Information | Press Releases
Environmental Action Team Global Work Party
The Buffalo Grove Environmental Action Team is recycling cycles and more! The group, a Buffalo Grove Park District committee, will host a bike-oriented Global Work Party at the Buffalo Grove Farmer's Market on Sunday, October 10, from 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
In addition to an exhilarating hands-on/feet-on bike energy conversion demonstration, in which people can participate, the event will also feature an informative bike clinic, a mechanic from a local bike shop, and members of the League of Illinois Bicyclists and local bike clubs will be on hand to pass out free bike maps and discuss rides and routes. Anyone that has a bike that they are no longer using is encouraged to bring it to donate it to the Working Bikes Cooperative.
Get your bike out of the garage and back on the road or donate it to a great charity! For more information, contact Wendy Frank at (847) 478-1653 or wendabilities@gmail.com.
More information on the Buffalo Grove Environmental Action Team is available on the Buffalo Grove Park District website at bgparkdistrict.org. For more information in Working Bikes Cooperative, go to workingbikes.org, and for 350.org's Global Work Party, go to 350.org/invitation.
Buffalo Grove Park District Board Appointment
The Buffalo Grove Park District Board of Commissioners is excited to announce that Mr. Jeff Weiss has been selected to fill the vacancy left by former Commissioner Martha Weiss. Jeff will fill Martha’s term which expires with the April 2011 election.
Mr. Weiss comes to the Buffalo Grove Park District with extensive experience in Park District initiatives and programs. In 2008, Mr. Weiss founded the Park District’s Environmental Action Team. This group has conducted a wide variety of projects including hosting an electronics recycling event, clean up days at Mike Rylko Community Park, Adopt-A-Highway, controlling invasive plant species in our parks, native plantings events, completing an electrical usage audit of the Alcott Center, and investigating the use of solar energy within the Park District.
Prior to his involvement with the Environmental Action Team, Mr. Weiss proposed the floating island project at Green Lake Park. This project utilized Park District volunteers to create a floating island of native plants, designed to enhance the condition of the water and create a better aquatic environment. Some of his other Park District experiences have included serving as a youth sports coach for soccer and basketball, and as a volunteer at many Park District special events including the Buffalo Grove Stampede.
Mr. Weiss has a variety of other experiences that will enhance the Park District’s efforts to be more active in environmental issues. Mr. Weiss currently works for the Skokie Park District at Emily Oaks Nature Center as Land Management Coordinator and serves as Steward at Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve for the Lake County Forest Preserve District. He also serves as Director/Consultant for the Green Hollow Center, an organization focused on habitat restoration. Because of his park district experiences, Mr. Weiss has attended workshops and seminars at several Illinois Park and Recreation Conferences held annually in Chicago.
Mr. Weiss was interviewed by the Park Board of Commissioners along with three other qualified candidates on August 16. The Board developed an open and transparent selection process. All candidates provided the Board with an application and resume showing their experiences, along with statements on their interest in the position. Because Martha Weiss is married to one of the candidates, she withdrew from any participation in the selection process. Jeff’s experience and past participation and leadership in Park District initiatives and programs made him the best choice to fill the remaining eight months of the term.
Because of the quality, and their obvious commitment to the community, the Board has invited all the candidates to participate in other volunteer opportunities, including the Environmental Action Team, Friends of the Parks Foundation and Raupp Museum.
Buffalo Grove Park District Board President
Receives Distinctive Board Member Award
The Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) Board Member Development Program gives recognition to local board members who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty through committee involvement, attendance at continuing educational opportunities and achievements at the local, state and national levels.
Participants accumulate Board Development Units yearly from October 1 to September 30. Board Member Development Program participants (Distinctive and Master Levels) are recognized at the IAPD Annual Business Meeting at the IAPD/IPRA Conference.
This year, Buffalo Grove Park District Board President Jack Schmerer accumulated over 400 units and received the award of Distinctive Board Member. In addition to serving our community at Park Board meetings and volunteering at special events, Jack served on the IAPD/IPRA Conference Committee, as well as their programs and operations subcommittees. He also attended legislative meetings and conferences throughout the year, making sure that the Buffalo Grove Park District was well represented at the state level.
Buffalo Grove Park District Achieves
Highest Financial Rating
The Buffalo Grove Park District recently received the highest municipal bond rating of “AAA” from Standard and Poor’s (S&P), an independent rating agency in New York. The rating was requested in conjunction with the District’s annual bond issuance. After reviewing the District’s financial condition, management policies and various economic data, S&P felt the District deserved the highest rating.
Bond ratings are utilized by investors who purchase municipal bonds and they measure the District’s ability to repay its debt. The higher the rating, the lower the interest rate the District will pay on their bonds.
Rating factors that came into play were that the District has very strong reserve levels coupled with good financial management practices, as well as a low overall net debt burden, with rapid amortization.
According to Tom Chapman of Raymond James, the District’s bond consulting firm, “S&P expects that the District will maintain its very strong financial position with the help of its good management practices.”
As of September 30, 2009, the District is the only Illinois park district rated “AAA” by S&P, and the only other Illinois park districts rated “AAA” by another rating agency are the Northbrook Park District and the Park District of Highland Park.
Buffalo Grove Park District Offering
Reward To Combat Vandalism
Buffalo Grove Park District parks, buildings and playgrounds have become targets of vandalism and even acts of arson. This past weekend, fires were set in garbage cans and in the men’s restroom near the Skate Park at Busch Grove Community Park, and graffiti being spray painted is a constant problem throughout the Park District.
When a loss occurs, the result may be that buildings and playgrounds may not be usable and park grounds or trees are destroyed. Ultimately, the public losses access to these facilities, or programs using those facilities have to be cancelled until repairs can be made. Expenses for these repairs can easily be worth tens of thousands of dollars. The skate park and nearby restrooms at Busch Grove Community Park have been closed for two weeks and will reopen again on April 27.
As much as the staff and local law enforcement officers try to prevent these incidents, it is sometimes local residents and park users that are the best source of information about who may be involved in these acts. The Buffalo Grove Park District has adopted an Arson and Vandalism Tipster Program that encourages the public to call the Park District Vandalism Hotline at (847) 459-2311 extension 168 with information related to acts of arson or vandalism. Should that information lead to the arrest and conviction of a perpetrator or a conspirator, that person will receive a cash reward up to $1,000.
For more information, call Mike Terson at (847) 850-2116.
Buffalo Grove Wins Governor’s Home Town Award
A total of 49 projects were chosen as Governor’s Home Town Award winners following a rigorous judging process. Initially, volunteer judges reviewed and ranked applications based on local need, volunteer participation, project continuity and results. From those rankings, the applicants were narrowed down to 49 projects. Judges visited those communities and the projects were judged within their population size, as well as an assigned project category. Project categories include Parks and Recreation, Veterans Involvement, Youth Involvement, Senior Citizen Involvement, and Clean-up/Beautification, among others.
The Governor’s Home Town Awards recognizes those individuals who unselfishly give of themselves to make our communities better. Their actions help to instill pride in our neighborhoods, strengthen our communities and improve the overall quality of life. These individuals often don’t get the recognition they deserve, but their efforts are critical in helping to make Illinois a better place to live and work,” said Governor Blagojevich.
The Buffalo Grove Park District’s Kendrigan Field at Twin Creeks Park, in partnership with the Buffalo Grove Recreation Association’s Buddy Baseball program won first place in the Parks and Recreation 30,001 - 60,000 population category.
Over 13 years ago, a group of parents of children with disabilities came to the Park District staff asking to help them work with the Buffalo Grove Recreation Association (BGRA), an independent baseball association, on starting a baseball league for children with disabilities. At the time, they were running a number of leagues for over 2,000 children.
After several meetings, BGRA agreed that a league for children with disabilities would be great. They call it the Buddy Baseball League. The program features the players, and buddies who assist them in the game. The buddies stand next to the players and help them retrieve balls or run with them on the bases or simply encourage them. It’s a great program for the players and their buddies. They started a program with one team and have eventually grown into two teams. In fact, they play games with other programs in the area to help keep up the interest of the players and their families.
Initially all games were played on regular ball fields. For many of the players this was fine; however, over several years it was obvious that players with wheelchairs, walkers, and those with balance issues found it very difficult to play on the regular ball fields. Wheelchairs are difficult to push through thick grass or soft and wet infields, walkers are very difficult to maneuver on the grass, and others just find it difficult to manage the differences of the infield and outfield surfaces. We were constantly struggling with the fields for several years and needed a firm surface that wouldn’t be affected by rain so that all the kids could play at a higher level.
In 2006, Kendrigan Field was built as part of the development of Twin Creeks Park. Kendrigan Field is a beautiful baseball field complete with dugouts, team benches, homerun fence, electronic scoreboard, backstop, bleacher area, and bathroom facilities. All facets are specifically designed for players and spectators with disabilities and meet or exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) administers the Governor’s Home Town Awards program. “By taking on these leadership roles, these volunteers are helping to create stronger, more vibrant communities that are more competitive and better equipped to support growth, attract investment and create new jobs. The Governor’s Home Town Awards are just one way for us to say thank you,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
Buffalo Grove Park District Receives
Highest State Honor For Third Time
The Buffalo Grove Park District has been recognized as a Distinguished Agency under the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association Distinguished Agency Program for the third time in a row. Less than 10 percent of eligible agencies earn this honor.
The Distinguished Agency Program is an accreditation process that Illinois park districts can go through, and the accreditation is good for 5 years. The Buffalo Grove Park District first earned Distinguished Agency status in 1996.
The goal of the Illinois Distinguished Agency program is to improve the delivery of recreation services to the residents of Illinois through a voluntary comprehensive evaluation process. The desired result is to improve the quality of life for Illinois residents and to recognize those agencies that provide this quality service.
The Distinguished Agency Award is the highest honor the agencies give and is the result of the district’s continuous efforts to provide its residents with the highest quality of recreational opportunities and services.
The Joint Distinguished Park and Recreation Agency Committee visited the district on November 12 and scored it in five categories; general management, finance and business operations, facilities and parks, personnel, and recreation services. There are 500 base points and 9 bonus points that can be earned through exemplary achievements and/or special facilities, for a total of 509 possible points. The Buffalo Grove Park District earned 506.01 points.
Evaluation Team Leader Roger Keys said, “I have had the honor of serving on the Joint Distinguished Park and Recreation Agency Committee Board for 11 years and have been on a series of agency reviews and Buffalo Grove’s was the most detailed, organized and comprehensive that I have ever witnessed. The entire evaluation team was quite impressed with the organization of the materials presented and the high caliber of professionalism that (their) staff demonstrated throughout the process.”