Cornell, Mayo and Wilson for the Glen Ellyn Park Board of Commissioners

Since election to the Glen Ellyn Park District board in 2009, I have advocated for moving the priorities of the park district to fiscal responsibility and good stewardship of our parks and natural areas. That is why I am pleased to endorse Kathy Cornell, Gary Mayo and Chris Wilson for the park district election on April 7, 2015.

Kathy, Gary and Chris share my goals for our park district. Chris is running for her first term. Gary and Kathy were elected to the board in 2011, and in that time we have made dramatic improvements to how the park district operates. 

The District's financial position is now strong. Program revenues have increased, headcount and expenses have been reduced, the operating budget is balanced and our bond rating has been raised.

Six years ago I struggled to get clear answers on the construction costs and contractual problems with the Ackerman center, and before that the plans for Ackerman Woods. Vowing to correct this, Kathy and Gary helped to make our District a leader in transparency. Last year we won the "Sunshine Award" from the Illinois Policy Institute, one of the first park districts to do so.

We want to continue on this record and our focus on maintaining and improving our parks and natural areas. Chris brings to the board her experience as a long-time Glen Ellyn resident and volunteer in many groups, including as a past president of Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation. 

You can learn more about Kathy, Gary and Chris at http://cornellmayowilson.com. I encourage you to join me in voting for them on April 7. Early voting starts Monday, March 23 at the Glen Ellyn Civic Center. Voting hours are Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 7:30 pm  and Saturdays from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

This is a contested election, and we need your help! Please send me an email if you would like to take a yard sign or pass out literature.

Thank You,

Melissa Creech

Park District 2014 Refelctions

Glen Ellyn Park District President Gary Mayo shared his thoughts on some recent discussions at our last Board meeting. I agree with President Mayo and asked if I could share his speech on my blog. Below is his speech from "Matters from Commissioners" at the December 16,2014 Board Meeting:

With the end of another year approaching, I thought it might be worthwhile to take a few minutes to reflect on recent events at the Park District, and think about where we’re heading.

Based on the goals presented by staff and the capital projects planned, 2015 will be an ambitious and exciting year.  I truly believe that this Park District provides an incredible value to our residents, and contributes greatly to the overall quality of life within our community.  And of course when I say “we”, I am mostly referring to Dave and his fantastic staff who does the actual work, and all the volunteers who contribute their time and effort so freely to help make it all possible. We as Board members play a small yet integral part. I, for one, am proud of the role we all play in helping to make this the wonderful community that it is. 

Lately, the District seems to have generated a fair amount of controversy, at least among a vocal few, largely because of the referendum and issues related to that.  I have to say that I don’t really understand why giving our voters the opportunity to voice their opinion regarding an indoor aquatics center, which is really all the referendum did, was so controversial, but obviously it was for some people.  While it was clear that the overwhelming majority of the community did not support a $13.5 million aquatic center, and I fully accept that outcome, I am concerned that some seem to view the result as a mandate that the Park District must reduce our spending and cut taxes, without regard to all the good work we do and the mission the Park District is responsible for fulfilling.

I come away from this experience believing that there are some community members who seem to think that our top priority should be to reduce taxes.  Let me first say that I think reducing taxes is an admirable goal.  I don’t know anybody who enjoys paying their Glen Ellyn property tax bill.  However, before you can say the Park District’s tax levy should be reduced, you have to consider where the District is starting from.  Coming up 
on 4 years now on this Board, and most of that also as Board liaison to our Citizen’s Finance Committee, I know for a fact that this Park District is already extremely efficient.  

We’ve taken several steps recently to make it even more so, including reducing headcount and expenses over the last 3 years.  The budget we approved tonight reflects the fruits of those efforts.  We have one of the lowest tax levies among Park Districts in Dupage County, and it will be THE lowest, THE LOWEST, by far, when the Ackerman construction debt is paid off in a few years.  In spite of that, we have an outstanding Park District that is the envy of many other communities. Through good management, resourceful programming, and the efforts of our dedicated staff and volunteers, the District has balanced fiscal responsibility with meeting the high recreational standards expected by the Glen Ellyn community.   We certainly want to continue to be fiscally responsible and to spend our taxpayers’ dollars wisely, and reduce taxes when and if we can, but I believe we were elected to at least maintain the level of services and facilities that the community expects. And where it makes sense, we also need to continue to enhance what we offer.  Like everything else these days, if you are standing still while the rest of the world moves forward, you are really going backwards!  If we were to 
simply strive to cut taxes, without considering these other factors and the impact on the services we provide, we would NOT be leading in a way that is consistent with our mission, and NOT doing what I believe we were elected to do.Just consider for a moment if previous Board members who sat in these chairs had made 
the reduction of taxes their #1 priority –

 There would be no ASFC.  Now, were there mistakes made in building Ackerman?  Yes, to be sure, some big mistakes.  But the end result is the community now has a tremendous asset that has become a central gathering place providing healthy recreational opportunities, and it would be hard to find anyone today who thinks it shouldn’t have been built.  The center now contributes over $250,000 every year to our operations, providing funding for other District programs while also diminishing our reliance on property taxes.  When the bonds are paid off in 3 years, that money is pure profit for our taxpayers and will continue to be expended to support Ackerman and other components of the Park District.

 No Maryknoll – no mini-golf, no splash pad, no platform tennis.  Thousands of Glen Ellyn residents would be going to neighboring towns to enjoy those activities. That property would have been developed, and that valuable open space would have most likely been gone forever.

 Village Green would either be a golf learning center or some undeveloped baseball fields.   It certainly wouldn’t be the vibrant center for baseball and other recreational activities that we have today.

 Possibly no artificial turf at Memorial Field, if the Park District hadn’t agreed to contribute our fair share to benefit all the kids who use it.

 Churchill Park, Spring Avenue, Ackerman Park – there are lots of examples. 

 And if you think about it, we probably would not even have Lake Ellyn Park and the Boathouse, if somebody 100 years ago had said:  We can’t do that – it costs too much money. 

Our community has these resources today because previous Boards had VISION!  In each case, Board members at the time made a value judgment (sometimes with the help of a referendum, sometimes not; sometimes with a survey, sometimes not; and sometimes just with instinct and common sense) and they decided that these facilities and properties would enhance the community, and were worth investing community tax dollars.  If their goal had simply been to reduce taxes, those things would not be here today and those opportunities lost forever.

I believe that this Board has an obligation, as elected representatives of our community, to continue to maintain AND ENHANCE our parks for future generations.  You can bet that the communities around us are doing that, and I want Glen Ellyn to keep pace.  I truly believe the majority in our community want that too.

Just something for you all to ponder as we head into the New Year…

I hope we keep moving forward!

Glen Ellyn Park District Plans Lake Ellyn Park Improvements and Boathouse Restoration for 2015

The Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners voted to engage Conservation Design Forum (CDF) and Farr Associates (Architecture, Planning and Preservation) to begin implementing Phase 2 of the Lake Ellyn Master Plan on October 21, 2014. The $2.7 million improvements, planned for 2015-2016, will concentrate on restoration of the Lake Ellyn Boathouse as well as park areas and amenities. The funding resources were generated through non-referendum funds and operating surplus. Additionally, the Park District is in the process of seeking grants to help offset the cost of the improvements.

The Glen Ellyn Park District initiated development of a master plan for Lake Ellyn Park in July, 2012. This project went through a rigorous and thorough design and development review as the District conducted master planning meetings for the park. Numerous meetings with the neighbors and users of these parks and facilities were held with the Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners before the Board agreed on a final master plan for the site. After the extensive and inclusive planning process, a master plan was developed for Lake Ellyn Park that represents the communities input and recommendations. The plan was accepted and approved in January, 2013, by the Board. The final plan includes restoration of Lake Ellyn Boathouse.

Since its construction in 1937 as a WPA project, the Lake Ellyn Boathouse has been one of Glen Ellyn's community gems. Over that period of time, the Boathouse has had three additions/modifications including relocating the kitchen, expansion of the mechanical area and interior changes affecting many of the historic elements. The approved master plan recommended restoration and improvements to the existing Boathouse entirely within the footprint of the existing structure. No expansion of any sort is proposed and the capacity for various elements will remain essentially the same as it is today.

As described in the master plan, the Boathouse restoration and the renovation of the entire west side of the park will be done in a way that is compatible with both the historic, traditional setting of the park and with leading-edge, sustainable practices. Permeable pavement, water and energy conservation, ecological landscape enhancements, and other innovative elements will improve the water quality and habitat of the park in a visible way. These green enhancements will serve as a demonstration to the village and the region, and will allow the park to sustain for the next 100 years and beyond.

Lake Ellyn Park Improvement Plan highlights include:

• Restoration of the Lake Ellyn Boathouse
• Replacement of all trails on west side of park with permeable materials and creation of nature trails in woodland area
• Playground replacement
• Landscape enhancements including tree protection/replacement and naturalized planting
• Shore stabilization
• Installation of permeable paved sidewalk on west side of park parallel with Lenox Road

Upgrading Lake Ellyn Park and the Boathouse was identified as a top priority for the Park District in the 2012 Community and Attitude Interest Survey and prioritized by the Park Board of Commissioners. Since the master plan was approved, the Park District has identified funding and pursued implementing the restoration of the Boathouse. At a recent Board Meeting, Farr and Associates and CDF presented preliminary proposals to design and coordinate the restoration of the Lake Ellyn Park and Boathouse with the goal of beginning construction in mid-July, 2015 and completion by May, 2016.

View the Lake Ellyn Park Master Plan: http://gepark.org/assets/PDFs/Lake%20Ellyn%20Park/2013-01-14_Lake%20Ellyn%20Master%20Plan%20Final.pdf

Learn more about Conservation Design Forum: http://www.cdfinc.com/

Learn more about Farr and Associates: http://www.farrside.com/

Glen Ellyn Park District Receives Transparency Award

Pictured from Left to Right: Commissioner Pierce, Commissioner Dunn, Commissioner Mayo , Brian Costin (Director of Government Reform, Illinois Policy Institute), President Kinzler, Commissioner Creech, Commissioner Nephew.

From the Glen Ellyn Park District press release: 

GLEN ELLYN, IL – The Glen Ellyn Park District recently received a “Sunshine Award” from the Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan and nonprofit research organization, for their achievements in government transparency. The Glen Ellyn Park District is one of the first park district in Illinois to receive the award.

Several years ago, the current Park Board of Commissioners identified and established improving government transparency for the Glen Ellyn Park District as a priority. Over the past year, the Glen Ellyn Park District has worked collaboratively with Brian Costin, Director of Government Reform for the Illinois Policy Institute, to improve their online transparency and satisfy a 10-Point Transparency checklist. The Glen Ellyn Park District was successful in achieving an above passing grade, satisfying the institute’s “Local Transparency Project.”

“Online transparency is very important so citizens can partake in local government in an educated manner and to protect against corruption. To get in our Sunshine Award category, you have to get 80% or better. Out of the 350 or so government agencies we’ve evaluated, only around 45 have achieved that. I want to thank the Board for their hard work on becoming more transparent for their citizens,” said Costin.

The 10-Point Transparency Checklist measures how much public data is readily available on a government website and includes: financial audits, contact information for elected officials, information on public meetings, taxes and fees, and guidelines for citizens to access public information through the Freedom of Information Act.

“I am very ­proud of the park district for receiving this award. Our commitment to transparency is about more than just our website, but also reaching out to residents for input on important topics, broadcasting and archiving all of our meetings, and informing residents about park district news through various sources. I hope that more government agencies make the effort to operate transparently,” said Melissa Creech, Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners.

For more information on the Glen Ellyn Park District, please visit www.gepark.org or view the Park District’s transparency information at http://gepark.org/boa_transparency.html.

For additional information regarding the Illinois Policy Institute and their transparency audit, visitwww.illinoispolicy.org.

Ackerman Woods Work Day: This Saturday

There is an Ackerman Woods work day this Saturday, March 16 from 9:00-11:00 am.

Join your neighbors to help clean-up and restore the woods at Ackerman Park. Work will focus on removing invasive plant species and picking up garbage. Tools and leather gloves will be available for use. Work is geared for ages 10 and up. Scouts and volunteer organizations are welcome too!

Please send me an email if you need more information.

See you there!

Lenox Road Reconstruction

As part of their on-going street reconstruction program, the Village of Glen Ellyn will rebuild Lenox Road between Hawthorne and Oak this summer. This is a Village project, but the Glen Ellyn Park District has made recommendations to the Village since we are the largest landowner in the project area.  Our recommendation includes constructing the first green street in Glen Ellyn. We believe that Lake Ellyn Park and the surrounding streets could serve as an example of best practices for water management and environmental quality.  

Our first priority is to protect the trees along Lenox Road. The Park District strongly encourages the Village to employ leading edge, high performance strategies and techniques regarding tree protection and sustainable storm water management. Our proposal calls for permeable unit pavement systems for the street and sidewalk and bioswales along the east edge of the street. 

After residents approached the Park District with concerns about safety and speeding on Lenox Road we focused on calming traffic. Most importantly, our plan calls for narrowing the driving lanes on Lenox Road and providing parallel and diagonal parking mixed with greenspace along the east side of the road. A narrowed road will slow traffic down and move pavement further from our mature trees. Further safety measures include speed tables, differentiated pavement surfaces, marked crosswalks and a sidewalk along the east side. This plan will make Lenox Road a safer, more beautiful street while benefiting the environment.

We have seen evidence of the success of these strategies elsewhere, and are eager for Glen Ellyn to capitalize upon them.  Attached are a set of priorities and concepts related to the Lenox Road reconstruction that we believe are essential to the long-term improvement of the park and the neighborhood. They include better accessibility, safety, tree preservation, environmental quality and beauty along the Park’s western, more active edge. Additional information is available at our website http://gepark.org/boa_LE-Park-Plan.html.

The Park District is grateful and appreciative to have the chance to provide input to the design process. We have encouraged the Village to recognize the unique opportunity this presents and to give strong consideration to the ideas and concepts presented.  The Village’s Capital Improvement Committee will discuss Lenox Road at their next meeting on February 12, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at Room 301 at the Civic Center. At this meeting they intend to finalize their recommendations on Lenox Road for the Village Board of Trustees. This meeting is open to the public. 

Park District Candidates for Next Election

from a recent Glen Ellyn Park District press release:

As the terms expire for four current Glen Ellyn Park District Board Members, three are running to retain their seats.

Four Glen Ellyn residents are running to fill the at large seats on the board, according to the Glen Ellyn Park District. The election will be held April 9.

In April, terms expire for board commissioners Ron Aubrey, Melissa Creech, Gordon J. Kinzler and Julia Nephew. Aubrey is the only board member not seeking re-election. Glen Ellyn resident Vanessa Pierce is the fourth candidate running for a seat on the board, according to the Glen Ellyn Park District.

The board is comprised of seven unpaid volunteers. The board members represent the district’s 35,000 residents in Glen Ellyn, parts of unincorporated Glen Ellyn, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Lombard and Wheaton, according to the Glen Ellyn Park District. The terms for the three other board members — Kathy Cornell, Richard Dunn, and Gary Mayo — continue through April 2015.

 The candidates as they will appear on the April 9 ballot:

• Vanessa Pierce
• Gordon J. Kinzler
• Melissa Creech
• Julia Nephew

Ackerman Woods Trail Complete!

Happy New Year Everyone!

The new trail through Ackerman Woods is complete and open to the public. The trail is a quarter-mile loop through the woods. Access the trail from either of the two clearings on the west side, off Riford Road or at two access points on the east side just past the clearing off Lenox Road. Thanks to the Glen Ellyn Park District staff for all of their hard work clearing the path and laying wood chips. It's a really nice trail!

The boardwalk at Churchill Park is also complete. The east side of the loop trail there has been submerged or too muddy to walk through for much of the past few years. A new boardwalk system gives us year-round access to this park.

Stop by these parks for a nice walk in the woods!

Lake Ellyn Master Plan Meeting

After several public meetings, community feedback, stakeholder recommendations and Park Board input, the Lake Ellyn master plan will be presented on Wednesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. It will be held at the Boathouse. Representatives from Conservation Design Forum and Farr Associates will unveil the master plan, identifying improvements along with related estimated expenses.

The master plan will provide a template as the Glen Ellyn Park District moves forward to preserving and improving the “Jewel of Glen Ellyn.” The outcome, after an inclusive and participatory process, reflects the wants and needs of the Glen Ellyn community. It is a balance of many interests with the final outcome being “polishing the gem.”

Please attend and let your neighbors and friends know, as well. 

For additional information on the Lake Ellyn Master Plan process, visit gepark.org/boa_LE-Park-Plan.html.

See you there!

Update: Lake Ellyn Park Master Plan

Next Public Meeting:
The next public meeting for the Lake Ellyn Park Master Plan is Monday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the Boathouse. Representatives from Conservation Design Forum and Farr Associates will be there to present preliminary sketches and plans for the park and boathouse. There will be an opportunity for public feedback. We need your thoughts and ideas on Lake Ellyn Park, so please attend! Please feel free to forward this on to your Glen Ellyn neighbors.

For more information about the Master Plan process, check out our goals and objectives here. 

Friends of Lake Ellyn Park:
I'm looking for people who love Lake Ellyn and are interested in joining me to create a Friends of Lake Ellyn Park group. This non-profit group will support the conservation and enhancement of Lake Ellyn Park and advocate for Lake Ellyn Park within the community. This group will operate independently from the Glen Ellyn Park District.

Please send me an email if you are interested in helping in any of the following ways:

• By serving on the board for Friends of Lake Ellyn park
• By being a member of Friends of Lake Ellyn park
• By providing legal help in setting up a 501(3)c for the group

Thank you for your help!
Melissa Creech

Lake Ellyn Master Plan Public Meeting Review

Thanks to everyone who came out to the master plan meeting at the boathouse. We had over 60 residents there and lots of great discussions on the future of the park. A good summary of the meeting was printed in the Chicago Tribune.

One of the things that was presented at the meeting was our goals and priorities for the Lake Ellyn Master Plan. This gives a nice look into what we hope to accomplish with this master plan, so I'm including a copy of it here. I will also post here when we have the date for the next public meeting date.

Lake Ellyn Park Master Plan

GOALS and PRIORITIES

DRAFT August 27^th, 2012

PARK EXPERIENCE

1.   A variety of experiences, especially connected to water and the lake, will support greater use and improve the value of Lake Ellyn Park to the community;   

2.   The use and enjoyment of the park will be optimized through the preservation and enhancement of primarily passive recreation uses;

3.   Enhanced play space for all children will contribute to the health and vitality of the neighborhood and community;

4.    The community will benefit to the degree the park can provide space for shared, mutually beneficial use by Glenbard West High School, the Village of Glen Ellyn, and the Glen Ellyn Park District;

5.   The use of the boathouse for various functions will be enhanced through historically sensitive improvements such as separation of private events and general public access to facilities and the lake;

6.   The enjoyment and safety of the park will be enhanced though appropriately improved lighting, wayfinding, and accessibility for people of all abilities;

BEAUTY and AUTHENTICITY

1.   Improved views and access to Lake Ellyn from various vantage points will greatly enhance the scenery and appreciation for the lake;

2.   The preservation and enhancement of historic vegetation and tree canopy is of utmost importance to the character and enjoyment of the park;

3.   Recognition and celebration of Lake Ellyn’s cultural significance to the Glen Ellyn community will increase admiration of the park; i.e. through the integration of local art, craft, and fabrication of certain site features;

4.   Park visitors will appreciate an opportunity to learn about Lake Ellyn’s rich history through interpretive elements woven into the site improvements, i.e. display of historic documents and photographs in the boathouse;

5.   The visibility and appreciation of the park can be expanded and improved through renewal and upgrades to paths, furnishings, landscapes, and other amenities that unify all three parcels;

SUSTAINABILITY and ECOLOGY

1.   Clean water in Lake Ellyn will improve its health and beauty;

-      improved management of all precipitation both on-site and within the tributary watershed will benefit Lake Ellyn and downstream conditions;

-      Improved water quality will provide better habitat for aquatic vegetation, fish, and other species;

2.   Comprehensive solutions that address multiple objectives gain greater value for the investment made;

-      Planned infrastructure improvements can provide an opportunity to create enhancements, i.e. the lake overflow reconstruction could be designed to create a water/park gateway feature;

-      Off-site redevelopment can be done in a way that improves the park, i.e. planned reconstruction of Lenox Road as a green street;

-      An integrated, holistic approach other sources of funding may become available;

3.   Expanded park programming and improved facilities can increase revenue streams, which can then in turn help fund and support a higher quality, more functional and beautiful park;

4.   On-going operations, maintenance, and stewardship are design considerations that are closely linked to first cost decisions, and when properly addressed, will lower costs and improve park performance.

Master Planning for Lake Ellyn Park: Your Input Needed!

Your input is needed for the Lake Ellyn Park master planning process! The Glen Ellyn Park District is holding a public meeting on Tuesday, August 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Ellyn Boathouse. We are looking for public comments and ideas for how to improve, restore and maintain Lake Ellyn Park and the Boathouse.

The Park District has recently hired Conservation Design Forum and Farr Associates to create a master plan for Lake Ellyn Park. They have conducted interviews and send out questionnaires to users and stakeholders, and will now host public forums. By the end of this year the park district will have a multiphase master plan for the park and boathouse that is based on the needs of the community.

The public meeting is an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas on Lake Ellyn with the Park District. Your input is important and we hope to see you at the meeting. Please feel free to forward this on to your Glen Ellyn neighbors. See you Tuesday!

Lake Ellyn Boathouse, 1970, without the lake!

 A special thanks to Frank Chambers in Oklahoma for sending in these picture of the Boathouse. He took these pictures in the summer of 1970 while the lake was drained and excavated- possibly because of an oil spill from a local gas station.


What interesting pictures! Can anyone top this? There must be older pictures floating around someone's attic. Anyone have an interior shot of the boathouse?

Needed: Old Photos of Lake Ellyn Boathouse

Hello Everyone- I know it has been a long time since I have posted. I hope you have been following the Glen Ellyn Park District Board over at our official board blog. All of our meeting notices, packets, video and highlights are posted over there.

The Park District recently hired Conversation Design Forum and Farr Associates to create a master plan for Lake Ellyn Park. They will be conducting interviews and sending out questionnaires to users and stakeholders and then hosting several public forums. Please look for the dates soon- we'd love to get your thoughts on the future of Lake Ellyn and the Boathouse.

Right now our architect is requesting old photos of the boathouse. We have some great resources from the GE Historical Society, our archives and old newspapers, but not a lot of photos. We are looking for photos prior to 1990- the older the better! We are particularly looking for photos of the interior of the boathouse- we don't have any old ones!

Do you have any old photos from events in the boathouse? Prom pictures on the dock? Christmas parties inside? Ice skating with the boathouse in the background?

Please email me if you have any photos- we can scan them and get the originals back to you. Thanks!

ASFC Roof, 2012 Budget, Dog Park Fence for last 2011 Meeting

At the December 20, 2011 regular board meeting, the Board will discuss the ongoing problems with the roof at the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center and a plan to permanently fix the roof.

The Board will also vote on the finalized 2012 budget. The Board 2012 budget has a balanced operating budget, per the Board's request earlier in the budget process. The 2012 budget includes additional funds for field maintenance for the many park district sports, funds to upgrade the bathrooms at Sunset pool, funds for equipment to broadcast all park district meetings, and funds to install paths in natural areas and restore the oak savannah at Maryknoll Park. The budget also includes funds to replace the playground at Glen Ellyn Manor Park and repair the roof at Ackerman.

The Board will also vote on a proposal to completely enclose the dog park at the Spring Avenue Recreation Park and install a card swipe system for member to access the park.

For more information, please see the agenda and packet online here.

To receive email notice of all park district meetings, Board news and meeting highlights, click here and enter your email address in the box at the top right of the page.

Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!

Used Toy Drive for Children in Rwanda

This is a departure from my usual park-district-only posts, but it is for a good cause!

Rwanda Toy Drive

Forest Glen Brownie Troop 42107 is collecting used toys for children in Rwanda. All donations will be sent to the Aspire Rwanda NGO that runs a woman’s shelter in Kigali, Rwanda. Toys and pencils will be distributed to the children at the shelter and to a network of schools in rural Rwanda affiliated with Aspire Rwanda.


Because of the difficult conditions in Rwanda and the expense in shipping to Africa,we are collecting only these items:

• Duplo blocks
• Small plastic animals (like Zoo Tube animals)
• Polly-Pocket size dolls (no extra accessories please!)
• Small action figures (no extra accessories please!)
• Matchbox cars
• Little People people/animals
• Tennis balls
• Pencils
• Small pencil sharpeners (no battery-operated please!)
• Matching/Memory games

Please drop off your donation by January 4, 2012.

Look for the Toys for Rwanda donation box:

• At St. Mark’s Church in the narthex or church office
• At the Creech Home, 697 Saint Charles Road, at the back door
• If you have children at Forest Glen School, they can drop off toys in the box in the library.
  

We would also like to purchase ultra-durable soccer balls for the children. If you are interested in sponsoring a $19 soccer ball, please contact Melissa Creech at m.creech.gepd@gmail.com. Thank you!

NEW GEPD Official Board Blog

In a move to increase transparency at the Glen Ellyn Park District, the Board of Commissioners has created a blog with an RSS feed that allows the public to subscribe and receive regular updates on board business.

The blog will contain meeting notices, links to agendas, packets and minutes, and highlights of meetings posted soon after each meeting. Material that is distributed during the meeting that was not in the packet, and presentations that were made in the meeting will also be available at the board blog.

Visit the blog and enter your email address in the box at the top right corner to receive regular updates about the GEPD Board.

In addition to having its own unique address, the blog is also embedded on the Park District Website. People looking for it on the Park District Website can find it under the board & staff drop-down menu on the home page. The GEPD Board Blog is maintained and written by GEPD staff.

A board priority, the blog is the first step in increasing transparency. Efforts will continue in 2012 when public meetings begin streaming live and are available later on demand on the Park District Website.

Visit the new blog & register to receive email updates

Board Selects New Executive Director

The Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce David Harris as the new Executive Director of the Glen Ellyn Park District. Harris is currently the director of the Butterfield Park District and is a 19-year resident of Glen Ellyn. Harris is expected to start on September 7, 2011.

"Dave Harris is an experienced leader who understands Glen Ellyn. I am confident that he has the skills, experience and determination to guide the Park District in improving fiscal discipline, maintenance of our parks and facilities, and customer service. I am thrilled to have Dave on board," said Melissa Creech, Glen Ellyn Park District Board President.

Harris has over twenty years of experience in park districts, much of which he spent at the Park District of Highland Park. There he launched a profitable new recreation and fitness center similar to the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center and managed a nature center, golf course, pools, water park and an indoor ice rink. Additionally, Harris has significant experience in all other areas within the Parks and Recreation industry including parks maintenance, athletics, fundraising and community relations.

"I am honored and excited to be appointed the next executive director for the Glen Ellyn Park District. As a 19 year resident of Glen Ellyn, my wife, two daughters and I have utilized and enjoyed District programs, facilities and parks over the years. Along with my professional experience, my personal insight and knowledge of the community will provide a foundation to enable me to lead and provide direction for the Park District. To be able to serve the community that has provided so many opportunities for my family and me is tremendous and I cannot wait to get started," said Harris.

The Board approved the 18-month contract with a salary of $117,000 at the July 7, 2011 board meeting. Harris replaces Cory Atwell, who retired in January after 16 years as executive director of the Glen Ellyn Park District.

"Dave Harris understands the importance of listening to the community we serve. I am convinced that he will be able to take our customer service to the next level and make our Park District even better," said Gary Mayo, Glen Ellyn Park District Commissioner.

The Glen Ellyn Park District Executive Director is responsible for the daily operations for the district, which serves 35,000 residents and has a staff of 31 full-time employees and 500 part-time employees. Harris was selected from a pool of over 50 candidates who responded to the Glen Ellyn Park District's national search for a new director through the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates.

July 9 Meeting: New Director

The agenda and packet for the Glen Ellyn Park District July 9, 2011 meeting are online. This is a workshop meeting. We usually don't meet on Thursdays, but have a different schedule this week because of the July 4th holiday.

We're looking forward to announcing our new executive director at this meeting and approving the contract. Also on the agenda is the new Finance Committee bylaws and members and a discussion about ways to make the park district more transparent.

Glen Ellyn Park District board meetings are always open to the public and are held in the board room at the Spring Avenue Recreation Center at 7:00 p.m. Please join us!

GEPD Takes Action to Resolve Roof Issues at Ackerman

The Glen Ellyn Board of Commissioners held a special meeting on June 1 to discuss the ongoing problems with the leaky roof at the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center. Below is the text of the press release that was issued today:

The Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners has taken special action to resolve roof issues at the Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center at a special meeting Wednesday, June 1. This includes a motion directing staff to take the necessary steps to terminate the contracts of T.A. Bowman Constructors LLC, Professional Building Services and Ollmann Ernest Architects.

The board cited breach of contract as the reason for its action. Board members have directed staff to initiate a contract with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. to provide supplemental design and bid documents for roof remediation.

It is the Board’s hope that these actions will enable the park district to resolve the ongoing roof leak issues at the Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center. The Glen Ellyn Park District appreciates the patience of the numerous facility participants and its constituents during this process.