School Leaders Seek Answers + Food Insecurity Reaches New High

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest! Welcome to the weekend edition of the Daily, your one-stop source for local news in your village.

First, today's weather: Rain throughout the day. High: 75, low: 67.

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

1. Local school superintendents are seeking answers from the state about the upcoming school year. Leaders of Oak Park and River Forest school districts say they "need guidance that meets the safety needs of our students and our staff." District 97 Co-interim Superintendent Patricia Wernet joined nearly 300 other Illinois school officials in signing a letter to Gov. Pritzker seeking clarity on social distancing and quarantine procedures. (Wednesday Journal)

2. The Oak Park Department of Public Health announced that two people tested positive for COVID-19 this week, bringing the village’s total case count to more than 3,200 since the start of the pandemic. About 28,700 residents are fully vaccinated, which makes up 60 percent of Oak Parkers over the age of 12. (Village of Oak Park)

3. The Village of Oak Park is participating in the nationwide “Plastic Free July” campaign to reduce single-use plastic waste. From bulk food shopping to reusable grocery bags, Plastic Free July has dozens of tips to assist Oak Parkers in their sustainability efforts. (Village of Oak Park)

4. Cook County is facing a historic need for food assistance this summer. The Greater Chicago Food Depository says requests for food are up 120 percent and are higher than any other period in the organization’s 42-year history. Monetary donations and volunteers are urgently needed. (NBC5)

5. Austin's ALDI grocery store officially reopened Thursday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Fresh food in the area has been hard to come by during the pandemic, with Austin being designated a "food desert" by activists. The neighborhood now has two fresh-food grocery options, including Walmart on North Avenue. (AustinTalks)

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Today in Oak Park-River Forest

• Walk through Elmwood Park's gardens. (10 a.m.)
• Celebrate Bastille Day at CarefulPeach Boutique. (10 a.m.)
• Catch “Black Widow” at Lake Theatre. (noon, with 12 additional showings)
• Teen and youth video game clubs meet at Dole Center. (noon)
• "Concerts In the Park" return to Scoville Park. (6 p.m. SUNDAY)

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Oak Park-River Forest Patch Notebook

• The River Forest Park District board meeting has been cancelled. (Patch)
• Applications are now available for the upcoming Junior Citizens' Police Academy. (Village of River Forest)
• Illinois Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park is weighing in on the state's bond rating. (The State Journal-Register)
• Oak Park native Tavi Gevinson stars in the new “Gossip Girl” reboot, now streaming on HBO Max. (Vanity Fair)
• Another Oak Park actress, Betty White, will be the subject of Little Golden Book out this fall. (WKBW)
• Trinity High School librarian Mrs. McGreal won a full set of the Lincoln Award books for the school library. (Trinity High School)

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For sale:

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That's all for your weekend edition of the Oak Park-River Forest Patch Daily. It's always a pleasure to curate the news for you. See you Monday!

-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.