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Our community has recently seen many of the Frankfort Square Park District’s long-term plans and goals come to fruition. The following milestones have finally been reached over the past few months.
For the past 25 years, the park district has dreamed of acquiring the ball fields on St. Francis Road & 84th Avenue for permanent community use. This dream became a reality in October, 2009, when the park district, in cooperation with the Frankfort Square Baseball League, purchased the 6+ acre site adjacent to Kiwanis Park.
Years ago, these two fields which were developed through extensive FSBL fundraising efforts, were home to almost all baseball games in Frankfort Square. When this leased property was sold to a developer, it was believed that the opportunity to permanently acquire this location was lost. Once the park district became aware that the site was back on the market, the district actively pursued acquisition at a reasonable price. In the coming months, park district staff will meet with FSBL board members to develop a long-term plan for continued use and development of this favored location.
The developer of Lighthouse Pointe subdivision invested in excess of $1,000,000 to restore native areas throughout the development. Over 100 acres of these valued resources were recently dedicated to the Frankfort Square Park District.
The new Island Prairie Park Nature Center, interpretive gardens, canoe/kayak launch, bandshell, osprey platform, and boardwalk, located at the park district’s Community Center site, are finished.
The interpretive garden is planted, and in coming years, this location will provide a ready resource for identifying native plants and wildlife. Residents can enjoy this natural setting while walking along the garden paths and boardwalk.
This winter, native plants will be cultivated in the Nature Center’s greenhouse and planted throughout park properties in the spring. Plan to attend the grand opening of the Nature Center, to be held in conjunction with our 3rd Annual Earth Day Celebration scheduled for April 17, 2010.
Little Nashville performed at our first-ever outdoor concert in the newly constructed bandshell. Look for increased opportunities to attend family-friendly performances this summer.
Thanks to a cooperative effort with Summit Hill School District 161, the park district is now providing the Before & After School Program to FSPD school children, kindergarten through 6th grade. This long-awaited offering debuted at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year, and participants benefit from homework help provided by certified teachers, have access to a computer lab for their studies and educational games, and enjoy lots of fun activities, including use of Wii game systems.
The park district continues to face the challenges of operating/maintaining diverse facilities, providing exciting recreation programming to all residents, and maximizing limited funds in tough economic times. Board Members and park personnel spend the winter months incorporating the park’s mission and long-range plans into projects and programs for the coming fiscal year.
We encourage your input and offer a variety of methods for forwarding comments, ideas, and concerns. Call, write, e-mail, fax, or simply stop by the office or monthly Board Meetings. One thing that has always been true is that every improvement, project, and program was initiated the same way. All started with an idea offered by a park district resident.
Sincerely,
Jim Randall
Executive Director
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