Officials preparing for Democratic National Convention…With the Democratic National Convention taking place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, Village officials are busy preparing for potential tourism and public safety impacts that could arise as a result of the high-profile event taking place a few miles from Oak Park. The Village is working with county, state and other regional partners leading up the convention. For more information, email prepare@oak-park.us. As the convention draws near, any local updates will be posted on the Village’s social media pages and on the Village website at www.oak-park.us.
Sign up for emergency alerts…The Village maintains an alert system to notify residents when emergency situations occur. The system requires residents to register, but allows citizens to choose how they wish to be notified — by text, email and/or voice message. The system is intended for emergency notifications, not news or general information. Alerts from the Village typically include information about topics such as snow emergency parking and mosquito spraying. To sign up, visit www.oak-park.us/notifyme. Anyone who would like to sign up, but lacks access to a computer can call 708.358.5489 to be added to the voice message alert list. For more information, email prepare@oak-park.us.
Group buying for solar panels available…Oak Park residents looking to install solar panels at their home are encouraged to consider Solar Switch Chicagoland, a program that provides homeowners with affordable solar panel and battery storage system installations through a group discount. By vetting and qualifying trusted installers and using a competitive bidding process, the program ensures consumer protection and saves the average consumer more than $4,000 on a standard-sized solar installation. Oak Park residents interested in making the switch to solar energy can sign up online at www.SolarSwitch.com/chicagoland before Aug. 21.
Oak Park Film Festival accepting submissions…Organizers for the new Oak Park, IL Film Festival scheduled for Sept. 12 and 14 are now accepting submissions. The festival is open to movies of a variety of genres and lengths, each with a local connection, including cast or crew members from Oak Park or a setting or shooting location within the Village. Awards will be distributed across multiple categories. The entry deadline is July 31. Additional information about the Oak Park Film Festival is available at www.opilff.org.