People, Places N' Things

THE BIG ONE DIDN'T GET AWAY! At an outing for professionals and commissioners on June 24 on Lake Michigan near Waukegan, several Coho salmon were caught, including the one shown which was landed by Ken Salus, President, Carbondale Park District Board. Pictured (left to right) are "Coho" Walt Johnson, Director, Cary Park District; Salus, and Dr. Morgan Powell, Commissioner, Champaign Park District and President-elect, IAPD. Johnson won the 1982 Waukegan News-Sun/Pepsi Cola Coho Derby with a record catch of one weighing 13 pounds, three ounces.

KOUKOS, POPE ELECTED TO NRPA BOARD — Peter J. Koukos, Highland Park, President of the Illinois Association of Park Districts, and Michael (Mick) S. Pope, a Past President of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, have been elected to the Board of Trustees of the National Recreation & Park Association.

Mr. Koukos, a graduate of the University of Chicago (MBA, 1959) and Bradley University (B.S., Economics, 1954), is a successful Chicago corporation executive and at present is a commissioner of the Highland Park District. He owns the controlling interest in two corporations, Omega, which operates four supermarkets of Konel Corporation (Hillman's) and the limited assortment store of PJ's Discount Foods (Way-Low). He also owns two other corporations, PJK, Inc. and Yankee Produce Co.

Mr. Koukos has served on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Association of Park Districts for several years and has been active on various committees.

Mick Pope, Director of Parks and Recreation of Elmhurst Park Disrict, is a leisure studies graduate of the University of Illinois with both Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from that institution.

His professional career began in Topeka, Kans., in 1963, where he served as Supervisor of Athletics, Aquatics and Day Camp. In 1967 he was appointed Director of Parks and Recreation for the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District and assumed his present position in 1973. A member of the NPRA for the past 20 years, he has served on several professional committees. He is an honorary life member of IPRA and a recipient of that Association's President's Award.

HONORED ON RETIREMENT —

Robert Lawson, Director of the Springfield Park District for 25 years, retired recently and was honored at a dinner in Springfield.

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WASHINGTON VISIT — While attending the National Parks and Recreation Legislative Reception June 16 in Washington, D.C., several Illinois parks and recreation officials met with their congressmen. Pictured (left to right) are: Dale Hench, Illinois Department of Conservation; Dr. Ted Flickinger, Executive Director, IAPD; Ron Dodd, Director, Park Ridge Recreation and Park District; Congressman Paul Findley, U.S. Representative, 20th District; Susan Rizzo, Vice-President, IAPD and Commissioner, Park Ridge Recreation and Park District; Peter Koukos, President, IAPD and Commissioner, Park District of Highland Park, and Dan Newport, Director, Winnetka Park District.

MUSIC IN THE LOOP — Franz Benteler (far right in photo), who was appointed "Chicago's Official Ambassador of Music" by the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, conducted a Chicago Park District lunch-time concert August 5 at the Daley Bicentennial Plaza in the Loop. Benteler appears in performances around the country and on TV with his renowned Royal Strings and Orchestra. He came to this country from Europe at an early age and completed one season as first violinist for the San Antonio Symphony and for several months conducted a one-man show at the Lake Club in Springfield, Illinois.

LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE — More than 200 legislators and park and recreation officials attended the Illinois Association of Park District's Annual Legislative Conference this spring at the Hilton Hotel, Springfield, Among park district officials present were (left to right): Robin Hall, Director, Urbana Park District; Pat Norris, Administrative Assistant, Champaign Park District; Susan Stone, Commissioner, Urbana Park District; Bob Seif, Commissioner, Urbana Park District; Dr. Morgan Powell, President-Elect, IAPD and Commissioner, Champaign Park District; Fred Kallmayer, Commissioner, Urbana Park District; Robert Toalson, Director, Champaign Park District, and Bruce Larson, Commissioner, Urbana Park District.

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LEGISLATIVE-AWARENESS DAY — Dr. Morgan Powell, IAPD President-elect and commissioner of the Champaign Park District, throws on the first "buffalo" steak to officially begin the buffalo tro at the Legislative-Awareness Day held July 30 at the White Pines golf course, Bensenville. Several bystanders watch with interest. More than 200 attended the event sponsored by the IAPD-IPRA and hosted by the Bensenville Park District. The purpose of the outing, as in the past, was to promote communication between local elected officials and their legislators.

PARATRANSIT BUS FOR PARK — Pictured (left to right) are RTA Board members John T. Geary and David L. DeMott. RTA Chairman Lewis W. Hill, Tony Halper (in the wheelchair), Park Director Marty Larson, Oak Lawn Park District Commissioners Donald V. Andersen, President; Alex Kazmierczak, Marjorie Ann Joy and Janet Swanson. The occasion was the demonstration of a lift-operated RTA Paratransit Bus which was presented to the park district by RTA Chairman Hill at a recent Park Board Meeting. The bus provides seating for 15 passengers as well as the lift equipment and an area with two wheel chair positions.

CONGRESSMAN HYDE VISITS PARKS — Congressman Henry J. Hyde is shown with members of the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District's Board of Commissioners on a recent tour of the District facilities at Centennial and Woodland Parks. The renovation of Centennial Swimming Pool and purchase of Woodland Park were selected because of the need for LAWCON Funds. Pictured (left to right) are Commissioner Anita Rifkind, President Richard Stranahan, Commissioner Robert Hamilton, Congressman Hyde, Commissioner and IAPD Vice-President Susan Rizzo, Commissioner Edward Farrell, Commissioner Jack Gann, and Commissioner Garrick Abezetian.

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