Welcome to the March 2010 J.P.A.C. Newsletter online.

Volume 17, No. 3. Editor Gary Ossewaarde

JPAC/Jackson Park home. www.hydepark.org Parks Home. www.hydepark.org home

Front Page (pdf)
p. 2. Announcements- April 17, March 27, and report on the February 17 Parks Networking Meeting.
p. 3. December minutes- see January 2010 Newsletter.

Announcements

Plan to attend the first in the JPAC/Hyde Park Historical Society lecture series, Saturday April 17, 2 pm, 5710 S. Woodlawn. Greg Mueller of the University of Chicago:
"The Fungus Among Us: Man Meets Nature in the Big City."
Co-sponsored by University of Chicago Civic Knowledge Project/Sustain Partners
FLYER IN PDF.
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2010 Park Advocacy Conference: Caring and Sharing in Chicago Parks
Chicago Park District and Friends of the Parks, Saturday, March 27, 2010, 9:30 am-12:00 pm
South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive

All council members are encouraged attend this learning experience with other PACs from across the city in hopes of leveraging best practices and building relationships through interactive discussions of fundraising, navigating the park district, security, and more. Let’s have a good showing.
Coffee, Welcome, Opening session: How to work effectively with government and partners to improve parks and preserves- Tim King of CPD and Alderman Leslie Hairston, 5th Ward

Breakout Sessions I: Choose among
“New directions in programming” with new Chief Program Officer Dr. Dan Hibbler;
“Fundraising in tough economic times” with Brenda Palm of Parkways Foundation and John O’Connor of Friends of the Parks;
“Innovative, dynamic best practices of councils and staff” with reps. From Chase and Brainerd Parks and a CPD Deputy regional Manager, and
“Building Fun: Planning and designing a new children’s playground” with Parkreation, Inc. and Injury Free Chicago-Children’s Memorial Hospital

Breakout Sessions II: Choose among
“How to engage, nurture and maintain volunteers” with reps. From FOTP, Alliance for Great Lakes, Friends of the Chicago River;
“Growing gardens for Healthy and beautiful (and intergenerational) communities”;
“Managing security concerns in the parks” with Chicago Police CAPS and Security Director, CPD;
“Leveraging community and governmental resources to increase space” with Kathy Dickhut, City, Ben Helphand, NeighborSpace, Beth White, Trust for Public Land.
Closing remarks, &A, networking. RSVP early to FOTP 312 857-2757 x 17 or CPD 312 742-4762
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JPAC officers Gary Ossewaarde and Fran Vandervoort joined nearly 40 park council leaders at Friends of the Parks February 17 Networking Meeting.

Chief speaker was the new CPD Chief Program Officer, Dr. Dan Hibbler.
Dr. Hibbler, hired from DePaul University and with a doctorate in parks and recreation, shared new vision and strategy for program and staff development in this difficult time. Among these is commitment that no child shall be turned away or fieldhouse sitting empty due to lack of financial assistance for families, and plans to create a user-friendly website. The discussion was encouraging and thorough. JPAC has a copy of the latest staff chart for the Department of Community Recreation.
Earth Day Park Cleanup this year is the morning of April 17—park team leaders must register, call Mary Eileen Sullivan at Friends of the Park.
Call her (or Barbara Wood at CPD- Barbara.Wood@chicagoparkdistrict.com) also if you wish to plant a tree in the park or become involved in the Adopt-A-Park program. 2