FROM THE EDITOR

Between rounds and all his other duties, Brandon Evans, the general manager and head golf professional at Woodridge Park District's Village Greens of Woodridge, can be found planting annuals to gussie up the course.

Down in Springfield, Master Gardener Dave Kiliman spent part of his summer coordinating the installation of a demonstration rain garden at the park district's century old Washington Park. The garden is a joint effort between the park district's botanical garden, the University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit Master Gardeners and the Springfield/Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission. The lieutenant governor's Rain Garden Initiative kicked in some of the funding.

And then, of course, are the stories so many of you send me about the shy kid you found hiding in one of the shadowy corners of your rec center years ago during a session of tiny tumblers. That kid (you fill in the appropriate name for your agency) is off to college this fall and is majoring in park and recreation management, after having been a day camp counselor at your agency for four summers and leading three sessions of aerobics three days a week for years. (If that story sounds facetious, flip to the People and Places section of this issue, where, under the headline "Bloomingdale Park District Names New Director," you'll see a photo of one such erstwhile youngster with a similar story.)

The work of police and fire departments, zoning boards, the regional transportation authority and the mosquito abatement district may touch our lives in significant (though sometimes subtle) ways every day. These units of local government work to form a viable town, city or village.

But we're lucky. We, along with our colleagues at the school and library districts, are associated with a unit of local government that turns a town, a city or a village into a true community. The ways we foster and build on that goodwill is what this issue of Illinois Parks & Recreation is about. In these pages, you'll find stories on how agencies provide services and form mutually rewarding partnerships that deeply connect with people; that bond them to their neighbors; that make them wiser, healthier and happier.

I hope the articles remind you of the good works you do and inspire you to try even more.

Let's do what we can to help people love their parks and their communities. And, who knows? Just like in Woodridge and Springfield, when we do the job right, they might just send us flowers.

— ROOD WHELPLEY
Editor

OFFICES 217.523.4554 FAX 217.523.4273 E-MAIL rwhelpley@ILparks.org WORLD WIDE WEB www.ILparks.org www.ILipra.org MAIL 211 East Monroe Street Springfield, Illinois 62701-1186 Managing Editor TED FLICKINGER, President and Chief Executive Officer, IAPD Editor RODD WHELPLEY, Publications Director, IAPD Graphic Design GOSS GRAPHIC DESIGN 217.423.4739 www.gossgrfx.com Advertising Sales Representative BETH SALTZ Arlington Publishers Representatives P.O. Box 1555 Arlington Heights, Illinois 60006 847.509.9810 FAX: 847.509.9816 bsaltz@arlpub.com JOINT EDITORIAL COMMITTEE       IAPD Representatives ANN AUSTIN Rock Island Park and Recreation District RHONDA BROWNE Hazel Crest Park District MARY ANN CHAMBERS Northbrook Park District WALLY FRASIER Mundelein Park and Recreation District	ROBERT GELWICKS Downers Grove Park District MIKE KROST Chillicothe Park District       IPRA Representatives LAURA BARRON, CPRP Oakbrook Terrace Park District ARNIE BIONDO Carol Stream Park District CHERYL CRISMAN, CPRP Plainfield Park District MIKE DOTY, CPRP Sun City, Huntley ELSA FISCHER, CPRP Northbrook Park District JAMES ROGERS, CPRP Elmhurst Park District ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF PARK DISTRICTS MIKE KROST Chairman Chillicothe Park District COLETTE M. KUBIESA Chairman Elect Elmhurst Park District SCOTT TRIPHAHN Immediate Past Chairman Hoffman Estates Park District WALLY FRASIER Vice Chairman Mundelein Park and Recreation District LINDA JOHNSON Vice Chairman Crete Park District GEORGE LONGMEYER Vice Chairman Schaumburg Park District	WILLIS "BILL" LOGAN Treasurer Springfield Park District CHRIS RILEY Sergeant at Arms Decatur Park District DONALD V. ANDERSEN Oak Lawn Park District MARY ANN CHAMBERS Northbrook Park District CARL FLOWERS Carbondale Park District DAVID HANSON Itasca Park District JERRI-LYNN KEINA Alsip Park District MICKEY MACHOLL Hanover Park District NATE MARTIN Rockford Park District LOIS NICKSON Macomb Park District JOSEPH PETRY Champaign Park District D. DEWEY PIEROTTI JR. Forest Preserve District of Dupage County ROBERT SMITH Arlington Heights Park District IAPD HEADQUARTERS 211 East Monroe Street Springfield, IL 62701-1186 217.523.4554 www.ILparks.org TED FLICKINGER, Ph.D., CPRP, CAE President and Chief Executive Officer CINDY DEITERS Marketing Specialist	BOBBIE JO HILL Public Relations Manager ALAN HOWARD Business Manager SHERRI KHILE Executive Secretary PETER M. MURPHY, CAE General Counsel SHANNON SARTAIN Legal Secretary SUE TRIPHAHN, CMP Educational Services Director RODD WHELPLEY Publications Director ILLINOIS PARK AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION TRACEY M. CRAWFORD, CPRP, CTRS Chairman NSSRA AMY CHARLESWORTH, CPRP Immediate Past Chairman Rolling Meadows Park District CHERYL CRISMAN, CPRP Plainfield Park District CARRIE HAUPERT, CPRP Village of Hinsdale JOHN McGOVERN NSSRA CAROLYN NAGLE, CTRS, CPRP Fox Valley SRA RON OESTREICH, CPRP Bollingbrook Park District ROBERT ORSI, CPRP Geneseo Community Park District	LORIKAY PADEN, CPRP University of Illinois RON SALSKI, CPRP Wheeling Park District MIKE TOOHEY, CPRP Wheaton Park District IPRA HEADQUARTERS 1815 S. Meyers Rd., Suite 400 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 630.376.1911 www.ILipra.org WILLIAM J. M. WALD, CAE, CPRP Chief Executive Officer MATT BARBER, CPRP, MS Research and Resources Manager NANCY BOYK Office Assistant DOROTHY BRINK Executive Assistant DEAN COMBER Information Technology/ Project Management Director DIANE FRANDSEN Education & Conference Assistant DINA KARTCH Education & Conference Director NICK LAU IT Specialist MIKE SELEP, CPRP Professional Services Director HEATHER WEISHAAR Development & Project Director

Illinois Park and Recreation
(ISSN 0019-2155) is published bimonthly at 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois, by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. Annual subscription rates: $6 for IAPD/IPRA members; $25 for non-mernbers; $30 foreign; $20 educational institutions. Single copies: $2 members; $5 nonmembers. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, Illinois and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Illinois Parks & Recreation, 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, 1L 62701-1186. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily express the official views of the IAPD/IPRA. Likewise, the publication of any advertisement is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product or services offered. Members of the IAPD and the IPRA and other interested persons are encouraged to submit articles and illustrative photos for possible publication in the magazine. Send for manuscript guidelines and deadline dates: Editor, Illinois Parks & Recreation, 211 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1186, 217.523.4554, rwhelpley@ILparks.org, www.ILparks.org. By submitting articles for publication, authors are assigning the copyright to the Illinois Association of Park Districts.

Copyright by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. All rights reserved. Reprints of articles in whole or in part without prior written permission are prohibited.

4   I l l i n o i s   P a r k s   &   R e c r e a t i o n   www.ILipra.org