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March 24, 2026

Greetings Edgewater!

Here’s what you need to know this week:

🚯 Litter pickup: Make your Skokie neighborhood shine this spring by signing up for our Clean Green Skokie initiative.

🥦 Winter Market: Skokie’s Winter Market on Main returns this Sunday, March 29. S’mores start at 9 a.m.!

🎆 Independence Day: Support Skokie’s 4th of July Parade as a volunteer! Register today.

🏛️ Village News

A row of large brown paper yard‑waste bags filled and placed along a residential curb in front of a brick house with a garden and steps leading to the entry.

Yard Waste Pickups Begin April 1

Let the landscaping begin! Seasonal yard waste collection resumes on Wednesdays starting April 1. Please keep these guidelines in mind:

Use 32-gallon paper yard waste bags and place them at your regular trash and recycling pickup location by 7 a.m.
Branches up to 1 inch in diameter should be bundled and tied into manageable sizes
Grass clippings are not accepted—consider mulching them for natural lawn fertilization
There’s a 10-bag or bundle limit per collection

Did you know: The Village provides seasonal yard waste pickup service at no additional cost to residents. Most communities charge $1 to $4 per bag.

An office environment with cubicles, bulletin boards, and paperwork. A person stands near the center pointing upward. At the top are graphics labeled “YES” and “NO,” and a caption at the bottom reads “Replacing kitchen cabinets?”

Click image to view whole video.

Planning a Home Project this Spring? It’s Not So Tricky

Do you need a building permit for your new fence, kitchen cabinets or patio? The Village’s Building & Inspection Services team walks you through the process – literally – in this quick video.

Get started: Review more permit Dos and Don’ts before you begin your improvement project. Staff are available to assist with any questions you may have.

Why it matters: Building permits and inspections ensure Skokie homes, schools, businesses and other structures meet building codes and are safe for all occupants.

Planting a tree in the parkway, not your yard? The Village Forester oversees all parkway tree activities, including planting, pruning and removal.

COMING SOON: IMPROVED CUSTOMER PORTAL FOR PERMITS

A new customer portal for building permits, business licenses and more is coming to Skokie! On April 1, the Village’s online customer portal will be updated to make tasks faster, easier and more accessible. The portal upgrade follows the Village’s successful transition to a cloud-based portal last month.

A view along a clean downtown sidewalk with storefronts, a hanging flower basket, and a banner reading “Downtown Skokie OPEN.” Cars are parked along the street, and the area appears calm and well‑kept.

Photo by Joerg Metzner Photography

Reminder: Time to Renew Business Licenses and Rental Registration

Landlords and business owners: It’s time to renew your rental registration and business licenses!

Where to renew: Use the Village’s online customer portal or visit the permit counter at Skokie Village Hall to renew by Friday, May 1.

If you operate a short-term rental, such as an AirBnb or VRBO in Skokie, please register for the Village’s Short-Term Rental Pilot Program. Short-term rentals no longer follow the rental registration process and have their own application requirements.

🌱 Sustainability

A roadway lined with orange traffic cones where people wearing reflective vests assist drivers. A vehicle with its trunk open is being helped, and others carry boxes near parked trucks.

Spring Cleaning? Recycling Opportunities Abound!

The annual Skokie Spring Greening recycling event – happening this year on Sunday, April 12 – is incredibly popular, serving over 2,200 vehicles last year. If you can’t make it or just want to avoid the line, take advantage of these convenient, ongoing local programs.

Clothing and Textiles: Schedule a free home pickup of shoes, clothing, linens and more with Simple Recycling.
Paint: Dispose of latex, oil-based and enamel paints, stains, and more for free through PaintCare at Sherwin Williams, 4538 Oakton St.
Household Hazardous Waste: Take advantage of free drop-off locations or schedule a home-based pickup for a fee.
Electronics: The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) offers free weekly drop-off electronics recycling at its Glenview Transfer Station. Best Buy also offers electronics recycling, with a fee for some items.
Medications: The Skokie Police Department (7300 Niles Center Rd.) offers a prescription drug drop box (no liquids). Safe medication disposal is also available at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (3500 W. Howard St., near the main gate) and at the Walgreens at 3945 Dempster St. (this location only).
Plastic bags and wrappers: Check out the Hefty ReNew program to learn where to purchase collection bags and what items are accepted. This program is available to single-family homes and buildings up to four units.

PLANNING TO ATTEND THE SKOKIE SPRING GREENING EVENT?

There’s a new location for electronics and paper shredding this year: Niles North High School, 9800 Lawler Ave. All vehicles must enter onto Lawler Avenue from Golf Road – Lawler Avenue at Old Orchard Road will be closed.

View event details, see a full list of accepted materials, and sign up to volunteer (service hours available to students) on the Skokie Spring Greening website.

Next Week: Take a Mid-Construction Tour of an Energy Efficient Home

Considering renovating your home to make it more sustainable and comfortable? Join the Illinois Green Alliance and partners on Tuesday, March 31 for a mid-construction tour of a LEED-certified, low-energy single-family retrofit in Skevanston. Learn more and RSVP.

🛍️ Business and Economic Vitality

A close-up of sliced barbecued ribs showing a browned, smoky exterior and tender interior.

BBQ pork smoked spare ribs from Dewey’s BBQ Market.

From Britches to Barbecue: Dewey’s BBQ Market Plans Oakton Street Opening

Texas barbecue will be on the menu in Skokie! WTTW recently highlighted notable Chicago-area restaurant openings, including Dewey’s BBQ Market, which is planning to open at 5013 Oakton St. (the former Rich’s Britches location) later this year.

A BBQ legacy: Dewey’s owner Robert Fitzpatrick is continuing a family tradition, naming the restaurant after his father, a pitmaster at a longtime North Texas establishment known for its distinctive African American barbecue for more than 50 years.

Did you know: The Village’s Economic Vitality team supports prospective business owners like Dewey’s in finding the right location and navigating the processes of starting a new enterprise. We’re here to help!

A construction site with multiple partially built commercial structures under a bright blue sky. Workers and scaffolding are visible, along with construction vehicles, equipment, and dirt-covered ground.

What’s Coming to Touhy and Linder?

Some community members have asked: “What’s being built at Touhy and Linder?”

Answer: In October 2024, the Village Board approved redevelopment of an existing commercial property, with plans for a new Chase bank location and two restaurant retail spaces. One of the restaurant spaces will be occupied by CAVA, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant serving customizable bowls, pitas and salads. The other restaurant space is to be announced.

Stay in the know: The Village’s Building Better Skokie portal keeps you up to speed on planned and in-progress developments in Skokie.

A close-up of a plate of penne pasta topped with grilled chicken and generously covered with grated cheese and herbs, served on a white dish.

Ascione Bistro is one of the Skokie restaurants participating in North Shore Restaurant Month.

Explore Skokie Eats During North Shore Restaurant Month

Enjoy special offers at a number of Skokie dining destinations as part of Chicago’s North Shore Restaurant Month this March! Explore participating locations and offers.

A street view of Kaufman’s deli and bakery on a sunny day, showing the corner building with large windows, a stone façade, and signage. A street sign indicating Junction 41 and Skokie Boulevard stands on a lamppost nearby, along with a banner that reads “so much to explore Skokie.”

Kaufman’s Deli is one of many Skokie Dempster Street businesses highlighted by Axios.

Axios Highlights 20 Delicious Dishes On Dempster

From Georgian penovani, to plantains from West Africa, to northern Chinese breakfast crepes, Dempster Street offers a diversity of dining options hard to find anywhere else.

Tasting Tour: Axios Chicago recently highlighted 20 delectable treats on Dempster Street (free subscription required to view article) – many of them right here in Skokie!

🚔 Public Safety

A classroom-style setting where community members sit in chairs facing a presentation. A speaker stands near a large projected slide, with equipment set up on tables and windows along one side of the room.

Safe Neighborhoods: Attend Your Police Beat Meeting In April

The Skokie Police Department holds quarterly beat meetings throughout the Village to connect with residents, learn about local issues, and jointly develop solutions.

Support safe neighborhoods: View the April beat meeting schedule and find your beat using the interactive map.

🍎 Health and Human Services

community center setting with several people seated at a table covered with papers, a laptop, and informational signs about a senior health insurance consultation program. Large windows look out onto a street with trees.

Medicare 101 Seminar, April 9 and May 14

Turning 65, planning for retirement, or just want to better understand your Medicare options? Join the Skokie Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) for a free Medicare 101 seminar led by an experienced SHIP Counselor.

What to expect: This educational session provides a clear overview of Medicare and helps you make informed healthcare decisions—no sales pitch, just helpful information.

Plan to attend: Seminars will be held on Thursdays, April 9 and May 14, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., at Oakton Community Center, 4701 Oakton St. Register by calling Skokie Park District at 847-674-1500.

Looking for one-on-one guidance? Call Skokie Health and Human Services at 847-933-8252 to schedule an appointment with a SHIP Counselor.

📅 Community Calendar

EVENTS

Walk-in Wednesday vaccine clinic, March 25
Food Is Medicine: Understanding how food supports health (webinar), March 25
Winter Market on Main, March 29
Community Basketball Game: Skokie Police and Fire vs. Will’s Place and D219 Dragons, March 29
Energy efficient home tour, March 31

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Unless otherwise indicated, all meetings are held at Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton St.

Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission
March 24, 7:00 PM @ Conference Rooms D&E
Beautification and Improvement Commission
March 25, 6:30 PM @ Skokie Public Library
Commission on Family Services
March 25, 7:00 PM @ Conference Rooms D&E
Technology Advancement and Transformation Commission
March 31, 7:00 PM @ Conference Room A

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5127 Oakton St. | Skokie, IL 60077 US

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