Anita Alverez Cook County State’s Attorney  Westside Community Justice Center in partnership with the The Oak Park Police Department and Downtown Oak Park presents:

“HELP OUT – DON’T HAND OUT’’ PANHANDLING SEMINAR

Information on:

• State & Local Laws applicable to panhandling
• The importance of NOT giving out money to panhandlers
• Alternative Assistance “Palm Cards” which list Agencies & Services that provide assistance

Please meet us at the:
OAK PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY,
834 LAKE STREET,
OAK PARK, ILLINOIS
in the VETERAN’S ROOM
on
Tuesday November 22, 2011
9 am – 11 am.

RSVP to (708) 386-7301 Westside Community Justice Center 4 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park,, Ill 60302

Wishing you a ghoulishly Spooky time on Monday, October 31st!

Ghosts and goblins are allowed out between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. in both River Forest and Oak Park and in the Village of Elmwood Park, Ghosts and Goblins may be out until 10 pm.

Horrorbles is proud to be teaming up with the Roosevelt Road Business Association & The Berwyn Development Corporation again on our annual Zombie Walk & Pub Crawl! The 12th Street Rag, Commodore Berry Post, Friendly Tap & Fitzgerald’s Nightclub all on October 29th starting at 4:00pm!

A donation of $15 will go benefit Berwyn’s very own 16th Street Theater! This includes your make-up done (If you don’t come prepared!) and food! There will be no speaking while the walk commences down Roosevelt…in the true spirit of the un-dead! Moaning and growling encouraged!

Horrorbles & The Roosevelt Road Business Association will sponsor make-up and costume staging from 4:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. at Culver’s, and Citizens Community Bank, located on Roosevelt Road.

Once properly attired, zombies will be led on a pub-crawl starting at 6:30 that will overtake the 12th Street Rag, Commodore Berry VFW Post, Friendly Tap,and FitzGerald’s. FitzGerald’s will host the catered after party with films and other un-deadly fun.

Tasty eats from local restaurants such as Paisan’s Pizza, Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits, Turano Bakery and Bodhi Thai Bistro will be available for all donors showing wristbands!

According to the Village of Oak Park, a recent rash of successful and attempted garage burglaries in one general area of north central Oak Park has the Oak Park Police urging residents to be on the lookout for suspicious persons or activities and not to hesitate to call 9-1-1 immediately if they observe anything out of the ordinary.

Overnight on October 19th, eleven garages were targeted with one or more offenders gaining entry to six garages and causing damage to five others in failed attempts to gain entry. According to an official statement, the intruders used either a pry bar or brute strength to gain entry. Among the items stolen were: golf clubs, a lawn mower, a snow blower, a bicycle and a camera.

While many garage burglaries in Oak Park occur because doors are left unsecured, Police say the garage owners in these instances had locked their doors, which is why entry was not gained to five of the garages.

“A determined thief can defeat most any kind of lock,” said Police Chief Rick Tanksley. “But as we saw in these instances, the thieves had to work for it and didn’t succeed in five of the attempts. In cases such as these, an observant property owner or neighbor willing to call 9-1-1 is the best defense.”

In addition to locking garage entry doors with deadbolts, Police also are urging property owners to install good lighting with features like motion detectors or automatic dusk-to-dawn switching.

In any case, the Oak Park Police will be stepping up patrols in alleys throughout the community.

If you have any information about these incidents or related matters please call the Oak Park Police at 708.386.3800 or e-mail police@oak-park.us.

We’ve been spending a little time down Berwyn way.  To say that Berwyn has come a long way is certainly an understatement!  One of the “Wonders of Berwyn” is our friend Aimée Sordelli.  Aimée is one of those people that you can always count upon for any civic undertaking around Berwyn.  It is with great pleasure that we cam publicize her being honored for her community service at Berwyn’s 26th Annual Charles E. Piper Award to be held on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at Pierre’s Banquets located at 3237 Harlem Ave in Berwyn, Illinois.

Hailing originally from Oak Park, Aimée Sordelli has spent her entire life in the Chicagoland area and eventually established roots in Berwyn in 1995. Aimée currently serves as a Medicare Specialist for the Patient Financial Services Department at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. Her approach to her clients is holistic, serving their mental, physical and social needs. And indeed, this all-embracing method crosses over into her volunteer life as well.

Aimée’s passion is for supporting the community, and her strength is in cultivating fellowship with others. After the tragedy on September 11, 2001, Aimée was inspired by a mission to show her gratitude to Berwyn’s emergency first responders. She founded an initiative that started as a single crock of chili for the Berwyn Fire Department and has grown to include a coordinated city-wide effort to annually provide meals for Berwyn’s fire, police and paramedics on September 11.

The theme for this years Charles E. Piper Award celebration is Down & Derby at the Berwyn Jockey Club and will feature a Kentucky Derby theme complete with horse races, casino games, a grand prize drawing and a silent auction fundraiser for the Berwyn Development Corporation.  Derby attire, including pastel and brightly colored dresses and suits and iconic hats, is highly encouraged.

To purchase event tickets, make a donation to the silent auction, or obtain additional information on the 26^th Annual Charles E. Piper Award Dinner and fundraiser, contact the Berwyn Development Corporation at (708) 788-8100 or info@berwyn.net. This year, the grand prize drawing has been opened early. Tickets to win an iPad 2, Wii, diamond necklace and more can be purchased at the BDC or online at www.berwyn.net, click on the pink hat in the lower right side of the page.