Village of Oak Park announcements - Feb. 14, 2013

Courtesy Village of Oak Park

Celebration to say goodbye to old ice arena

Residents are invited to be part of history on Sat., Feb. 16 as the Park District of Oak Park bids farewell to the old Ridgeland Common in preparation for a major renovation of the flagship facility at Lake Street and Ridgeland Avenue. Alumni from Oak Park River and Forest and Fenwick high schools will get things started at 4 p.m. with the last hockey game played on the old rink, followed by a figure skating exhibition and public skating to music performed by Chicago Blackhawks organist Frank Pellico. Appearances by former Blackhawks players, games on the ice and photos on the Zamboni also are planned. Prizes will include an hour ice rental and a birthday party package in the activity room when Ridgeland Common reopens, as well as autographed hockey jerseys and pucks. Admission is $6 or free with a rink pass. Skate rentals are available for an additional $2 and the concession stand will be open. For more details on the event and renovation, visit www.ridgelandcommon.org.

Village Hall closed Monday

Village Hall, 123 Madison St., will be closed on Mon., Feb. 18, in observance of Presidents' Day. Regular business hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Parking Services is open until 7:30 p.m. Mondays. Should an incident that doesn't quite rise to the level of a 9-1-1 emergency occur when Village Hall is closed, residents can call the Police Department non-emergency number 708.386.3800 for assistance.

Car-sharing opportunities abound

Oak Parkers who would rather share a car than own one, have two choices. Zipcar, a for-profit, international car sharing company, and not-for-profit I-GO both offer programs in Oak Park. Zipcar has vehicles in three Oak Park public parking locations – 438 S. Taylor Ave., at Madison Street; 1118 North Blvd; and 300 South Blvd. I-Go has cars at 833 S. Euclid Ave., near the corner of Harrison Street and Oak Park Avenue; 715 South Blvd; 331 N. Harlem Ave.; 632 S. Austin Blvd.; 18 Lake St.; and at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Both companies allow users to reserve cars online by the hour, anytime of the day or night. Hourly rates include gas, insurance, reserved parking spaces and all vehicle maintenance. For more information, or to apply for membership, visit www.igocars.org or www.zipcar.com.