Week Ending - February 18th, 2022 |
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Welcome to the weekend and the newest edition of the Village of Forest Park's e-newsletter, an informational resource to share the latest news and events happening in and around Forest Park!
This week, please find updates on local hiring opportunities, new 2022 vehicle sticker information, Black History Month events at the Forest Park Public Library, community notices, scholarship opportunities and more!
Please note, bill pay options are available on line. Visit www.forestpark.net to pay your water bill, parking permits and more. Have a wonderful weekend. Stay safe and warm!
Special Note:
On Friday, February 18th, the Clerk’s Office will be closed and on Monday, February 21st, Village Hall will be closed in observance of President’s Day.
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Village of Forest Park - 2022 Vehicle Stickers |
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2022 Vehicle stickers are now available. Renewal notices will be mailed next week.
Skip the line and purchase online! To purchase renewal stickers online, visit www.forestpark.net. Use GUEST to purchase. Only renewals can be purchased online.
You can also use the night depository or mail in your renewal form with payment. Vehicle Stickers need to be displayed by April 1st.
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Beginning Tuesday, February 22nd, the Clerk’s Office will be temporarily changing hours due to a staffing issues. The Clerk’s Office window will be open to the public from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, until further notice. All other Village offices will remain open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Skip the line, pay online! Many of our services can be completed online! Pay your water bill, purchase parking permits, pay tickets, and more by visiting www.forestpark.net.
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AARP Tax Aide - Tax Preparation Services |
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AARP Tax-Aide provides free tax preparation help to people with low to moderate incomes. Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and
preparation service in the United States — giving special attention to people over age 60. Services are available every Monday and Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please see the flyer below for more information.
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We Are Hiring! Childcare Worker Positions |
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The Village of Forest Park has immediate openings for its before and after school programs. Part-time hours are M-F 2-6 p.m. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a driver’s license and also must pass drug screening and background checks. $11.00 per hour.
Applicants may apply in-person at the Howard Mohr Community Center, 7640 Jackson Boulevard, Forest Park, IL 60130. For more information, please contact 708-771-7737. Employment applications are available to download by clicking here.
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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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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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Garbage and Recycling Can Information |
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A friendly reminder, please make sure garbage and recycling cans are easily accessible for the garbage and recycling trucks. Homeowners, landlords and tenants need to make sure cans are not buried in snow or ice. Cans that cannot be accessed will result in delayed service until they can be accessed by the garbage company.
Remember to store garbage and recycling cans away from the alley way. Receptacles cannot impede traffic or be located in places where they can cause issues for travelling vehicles.
We appreciate your help with keeping our alleys safe!
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Community Notice - Forest Park Fire Department |
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Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy |
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The Exelon Foundation is excited to announce that applications for the 5th annual summer Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy are now open! The 2022 Exelon STEM Leadership Academy is a free, week - long, residential program for 10th and 11th grade girls interested in STEM and gives them the opportunity to learn from women working in STEM and other leaders.
The 2022 application can be found here. In addition, any interested students, educators, or parents are welcome to join the STEM Leadership Academy for an Information Session! The next session will take place on March 3rd.
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ComEd - Future of Energy College Scholarship |
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Please see a recent press release below from ComEd regarding its Future of Energy college scholarship program.
ComEd Encourages Illinois Students to Apply for
College Scholarships of Up to $10,000 Each
$250,000 ComEd Future of Energy program seeks to build a diverse, inclusive future energy workforce by increasing the number of women, minorities in STEM fields
CHICAGO (Feb. 16, 2022) – ComEd today launched its Future of Energy program, which will provide up to $250,000 in scholarships for women and minorities pursuing STEM degrees in college. Today through March 28, 2022, students in Illinois can apply for the scholarship program, which will provide financial assistance awards of up to $10,000 and a chance to intern with ComEd.
“A diverse and inclusive workforce is critical to our mission of strengthening the communities we serve, which is why ComEd is making investments today to remove barriers and to build an industry more inclusive with those who have traditionally been left out,” said Diana Sharpe, vice president of large customer operations and interim vice president of economic and workforce development with ComEd. “The ComEd Future of Energy scholarship empowers young leaders and works to see that more people of color and women are prepared to enter careers in the fast-growing energy industry.” For more information, please click here.
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You can quickly and easily report your outage via text message, mobile app, ComEd Facebook app, or by calling customer service at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661). The online services and phone number are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may also visit Check My Outage Status or View Outage Map.
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You can report your electric outage online at Report an Outage.
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Use the free ComEd Mobile App to quickly report an outage from an Apple ® or Android™ device. The app will also provide notifications as the outage status is updated.
- Subscribers to Outage Alerts can quickly report an outage by texting "OUT" to 26633 (COMED). You will also receive notifications when an outage has been reported at your address, and get ongoing updates as the status of your outage changes.
Enroll: Enroll by texting ‘ADD OUTAGE’ to 26633. You will instantly receive a text message confirming your enrollment.
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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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West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center - Job Opportunity |
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The West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center is looking for a full-time telecommunicator. For more information, please click here or here for the job posting.
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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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