Pictured from left to right: Barney Haegeland, Project Foreman; Torrey Jacobsen, Vice-President, C. W. Gaasrud Co.; Harry Koca, Engineer; Donald Kemmerling, President, Roselle Park District; John W. Smith, Planning Chairman, Roselle Park District; Alfred Engel, Vice-President, Rosette Park District; Ronald Rodeo, Finance Chairman, Roselle Park District; Paul Derda, Director, Roselle Park District.

A Small District with BIG Ideas

By
Paul Derda, Director Roselle Park District

The Roselle Park District covers an area of approximately three square miles and has a population of about 5,500 people. The district is only four years old but has been very active in its short existence. President Don Kemmerling; Vice President Al Engel and Commissioners Ron Rodeo, Bud Steger and John Smith have all devoted many hours and much energy helping the park district grow in stature and service to the community. Development for this young park district came quickly because the board had a Park and Recreation Master Plan and they followed it.

In March of 1969 the Roselle Park District achieved the most monumental stride of its brief history. On Saturday, March 29th, voters approved a $400,000 bond issue in Roselle. Over 1,200 voters turned out with the referendum being carried by a record 217 vote margin. Many citizens pitched in to make this dream a reality. Individuals volunteered time to go door to door with informative literature. Poll watchers were used to keep tabs on how the votes were running at election headquarters. Others were involved in telephone campaigns to get the voters to the polls. The completion of this project will symbolize what can be accomplished when a good, well thought out plan, benefiting a majority of the people is properly presented.

The referendum money will be utilized to develop two major park sites in Roselle (one ten acres and one fifteen acres) which were purchased in the spring of 1968 with matching HUD funds.

The total development of these two park sites will climax an extensive program for providing the best park and recreation facilities for the citizens of Roselle. This program began in 1966 when the University of Illinois did a

Illinois Parks 47 March/ April 1970

comprehensive master plan for the park district. (The University of Illinois, however, no longer undertakes master planning for park districts.) The park board then hired a director to create a well rounded park and recreation program as well as implement and coordinate the development plans. Based on many of the recommendations of the master plan, the park district worked with their professional planners in designing facilities that would best serve the people of their district.

The fifteen acre Turner Park will include: A five acre lake for fishing and ice skating, warming shelter, fishing and boating dock, picnic areas, extensive playground and tot-lot areas, tennis courts, parking facilities, and a service area for park district maintenance equipment.

Community Park is a ten acre site adjacent to the new Junior High School site. The new school will be built so that Art and Music rooms as well as the gymnasium and shower facilities can be closed off from the rest of the building to give the park district full access to these facilities during winter programming. Community Park will have picnic areas, playfields, tennis courts, skating areas, play areas and an outdoor swimming pool complex. The pool will be a fully heated "L" shaped facility with a recreational swimming area measuring 75' x 56' and a 30' x 35' diving well reaching a depth of 12 feet and using a three meter and one meter board. The complex will also include a large instructional wading pool, a snack bar and eating area and a heated bath house to serve as a warming shelter for skaters during the winter.

Ralph H. Burke, Inc. of Park Ridge did the designing for both sites.

Bids were opened for the 10 acre Community Park and Pool and the low bid of $307,200 came from the C. W. Gaasrud Construction Company. The Gaasrud firm, just this past spring completed the Elk Grove Park District indoor-outdoor pool complex. The contractors are in and working diligently to complete the project for next summers swimming season.

An easement problem with the Village of Roselle, regarding the Turner Park Site, has held up letting a bid on that park. It is hoped that the problem will be rectified soon and the park district will proceed immediately with development plans.

The Roselle Park District began as a small district with some big ideas about serving the leisure needs of its residents. Through many months of devoting their energies, time and effort toward accomplishing its goal, the Roselle Park District has become "BIG" in the eyes of its people.

Illinois Parks 48 March/ April 1970