Park District of Oak Park

4 www.pdop.org 4 Board of Park District Commissioners Regular Park Board Meetings are generally held on the third ursday of each month and the Committee of the Whole (COW) Meetings are generally held on the first ursday of the month. All meetings are held at 7:30P at the John L. Hedges Administrative Center, 218 Madison Street, Oak Park. Public comment is welcome at these meeting. ere is no COW meeting in August. Kathleen Porreca Secretary Kathleen.Porreca@pdop.org Paul Aeschleman Commissioner Paul.Aeschleman@pdop.org Victor Guarino President Victor.Guarino@pdop.org Sandy Lentz Vice President Sandy.Lentz@pdop.org David Wick Treasurer David.Wick@pdop.org Dear Residents, Your Input is Needed In a continuing effort to meet the recreational needs and desires of all Oak Park residents, the Park District of Oak Park is in the process of developing our next 3-year Strategic Plan for 2019-2021. is plan identifies future projects and programs that are aligned with our strategic initiatives and will significantly impact our overall organization. You can contribute to the development of the strategic plan by attending a community meeting on September 11 from 7:00-8:00pm at Cheney Mansion to provide your input regarding the future of the Park District of Oak Park. For additional information, please visit pdop.org. AEDs in Our Parks We were listening! Approximately a year ago, a resident contacted the Park District inquiring about the availability of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) at our parks. is inquiry was due to her own son whose life was saved by an AED. is spring, the Park District installed AED cabinets in 10 park locations including Lindberg, Taylor, Stevenson, RCRC, Carroll, Barrie, Longfellow, Fox, Scoville and Maple. ese cabinets are secured to the exterior wall of all comfort stations/facilities and are accessible to park visitors. e units have a wireless connection to 911. To use the AED, the park visitor simply needs to open the cabinet door and 911 will automatically be notified to report the emergency. A photograph will be taken when the door is opened. e AED is a 'smart machine.' Anyone can use it. Press a button, turn it on and it will guide the user through the process. e machine will analyze the heart's rhythm and deliver a shock only if needed. ese same units are also available in all Park District facilities. AEDs are proven to double a victim's survival time, regardless of whether or not they are used by professionals or laypersons. During winter months, in extreme cold weather conditions, AEDs may be removed from their outdoor locations. Although each cabinet is heated to protect the AED, it cannot protect against temperatures nearing -20F degrees. e safety of our park and program patrons is our utmost priority. Please share this information with family and friends. Austin Gardens Named One of Illinois' 200 Great Places e Illinois Council of e American Institute of Architects (AIA Illinois) has named the Austin Gardens Environmental Education Center as one of Illinois' 200 Great Places, in honor of the state's Bicentennial in 2018. e Platinum-LEED certified Environmental Education Center was selected to the 200 Great Places list due to its design as a place to inspire and teach lessons about energy conservation, water conservation, and connection to nature. e Park District of Oak Park is grateful for this recognition from AIA Illinois. e Park Board and Staff are proud of the Austin Gardens Environmental Education Center which stands as a community showcase for sustainable design. All of the 200 Great Places are featured in a new website at illinoisgreatplaces.com and on a new Instagram account @ilgreatplaces. See you in the park, Vic Guarino, President Board of Park Commissioners

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