WonderWorks Reopens + OPRF Track Heads To State

Good morning, Oak Park and River Forest! Thanks for reading your Wednesday edition of the Daily.

In today’s Daily, a shuttered museum reopens, Illinois experiences drought-like conditions and local high school teams are headed to the state finals.

First, today’s weather: Clear throughout the day, with a high of 76 and low of 59.

Here are the top five stories today in Oak Park:

1. WonderWorks Children's Museum in Oak Park reopened June 11 after a long closure due to the pandemic. The museum officially opens to non-members in July. Visitors will find a new lobby, new garden, and new management at the helm. (Wednesday Journal)

2. Historic Preservation Commission member Dave Sokol is taking next steps to restore Oak Park’s main post office. The building at 901 Lake Street was built in 1936, and Sokol says it is often overlooked among the Village’s other “architectural treasures.” (Wednesday Journal)

3. Illinois is one of 30 states experiencing drought-like conditions this June. With scarce rainfall and sunny days in the forecast this week, the area remains abnormally dry for this time of year. Meteorology experts continue to monitor “moderate drought conditions” in northern Illinois. (Patch)

4. Oak Park and River Forest High School track earned the IHSA Class 3A Lane Tech Sectional title last week. OPRF is headed to the state finals at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston this Saturday. Other local high school sports teams ended their postseasons this week, including Trinity High School softball and Fenwick High School lacrosse. (Wednesday Journal)

5. The River Forest Public Library is seeking exhibitors for its “Local Spotlight” display on the second floor of the building. Local artists and non-profits can reserve the space “with the goal of providing cultural and educational enrichment to the community.” (RFPL)

Today in Oak Park:

• Eat at Q-BBQ to support a Ten Thousand Villages fundraiser. (All day)
• Forest Preserves of Cook County hosts “Recycling 101.” (Noon)
• Children ages 5-10 can join River Forest Public Library for a virtual dinosaur Lego event. (3:30 p.m.)
• The Liquor Control Review Board will meet remotely. (5:30 p.m.)
• “Reclaiming Our History: Telling the Story of Westgate” will be held in honor of Juneteenth. (7 p.m.)

Oak Park Patch Notebook

• Famed Oak Park architect Frank Lloyd Wright is making headlines more than 100 years after an affair with a client scandalized the neighborhood. (Chicago Sun-Times)
• Girl Scouts of the USA is reporting 15 million unsold boxes of cookies due to pandemic safety challenges. (Chicago Tribune)
• The Village of Oak Park is offering tips to help households conserve water during the summer season. (Village Facebook)
• There’s about one week left to view the Oak Park Art League exhibit “Contemporary Prairie.” (OPAL)
• Downtown Oak Park’s popular dine-around series, Thursday Night Out 2021 is back. (DOP Facebook)

That’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods! Though Oak Park’s own Ernest Hemingway wrote “summer is a discouraging time to work,” you make it a joy for me every day. See you back here tomorrow for the Thursday edition of the Daily.

Onward,
Georgi

About me: I am a lifelong Illinois resident with a passion for White Sox baseball, classic literature and local news. Email me at georgi.presecky@patch.com to say hello.