People, Places and Things

DONALD F. BRESNAN, vice-president of the Champaign Park District, received the National Voluntary Service Award of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) at ceremonies in Orlando, FL, last October. As winner of this award, Bresnan was cited for his individual time and effort in improving the quality and quantity of leisure opportunities in the United States.

Donald F. Bresnan

Bresnan is a frequent featured speaker at park and recreation conferences throughout the United States and Canada, and is continually involved in citizen and professional committees in parks and recreation. He has served as president of the Board and Commissioners Branch of NRPA, president of the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD), and secretary of NRPA. He is presently serving as citizen vice-president of NRPA. In 1980, he received the Robert Artz National Award for outstanding citizen involvement in parks and recreation.

Bresnan has served as an elected commissioner of the Champaign Park District for 21 years. He has also served the Board of Park Commissioners as president for 12 years and is the current vice-president. He was a member of the City of Champaign Playground and Recreation Board from 1959 to 1966.

ROBERT W. ZOLOMIJ has joined the firm of Harland Bartholomew and Associates, Inc., as regional manager of its Chicago-area office in Northbrook. He will be responsible for managing and marketing the firm's design and planning services in the Chicago region. Zolomij has more than 20 years of experience in land planning, park design and landscape architecture.

The CHAMPAIGN PARK DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS received the Outstanding Board-Commission Award from the Citizen-Board Member Branch of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) last October. The award is presented annually to the park and recreation board or commission deemed outstanding for being informed, cooperative, receptive and supportive of balanced recreation facility and program development and innovative planning.

Park Board President Patricia H. Leonhard, Vice-President Donald F. Bresnan and Commissioner Morgan C. Powell were present to receive the award.

The park commissioners, William Helms, Newton Dodds, Leonhard, Bresnan and Powell have provided leadership and service for a combined total of 57 years. Major accomplishments have included the merger of the City Playground and Recreation Commission with the Park District, the acquisition and development of 36 parks, a well-rounded program of recreation activities for all age and interest groups, the winning of the National Sports Foundation Gold Medal Award, and many local and State honors.

KENNETH PAETSCHOW has been hired as Dundee Township Park District's athletic supervisor. He will be in charge of all youth and adult sports programming.

Kenneth Paetschow

Paetschow is a 1984 graduate of Western Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in parks and recreation administration. He did his internship with the Palatine Park District.

ROGER FORD is on a two-year leave of absence from the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Western Illinois University. He is completing his Ph.D. in recreation at Indiana University.

In other faculty news, DR. DENNIS CROWE taught in the SAIL (Semester Abroad In London) program during the fall term. JEFF OLSON traveled with the ECO education expedition during the fall semester.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 37 January/February 1985

Congressman George M. O'Brien (R-IL) was recently honored for his contributions to the development of parks and recreation services for handicapped and disabled persons.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) announced O'Brien as winner of its National Congressional Award last October. The award is given to an individual who has "demonstrated continuing national leadership in efforts to improve and/or protect the quality and quantity of leisure opportunities through recreation, parks and related conservation programs and projects."

O'Brien has become a strong advocate for the handicapped. He served on the first House Task Force on the Handicapped during the 1970s. He also cosponsored legislation which enacted recreation for the handicapped in the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, and spearheaded the appropriation to encourage handicapped individuals' access to recreational facilities. In addition, O'Brien has consistently supported funds which provide recreation for handicapped persons.

Illinois agencies have received $377,494 in federal dollars during the past three years to provide recreational programs and services for handicapped individuals.

The Sterling Park District won its second National Gold Medal Award for excellence in park and recreation management at the 1984 National Recreation and Park (NRPA) Congress in Orlando, FL, last October. It is listed in Class V (under 20,000 population). The district also won the award in 1977, and was a finalist in the program during 1976, 1977 and 1984. Pictured (from the left) are Larry Schuldt, superintendent of recreation, displaying the 1977 Gold Medal Award; Doug Jacobs, superintendent of parks, with the 1984 finalist plaque; Mrs. Helen Dirks, office manager, holding the $1,000 check from the Sports Foundation, Inc., and Frank Duis, director of parks and recreation, with the 1984 award. The National Gold Medal Award program is sponsored by the Sports Foundation, Inc., in cooperation with the NRPA.

Congressman George O'Brien received the National Congressional Award in his home. Attending the presentation were (from the left) Walt Johnson, NRPA's Great Lakes regional representative; O'Brien; Susan Janes, Illinois Therapeutic Recreation Section director, and Tom Richardson, president of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA). O'Brien was also the recipient of the IPRA's Distinguished Service to Leisure Award at its annual State conference last November.

PAM CAREY of Racine, WI, has been hired as a new recreation supervisor at the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District. She will develop the agencies' new districtwide volunteer program and supervise a variety of seasonal programs.

Pam Carey

Ms. Carey received a bachelor's degree in recreation with a concentration in administration from the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, WI. She has worked with Johnson Wax in Racine in employee recreation and fitness, and with the Racine Parks and Recreation Department in special events programming, promotion of activities and softball league scheduling.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 38 January/February 1985

The Schaumburg Park District has announced four personnel changes.

GERALD "JAY" WILLE has been hired as park planner. He supervises a two-person construction crew and oversees the planning of the district's remaining 135 undeveloped acres.

Wille received his bachelor of science degree in landscape architecture from Ohio State University in 1983 and a bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Cincinnati.

JAN GUNTHER is the district's assistant naturalist in the Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary. Her duties include the recruitment and training of Sanctuary volunteers.

Gunther was a naturalist for the Will County Forest Preserve and the DuPage County Conservation Districts. She also did volunteer work at the Willowbrook Wildlife Haven and the Morton Arboretum. She has a bachelor of science degree with a focus on wildlife biology from Illinois Benedictine College.

MOLLY NEULEIB has been promoted to manager of the district's Community Recreation Center. The Center houses a racquetball and fitness complex, gym, stage, meeting, dance, woodworking, arts, cooking, senior, teen, nursery and preschool rooms.

Ms. Neuleib is a 1981 graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She served as assistant manager of the Center for two years and established the district's fitness monitoring program.

TOM BERNAHL is the Center's assistant manager. He served four years as the athletic director at the Waukegan Park District and as a recreation supervisor at the Niles Park District.

Bernahl is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and the Revenue Resources Management School in Wheeling, WV. He recently completed his master of science degree in recreation administration from George Williams College.

Bernahl has been active in organizing fund-raising events for Easter Seals, March of Dimes and the Special Olympics.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 39 January/February 1985

Dates set for Salmon Stamp Contest

Applications for entering the 1986 Illinois Salmon Stamp Contest are available now from the Department of Conservation (DOC).

The annual contest is open to artists nationwide. The artist submitting the winning entry will see his/her work reproduced on next year's Salmon Stamp issue and receive a $1,000 purchase award.

Entries must depict one of the salmon or trout species found in Illinois (excluding brown trout, which is the subject of the 1985 Salmon Stamp design). All works must be done in water color, acrylic or any other color medium. Entries will be accepted from Feb. 25 to March 13. There is a $10 entry fee.

Complete contest rules and entry procedures are available by writing to the Department of Conservation, Salmon Stamp Contest, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62706. Contest judging will occur in conjunction with the Sixth Annual Illinois Valley Wildlife Art Show March 16-17 at the Continental Regency Hotel, Peoria. All contest entries will be displayed during the weekend show.

The winner of last year's contest was Wilhelm J. Goebel of Somerset, NJ. A limited edition of 500 signed and numbered prints of Goebel's winning entry is being sold through the Conservation Department.

Anglers fishing for salmon or trout in Illinois must purchase a Salmon Stamp each year and have it in their possession when fishing for those species. Additionally, many stamp collectors buy each year's issue for their collections. Proceeds from the sale of Salmon Stamps are used exclusively to support conservation efforts aimed at propagating and managing the salmon and trout resource in Illinois waters.

TIP Hotline

Citizens who see a wildlife violation should call the TIP (Target Illinois Poachers) Hotline, 1-800-252-0163.

The Illinois Department of Conservation (DOC) started the 24-hour TIP program in January, 1983. Persons who report poaching through the Hotline will be eligible for rewards if their information leads to arrests.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 40 January/February 1985