A Special E-News Message from Village President Catherine Adduci Regarding Face Coverings, Recreation Options, Restore Illinois, Local Businesses, Armed Services Registry, and Thank You's

May, 8, 2020

A Special E-News Message from the Village President, Catherine Adduci

COVID-19 UPDATE

May 8, 2020

Dear River Forest Residents,

Stay at Home Order & Face Coverings

Please remember:

Governor Pritzker’s stay at home order remains in effect until May 30, 2020.
Face coverings or masks are required throughout the State when in a public area and where you cannot maintain a six foot distance from one another, including grocery stores. Please click here for more information on the face covering requirement.

Making your own face covering is quick and easy - they do not need to be elaborate. Face coverings must cover your nose and mouth entirely and can include homemade face coverings. Please watch this video or click here to learn how to make your own face covering with household materials.

If you are in need of a face covering and unable to make your own or a senior or an older adult in need of additional services, such as grocery shopping or pharmacy pick up, then please call our River Forest COVID19 Senior Response Team at 708-613-1642.

Park District Green Space & Other Recreation Are Open

We do want you to enjoy the great outdoors so please go walk our parks’ pathways, run, bicycle, and enjoy all of our green space, but please remember to keep six feet apart from one another and do not socially gather. River Forest Parks facilities, including playgrounds, remain closed.

Please remember to register your bike with our new no contact online registration. Click here to fill out the form. Registration is free and easy. Don’t wait or delay to keep your bike as safe as possible.

In addition to the Governor lifting some of the restrictions on the stay at home order including golf courses, state parks, pet grooming and non essential curbside pick up at retail shops, River Forest has interpreted the order and will now allow tennis courts to open under strict guidelines.

Guidelines from the CDC and IDPH must be followed.
Play is limited to singles games and no more than ten people at a facility.
All indoor facilities including locker rooms, club houses, and social gathering areas are to remain closed.

Please click here for tips and suggestions for playing tennis during the COVID-19 pandemic from the United States Tennis Association.

Restore Illinois

On Tuesday May 5, Governor Pritzker announced “Restore Illinois: A Public Health Approach To Safely Reopen Our State”. This plan includes a five-phased approach to re-opening the State of Illinois. The plan divides the State into four regions and allows for each region to move through the phases of the plan independently from the other regions. River Forest, as a part of Cook County, is in the Northeast Region which includes Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties. All regions in Illinois are currently in Phase Two.

Shop Safe. Shop River Forest.

The Village is committed to slowly opening up our businesses successfully and safely. The Economic Development Commission of the Village organized the production of a video series to promote local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic - Shop Safe. Shop River Forest. These videos will help communicate that our businesses and owners are taking every precaution to ensure you can patronize their business in the safest way possible. River Forest small businesses are the backbone of our community. The first video in our series messages that River Forest is safely open for business.

Armed Services Registry

The River Forest Service Club continues to collect information about River Forest residents or their loved one’s military service for the purpose of recognizing those individuals before and during Memorial Day Weekend. If you or your loved one has served or is currently serving in the Armed Services, please click here to visit the Service Club’s website and register your information. In order to recognize these individuals on Memorial Day, please submit information on or before May 18th.

Thank you!

I would like to give a big thank you to teachers and nurses and ask River Forest to join me in celebrating National Nurses Week and Teacher Appreciation Week. Especially in these hard times, our teachers and nurses tirelessly serve our community.

Also, NARFE, National Active and Retired Federal Employees is celebrating Public Service Recognition Week, celebrating three million federal employees who provide vital services that benefit the entire country.

Finally, thank you to ALL of the essential workers - including mail carriers, delivery drivers, restaurant workers, and grocery store employees! These individuals continue to work for all of us. We must do our part to stay home, wear face coverings, and wash our hands for them.

Emergency Alert Sign-Up

We need your help reaching all River Forest residents. If you or someone you know does not receive Village of River Forest emergency alerts and E-News to their email inbox or phone line, including cell phones, please encourage them to sign up by visiting the Village website at vrf.us/alert. It will only take a minute to sign up. Help us keep River Forest informed.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY. Please remember to SHOP LOCAL.

Sincerely,