 The Downers
Grove Park District is
developing a long-term master
plan for its Walnut Park
property. Walnut Park is a
19.6-acre parcel
of land on Walnut Avenue
adjacent to the Belmont Prairie
Buffer in the northwest corner
of Downers Grove, just south of
Ogden Avenue. The Park District conducted an online Community Survey to obtain public input and has posted a summary of responses. Members of the Heritage Alliance participated in the survey and are encouraged by the following Park District statement in a WALNUT PARK PROPERTY Q & A:
PDHA Chair Ken Lerner wrote to explain the organization's thinking about planning for Walnut Park. Ken's letter emphasizes PDHA's advocacy for protection of the Belmont Prairie, a dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve, and its dedicated Buffer. The letter begins as follows: "Pierce Downer’s Heritage Alliance appreciates the Park District’s commitment to seeking public input as part of long-term planning for this property. "We have a few recommendations as detailed below. The unifying theme is that in developing plans for its Walnut Ave. holdings, the Park District balance active and passive recreation priorities. "Since the Walnut Park area is adjacent to the Belmont Prairie Buffer, planning and any eventual construction should be conducted with that in mind, to avoid any hydrological or other adverse impact on the buffer and prairie." To read the letter from Pierce Downer's Heritage Alliance in full please click here. A
visit to a
local park or
forest
preserve can
be a nice
break during
the COVID-19
emergency. A
brisk walk or
run can be a
good way to
get your steps
in. Local
outdoor
recreation
areas are
generally open
for hiking,
walking and
running, with
some
exceptions.
Downers Grove Park District –– The Park District has announced TIER 4 MITIGATION MEASURES beginning Thursday, February 4. Information and updates at dgparks.org/news/together-again DuPage County Forest Preserves –– The preserves are open including parking lots, trails, and off-leash dog areas. Buildings and restrooms are closed. At some facilities, the buildings are closed but grounds and surrounding areas are open: Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, Mayslake Peabody Estate, and St. James Farm. Information and updates at dupageforest.org/coronavirus * * * *
*
Public
tours inside the 1846 Blodgett House
started on Saturday, December 14, 2019
during the Merry and
Bright celebration at the
Downers Grove Museum, 831 Maple Avenue.
 Thanks
to
community-wide support the 1846 Pioneer
Blodgett House has come a long way
during the past decade, well beyond its
initial journey from Randall Street onto
the Park District's Museum Campus.
Substantial progress toward completion
of the building's interior has been
achieved in 2019 as a result of two
major grants. The house now looks really
great Come see the 1846 Blodgett House before long. Starting June 25, 2022 tours are again being offered on the third Saturday of the month. The tours had been suspended since mid-2020. Please consult the Park District's registration page for information about 1846 Blodgett House tours and other interesting activities. Many
organizations
and
individuals
joined forces
to honor Betty
M. Cheever
(1928 - 2021)
and Wallace H.
(Wally) Brown
(1928 - 2019)
with tribute
benches in
Lyman Woods
Preserve. A
celebration of
Betty
Cheever's and
Wally Brown's
community
leadership
took place on
Sunday, May
21, 2017 at
the Lyman
Woods
Interpretative
Center.
Please
click here to
learn more
about this
event and the
tribute
benches
honoring Betty
Cheever and
Wally Brown.
|
 2023 Village Candidates Answered Our Questions
PDHA
and Greener
Grove
submitted
three
questions to
each of the
candidates for
Mayor and
Commissioner
in Downers
Grove. Read
their
responses just
as they sent
them by
clicking here. The responses are provided in
alphabetical
order within
each category.
The two
Mayoral
candidates are
first,
followed by
the six
candidates for
Commissioner.
_______________________________
Note: A couple
of the
responses to
the question
about the
Greenest
Region Compact
(GRC) refer to
level or
option “3B.”
That is a
reference to
the village
staff’s report
on the GRC, which described various
options for
implementing
it. Option 3B
is the
strongest
option,
including
development of
a village
sustainability
plan and
reviving the
Environmental
Concerns
Commission to
oversee
developing and
implementing
the plan.
* * *
* *
 Village council candidate
conversations on March 19, 2021 addressed
historic preservation and tree preservation
policies among other issues of
interest. Click
here to view the conversations.
Jane Amorosi
1923-2021
Pierce
Downer's
Heritage Alliance n
 otes
with regret the passing
of one of our
founding directors,
Jane Amorosi. Jane
was always a strong
advocate for
preservation of open
space. We are
grateful to Jane for
her role in
safeguarding Lyman
Woods as a
publicly-owned
Forest Preserve, a
beautiful and
high-quality natural
area in Downers
Grove. The
Lyman Woods Preserve
today serves as a
recreational and
nature-education
destination for the
entire region.
Please
click here to read
Jane's obituary.We also gratefully remember several other past champions of our community's natural heritage. Betty
Cheever 1928-2021
Nan Newlon 1959-2021 John Banaszak 1941-2020 Wally Brown 1928-2019 Al Rouffa 1919-2017 Bill Runyon 1929-2009 Rita Martin 1927-2007 * * *
* *
Please consider a charitable donation to support educational activities of Pierce Downer's Heritage Alliance. |