🌱 Metra Ponders Pass Changes + Frank Lloyd Wright Races

Good morning! In today's Oak Park-River Forest Daily, find out about:

• Construction progress on the new Community Recreation Center
• The new library director's deep ties to the community
• A new history initiative in one Oak Park school

But first, today's weather: Increasing cloudiness. High: 56 Low: 31.

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Here are the top 4 stories today in Oak Park-River Forest:

1. Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School figures prominently in a new WBEZ feature on teaching Asian American history in schools, a new requirement by Illinois state law. Sixth grade teacher Nichele Stigger said “it’s important for us to really understand it and hear it.” (WBEZ)

2. The Park District of Oak Park is nearly halfway through construction on the new Community Recreation Center. The targeted completion date is April 2023. (PDOP)

3. Oak Park Public Library’s next executive director has deep ties to the community. Joslyn Bowling Dixon is a Dominican University graduate who spent early years of her career at libraries in both Oak Park and River Forest. She begins the new role Nov. 7. (DU)

4. Metra officials could potentially end the current flat-rate monthly pass program in 2023, according to the Tribune. The board will decide in November whether to shift to “zone-based passes,” which would still cost less than a pre-pandemic commute. (Paid source: Tribune)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• The Frank Lloyd Wright Races kick off at OPRF High School. (8 a.m.)
• Trinity High School hosts an open house. (Noon)
• The OPRF Historical Society’s “Tales of the Tombstones” Cemetery Walk returns. (Noon)

From my notebook:

• Rush Oak Park is offering free mammograms in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (VOP)
• Save the date: Paddle On Outfitters will host a foliage kayak paddle in Riverside on Oct. 23. (Paddle On)
• The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is seeking nominees for its Commitment to Service Awards. (CCSO)

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Events:

• Chicago Artisan Market - Sun, Oct 16th at Morgan MFG (Fall Market) (October 16)
• Tale of the Tombstones (October 16)
• Jazz Prayer (October 21)
• Saturday Spooktacular! (K-8th grades) (October 22)
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That's all for today! See you tomorrow for another week of news.

— 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.