Latest news with #NapervilleParkDistrict
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest: July 4 fireworks show being held at Frontier Sports Complex; Naper Settlement's new farm exhibit uses AI technology
Naperville's annual Fourth of July fireworks show will be held at 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 4, at the Frontier Sports Complex, 3380 Cedar Glade Road. Prior to the show, cohosted by the city of Naperville and Naperville Park District, the Naperville Municipal Band will perform patriotic tunes at 7:30 p.m. in the Wagner Pavilion at the 95th Street Community Plaza, 3109 Cedar Glade Drive. Parking and entry to the sports complex are free. The Frontier Sports Complex has 906 parking spaces and adjacent Neuqua Valley High School, 2360 95th St., has 1,000 spaces. Maps and parking options can be found at prior to the event. The Thresher Experience, a new exhibit at Naper Settlement, showcases Naperville's farm history through AI technology, officials said. Located in the museum's Herman and Anna Hageman Memorial Thresher Hall, the exhibit utilizes cutting-edge technology and projection mapping to bring a 1912 Wood Brothers Threshing Machine to life, a news release said. The 1912 threshing machine was used by the Hageman family and area farmers for decades and is one of Naper Settlement's macro-artifacts. The exhibit animates the workings of the machine through projection mapping on the surface, allowing viewers to learn about its role in the mechanical revolution of agriculture, the release said. Visitors can see the operations of the thresher and the simple mechanics used to separate grain from chaff. Substitute teachers at Indian Prairie School District 204 will earn a slightly higher pay rate following a school board vote approving an increase in the daily fee. The per-day rate will go from $126 to $130, district documents said. Long-term substitutes and district retiree substitute teachers will make $310 per day, up from $300. According to a memo from the district's Chief Human Resources Officer Carey Beth Harry, the district's average fill rate for daily teacher substitutes this past school year was 87%. The goal of the increase, the memo said, is to keep the district competitive with surrounding districts. Board President Laurie Donahue and board Secretary Allison Fosdick abstained from voting because they are both district substitute teachers. Connor Potterton, who recently completed his freshman year at Naperville North High School, is the first recipient of a $2,500 U4Uganda ambassador scholarship. U4Uganda is a nonprofit organization that supports school children in remote Ugandan villages, a news release said. Connor began working with the organization when he was 7 by fundraising for solar lights for families and provide classrooms with desks in Alenga, Uganda. This summer he will join nine other missionaries in going to Alenga and Gomi, Uganda, where they will build desks and visit with local school children. The ambassador scholarship recognizes young leaders who make a difference both locally and abroad, the release said.
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest
The 18th annual Kite Fly will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 1, at the Frontier Sports Complex, 3380 Cedar Glade Drive. Large kites will be flown by professionals from Chicago Kite, and attendees are invited to fly their own kites as well, a Naperville Park District news release said. The event is free and also features live music entertainment, including the Prairie Sky Quintet and the Naperville Municipal Big Band, and food trucks. KidsMatter will be running Games From Around the World in which children receive a passport to participate in other country's games, the release said. The annual event is presented by the Naperville Park District and The Branch-Naperville Moms. For more information, go to To celebrate the end of the school year, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria will donate 20% of its proceeds to KidsMatter on Tuesday, June 3. The annual 'School's Out' fundraiser will be available at its Naperville locations at 131 W. Jefferson Ave. and 2879 95th St. Donations apply to all dine-in, carry-out or delivery orders placed between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., a news release said. Customers should mention KidsMatter when ordering. Student musicians will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. at the downtown Jefferson Avenue location. 'We are so grateful for Lou Malnati's partnership, and we look forward to this event every year — both to celebrate our area students and to kick off summer,' Nina Menis, CEO and executive director of KidsMatter, said in a statement. Proceeds will help the organization expand its programs supporting youth and families, Menis said. For more information, go to The Will County Resource Recovery and Energy Division will hold its annual three-day book reuse and recycling event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Sunday, May 30-June 1, at Pilcher Park Nature Center, 2501 Highland Park Drive, Joliet. Schools, libraries and individuals can bring unused and unwanted books to donate for potential reuse and recycling, county officials said in a news release. Any of the thousands of books at the event can be taken for free, saving them from a landfill, officials said. During last year's event, more than 1,800 people dropped off books or browsed the event's selection. Attendees took more than 80,000 books home, and another 10,000 were recycled after the event. Book categories include fiction, nonfiction, children's, romance, hobby, travel, health and living, religion, textbooks, periodicals and cookbooks in both hardcover and paperback, the release said. Organizations can make an appointment to drop off large quantities of books by calling 815-727-8834. For more information, go to The Millennium Carillon's weekly recital series kicks off at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, and will feature a rotation of local, national and international performers throughout the summer. Recitals will take place most Tuesdays through Aug. 19. The only Tuesday not on the schedule is June 24, but there will be a Saturday performance at 7 p.m. June 21. All performances are free to the public, and audiences can bring folding chairs and blankets to use while sitting on Rotary Hill, 443 Aurora Ave., or anywhere along the Riverwalk, a Naperville Park District news release said. Carillonneurs from Naperville and Chicago are scheduled to perform as well as from Iowa, California, Connecticut, New York, the United Kingdom and Belgium, the release said. Concerts are held rain or shine and picnicking is welcomed. Moonlight carillon tours of Moser Tower will be offered after all performances other than the one on Aug. 19, the release said. The cost is $2 per person,. Information on concerts and performers can be found at
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Naperville Park District to hire consultants to help plan future indoor rec space, possible pool
Naperville Park District is hoping to chart a path forward on new indoor recreation space, including the possiblity of a new pool, with the help of a pair of consultants. Later this month, district staff will bring two professional services contracts to the Naperville Park Board for approval. The contracts are the next step in an ongoing effort to determine how the district should manage its indoor recreation needs in years to come and if a referendum will be needed to fund new or expanded space. District Executive Director Brad Wilson gave an overview of the focus and scope of the proposed contracts at last week's park board meeting. They are expected to go to the board at its May 22 meeting, Wilson said. Last fall, the district completed an assessment of its indoor recreational needs. Months in the making, the review was a product of interviews with stakeholders, focus groups, open house events and surveys. The resulting 266-page report offered a range of takeaways, from the demand for more aquatic facilities to the need for more enhanced seniors programs for seniors. The contract proposals 'really come off' that assessment, Wilson said. Under one of them, Itasca-based Williams Architects would be hired to assist the district in site and facility conceptual design and public engagement, he said. 'We've certainly gathered a lot of public input and feedback from the community as part of that indoor recreation needs assessment on the types of spaces that the community would like to see and feel is needed,' he said. 'Now, it's taking those elements and beginning to look at various sites. 'Where a building might be able to be located as well as what type of elements could be included in there and really the size of those to help with then determining what it might look like as well as what the cost estimate would be.' The other contract would have Beyond Your Base, a public affairs and pre-referendum consulting group, help the park board decide whether to seek voter approval through a referendum to help pay for new indoor rec space, Wilson said. As part of the district's recently completed needs assessment, residents were surveyed on their willingness to kick in their own tax dollars towards a new multipurpose activity center. Residents were surveyed on three bond issue scenarios: one that would fund a facility similar to the Fort Hill Activity Center with the addition of an indoor pool; a second calling for a center like Fort Hill with no pool; and a third under which a similar center would be built and include synthetic turf. All three would add anywhere from $60 to $85 to the park district's property tax bill annually for 20 years for a taxpayer with a home valued at $440,000, according to district estimates. In both statistical and public survey results, respondents indicated the highest willingness to pay for a center with a pool. Surveys also sought input on where residents would want new indoor recreation space to be built. South Naperville drew the highest level of support. Beyond Your Base, with offices in Colorado and Illinois, 'develops and implements comprehensive public engagement programs that incorporate voter analytics, public opinion research and strategic communications,' its website says. The consulting group recently assisted Indian Prairie School District 204 with its public engagement for a bond referendum that voters approved last fall, according to Wilson. Over the past couple of months, the district has started to work with both Beyond Your Base and Williams Architects on some initial steps 'to really begin taking a look at this a little bit further,' Wilson said. Each company has been paid $18,000 for the preliminary work, he said. If the new contracts are approved, Williams Architects would be receive $62,000 and Beyond Your Base would get $67,000. Should the board approve both agreements, 'later in the summer and in early fall, we would (expect to) have additional updates to … provide,' Wilson said. tkenny@
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Naperville Park District to hire consultants to help plan future indoor rec space, possible pool
Naperville Park District is hoping to chart a path forward on new indoor recreation space, including the possiblity of a new pool, with the help of a pair of consultants. Later this month, district staff will bring two professional services contracts to the Naperville Park Board for approval. The contracts are the next step in an ongoing effort to determine how the district should manage its indoor recreation needs in years to come and if a referendum will be needed to fund new or expanded space. District Executive Director Brad Wilson gave an overview of the focus and scope of the proposed contracts at last week's park board meeting. They are expected to go to the board at its May 22 meeting, Wilson said. Last fall, the district completed an assessment of its indoor recreational needs. Months in the making, the review was a product of interviews with stakeholders, focus groups, open house events and surveys. The resulting 266-page report offered a range of takeaways, from the demand for more aquatic facilities to the need for more enhanced seniors programs for seniors. The contract proposals 'really come off' that assessment, Wilson said. Under one of them, Itasca-based Williams Architects would be hired to assist the district in site and facility conceptual design and public engagement, he said. 'We've certainly gathered a lot of public input and feedback from the community as part of that indoor recreation needs assessment on the types of spaces that the community would like to see and feel is needed,' he said. 'Now, it's taking those elements and beginning to look at various sites. 'Where a building might be able to be located as well as what type of elements could be included in there and really the size of those to help with then determining what it might look like as well as what the cost estimate would be.' The other contract would have Beyond Your Base, a public affairs and pre-referendum consulting group, help the park board decide whether to seek voter approval through a referendum to help pay for new indoor rec space, Wilson said. As part of the district's recently completed needs assessment, residents were surveyed on their willingness to kick in their own tax dollars towards a new multipurpose activity center. Residents were surveyed on three bond issue scenarios: one that would fund a facility similar to the Fort Hill Activity Center with the addition of an indoor pool; a second calling for a center like Fort Hill with no pool; and a third under which a similar center would be built and include synthetic turf. All three would add anywhere from $60 to $85 to the park district's property tax bill annually for 20 years for a taxpayer with a home valued at $440,000, according to district estimates. In both statistical and public survey results, respondents indicated the highest willingness to pay for a center with a pool. Surveys also sought input on where residents would want new indoor recreation space to be built. South Naperville drew the highest level of support. Beyond Your Base, with offices in Colorado and Illinois, 'develops and implements comprehensive public engagement programs that incorporate voter analytics, public opinion research and strategic communications,' its website says. The consulting group recently assisted Indian Prairie School District 204 with its public engagement for a bond referendum that voters approved last fall, according to Wilson. Over the past couple of months, the district has started to work with both Beyond Your Base and Williams Architects on some initial steps 'to really begin taking a look at this a little bit further,' Wilson said. Each company has been paid $18,000 for the preliminary work, he said. If the new contracts are approved, Williams Architects would be receive $62,000 and Beyond Your Base would get $67,000. Should the board approve both agreements, 'later in the summer and in early fall, we would (expect to) have additional updates to … provide,' Wilson said. tkenny@
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville Park District to hire consultants to help plan future indoor rec space, possible pool
Naperville Park District is hoping to chart a path forward on new indoor recreation space, including the possiblity of a new pool, with the help of a pair of consultants. Later this month, district staff will bring two professional services contracts to the Naperville Park Board for approval. The contracts are the next step in an ongoing effort to determine how the district should manage its indoor recreation needs in years to come and if a referendum will be needed to fund new or expanded space. District Executive Director Brad Wilson gave an overview of the focus and scope of the proposed contracts at last week's park board meeting. They are expected to go to the board at its May 22 meeting, Wilson said. Last fall, the district completed an assessment of its indoor recreational needs. Months in the making, the review was a product of interviews with stakeholders, focus groups, open house events and surveys. The resulting 266-page report offered a range of takeaways, from the demand for more aquatic facilities to the need for more enhanced seniors programs for seniors. The contract proposals 'really come off' that assessment, Wilson said. Under one of them, Itasca-based Williams Architects would be hired to assist the district in site and facility conceptual design and public engagement, he said. 'We've certainly gathered a lot of public input and feedback from the community as part of that indoor recreation needs assessment on the types of spaces that the community would like to see and feel is needed,' he said. 'Now, it's taking those elements and beginning to look at various sites. 'Where a building might be able to be located as well as what type of elements could be included in there and really the size of those to help with then determining what it might look like as well as what the cost estimate would be.' The other contract would have Beyond Your Base, a public affairs and pre-referendum consulting group, help the park board decide whether to seek voter approval through a referendum to help pay for new indoor rec space, Wilson said. As part of the district's recently completed needs assessment, residents were surveyed on their willingness to kick in their own tax dollars towards a new multipurpose activity center. Residents were surveyed on three bond issue scenarios: one that would fund a facility similar to the Fort Hill Activity Center with the addition of an indoor pool; a second calling for a center like Fort Hill with no pool; and a third under which a similar center would be built and include synthetic turf. All three would add anywhere from $60 to $85 to the park district's property tax bill annually for 20 years for a taxpayer with a home valued at $440,000, according to district estimates. In both statistical and public survey results, respondents indicated the highest willingness to pay for a center with a pool. Surveys also sought input on where residents would want new indoor recreation space to be built. South Naperville drew the highest level of support. Beyond Your Base, with offices in Colorado and Illinois, 'develops and implements comprehensive public engagement programs that incorporate voter analytics, public opinion research and strategic communications,' its website says. The consulting group recently assisted Indian Prairie School District 204 with its public engagement for a bond referendum that voters approved last fall, according to Wilson. Over the past couple of months, the district has started to work with both Beyond Your Base and Williams Architects on some initial steps 'to really begin taking a look at this a little bit further,' Wilson said. Each company has been paid $18,000 for the preliminary work, he said. If the new contracts are approved, Williams Architects would be receive $62,000 and Beyond Your Base would get $67,000. Should the board approve both agreements, 'later in the summer and in early fall, we would (expect to) have additional updates to … provide,' Wilson said.
