in the area, aiming to establish goals for evaluating housing programs, policies, and development outcomes. Residents and stakeholders are encouraged to participate by completing the anonymous survey and attending a public meeting on Sep. 20 to provide insights on housing challenges and priorities. Respondents are asked to register for accountability, thoughtful responses, and broader representation of perspectives. (Village of Oak Park)
2. The 2023 Oak Park Farmers' Market Bake-Off is accepting applications for participants, with the event scheduled for Sep. 9. Interested individuals can submit their application form to farmersmarket@oak-park.us by Sep. 1. The fifth annual Pie Bake-Off held in 2022 saw Adam Petrzelka, Ashima Gupta and Alvie Gilbert, and Nicole Gucciardo and Rick Young winning the top three places, and the Farmers' Market Commission expressed appreciation for all participants, volunteers, and staff involved in the successful contest. (Village of Oak Park)
3. On Sunday night, a shooting occurred during a gathering of around 200 young people outside an AMC theater in nearby Cicero, with witnesses reporting chaotic scenes of vandalism, attacks on bystanders, and destruction of property. The gathering, reminiscent of "teen trends" that have emerged over the summer, prompted a response from more than 50 police cars representing various law enforcement agencies. The incident escalated from a crowd of over 250 teenagers who had attended a $4 movie special at the AMC theater and turned into a disturbance, leading to gunshots being fired and one teen being shot in the leg in a nearby Aldi parking lot. (FOX 32 Chicago)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

Tuesday, August 29

• Shake, Rattle & Read At Lindberg Park (10:00 AM)
• The D&D Jazz Duo At Q-BBQ (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Officials are warning residents to be cautious of individuals offering better electricity deals through phone calls or door-to-door visits. Salespeople asking for account numbers or bill details could be trying to enroll you in a different, costly provider without consent. The Village of Oak Park and its electricity supplier, MC Squared Energy Services, do not engage in door-to-door or telephone solicitations, and additional information about avoiding scams can be found here. (Village of Oak Park, Illinois via Facebook)
• Did you miss the back-to-school family picnic at Trinity High School? You can see pictures from the event at the link! (Trinity High School via Facebook)
• President Joe Biden has authorized a Disaster Declaration for Cook County residents affected by storms and floods from Jun. 29 to Jul. 2, making them eligible for grants, low-interest loans, and various disaster relief programs; for more information or to apply for assistance, visit here. (Village of River Forest via Facebook)

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• Laura Ruiz, REALTOR® at REALTY OF CHICAGO — (Visit website)
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Featured events:

• The D&D Jazz Duo Play Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Q-BBQ (August 29)
• What is the Difference between Palliative Care and Hospice Care at Oak Park Arms (August 29)
• Malnati Brain Tumor Institute Summer Rooftop Celebration (August 30)
• How To Protect Your Business: Avoiding 6 Common Mistakes (August 31)
• High Holiday Services 2023 (September 15)
• A Tail to Remember: Animal Care League's 50th Anniversary Gala (September 23)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday! I'll see you soon.

— 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.