🌱 Wesley Ave Robbery + Spring Musicals Take Stage + Ice Rink To Close

Happy Friday, Oak Park and River Forest. In today's newsletter:

• Families at The Children's School are "disappointed" after archdiocese denies lease.
• Local arts leader Camille Wilson White is honored with her own "day" in Oak Park.
• A Fenwick team wins big.

But first, today's weather: A little snow, mainly early. High: 38 Low: 31.

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

1. Two men threatened to shoot an Oak Park runner Tuesday in the 100 block of South Wesley Avenue. Police said they stole his wallet and cellphone in the robbery. (OPPD)

2. Families at The Children’s School expressed “disappointment, disbelief and sadness” to the Wednesday Journal after the Archdiocese of Chicago failed to renew the school’s lease at St. Edmund. The school currently enrolls 135 students and is exploring its options for next year with the lease ending June 30. Director Christina Martin told the paper, “We can bring our values and our approach to any space and make it something amazing.” (Wednesday Journal)

3. Oak Park trustees declared March 9 Camille Wilson White Day in the village. The executive director of the Oak Park Area Arts Council was honored last night at the OPRF Museum Gala. “Camille is very much the backbone of the whole entire program,” local artist Hasani Cannon said. (VOP)

4. The Ridgeland Common ice rink will close today as the park district prepares for its annual ice show on March 17. The rink is expected to reopen March 20. (PDOP)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• A spring story trail opens at Trailside Museum. (9 a.m.)
• Ascension School hosts a fish fry. (5:30 p.m.)
• Take a ceramics workshop at Dole Center. (6 p.m.)
• Trinity High School presents its spring play “Choices!” (7 p.m.)
• Sample wines with Anfora Wine Merchants at Cheney Mansion. (7 p.m.)
• See the musical “Mamma Mia!” at Oak Park and River Forest High School. (7 p.m.)
• Compass Rose performs at Maya del Sol. (8:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Fenwick High School’s Scholastic Bowl Team won the IHSA 2A Regional competition earlier this week. (Fenwick)
• A new library sign off North Boulevard was installed to “make Oak Parkers’ drive-thru book experience that much easier.” (Library)
• The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held in Chicago tomorrow. (ABC)
• The Tribune is seeking restaurant nominations for its Readers’ Choice Food Awards. The deadline to submit is March 15. (Paid source: Oak Leaves)

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Featured events:

• One Voice for Arts Launch Party (March 10)
• Margaret Murphy-Webb at Tre Sorelle by Mancini for Jazz Thaw (March 11)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (March 14)
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You're all caught up on another week of news. Thanks so much for subscribing, reading and sharing your feedback with me. I really appreciate it. Have a great weekend!

— 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.