Lake County Forest Preserve District Receives Award

The Lake County Forest Preserve District received one of three inaugural Gaylord Donnelley/Nature of Illinois Foundation Awards for its Youth Conservation Corps program, presented by Governor Jim Edgar.

The newly initiated Awards recognize outstanding efforts statewide to improve environmental quality and promote sustainable economic development. They honor the memory of the late Gaylord Donnelley, a long-time Lake County resident and nationally-recognized conservationist who founded the Nature of Illinois Foundation.

The Youth Conservation Corps received the award because of its innovative and successful public/private partnership to raise funds and manage the program. Sine 1981, area business leaders and individuals have raised $385, 917 to finance youth's salaries as part of the summer job program.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Rockford Park District's Magic Waters theme park earned the "Elite Gold" National Aquatic Safety Award from Jeff Ellis and Associates, Inc., international aquatic safety consultants.

The safety consultant company gave Magic Waters an excellent performance rating for professional life guarding. According to Diane Barber, assistant manager of Magic Waters, the theme park employ 60 lifeguards out of a total seasonal staff of 180 for the Memorial Day through Labor Day operation. Attendance was 250, 000 this year.

The safety consultants visit the park unannounced to validate the videos of training procedures for all lifeguard staff. Magic Waters has earned the award each year since it assumed operation of the water theme park in 1988.

A giant white oak at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Kline Creek Farm near Winfield is standing taller these days after receiving the Big Tree Certificate from the Illinois Department of Conservation as the Illinois State Co-champion for the species.

The official measurements conducted by the Division of Forest Resources show the circumference as 216 inches (measured from 4.5 feet above the ground), height as 80 feet tall and the crown spread as 90 feet.

Bob Sasman of Wheaton, a volunteer with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, first measured the tree. His findings prompted a visit by a state forester with more sophisticated tools for the official measurement.

Kline Creek Farm's white oak (Quercus alba) shares the award with five other similar trees located around the state that also met the requirements.

This year when you look at your IL-1040, the state income tax form, you won't find the Illinois Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund listed. No, it has not been dropped from the form because it didn't get at least $100, 000 in the past income tax season. In fact, it received about $165, 000 this year.

But there has been a big change in the Fund. Last year the Illinois Department of Conservation's Natural Heritage Division, at the recommendation of the Citizen's Advisory Committee, had a Gallup survey conducted to find out if a name change would make donating more attractive to the public. Among several new names proposed along with the Nongame Fund, the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund was the one that most people said they would prefer in making donations.

Consequently, the Department of Conservation entered legislation in the General Assembly last spring to change the name of the Illinois Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund. It is now officially called the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund and will continue to address mounting natural heritage problems and issues in the state. Donated dollars will still help threatened and endangered wildlife, as well as native plants and animals.

The new name will help increase the amount of money donated so that there can be an expansion of efforts to protect and restore wildlife and their habitat. Preserving and managing natural areas with donated dollars helps to retain the diversity of wildlife while helping to save vanishing species in certain instances.

As the survey indicated, people have a better knowledge and understanding of the term wildlife, compared to the term nongame wildlife, and are more likely to contribute.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 39 November/December 1993

Lan-Oak Park District Dedicates Van Laten Park

Front row, left to right: State Representative Bill Balthis, Village Trustee Patti Leach, Park Commissioner Mike Fish, Park Board President Ken Straka, Park Commissioner Dennis Flanagin, State Senator Aldo DeAngelis, IDOC representative Susan Schmidt, Park Commissioner Julie Palermo. Boy Scout Troop 217 held the ribbon, with the Knights of Columbus and Masons joining in the dedication,

On September 11, 1993, the Lan-Oak Park District officially dedicated Van Laten Park in Lansing, Illinois. It was significant because of a $147, 000 LAWCON grant received through the Illinois Department of Conservation. Development of the 7.5 acre park was completed within one year.

The park includes a comfort station, parking lot, walking/ jogging path, baseball field, picnic shelter, soccer field, playground equipment and extensive landscaping. The opening coincided with Lansing's Centennial year.

The Recreation Administration program in the George Williams College of Aurora was granted its official reaccreditation by the National Recreation and Parks Association and the American Alliance of Leisure and Recreation.

The program is one of 83 in the United States that has passed more than 100 professional training program standards.

With accreditation review every five years, the program was originally accredited at George Williams College in 1983 and has maintained its high standards of excellence, with alumni all over the world.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 40 November/December 1993

Jan Schweitzer, Manager of the Peoria Park District's Glen Oak Zoo, has received the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums' (AAZPA) "Outstanding Service Award." The award was presented in September at a special presentation at the organizations's 69th Annual Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.

Schweitzer, Chair of the AAZPA' s Membership Committee, was cited by the organization's president, Steve Wylie, as a "valuable and committed member of the zoological community. Her contributions exemplify the highest standard of service and professionalism." The AAZPA represents 159 professionally operated zoos and aquariums in North America. It is committed to furthering wildlife conservation and education.

Renae Waier of Janesville, Wisconsin, has been appointed to the position of Marketing and Community Relations Coordinator by the Waukegan Park District' s Board of Commissioners. Water is a 1990 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication/Public Relations, and studied abroad at the University of Americas (La Universidad de las Americas), Puebia, Mexico. In her new position, Water will be responsible for marketing and public relations of park district programs, services and facilities, as well as editing district publications, maintaining community and media relations, and producing supportive materials on the desktop publishing system.

Gretchen Geisen has been appointed the Community Relations Coordinator for the Fox Valley Park District. She will be responsible for all marketing aspects of the park district, including: publications, surveys, dedications and special projects. Geisen joins the Fox Valley Park District with several years of experience in the marketing profession. An Aurora resident, Geisen attended Illinois State University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications.

Tom Kruse, IPRA Past-President (1989), announced the foundation of Tom Kruse Association, an independent marketing agency which represents a variety of high quality companies looking to increase sales with park districts in Illinois.

The Illinois Parks and Recreation Association College and University Committee has proudly named Thomas W. Turpin as its choice as recipient of the 1993-94 IPRA Student Scholarship. Turpin, of Gridley, Illinois, is a student at Illinois State College with a declared major in Recreation Administration.

The Hanover Park Park District announced a new Director of Tennis for its Racquet Club. Dave Drap, who grew up in Flint, Michigan, has long admired the style of tennis star Jimmy Connors. After receiving his Associates's degree in Fitness and Nutrition, he worked a year at VanDerMeer Tennis University in Hilton Head, South Carolina. There he taught Amanda Coetzer, who is now ranked seventh in the world.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 41 November/December 1993