🌱 Winter Storm Watch + Division Street Repaving + Irish Pub To Close

Happy Friday, Oak Park and River Forest. In today's edition of Patch's daily newsletter:

• Candidate forums continue as Election Day approaches
• River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci delivers a "State of the Village" address
• A local concert will celebrate Women's History Month

But first, today's weather: Heavy snow in the p.m., 6-10 inches. High: 36 Low: 28.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Oak Park-River Forest:

1. A winter storm watch is in effect today across Cook County, according to the National Weather Service. Up to eight inches of snow accumulation is possible in Chicagoland, but the NWS noted an "unusual amount of uncertainty remains" about the storm. (Patch)

2. Crews will resurface a portion of Division Street later this spring, following village board approval. The stretch of road between Harlem Avenue and Austin Boulevard will be improved using state funds. Construction is expected to continue into the fall. (Wednesday Journal)

3. The League of Women Voters of Oak Park and River Forest hosted a virtual forum earlier this week with District 90 school board candidates. The hour-long event is now available to view on the River Forest Public Library’s YouTube channel. (Library)

4. Working In Concert will celebrate women artists with an International Women’s Day performance in Oak Park this weekend. The second annual concert will be held March 5 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. (Working In Concert)

5. Oak Park author Jessamine Chan’s “The School For Good Mothers” was listed in Vanity Fair’s “7 Books We Can’t Stop Thinking About” on Feb. 28. The New York Times best-selling novel was recently published in paperback and is featured at Semicolon Bookstore’s downtown Women’s History Month pop-up. (Vanity Fair/Block Club)

Today in Oak Park-River Forest:

• Oak Park and River Forest High School hosts its annual Empty Bowls dinner. (6 p.m.)
• Take a pour-painting class at Dole Center. (6 p.m.)
• Austin Gardens celebrates Casmir Pulaski Day with a presentation on wildlife in Poland. (6:30 p.m.)
• Ahimsa Yoga Studio hosts a sound meditation. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Read highlights from River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci’s “State of the Village” address earlier this week. (Wednesday Journal)
• Fenwick High School Chief Operating Officer Nancy Bufalino will retire today after more than a decade in the role. (Fenwick)
• Parking garages in Oak Park have yet to return to pre-pandemic revenue levels. (VOP)
• Forest Park officials updated the village zoning code to allow Chicago wholesaler Purely Meats to move into a space on Industrial Drive. (Review)
• Austin College & Career Academy recently received the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. (AustinTalks)
• Doc Ryan’s will host its final St. Patrick’s Day celebration tomorrow during the village parade. The Irish pub “in the heart of Forest Park” will close March 31 as its building changes ownership. (Facebook)

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That's all for this Friday! Have a great weekend.

— 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.