🌱 New Mobile Parking App Launches In Oak Park + Health Board Turns 50

Hello, Oak Park and River Forest! In today's daily newsletter:

• Crosswalk construction is delayed indefinitely.
• Car and catalytic converter thefts continued over the weekend.
• New members were sworn in to serve the River Forest District 90 board.

But first, today's weather: Periods of sunshine. High: 69 Low: 49.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Oak Park-River Forest today:

1. A new mobile app aims to streamline the parking process in Oak Park, Village Manager Kevin Jackson announced. The ParkOakPark app can be downloaded through the Apple app store or Google Play and includes “mobile pay-by-license-plate parking, permit and vehicle license sales and parking citation payment and management.” (VOP)

2. Oak Park police reported two cars stolen from Oak Park streets over the weekend, in the first block of Chicago Avenue and the 800 Block of South Oak Park Avenue. Two additional vehicles were broken into, and a catalytic converter was stolen from a Toyota Prius parked on Ontario Street. (OPPD)

3. The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township will celebrate its 50th anniversary later this month with a free event. It will be held May 24 at Cheney Mansion. (Wednesday Journal)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• The Park District of Oak Park hosts “Podcasts for Beginners.” (Noon)
• Forest Preserve District of Cook County presents a webinar on natural lawn care. (5 p.m.)
• Poet Hila Ratzabi reads from her book of environmental poetry “There Are Still Woods” at Oak Park Public Library. (5 p.m.)
• Join the library’s Latine Author Book Cafe. (6 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Repairs to the Marion Street and South Boulevard crosswalks have been paused due to material delays, the Village of Oak Park reports. (VOP)
• River Forest School District 90 swore in three new board members last week: Joseph Cortese, Eric Isenberg and Kristine Mackey. (Wednesday Journal)
• The Park District of Oak Park will host a grand opening event May 21 for the Community Recreation Center. (Park District)
• Brookfield Zoo is offering the opportunity to name a parakeet for Mother’s Day. (Instagram)

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Featured events:

• Engineering Escapades:"Design-A-Dragster" (May 13)
• 2023 Summer Wonders in Elmhurst (June 5)
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That's all for Tuesday! Thanks for being here.

— Georgi

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.