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PEOPLE AND PLACES Four Illinois Agencies Go for the Gold Four Illinois park and recreation agencies are among the 20 finalists for the 2004 National Gold Medal Awards. The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration announced the finalists in late April. At its national congress in October, the National Recreation and Park Association will award gold medals to the five agencies judged the best in their population classification. Illinois is represented by the Schaumburg Park District in Class III (50,000 to 100,000); the Glen Ellyn Park District in Class IV (25,000 to 50,000); and the Bloomingdale Park District and the Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Department in Class V (less than 25,000). Selection of the Grand Award Winner in each class will be based upon service, diversity, continuing development, extent of future planning, degree of participant involvement and citizen support. Porter Athletic Equipment Company and Musco Lighting sponsor the Gold Medal Awards program. _______________________________ New Aquatic Supervisor for Woodridge Park District
In January, Amanda Nichols joined the Woodridge Park District staff as the aquatic supervisor. Her responsibilities include hiring over 150 seasonal staff, overseeing Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park and Hobson Pool, along with coordinating aquatic
programs and special events. Nichols is certified as an Ellis and Associates Lifeguard Instructor and Aquatic Facility Operator. She graduated from Illinois State University with a major in recreation and parks administration with emphasis in commercial recreation and program management. Nichols worked eight seasons with the Woodridge Park District including roles as pool manager and lesson coordinator.
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Can You Find "The Outlaw" in this Photo?
Illinois park and recreation agencies' golf courses are so obviously on par with private clubs that even members of the "tony" set find them challenging. Still, Winnetka Park District Director Liza McElroy and Park Board Trustee Mary Garrison were more than a little surprised to find country music star Willie Nelson in the foursome just ahead of them when they hosted IAPD President Ted Flickinger and his wife Judy to a round at the district's 18-hole course last summer. Nelson was in the area for a concert and had four new fans in attendance that evening.
_______________________________ IPRA Announces Newly Certified Professional Chyenne Bebar, CPRP, Batavia Park District 38 ¦ Illinois Parks and Recreation IAPD Team Store Allows Agencies to Save Dollars on Athletic Equipment
IAPD has recently partnered with the Sport Supply Group, BSN Sports and eSportsonline.com to bring agencies low prices on high-quality sports equipment. Orders placed at the IAPD's web-based Team Store automatically receive an additional 10 percent discount. Sport Supply Group, the nation's largest direct marketer of institutional sports equipment, has supplied athletic equipment, clothing, and premium products to corporations, school districts, park and recreation departments, and youth programs for more than 25 years. To make purchases, go to the IAPD's web site at www.ILparks.org and scroll down to the information about the store. Click the IAPD Team Store logo, and you'll be directed to the on-line storefront, where you can view more than 8,000 products and place your order. To phone in an order, call 800-527-7510. Be sure to give the code "A3" to receive your IAPD 10 percent discount. _______________________________ IAPD Establishes Chicago-Area Presence
Sue Beard, Educational Services Director for the IAPD, has moved to the Chicago area to better serve the northern Illinois membership. She shares the IPRA office located at 106 N. Schmale Road in Carol Stream. "IAPD now has a presence in the Chicagoland area to service our existing membership and to try to increase associate membership," says Beard. She adds that the new office will assist in streamlining the planning for me IAPD/IPRA annual joint conference. Sue can now be reached at (630) 725-0141, extension 132. Her email, sbeard@ILparks.org, remains unchanged. May/June 2004 ¦ 39 Free Pest Control Handbook Available for Park and Rec Agencies A Chicago-based nonprofit organization working to reduce possible health and environmental risks associated with pesticide use is hoping to make it easier for park districts to try natural pest control methods before resorting to chemical applications. Integrated Pest Management for Park Districts, an 80-page manual, is available as a free download on the Safer Pest Control Project's web site at www.spcpweb.org. The manual was written in consultation with University of Illinois Extension specialists and board certified entomologists along with input from Rick Stumpf, director of parks and planning at the Park District of Highland Park, and Fred Gullen, superintendent of park services at the Glenview Park District. It contains strategies for eliminating or reducing undesirable weeds, insects and wildlife and controlling plant diseases. Monitoring forms and a product supplier list are also included. _______________________________ Elk Grove Hires New Superintendent
Edward Dalton has
joined the senior
management team of the Elk Grove Park District by accepting a position as the district's new parks superintendent. He is responsible for maintenance and improvements of all district grounds, its fleet and facilities. He also plans capital investments and oversees the preventive maintenance and
internal work order systems. Dalton has over 20 years of parks experience. He most recently was the park operations manager at the Arlington Heights Park District, and he was employed by the Elk Grove Park District from 1989 to 2000 as part of the horticulture and park maintenance teams.
40 Illinois Parks and Recreation Mokena Community Park District Opens Disc Golf Course
The Mokena Park District is proud to present its newest facility, "The Oaks" disc golf course, at 10925 La Porte Road in Mokena, which debuted on May 2. The Oaks is a 27-hole course located on 35 acres. The course offers 54 tee boxes catering to the recreational, amateur and professional player. Because of the rolling terrain, length of course and the obstacles presenting unique challenges, it promises to be one of the premier courses in Illinois. The signature hole, one of the main attractions, offers a basket built into a hill hidden by trees.
Disc golf was established as a sport in 1976. More than 20,000 people on five different continents play the game, which challenges throwers to make par by throwing discs into targets made of metal baskets hanging from chains, which serve to catch the discs.
_______________________________ Olympic Fields Park District Receives Grant to Buy 25 Acres, Expands Spirit Trail Park With Governor Blagojevich proposing to eliminate funding for two major programs for acquiring and enhancing open space, the Olympia Fields Park District, with support from the Thorn Creek Ecosystem Partnership, has received a state grant to buy 25 acres of forest and wetland. The park district recently used the grant to acquire the parcel along Butterfield Creek from CorLands, a nonprofit conservation organization that bought the land on behalf of the park district two years ago. Adjacent to the district's Spirit Trail Park north of U.S. Route 30 and west of Olympian Way, the purchase will expand the park to more than 35 acres. "This has been a high-priority acquisition for us," said Mary Gregoire, director of the park district. "The park district had applied for an acquisition grant as much as 25 years ago, but we didn't get the funding at that time. Acting on our behalf, CorLands seized an opportunity to buy the parcel and leased it to us so that we could pursue grant funds to buy the land." The grant was in the amount of $157,500. Applying it to the $216,000 the park district paid in purchase price and CorLands' fees means the total cost to taxpayers was only $59,000. According to Ms. Gregoire, the park district envisions that the addition to Spirit Trail Park will provide opportunities for passive recreation and environmental education. The grant that made the purchase possible was issued through the state's Conservation 2000 program, whose goals include protecting and enhancing watershed resources, improving water quality, protecting natural areas and providing long-term solutions to flooding issues. "These sorts of grants are really the bread and butter of local governments' conservation efforts," said Jerry Adelmann, executive director of CorLands. "Fortunately, the Conservation 2000 grant program is not currently threatened by the governor's proposed budget cuts for conservation. But other widely used grant programs, among them the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Fund, are. We would hate to see conservation projects like those of the Olympia Fields Park District and others become jeopardized, which will be very likely if the budget cuts go through."
May/June 2004 ¦ 41 Rockford Designated as "Sportstown USA"
Rockford, Illinois is the state's one and only Sportstown USA. Last month, the Rockford Park District received notice that the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) chose the city as the state's "Sportstown USA." As part of Sports Illustrated's 50 th anniversary, the magazine teamed with NRPA to discover the nation's top sports towns. During the year, each edition of Sports Illustrated features a state's Sportstown USA. Rockford represented Illinois in the April 5 issue.
During the confirming telephone call, Dr. Kathy J. Spangler, National Partnerships Director for NRPA said, "We were supremely impressed and overwhelmed with the quality of applications we received from 250 communities from all fifty states." When notified of the district's selection. Park Board President Laura Pigatti Williamson commented, "We have believed for some time that the Rockfofd community is the amateur sports capital of the Midwest, but this is a fantastic opportunity to gain national visibility for our community. We are proud of this designation and recognition." Up to 10 finalist communities were designated in each state, but only Rockford was selected as the one Illinois community to be featured in the 50 Anniversary Sportstown commemorative edition, which will be published in July with a fold-out map of each state and community designated. Dr. Spangler remarked that the competition for Sportstown designation was fiercest in Illinois, with 357 members of Illinois Parks and Recreation Association and the Illinois Association of Park Districts, including park districts, forest preserves, recreation departments, and natural resource agencies in the state, many of whom submitted an application for consideration. The application involved 26 questions regarding philosophy, policies and procedures, education and training, youth development, community commitment to parks and recreation resources, innovations for community involvement and scope of programming.
Coverage of the Rockford community is available for viewing on Sports Illustrated's 50 Anniversary web site www.si.com/50.
42 ¦ Illinois Parks and Recreation New Executive Director at the Helm in Alsip
Ed Hersch began his tenure as executive director at the Alsip Park District in January. He comes to the district after serving 10 years as the director of the Pearland, Texas Parks and Recreation Department. Prior to that, he was the superintendent of recreation for the City of Des Moines, Iowa, where he moved after being superintendent of recreation at Piano, Texas. He is a native of Buffalo, New York. He has a B.A. from Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls, New York and an M.S. in recreation from the University of North Texas. "The commissioners are excited with the progressive direction that the district will follow under Ed's leadership," says Board President Liz Pickar. _______________________________ Urbana Hires New Executive Director Vicki J. Mayes joined the Urbana Park District as executive director on March 15. She was most recently Superintendent of the Lafayette, Indiana Parks and Recreation Department and has held positions in both the Indianapolis and Bloomington, Indiana Parks Departments. Mayes has a strong interest in encouraging active lifestyles and an extensive background managing recreation programs and park development. She has served as president of the Indiana Parks and Recreation Association and received their professional of the year award. Mayes holds both a bachelors degree in recreation administration and a masters of public administration from Indiana University. _______________________________ Correction
The last issue of Illinois Parks & Recreation magazine incorrectly
credited the Byron Park District with
providing the cover photo of the
Prairie View Golf Course. The
photo, in fact, came courtesy of the
Byron Forest Preserve District,
which owns the course. Focus
Marketing of Dixon, Illinois snapped the picture. The editor
apologizes for the error.
May/June 2004 ¦ 43 |
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