Universal Preschool Mention in State of the Union Encouraging to Advocates

Endorsement of effort by President Barack Obama comes as Oak Park, Forest Park prepare to expand, initiate programs.

Update as of 10:30 a.m. Thursday Feb. 14: A vote on the Collaboration's program will come at the Feb. 28 meeting, school board president Terry Finnegan said. He noted that no one is against the concept; it's a smart investment. The issue at hand is the eligibility of using funds from the high school district for this purpose. President Barack Obama’s ringing endorsement of universal preschool during his State of the Union Address couldn’t come at a more opportune time for advocates in Oak Park and Forest Park. “It’s great that he put that at the forefront of the national conversation. The data is so clear that this is an issue that can and should receive support across the spectrum. This should be something that everybody can get behind,” …

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Oak Park Woman Looks to Light Up the Town in Support of Newtown, CT

Lighting candles on door stoops, an Idea begun by Rachel Rettberg, will keep victims and families in the minds and hearts of area residents this holiday season.

As in so many efforts, mothers seem to light the way. And like so many others, Rachel Rettberg felt helpless in the wake of the horror that struck Newtown,  CT Dec. 14. Rettberg has three sons. One, Charlie, is 8, about the age of those who died. She felt it must have been mortifying to parents who found that their children were not coming home. And no matter where she was or who she was talking with, the shootings were on people's minds. But unlike natural disasters, where people can donate money, there didn't seem to be things that she could do to show that the victims and the town were on her mind. Then the day after the shootings she found a way. During a visit to St. Giles Parish on Saturday, her oldest son J.P., who is 10, asked to …

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Park Board Suspends Consideration of Shared Facility at Village Hall

Decision, shared with District 97 and village officials, does not rule out consideration of other options at some point.

The Park District of Oak Park has suspended exploring a shared administrative facility with Elementary District 97 in a village hall parking lot, officials said Friday. That doesn't rule out the possibility of looking at another location for a shared administrative facility with the elementary system, park district officials said. The park board had a heart-to-heart on the direction it wanted to go with this site and weighed the potential benefits and challenges of the village lot, said Jan Arnold, the park district's executive director. "They felt it was not the right fit for them to move forward at this time," Arnold said. The announcement follows a discussion during an executive session at the Nov. 15 Park Board meeting, according to a …

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Residents Question Viability of Park, School Shared Facility

Parking, traffic, feasibility of sale of administration buildings raises concerns about the effort.

Another government building in an already congested neighborhood with parking problems would be unacceptable, residents living near Village Hall told officials looking to share a building there. During a nearly two-hour meeting at William Beye School on Nov. 10, residents peppered officials from the Park District of Oak Parkp and Elementary School District 97 about their plan for construcing a shared administrative facility behind Village Hall at 123 Madison St. Both entities have administrative offices on Madison Street, a commerce corridor that is in need of a boost. The project has been the topic of conversation on and off for some time, and with the park district and school district looking at spending a total of $3 million to renovate…

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Second Forum on Shared Facilities Set for Saturday

A second informational program on shared administrative facilities for the Park District of Oak Park and Elementary District 97 will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Beye School, 230 N. Cuyler Ave. It is open to the public.

The Week Ahead

Election Night Dinner, Watching at the Buzz: The Week Ahead

Anti-bullying video and more

“The Tyler Milsap Show” has been a popular program at Oak Park and River Forest High School. The latest episode packs quite a wallop: Tyler conducts powerful, emotional interviews with some brave OPRF students who share openly about being bullied. The show on television and the web from OPRF Studios focuses on topics important to Oak Park and River Forest high school students. The Buzz Cafe will host an Election Night 2012 dinner and watching party from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 905 S. Lombard Ave. An all-American dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and apple pie will be on the menu. Watch the election results live; licensed therapists will be available for advice and guidance - just in case. Call 708-660-0894 to make a reservation…

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Park District, D. 97 to Hold Second Forum on Shared Facilities

The event, on Saturday, Nov. 10, will be at Beye School.

A second informational program on shared administrative facilities for the Park District of Oak Park and Elementary District 97 will be conducted next weekend. The event will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 10 at Beye School, 230 N. Cuyler Ave. It is open to the public. A brief presentation will be offered on the findings as well as an opportunity for residents to ask questions and provide feedback. The park district and the elementary district are proposing the construction of a new administrative building in the parking lot south of Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St. The facility will house both districts. As part of the plan, District 97's maintenance operations would be relocated to the village's public works building on South …

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Students Encouraged to "Hoof" it to School Wednesday

Schools are participating in Walk to School Day to promote safety around schools and healthy habits.

It's not uncommon to see loads of children in Oak Park and River Forest getting to school on foot. This year, as in the past, Elementary Districts 90 and 97 are hoping that all students will use this old-time method of transportation Wednesday to get to promote both health and safety. It's Walk to School Day, which since 1997 has encouraged alternate modes of transportation - namely walking - to make routes safer, get more youngsters into the habit of walking and clean up the air around schools. Districts see this effort as part of a serious commitment to the health and wellness of its students and that those are as important as the social, emotional and academic growth of their students, officials said. All of District 97 schools will be …

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Petitions Begin Circulating for Seats on Area School Boards

Administration buildings have all the info candidates will need to run.

Residents interested in running for their local school boards have a one-stop shop to pick up all the information they need. Administrative centers for Elementary Districts 90, 91 and 97 and Oak Park and River Forest High School currently have packets that will provide forms and other pertinent information. Petitions are currently circulating for all school board races. The election will be be on April 9, 2013. All terms are four years. Here's a rundown district by district of locations, hours and the number of seats that will expire in April 2013. For residents of River Forest, the administrative office of District 90 will be open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at 7776 Lake St. Four terms will expire: Patrick Meyer, David Latham, Roman…

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School News: D97 Referendum Suit Dismissed, OPRF Teachers to Return

Costly referendum lawsuit tossed; District 200 brings back 16 RIF'd teachers.

Both of Oak Park's school districts made headlines this week as an Illinois appellate court dismissed an appeal from individuals who wanted to block District 97’s tax rate referendum from taking effect. Shortly after voters approved the initiative in April 2011, Taxpayers United of America sued, saying the language used on the ballot intentionally misled the voters about referendum’s impact on property taxes. Circuit Court Judge Mary Mikva dismissed the suit on July 1, and an appeal was lodged later that month. TUA could have taken advantage of several opportunities to file an appellate brief, but the group repeatedly failed to meet the court’s deadlines. That led to the dismissal on April 11, district officials said. The district …

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