Week Ending - January 28th, 2022 |
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Welcome to the latest edition of the Village of Forest Park's e-newsletter, where you can find the latest news, events and resources in and around Forest Park. In this week's edition, please find snow route/cold weather tips, upcoming Black History Month events with the Forest Park Public Library, a new program for low-income water assistance, Covid-19 resources and much more!
If you or your organization have items or events that you would like to see included in future editions of the e-newsletter, please let us know. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Village of Forest Park Public Works -
Snow Removal/Cold Weather Tips
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The snow season is upon us. Please assist the Public Works Department in its snow removal efforts by obeying the snow route signs. Every street in the village has visible snow route signs, typically on the same side as the street lights. Parking needs to take place across the street from the posted snow route signs. Snow routes are in effect up to 48 hours after the completion of a snow event of 2” or greater.
When the weather dips below freezing for an extended period of time and during bursts of extreme cold, please follow these tips to help you avoid frozen interior water pipes:
- Let the water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
- Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
- If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home or business set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.
- Shut off outside water.
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Celebrate Black History Month with
the Forest Park Public Library
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Join the Village of Forest Park's celebration of Black History Month! Please see the flier below or click here for more information.
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New Cook County Covid-19 Mitigation Order, Testing and Vaccine Information |
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New Covid-19 mitigations went into effect on January 3rd, 2022 in Cook County. Any individual aged two and older and able to medically tolerate is required to wear a mask when indoors in a public place, regardless of vaccination status. Click here for updated details regarding masks and vaccination requirements in indoor settings.
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Free Covid-19 Testing Kits |
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From the Cook County Department of Public Health:
With the Omicron variant surging, finding a COVID test can be difficult. You can order free COVID tests to be shipped to your home with no questions asked. You do not need insurance, a credit card, or any identification - just a mailing address. The process takes about two minutes. Simply visit covidtests.gov.
Here are FAQs about the program and what to expect:
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When can I order a free COVID-19 test? Now. The program started today.
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How do I order a test? You can order a test at covidtests.gov.
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How long will it take to receive my test? Initially, due to huge initial demand, it may take up to a week, or perhaps a few days more, to receive you test.
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How much does the test cost? The tests are absolutely free and you do not need health insurance or a credit card to order tests.
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How many tests can I order at once? Each household can order up to 4 tests.
Thank you for getting tested, for masking up, and for getting your vaccination. For information about COVID, vaccines, and tests, please visit cookcountypublichealth.org.
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CEDA - Low-Income Water Assistance Program |
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The Illinois Low Income Household Water Assistance Program is a crisis program for water and wastewater. Eligible customers may receive a benefit of up to $1,500 total for:
- Reconnection Assistance
- Disconnection Prevention
- Past Due Balance
- Disconnection Fees
- Late Fees
For more information, please see the flier below, or click here.
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Sarah's Inn Youth Voice Award |
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Sarah’s Inn is excited to announce its 2nd Annual Youth Voice Award! The organization is inviting all local high school students (ages 14-18) to write, sing, dance, or create a work of art to share their voice to end the cycle of relationship violence in their community.
For more information and for the requirements for the project, please click here. Submissions are due on or before March 6th, 2022.
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Reminder: Village of Forest Park - Utility Payment System Change (Effective Immediately) |
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Take care of your water and sewer bill quickly and efficiently by paying online.
Beginning in January 2022, the Village of Forest Park will begin phasing out use of the e-Pay portal and is asking customers to use the Springbrook Civic Pay portal to pay water bills online.
Springbrook Civic Pay portal allows water customers the ability to view and download their water account activity, including usage, billing, and payment history. The portal enables 24/7 access to accounts, with the option for safe collection of payments commonly made in person. Payments are posted in real time. Users can make one time payments or create an online profile, choose paperless billing as an option, and sign up for auto pay.
The e-pay portal will continue to be available only for a limited time. When you pay your next water bill, please click here to create a new account in Springbrook Civic Pay and have access to bill payment and account history. You will need you water account number when creating your account.
Customers will still be able to use the Village's Automatic Debit Program. This free and convenient method pays your water bill from your checking or savings accounts. For information on the automatic debit program, contact us at 708-366-2323.
*Special Note* – The payment links noted above will take you away from the Village’s website.
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Community Alert: Identity Theft |
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Identity theft can cause lasting damage to those who become victims of this serious crime. If you see suspicious withdrawals from your bank account, you do not receive your bills in the mail, you find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report, or medical providers bill you for services you didn’t use, you may be a victim of identity theft.
To learn more about how to protect you and your loved ones from identity theft, or to learn what to do in the event you become a victim of identity theft, click on any of the following links:
You can file fraud reports with the following agencies if you are a victim of ID theft:
Social Security Administration: 800-269-0271
Credit Bureaus:
- Transunion: 800-680-7289
- Equifax: 800-525-6285
- Experian: 888-397-3742
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Local Hiring Opportunities |
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The Village of Forest Park and a number of community partners are hiring! Please see the links below for more information and to apply!
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ComEd Bill Payment Assistance |
To help customers stay current with their energy bills, and to avoid additional fees, ComEd has two available programs for those needing assistance.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal program that can help you stay warm in during winter by providing eligible customers with a one-time payment towards your energy bills.
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) is a choice within Illinois LIHEAP to help manage energy bills year-round.
Applications for LIHEAP and PIPP can be submitted online, by phone or in person and are available at your Local Administering Agency. Visit LIHEAPillinois.com for more information.
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Forest Park Senior News and Resources |
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The latest edition (January/February/March) of the Forest Park Senior News is now available. Please click here to read more.
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