River Forest Village Board of Trustees | | |
Dear River Forest residents,
I want to share some important information about scams affecting our community that involve individuals posing as either members of our Police Department, or planning and zoning officials. Please remember to not ever provide personal information over the phone. You can learn more in an article below.
At the Monday, April 13 Village Board meeting, a presentation of the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget will take place during the meeting. As in previous years, the proposed budget is balanced and reflects the Village’s continued commitment to responsible financial stewardship. The Board is scheduled to vote on the budget at its final meeting in June. Learn more here.
Lastly, please save the date for the 101st Memorial Day Parade, Honor Roll, and Community Picnic on Monday, May 25 at 9:30 a.m. Veterans and active military members are encouraged to register to be recognized during the ceremony following the parade. Additional details can be found here. The Oak Park–River Forest Chamber of Commerce will also be hosting its second annual Business Bash after the Parade to support the local and veteran-owned businesses in our community.
Sincerely,
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Cathy Adduci, Village President
Village of River Forest
| | Washington Boulevard Corridor Open House Recap | | |
Thank you to everyone who attended last Thursday’s Washington Boulevard Corridor Open House. Residents were able to learn more about the Corridor Improvement Project and share valuable feedback. The project focuses on enhancing safety and accessibility for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists between Thatcher and Lathrop avenues, and community input plays an important role as Phase One approaches completion in June.
If you were unable to attend, there’s still time to get involved - comments can be submitted via email and additional details on the project are available here.
| | Yard Waste Collection Begins April 7 | Starting Tuesday, April 7 (and running through December 1), yard waste and brush - including grass clippings, leaves, shrub trimmings, and bundled branches - will be collected every Tuesday by Lakeshore Recycling Systems, the Village’s waste hauler. Specially printed River Forest Universal Solid Waste Tags - available for purchase at Village Hall and participating area retailers - must be affixed to paper yard waste bags and bundled brush prior to collection. Residents can place items in the parkway (not in the street) as early as 6 p.m. on Monday evening, and all yard waste must be set out no later than 7 a.m. on the collection day. For more information, click here. | |  | Madison Street Development Update | |
At Monday’s Board meeting, the developer of the Madison Street Project, 531 Partners, was present to address trustees’ questions regarding its track record and involvement with Cigar Oasis. Watch the discussion here.
In addition to the information available on the Village’s dedicated Madison Street Project webpage, the Village is now sharing regular updates through a separate newsletter focused exclusively on the project. These updates are designed to provide clear, timely, and informative insight on one of the community’s most significant initiatives. As new editions are released, past updates will be available online. The first update, sent March 18, can be found here.
| | | Register Now for Memorial Day Festivities | | |
The Kiwanis Club of River Forest-Oak Park, Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce, River Forest Park District, and the Village proudly present the 101st annual River Forest Memorial Day Parade, Ceremony, and Community Picnic on Monday, May 25. The parade steps off at 9:30 a.m. at Iowa Street and Ashland Avenue, and will travel south on Ashland to Lake Street and continue west to Keystone Park, where the Memorial Day Honor Roll Ceremony and a free hot dog lunch will follow. With more than 100 entries and thousands of residents lining the route each year, this cherished tradition honors the men and women of the United States Armed Forces - especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Veterans and active military members are encouraged to register to be recognized during the Honor Roll ceremony following the parade.
Following the parade and ceremony, the Oak Park–River Forest Chamber of Commerce will host the second annual Memorial Day Business Bash, a street fair celebrating local and veteran-owned businesses near the parade’s end point. The event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and feature vendor booths, live music, food trucks, and family-friendly activities. Registration for the Honor Roll, parade participation, and sponsorships are now open, with a deadline of Monday, May 18. Learn more here.
| | Residents are urged to be aware of a phone scam involving individuals posing as local law enforcement, including the River Forest Police Department. In these cases, the caller ID can appear to display the Police Department’s non-emergency number, and the caller claims to be an officer, provides a badge number, and alleges there is a warrant tied to U.S. Border Protection or drug smuggling. The caller may then direct you to accept another call or threaten an arrest at your home. If you receive a call like this, do not share personal information, send money, or allow access to your devices. Hang up immediately and report the incident to the Police Department. To learn more about recent scams, click here. | | | The FBI has issued a nationwide alert warning individuals and businesses about a sophisticated phishing scam where cybercriminals impersonate city and county planning and zoning officials to collect payments for non-existent permit fees. These scams often target applicants with active land-use or zoning cases, using detailed and accurate information - such as property addresses, case numbers, and even official names - so that they can appear to be legitimate. Victims are asked to submit payments via wire transfer, peer-to-peer apps like Venmo or Zelle, or cryptocurrency - all of which are difficult to trace and recover. Scammers can also use email addresses that closely resemble government domains. Learn more from the FBI here. | | | |
The River Forest Sustainability Commission is proud to again partner with EcoShip, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to collecting and redistributing packaging materials for reuse. From Tuesday, March 31 through Monday, May 4, residents can drop off clean, tape-free packaging in the second-floor lobby of Village Hall. This initiative not only reduces waste, but has also helped small businesses across Illinois save more than $21,000 by reusing donated materials. Learn more here.
| | River Forest Business Spotlight | | |
Cameo Dental Specialists offers comprehensive dental care under one roof, including endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery. Their skilled team is dedicated to ensuring each patient enjoys a comfortable, positive experience from the moment they arrive, to the completion of treatment. To learn more or find one of their five convenient locations, click here.
Please support local businesses whenever possible! If you have a business located in River Forest with a valid business license, it can be featured in the Village’s business spotlight. If you’d like your business to be featured, please send us an email. You can find a listing of River Forest businesses on the Village’s Shop River Forest website.
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