🌱 Lake Street Pedestrian Attacked + 16th Street Theater Closing

Good morning! In today's Oak Park-River Forest Daily:

• River Forest hosts a safety meeting
• A ballot referendum seeks support for forest preserves
• Local women offer solutions to Austin's food desert problem

But first, today's weather: A little rain in the morning. High: 57 Low: 40.

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

1. A pedestrian was attacked and robbed Monday morning in the first block of Lake Street, according to Oak Park police. Two men struck her in the face and stole her purse, containing an iPhone, driver's license and credit cards. The phone was later recovered. (OPPD)

2. River Forest officials will host a quarterly safety meeting tonight at Village Hall. Members of the police department, Way Back Inn and Sarah’s Inn will speak and answer questions. In-person and virtual options are available for residents to attend the 6 p.m. meeting. (VRF)

3. A Cook County referendum will ask voters to potentially approve a tax increase to support the forest preserve district. If approved, it would cost each taxpayer about $1.50 per month, or less than $20 per year. (Paid source: Tribune)

4. Forest Park Bank will remain in the Vainisi family following the passing of Jerry Vainisi, who died earlier this month at the age of 80. According to the Review, Forest Park business owners and bank customers are remembering him for his frequent support and help revitalizing the Madison Street corridor. The former Bears general manager had owned the bank since 1999. (Review)

5. The 16th Street Theater is closing after 15 years in Berwyn. Artistic Director Jean Gottlieb told the Tribune the park district wants to “go in a different direction” and plans to establish a children’s theater instead. Artists in the company “hope to transfer their energies and resources to a new company, most likely based in Oak Park.” Its final production “Man and Moon” is now playing at Madison Street Theater. (Paid source: Tribune)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Shake, Rattle & Read at Scoville Park. (10 a.m.)
• The Kiwanis Club of River Forest-Oak Park meets. (6:45 p.m.)
• Pianist Andrew Cannestra performs a free concert at the Nineteenth Century Club. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• More than 100 early voting sites are now open in Cook County. (WBEZ)
• River Forest police are offering Halloween safety tips for families. (VRF)
• An Austin business owner and Dominican University professor are teaming up to bring fresh produce and nutritious foods to the Austin area. (AWN)
• OPRF High School is recognizing Red Ribbon Week, a yearly drug-abuse prevention campaign. (OPRFHS)
• Concordia University’s Wind Symphony and Kapelle will perform their fall home concerts this weekend on campus. (CUC)

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Events:

• Daguerreian Society Photo Fair (October 29)
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You're all caught up, Oak Park and River Forest! See you tomorrow for another Daily.

— 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Oak Park-River Forest Daily? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.