🌱 OPRF $102M Project 2 To Begin Next Year + Social Media Lawsuit

Good morning, hello! It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Oak Park-River Forest Patch newsletter.

But first, today's weather:

Some sun with a shower. High: 66 Low: 54.

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

1. Oak Park and River Forest High School will pay nearly $6 million to construction management firm Gilbane for overseeing Project 2, a $102 million construction project set to begin next year. The contract includes a $1.75 million construction management fee, $3.89 million for wages and salaries for labor, and $355,000 for preconstruction services. The project aims to rebuild the southeast portion of the high school, including constructing a 10-lane swimming pool, a third-floor gym, a weight room, and various other facilities, with a completion target of August 2026. (Wednesday Journal)
2. The Oak Park River Forest High School District 200 has voted to join a federal class action lawsuit against major social media companies, including Meta and TikTok. The lawsuit, filed by the Frantz Law Group, alleges that these companies have negligently and recklessly harmed students, resulting in a mental health crisis. While some board members believe the lawsuit is a way to voice concerns over social media's impact on students, others, including Mary Anne Mohanraj and Audrey Williams-Lee, expressed doubts about its validity and effectiveness as a solution. (Wednesday Journal)
3. Visual artist Cydney Lewis is one of eight artists featured in the "Earthly Visions: Inside the Climate Crisis" exhibition at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Gallery 400, which will be on display until mid-December. The exhibit aims to explore various artistic perspectives on the climate crisis, including Jeremy Bolen's installation depicting the effects of sulfur injection into the atmosphere. The artists hope to inspire change and rethink humanity's relationship with nature in the face of climate change. (NBC Chicago)

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Today in and around Oak Park-River Forest:

Wednesday, September 13

• Preschool Playtime At Candycopia (9:45 AM)
• Movie In The Park: Super Mario Bros. At The Green At 320, Chicago (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The latest edition of the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce Advantage Newsletter is out! You can access the newsletter here. (Oak Park - River Forest (OPRF) Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)
• Are you looking for a new family member with four paws? Check out the list of adoption-ready pets in the Oak Park-River Forest area at the link! (Oak Park-River Forest Patch)
• The Village of Oak Park is adding foam recycling to its upcoming paper shredding event on Sep. 23. Residents can drop off foam products with the No. 6 symbol in clear or translucent bags, excluding straws, lids, and foam packaging peanuts. (Village of Oak Park, Illinois via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Laura Ruiz, REALTOR® at REALTY OF CHICAGO — (Visit website)
• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In The Village — (Visit Website)
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• College Funding Workshop (September 13)
• Linly Designs Fall Open House (September 14)
• High Holiday Services 2023 (September 15)
• Boycott - presentation of movie and discussion afterwards (September 20)
• A Tail to Remember: Animal Care League's 50th Anniversary Gala (September 23)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today! See you all tomorrow for your next update.

— 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.