The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St.  Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us

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May/June 2018

Oak Park ranks among the most conscientious municipalities in the region when it comes to diverting materials away from landfills and into recycling. But many Oak Parkers also are guilty of a common practice that is driving up costs and driving down the value of the community’s curbside recycling...
The 45th annual A Day in Our Village festival celebrating diversity and community involvement is scheduled for Sun., June 3. Activity booths representing Oak Park civic, cultural, social service, educational, religious and business organizations will fill Scoville Park, Lake Street at Oak Park...
The Oak Park Sculpture Walk returns for a seventh season in May, with 12 sculptures on display in an outdoor exhibit in the Southtown Business District along Oak Park Avenue between Lexington and Van Buren streets. Sculptures are chosen through a juried competition and vary in materials. This year’...
Village property inspectors are checking single-family homes and apartment buildings for visible code violations to ensure public safety and community aesthetics as part of the Neighborhood Walk Program. If you receive a violation letter, please take care of the repairs within the period specified...
Families are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets for feature films set to begin May 19 in Scoville Park on Lake Street, just west of Oak Park Avenue. In addition, the Park District of Oak Park hosts free Sunday concerts in Scoville Park beginning June 10 that feature a variety of local and...
Residents who report symptoms of stroke may receive state-of-the-art, emergency care on site rather than having to wait to reach an emergency room now that Rush Oak Park Hospital has deployed a specially designed mobile ambulance in Oak Park. The custom-built Rush Mobile Stroke Unit, one of only...
As Oak Parkers get ready to put their lawn sprinkling systems back online for the season, they are reminded that federal, state and local regulations require a device that prevents any water from flowing back into and possibly contaminating the municipal water supply. Cross connections between in-...
Vehicles owners with large outstanding parking fines may be eligible for payment plans. The typical plan involves fines in excess of $500, allows payments to be made over a six-month period and charges a $2 monthly administrative fee. Longer payment plans may be available in special circumstances....
Village vehicle stickers for the 2018/2019 season are scheduled to go on sale in mid-May, after renewal notices are received by the owners of vehicles registered to Oak Park residents. Every Oak Park resident who owns or leases a motor vehicle is required to display a valid Village sticker annually...
Tornadoes, lightning, flash foods, damaging winds and destructive hail strike Illinois each spring, summer and fall, sometimes with incredible violence. Being aware of severe weather safety rules and knowing what to do might save your life, which is why the National Weather Service urges you to...
Oak Park residents interested in knowing about the quality of the water they drink need go no further than www.oak-park.us/waterqualityreport to read the latest report. Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires communities to prepare a Consumer Confidence Report that provides...
The owners of historic Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Oak Park will invite the public inside their carefully restored homes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat., May 19 for the 2018 Wright Plus Housewalk. The walk will include the Peter A. Beachy House (1906), the Rollin Furbeck House (1897), the Charles E....
Collection of bundled brush and yard waste is underway through November. Bundled brush and yard waste such as grass clippings, leaves, shrubs, vines and storm debris are picked up along with garbage and recycling on regular refuse collection days from the same collection point. Each brush bundle...
The Village provides refuse collection services once a week for all residential buildings with up to five units. Owners of larger multifamily dwelling and commercial buildings must contract directly with private refuse haulers. All trash, recyclables and yard waste are scheduled to be picked up on...
A growing epidemic of a particularly bad gardening practice is threatening trees on the Village’s many parkways. Known as volcano mulching, the aesthetic-driven practice of piling mulch in a volcano-like mound around the base and up onto the trunk is a recipe for the slow decline, and likely death...
Alley clean-up…The Village’s alley clean-up program, developed by the Keep Oak Park Beautiful committee, provides free plastic bags, refuse stickers, disposable rubber gloves and information on organizing a safe and successful event. The committee will monitor the program by taking before-and-after...
A limited number of Financial Assistance Scholarships (FAS) are available for youth in low-income families through the Oak Park Township. Funds may be used towards registration and participant fees in local activities and programs. A counselor, dean, social worker or referral agency representative...
Data from the first two months of the Village’s single-use bag fee indicate the fee is having the intended effect — encouraging people to bring their own bags. Retailers reported charging customers for more than 198,200 bags in February, compared to about 225,500 bags in January. Data for March is...
With warmer weather comes construction as crews make needed improvements to vital infrastructure like water and sewer lines, streets, alleys and sidewalks. An interactive map of all construction projects planned for 2018 and scheduled through 2021 is available at www.oak-park.us/construction, which...
The Oak Park Farmers’ Market will open its 43rd season on Sat., May 19. The Market is held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday from opening day through October in the Pilgrim Congregational Church parking lot, 460 Lake Street, one block west of Ridgeland Avenue. More than 25 independent farmers...
The many dimensions of Oak Park will be on display when the annual July 4th parade steps off at 10 a.m., Wed., July 4 from Longfellow Park at Ridgeland Avenue and Adams Street. Parade participants march north on Ridgeland Avenue to Augusta Street and disperse at Whittier School. The route will...
The annual Friends of the Farmers' Market recruitment night is set for 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Tues. May 8 in the Oak Park Library, 834 Lake St. This informal orientation session is intended for anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about the Oak Park Farmers' Market. Friends of the Market...
Local law requires anyone under the age of 18 to be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or school official in Oak Park between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. weekdays and between midnight and 6 a.m. on weekends. Exceptions do apply, including attending an official school, religious or other recreational or...
Residents ages 16 to 18 are invited to learn skills and techniques that can help them find and keep a job at annual workshops presented by the Community Relations Department. This year’s workshops are scheduled for 2 to 5:30 p.m., July 30 through Aug. 3 at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St....
As part of the interstate compact for preserving the Great Lakes, summer watering restrictions are in effect May 15 through Sept. 15. Outdoor water use is limited Mondays through Fridays to even-numbered street addresses on even-numbered days, and to odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered days....