Geneva Park District News

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It’s a new year; and we all pledge to lose weight, eat healthier, work out or learn a new skill. Sticking to resolutions tends to be difficult, especially when results are not immediate. The Geneva Park District makes it easier by providing a variety of affordable fitness options, including two fitness centers as well as several programs aimed at burning calories, having fun and lowering your stress level.

Whether you choose Sunset Racquetball & Fitness Center, located within the Geneva Community Center at 710 Western Avenue, or the new Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center, located at 3507 Kaneville Road, we offer a variety of options that make obtaining your goals easier. From personal trainers on staff to the “Move it to Lose it Fitness Challenge”, we make sticking to your resolutions fun and motivating.

Not into a fitness membership? No problem! How about trying one of over 80 innovative and fun fitness classes, an athletic league, open gym time, a dance class or perhaps a healthy cooking class? These programs are a fun way to boost your energy level, relieve stress and most importantly live a healthier life.

So now is the time to get in shape again in 2010. Choose Geneva Park District today and get on the road to a healthier you.

Traci Wicks is the marketing and public relations coordinator for the Geneva Park District.

This article first appeared in the January 2010 issue of eGeneva Magazine.

The Fox Valley Aero Club Gave Me a Memorable Day

A few weeks back I noticed that The Fox Valley Aero Club was going to have an airshow. I have always been curious to attend one of these events and never have…until now. I would like to tell you about my memorable day.

First some background…My father, Herman Martens, is in early stages of Alzheimers Disease. He can’t remember what we talked about 2 minutes ago, but his older memories are still there. My Dad is 88 years old. He served in the Army Air Corp from February 1941 to February 1945. During January 1942 he was on one of the very first troop ships that left San Francisco after Pearl Harbor. His service took him to Australia, Ceylon, India, and finally China near Kunming. He was a member of the 14th Air Force, 51st Fighter Group, 25th Fighter Squadron. As a Tech Sargeant he worked as a mechanic on P-40 fighter planes and P-51 fighter planes. Their group adopted the nickname “Assam Draggins“…having picked-up that name from their time in India. Their airplanes would be familiar to many of us as they had the shark teeth painting of the front fuselage made famous by the Flying Tigers AVG.

I thought it would be fun to take my Dad to the airshow. My Dad has a baseball cap that he wears…it identifies him as a veteran of WWII. When I went to my folks house to pick up my Dad, my Mom suggested he wear his cap.

When we arrived at the The Fox Valley Aero Club Airfield, we were warmly greeted by one of the members who directed me to a place where I could park my car so Dad would not have to walk too far. After parking we went nearer the runway to have a closer look at all the radio-controlled airplanes on the ground and to have a good vantage point to watch the operators control their planes in flight. It was fascinating! Some pretty amazing things happen here…both in technology, skill, and camaraderie among the “pilots and mechanics”.

My Dad caught the eye of a guy…I could see this man wanted to talk to my Dad…he had noticed my Dad’s WWII veteran cap. He came over and offered his hand to my father and thanked him for his service. (I was pretty proud to be with my Dad.) He introduced himself as Peter Brown. For the next couple of hours Peter spent time with us and talked with Dad asking him about his background working on P-40 and P-51 fighters. Peter also shared about his Uncle who had been in the Navy serving and working on airplanes on the USS Yorktown. During the Battle of Midway his Uncle had spent four hours in the ocean after the Yorktown had been abandoned due to enemy damage to the aircraft carrier.

Peter flies radio-controlled airplanes as well. He gave Dad and I a lot of information on the hobby…answered all of our questions. I could tell that Peter not only knew the “nuts and bolts” of flying these planes but he had great love in knowing about the original planes that these model planes copied.

Peter introduced us to some other guys who had planes at the field…all who were very friendly and treated my father with respect. Wouldn’t you know it …one of the guys had a scale model of a P-40…shark teeth logo and all! He invited Dad out on to the field to take a closer look at the plane. What amazing detail this man had put into this plane he had built. He enjoyed (as well as I) having an opportunity to hear my Dad tell about working on the “real thing”.

What a great day I had! My Father will not remember this day because of the disease of Alzheimers, but I was given a gift…thanks to a very nice man, Peter Brown, and the folks of The Fox Valley Aero Club.

I would encourage you to visit an airshow at The Fox Valley Aero Club.

Photos of the event were captured by Dan Farina Studios and prints are available for purchase on the site.

Strolling the Streets of Geneva

There’s a line from a Joni Mitchell song that goes something like this, “oh, you don’t know what you got till it’s gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot”.  That line has stuck with me over the years…encouraging me to take note and advantage of all the good things around me…things that can easily become taken for granted, missed or regretted. I was reminded of these thoughts last week.  I’d like to tell you about a “great weekend” I spent one evening last week.

My wife Barb and I live in Geneva just west of Randall Road in the Randall Square Subdivision. We didn’t have anything planned last Tuesday evening so I suggested to Barb that we ride our bikes into downtown Geneva and visit Third Street.  We have a pretty decent bike route into downtown and that alone makes for an enjoyable evening. We headed down Fargo Blvd through Randall Square across Randall Road and into the Eagle Brook Subdivision along Fargo. Turning left onto Loran Lane and then into Bingham Court to pick up a sidewalk path to Sunset Park of the Geneva Park District. We could hear the children laughing as they played and swam in the Geneva Pool.  From Sunset Park we took a short right on Western Avenue to Cheever and passed Dryden Park…the kids had a ballgame going and the parents were on the sidelines enjoying an evening in Geneva.  We continued on Cheever to Third Street and decided to park our bikes at the Geneva Metra Station. This bike ride only took us about 12 minutes to get downtown from our home in Randall Square.

What a great atmosphere Third Street has!  …Brick pavers, park benches, buildings with rich architecture, drinking fountains, gas lit lamp posts and shady trees…families and couples taking an evening stroll.  We walked north along Third Street past Shodeen Development’s new retail and condo residential  projects…they really do classy work!  We stopped and enjoyed the water feature at the courtyard in Dodson Place. What a relaxing place.  The water feature was designed and constructed by Aquascape Inc., located right here in the Fox Valley in neighboring St. Charles.  Others who were outdoor-dining at Wildwood Restaurant and Lounge were also benefiting from the therapy of the gentle flowing stream.

As we continued up Third Street we passed Geneva Lutheran Church…they’re doing some nice update construction that includes a circle drive up to the entrance.  Next we came to Le Berry Bistro…this is one of Barb’s favorite special lunch spots.

Across from the Kane County Court House we did some window viewing into the Geneva History Center.  If you haven’t visited the center yet, you should.  Geneva has a great heritage of immigrants and industry.

We ended the length of Third Street at the Merra-Lee Shops and headed back south.  Merra-Lee is one of Barb’s favorite stores for woman’s clothes.  She has always enjoyed their selections of items.  Needless to say, there was some window shopping done along this stretch of Third Street.

Before returning to our bikes, we made a stop at Graham’s Chocolates and Ice Cream for a double dip cone.  Rob Untied who owns Graham’s has created a very nice relaxing patio in front of the shop….flagstone surface with many wonderful white Adirondack chairs to sit on and eat ice cream, relax, or visit with a love one or friend.  A friendly place to top off a leisurely stroll upon Third Street.

Earlier in this article I said I spent a “great weekend” one evening. Have you ever had an evening like that…when everything just seemed to meld together for a wonderful experience and time just seemed to slow down for awhile.  How fortunate we are to live by such a place…only a short bike ride away!   Speaking of bike riding…our ride home was equally enjoyable.  I slept well and rested that evening.  Life is good in Geneva!

Pleasant Respite at Geneva Dam

The Geneva Dam is a special gem to be found just north of the Route 38 / Main Street bridge over the Fox River.  Originally constructed to harness water power for the mills of local industry, today it stands notable feature of history and a water feature to take note of.  Access to the dam can be attained by parking lots to the north of Route 38 on both the east and west sides of the river on streets immediately adjacent to the river.

The east side of the river several amenities.  There is a canoe / kayak ramp and pathway for launching up-river trips or circum-navigating the dam for down river trips.  A small gazebo shelter provides a nice picnic / resting spot as well as the lovely stone walls for sitting and relaxation while gazing…being rejuvenated by the roar and passing of the waters.  The Fox Valley Bicycle Trail runs north-south with the Fox River along this edge of the river passing to the south underneath the bridge, thus becoming also a connecting path to the beautiful Island Park in Geneva to the south.  For fisherman who wish to access the water of the Fox River, this eastside parking lot provides best access to the gentle slope to the river to enter in waders or fish the banks.  Regularly you will see fisherman out in the river below the churning pools created by the dam.  A word of caution though!…stay well clear of those pools as they have a backward churning motion and by the under-tow created have a current that sucks water back to the dam and down…a definite drowning hazard.  Fisherman stand beyond these dangerous currents and cast into the pools.  Likewise there are wonderful opportunities progressing away from the dam to find deep pools in which fish congregate.  Remember the movie “A River Runs Through It”?  Go to Geneva Dam to watch the beautiful motion of a fly-fisherman casting!   At this location you will also find some great area businesses: Geneva Kayak Center, Geneva Cyclery, and the wonderful restaurant “Mill Race Inn”…also an ice cream stand to purchase a treat and top off a special respite.

The west side of the river on North River Lane is also a great spot for viewing and access to a much larger supply of parking.  On the west side you will find higher riverbanks with linear park created for viewing and relaxing from park benches.  RiverPark is a community inspired and built park.  It represents community enhancement and cooperation at its best.  The park is 1.8 acres and follows the west bank of the Fox River from Geneva Garden Club Park, north along North River Lane in downtown Geneva.  Here you will also find access to the “Geneva on the Dam” business center of retail and offices…notably “River Lane Pub & Eatery”.

The Geneva Dam is easily accessible and provides all Genevans and visitors a “quick fix” of the peace to be found through nature.

No Running!

Do you think a lifeguards sole job is blowing that whistle and yelling “No Running”? Think again. After spending the afternoon with lifeguards Katie Kolzow, Kaci Deeter, Ryan McMillin, Ali Fuehring and Manager Dan Koska, I realized how little I know about what they do.

Most of us don’t realize that these lifeguards begin their training before school even lets out. While juggling finals, these safety pros are schooled in CPR, First Aid and go through intense water training exercises to learn or reinforce skills they have from past experience. The list of professional safety equipment that they use as well as the specific training exercises that they practice could fill a book. On top of this to keep those skills sharp, every week the lifeguards have a mandatory refresher course called “in-service”. Throughout the day the lifeguards work together through “Vigilance Awareness Tests” that stage possible pool scenarios to test their response time and skill training. No lifeguard is allowed to take his or her chair on any given day without practicing and successfully completing CPR drills.

When you and your loved ones spend a day at the pool, what’s on your mind? Nothing, you’re completely care-free! That’s because of the people atop the tall chairs, warning your kids not to run. The Sunset Pool lifeguards are there from open to close, making sure you and your family are safe, and as I’ve learned they are certainly well prepared for the task.

Many of the lifeguards have been working at Sunset for years and have formed a bond they refer to as “a sort of family”. Because of the amount of time this team spends together, they have become a very tight knit group. That’s a very good thing, because they need to trust each other unconditionally when a patron is in need. Many of the guards got the job because of family members that were guards or managers at Sunset in the past, making the “family” comparison a bit more literal than figurative.

After learning about all the training these guards endure and how strong a team they have become, I was happy to hear that the biggest danger they’ve had to face this summer was sunburn. So next time you’re at the pool, you can rest easy knowing that the extremely well-prepared lifeguards of the Sunset Pool are keeping a watchful eye over you and your loved ones.

This article first appeared in the August 2008 issue of eGeneva Magazine.

Down on the Farm

This fall, the Geneva Park District will open the “barn” doors to their newest facility, Peck Farm Recreation Center. Ten years have passed since the last addition of another significant facility, Sunset Pool. Geneva Park District has made an incredible effort to provide its growing community with the best of recreational facilities and programming; Peck Farm Recreation Center will be no exception.

Many area residents may have already noticed the sizable structure, which resembles the facade of a modern barn, along Kaneville Road. It’s located across the road from the 395-acre Peck Farm Park, known for its open prairies, bike trails and Butterfly House. The Peck Farm Recreation Center is a 50,000-square-foot facility housing two indoor basketball courts, a complete fitness center, an indoor three-lane walking/running track, separate men’s and women’s steam rooms, an indoor playground (referred to as The Farm) and multiple program rooms.

The fitness center will include television monitors with the option to tune in through an FM stereo signal or through individual viewing screens built into the cardio equipment. The screens are also iPod compatible to allow for the customization of individual entertainment while working out. Each membership includes the use of locker rooms, towel service, unlimited access to the track and babysitting services in the Kidz Korral adjacent to The Farm. Blood pressure screening, personal training and health and wellness programs add to the extended services available at this one-of-a-kind facility.

In addition to the fitness center, patrons will also benefit from the numerous programs that will be offered at the site. The Geneva Park District expects to extend their athletic programs to utilize the gymnasiums and offer open gym hours. Fitness and recreational classes will be held in the multi-purpose rooms on the second floor, which will also be available for rent. And last but not least, themed birthday parties will be scheduled within the Kidz Korral starting as soon as October.

This new facility will house a number of possibilities for families in pursuit of recreation and fitness. It is easily one of the most exciting and long-anticipated additions to Geneva.

Megan Johnson is the marketing and public relations coordinator for the Geneva Park District.

This article first appeared in the August 2008 issue of eGeneva Magazine.

Sunset Pool Receives National Recognition

While Sunset Pool has always been a favorite of Geneva residents, this year, it gained appreciation on a national level.

In March of this year, the Geneva Park District was honored with the Class Five Excellence in Aquatics Award, proudly accepted by Superintendent of Recreation Sheavoun Lambillotte and Aquatic Supervisor Nicole Vickers. Each year, only six cities within the 20,000 to 50,000 population range are awarded this prestigious honor nationwide. The National Recreation and Parks Association chooses potential candidates based on the organization’s mission statement, aquatic programming, safety standards, lifeguard training and sound fiscal management.

The aquatic mission of the Geneva Park District is to provide residents of all ages with safe recreational programs and facilities that will enhance their quality of life. In a rapidly growing community such as Geneva, it is the responsibility of the park district to continually assess community needs and provide superior aquatic facilities and programs while maintaining its aquatic mission.

Over the years, the park district has succeeded in doing just that at Sunset Pool. In 1996, after a successful referendum, the $6 million first phase of Sunset Pool was built, including a zero-depth pool, lap lanes, a deep well with drop slides, a sand playground and sand volleyball courts. In 2003, a $1.2 million addition was completed, adding a plunge pool, three water slides, four shade structures, two toddler toys and a toddler castle slide, which now expand over three acres. In 2006, in response to its growth, the park district opened its first water spray ground at Moore Park.

Sunset Pool accommodates over 50,000 visitors each year and provides swim lessons to over 2,000 participants. Special summer events draw an additional 1,500 patrons. With numbers such as these, it’s important that its dedicated staff works endlessly to achieve such successful operations. In the spirit of excellence, the Geneva Park District strives to exceed residents’ expectations in aquatic programming, but the ultimate reward is seeing children learn to swim for the first time and families make memories.

This article first appeared in the July 2008 issue of eGeneva Magazine.