Thursday, October 14, 2021
Dear River Forest residents,

First, I’d like to congratulate St. Luke School for celebrating its 100-year anniversary in River Forest, and for being a well-respected institution that has served our community, along with St. Luke Parish.
 
Earlier this week, the Village Board of Trustees and I approved a program to assist residents with the cost to repair structural pipe damage to sewer laterals in the roadway. Please read below for more details. 

Our Police Department will be donating 43 bikes that were either lost or abandoned to Working Bikes out of Chicago, a charity that redistributes them to individuals in need, while reducing pollution and improving health. While officers make every attempt to locate owners, bikes that are not registered are especially difficult to return and are ultimately donated to a bicycle charity. If you have a bike, or when you purchase one, please be sure to register it with the Village by clicking here. If your bike is lost or stolen, please be sure to report it to the Police Department to help their efforts to return recovered bikes. 

With Halloween coming up at the end of the month, it is clear that preparations throughout the Village have already begun. There are so many wonderful and creative Halloween decorations! Trick-or-treating hours are Sunday, October 31 from 3 - 7 p.m. As you prepare your family for Halloween festivities, please be aware of the continued risks of COVID-19 exposure during trick-or-treating. For families that choose to trick-or-treat this year, please be considerate to those residents who have made a decision not to participate. For more, including signage for your front door, click here.  

I hope you’re enjoying the beautiful fall leaves in River Forest and surrounding communities.

Sincerely,
Cathy Adduci, Village President
Village of River Forest
COVID-19 Update

Health officials are continuing to encourage residents to consider receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, as it is the best line of defense against the virus and its variants. Pre-scheduled and walk-in appointments are still available at several locations and homebound suburban Cook County residents can learn more about how to receive the vaccine here. For the latest River Forest COVID-19 vaccine data, click here and select 'Data by Town'. To view percentages of fully vaccinated individuals across the state, click here.
As flu season approaches, the CDC also recommends the seasonal flu vaccine for everyone ages six months and up as the best protection against infection and illness-related complications. To learn more, click here.
Sewer Subsidy Program

The Village created a program to help residents with the cost of repairing damage to lateral sewer lines. A sewer lateral is the pipe that carries wastewater from a home or building out to the Village's sewer main, which is typically located under the center of the roadway. Qualifying repairs may be eligible for reimbursement up to $7,500.00.

Note - this program is only eligible for residential properties experiencing structural damage of a sewer lateral within the roadway. Other non-structural issues related to sewer laterals or those structural/non-structural issues occurring outside the limits of the roadway are not currently eligible for this subsidy program. Additional details can be found here.
Police Officer Honored
Last month, Officer Ben Ransom received the Elderly Service Officer of the Year Award from Illinois TRIAD, on behalf of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. TRIAD is a partnership between senior citizens, law enforcement agencies and support/protective services that reduce criminal senior victimization and enhance senior services. Congratulations to Officer Ransom who is deeply involved with local senior services and is well-deserving of this prestigious award.
News from St. Luke School
During Monday’s Village Board Meeting, a resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of St. Luke School was approved. The School officially celebrates this milestone on Saturday, October 16. To learn more, click here. 

St. Luke School also recently showed their thanks to the Police and Fire departments by providing them with lunch. Students fundraised to make this event possible and created handmade cards to show their gratitude to our first responders. Ms. LaBelle’s first-grade class coordinated the lunch, which earned them tours of the respective departments.
Recap: Mini Pride & Pumpkin Patch Parades

The Urban Village Church-West Mini-Pride Parade took place on October 3. Community support made this diverse and inclusive event a great success, while raising positive awareness of the LGBTQ+ community.
Also, the Pumpkin Patch Parade was held this past weekend to raise funds for Maywood Fine Arts, which promotes diversity, equity and opportunity in the arts. The Village worked in partnership with the Village of Maywood and the nonprofit to produce this event. Thank you to all who attended to support this organization!
Try Tree Trails - and Win!
River Forest Tree Trails: On Your Block is a unique, fun and socially distant way to get to know the trees in your neighborhood. Residents who complete this fun activity by Sunday, October 31, can earn the chance to win three months of free curbside composting services! Click here to learn more.

Join us in congratulating PS...Dinner’s Ready on its one-year anniversary! This local establishment is your one-stop-shop for home-cooked, family-style meals curated by a head chef with more than 40 years of experience in the kitchen! To learn more or place an order, click here.
Shop River Forest! Please support our local businesses whenever possible! You can find a listing of River Forest businesses on the Village’s 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?

Visit the River Forest Community Calendar at rfhappenings.com
to find out, today!