Mayor issues proclamations for Oct. 7 remembrance, Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Banned Books Week

Mayor Nancy Rotering opened the city council meeting on Sept. 25 with three proclamations recognizing a day of remembrance for the Oct. 7 attacks, Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Banned Books Week.

On the Oct. 7 proclamation the mayor said the city "pays tribute to the memory of those whose lives were so brutally taken" on Oct. 7, 2023, and "honors the 48 people who are still held hostage, and denounces antisemitism and all acts of hate against our Jewish community." Rotering said the proclamation designates Oct. 7, 2025, "as a day of remembrance and solidarity with our Jewish community."

For Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October), the mayor read a proclamation noting the scope of intimate partner violence and urging residents to learn about resources. Sally Pasecki Steele, director of the domestic violence law practice at the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic (NSLAC), accepted the proclamation and described a recent case the clinic handled. Steele said NSLAC offers "free legal representation" and trauma-informed social work supports and provided a contact number: (847) 737-4042 and the website nslegalaid.org.

The third proclamation recognized Banned Books Week, Oct. 5-11, 2025, and the council invited Heidi Smith, executive director of the Highland Park Public Library, to accept the proclamation. Smith said libraries "are one of the few spaces where ideas of all kinds can coexist" and that banning books disproportionately affects underrepresented voices. Smith encouraged residents to view displays of challenged books and consult the American Library Association's Banned Books Week resources at bannedbooksweek.org.

The proclamations were read into the record and the city noted it had shared the Oct. 7 proclamation with neighboring communities to encourage regional solidarity.