July/August 2019
Community Newsletter
The Park District says THANK YOU to two
Park District Commissioners for their service to
the community.
Grandwood Park Commissioners fill a very important role in the Grandwood Park Park District. There is no financial incentive for residents to give their time and energy to the community. Those that do, help create and maintain our special neighborhood. Community service has been the backbone of our community for more than 50 years. Park District Commissioners have the responsibility for strategic and day-to-day operations of the park district, which includes building and equipment maintenance, contracting with vendors, managing the rental and preschool programs, and working with the Civic Association (GPCA), and state and local governments to provide residents the opportunity to enjoy the out of doors and engage with their neighbors. Commissioners are either elected or appointed, or both.
Bill ReilIn the case of Bill Reil, he was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Linda Anderson, and then he was elected to complete the duration of her term.
So many people in the community know Bill Reil as the intrepid leader of GPCA. Perhaps you worked with him on Summerfest; you may know him as the caller for Bingo. Or maybe you met him during a Save the Lake day. In any case, he has been a part of the volunteer force of the community for OVER 20 YEARS. He had barely left the GPCA board when a vacancy on the park board came up and Bill raised his hand. It surprised no one, except maybe his wife Lola, that he was up for another opportunity to serve the community. During his tenure with the Park District, Bill held the seat responsible for Marketing, Programs, Rentals and Special Events. This role included the interface between GPPD and GPCA. The Park District does not have any full-time staff to run programs, and relies on
GPCA to provide the volunteers/man power for some of its community outreach, special events and programs. A great deal of coordination and communication between the boards is necessary. Bill was a natural fit for this job. In many ways he helped both boards. His understanding of the community, the way things have been done in the past, and hearing new ideas has helped maintain and improve the important liaison between the two organizations. Bill Reil will be missed on the Grandwood Park Park District Board. Keep your eyes out for Bill. It's likely you will see him at the next event, or a campfire in his driveway. Though this time he may be sitting back and just enjoying a beer with his wife. Thank you, Bill, for your years of service to Grandwood Park.
Chris GanoWhat can we say about Chris Gano? He is a fixture in the community and a very generous and talented man. His talents as an electrician, builder, master chain saw wielder, tree planter, engineer, and grill cook have all been put into service in our community.
Community service seems to run in the Gano family. His wife Darleen, and children James, Charlene and Tyler, are often helping dad with his volunteer efforts. Chris joined GPPD as an appointed commissioner filling a vacancy. He was then re-elected to the seat and has served as the commissioner responsible for buildings and equipment. His background in engineering and facility management made him a great fit for the Park District. He brings great insight into facility management. His intense work schedule and long hours over the past two years may have impacted the amount of time he has had to volunteer, but he has still managed to be part of our board of commissioners as well as the fry cook for fish fry this year. Chris isn’t ready to hang up his volunteer hat, as he is always ready to pitch in wherever our community needs him. Whether it's for OktoberFest or filling a seat on the board, we can be sure we have not seen the last of Chris Gano volunteering in Grandwood Park.
Open Seats on the Park District
Board of Commissioners ...
The Park District is looking for residents of Grandwood Park Park District, who are interested in volunteering for the position of Commissioner. We currently have two seats to be filled. Commissioners are elected for a four-year term; or appointed to fill a term until the next municipal election. In this case, the seat would be up for election in April 2021, which makes it a 2-year term. Grandwood Park Park District, or GPPD, is a local government body. Commissioners on the GPPD board work together to meet the vision and goals of the park district. As stated on the Grandwood Park website, our goal is: “To meet the needs and expectations of the community regarding the
Grandwood Park Park District, and to provide the best park/community environment possible within our means and abilities.” The board meets once a month on the second Wednesday of each month. Meetings are open the public under the Open Meetings Act. Upcoming dates include: July 10th and August 14. Attendance at these meetings is mandatory for commissioners. We are a small park district, with limited financial means. Budget decisions are generally limited to maintenance of our facilities, support of the Civic Association, and long range or strategic planning. The time commitment is variable, but in general does not exceed 10 hours per month. Most of that time is spent in correspondence and updates with the staff and other commissioners. Filling the seats is time sensitive. If you are interested, please do not delay. Please contact Leslie Cassidy, the Park District Manager to learn more, or attend the meeting on July 10th at 6:30 pm to throw your hat into the ring! The meetings are held in the conference room of the Park District Community Center located at 36630 N. Hutchins Rd., Gurnee.
The Grandwood Park Civic Associaion would like to thank everyone who came out to the Pancake Breakfast on May19th. It turned out to be a beautiful day, and we were able to serve up pancakes, sausage, eggs, and bagels.
A big shout out to the Grandwood Park Park District for the use of the Community Center and to the Lake County Rugby team for helping on the serving line. All proceeds from this event went to the Grandwood Park Scholarship Fund.
Congratulations to the Class of 2019
Grandwood Park Civic Association Seeks New
Board Members
Civic Association meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm. The meetings are in the conference room of the Park District Community Center, located at 36630 N. Hutchins Rd. in Gurnee.
The new equipment for Adam's Park has been installed! We now have a new main play structure, swing sets, and merry-go-round. We are just waiting for our playground mulch and the park will be open!! We will have a "Grand Re-Opening" ribbon cutting ceremony on 29th. Keep an eye on the website - once a time is determined, we will announce it.
The removal of the equipment was done with the assistance of the Lake County Rugby team members with their hard-work and dedication to community service!
The Warren Township Highway Department helped us again by removing a few of the footers for us - including the MASSIVE footer under the merry-go-round.
And, THANK YOU to Joel Diaz, GPPD Grounds employee! Joel was heading up the project and made sure everything ran smoothly and safely.
As a small district with limited resources, the Park District depends on volunteers and others for assistance in taking on some of these larger projects! The work would not get done without that assistance. The Lake County Rugby team and the Warren Township Highway Department have always been there when needed - THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Please remember that the speed limit in our community is 25mph. With summer here, children are out playing, riding bikes, rollerblading, etc. And, no matter how well we teach them, they are known to run out from between parked cars to retrieve a ball, cross the street, or chase someone. They are directly in front of your car before you know it.
Please keep your eyes open and SLOW DOWN when driving
through the community!If you witness someone speeding on your street, please call the Lake County Sheriff's Dept's non-emergency line and report it. The more calls they receive, the more they will step up patrols in our area, and the odds of catching the speeders increase!! But, it takes calls. CALL 847-549-5200
The Park District Needs Your Help!
Now that the construction is complete at Lake Park, the Park District is receiving reports of children throwing the rocks from the edge of the lake into the water. The design of the dam and surrounding area is mandated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Army Corp. of Engineers (ACOE). We are required to keep the areas of rock along the lake and creek intact. We have a couple small areas where the rock is already noticeably missing!! Constant monitoring and replacement of rock will increase expenses for the Park District that are paid out of your tax money, and could attract attention from the IDNR and ACOE. Non-compliance could cause the Park District to be fined. Please talk to your children and keep your eyes open when at the lake. If you see anyone removing
the rocks, or throwing rocks into the water, please call the Lake County Sheriff's Department on their non-emergency number 847-549-5200. The more calls they receive, the better! It will have them stepping up their patrols of the area. Any and all violators identified will be prosecuted.
Ribbon Cutting CeremonyTo celebrate the completion of the Grandwood Lake Dam Rehabilitation Project, and to thank everyone that worked on the project with us, the Park District is planning a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Lake Park the afternoon of Friday, September 20th at 2pm.
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