Peoria Park District Dedicates Pete Vonachen Stadium

The Peoria Park District dedicated the Harold A. "Pete" Vonachen Stadium at Meinen Field on June 3. Over 7,000 people attended the ceremony to honor Pete Vonachen, a native of Peoria, for his outstanding leadership, dedication and contributions that have had a significant impact on Peoria-area sports.

Many celebrities were present, including Harry Caray, Chicago Cubs (and former St. Louis Cardinals) Hall of Fame Broadcaster, Jack Brickhouse, Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame Broadcaster, retired, and Mark Grace, Chicago Cubs first baseman (formerly of the Peoria Chiefs).

Vonachen bought the Peoria Chiefs in 1984 and, according to a Peoria Observer article, "turned the ailing minor league team into a flourishing enterprise." In 1985, Pete signed an agreement making the Chiefs a Chicago Cubs Farm Team. Vonachen, a retired restaurateur and businessman, was a Peoria Park District trustee from 1971 to September 1977.

Through a joint effort with the Peoria Civic Center Authority and the City of Peoria, the Park District secured a $2.3 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. The grant helped fund new lighting and irrigation systems, a new concession stand, administration and office building, a new, expanded press-box and restoration of the existing restroom facilities. These additions bring the stadium's net worth to more than $3 million.

Kutska Named President of PRIMA'S Pooling Section

Betsy R. Kutska, ARM, CLP, was recently elected President of the Public Risk Management Association's Pooling Section and will now also serve on the PRIMA Board of Directors. Betsy is the Executive Director of the Park District Risk Management Agency in Wheaton, an intergovernmental risk management pool consisting of 108 park and recreation agencies located throughout Illinois.

PRIMA is dedicated to increasing risk management professionalism in public agencies and is the only national organization whose sole purpose is to serve government risk managers. The Pooling Section serves the specialized needs of intergovernmental property, liability and health benefit self-insurance pools and consists of more than 150 member pools located in every state in the nation.

Prior to her election, Betsy served as vice president of the Section and as chair of the publications and education and training committees.

Park Ridge Recreation and Park District Appoints Three To Staff

The Park Ridge Recreation and Park District has recently filled three staff positions in naming Tom Ritter as Athletic Supervisor, Amy Hampel as Community Center Supervisor, and Bob DeLeonardis as Community Center Coordinator. (All three are pictured here, left to right.) Bob DeLeonardis, former Athletic Supervisor, was promoted to manage the new 55,000-square-foot Community Center, set to open in September. DeLeonardis, employed by the district since 1983, is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University.

Tom Ritter, formerly the Athletic Supervisor with the Woodridge Park District, is a 1990 graduate of Illinois State University. Tom completed his internship with the Buffalo Grove Park District and brings a variety of part-time experience from the Glenview and Palatine Park Districts.

Amy Hampel recently completed the requirements for a Masters Degree in recreation from Illinois State University and has a Bachelor's Degree in communications from Illinois Wesleyan University. Her expertise in aquatics and programming will be an asset to the operation of the new center.

When Belt-Tightening Starts, NAEIR Can Help

Belt-tightening is more than a buzzword today for nonprofit organizations, and more than 4,000 of them have turned to a gifts-in-kind program for help. NAEIR, the National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources, gathers donations of new merchandise from corporations, then redistributes them to 4,000 nonprofits and 3,000 schools in the United States.

Available items include office and computer supplies, tools, toys, and games. Recipient organizations pay $625 dues plus shipping and handling and receive an average of $7,000 worth of new products a year. Members receive five 300-page catalogs during their membership year and request the items they need. A computerized allocation system ensures fair distribution of the goods.

All first-year members are protected by a money-back guarantee. For a free nonprofit director's budget-stretcher kit, phone toll-free: 1-800/562-0955 or write: NAEIR, Dept. AL5; 560 McClure Street, Galesburg, IL 61401.