The National Weather Service predicting up to eight inches of snow today and tonight.  Our local municipal officials in Oak Park, River Forest & Forest Park are urging residents, merchants and visitors to plan accordingly.  When – let’s be proactive here and assume the worst – the Snow Emergency Parking Rules go into effect, cars may be towed.

Also, please be considerate of your neighbors by shoveling their sidewalks, if you’re able to do so.  You might receive some home-made goodies, or at least a smile from them.  What a wonderful way to show that you’re not such a bad neighbor.

Finally, we’ve said it before and we’ll say in again… if you experience an emergency, please dial 9-1-1;  and be sure that you’re not overexerting yourself moving the snow.  Many a heart attack comes from “just one shovel more!”

• Please pay close attention to the cold temperature and how tired you become. Don’t work to the point of exhaustion. Take breaks indoors to warm up.
• Stay hydrated – and that doesn’t mean beer or hard liquor!  You sweat more than you think while shoveling snow. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids before and after shoveling to replenish fluids lost in the process.
• Bend legs slightly at the knee, letting thigh muscles do most of the pushing and lifting work. Better yet, push the snow, do not pick it up!
• Your clothing should be well-fitting and worn in layers, and you should shed clothing as the body becomes warm. Remember, overheating puts strain on the heart. Wearing a scarf over the nose and mouth helps reduce breathing cold air, which also makes the heart work harder.

And remember… Snow shoveling is not the exercise to use to start getting in shape!  Use common sense and reach out to your neighbors both to assist and for assistance!

We often think of giving food as a seasonal event.  With the weather and everything going on in our communities, one of our loyal readers reminded me that there are families that are in need of food and other supplies – even in the heat of summer.

What might you do?  One choice is to donate non-perishable food items to one of these food pantries serving our area.

• Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry
  First United Church of Oak Park (Basement)
  848 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL
  www.oprffoodpantry.org
• Feeding Illinois
  Formerly known as the Illinois Food Bank Association
  www.feedingillinois.org
• St. Celestine Catholic Parish Alvernia Food Pantry
  3020 N. 76th Court, Elmwood Park
  www.stcelestineparish.org/Outreach/FoodPantry.htm

Your donations will be appreciated and you’ll be making a positive difference in our community.

A large music festival & carnival, Woodstars, will be coming to Proviso East High School in Maywood from 11 a.m to 9 p.m., starting on Thursday, July 28th and running through Sunday July 31st.  The website for the festival is www.woodstarsfestival.com.

Because of the large number of anticipated attendees, the Village of River Forest has implemented the following plans and procedures:

• No parking will be allowed on any streets between Hawthorne & Madison and Thatcher & Lathrop with the exception of those using the commuter parking along the north side of Hawthorne. This restriction will be in effect all day Thursday through Sunday. Those parking on the street will be subject to a ticket and potentially having their vehicle towed.
• Barricades will be placed at the entrances of all the side streets informing motorists of these restrictions and to help prevent non-resident traffic through the south side of town.
• The entrances to Washington Boulevard will be closed at Thatcher and at Lathrop.
• Residents in the south part of town are encouraged to navigate through side streets towards Lake Street to enter and exit River Forest. We strongly encourage you to stay off of Madison Street during this event.

If you are a resident of River Forest and have an event planned this weekend at your home and are planning on having guests, please call the Village of River Forest at (708) 714-3544 during normal business hours and (708) 366-7125 after hours to inform the Village of your event. Ideally, the Village of River Forest would prefer to have no vehicles parked on the streets, but realize some people may have events planned at their home. Please note that overnight parking permits will not be provided throughout the duration of the event.

For up to date information please visit the Village of River Forest’s website at:  www.river-forest.us.

GOOD BYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE

According to published accounts, River Forest Board of Trustees Hoke and Dudak are leaving the Board.  Maybe without their poison, invective and toxic presence perhaps the Village of River Forest can recover and regain a higher level of service and move forward.

FAMILIAR STORY

The story is so familiar to many of us in that uncertain age… Teenage children headed to college and a parent who suffers a fall and becomes a new part of the household.  As the newly ensconced elder relative’s health declines, taking care of them becomes a 24/7 focus from the family, friends and perhaps a hired caregiver.

As the Boomers go forward in life, the demand for informal caregivers–like family members, friends or neighbors–is expected to increase by more than 20% in the next 15 years–and by 85% in the next 40 years—according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.  Almost 62 million Americans are already caring for another adult – at least part-time.  It is an expensive undertaking.

Even caregivers who hire paid help can expect to spend an average of 24 hours each week on actual care, according to a 2007 study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare. And the 56% of caretakers who live with their charge spend more than $4,500 per year on directly-related out-of-pocket expenses such as food, transportation and medication.  And that doesn’t count the other difficult-to-detect costs such as the wear and tear of caring on your health, the ending of your career, delaying your own retirement and extra pressures from inter-family squabbles.