MAY / JUNE   2017

COMMUNITY  NEWSLETTER

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Neighborhood Garage Sale

Mark your calendars for
May 18th, 19th & 20th

It's Spring Cleaning time and your treasures can now belong to new owners which will bring them joy and happiness. We will be holding our community sale the same week-end as Brookside and other surrounding communities, which means lots of traffic in the area. Scouring for fine items is a quest for those who enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

Thursday May 18th:   9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday  May 19th:    9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Saturday  May 20th:    9:00 am - 1:00 pm

The GPCA will be advertising and putting up signs to help draw people into the community ........ you can feel free to put up corner signs directing people to your sale too!

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GPCA HOSTS BLOOD DRIVE

Sunday, June 11th, the Civic Association is hosting a Blood Drive from 9:00am - 2:00pm. Walk-ins are welcome, however it is recommended that you sign up by calling LifeSource at 877-543-3768 or go to www.lifesource.org and select " Make an Appointment".  Login, then search by group code GN08.

Make sure you eat breakfast, bring ID and stay hydrated.
 

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Access to Lake Michigan water is getting closer every day.

JAWA requested and received an easement for the water pipe coming through GPPDpark district property.  The south end of the Hutchins Athletic Field parking lot will be excavated during the installation of the pipe, and all work is scheduled to be completed by the end of April. Restoration of park district property will begin as soon after this project as possible. We are working with JAWA to minimize the impact to teams using the field. Thank you for your patience.
 

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Little Learners Preschool
Where every child is made to feel special in
our own little corner of the world

It’s hard to believe that it’s now May and soon it will be our graduation day! On Thursday, May 25th, 9 children will be graduating from the Little Learners Preschool. At their graduation ceremony, the class will be sharing songs, poems, memories and treats with their families.

Our spring field trip was to the Fire Zone in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was so much fun for all of us.

A special thank you to our graduating Parental Advisory Committee members, Katie Albeck and Carrie Maggiore. Katie has been on the PAC for four years while her children, Kailee and Colton, were in our program. Carrie’s son, Gavin, has been in our program for two years and she has been on our PAC for one year. We are going to miss both of these ladies and so appreciate all their efforts throughout the year(s). Good luck to you both!

These ladies, along with returning Parental Advisory Committee members, Holly Harms and Meghan Dawson, are part of the reason our school is so successful. We rely on them for help in the classroom, with fund raisers, and managing our scholastic book club.

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"FLOCK" a friend .......

The Civic Association is planning a
Flamingo Flock Fundraiser!

For $20 you can "flock" someone with 24 beautiful flamingos which will stay in their yard for 2 days, and then be retrieved by the Civic Association. If you want to find out who "flocked" you, the charge will be $10.00.

For more details, please contact the Civic Association at 224-469-9933, or by email at civicassociation@grandwoodpark.net.

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Later this summer the Civic Association will be hosting a
Penn Station Fundraiser!

For $20 you can purchase $25 worth of gift cards (limit 2 per household) to Penn Station that can be used once per month for 5 months. You get to try the delectable edibles from Penn Station and help your Civic Association at the same time.

We will also be having a membership drive - it is not necessary to be a member of the Civic Association but it helps to support the programs we put on for the benefit of our community.
 

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Park District
Annual Egg Hunt

Sunday, April 9th was a beautiful, warm spring day for an Egg Hunt. 44 children enjoyed the thrill of the hunt for eggs hidden behind the Community Center, got to visit with the Easter Bunny, make an Easter Bunny hat and paint paper eggs with cotton balls. The luncheon consisted of egg shaped ham and cheese sandwiches, bunny shaped turkey and cheese sandwiches and chick shaped PB&J sandwiches. Also provided were peep fruit kabobs, chocolate pudding with crushed Oreos on top, apple juice, milk and water.

The basket winners were;  Brooklyn Hubert in the 0-3 age group,  Madilyn Vargas in the 4-6 age group, and Yahir Garcia in the 7-10 age group.  Congratulations to all the winners!!

A special thanks to Meghan Dawson for all her hard work producing such a splendid event.

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On March 31st the GPCA hosted their annual Fish Fry with 122 served dinners and 25 takeouts. Our fine fryers, Stu Stautz and Chris Gano cooked up some tasty fish and fries for our dining pleasure. Many thanks are extended to Shirley Stautz and Darleen Gano for coordinating the kitchen crew and servers who provided macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, bread, butter and condiments of lemon, tartar sauce, malt vinegar and ketchup. There was a lovely selection of sweet treats for dessert from which our diners could choose. Penn Station donated gift certificates as raffle prizes that were warmly received by the winners. A special thank you goes to all of our volunteers for their time and smiles. We also thank Dave Brown for his generous contribution. All in all, a fine time was had by everyone. Thank you, our neighbors, for supporting us in our endeavor to provide a fun gathering in a great place.
 

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Russell "Randy" Gunderson of Grandwood Park died on March 13th. Randy and his wife, Kathy, have lived in our neighborhood for many years. Randy held a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a Masters Degree in Social Work.Most recently he was the Principal for the John Powers Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Vernon Hills, IL. He was a long time officer of the Warren Band Boosters and an accomplished drummer for his very popular wedding band, The Flares. He is certainly going to be missed by all who knew him or benefited from his expertise and kindness.

Our condolences to his wife Kathy Gunderson, children Holly and Patrick, family and friends.

A long time Grandwood Park resident, retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant, self-proclaimed professional landscaper, and all around great neighbor has passed away. Harry  Westbrook died on March 9th after a long illness. Harry was active in the community for many many years having served as President of the Warren Waukegan Fire Protection District and assisting with various community events too numerous to mention. His meticulously manicured and perfectly maintained yard was the envy of all who laid eyes on it. He loved his wife and family, the United States Marine Corps and his country. He will be sorely missed by all that knew him. So long Harry Westbrook. Semper Fidelis.

Our condolences to Judy Westbrook and family.

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Bingo, Summerfest and Music by the Lake have been postponed due to decreased participation in our events. Because we can only hold events if we have the funds to do so, we need your help, support and ideas.

Please consider attending our meetings held on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the conference room of the Park District Community
Center located at 36630 N. Hutchins Road. 
                 All are welcome.

This is your neighborhood - what would you like to see happening?

Stay tuned for upcoming events.

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The home directly to the south side of he Community Center has been empty and deteriorating for a number of years. At the beginning of 2017 it became Park district property. The opportunity to expand parking has been limited by the location of the building with the creek on the north side and homes to the south. This was a wonderful, unique opportunity.

The park district is minimizing land fill by working with Habitat for Humanity to salvage all re-usable items from the home. The furnace, air conditioner, the kitchen cabinets, doors, windows, etc have all been donated.

We are all in the process of getting the site plan for the space which will allow us to get the permit to demo the structure. The timing for this project will be available soon.

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    SAVE THE DATE !!

             October 7th

          Polka Band, beer, food,
                 fireworks, fun!!

 

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Enhance mind/body awareness by increasing strength, flexibility, balance, proper breathing and stress reduction.  Awakenings Yoga is a near-perfect science-of-life that provides clear guidance and practical tools to create and maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle.  Enjoy the healing, noncompetitive, and relaxing class environment.

Barbara Spietz, an internationally-recognized master teacher, has conducted teacher training workshops throughout India and the United States. She was featured in Yoga Chicago Magazine and is registered with the Yoga Alliance at the 500 hour level.

Wear comfortable attire. Equipment is provided, however, if you prefer you may bring your own.

Classes will be held at the GRANDWOOD PARK PARK DISTRICT COMMUNITY CENTER located at 36630 N. Hutchins Road in Gurnee.

Check the website for details ... www.grandwoodpark.net/programs

 

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