Saving democracy, Two Dads show how Details on page 30
W E D N E S D A Y
April 3, 2024 Vol. 44, No. 40
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of Oak Park and River Forest Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson, Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman, Oak Park Postmaster Kenya Thomas and River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci at Oak Park Village Hall.
Senior Living Page 15
OPRF details its response to school shooting threat Changes in internal, external communications underway By BOB SKOLNIK
Making history By JESSICA MACKINNON Contributing Reporter
Growing Community Media recently interviewed four powerful women leaders in our communities: Vicki
Scaman, Oak Park village president; Cathy Adduci, River Forest’s first female village president; Shatonya Johnson, Oak Park’s first female police chief; and Kenya Thomas, Oak Park postmaster. During their group inter-
Contributing Reporter
view, the women discovered that they have many commonalities, including their philosophy of leadership—and their commitment to “girlfriend time.”
As promised, the superintendent at Oak Park and River Forest High School made his report to the school board on the response of school staff and the Oak Park police department to back-to-back security challenges at the school on Feb. 14. At the school board meeting on March 21, Supt. Greg Johnson summarized the two incidents that day. The first issue led to the imposition of what is called a “secure and teach” response. It is the equivalent to a soft lockdown. It was called by school staff when officials were informed that an OPRF student had posted on Snapchat that he had a gun in his bag and was going
See WOMEN LEADERS on page 20
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