Dear River Forest Residents,
Welcome to newly elected Trustees Lisa Gillis and Ken Johnson, and Village Clerk Jonathan Keller. Also, welcome back Trustee Respicio Vazquez. The three Trustees and Clerk were officially sworn into office during Monday’s Village Board meeting. I look forward to our entire board working together for the common good of River Forest.
Also during the meeting, I signed a proclamation denoting May as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in River Forest. This effort honors the generations of contributions made to the community by our residents from Asia, India and the Pacific Islands. I encourage all of our community members to join in celebrating the people of this culture, who have not only made significant contributions locally, but also across our country and the world.
It has come to our attention that some River Forest residents are receiving inadequate service from the United States Postal Service - not getting mail delivered or needing to go to the post office to pick it up. While the Village does not have any control over this government agency, I would encourage you to contact your U.S. Senators regarding this matter. Click here to contact Senator Dick Durbin and click here to contact Senator Tammy Duckworth to express your concerns.
Summer is just around the corner, and with COVID-19 restrictions beginning to ease, many of our residents may want to plan block parties to gather with neighbors. If you are interested in planning a block party, please visit this link.
Sincerely,
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Cathy Adduci, Village President
Village of River Forest
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Illinois to Enter
'Bridge' Phase
Governor Pritzker has announced that Illinois is poised to enter the ‘Bridge’ Phase of the Restore Illinois Plan tomorrow (Friday, May 14). On this day, a 28-day transitional period begins that allows for higher capacity at both indoor and outdoor settings, and increased business operations.
If COVID-19 cases continue to decline, vaccination rates increase, and hospital beds continue to remain available, the State could advance to Phase 5 (full reopening) as soon as June 11. For more information, click here.
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CDC Endorses Pfizer
for 12- to 15-Year-Olds
Yesterday, the CDC endorsed the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents 12- to 15-years-old, following the FDA’s expansion of the vaccine’s use earlier this week. Starting today, Cook County Health is offering everyone ages 12 and over the Pfizer vaccine at eight vaccination sites across the suburbs, including Forest Park and River Grove. Appointments can also be scheduled here. Please note: anyone under 18 years of age can only receive the Pfizer vaccine and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. For more information, click here.
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Walk-In and In-Home Vaccine Appointments Available
The Cook County Department of Public Health continues to accept walk-in appointments at a number of vaccination sites across Chicagoland. To receive a vaccine by appointment, search locations by zip code at vaccinefinder.org and schedule on ZocDoc. Suburban Cook County residents who are homebound due to medical reasons can receive the COVID-19 vaccine in their homes. To register and for more information, click here.
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River Forest COVID-19 Case and Vaccine Rates
From Sunday, May 2 – Saturday, May 8, River Forest had seven new positive cases with 480 tests completed, resulting in a 1.5% positivity rate. During the previous week, there were nine new positive cases and 386 tests completed, representing a 2.3% positivity rate. Residents are encouraged to continue following safety guidelines, such as avoiding large gatherings, wearing face covers while in public, washing hands often, and practicing social distancing. Daily COVID-19 case updates throughout the state by zip code can be found here.
Vaccinations throughout the Village continue to progress, with more than 60% of residents having received at least one dose. For the most current and up-to-date vaccine data, specific to River Forest, click here and click 'Data by Town'.
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Guess what? Americans eat approximately 270-pounds of meat each year! That’s nearly four times the global average and it greatly increases our carbon footprint! You can help curb this statistic by participating in Veg Out! This community-wide campaign raises awareness about the benefits of eating less meat, which is not only good for you, but also good for the planet, too! Each Wednesday, participating restaurants will showcase a special menu that supports this initiative. So, stop in and grab a bite to show your support! Click here to learn more.
Are you a local restaurant that is interested in joining Veg Out!? For more information or to participate, please send an email to Sustainability@vrf.us. Click on graphic to enlarge.
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While nearly everyone knows what a Hostess Twinkie is, what might come as a surprise to many is that the popular snack cake was actually invented right here in River Forest! It's true! On April 6, 1930, Jimmy Dewer, a bakery manager at the Continental Baking Company, created the popular treat and named it after a 'Twinkle Toe Shoes' billboard that he happened to pass by. Mr. Dewer's original sponge cakes were filled with banana cream - but after bananas were rationed during World War II, the filling was later changed to vanilla. Today, more than 1,100 Twinkies are produced every minute and come in a variety of regular and seasonal flavors.
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Cassidy Tire has been a family-owned and operated business since 1914! They service passenger and commercial vehicles for tires, alignments, brakes and more. Cassidy Tire is currently running a special from now through Monday, May 31 - customers who bring in three non-perishable food items to any of their 15 Chicagoland locations will receive an instant $50 rebate towards the purchase of four select Continental or General Tires. For more information, call (708) 290-1349 or visit cassidytire.com.
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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.
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400 Park Avenue
River Forest, Illinois 60305
(708) 366-8500
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