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 meetings. ere is no COW meeting in August. Kathleen Porreca President Kathleen.Porreca@pdop.org Christopher Wollmuth Secretary Christopher.Wollmuth@pdop.org Jake Worley-Hood Vice President Jake.Worley-Hood@pdop.org Sandy Lentz Commissioner Sandy.Lentz@pdop.org David Wick Treasurer David.Wick@pdop.org Grtings, With the holiday season upon us, it is the perfect time to express our gratitude for the Parks Foundation of Oak Park and their unwavering support and dedication to raising funds to build Oak Park's Community Recreation Center (CRC). To date, the Foundation has successfully raised 75% of the costs to build the CRC. e Parks Foundation is committed to helping secure the remaining funds needed to build the Community Recreation Center. ey continue to seek public and private donors; they have launched a Tribute Paver program giving everyone in the community a chance to participate (see the next page for more information); and are awaiting awards from several grant submissions, including one that will allow us to make the CRC a Net Zero building. We hope that you can share our excitement for bringing a Community Recreation Center to Oak Park. e CRC will allow the Park District of Oak Park to provide local residents access to an indoor gymnasium, fitness facility, indoor walking track, and a multi-generational community center that will serve families and individuals and our growing senior population. Building construction is scheduled to commence next spring (2022) with the goal to open in the spring of 2023. Around our Parks Pleasant Home is our third property to enjoy the efficiency of heating and cooling using a geothermal system. Austin Gardens and the recently opened Carroll Center expansion also utilize geothermal systems. Geothermal uses the Earth's constant 55-degree temperature to heat and cool the building through looped pipes placed deep underground, eliminating our reliance on fossil fuels. is system will preserve the building's interior and allow us to bring more exciting programming and events to Pleasant Home. Rehm Park is officially open and welcoming visitors of all ages and abilities. is park, nestled among the trees, blends beautifully into the surrounding landscape. e inclusive playground features allow visitors of all abilities to enjoy their time at the park. We hope it brings joy to kids and adults for many years to come. Finally, in an effort to keep our community, employees, and program participants safe, the Park District of Oak Park now requires all staff to be vaccinated OR undergo weekly mandatory testing for Covid-19. is measure, along with our current Covid-19 protocals, including universal masking, social distancing, and sanitations, will help the District further reduce the spread of Covid-19 in our community. We at the Park Board wish to extend to each and every resident a Happy New Year! Take care and s you in e parks, Kathleen Porreca, President Board of Park Commissioners

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