Latest news with #NapervilleParkDistrict
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest
The 18th annual Kite Fly will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 1, at the Frontier Sports Complex, 3380 Cedar Glade Drive. Large kites will be flown by professionals from Chicago Kite, and attendees are invited to fly their own kites as well, a Naperville Park District news release said. The event is free and also features live music entertainment, including the Prairie Sky Quintet and the Naperville Municipal Big Band, and food trucks. KidsMatter will be running Games From Around the World in which children receive a passport to participate in other country's games, the release said. The annual event is presented by the Naperville Park District and The Branch-Naperville Moms. For more information, go to To celebrate the end of the school year, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria will donate 20% of its proceeds to KidsMatter on Tuesday, June 3. The annual 'School's Out' fundraiser will be available at its Naperville locations at 131 W. Jefferson Ave. and 2879 95th St. Donations apply to all dine-in, carry-out or delivery orders placed between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., a news release said. Customers should mention KidsMatter when ordering. Student musicians will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. at the downtown Jefferson Avenue location. 'We are so grateful for Lou Malnati's partnership, and we look forward to this event every year — both to celebrate our area students and to kick off summer,' Nina Menis, CEO and executive director of KidsMatter, said in a statement. Proceeds will help the organization expand its programs supporting youth and families, Menis said. For more information, go to The Will County Resource Recovery and Energy Division will hold its annual three-day book reuse and recycling event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Sunday, May 30-June 1, at Pilcher Park Nature Center, 2501 Highland Park Drive, Joliet. Schools, libraries and individuals can bring unused and unwanted books to donate for potential reuse and recycling, county officials said in a news release. Any of the thousands of books at the event can be taken for free, saving them from a landfill, officials said. During last year's event, more than 1,800 people dropped off books or browsed the event's selection. Attendees took more than 80,000 books home, and another 10,000 were recycled after the event. Book categories include fiction, nonfiction, children's, romance, hobby, travel, health and living, religion, textbooks, periodicals and cookbooks in both hardcover and paperback, the release said. Organizations can make an appointment to drop off large quantities of books by calling 815-727-8834. For more information, go to The Millennium Carillon's weekly recital series kicks off at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, and will feature a rotation of local, national and international performers throughout the summer. Recitals will take place most Tuesdays through Aug. 19. The only Tuesday not on the schedule is June 24, but there will be a Saturday performance at 7 p.m. June 21. All performances are free to the public, and audiences can bring folding chairs and blankets to use while sitting on Rotary Hill, 443 Aurora Ave., or anywhere along the Riverwalk, a Naperville Park District news release said. Carillonneurs from Naperville and Chicago are scheduled to perform as well as from Iowa, California, Connecticut, New York, the United Kingdom and Belgium, the release said. Concerts are held rain or shine and picnicking is welcomed. Moonlight carillon tours of Moser Tower will be offered after all performances other than the one on Aug. 19, the release said. The cost is $2 per person,. Information on concerts and performers can be found at
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Naperville Park District to hire consultants to help plan future indoor rec space, possible pool
Naperville Park District is hoping to chart a path forward on new indoor recreation space, including the possiblity of a new pool, with the help of a pair of consultants. Later this month, district staff will bring two professional services contracts to the Naperville Park Board for approval. The contracts are the next step in an ongoing effort to determine how the district should manage its indoor recreation needs in years to come and if a referendum will be needed to fund new or expanded space. District Executive Director Brad Wilson gave an overview of the focus and scope of the proposed contracts at last week's park board meeting. They are expected to go to the board at its May 22 meeting, Wilson said. Last fall, the district completed an assessment of its indoor recreational needs. Months in the making, the review was a product of interviews with stakeholders, focus groups, open house events and surveys. The resulting 266-page report offered a range of takeaways, from the demand for more aquatic facilities to the need for more enhanced seniors programs for seniors. The contract proposals 'really come off' that assessment, Wilson said. Under one of them, Itasca-based Williams Architects would be hired to assist the district in site and facility conceptual design and public engagement, he said. 'We've certainly gathered a lot of public input and feedback from the community as part of that indoor recreation needs assessment on the types of spaces that the community would like to see and feel is needed,' he said. 'Now, it's taking those elements and beginning to look at various sites. 'Where a building might be able to be located as well as what type of elements could be included in there and really the size of those to help with then determining what it might look like as well as what the cost estimate would be.' The other contract would have Beyond Your Base, a public affairs and pre-referendum consulting group, help the park board decide whether to seek voter approval through a referendum to help pay for new indoor rec space, Wilson said. As part of the district's recently completed needs assessment, residents were surveyed on their willingness to kick in their own tax dollars towards a new multipurpose activity center. Residents were surveyed on three bond issue scenarios: one that would fund a facility similar to the Fort Hill Activity Center with the addition of an indoor pool; a second calling for a center like Fort Hill with no pool; and a third under which a similar center would be built and include synthetic turf. All three would add anywhere from $60 to $85 to the park district's property tax bill annually for 20 years for a taxpayer with a home valued at $440,000, according to district estimates. In both statistical and public survey results, respondents indicated the highest willingness to pay for a center with a pool. Surveys also sought input on where residents would want new indoor recreation space to be built. South Naperville drew the highest level of support. Beyond Your Base, with offices in Colorado and Illinois, 'develops and implements comprehensive public engagement programs that incorporate voter analytics, public opinion research and strategic communications,' its website says. The consulting group recently assisted Indian Prairie School District 204 with its public engagement for a bond referendum that voters approved last fall, according to Wilson. Over the past couple of months, the district has started to work with both Beyond Your Base and Williams Architects on some initial steps 'to really begin taking a look at this a little bit further,' Wilson said. Each company has been paid $18,000 for the preliminary work, he said. If the new contracts are approved, Williams Architects would be receive $62,000 and Beyond Your Base would get $67,000. Should the board approve both agreements, 'later in the summer and in early fall, we would (expect to) have additional updates to … provide,' Wilson said. tkenny@
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Naperville Park District to hire consultants to help plan future indoor rec space, possible pool
Naperville Park District is hoping to chart a path forward on new indoor recreation space, including the possiblity of a new pool, with the help of a pair of consultants. Later this month, district staff will bring two professional services contracts to the Naperville Park Board for approval. The contracts are the next step in an ongoing effort to determine how the district should manage its indoor recreation needs in years to come and if a referendum will be needed to fund new or expanded space. District Executive Director Brad Wilson gave an overview of the focus and scope of the proposed contracts at last week's park board meeting. They are expected to go to the board at its May 22 meeting, Wilson said. Last fall, the district completed an assessment of its indoor recreational needs. Months in the making, the review was a product of interviews with stakeholders, focus groups, open house events and surveys. The resulting 266-page report offered a range of takeaways, from the demand for more aquatic facilities to the need for more enhanced seniors programs for seniors. The contract proposals 'really come off' that assessment, Wilson said. Under one of them, Itasca-based Williams Architects would be hired to assist the district in site and facility conceptual design and public engagement, he said. 'We've certainly gathered a lot of public input and feedback from the community as part of that indoor recreation needs assessment on the types of spaces that the community would like to see and feel is needed,' he said. 'Now, it's taking those elements and beginning to look at various sites. 'Where a building might be able to be located as well as what type of elements could be included in there and really the size of those to help with then determining what it might look like as well as what the cost estimate would be.' The other contract would have Beyond Your Base, a public affairs and pre-referendum consulting group, help the park board decide whether to seek voter approval through a referendum to help pay for new indoor rec space, Wilson said. As part of the district's recently completed needs assessment, residents were surveyed on their willingness to kick in their own tax dollars towards a new multipurpose activity center. Residents were surveyed on three bond issue scenarios: one that would fund a facility similar to the Fort Hill Activity Center with the addition of an indoor pool; a second calling for a center like Fort Hill with no pool; and a third under which a similar center would be built and include synthetic turf. All three would add anywhere from $60 to $85 to the park district's property tax bill annually for 20 years for a taxpayer with a home valued at $440,000, according to district estimates. In both statistical and public survey results, respondents indicated the highest willingness to pay for a center with a pool. Surveys also sought input on where residents would want new indoor recreation space to be built. South Naperville drew the highest level of support. Beyond Your Base, with offices in Colorado and Illinois, 'develops and implements comprehensive public engagement programs that incorporate voter analytics, public opinion research and strategic communications,' its website says. The consulting group recently assisted Indian Prairie School District 204 with its public engagement for a bond referendum that voters approved last fall, according to Wilson. Over the past couple of months, the district has started to work with both Beyond Your Base and Williams Architects on some initial steps 'to really begin taking a look at this a little bit further,' Wilson said. Each company has been paid $18,000 for the preliminary work, he said. If the new contracts are approved, Williams Architects would be receive $62,000 and Beyond Your Base would get $67,000. Should the board approve both agreements, 'later in the summer and in early fall, we would (expect to) have additional updates to … provide,' Wilson said. tkenny@
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville Park District to hire consultants to help plan future indoor rec space, possible pool
Naperville Park District is hoping to chart a path forward on new indoor recreation space, including the possiblity of a new pool, with the help of a pair of consultants. Later this month, district staff will bring two professional services contracts to the Naperville Park Board for approval. The contracts are the next step in an ongoing effort to determine how the district should manage its indoor recreation needs in years to come and if a referendum will be needed to fund new or expanded space. District Executive Director Brad Wilson gave an overview of the focus and scope of the proposed contracts at last week's park board meeting. They are expected to go to the board at its May 22 meeting, Wilson said. Last fall, the district completed an assessment of its indoor recreational needs. Months in the making, the review was a product of interviews with stakeholders, focus groups, open house events and surveys. The resulting 266-page report offered a range of takeaways, from the demand for more aquatic facilities to the need for more enhanced seniors programs for seniors. The contract proposals 'really come off' that assessment, Wilson said. Under one of them, Itasca-based Williams Architects would be hired to assist the district in site and facility conceptual design and public engagement, he said. 'We've certainly gathered a lot of public input and feedback from the community as part of that indoor recreation needs assessment on the types of spaces that the community would like to see and feel is needed,' he said. 'Now, it's taking those elements and beginning to look at various sites. 'Where a building might be able to be located as well as what type of elements could be included in there and really the size of those to help with then determining what it might look like as well as what the cost estimate would be.' The other contract would have Beyond Your Base, a public affairs and pre-referendum consulting group, help the park board decide whether to seek voter approval through a referendum to help pay for new indoor rec space, Wilson said. As part of the district's recently completed needs assessment, residents were surveyed on their willingness to kick in their own tax dollars towards a new multipurpose activity center. Residents were surveyed on three bond issue scenarios: one that would fund a facility similar to the Fort Hill Activity Center with the addition of an indoor pool; a second calling for a center like Fort Hill with no pool; and a third under which a similar center would be built and include synthetic turf. All three would add anywhere from $60 to $85 to the park district's property tax bill annually for 20 years for a taxpayer with a home valued at $440,000, according to district estimates. In both statistical and public survey results, respondents indicated the highest willingness to pay for a center with a pool. Surveys also sought input on where residents would want new indoor recreation space to be built. South Naperville drew the highest level of support. Beyond Your Base, with offices in Colorado and Illinois, 'develops and implements comprehensive public engagement programs that incorporate voter analytics, public opinion research and strategic communications,' its website says. The consulting group recently assisted Indian Prairie School District 204 with its public engagement for a bond referendum that voters approved last fall, according to Wilson. Over the past couple of months, the district has started to work with both Beyond Your Base and Williams Architects on some initial steps 'to really begin taking a look at this a little bit further,' Wilson said. Each company has been paid $18,000 for the preliminary work, he said. If the new contracts are approved, Williams Architects would be receive $62,000 and Beyond Your Base would get $67,000. Should the board approve both agreements, 'later in the summer and in early fall, we would (expect to) have additional updates to … provide,' Wilson said.
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest: Ribbon-cutting event planned for two renovated playgrounds; Fort Hill Wellness Series program to focus on orthopedic surgery
Ribbon-cutting event planned for two renovated playgrounds Naperville Park District will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, May 6, to celebrate the completed playground renovations at Spring-Field Park and Arbor Way. The event will take place at 5 p.m. at Spring-Field Park, 2031 Springside Circle, which is adjacent to Arbor Way. The newly renovated playground at Spring-Field Park includes a 20-foot-long zipline, silo net climber, inclusive spinner and a multiuser disc swing, a park district news release said. New amenities at Arbor Way include a climbing circuit with both rope and rock components and a playhouse. Two new picnic tables have been added to each park, the release said. Light refreshments will be served. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 7. School district libraries to receive grant money from state Naperville District 203 and Indian Prairie District 204 are among the recipients of $1.3 million in grants awarded to public school libraries across the state by Secretary Of State Alexi Giannoulias, who also serves as the state librarian. District 203 is to receive $13,301 and Indian Prairie $21,855, a news release said. The grants are awarded each spring to support students in kindergarten through high school and allow school librarians to bolster their offerings, the release said. Resources and services provided through the grants include books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, multilingual materials, technology and programs. Grants are based on a formula in which districts receive $0.885 per student enrolled at each school having a qualified library. Funds are appropriated by the General Assembly. Naperville Woman's Club announces new officers, board members The Naperville Woman's Club has chosen Nina Casey as its president, Wendy Piepho as vice president of leadership, Susan Paral as vice president of membership and Susan Stockton as vice president of communications for 2025-2026. Barbara Huffman will serve as secretary and Esther Cook as treasurer, a news release said. Arts and culture chair will be Anita Danza, civic engagement chair is Anna Territo, education and libraries chair is Maryanne Greif, facilities chair is Jennifer Kashur, meetings chair is Julie Berkowicz, rentals chair is Ann Jansen, and ways and means chair is Roz Morris. The club was founded in 1897 and focuses its philanthropic activities on art, education and community service. For more information, go to Fort Hill Wellness Series program to focus on orthopedic surgery Two orthopedic surgeons from Advocate Health Care will lead a program on new trends in orthopedic surgery Thursday, May 15, as part of the Fort Hill Wellness Series. The presentation will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Fort Hill Activity Center, 20 Fort Hill Drive. Drs. Saad Khan and Socrates Brito will speak about how new techniques and technologies have revolutionized hand, upper and lower extremity surgeries and improved recovery time, a Naperville Park District news release said. They will focus on hip, knee and shoulder replacements. Fort Hill fitness members can attend for free by registering in person at the center or by calling 630-995-8900. Nonmembers will pay $5 and can register at by clicking 'Register Online' and searching for 'Wellness Series' or activity code 105316.
