🌱 Newly Appointed Chamber Executive Director + Cook County Awarded

Hey, hello! It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Patch newsletter. Come along for the most important things happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Cooler with some sun. High: 81 Low: 63.

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

1. The Oak Park and River Forest Chamber of Commerce has appointed Darien Marion-Burton as its new executive director, filling the vacancy left by the former executive director, Liz Holt. Marion-Burton, who previously served as the chamber's board president, is known for his passion for supporting small businesses and is excited to lead the organization's efforts to support the business community. He will step into the new position on Jul. 31 and plans to take a step back from his marketing agency, D.M. Burton, while his agency's director of operations, Corey Thomas, takes over as CEO and president. (Wednesday Journal)
2. On Jul. 27, an attempted catalytic converter theft took place near Avondale Avenue and Raven Street, across from the Norwood Park Train Station in nearby Norwood Park. Passersby yelled at the thieves and took pictures, and the owner of the targeted red Toyota Prius reported on Facebook that the thieves were scared away before completing the job. The thieves were described as Black, wearing masks and dark clothing, and were driving a stolen white Kia. Alderman Anthony Napolitano expressed concern over the brazen nature of these crimes and called for severe punishment to deter future offenses. The 16th Police District has been conducting missions to address the problem of catalytic converter thefts, as overall reported thefts in the district have increased by 36 percent compared to the same period last year. However, authorities caution against confronting the thieves, as they are often armed. (Nadig Newspapers)
3. The Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability was honored with the Outstanding Public Sector Award from the Illinois Recycling Foundation for establishing the state's first Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM). The CHaRM Center, located on South Suburban College's campus in South Holland, offers a permanent location for residents to drop off items for reuse or recycling, diverting waste from landfills, waterways, and vacant lots. Cook County allocated nearly $1 million in funding to partner with South Suburban College to create sustainable practices and programs that increase recycling across communities in the Southland, and the CHaRM Center has also received additional grants to expand its services and enhance educational programming. (Shaw Local)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

Saturday, July 29

• Farmers' Market At Pilgrim Congregational Church Parking Lot (7:00 AM)
• Summer Sidewalk Sale At Animal Care League's 2nd Chance Shop (10:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Oak Park residents are encouraged to participate in the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz taking place from Jul. 28 to Aug. 6. By observing monarchs and milkweed plants and documenting their findings on monarch eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalises, participants can contribute valuable data that aids researchers in understanding and conserving the species. To learn more, click here. (Village of Oak Park, Illinois via Facebook)
• Triton College in nearby River Grove is seeking passionate individuals to join as English as a Second Language adjunct instructors for its Adult Education Program. For more information contact Nathan Rearden at nathanrearden@triton.edu. (Lawndale News)
• Cook County has introduced the Starting Block Grant initiative to provide capacity-building resources and support to community-based nonprofit organizations serving the county's residents. The grant aims to help small organizations enhance their internal capacity and infrastructure, promoting organizational health, growth, and sustainability. Eligible organizations with annual operating budgets under $1 million can apply for the $100,000 funding opportunity over two years, with applications accepted from Aug. 7 to Sep. 8. (My Suburban Life)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you around!

— 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.