Welcome Look for
Throwback Programs
Dear Residents:
The year 2019 marks a special time — it’s the Batavia Park District’s 50th anniversary! All of us at the Batavia Park District want to thank you for your loyalty and support during our 50 years in existence. To show our appreciation for your patronage over the years, we will be hosting activities throughout the year including an Anniversary Gala on November 2, 2019. This year’s Fun Guide theme is “50 Fab Years of Fun” and you’ll notice some new additions to the 2019 brochure series. A portfolio of photographs from every decade will adorn the pages of each issue, as well as “Fun Fab Facts” will be shared throughout the program sections. Perhaps you’ll see some familiar faces and maybe one of them could even be yours! You will also notice the “Throw Back Programs” icon that marks programs we’ve offered for 20 years or more.
For many years leading up to 1969, a Batavia Recreation Committee existed which was appointed by the mayor and city council. The city council suggested that Batavia needed a tax-supported park district to acquire and maintain park space and to provide recreational programs for all ages. With insistence from Rev. Blackard, the chairman of the Recreation Committee, a study by the University of Illinois was commissioned by the city council. The study recommended that a local park district be formed. A fall referendum was held to determine whether Batavians wanted to support a park district with their tax dollars. The park district concept won approval by a vote of 615 to 388.
When the Park District was formed in 1969, it operated for 18 months without tax funding, owned no parkland and offered just a handful of recreational programs. Fast forward to today, the Park District operates a budget of $9 million, manages nearly 400 acres of parkland and serves 100,000 patrons annually. The Park District is the largest employer of youth in the area. The Batavia Park District is an important contributor to the community’s social, recreational and economic life.
We have accomplished a lot together during our first 50 years but what matters most is what we do next. This calls for forward thinking because, without question, our greatest accomplishments still lie ahead of us. Join us as we kick off the next 50 years at the Batavia Park District!
All the best,
Allison Niemela, CPRP Executive Director
Thomas Dorsey Commissioner
Tara Gray Commissioner
Kevin Riley Secretary
The Park Board Your Park Board is composed of five non-paid commissioners selected by you to serve varying terms. The Board is primarily a policy-making body that reflects the needs and interests of all taxpayers.
The Park Board meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Civic Center, 327 W. Wilson St, at 7:00 pm.
Please feel welcome to attend. • December 18 • February 19 • January 15
• March 19
Patrick J. Callahan President
John Tilmon Vice President
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