May/June 2019 Community Newsletter
Grandwood Lake Dam Rehabilitation ProjectThe Lake Park Dam project is ending. By the printing of this article, the structural portions of the work will have been completed and the lake refilled. We have officially “saved the lake”. Background: After a series of significant floods over a 5 year period, it became clear to both Lake County Storm Water Management Commission (LCSMC) and Grandwood Park Park District (GPPD), that the dam at Lake Park was in
serious need of repair and/or replacement. For those of you who have followed the saga, multiple studies of the Des Plains water system, the dam structure, the quality of the water, and the impact of a failure of the dam have been completed. During the years needed to complete the studies, the community continued to experience significant flooding at Lake Park as well as damage to adjacent properties. The Grandwood Lake Dam Rehabilitation Project construction was officially kicked off in November 2018. A long and snowy winter postponed project completion until this spring. Acknowledgements: (It takes a village). Based on the documented need of the Park District to repair the dam, LCSMC was able to fund a matching grant to GPPD for the necessary work; the
Lake County Board approved the grant in 2018. Without these dollars, this project could not have been done. Also, without the help of our own Lake County Board Member for District 7, Steve Carlson, advocating for the Park District and the residents of Grandwood Park and The Shires; and Mike Warner, the Executive Director of Lake County Storm Water Management Commission stepping up to advise and oversee the project work, this project could not have been started or completed. A special call out to the team of dedicated LCSMC engineers overseeing the project EVERYDAY during the work. Warren Township has always provided strong support to Grandwood Park Park District. They have routinely stepped up to help whenever the neighborhood has experienced a storm-related problem. We are grateful for everything they have done from
down tree/debris removal to sandbags and street closures support. Thank you Amy Sarver and Sue Simpson. Next Steps: The new dam configuration includes an 80 foot spillway that is armored with stone. Please be aware, during high water events, you should expect to see water crossing over the sidewalk, it is part of the secondary spillway. This spillway will allow the overflow that would normally cause flooding in the park to be directed through a controlled area, over stone, and the wetland, back to the creek. The design of berms with the secondary spillway was created by IMEG engineering and approved by the IDNR. The new configuration of the dam and spillway design will also prevent any further flooding on the north side of the dam, including the sports courts. The
turf areas have been seeded and blanketed with straw. We will all be watching for new growth. Mowing will be allowed after approximately 8 weeks when the grass has had a chance to put down strong roots. The Army Corp of Engineers has also been involved in the designation of a “High Quality Wetland” at the base of the secondary spillway. New educational signage will be installed to identify the wetland area. Though outside the scope of the Dam Rehab project, the below grade sidewalk on the north side of the lake was removed prior to the project start to take advantage of the enhanced elevation of the new berm configuration. Excess fill removed as part of the project was relocated to the north side. Seeding and a new walkway will be completed this summer by the Park
District. A Grand Opening of Lake Park is planned for this summer, the date TBD. Please stay tuned for that upcoming event and our next project to enhance the lake and parks of GPPD. (formerly known as Save the Lake). Click Here to see pictures of the construction.
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PARK DISTRICT BOARD HAS
2 OPEN POSITIONSThe Board of Commissioners of the Grandwood Park Park District consists of 5 unpaid elected officials. As of May, there will 2 open positions on the Board. The Board will be appointing 2 individuals that would serve until the next consolidated election in 2021. For information the responsibilities a Park District Commissioner, please click here to go to the Board Policy Manual on the park district website. You can find information relating to what a Commissioner does on pages 59-62. If you are interested in being involved and serving your community as a member of the Park District Board of Commissioners, please contact Leslie Cassidy in the Park District office at 847-356-0008, or by email at parkdistrict@grandwoodpark.net.
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Apply NOW for GPCA ScholarshipsThe Grandwood Park Civic Association will be awarding two (2) scholarships of $500 to area residents (Grandwood Park/The Shires) in 2019. The Board is proud to be able to bring back this program to help support and invest in the youth of our community.
Application packets are available online on the Park District website at www.grandwoodpark.net, or by contacting the Civic Association by email at civicassociation@grandwoodpark.net. All applications must be received via email or postmarked by Friday, June 14, 2019. Scholarship winners will be announced on July 14, 2019. Winners will be notified by phone and posted on the GPCA Facebook page.
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Are you looking for a preschool for your child? Come to the June Open House for Little Learners Preschool and learn about us and our program. Our goal is to help your child develop new skills while having fun. We will work on literacy and math concepts, science, art, music, physical activities, following directions, and working with others. We will do this as we play, listen to stories, dance, draw, explore our environment, and much more! To visit our website for more information - click here.
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Hutchins Road Bridge ReplacementLCDOT has announced a project to replace the bridge over Mill Creek on Hutchins Road, just south of Grandwood Drive. Hutchins Road will be completely closed to vehicle traffic during this project, which is expected to be done this summer from June thru September. For additional details, click here.
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GPCA Fish Fry a SUCCESSThe April Fish Fry Fundraiser was a huge success thanks to the support of everyone who attended and volunteered. The weather cooperated, which helped us serve 156 dinners, including take-outs. Dinner consisted of fish, fries, mac 'n cheese, fruit cocktail, coleslaw, and bread and butter, and the dessert table was loaded with tasty treats donated by residents.
Our volunteers did an amazing job collecting prizes for the raffles. The "Members Only Raffle" is available to residents that have paid their *annual dues to the GPCA for the year, and "Military Raffle" is for veterans and active members of the military. Prizes were donated by Laura Sambrano Funeral & Cremation, Sport Clips, Only Child, BBQ'd Productions, and McAlister's Deli. The 50/50 raffle had the winner going home with $107!! A special THANK YOU goes to our biggest supporter - Grandwood Park Park District for donating the venue. To ALL of our volunteers -- thank you, thank you, thank you!
A special thank you to Darleen Gano and her crew for chairing this amazing event. It's success is due to the hard work and preparation she put into it. Lake County Rugby Club - thank you for your support and we look forward to supporting you on May 11 and May 18th at your home games at Hutchins Athletic Field! *Paying yearly dues to be a member of the Civic Association helps us to provide events for our terrific community. If you're not already a member, click here to go to the Park District website for information on how to become a member.
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And the Winner of the "Fish Fry Sign Contest" is ............... Brenda KiesgenNew signs were needed for the fish fry - the six old ones had definitely seen better days! So, GPCA decided to hold a contest, announcing it on their Facebook page.
All the signs were taken almost immediately. After they were returned, they were placed out in the community to advertise the Fish Fry. Pictures of all 6 signs entered in the contest were displayed during the Fish Fry. Everyone who attended had an opportunity to vote for their favorite sign. Brenda Kiesgen was the lucky winner, and took home a $50 Visa gift card. Thank you to everyone who participated - YOU ALL DID AN AWESOME JOB!
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What a great year it has been at the preschool. We have enjoyed exploring, creating, and learning with all of our Climbers and Explorers. The Explorers are certainly ready for Kindergarten, and we are excited to celebrate this milestone with them at our graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 23rd at 6:00. We look forward to next year with our returning Climbers.
Registration is now open for the 2019-2020 school year. Our Explorer’s class meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00-11:30. Our Climber’s class meets Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00-11:30. Please contact us at preschool@grandwoodpark.net if you have any questions about our program or would like to take a tour of our facilities. We would love to have your child be a part of our program.
We have two more fundraisers this month. Thursday, May 2nd and Friday, May 3rd, we will have a garage sale starting at noon at the Grandwood Park Park District. You are welcome to stop by and shop. We have gently used toys, clothes, books, holiday items, and more. All funds collected will be used to purchase indoor and outdoor toys for the preschoolers and for future field trips.
On Thursday, May 9th come enjoy lunch or dinner at McAlister’s located in Gurnee between 11:00 am-9:00 pm. Leave your receipt in the Little Learner’s box at the restaurant, and we will receive 20% of all the proceeds. All funds collected will be used to support the preschool.
Thank you for supporting our program.
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Easter Bunny visits Grandwood Park
The spring Easter Egg Hunt was held on a beautiful, sunny day! Hutchins Athletic Field was decorated with over 500 eggs for the 46 hunters to gather. The children began the event by making bunny binoculars, bunny crowns, and picture frames. Games were played in the field for additional prizes.
Thank you to the Easter Bunny who was able to attend our event while showing off his new outfit! The Bunny took pictures with all the kids and also challenged a few to a "Floss" dance-off.
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February 2019 - Spaghetti DinnerIn February, the GPCA hosted its annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser. Volunteers served 86 dinners! This event's success is due to the huge support we received from local restaurants - Jimano's Pizza donated the sauce & pasta, while Saluto's donated their famous dressing!
Thank you to all of our bakers who helped satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. Thank you to the Grandwood Park Park District for donating the venue. Our raffle prizes were donated by Laura Sambrano Funeral & Cremation and Sport Clips. The 50/50 raffle winner went home with $91. Thank you to all of our volunteers!
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