Summer means getting together with good friends and good food outside. Making sure your grill is operated safely and food is handled correctly is important, so follow these guidelines:
Grilling
Make sure smoke is not a nuisance to a neighbor.
Use an approved container designed for barbecuing.
Keep...
For the 30th year in a row, Oak Park has been named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation. The award acknowledges the skill and commitment of Forestry Division staff to providing the highest quality of care for the more than 18,000 trees on parkways throughout the Village.
The Tree...
As the world grapples with the scope of how lifestyle choices affect the environment, Oak Park is encouraging residents to make the low-impact option of bicycling a key part of their everyday lives.A two-part study currently underway through the Active Transportation Alliance is investigating the...
Single-family rehab loans…No interest loans of up to $25,000 are available to single-family homeowners to correct health and safety issues and building code violations. No monthly payments are required. Loans are repayable after 20 years or when the property is transferred. For details, email...
A maximum of two garage sales may be held by members of one residence and/or family during any calendar year. Garage sales are intended for disposing of personal property, not for merchandise purchased for resale or on consignment. A permit is not required. However, certain rules do apply:
Sales...
Residents age 18 and older may be eligible for free nicotine replacement products available through the Illinois Department of Public Health Tobacco Free Communities fund. Call the Illinois Quitline 866.784.8937 to register. Information also is posted at www.quityes.org.
Smoking is prohibited in...
An Oak Park property owner can establish up to two honeybee colonies as long as the apiary meets specific Village code requirements.
Beekeepers must register with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, provide an on-site water source for the bees, keep records of hive maintenance, provide a...
Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control will be in Oak Park through early August recruiting participants for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). All information gathered will be private and will help measure nationwide health trends for years to come....
The Oak Park Farmers’ Market is open for business from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Nov. 1. Now in its 39th season, the venerable market is held in the Pilgrim Church parking lot just west of the intersection of Lake Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
In addition to a variety of fresh fruits...
The U.S. Postal Service is seeking volunteers to serve on a local customer advisory council for Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park.
The advisory council is intended to provide a forum for customers to meet with postal representatives to discuss concerns, ideas and suggestions for improving...
June 6 is the deadline to register to be a participant, volunteer or sponsor of the annual July 4th Parade. Local organizations and businesses are invited to bring a float, march, play music, carry balloons or banners, ride decorated bicycles, skate, drive vintage cars or just dress up to...
When it comes to citizen involvement in the process of making public policy, few communities can match the opportunities offered in Oak Park, where volunteers serve on nearly 20 separate advisory boards, commissions and committees.
As part-time lawmakers, the Village president and trustees rely on...
Nominations are being sought through Aug. 29 for this year’s Historic Preservation Awards. Single-family residences, apartment buildings, commercial buildings, public/institutional buildings and religious structures may be nominated in the categories of restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive use and...
The Oak Park Sculpture Walk is back for a third season with 12 pieces from established artists and emerging newcomers chosen through a juried competition and installed in pedestrian-friendly sites. This year’s event will feature art along Oak Park Avenue from Lake Street south to Pleasant Street in...
When severe weather creates debris from trees on private property, limbs or brush should not be brought to the curb. Public Works crews only pick up debris from parkway trees. However, brush from private property will be treated as yard waste if it is tied into bundles, each tagged with a green...
The 3,000 households selected at random to participate in a community park needs survey are urged to complete it soon to help the Park District of Oak Park plan for the future. Researchers began contacting residents in late May via mail, telephone and email as part of the Park District’s...
Oak Parkers are invited to the grand opening of the new Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex, Lake Street at Ridgeland Avenue, scheduled for noon to 3 p.m., Sat., June 14. Admission to the pool and ice arena will be free.
Other activities will include musical entertainment and giveaways, as well as...
Vehicle stickers now are on sale. Every Oak Park resident who owns or leases a vehicle is required to purchase and display a vehicle sticker annually by July 15. Anyone who misses the deadline must purchase a sticker and pay a $20 late fee. Failure to display a valid Village sticker by the deadline...
Residents are invited to recycle old electronics the last Saturday of the month through October. Just drop off items from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd.
Acceptable items include computers, peripherals, laptops, monitors, TVs, cell phones, rechargeable batteries,...
A seasoned administrator with experience managing Oak Park’s complex parking system has been tapped to lead the Parking & Mobility Services Department. Jill Velan, 43, was selected from a field of 30 candidates who applied for the post.
As part of the selection process, Velan met with community...
Use a north-south block. Due to public safety and traffic considerations, block parties are not allowed on east-west streets.
Make sure emergency vehicles can get through if needed. Tables, chairs or other items should not project more than six feet from the curb. And don’t stretch wires, ropes,...
