It’s apple blossom season at The Preserve! Providing early blooming flowers is key to helping pollinators get through the lean months of spring. Five varieties of apple trees in the Pollinator Garden give honeybees a welcome boost.
Join us on Saturday, June 4 from 10am – noon, for the Community Grand Opening Celebration of The Preserve of Highland Park, our new park and natural area! Enjoy a morning of free fun activities including:
The Preserve of Highland Park
1207 Park Ave West
Highland Park, IL 60035
Conversion of the site from its historical use as a golf course began in November 2020. Today, The Preserve of Highland Park celebrates nature and our place in it. The unique 100+ acre property was designed to take advantage of the interesting golf-related topography and includes green lawns, nature-based play areas, specialized native gardens, restored woodlands, and walking and biking trails that connect neighborhoods and downtown Highland Park, and regional biking trails. Visitors can immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, and experiences of nature and outdoor play.
Park Board Commissioners met with the principal architect at Holabird and Root to discuss conceptual planning for the West Ridge Park and Site Project.
The Park District of Highland Park received six sealed bids on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, for materials and labor to complete the 2022 Park Avenue Boat Launch Improvements Project. Staff provided an update on project funding options.
Staff provided an update on the Moraine Fencing Improvement Project which is intended to address access control for patrons who visit Moraine Beach. Based on staff’s findings, the Committee favored the option to continue messaging that the beach is open for all patrons and will be entirely open for off-leash dogs.
Staff provided an update on Sunset Woods Park Playground, including landscaping and signage plans. The project remains under budget, with an anticipated grand opening in June of 2022.
Staff also provided an update on the welcome signage at Sunset Woods Park and the incorporation of the Sheahen Woods history.
Staff provided an update on the Dectron Mechanical System at the Recreation Center of Highland Park, which is budgeted to be replaced in 2023.
Staff also reviewed the April request for proposals and bid results.
The Park Board of Commissioners approved the base bid from Lakes and Rivers Contracting, Inc. for the 2022 Park Avenue Breakwater and Boat Launch Project, authorizing the Executive Director to enter an agreement in the amount of $2,221,890. Contributing funds for this project have been made possible from community donations to the Park Foundation of Highland Park, totaling $400,000. The Park Board also authorized the Executive Director to enter into an agreement with SmithGroup for the Park Avenue Boat Launch Construction Administration Project Proposal in the amount of $68,000. Consent Agenda items approved by the Park Board of Commissioners included the 2022 Park Avenue Dredging Project, the 2022 Lakefront Security Services Request for Proposals, the 2022 Heller Nature Center Entrance Improvements Project Bid, and the Recreation Center of Highland Park Mechanical Engineering Proposal.
The Park Board of Commissioners deferred consideration to approve the Moraine Park Path Improvement Project Rebid to the May 11 Workshop Meeting.
At the April 27 meeting, the Park Board approved construction of Phase 1 of the Park Avenue Breakwater Project in the amount of $2,221,890. The base scope of this project includes removal of the existing barge breakwater and boat ramp, stockpiling and salvaging existing breakwater fill and armor stone, construction of a new steel sheet pile breakwater with a concrete crown wall and construction of a new concrete boat launch. Funding for the project includes $2,000,000 from the Park District’s capital fund and $400,000 from the Parks Foundation of Highland Park, made possible from community donations. Construction begins this Fall.
| PHASE 1 | |
|---|---|
| Capital Budgeted 2022 | $2,000,000 |
| Donations (approximate as of 4/27/22) | $400,000 |
| Lakes & Rivers Construction Total Base Bid with Value Engineering | ($2,221,890) |
| 5% Contingency | ($110,000) |
| SmithGroup Construction Phase Service | ($68,000) |
| Anticipated Amount Under Budget | $110 |
Phase 2 of the Breakwater Project is construction of ancillary items that support safe use of the boat ramp including an ADA accessible floating dock, safety bollards and lighting. This phase is currently not funded and is estimated to cost $280,000. The Park District has applied for a Boat Access Area Development Grant through IDNR for $200,000. If the Park District is awarded this grant, additional funds will be needed to complete the project. If the Park District is not awarded the grant, portions of Phase 2 will be delayed until funding has been secured. In this instance, an estimated $180,000 will be needed to complete necessary portions of Phase 2. The Park District will likely seek construction bids for Phase 2 in December 2022 for construction to be completed by Memorial Day Weekend 2023.
The Ravinia Farmers Market (RFM) opens for its 44th season from 7am to 1pm and will run until October 26 at Jens Jensen Park in Highland Park. The Ravinia Market is one of several markets in the Chicago area featuring local, organic produce grown by North Shore vendors.
“The Ravinia Neighbors Association and the Park District of Highland Park are the gracious Host Sponsors of the RFM, which allows the weekly event to have non-profit status. This alliance continues the mission to bring together the community in the Ravinia District,” says market manager Ed Kugler, who has managed the market since 2016. Kugler’s company, Taste Marketing, manages both the RFM and the Glencoe Farmers Market, which opens for its second season from 1-5pm, on June 11, next to Village Hall at 675 Village Ct.
This year’s RFM will be bigger than ever, having more than doubled in vendor participation in the last three years, says Kugler. In addition to retaining most vendors from last year, Kugler has added several new vendors to the weekly line-up. Look for new offerings this season, such as a special Market Membership and a sponsorship program.
Live music continues this year, as “Jazzman” Jeff Justman returns from 8:45 to 10:45am most weeks. Since 2016, the North Shore-based acoustic musician has offered market-goers live entertainment in pass-the-hat style. Regular music performances from additional local artists are scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. each week on the market grounds. Weekly performances are sponsored by the Highland Park Community Foundation and Life Rhythms.
COVID-19 protocols will continue to remain at the forefront for the safety of customers, vendors, and market staff. Kugler adds, “Although conditions have changed since the 2021 market season, we are still following current COVID-19 state and local protocols, which will be followed and adapted to as we are directed by the City of Highland Park. The RFM is a member of the Illinois Farmers Market Association (ILFMA), which collaborates with the governor’s office to determine how all farmers markets in Illinois will follow the current COVID-19 protocols.”
Highland Park is a swimming community.
There are many opportunities for supervised swimming between the Aquatic Center at the Highland Park Rec Center, Hidden Creek Aqua Park, and Rosewood Beach. But not everyone has the financial means to afford swimming lessons for their children. To bridge that gap, the Parks Foundation of Highland Park launched its Foundation for Youth Scholarship Fund (FYI) Learn-to-Swim, which funds free beginning swim lessons for Highwood families in need.
Introduced in 2019, Learn-to-Swim was the first program of the FYI Scholarship Fund established specifically for Highwood residents. Because Highwood is not within the Park District taxing boundaries, residents cannot apply for the established SMILE scholarship program that assists Park District residents in financial need.
“Highwood is an important part of our community – our children go to school together — FYI was created to assist Highwood residents with financial need,” says Rafael Labrador, the Parks Foundation Board of Directors president. “We wanted to level the playing field,” Says Board of Directors member Katie Irey, who moved to Highland Park in 2018, “I had the benefit of growing up learning to swim through park district swimming classes. We live so close to the lake every child in our community must learn to swim. Creating access to swim lessons for more families and more children in our neighborhood is very meaningful to me.”
The FYI Learn-to-Swim program is offered at the Aquatic Center. It is open to children ages 5-12. “We open it up to our paddlers and little swimmers,” says Aquatic Center Manager Kari Acevedo. “The age-appropriate classes teach the basics, including getting used to the water, raising the child’s comfort level, arm placement, and breathing techniques.”
Swimming is an essential life skill, Labrador states. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more children ages 1-14 drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
Demographics are also a factor. Highwood has a lower per capita income, a higher poverty rate, and a more significant number of Hispanic families, all of which are associated with lower access to swimming lessons. According to a 2017 study by the U.S.A. Swimming Foundation, 60 percent of Hispanic children don’t learn how to swim. “Drownings in the United States disproportionately affect minority populations and others who might not have access to swimming lessons,” Labrador says. “It is important to help children gain confidence to navigate in the water safely.”
Acevedo oversees the FYI Learn-to-Swim Program. The Foundation Board finds eligible families through coordination with the school district and the Family Service of Lake County’s Nuestro Center, which provides various social services to Highwood’s Latino population.
“This is so important,” Acevedo says. “Everybody should have an opportunity to learn this life-saving skill. Many parents thank us, tell us their child loves the program, and ask about opportunities to join in future classes. There are between 8-18 spots for FYI Learn-to-Swim scholarships per session. To date we have provided 65 FYI Learn-to-Swim lessons.”
Money for FYI comes not from property taxes but community donations, along with state and local grants. Labrador considers programs such as FYI an imperative. “It comes down to how you define community,” he says. “To me, it’s pretty clear that if our kids go to school together, they should have the same opportunities to learn important life skills like swimming, and it shouldn’t be based on how much their parents earn.”
It was such programs as FYI and SMILE that inspired Irey to join the Parks Foundation Board when she moved here. “I wanted to become more involved with the community,” she says. “I liked the Foundation’s mission of supporting the people of the community and the parks; I have two little kids, so we utilize the parks all the time.”
Labrador echoes these sentiments. The Parks Foundation’s volunteer and donation-driven efforts are “an example of your neighbors stepping up to help each other. It’s about people in the community identifying a need and moving forward to fill it, and you can help.”
“I want to make sure we continue to invest in the great amenities our community offers to residents,” he continues, “and the Park District is the crown jewel of that. There should be equity in access.”
The Parks Foundation of Highland is a 501c3 resident-driven organization aligned with the Park District of Highland Park mission. In addition to raising money for scholarship programs, the Foundation also raises funds for Park District capital projects, such as the new Sunset Park playground seating plaza.
A $100 donation sends one student to FYI Learn-to-Swim Lessons. To donate, volunteer, and learn more about the Parks Foundation of Highland Park:
Growing up, Kari Acevedo’s family had a lake house in Michigan. It was important to her mother that Kari and her twin sister take swimming lessons. “My mother didn’t know how to swim, and she didn’t feel confident to be able to help if we weren’t acclimated to the water,” Acevedo continues.
Today, Acevedo is the Park District’s Aquatics Manager and is passionate about children learning how to swim. It’s not only a skill that lasts a lifetime, but it’s a skill that saves lives. According to the Center for Disease Control, drowning is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1-4 in the United States. For children ages 1-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
One of Highland Park’s most inviting amenities is its access to water, from the Hidden Creek AquaPark to its Lake Michigan beaches. “For kids, swimming and summer go hand in hand,” Acevedo says. “They think of going to the water park and the beach. But, if they don’t know how to swim, their participation is limited.”
The Park District offers progressive age-appropriate swim classes, from Parent & Child Water Readiness (ages 6-18 months) through Stroke Development for advanced swimmers, focusing on building endurance and preparing aspiring competitive swimmers. The classes are focused on building swimming skills such as breathing techniques, arm placement, kicking, and foot placement.
Weekly classes are held at the Recreation Center of Highland Park (1207 Park Ave. W) and run from April through May 18. Private lessons are also available. The lessons encourage parental participation to help reinforce skills and swimming techniques. Parents or guardians can join students in a weekend open swim.
There are other benefits to learning how to swim. In the first place, Acevedo states, it’s fun. According to the CDC, swimming is America’s fourth most popular recreational sport, after walking, running, and cycling. Just over a third of the population over the age of 16–about 91 million—swim in oceans, lakes, and rivers annually.
“It’s never too late to learn how to swim,” Acevedo states. Swimming is regarded as one of the best forms of exercise. It uses muscles in the arms, legs, shoulders, buttocks, and other body areas. It also has cardiovascular benefits. A low-impact sport, swimming is an ideal recuperative exercise for athletes who have been injured and senior citizens.
“As a mother,” Acevedo jokes, “I loved the days my kids took swim lessons. It increased their energy level and helped them sleep at night. They got a good workout, but they didn’t think of it as a workout because they were having too much fun.”
Scholarships for swim lessons are available for families in need through SMILE (Highland Park residents) and Foundation Youth Initiative or FYI (Highwood residents). Learn more about Park District swim lessons.
Gratitude Generation (G2) Teen Board is teaming up with the Park District and the Parks Foundation of Highland Park to host a walk-a-thon at The Preserve of Highland Park. There is a minimum donation of $10 to participate. Walkers will have an opportunity to help seed The Preserve grounds during and after the walk.
Funds raised from the event will go toward the purchase of trees that the G2 Teen Board plans to plant at The Preserve of Highland Park later in the year.
Gratitude Generation (G2) provides community-service opportunities in the Chicago area for children, families and organizations. Their mission is to create more grateful, happy, healthy children who will grow into contributing adults and improve the lives of people around them.
G2 Teen Board, a group of committed teens, is hosting this Walk-a-Thon event. This group meets twice a month to design and execute service projects for the community – gaining leadership training, collaboraing, learning from and supporting each other.
Plans are underway to renovate portions of Centennial Ice Arena including an improved drop-off area, lobby, multi-purpose room, locker rooms, office space, restrooms, and viewing into the gymnastics rooms. Once approved by the Park Board, the project is expected to begin in early summer 2022.
To make way for construction, our gymnastics programs have moved to Lincoln Elementary School gymnasium. Our gymnastics families can park in the lot adjacent to the gymnasium in the northwest corner. The lot entrance is at Oakwood (Oakwood and Green Bay Road). Additional parking is located on Lincoln Avenue. Gymnasts can enter the building through Door A3.
Lincoln Elementary School
711 Lincoln Ave West
Highland Park, IL 60035
During our regular annual maintenance, a potential issue was uncovered on the rink floor. The Park District is awaiting the results of a formal engineering assessment conducted in early July on the condition of the rink and facility and repair options. While we hope to have the ice rink safely operational before Fall, the formal engineering assessment and repair options may indicate the need for a more robust repair. For this reason, we are not currently accepting registrations for our Fall skating programs.
We understand the significant impact this unexpected information has on our skaters. The continuation of hockey and figure skating programs and services are important to the Park District, and the formal engineering assessment and repair of the ice rink is a priority. We will provide additional information on this page and via email to our skating families as soon as information is received. If you have any questions, please contact Carol Sassorossi at [email protected] or 847-579-4103.
Once the renovation project begins, ice skating programs will run and communication will be distributed to skating participants via email. Signs will be posted around the building indicating open entrances. Please be aware of adjusted parking and entrance configurations as we navigate through this exciting construction project.
You deserve this! Sunset Valley Golf Club is open for the season this Sunday, March 20 for Walking Only.
