The Carol Stream Park District’s Armstrong Park North Parking Lot project has been selected for funding through the FY2021 DuPage County Water Quality Improvement Program Grant. The maximum funding amount is 25 percent of the related projects costs. The DuPage County Stormwater Management Planning Committee approved funding for the Armstrong Park project is no more than $40,395 for qualified costs, which equates to a 25 percent reimbursement.
The Armstrong Park North Parking lot, located off Idaho Street, is identified in the recently approved Klein Creek Watershed Plan to replace an existing asphalt parking lot with permeable pavers and a vegetated swale system. It is an excellent project for Water Quality Improvement Program funding as it incorporates two Best Management Practices (BMPs) that will contribute to the pollutant load reduction of the Klein Creek Watershed. Specifically, this project will reduce two pollutants of concern from the 303(d) list for the West Branch DuPage River: phosphorus loads will decrease by 65% and sediment by 90% for the project’s drainage area of 53.7 acres. Incorporating these BMPs into the north parking lot will also encourage stormwater infiltration, groundwater recharge, and provide an educational awareness of the importance of reducing non-point source pollutants, as well as improve aesthetics of the area. Further, the proposed project improvements have been identified as a specific project to be completed in the Klein Creek Watershed Plan. The project will be completed by fall of 2021.
DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee Chairman Jim Zay said, “The projects we selected to partially fund will not only greatly benefit the DuPage waterways but will also serve as examples to the public of projects that can be undertaken on a smaller scale at area homes and businesses.”
The Carol Stream Park District is excited to announce that it will be moving its preschool program in April to the Simkus Recreation Center, 849 W. Lies Road. The new location offers three new classrooms and a brand new playground (Fall 2021); year-round access to the gym and gymnastics rooms; ability for parents to see their child’s teachers, classrooms and meet other parents; possibilities for extended care and enrichment; opportunities for parents to enroll in other programs and classes while their child is in class; and parking is plentiful and with better accessibility to the Simkus Recreation Center. The move is planned for an extended spring break starting March 29, with in-person classes beginning on Monday, April 12.
The park district preschool program has been a community tradition for over 40 years, giving first-time students a balanced play-based learning experience that focuses on the development of pre-kindergarten skills.
An open house is planned for current preschool participants on Friday, April 9. Registration opens in May for the Fall 2021 through May 2022 school year, and an open house is planned for Tuesday, May 4, for new participants and families. Summer preschool programming at the Simkus Recreation Center begins in June. The summer preschool program is a great way to familiarize young children to the preschool year that begins in September.
The Carol Stream Park District is refinancing outstanding bonds for savings. In conjunction with the refinancing process the District underwent a Moody’s Rating and received an upgrade. This upgrade means the District can refinance at an even lower interest rate. That translates to lower repayments on future debt. We are estimating a present value savings of $1.8M through this refinancing process.
New York, August 03, 2020 — Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the Carol Stream Park District, IL’s general obligation unlimited tax (GOULT) and general obligation limited tax (GOLT) ratings to A1 from A2, affecting $38 million in rated debt. The upgrade to A1 reflects the district’s strong financial performance over the past few years resulting in sound fund balance and liquidity. The A1 rating also reflects the district’s low pension burden and economic ties to the Chicago metro area supporting the district’s comparatively high resident incomes.
We are happy to announce that we are able to open PLAYGROUNDS! We ask that patrons keep capacity limited to no more than 50 people and follow social distancing guidelines as well as other Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines.
“Be a Good Human”
Thanks!
From left to right: Officer Seth Berlin, Jason Anderson, Office Joe Jennings.
At last night’s Park District Board meeting, President Brenda Gramann recognized two police officers: Hoffman Estates Police Officer Joe Jennings and Hanover Park Police Officer Seth Berlin. The officers were off duty participating in our adult floor hockey league when they came upon Jason Anderson who had lost consciousness at the site. The officers performed CPR and saved Mr. Anderson’s life. What a great story! Thank you all for your service and we’re glad you’re okay Jason!
The community continues to support Veterans Memorial Plaza. Resident and previous youth sports coach for the Carol Stream Park District Damian Bierman, president of TWIN BROS Paving & Concrete, presented a $2,500 check to the Veterans Memorial Task Force. Damian, whose father served as a marine, was happy to contribute to this project and meet the veterans. Thank you Damian for your generous donation.
Pictured from left to right are:
Jackie Jeffery, Carol Stream Park District Commissioner
Jim Benzin, VFW Commander Post 10396
Rich Hildenbrand, Veteran
Rick Gieser, Carol Stream Village Trustee
Lenny Aiello, Veteran
Damian Bierman, Twin Brothers Paving & Concrete
Mike Mero, Veteran
Lou Lingwai, Veteran
https://www.twinbrospaving.com/
#VeteransMemorialPlazaInCarolStream
Veterans Memorial Plaza project
Pictured from left to right above – Foundation Board Members: Craig Cronquist, Frank Parisi, Dave Creighton, Pam Falco, Donna Freeman, Cindy Carlson, Jim Reuter.
The National Association of Parks Foundations held an awards night November 20 to recognize the Park Foundations for their dedicated work in their communities. The Carol Stream Parks Foundation was awarded the Creative Event Production award for our annual Duck Race.
The Carol Stream Parks Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing additional financial support for public parks and recreation programs of the Carol Stream Park District.
Nov 19, 2018 – Accepting the award are Melissa Adamson, Recreation Superintendent; Jim Reuter, Executive Director; and Debbie Greninger, Executive Assistant. Melissa and Debbie, with input from the entire staff, led the Distinguished Agency Accreditation process. The Park District also won this award in 2007 and 2012.
The Carol Stream Park District has been recognized as an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency by the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA).
The two statewide associations administer the Illinois Distinguished Accreditation program with the goal of improving the delivery of park and recreation services to Illinois residents. “Illinois has a reputation for the best park districts, forest preserves, conservation, recreation and special recreation agencies in the nation,” said Peter Murphy, IAPD President and CEO. “The Illinois Distinguished Accreditation program provides an opportunity for these agencies to undergo a voluntary, comprehensive evaluation process to demonstrate that they have met state guidelines to provide exceptional park and recreation services to their community. The end result is to improve the quality of life for Illinois residents.”
“This program gives recognition to park and recreation agencies that go above and beyond in dedicating themselves to offering quality programs and services designed to fulfill their community’s needs,” said Debbie Trueblood, IPRA Executive Director.
A park district or recreation agency interested in applying for Distinguished Accredited Agency recognition undergoes a detailed, lengthy process of application and evaluation. A Joint Distinguished Park and Recreation Accreditation Committee (JDPRAC) comprised of members from IAPD and IPRA coordinates the process. “Agencies submit a self-evaluation and a formal letter requesting admission into the process,” said Marie Todd, IAPD Co-Chair of the JDPRAC. “If the committee determines the agency is eligible to continue the process, we send them an evaluation date.” The Carol Stream Park District began the self-evaluation process in November of 2017 and after being eligible, formally applied for the Illinois Distinguished Accreditation program in March of 2018.
According to Todd, on the day of the evaluation, the agency presents documented information and gives a tour of pertinent facilities and parks for the evaluation team’s review. The team reviews general management procedures, finance and business operations, facilities and parks, personnel, recreation services, legal documentation and other materials including mission statements, goals and safety manuals.
Upon completion of the evaluation, the agency is notified in writing of the official results within ten days. Agencies that have achieved Distinguished Accredited status are recognized with a plaque at the IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference Awards Luncheon in January.
“There are tremendous benefits for an agency that achieves Distinguished Accredited status,” said Ryan Risinger, IPRA Co-Chair of the JDPRAC. “The agency’s application and review process provide an excellent self-evaluation and agencies that apply realize increased operational efficiency and effectiveness. Communities can have confidence that their park district or recreation agency employs qualified professionals and has met professional standards.”
The JDPRAC approved the Carol Stream Park District for Distinguished Accredited status in September 2018 and highlighted some areas that the evaluation team felt deserving of special commendations:
1.1.1 Nice touch posting vision, mission statement on all facility entrances.
1.3.1 Well organized and consistent mission statement cascading down into objectives.
1.7.1 Nice job on New Board member manual.
3.2.7 Land Cash Policy very well written.
3.5.7 Great job obtaining LEED Certification.
In compliance with the program, the Carol Stream Park District will be reevaluated in six years to verify that they have continued to demonstrate sound management practices in providing quality park and recreation services to the community.
IAPD is a non-profit service, research and education organization that serves park districts, forest preserves, conservation and recreation agencies. The association advances these agencies, their citizen board members and professional staff in their ability to provide outstanding park and recreation opportunities, preserve natural resources and improve the quality of life for all people in Illinois.
IPRA is a not-for-profit organization and public interest group who is an advocate in providing quality park, recreation and conservation education, resources and services to professionals and citizens throughout the state of Illinois.
The Carol Stream Park District formed the Anti-Vandalism Task force last summer to educate the community about vandalism and how to report it. Over the past year we’ve developed messages for adults and children. For adults, we’ve written the letter below and have been distributing that message on flyers in neighborhoods we visit. For children, we’ve created a presentation that talks about community, what vandalism is, and how to report it. We have taken our message to school districts and other public municipal organizations. Although the task force still has work in progress, we’re making great strides to help the community recognize and report vandalism.
Dear Neighbor,
Your park district is asking for your help. Vandalism in our parks has unfortunately become commonplace in our community. Graffiti and spray paint on playgrounds, damaged park amenities, burned port-o-lets, tire ruts on ball fields – these are just some of the incidents we deal with weekly as we work to maintain our parks and playgrounds. Repairing damage caused by vandalism costs us money in staff time and in replacement or repair of property.
Park District property is community property – parks, playgrounds, ballfields – for your enjoyment. You help us pay for it on your tax bill. Help us protect our shared property.
If you see vandalism happening, call 911. The police need to know when vandalism is happening so they can catch the culprits. If you see vandalism after it has happened – for example, you’re with your kids in the morning at your local park and you see obscenities sprawled on playground equipment – call us at 630-784-6100 so we can photograph and report the damage to police and work to clean up the vandalism.
The faster we catch those who feel the need to vandalize and the faster we can clean it up, the less vandalism we see. Your awareness is very important in the preservation of our parks and community.
Thank you for your help!
On Friday, September 21, we broke ground for the Veterans Memorial Plaza at Town Center! There was a great turn out of support for this exciting occasion. Thank you to all of our wonderful supporters over the last 3 years – we could not have done this without you!
However, we’re still about $60,000 short of our goal. This shortage requires us to phase in aspects of the project while fundraising continues, which is doable but extends the project’s completion date.
Help us reach our goal! There are many ways you can contribute:
To make a charitable contribution to the enhancements and beautification of Veterans Memorial, send your tax deductible donation to the Carol Stream Parks Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization.
Carol Stream Parks Foundation
c/o 849 W. Lies Road, Carol Stream, IL 60188
info@csparksfoundation.org
Make an online donation at GO FUND ME.
Make a donation through the Carol Stream Park District’s ONLINE PORTAL.
Run, jog or walk in the Fall 5K Stars & Stripes Shuffle being held at Armstrong Park at 9am on Sunday, September 30. Fee is $30 resident, $35 nonresident. Sign up here: Women 13762, Men 13761.
Sign up a team to play softball in the Stars & Stripes Softball Adult Tournament on October 6 at Armstrong Park. Team fee is $270 – code 15627.
We are getting so close to completing this project and presenting a beautiful memorial, a gathering place for the Village of Carol Stream residents and visitors and a meaningful and scenic place for our families, Veterans and visitors to honor our fallen heroes.
The Veterans Memorial Plaza Task Force includes members from the Carol Stream VFW, American Legion, Village, Park District, Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers.
