Friday, November 10, 2023 | |
|
Dear River Forest residents,
The Village Board remains committed to attracting development to the Lake & Lathrop site. I have met with officials from Wintrust Bank and strongly requested that they establish an expedited schedule for marketing this property.
To commemorate their 150th anniversary, Oak Park River Forest High School (OPRFHS) is asking students, staff, parents, alumni, retirees and other supporters to help them complete 150,000 hours of community service. So far, the high school is 20% of the way to this goal - and asks community members to log any volunteer hours they complete on the form found here. I encourage everyone to get involved to help OPRFHS reach this worthwhile goal to celebrate this impressive milestone!
Lastly, this Saturday, November 11 is Veterans Day. I would like to take a moment to thank the veterans who have dedicated their lives to protecting our country - both past and present. I would also like to honor the veterans who currently serve the Village, including: Fire Chief Tom Gaertner, Police Commander Michael Swierczynski, Firefighters Matthew Krall and Brian McKenna, and Water Operator Mike Thomasino.
Sincerely,
| |
Cathy Adduci, Village President
Village of River Forest
| |
|
Wintrust Bank, the former Lake & Lathrop project lender, and the court-appointed receiver, Ascend Real Estate Group, continue to be responsible for the maintenance of the Lake & Lathrop site, as well as for the marketing of this prime commercial property for redevelopment.
The Village previously invested in this project to create a clean, viable site for development that was promised to our residents. This goal was successfully achieved in 2021 and took place prior to Wintrust Bank’s involvement as the project lender in 2022. Since then, Wintrust Bank has been responsible for the project’s oversight to ensure it came to fruition, which did not happen by the time the former developer's, Sedgwick Properties, building permit expired on September 15, 2023. The Village will not issue another building permit to Sedgwick Properties for this project. Additionally, the Village will stay in communication with Wintrust Bank to keep track of its progress, and looks forward to a new development in the near future at this location.
| |
Your Property Tax Bill
(Please click the charts below to enlarge)
| | |
Second installment property tax bills for 2022 are due Friday, December 1 and will be mailed out in early November. To provide an overview of River Forest property tax bills for 2022, the portion that comes to the Village of River Forest is roughly 12 % of your total tax bill, which supports a range of village operations including police and fire protection, street maintenance and other critical infrastructure, among others that maintain and improve quality of life. In relation to our four neighboring towns, River Forest taxes are lower by between nearly 2% to more than 16%. View the accompanying graphics for additional details. If you are missing exemptions please reach out to the River Forest Township Assessor. | |
Winter Preparedness Week is November 6 - 10 this year and a time to make sure you are ready for life’s many unexpected incidents. These could include car accidents, loss of power and communication, hypothermia or frostbite among other situations and challenges. Please take a moment to stock your first-aid kits and make sure your homes and cars are winterized. For a list of winter weather health and safety tips, click here. | |  |
Café 64 returns this November to Triton College! Stop by for dinner on Wednesdays from 5:30-7 p.m. or lunch on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Meals are created and served by Triton students as they prepare for a career in the culinary industry. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made online here. | | |
|
Parent University (Parent U.) will be held Wednesday, November 15, starting at 6 p.m., at Oak Park and River Forest High School. This free event is open to parents and caregivers of students attending River Forest, Oak Park, and surrounding area schools. Parents of both public and private schools are invited to participate. Parent U. will focus on nurturing students’ mental wellness and parents can gain knowledge and learn about tools to support their child’s mental health journey. Registration is recommended. For more information and to register, click here.
| |
Chamber Economic Symposium | Join the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce for their 8th annual Economic Symposium on Wednesday, November 15 from 6-8 p.m. at Dominican University. This year’s Symposium is entitled, “Rise of the Robots” and will focus on the ways artificial intelligence is elevating productivity and transforming society. To learn more or to purchase tickets, click here. | | |
Good Earth Greenhouse will be hosting their 7th annual Holiday Hustle 5K on Saturday, November 18 at 2 p.m. Participants will walk/run through the beautiful Concordia Cemetery and event proceeds will benefit the Future Philanthropists Program. This event is sponsored by the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation and the first 150 registrants will receive a race t-shirt. To learn more or to purchase tickets, click here. | | |
|
The St. Catherine Siena Center at Dominican University presents, “Courageous Conversations” with Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS and Sr. Bernadine Karge, OP on Tuesday, November 14 at 6 p.m. in Lund Auditorium at Dominican University. This program will feature discussions about what happens when commitments to justice and advocacy are lived out in daily life. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the online box office.
| |
Recycling and Composting
(Click image to enlarge)
| The Village provides a universal recycling program and an opt-in curbside composting program for residents living in single-family, and multi-family homes of three units or less. Village Ordinance also requires that all other multi-family buildings not served under the Village's program take part in a recycling program. The accompanying graphic provides information on items that are accepted for the composting portion of this program. A guide on appropriate items to recycle can be found here. When in doubt, throw it out. | | |
The Village is preparing for the expected increase in electric vehicles (EVs) and charging stations in partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’ EV Readiness Program. We are reducing barriers to EV infrastructure investment and making it easier for residents and businesses to install EV charging stations. The River Forest Sustainability Commission has created an EV Readiness Guide to help you learn about EVs and charging stations, decide if they are right for you, and move through the charger permitting and installation process. | | |
River Forest Business Spotlight! | |
|
Analog Yoga is a new business in River Forest that helps clients achieve a more joyful, connected and fulfilling life. They offer flowing Hatha and Katonah yoga postures, breath work, meditation and music, along with modifications for every fitness level. To learn more, click here.
Please support local businesses whenever possible! You can find a listing of River Forest businesses on the Village’s Shop River Forest website. If you’d like your business to be featured in the weekly Business Spotlight, please send us an email.
| |
|
|
What's Happening in River Forest?
to find out, today!
| | | |
Click the name below to visit the organization's website:
| | | | |
