New Hires At Rush Oak Park + River Forest Public Library

Good morning Oak Park-River Forest! Thanks for starting your Wednesday with the Daily.

First, today's weather: Overcast throughout the day, with a high of 80 and low of 66.

Here are the top stories today in Oak Park-River Forest:

1. Oak Park officials are responding to criticism surrounding the cancellation of its annual Fourth of July parade. Planning for the Independence Day event usually begins in January, and Village President Vicki Scaman says "nobody had a crystal ball" to prepare for what the pandemic would look like in the summer months. She also cites the danger COVID-19 still poses to the unvaccinated and young people. (Wednesday Journal)

2. The Village of Oak Park is reminding residents about its local single-family rehabilitation loan program. The income-based and interest-free program allows homeowners pay for repairs they wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. (VOP)

3. Dr. Dino Rumoro officially takes over as CEO of Rush Oak Park Hospital on July 1. He tells Wednesday Journal he "plans to be proactive in opening the line of communication with the public" after congestion and parking issues in the area "soured relations" with neighbors. (Wednesday Journal)

4. Katie Cangelosi is the new River Forest Public Library Operations Manager. She will work closely with the library director and oversee the Materials Services Department. (Patch)

5. Representatives from Downtown Oak Park will be out on Marion Street today offering freebies "to say thank you for visiting" local businesses in the downtown area. (Downtown Oak Park)

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Today in Oak Park and River Forest

• See “Despicable Me” for $2 at Lake Theatre as part of the Wednesday Morning Movie Series. (9:30 a.m.)
• Take a guided “School’s Out For Summer” Hike at Trailside Museum. (10 a.m.)
• Oak Park Public Library offers an Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Support program. (4 p.m.)
• Free HIV testing and sexually transmitted infection screenings are available today at The Immediate Care Center of Oak Park. (All day)
• It’s the final day to view a local art exhibition featuring found items contributed by the community. (All day)

Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• The Delta variant of COVID-19 is becoming a growing concern in Illinois. (Chicago Tribune)
• Childcare centers in and around Oak Park are offering free childcare to parents and caregivers getting vaccinated or recovering from their vaccinations. (VOP Facebook)
• The Village of River Forest is reminding residents about important flood prevention tips as rainfall increases in the area. (Village of River Forest)
• Oak Park filmmaker Seth McClellan's film "Others Before Self" begins streaming through the Gene Siskel Film Center on July 2. (Wednesday Journal)
• The Chicago Donut Company is bringing sweet treats to Brookfield. (Riverside Brookfield Landmark)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Run Elmhurst's 4 on the 3rd (July 3)

That's all for today's Daily. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update, and the start of a new month!

— Georgi

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based reporter with seven years of experience writing for entertainment-based publications. She represented FF2 Media for five years at film festivals across the U.S., from Sundance to Austin. Her feature articles have been recognized with awards from the Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As Editor-in-Chief of the Lewis University campus newspaper, she earned honors from The Associated Collegiate Press Association and American Scholastic Press Association. She began working for Patch in 2019.