Parks & Recreation

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Champaign, Urbana park districts approve tax levies

Property tax revenues will increase for the Urbana and Champaign park districts.

Thanks to voter approval in April – raising the overall maximum tax rate from 69.5 cents to about 84.5 cents per $100 of assessed value – the Urbana Park District will collect about $900,000 more in taxes in 2010.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Parade, activities set for Thursday

DANVILLE – The Downtown Danville and Downtown Danville Rotary Club Night of Lights Parade steps off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday from Vermilion and Williams streets, but before that a number of activities are planned in the downtown area.

From 3 to 6 p.m., First Presbyterian Church at the corner of North and Franklin streets will hold a chili supper. Cost is $4 for adults in advance or $4.50 at the door and $2 for children ages 4 through 12. Children younger than 3 eat free.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Urbana's pool-planning panel ready to dive right in

URBANA – Swim enthusiasts in Urbana can help the Urbana Park District plunge into planning for a new aquatic center.

Tony Clements, who retired as director of recreation at the University of Illinois, will lead the introductory planning meeting set for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Phillips Recreation Center, 505 W. Stoughton St., U.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Late benefactor gives $1 million to Virginia Theatre

CHAMPAIGN – The late Michael Carragher would have loved the tribute to him on Tuesday evening – his 63rd birthday, no less – at the Virginia Theatre.

The Champaign Parks Foundation threw the glitzy party (black tie, optional) to announce that Mr. Carragher had given a gift of nearly $1 million for the renovation of the vintage theater he loved. A recent anonymous gift brought the amount to $1 million.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Danville YMCA kindergarten basketball league to start

DANVILLE – The Danville Family YMCA will start kindergarten basketball Nov. 21 for children ages 5 and 6.

A half-hour practice is held at 10 a.m. on Saturday mornings with a half-hour game following practice. The co-ed league focu- ses on learning to play the game. Each child will receive a T-shirt and participation trophy.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Police, firefighters take to gridiron in fundraiser game

CHAMPAIGN – Champaign police Detective Joe Johnston was smarting Saturday night from the drubbing that his team of police officers took from firefighters on the football field earlier in the day.

"Chief Finney did say I'm done. I've lost my defensive coordinator job and I'm going to midnights," joked Johnston, who sported a houndstooth hat in the style of Bear Bryant and chomped a cigar for his role as coach of the police officers.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Pumpkins flung far in fundraiser for schools foundation

CHAMPAIGN – Wide-eyed 8-year-old Elijah Wasson of Champaign was awestruck as he saw a pumpkin soar overhead some 900 feet before splattering in a grassy field.

"Whoa!" he said as he gazed at the sky. "That was awesome!"

Friday, October 30, 2009

Board willing to try collaborative parkland method

CHAMPAIGN – Champaign parks officials and local developers apparently will continue to agree to disagree about a method to provide new park space in the city's growth areas.

A joint meeting Wednesday night between the Champaign City Council and the park district board highlighted the continuing rift between the park board, which wants a mandatory land dedication law for residential developments, and developers, who favor what has been termed a "mandatory collaboration."

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Forest Glen Preserve grows by 118 acres

WESTVILLE – Right now, the 107-acre field just east of Forest Glen Preserve looks like any other unharvested cornfield in Illinois, but over the next three years, that land will slowly transform into the largest single piece of upland prairie in Vermilion County.

On Wednesday, the Vermilion County Chapter of Pheasants Forever closed on the purchase of the 107 acres, which borders Forest Glen Preserve, just east of the county park's main entrance.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Camping revenues soar at Middle Fork Preserve

MAHOMET – All of the predictions about recession-related "staycations" proved true this summer for the campground at the Champaign County Forest Preserve District's Middle Fork Preserve near Penfield.

Forest preserve board members learned Monday that campground revenue this year probably will be the highest in at least seven years, if not in the history of the park.