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Week Ending - September 23, 2022

Welcome to the weekend and the latest edition of the Village of Forest Park's weekly e-newsletter! Please use this e-newsletter as a resource to provide you with the latest news, events and resources in and around Forest Park!

In this edition, please find updates from the Village Council, Public Works, the Forest Park Police, and Community Center, community news, job opportunities and more!

We want to hear from you! If you have news or events that you would like to include in future editions, please let us know. Have a wonderful weekend!

SAVE THE DATE

OCTOBER 8, 2022

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Village Council News

The next meeting of the Forest Park Village Council will be held on Monday, September 26, 2022 at 7pm in the lower level of Village Hall.

Backyard Hens Townhall Meeting

The Commissioner of Public Health and Safety Maria Maxham and the Village of Forest Park will be hosting a townhall meeting to discuss the possibility of changing current code to allow a limited number of backyard hens (no roosters). The meeting is open to the public. Presentations will include code from nearby towns that allow hens and information on safe chicken-keeping. There will be a chance for resident questions and comments. The meeting will be held at the Howard Mohr Community Center, 7640 Jackson Blvd., on October 4th at 7 p.m.

A Message from the Village Clerk

With elections coming up this fall, those who want to vote need to be registered. have three ways to register:

Click here to register to vote online.

Click here to print out a paper form to to mail in.

To register in person, visit the Village of Forest Park Clerk's Office during regular business hours. You must bring 2 forms of identification, one of which has to have your current address and one has to be a photo ID.

A Message From Public Works...

Leaf Removal Program

The Village of Forest Park offers an opportunity for residents to dispose of leaves during the fall season. There is no added cost for this service. Leaves should be raked curbside into the street gutters and will later be removed by the Village's Public Works Department. The Public Works Department Leaf Removal Program spans from October 1 – December 1 each year. The leaf pick-up schedule follows the street sweeper daily schedule, which is available by clicking here. Residents shall rake their leaves curbside a day before their scheduled pickup day. No grass clippings, bags or tree limbs are allowed. Contractors illegally dumping leaves (from other sites) will be cited. Residents are also encouraged to bag their leaves and place them by their trash receptacles. Unlimited yard waste removal is included during spring, summer, and fall, in the Village’s refuse contract.

Jackson Blvd Construction

Lindahl Brothers, Inc began work on the IDOT-funded Jackson Boulevard Resurfacing Project (between Madison St. and Desplaines Ave.) on Tuesday, September 6th. Work is expected to take two (2) months, weather permitting. Work will consist of the removal and replacement of the existing asphalt pavement surface, curb & sidewalk spot repairs, detectable warning installation and all incidental restoration within improvement limits.

What are these?

The Village of Forest Park has started the process of painting the water tower on the north end of town. In the process, the water tower needed to be drained. This adds pressure to the water system when the pumps turn on. These devices attached to random hydrants are called pressure relief valves. They are designed to blow off any additional pressure to the water system to prevent water main breaks. There is one at 611 Harlem (has a slow leak) and one at 7419 Franklin.

Fall Tree Planting

The Public Works Department will be planting trees in middle to late October. There are a few spots left for tree requests. Please call the Public Works Department at (708) 615-6212 to request a tree by Friday, September 30. The Public Works Director will send you a list of approved trees to pick from. *NOTICE* Starting next year, all tree requests are subject to a 50/50 cost sharing fee per tree. Due to the Village’s new Tree Management Plan, there are suggested areas in the Village that trees will be planted. This will take priority and will be fully funded by the Village.

Forest Park Community Clean Up

Rescheduled for September 24

The Forest Park Community Clean Up has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 24. Volunteers will meet at the Howard Mohr Community Center. All volunteers must register here.

Community Center News

The October/November/December Senior Newsletter is now available! Click here for information on senior movies, trips and more!

News from the Police Department...

Job Opportunity: Police Officer

The Board of Police and Fire Commissioners of the Village of Forest Park, Illinois is accepting applications for the position of police officer with the Forest Park Police Department.

Submit your application and $20 non-refundable fee application processing fee on-line no later than Friday, October 10, 2022 at 4:00 PM (CST);
Complete Mandatory On-line Written Examination Testing available between Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 9:00 AM and Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 4:00 PM.

For more information click here.

Overnight On Street Parking Restrictions

Just a friendly reminder that there is no parking on any street in the Village between the hours of 2am – 5am. If overnight parking is needed, please call 708-366-7272 between the hours of 8 PM & 2 AM or click here anytime to obtain a parking pass. Only five passes can be issued per month. You will need the license plate number, make of vehicle and where the vehicle is parked.

This parking restriction is in place for street sweeping and the safety of our residents. Please obey the restrictions. Violators will be ticketed and possibly towed.

Community News

Community Voices - September 17- POSTPONED

UPDATE: The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation regrets to inform you that its Community Voices event scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17 at Proviso East High School has been postponed. We are working to find a new date for the event. In the meantime, the Foundation encourages community members to attend the events on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Oak Park Public Library, Main Branch or Tuesday, Sept. 27 online. More information may be found at oprfcf.org/community-voices.

Please contact the Foundation at 708-848-1560 or communityvoices@oprfcf.org with any questions.

Forest Park PTO Fundraiser

Help the Forest Park PTO by ordering from the Forest Park Chipotle on Saturday, September 24th! 33% of event sales will be donated to the Forest Park PTO.

Order online for pick up using code KN72KTM or show this flyer in restaurant.

OK CLASSIC Softball Tournament - September 24

The OK Classic is one very full day of fun and competitive co-ed, 14-inch softball at the Park District of Forest Park Softball Field on Saturday, September 24th. This event is a softball tournament and a festival, but it is most importantly an important fundraiser for Opportunity Knocks where the participants (aka. Warriors) are included in every aspect of the event, creating a beautiful and inclusive atmosphere with something for everyone. The event offers a full-on, family-friendly festival atmosphere in addition to the games. We feature a wide variety of donated food and beverages from some of our finest local partners, including Big Guys, Alpine Food Shop, Kribi Coffee, Daly Bagel, Bertollis, Brown Cow, Deep Eddy, Funkytown Brewing Co. and more! We also host a massive kid's activity area, backyard games, a party tent with seating and college football reeling all day.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Community Shred It Event

St. Johns Lutheran Church will host a Shred It Event on Saturday, October 15, 2022 in the parking lot at 305 Circle Ave. Up to two boxes can be shredded at no charge. The community is invited to attend this event.

Proviso Handyman Information

IDPH Public Experience Survey

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