🌱 Pleasant Home Plans Grand Reopening + Oak Park Reparations Survey

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest. Let's get to the headlines for Thursday, May 26.

First, today's weather: Mostly cloudy with showers. High: 71 Low: 52.

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

1. District 97 superintendents sent letters to school families Wednesday following the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead. The district is providing mental health resources for families and emphasizing safety procedures. District 90 officials issued a similar message Wednesday. (D97)

2. The Oak Park Reparations Task Force will host a focus group tonight at the library for Black residents to give feedback on community reparations. Input will be used to create a survey which will be conducted by Dominican University students and staff. (Wednesday Journal)

3. River Forest officials are pausing the conversation about limiting plastic utensils at local restaurants. Village President Cathy Adduci said representatives from the McDonald’s expressed concerns about how the move would impact drive-thrus. (Wednesday Journal)

4. Pleasant Home will host a grand reopening event on June 2, featuring free tours and refreshments. The park district has been installing a new climate control system in the building over the past several months. (Park District)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Look for migratory songbirds at Austin Gardens. (9 a.m.)
• “Top Gun: Maverick” opens at Lake Theatre. (3 p.m.)
• River Forest Public Library hosts virtual youth yoga. (3:45 p.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library offers a “Healing Through Arts” workshop. (5:30 p.m.)
• “Yappy Social Hour” returns to Cheney Mansion to benefit Animal Care League. (6:30 p.m.)
• Join Oak Park Art League for its “Knot a Problem” needlework gathering. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The book drop at River Forest Public Library is temporarily closed. (Patch)
• It’s the final day of school for students at Fenwick, Trinity and Oak Park and River Forest High Schools. (OPRFHS)
• Austin leaders and community members had mixed reactions to First United Church of Oak Park’s “fasting from whiteness.” (AWN)
• Save the date: Takeout 25 will host an in-person “Taste the Town” event at FitzGerald’s June 26. (Forest Park Review)

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Events:

• Northbrook Symphony Season Finale (May 29)
• Meet Me in Manhattan, An Old Fashioned Way to Beat Cancer www.scoreboardcharities.com (June 10)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— 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 OakPark@Patch.com