🌱 Longtime Forest Park Businesses Closing + Affordable Housing Study

Hello! Here's a quick guide to what's making headlines in Oak Park and River Forest, including:

• Car thefts continue
• A petition is seeking a name change for Trailside Museum
• Oak Park highlights Black-owned businesses on social media

But first, today's weather: Breezy in the morning. High: 49 Low: 32.

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

1. Two cars were stolen from Oak Park streets Feb. 10, including a 2020 Jeep Cherokee worth $50,000. According to the Oak Park Police Department, a car was also broken into Sunday in the 6000 block of North Avenue and more than $400 worth of items were taken from inside. (OPPD)

2. Oak Park trustees voted to modernize the village’s housing policy, the Wednesday Journal reports. The board approved a contract with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to conduct a study on housing issues in the village. (Wednesday Journal)

3. More than 700 people have signed a petition asking the Forest Preserve District to rename Trailside Museum after Virginia Moe in honor of her decades of service to the River Forest institution. “Trailside should not be named after a politician,” River Forest resident Jane Morocco said of her online petition. “It should be named after the woman that dedicated her life to the community.” (Chronicle)

4. The Archery Custom Shop will close after nearly 75 years on Madison Street. The Forest Park store will be featured in tonight’s episode of “Chicago Fire” on NBC. (Review)

5. Doc Ryan’s is also set to close after 70 years in Forest Park. The Madison Street bar will be sold to a dispensary company. Its final day in business is March 31. (Review)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Donate blood at Oak Park Public Library. (Noon)
• First UMC of Oak Park launches a new weekly “Alpha” course. (6:30 p.m.)
• Oak Park Our Whole Lives hosts a virtual parent workshop on the subject of consent. (6:30 p.m.)
• CWOPNA hosts a virtual forum with candidates running for Oak Park trustee. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Village of Oak Park is featuring Black-owned local businesses on its social media sites this month. (VOP)
• District 97, the Oak Park Education Foundation and the library will host a STEAM Fest March 2. (Library)
• Heritage Chorale is seeking singers to join its group. (OPAAC)

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Featured businesses:

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

• Jazz Prayer (February 17)
• Handel Week Festival Concert I (February 19)
• Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest Performs Rarely-Heard Masterpieces (February 19)
• Symphony Presents Ravel and Vaughan Williams (February 19)
• Add your event

That's the news for Feb. 15. See you tomorrow for the Thursday edition.

— 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.