Saturday, April 13, 2013
Act now to get your discounted Fox Valley Park District pool passes.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
- Jeff Long
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Saturday, April 13
Every spring, the anticipation builds. It’s a tease, really. We get those unseasonably mild days and bask in the sun’s warm glow – convinced that summer’s here – only to have those thoughts slammed shut by another cold front. But keep the shorts and swim suits handy. Summer will arrive – it always does – and, based on recent years, it’s going to be another hot one. That’s why the time is right – now – to make plans that keep you cool during the heat wave that’s sure to come. The Fox Valley Park District has just the ticket – a two-sided one at that. It’s a double-dandy season pass to two water parks for one low price. Through the end of April, these dirt-cheap season passes are available at an additional discount. Purchase before May 1, …
Friday, April 5, 2013
If you’ve walked your local parks, trails, golf courses and school grounds where geese frequent, you’ve experienced the onslaught – and probably brought home a souvenir on the bottom of your shoe.
It was a rare sight in those days. To catch a glimpse of a Canada Goose – and hear the characteristic honking as a flock flew over in V formation – was a thrill for this young boy. It’s not quite the same feeling today. Across suburban landscapes, Canada Geese are as common as dirt, and even less popular. We don’t see them as majestic waterfowl; instead, they’re viewed as overbearing pests that are nothing more than an annoying, messy nuisance. If you’ve walked your local parks, trails, golf courses and school grounds where geese frequent, you’ve experienced the onslaught – and probably brought home a souvenir on the bottom of your shoe. So how did it get like this? How did our communities become so over-populated by a species of bird that…
Friday, March 15, 2013
Get a sample of real maple syrup this Saturday.
OK, Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth – fess up. You both have terrific smiles and look great on the breakfast table next to a stack of pancakes. But yours is not real maple syrup. Real maple syrup actually comes from trees. How, you ask? Find out this Saturday (March 16) at Red Oak Nature Center, which hosts its annual MapleFest from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Red Oak Nature Center is located on Route 25, one mile north of Route 56. Children and adults alike can appreciate the centuries-old tradition of tapping maple trees and collecting sap for syrup – a practice that dates back to Native American times and continues with today’s modern sugaring industry. Demonstrations at Red Oak will be staged at the top of every hour as visitors venture into…
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Phase Two improvements include construction of a shelter-styled “tree house” structure built amid an amphitheater setting with interpretive displays and observation areas.
Editor's note: The following is a press release from Fox Valley Park District. Further development of Lippold Park will continue this spring, following approval by the Fox Valley Park District Board of Trustees on Monday of an $814,500 bid to R.C. Wegman Construction Company of Aurora. Lippold Park — a 30-acre natural area tucked between the Fox River and Route 25, just north of Red Oak Nature Center — is being developed in phases as an outdoor educational venue. Phase Two improvements include construction of a shelter-styled “tree house” structure built amid an amphitheater setting with interpretive displays and observation areas. An accessible skywalk will run around a portion of the perimeter. A centralized fire pit and rock-ledge …
Monday, February 11, 2013
The educational and interactive event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free to all families and children.
Families and children are invited to enjoy the free fun at the Vaughan Athletic Center Saturday, when the Fox Valley Park District will stage its annual Fitness Fun Fair for Kids. The educational and interactive event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free to all families and children. Children will have opportunities to take part in fun and healthy activities that include an inflatable obstacle course, KitFit demos, ZumbAtomic sessions and other activities designed to get kids moving and exercising. “We encourage kids to be active by introducing them to forms of exercise they find fun and invigorating,” said recreation supervisor Jen Manos. “By making exercise enjoyable, kids are much more likely to develop healthy habits they will carry…
Friday, February 1, 2013
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
- Jeff Long
-
Friday, February 1
Parents often find themselves in a conflicted conundrum. On the one hand, we want our children to get out of the house (and our hair) to go experience the world (and give us some peace). On the other hand, we want to know where they are, what they’re doing and be sure they are safe. We’re all aware that those late-afternoon hours – the oft-unsupervised window from 3 to 6 p.m., between the final school bell until the parents come home – is a notorious time when kids and trouble seem to find each other. The same goes for those long summer days when school is out of session. For myriad reasons, idle time is much better spent as productive time. Recognizing this, the Fox Valley Park District has offered local youth a plethora of programs to …
Friday, January 18, 2013
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
- Jeff Long
-
Friday, January 18
Parks are symbolic to us in so many ways. On the surface, they represent freedom, natural beauty, open space, recreation … and that’s just naming a few of their many attributes. We all have a very unique and different perspective of what parks mean to us. It’s a personal relationship that is distinct and different for every park and every person. Parks are a frame of reference to memories and moments in our lives. They are a scrapbook of times and events that help animate our slide show of life with snippets of experiences both special and meaningful. A sunset. A kiss. Hangin’ out with friends. That dramatic home run over the left field fence in the championship game. Your first child’s first steps. The summer aroma of grilled hot dogs …
Friday, January 11, 2013
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
- Jeff Long
-
Friday, January 11
There’s something magical about seeing a vintage show come to life, when yesterday’s classic is transformed into a fresh-yet-familiar masterpiece by talented new performers. That would certainly describe the upcoming Winter Stage performance of Anything Goes, set for four performances Friday through Sunday at the Prisco Community Center. “This show will feature some of the best theatre talent we’ve assembled in 11 years of Winter Stage performances,” promised Kyle Donahue, performing arts manager. The cast of 40 performers range in age from 7 to 76, with lead roles played by adults, teens and even some of the youngest in the cast. Collectively, they blend their uniquely bright talents to create a light-hearted, fluffy show of catchy tunes…
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The cast consists of 40 members, ages 7 to 76.
Editor's note: The following is a press release from Fox Valley Park District. The Fox Valley Park District's Winter Stage production of Anything Goes will be performed Jan. 11, 12 and 13 at the Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Avenue, in Aurora. Tickets are $7 and may be purchased in advance at the Prisco Center. Seating is reserved, so advanced tickets are suggested. Show times are 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Anything Goes is classic, 1930s era musical theatre; an amusing story of love, mistaken identity, elaborate disguises, harmless gangsters, flashy celebrities and tap-dancing sailors. Set aboard a luxury ocean liner, the plot follows a stowaway who is in love with an engaged heiress. A series…
Friday, January 4, 2013
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
Kids’ sports have taken on a different meaning these days. Not long ago, all the action took place at the park or the local gym; now it seems those venues have been replaced by the couch or “gaming chair.” PlayStation, X-Box and Wii certainly have their place in terms of fun and entertainment. But rapid-fire button-pressing and joystick-shifting don’t quite equate with active sports, no matter what’s happening on the TV screen. Fortunately, there are still plenty opportunities for kids to engage in physical exercise beyond a thumb workout. Thanks to the Fox Valley Park District and a lineup of six schools throughout Aurora and North Aurora, wintertime Saturdays can still be days of sports and camaraderie and athletic excitement. Sports …
Auroran
6:12 pm on Friday, April 5, 2013
Some years ago, a dog I used to have would herd the geese at local lakes for fun. Like the good sheepdog whe was, she never hurt them, just herded them. I even got a job offer to have her come back to an industrial park on a regular basis (but was not able to take it at the time). One autumn, we frequented a handful of lakes for geese-chasing. My then-infant daughter would take her naptime in the… more ›