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Dear River Forest residents,
I am happy to report that the Village Board has approved Matt Walsh as our new Village Administrator. Matt had served as assistant to the Village Administrator for nine months before stepping in as Interim Village Administrator four months ago. We are very pleased with the hard work and dedication he has shown thus far to the Village. I would also like to congratulate Village Board Trustees Katie Brennan, Erika Bachner and Bob O’Connell on getting re-elected for another 4-year term! We look forward to continuing to work together to serve the residents of River Forest!
As part of our board packet, the Village Board unanimously passed a River Forest Civility Pledge. This pledge is affirmation on how our residents and businesses would like us to conduct business. The Village Board and I are committed to performing our duties with professionalism and civility.
The Village’s volunteer committees have been hard at work deliberating on subjects that impact daily Village life. Here are some of the following decisions:
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The Age Friendly Advisory Committee recommended submission of their final age-friendly community report to the Village Board. The report will be presented at the May 22 Village Board meeting.
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The Economic Development Commission recently recommended consideration of zoning changes for the Madison Street and North Avenue corridors. Pending Board direction, the proposed changes will be discussed at a future Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing. View our new FAQ page to learn more.
- The Traffic & Safety Commission will continue its discussion on the northeast neighborhood traffic modifications at its meeting on Wednesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. Read more in an article below.
If you are a small business owner that would like to join the Oak Park Chamber of Commerce, the Village will cover the cost for the first six months of a 1-year membership. There are many exciting events coming up from the Chamber, including their annual Spotlight Celebration this fall, monthly Women in Business meetings, the Stop & Shop Member Sale Day on Wednesday, May 17 at 1 p.m., fundraisers and more! Also, their 8th annual Economic Luncheon will take place on Tuesday, May 23 with a focus on the use of Artificial Intelligence for businesses. More details can be found in an article below. I encourage business owners to take advantage of this opportunity.
Lastly, I’d also like to wish all of our moms a very happy Mother’s Day, and to remind residents if you are doing some last minute shopping for Mom, please consider shopping local right here in River Forest!
Sincerely,
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Cathy Adduci, Village President
Village of River Forest
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Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting | |
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As part of the ongoing discussion regarding traffic patterns in the northeast corner of the Village, the Traffic and Safety Commission will again be discussing recent modifications at their upcoming meeting on Wednesday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall. The Commission will also be discussing this topic at its July meeting - with the intention of finalizing recommendations to the Village Board at that time. Physical attendance at this public meeting is limited to 50 individuals, but residents may attend the meeting virtually on Zoom. To attend the Zoom meeting, dial 312-626-6799 and use meeting ID: 840 8180 7543 and passcode 394052, when prompted. You can also access the Zoom meeting by clicking here. If you would like to speak during public comment or if you wish to submit written public comments in advance, please email bkoclanis@vrf.us by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17.
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OPRF Chamber Economic Luncheon | The Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce will be hosting their 8th annual Economic Luncheon at Dominican University entitled, "Rise of the Robots" Tuesday, May 23 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Chamber will be exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence on businesses and how to utilize it for increased productivity. To learn more, click here. | |  |
Fire Department Pancake Breakfast | |
The Fire Department is working with The Sheridan at River Forest for a senior outreach event on how to avoid falling in your home. A pancake breakfast will be included in the event on Friday, May 19 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The chefs of the Sheridan will cook breakfast, and members of our Fire Department members will serve it to residents. For questions or to reserve your spot, call
708-366-7629.
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Township Assessor's Update | |
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All River Forest Township property owners were mailed a reassessment notice on April 27 from the Cook County Assessor’s Office. Since 2023 is the first year of the new triennial appeal cycle, appealing property taxes can give residents a lower assessed value - if records indicate the property is not assessed equitably. River Forest Township is open for appeals until Tuesday, May 30 at 11:59 p.m. Homeowners can contact the Township Assessor's office to request an appeal packet by clicking here.
You can also save the date for the Township's Community Outreach Presentation on Tuesday, May 23 at 6 p.m. at the River Forest Community Center. This event is presented in partnership with the Cook County Assessor’s Office, to help residents understand property assessment and appeal processes. Learn more here.
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As part of the upcoming Memorial Day celebration on Monday, May 29, the Village, Park District, and River Forest Kiwanis Club are gathering information about residents who have served our country for inclusion in 2023's Memorial Day Honor Roll. Honorees can include residents who are either active duty members or veterans who will be recognized during the Memorial Day Ceremony following the annual parade. The deadline to submit someone’s name is Monday, May 22, and can be done here. | | |
May is Older Americans Month and a time to celebrate the value and achievements our senior citizens bring to our community. There are many events going on in the Village to support our seniors, including a River Forest Public Library presentation on, “Nutrition for Aging” on Monday, May 15 at 1 p.m. and a Secretary of State Mobile event also on Monday, May 15 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the River Forest Community Center. Learn more about each of these events, along with additional upcoming events and presentations here. | | |
Congratulations to Deputy Clerk Luke Masella! | |
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The Village would like to congratulate Deputy Clerk Luke Masella on his graduation from Northern Illinois University with a Masters in Public Administration.
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Dominican University Benefit Concert | Dominican University invites residents to attend their Annual Trustees Benefit Concert with special guest and Broadway royalty, Audra McDonald, THIS Saturday, May 13 at 5 p.m. in Lund Auditorium. Nearly 97% of current undergraduates receive financial assistance to attend Dominican University, and funds raised from this concert will go directly to support scholarships. To learn more about this concert and other ways to support Dominican University students, click here. | | |
The Oak Park Farmers Market will be held from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. every Saturday starting May 20 through October 28. The Market is located in the Pilgrim Church parking lot and the Village of Oak Park is currently accepting applications for vendors. If you're interested in being a vendor at the 2023 Farmers Market, click here. For questions about the application or the 2023 season, send an email. | | |
This week (May 7-13) is International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). ICAW is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative in the compost industry. In addition to the U.S. it is also celebrated in other countries each year during the first full week of May. The goal is to raise public awareness on the importance of composting our organics. With the goal of decreasing the amount of organic waste sent to landfills, the Village of River Forest and Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) offer a yard waste and food scrap compost program for residents. Click here to learn more about the Village’s Curbside Composting Program. | | |
GreenTown: "The Future of Community" is coming to Triton College Thursday, June 22 for the entire day! Attendees will see presentations from inspiring speakers, such as Dr. Tony G. Reames, the Deputy Director for Energy Justice at the U.S. Department of Energy. The focus for this year's event will be on communities in the Chicago metro area that are working together to achieve climate, equity and sustainability outcomes - with a focus on energy, waste technology innovation, solutions to the climate crisis and more. For more information, click here. | | |
River Forest Business Spotlight! | |
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Karl's Craft Soup serves homemade soups artfully prepared from the season's tastiest ingredients. They are often found at local farmers markets and were recently featured on WBBM News Radio 780 AM for their collaboration with other area restaurants to support local food banks. Learn more 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.
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