Yard Signs Promote Vaccines + Police Department Faces Audit

Hello, Oak Park and River Forest readers! Can you believe we're halfway through July? Let's get to the news.

First, today's weather: Rain in the afternoon and evening, with a high of 82 and low of 65.

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

1. The Oak Park Village Board is moving ahead with its full audit of the police department. Representatives from consulting firms BerryDunn and Hillard Heintze were interviewed for the job at the July 12 board meeting. (Wednesday Journal)

2. Oak Park Township Assessor Ali ElSaffar is reminding residents about the property tax bill delay in Cook County. Tax bills will likely be due Sept. 1 due to pandemic-related challenges at the Cook County Treasurer’s Office. (Oak Leaves)

3. The Oak Park Department of Public Health is hoping to curb vaccine hesitancy in the community by launching a yard sign campaign. Residents are invited to fill in the blank after the phrase “I’m vaccinated against COVID-19 because …” and display the message outside their homes. Yard signs can be picked up at Village Hall or by emailing health@oak-park.us. (VOP)

4. The River Forest Police Department reports an increase in mail scams in the area. Residents should be on alert for letters containing bogus checks or asking for personal information. Click here for more tips to deal with mail fraud. (River Forest PD)

5. Nicole Ebsen will serve as the new Oak Park and River Forest High School athletic director after spending nine years in the same role at Morton High School. “I’ve always been attracted to this particular school because of the resources they’ve dedicated to their extracurricular activities,” said Ebsen, who succeeds the retiring John Stelzer. (Wednesday Journal)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest

• Downtown Oak Park and Hemingway District businesses join forces for the 2021 Shop Outdoor Sale. (All day, through July 18)
• Develop your resume with Oak Park Public Library’s webinar. (2 p.m.)
• Children can take a magic class at Andersen Center. (5 p.m.)
• The Rick Simcox Trio and Rio Bamba perform at Thursday Night Out downtown. (5 p.m.)
• Circle of Fifths performs in Constitution Park. (6 p.m.)
• Trailside Museum hosts an outdoor evening book club. (7 p.m.)
• “Toy Story 4” will screen in Scoville Park. (Dusk)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• Illinois is the first state to mandate teaching Asian American history in schools. (Patch)
• Oak Park’s Hephzibah Children’s Association is collecting donated backpacks and school supplies. (Oak Leaves)
• Health officials are urging parents of children aged 12 and older to get vaccinated now so they are protected ahead of the 2021-2022 school year. (VOP)
• Nominations close July 30 for the Historic Preservation Commission’s 2021 Historic Preservation Awards. (Village of River Forest)
• Forest Park’s Garage Galleries Art Walk has opened applications for the Aug. 28 event. (Forest Park Review)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Free 30 Minute Photo shoots in Oak Park! (July 17)
• Get Your Illinois Medical Cannabis Card From Home (Six days a week) (July 17)
• Chicago Artisan Market: Sun, July 18 (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) (July 18)

That's it for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with a new update. If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Georgi

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based reporter with seven years of experience writing for entertainment-based publications. She represented FF2 Media for five years at film festivals across the U.S., from Sundance to Austin. 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 campus newspaper, she earned honors from The Associated Collegiate Press Association and American Scholastic Press Association. She began working for Patch in 2019.