As a follow-up to the Kankakee Valley Park District Board meeting of March 24, I would like to clarify some points from the much-appreciated article written by Jeff Bonty which appeared in the Daily Journal on March 27, 2025.
it appears that I did not clearly deliver my message as the conversations among commissioners meandered at the meeting, I am requesting a more purposeful review of the use of parkland than was done a few years back when previous Executive Director, Dayna Heitz, and Superintendent of Grounds, Rick Collins, recommended to leave things as they were. That conclusion did not align with my own observations.
All park areas are currently mowed 16-18 times per season. My intention is to identify areas that are not used for recreational activities to be planted with low-maintenance, drought tolerant grasses, that only need to be mowed two or three times a year and can be maintained at an average height of 6-9 inches. Since I am not recommending a meadow with wildflowers, this application would significantly reduce weekly mowing, man hours and cost to the taxpayers.
I come from a Missouri family that started farming 163 years ago. We have numerous areas between crop fields with these types of plantings. My brother has assured me that maintenance involves spraying with a U.S. Department of Agriculture approved herbicide, applied once every 3 years, to eradicate thistle and invasive species. This is done from the seat of a tractor with a hand wand connected to a tank. It seems that we are trying to over-think this issue and make it far more complicated than it needs to be. Our new Executive Director, Ross Bruni, is off to a very strong start. He has been quite aggressive in reviewing the status quo and making changes. Hopefully, my advocacy for low-mow areas will be considered and implemented.
Mr. Bonty’s article also mentioned my advocacy for senior citizens. Although my own age includes me in this group, I am not advocating for myself, but for my fellow seniors. When I was in my 40s, I was on the Board of the Terra Nova Foundation. Its mission was to address issues of aging and expand the general public’s awareness of what that entails. Loneliness and social isolation significantly increase the risk of depression, a weakened immune system and anxiety. People who find themselves unexpectedly alone due to the death of a spouse or partner, separation from friends or family, retirement, loss of mobility and lack of transportation are at particular risk.
Conversely, people who engage in meaningful, productive activities with others tend to live longer, boost their mood and have a sense of purpose. Although I have advocated for these programs, the focus on recreational activities for Splash Valley, Ice Valley and others has pushed aside any meaningful engagement for seniors by the Park District’s administration or staff. The $20-plus million investments in these facilities, none of which are directly targeted to seniors, causes me significant uneasiness. Although Mr. Bruni has made recent staffing realignments, to me, they appear to be inadequate. The Lisle Park District has a brochure entitled, “Beyond Bingo,” listing all their activities. The Elmhurst Park District offers a monthly buffet luncheon with entertainment. Elmhurst also partners with AARP to provide free annual income tax filing services.
Even though the KVPD demographics have 20% of residents over 55 years of age, programming for seniors is still very much the unwanted stepchild of KVPD. Ice Valley and Splash Valley consume significant resources. A fellow commissioner mentioned within the past year, that the Board will need to have a serious evaluation of how much of the budget is to favor these activities to the exclusion of others. For example, Splash Valley requires a staff of 70 to stay open for a single day.
I am one who tends to think outside of the box and throws out ideas. I have learned that new ideas are typically quite fragile and not subject to any serious consideration. They often disrupt the status quo rather than moving toward a paradigm shift. However, I am left with the thought that programming for seniors should be carved out of the KVPD as was done many years ago for the establishment of the River Valley Special Recreation Association for special needs adults. It was noted that the Kankakee, Bourbonnais and Limestone Park Districts were not originally set up to serve members with special needs. There seems to be a strong argument that senior citizens are in the same boat.
I strongly believe that a seniors advocacy group of 20 or more persons should be formed to provide a collective voice to move this effort forward. I envision visits by this group to other park districts to evaluate their programs and to define what is needed. If anyone would like to participate in this effort, I would be most receptive. I can be reached at donandmelissa@hotmail.com or (312) 316-4445. Or, if you prefer to make your thoughts known, the KVPD board meetings are held every fourth Monday of the month, 5 p.m., at the Bird Park Administration Building.
My professional life as a CPA put me into the corporate offices of major U.S. companies, Philip Morris, 7-Up, Allergan (Botox), Allstate, Northern Trust Bank, et al. My work entailed that of due diligence reviews of acquiring companies, integration of operations, as well as analysis and recommendations to these boards. While at Allergan, as the International Controller for its $500 million revenue division, I had 22 offshore CPAs doing business in 90 countries reporting to me with a total staff of 425. I provided time sensitive information to the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the Federal Trade Commission. I was most grateful to those companies for the trust they placed in me. It is the experience that I have gained from a 45-year career with major corporations that I have shared with the Kankakee Valley Park District as my six-year term as a commissioner is about to expire.