🌱 Storm Cleanup + Juneteenth Parade + Cooling Centers

Hi all! Let's get to today's Oak Park and River Forest Daily.

First, today's weather: Breezy and very hot. High: 98 Low: 74.

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Are you a parent in Oak Park looking for summer activities for your child? Magical Minds Studio hosts a series of week-long summer art camps for children from PreK through middle school, from June 13 to Aug. 19. Programs include puppet making, Legos, ceramics, clay, painting, photography and Outdoor Adventure for middle schoolers. Enroll by May 15 with the code PATCH2022 and receive a 10 percent discount. To learn more and to see this summer’s schedule visit Magical Minds Studio today.

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

1. The Oak Park and Berwyn police departments are joining forces following a shooting near Mike’s Place on Memorial Day. The shooting stemmed from an argument at the controversial bar. The departments “plan to meet to discuss crime mitigation efforts, such as increased police presence at the time Mike’s Place closes for the night.” (Wednesday Journal)

2. The Inaugural West Villages Juneteenth Parade will be held this weekend beginning at the corner of Brown and Randolph streets. The combined event begins Saturday at 11 a.m. It is being co-hosted by the villages of Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and Maywood. (VRF)

3. OPRF High School continues to make national headlines after a false article about race-based grading policies went viral on right-wing websites. USA Today picked up the story as part of its “fact check” series this week. (USA Today)

4. Cooling centers are open in Oak Park as extreme temperatures continue. Rush Oak Park Hospital and Village Hall are cooling centers this summer, along with Oak Park Township Senior Services. (VOP)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Take a senior fitness walk in Thatcher Woods. (10 a.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library hosts “Lights Out, Everybody: Mystery & Horror in the Golden Age of Radio.” (2 p.m.)
• Caroline Woods speaks at Beer Shop’s “Authors on Tap” event. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Village of River Forest crews are continuing to clean up damage from Monday’s storms. (VRF)
• St. Luke eighth grader Ryann Dawson is representing Illinois in the National History Day contest this week. (Facebook)
• A creative studio space is coming soon to Oak Park Public Library. (OPPL)
• The Oak Park Health Department’s mobile response van will provide free COVID-19 tests and vaccines at several events this summer. (VOP)

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Featured businesses:

• Laurie Christofano, Realtor | RE/MAX In The Village — (Visit website)
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Events:

• 59th Chicago Book and Paper Fair (June 18)
• Lowered Costs for 2022, Get Your Cannabis Card in 24hrs from Home! (June 18)
• Hire A Pro To Clean Up The Yard For Dad (June 19)
• Taxes in Retirement Online Seminar (June 20)
• Add your event

You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow 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 georgi.presecky@patch.com