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People, Places N' Things

CARY PARK DISTRICT RECEIVES $250,000 IN LAWCON FUNDS

A check for $250,000 was presented by the Illinois Department of Conservation Nov. 12 to Cary Park District in partial reimbursement of local expenditures on a $500,000 expansion of Lions Park. Walter Johnson, (right), Cary Park District director, is shown accepting the warrant from Conservation Director David Kenney in brief ceremonies at Kenney's office in Springfield.

The federal funds came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, administered at the state level by the Conservation Department for the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Cary Park District's project, approved in 1980, involved acquisition of the 66-acre Reiber tract which, with the earlier donation of the 16-acre Kaper property, increased the size of Lions Park to 121 acres and linked it to McHenry County Conservation District's 366-acre conservation area known as "The Hollows."

Donation of the Kaper tract, which contains an eight-acre lake, allowed the park district to apply the value of this property to the 50 percent of project costs for which it was responsible under the LAWCON program. This approach allowed the District to substantially reduce costs to local taxpayers for the expansion.


Peterson

DR. CAROL ANN PETERSON of the Department of Leisure Studies, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, recently received the Distinguished Service Award presented by the National Therapeutic Recreation Society at its annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. The Distinguished Service Award is given for outstanding leadership and service to the profession. Dr. Peterson has served as President of the Society and has been a member of its Board of Directors. She has given numerous presentations and workshops at state, regional and national conferences. Her publications are used widely in the field. Dr. Peterson has been with the Department of Leisure Studies for six years. She currently is the Director of Graduate Studies and the Coordinator for the Therapeutic Recreation curricula.

NEW RECREATION SUPERVISOR — Gary T. Foiles, a recent graduate of Western Illinois University has been selected a Recreation Supervisor for the Naperville Park District. After completing a practicum with the Elmhurst Park District, Gary received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation and Park Administration from Western Illinois University in August, 1982. He has also earned an Associate Degree in Recreational Leadership from the College of DuPage. Mr. Foiles comes to the Naperville Park District with full time experience from the Glendale Heights Recreation Department and is further distinguished by having been named the recipient of the Suburban Park and Recreation Association's Student Scholarship for 1982.

NATURE PRESERVES COORDINATOR APPOINTED

Karen Ackerman Witter, a resource planner with the Division of Planning and Information, Department of Conservation, recently was appointed by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission to serve as that organization's program coordinator. Witter will coordinate the commission's programs across the state, serve as liaison with the DOC and other agencies, and actively seek private and public funding sources for the commission. Witter, 28, received a bachelor's of science degree in zoology from the Iowa State University in 1976.

The following year she was awarded a scholarship by Rotary International to do graduate studies in Bangor, Wales, Great Britain. She earned a master of science degree in

Illinois Parks and Recreation 35 January/February 1983


ecology from the University of Wales in 1978.

The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission was created by state law in 1963. The Nature Preserves system is designed to protect representative examples of Illinois' diverse natural heritage as ecological benchmarks for scientific research, education, and public enjoyment. Over 90 areas have been designated as Illinois Nature Preserves.


Navar

DR. NANCY NAVAR of the Department of Leisure Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was recently honored by the National Therapeutic Recreation Society. She received the "Member of the Year Award" while at the NTRS annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky. This award is given to one member of the Society for "significant contribution to the field of therapeutic recreation during the preceding year." Dr. Navar chaired the standards committee which made major progress in the integration of professional standards into the standards and guidelines of various health care accrediting bodies. Dr. Nancy Navar is an Assistant Professor and has been with the Department of Leisure Studies for three years. She currently is the coordinator of the undergraduate option in Therapeutic Recreation.

DR. RABEL J. BURDGE, professor of Environmental Studies, Rural Sociology and Leisure Studies at the University of Illinois, was presented the National Park and Recreation Association's national award for excellence in research at the Congress for Recreation and Parks, held October 24 at Louisville, Ky.

The Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Award for Excellence in Recreation and Park Research is bestowed annually on individuals who have made noteable strides in research in the park, recreation and conservation field and carries a $1,500 honorarium.

Dr. Burdge is the author of more than 200 scholarly articles, monographs, books and other publications. He was the principal investigator of Illinois: Today and Tomorrow, a state-wide assessment by the U.of I. of citizen input into public policy formulation. Dr. Burdge has served at the U. of I. since 1976.

MICHAEL C. BROTTMAN recently was appointed Program Supervisor for the Villa Park Recreation Department, Villa Park. A graduate of Illinois State University, Normal, with a B.S. degree in Recreation and Park Administration, his prior experiences include a student internship with the Division of Leisure Services of Northbrook Park District, Northbrook, where he implemented the first fall softball league

Illinois Parks and Recreation 36 January/February 1983


and also assisted in the organization of a soccer program involving 930 participants. In addition, he initiated an Employee Fitness Day and a fishing derby.

GEMS PLACE SECOND IN WORLD SERIES — The SRJC Gems, a softball team of disabled men and women, represented Special Recreation of Joliet and Channahon and the State of Illinois recently in the World Series of Softball held in Senatobia, Mississippi. The Gems placed second.

Normally a 16" softball team, the players had to change their offensive and defensive skills to handle the requirements for the World Series — 12" slo-pitch. Master the skills they did, Dave Powers hit an unprecedented .809 average going 17 for 21 attempts at the plate and Jim Urban by having an outstanding series in the field was also voted to the All-Tournament World Series Team.

The SRJC Gems finished in this 10 team double elimination event that had representatives from all over the United States.


Pictured are, bottom row, left to right: Kevin Nowak, Robert Gentry, Jim Seratella, Margaret Ritter; Middle row: Steve Morris, Doug McQuade, Bob Meredith, Brad Mellon, Tony Johnson, and Top row: Coach Fred Jones, Dave Powers, Rich Tremper, Bob Juresic, Bill Ciesia, Jim Urban, Coach Linda Frye-Hogan.

LARGEST BASS WINNER Dave Dobill shows off the 6 lbs., 4 oz. bass he caught October 17 in the Special Olympics Bass Fishing Tournament at Cedar Lake in Southern Illinois. Co-sponsors of the event were the Carbondale Park District, the city of Carbondale, and the Little Egypt Bass Club. Also participating were the "Special Athletes" of Southern Illinois.

Correction

The Editor apologizes for the misspelling of the name of Rick Bemm, Director of Dundee Township Park, who contributed the color photo of Santa Claus for the back inside cover of the November-December issue of

Illinois Parks and Recreation 37 January/February 1983


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