Police Chief In Line For U.S. Marshal + Library Appoints Trustee

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest! Welcome to the weekend.

In today’s Daily, the Oak Park Police Chief is up for a new role, the library board names its newest trustee, and Cook County shares hopeful news related to the pandemic.

First, today’s weather: Rain and humidity throughout the day, with a high of 79 and low of 72.

Here are the top five stories in Oak Park today:

1. Oak Park Police Chief LaDon Reynolds is in line to become U.S. Marshal of the Northern District of Illinois, according to Sen. Dick Durbin’s office. Sen. Tammy Duckworth also endorsed Reynolds, who has served with the Oak Park Police Department since 1994. President Biden and the U.S. Senate will determine next steps. (Wednesday Journal)

2. A local repair program is now available to all River Forest residents over the age of 60, Village President Cathy Adduci wrote in her latest memo. The North West Housing Partnership’s Oak Park River-Forest Senior Home Repair Program covers minor repairs and is not intended for emergency repairs. (Village of River Forest)

3. The Oak Park Board of Library Trustees has unanimously voted to fill its vacant seat. Oak Park resident Susanne Fairfax was chosen from 25 applicants. She will be formally installed as a trustee at the board’s July 27 meeting. (OPPL)

4. Oak Park’s Catholic parishes are taking next steps in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church process. Pastors announced in a joint letter last weekend that each of the Village’s four churches has confirmed a team of five parishioners to consult about the process. “Our goal is to create a few scenarios for what the new Catholic footprint will be in the Oak Park area,” the pastors wrote. (St. Giles)

5. The Cook County Department of Public Health reports COVID-19 vaccination numbers in line with the Biden administration’s goal of vaccinating 70 percent of adults by July 4. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 73.7 percent of all Cook County adults have received at least one dose. (Patch)

Today in Oak Park:

• Kids can get creative in the kitchen at Fox Community Center. (9 a.m.)
• A pop-up yoga class is planned at Austin Gardens. (10 a.m.)
• Take a self-guided tour of the area’s public and private gardens at the 27th Annual Oak Park & River Forest Garden Walk. (10 a.m.)
• Celebrate Pride Month with Art in the Park at the Taylor Park Picnic Shelter. (10:30 a.m.)
• Teens and tweens can learn about the pond habitat at Trailside Museum. (10:30 a.m.)
• Berwyn Park District celebrates its 101st anniversary with a free party at Proska Park. (11 a.m.)
• Open mic night returns to River Forest’s Christ Episcopal Church. (6:30 p.m.)
• Sunflower Chamber Orchestra performs at Dominican University. (7 p.m.)
• Chicago’s Goodman Theatre offers a free virtual reading of the play “Shakuntala.” (7 p.m.)

Oak Park Patch Notebook

• Oak Park Festival Theatre and several other local organizations hosted a discussion at Austin’s Kehrein Center for the Arts honoring author James Baldwin. (Austin Weekly News)
• A volunteer at the National Grove Forest Preserve in Riverside is speaking out about the importance of Westchester’s Wolf Road Prairie. (Wednesday Journal)
• Former Oak Park Trustee Ray Johnson is advocating for LGBTQ+ youth this Pride Month. (Wednesday Journal)
• Despite labor shortages and pandemic recovery, millions of Americans are leaving their jobs “in search of more money, more flexibility and more happiness.” (WBEZ)
• The American Red Cross reports a severe blood shortage in the U.S. (New York Times)

That's all for today in OPRF! I'll be back on Monday to recap your local headlines.

Enjoy the weekend,

Georgi