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PEOPLE AND PLACES
IAPD General Counsel Peter Murphy has become a fellow of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. His induction was part of the academy's annual meeting held in conjunction with the NRPA Congress in October. Murphy has been with the IAPD since 1980. He carries out the association's advocacy initiatives and provides legal counsel to the association and its members. To keep IAPD and IPRA members informed of legislation that affects parks and recreation, he produces electronic legislative alerts and updates and writes the Statehouse Insider column for Illinois Parks & Recreation magazine. At the national level, he has served as a member of the National Recreation and Park Association's National Issues Action Committee and has served as chairman of the American Park and Recreation Society's Legislative Committee. In 1991, he helped form the Illinois Association Risk Services Pool (IPARKS), which has more than 155 agency members. In 1995, he was elected chairman of the American Public Excess Entity Pool, with assets of over $100 million. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1986, the American Society of Association Executives designated him as a certified association executive. His latest book, The Park District Code 2004 edition will be available this month. The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration encourages scholarly efforts to advance knowledge related to administration of park and recreation agencies by sponsoring seminars, conducting research and -, publishing the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. Membership is limited to 125 distinguished park and recreation professionals with no less than 15 years experience as a high-level administrator.
Two Illinois Agencies Take NRPA Gold
DeKalb took the Class IV medal given to a district that serves a population of between 25,000 to 50,000 people. Itasca was honored in Class V, for districts that serve less than 25,000 people. The Sports Foundation, Inc. of the National Sporting Goods Association partners with the NRPA to recognize the best agencies each year. The competition annually solicits entries from 4,800 communities and 7,000 park and recreation administrators from across the country. Other Illinois finalists for 2003 included the Naperville Park District, the Schaumburg Park District, the Glen Ellyn Park District, the Bloomingdale Park District and the Frankfort Square Park District. New Director Takes Charge at Roselle
Roselle Park District hired Tom Kruse, CPRP as its director of parks and recreation in November. Kruse holds a B.S. from Illinois State University. He started his career in 1973 with the Chicago Park District. He then worked with the Hanover Park, Arlington Heights, and Mt. Prospect Park Districts. Since 1982, Kruse has worked as director with the Belvidere, Clyde, LaGrange Park Districts in Illinois and the Greater Vallejo Recreation District in California. He is a member of NRPA, CPRS, and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. In 1989, he was elected president of IPRA, during which time he instituted Illinois' Distinguished Agency Program. In 1993, during a six-year hiatus from the field, he worked as a team development consultant with Andersen Consulting. During this period, Kruse served a six-year term as a commissioner with the Naperville Park District, including serving one year as president. As a Naperville commissioner, he was awarded IAPD's "Outstanding Commissioner" recognition three times.
38 | Illinois Parks and Recreation New Superintendent for NWSRA
The Northwest Special Recreation Association recently hired Jim Wiseman as its new superintendent of recreation. Wiseman had been employed with Special Olympics - Wisconsin, where he served as director of sports management for 13 1/2 years. Prior to that, he had been employed with NWSRA in various positions from 1984 to 1990. Wiseman helps coordinate agency operations and oversees inclusion services.
Forest Preserve Land Deals to Net 400+ Acres for Conservation
In October, the Lake County Forest Preserve Board of Commissioners approved a 7-acre addition to Grassy Lake Forest Preserve near Barrington that expands the ecologically valuable Preserve to 558 acres and protects woodlands and wetlands. Reports show that the state threatened Sandhill Crane has been spotted nesting on or near the site, which boasts large scattered oaks and a portion of an Advanced Identification (ADID) wetland complex that contains a high-quality sedge meadow. The $415,000 land buy increases the total acres of forest preserves in Lake County to 24,773. In Kendall County, the Kendall County Forest Preserve District and the City of Yorkville will be the ultimate beneficiaries of a three-part purchase agreement between the Chicago Area Council of Boy Scouts and CorLands, a Chicago-based nonprofit conservation group. The scouts will sell the 408-acre Hoover Outdoor Education Center -prime riverfront property in Yorkville — to the conservation group, who is buying the land on behalf of the city and the forest preserve district. The total purchase price will be S18 million. The Conservation Fund also helped finance the first phase of the purchase agreement, which was completed late last year.
Conservatory Hosts GIANT Exhibit
Conservatory (300 North Central Park Ave.) hosts an exhibit that features the first-ever display of new African dinosaurs and renders skeletons as garden sculptures. GIANTS: African Dinosaurs at the Garfield Park Conservatory brings together six life-sized African dinosaur skeletons and showcases the first flying reptile from Africa. It also includes conceptual artistic pieces designed to mimic plants and trigger the imagination. The thigh bone of a 33-foot-tall rearing plant-eater reappears in another part of the exhibit in a "femur field." A massive six-foot skull of the T-rex-sized predator Carcharodontosaurus lurks behind leaves—and floats overhead as a twisting mobile. In GIANTS, reeds and cattails grow along the banks of an indoor pond. And so do dinosaur tails.
GIANTS was created by Project Exploration, a Chicago-based nonprofit science education organization dedicated to making science accessible to the public, and is presented through the support of ComEd, an Exelon Company, and The Boeing Company. More information is available at www.dinogiants.org. GIANTS, an exhibit that presents dinosaur bones as art forms, runs through September 6 at the Garfield Park Conservatory. February 2004 | 39
Grant Application Process To Begin in April
PowerPlay! is a grant program designed to initiate and support after-school programs in park and recreation agencies over a three-year period. IAPD administers this program, which gained its funding from the Illinois Attorney General's Office as part of an and-trust settlement with vitamin manufacturers. This will be the final year that the grants may be funded from that settlement. Each agency may receive $13,200 to conduct a model after-school program that encourages youth to develop healthy habits by eating well, recognizing the benefits of physical fitness and saying no to drugs and alcohol. All park and recreation agencies in Illinois are eligible for PowerPlay! grants, including park districts, forest preserves, conservation districts and city recreation agencies. The following agencies received funding during the first two years of this program: Bensenville Park District, Bloomingdale Park District, Champaign Park District, Champaign-Urban a Special Recreation, Channahon Park District, Chicago Heights Park District, Downers Grove Park District, Frankfort Park District, Fox Valley Park District, Gurnee Park District, Hollis Park District, Itasca Park District, Maywood Park District, New Lenox Park District, Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association, Oakbrook Terrace Park District, Peoria Park District, Rockford Park District, Schaumburg Park District, St. Charles Park District, Wauconda Park District and Waukegan Park District.
The Survey Says...
According to the findings, most ordinances require developers to donate between 5.5 and 10 acres for parks or preservation purposes for every 1,000 residents a development brings to the community. In lieu of land, developers in these communities may donate, on average, $94,594 per acre to be set aside. But those answering the survey caution that the ordinance needs to be regularly updated to reflect the actual, current fair-market value of land in the community. In fact, the dollar amount per acre that developers are required to donate in lieu of cash ranges from as little as $113 per acre to $500,000 per acre. Others suggest that ordinances be crafted so that the land or funds go straight to the park, recreation or preservation agency rather than to another unit of local government that may or may not be required to distribute resources. Also, some say, ordinances should be specific about the usefulness of the set aside property and whether it must be in close proximity to the new development. "Don't count detention or retention ponds for credit," advised one respondent. For the full land-cash donation ordinance survey report, check the "Research" section of the IAPD web site at www.ilparks.org/research.htm, or contact John Comerio at 217-523-4554. Lake in the Hills Has New Rec Supervisor
Lake in the Hills Parks and Recreation Department recendy welcomed a new recreation supervisor, Kimberly Ellingson. Ellingson oversees preschool and youth programs and coordinates summer camp and special events. Ellingson comes to Lake in the Hills from the Girl Scouts — Sybaquay Council, were she was resident camp director/program specialist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in sports management from Iowa Wesleyan College. 40 | Illinois Parks and Recreation Glen Ellyn Hires New Rec Supervisor
Corrine Rogers is a newly hired recreation supervisor for the Glen Ellyn Park District. Rogers is a recent graduate of Western Illinois University, completing a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation parks tourism administration. She completed her youth program internship with the Glen Ellyn Park District this past summer, assisting with the supervision of various summer camps and the production of the park district dance recital, as well as running special events. Her work experience includes working as a swim lesson instructor and later as the assistant pool manager of Spring Lake Pool and Marina in Rochelle. She was also a lifeguard at Walt Disney's Typhoon Lagoon during the 2002 summer. Her responsibilities at the Glen Ellyn Park District include preschool programming, special events, dance and a variety of specialty classes.
New Rec Supervisor Comes to Belvidere
Park Board Pres Is Distinguished Alum
Cassidy is a partner in the law firm of Cassidy and Mueller. He follows in his father's footsteps. The late John E. Cassidy, who was president of the IAPD Board of Directors in 1962, was a partner in the same law firm and served as a trustee for the Peoria Park District for nine years.
February 2004 | 41
Deerfield Seniors Enjoy New Facility
"It's been a long time coming," said Linda Gryziecki director of parks and recreation for the Deerfield Park District, who said the district has a thriving senior program.
Deerfield seniors hove a new gathering spot with the opening of the Patty Turner Senior Center, a collaborative effort between the village of Deerfield, the Deerfield Park District and the Turner family and friends.
The 16,500-square-foot building includes offices, two multipurpose rooms, a library and computer room, a kitchen and a social room complete with pool tables and a grand piano. The one-story structure has a taller center courtyard and atrium to flood the interior with natural light. A two-way fireplace provides another gathering spot for members. The center is a collaborative effort between the village of Deerfield, the Deerfield Park District and the Turner family and friends, said Gryziecki. The project also includes a remembrance garden, new pavilion area, path system and a renovated playground and cost a total of $6 million. The new building in Brickyards Park at 375 Elm St., Deerfield, is named for the late Patty Turner, a Deerfield resident and very active Deerfield Senior Center volunteer. After her death in 2000, her husband, Fred Turner, pledged to raise Sl million to support a new senior center. PHN Architects of Wheaton designed the facility. The building opened in October.
CorLands Restructures
The boards of directors of CorLands and the Openlands Project have taken the first steps to tighten their partnership with the announcement that Openlands' executive director Gerald W. Adelmann will now serve as executive director of both organizations. "At the heart of our program will be our continued partnerships with local governments and landowners to preserve open space through acquisition, technical assistance and conservation easements," he said. Openlands created CorLands in 1978 as its land acquisition affiliate and has worked closely with it over the years. Along with Adelmann, the CorLands team includes attorneys from Gardner Carton & Douglas, who serve as CorLands' legal counsel for transactions. Joe Roth continues to steward CorLands' wetland restoration and other special programs. Audrey Smith-Grey provides real estate and administrative assistance, and Erica Coslor lends her GIS expertise to planning projects. Consultant Emily Harris is assisting with planning and communications projects. To complete its professional-team, CorLands is seeking a director of land preservation. BILL Ride to Raise Funds for Illinois Bike Trails
IAPD and IPRA encourage agencies throughout Illinois to add a new event to their program guides. "Bike Illinois Land of Lincoln," or BILL, is a bicycle trek across Illinois taking place from Saturday, July 17 through Thursday the 22nd. This summer's trip is the first of a series of five annual rides across the state, each with a different route. For 2004, the trip begins along the Mississippi River in Quincy and ends in Danville, near the Indiana border. Stops are scheduled in Beardstown, Springfield, Decatur and Champaign. Entry fee for riders is $150, which includes an event t-shirt, daily routes, nightly camping facility, opening ceremony dinner, transport (sag) vehicles, water stops and transportation of gear to daily sites. Under the leadership of the Village of Orland Park Recreation and Parks Department, with joint sponsorship from IAPD and IPRA, BILL is designed to raise funds and awareness for bike trail development in Illinois at a time when funding has been cut due to state budget restrictions. BILL organizers also hope to raise money along the route to donate to greenway and trail development grants managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. For more information on the event, how to register and publicity materials, please contact Doug Boehm at the Village of Orland Park: 708-403-6276 or Dboehm@orland-park.il.us. 42 | Illinois Parks and Recreation
Trust for Public Land Expands Chicago Office
Moving over to the Trust for Public Land (TPL) is Nancy L. Kaszak, Jeffrey D. Greenspan, and Edward K. Uhlir. Kaszak, an attorney, is now TPL's director of business development for the Chicago office. Most recently she served as CorLands' executive director. She has also been the general counsel for the Chicago Park District and a state representative, serving the north side of Chicago. Greenspan was most recently general counsel and director of land acquisitions at CorLands. He has 20 years of legal experience serving suburban local governments. He is senior project manager for the Trust for Public Land Chicago office. Uhlir has 25 years of planning experience with the Chicago Park District and with the Millennium Park project. He will continue to serve as the design lead for the Millennium Park Project as a consultant to the City of Chicago and the Millennium Park donors. He most recently headed the Lake County Pilot Project and was the director of land acquisition planning for CorLands. He will have similar duties at the Trust for Public Land Chicago office. The Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit organization that specializes in the conservation of real estate, applying its expertise in negotiations, public finance and law to protect land for people to enjoy as parks, greenways, community gardens, urban playgrounds and wilderness. Chris Slattery heads the Chicago office. TPL partnered with IAPD to produce the report, Illinois Land at Risk: A Statewide Assessment of Public Parks and Green Space Needs.
Crystal Lake Park District Hires New Rec Supervisor
Buffalo Grove Promotes Two, Hires New Aquatics Coordinator
Aly Selling was promoted to performing arts dance/theatre camp coordinator at the Buffalo Grove Park District. Selling has been with the district since 1999, when she started as a part-time counselor for drama camp. She was promoted to assistant director in the summer of 2000, and then promoted to a full-time position in October, 2003. She received her degree in elementary education and theatre from Loyola University, Chicago. A resident of Palatine, Selling is a member of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and Suburban Park and Recreation Association.
Chris Eckert was promoted to recreation supervisor in December 2003. Eckert has been with the Buffalo Grove Park District for the last two years as a site director for the district's Clubhouse Program and also as the athletic assistant for the district's athletic department for the last six months. Eckert's primary responsibilities include the supervision of the youth and adult soccer programs, as well as managing adult and youth general programming. Eckert received a degree in education from Illinois State University. Eckert is a member of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and the Suburban Park and Recreation Association.
Chuck Burgess was hired in December 2003, as the aquatics coordinator at Buffalo Grove. His primary responsibilities include the supervision of aquatic staff, coordination of the swim lesson program and the implementation and supervision of aquatic special events. Prior to his position at Buffalo Grove, Burgess worked for the parks and recreation department with the City of Trussville, Alabama, where he was responsible for all aspects of the aquatics department, as well as the supervision of the youth basketball and adult softball programs. He received his bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of Montevallo (AL). A resident of Chicago, Burgess has been in the aquatic field since 1993. He is a member of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and the Suburban Park and Recreation Association. February 2004 | 43 |
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