Summer Camp Registration Now Open For Park Ridge Park District

In-district residents can register now, while out-of-district residents can register May 18.

• Photos (1)

Emerson Middle Schooler Named Park Ridge Idol

Megan Wilcox, 14, won the first Park Ridge Idol contest over the weekend, the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate reports.

  Park Ridge has crowned its first “idol” in the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District contest, the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate reports. Megan Wilcox a 14-year-old eighth grader at Emerson Middle School was given the title on April 20. She sang Babara Streisand’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade” to win over the judges. Wilcox will sing the National Anthem during the Park Ridge July 3rd fireworks and will also sing at park district events over the summer, the newspaper reports. 

• Photos (1)

Park Ridge Youth Campus Transformation Set to Begin

The space will be converted into a park by the Park Ridge Park District.

  Park Ridge Park District officials are getting to work on creating a park at the former Park Ridge Youth Campus site, the Chicago Tribune reports. Voters approved the purchase of the site during the April 9 election, allowing the Park District to buy the 11-acre site and turn it into a park. Park District Executive Director Gayle Mountcastle told the Tribune that bonds in the amount of $13.2 million will be issued first to buy the space, then they will get to work on requesting a zoning change to the property. 

• Photos (1)

The Greatest Generation is Not Dumb

Seniors can see through the politics on a recent postcard; they know the Centennial Pool replacement is responsible maintenance, not lavish expenditure. A Letter to the Editor by Mary Wynn Ryan.

Summer Camp Guide 2013 for Park Ridge

Start planning now. There are lots of options for your kids, from day camps to overnight camps, specialty camps, sports camps, ice skating camps and more.

  With the choice and variety of summer camps available in the Niles, Morton Grove and Park Ridge area in 2013, boredom won't be an option for local children. Organizations from the YMCA, school districts and local parks and recreation departments offer dozens of camp choices focused around science, reading, sports, music and more. Whether you're looking for an all-around experience or a more focused camp, this list features a few in the area and nearby. Where: At Maine Park Leisure Center, 2701 W. Sibley, Park Ridge, and other locations. Information: Summer day camps are offered for children starting as young as two, and through about age 13. There are recreation camps, sports camps, nature camps, and specialty camps. Specialty camps …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (4)
• Videos (1)

Discounted Pool Pass Sales Begin Monday

Get a deal on your Park Ridge Park District pool pass starting April 1.

• Photos (1)

Park District and Senior Services Settle Lawsuit

Parks waive any claim to Kemnitz Trust and Senior Services waives right to recover capital improvement expenditures, according to the Park Ridge Park District.

  The Park Ridge Park District released the following statement Friday: The Park Ridge Recreation and Park District is pleased to announce that, following extended negotiations between Park Board President Rick Biagi and Senior Services, Inc. President Carla Owen, a settlement has been reached between Teresa Grodsky, Trustee of the Betty F. Kemnitz Trust, the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District, Park Ridge Senior Services, Inc. and Park Ridge Senior Center, an unincorporated association which will resolve a number of ongoing lawsuits. Under the terms of the settlement, the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District will waive any claim to the Betty F. Kemnitz Trust bequest and Senior Services, Inc. will waive any right to recover capital …

• Photos (1)

Letter Writer Makes Case to Save Youth Campus

The 11-acre Youth Campus borders Prospect Avenue.

Learn What Parks Referendum Would Cost You

At an afternoon and an evening meeting Wednesday, the Park Ridge Park District will tell you what it would cost if you bring the tax bill you paid in summer 2012.

  The Park Ridge Park District, which includes a portion of Niles, is sponsoring two meetings Wednesday, March 20, to explain the referendum voters will encounter on the April 9 ballot. The public information meetings will be held at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Park Ridge Senior Center, 100 S. Western, Park Ridge.  The referendum asks voters whether they want the district to acquire the Park Ridge Youth Campus for use as a park.  Earlier: Park Ridge Parks develops plan for Youth Campus See the attached poster for instructions on how to bring a property tax bill to have the district calculate what approving the referendum would cost you.

• Documents (1)

Voting 'No' To Park May Not Save You Money

If you think voting 'no' on the Youth Campus referendum will save money, know a developer building homes on the land also has costs. More residents bring more costs to the schools and the city. A Letter to the Editor by Gus Nicolopoulos.

  The following Letter to the Editor states the opinions of the author. Patch is serving as a platform to allow writers to express their views. I’ve been following the debate about the Youth Campus site in Park Ridge. We have a historic decision coming  in April.  Do we as a community decide to buy the land to lock it in as green space for future generations or do step aside in favor of a potential developer who would put up 40-50 houses or a few apartment buildings and a water sludge treatment plant? As with any potential development, the uncertainties in today’s difficult financial environment remain.  There is a good possibility the land could take years to be sold and developed, thus, could become an unkempt eyesore. The biggest …

•  12 Comments
• Photos (1)