Friday, October 19, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
Visit the Vaughan Center any day of the week, any week of the year, and you get the feeling that life is a 24/7 celebration. That’s because it is – at least for the 11,000-plus members who utilize this fantastic facility on a regular basis. Being active and enjoying exercise not only makes for a healthy body, but a sharper mind as well. Each workout is an exercise in mood elevation. Even though these folks are full of endorphins and in party mode all year, there’s always room for a little more excitement. A three-day weekend is in order. Member Appreciation Weekend will be held next Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 26-28), with each day featuring an extravaganza of activities, fun events and giveaways. It’s a tripleheader party themed …
Friday, October 12, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
The moment you pull that door open and enter the Vaughan Athletic Center, your world is transformed. The stress and distractions of everyday life – even your fatigue from the day – suddenly vanish, replaced by a rush of energy and adrenalin. This is a vibrant, healthy place where people feel good, a place always buzzing with activity amid three swimming pools, two running tracks, fitness machines, free weights, tennis courts and sports programs galore. Until now, all the action was confined inside this vast structure. That all changed last week with the grand opening of a beautifully designed, fully accessible outdoor playground – officially named Harmony Pointe – at the north end of the facility. Built on 19 acres of land, this area didn’…
Friday, October 5, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
-
Friday, October 5, 2012
We all enjoy a walk in the park, but there’s somebody who likes it even more than we could possibly imagine. OK, technically, they’re not people, but we won’t let details get in the way of the great relationships we share with our dogs. Just like their owners, dogs love the great outdoors, especially where there’s room to roam. So in 2004, the Fox Valley Park District –responding to a groundswell of input from local dog lovers – created the Lincoln Park Dog Park to provide an exclusive hangout for pooches on the near west side of Aurora (S. Harrison Avenue, just north of Prairie Street and east of Elmwood Drive). The three-acre park has proven to be a wonderful place to meet and socialize – for people and dogs. The park’s signature event …
Friday, September 28, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
-
Friday, September 28, 2012
The fall season is the best time of year, at least in my autumn-loving opinion. Mild days and cool nights – not too hot, not too cold – combine with the brilliant fall colors and wall-to-wall football on the weekends to make this the sweetest season of all. It’s also one of the shortest. Fortunately, the Fox Valley Park District prolongs the pleasure with its annual Pumpkin Weekends at Blackberry Farm. During every weekend in October plus Columbus Day – nine days in all – fall is celebrated in its full glory. With fall colors as the backdrop, a new and equally spectacular attraction will make its debut when the Adventure Playground opens to the public on Columbus Day weekend. You may have seen it from Galena Boulevard during the …
Friday, September 21, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
Yes, it was the dreaded bathing suit photo that started this – a little snapshot of a big subject. “I started crying when I saw it,” recalled Jenni Whipple, “and I asked my friend … ‘Do I really look like that?’” In her mid-30s at the time, Jenni was busy tending to her three children. They were her first priority. But she couldn’t get over the image of herself in that photo. At the time, a small trailer sat beside a construction project on Indian Trail, taking membership signups for what would become the Vaughan Athletic Center. Jenni and her husband Scott were charter members when the Vaughan opened in 2005. Little did anybody know at the time that this mom would soon become an elite level bodybuilder. “I started working out, started …
Friday, September 14, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
- Jeff Long
-
Friday, September 14, 2012
They were founded during different eras, but their commonalities are many. A river not only runs between them; it binds these agencies together. In 1947, the Fox Valley Park District was created as a governing body that would preserve and protect scenic vistas along the Fox River. The vision was for all residents to enjoy this precious resource, the recreation it afforded, and the natural beauty it brought to the communities it unites. In 1972, The Conservation Foundation arrived on the scene with a mission to promote stewardship of our local environment through preservation of open space and natural areas, and protection of rivers and watersheds. Fittingly, the two agencies have become partners in preservation, working in unison over the …
Friday, September 7, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
- Jeff Long
-
Friday, September 7, 2012
Whether you’re an experienced runner who trains regularly – or the casual type who only runs between the couch and fridge – a common trait runs between. We all run faster when we’re chasing something – or being chased. Throw in a little fear, anxiety, adrenalin – three powerful motivators – and it can feel as though you’re running for your life. That will be the case on Oct. 5, when the Fox Valley Park District unleashes the Zombie Invasion 5K at Blackberry Farm. It’s one thing to run a 5K, but it’s a whole different race when each stride could be your last amid an infestation of zombies and a minefield of obstacles. “You’re not just running … you’re running to escape,” said race organizer Jaime Ijams. “Zombies will be rising from …
Friday, August 24, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
You’d think that any mention of insects and bugs would send people running to the nearest screen house in search of cover. But that’s not exactly the case here. In 2010, the Fox Valley Park District unveiled a new event called Bug Fest. In the first two years, more than 2,500 visitors have swarmed this event, which spreads its wings between Red Oak Nature Center, Lippold Park and the half-mile of Fox River Trail that connects to the two facilities. Apparently, we are every bit as attracted to bugs as they are to us. The buzz is back as Bug Fest returns Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with Insects as the star attraction once again. The event is completely free, with no registration required. “Bugs are weird, wild, fascinating … and often …
Friday, August 10, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
Preservation. Sustainability. Conservation. These are not buzz words. They are words to live by. More than just fashionable talking points, they signify a course of action that we – all of us, together – take daily. And we take it seriously. Preserving our planet is a worldly ambition, bigger than any one individual. But every little contribution adds up in the long run. The mindset makes the mission. We take that approach at the Fox Valley Park District every day. In 2005, the FVPD created its own “Green Team” to research, study and make recommendations to the Board of Trustees to set policies that position the District as a standard bearer of environmental stewardship. Promoting eco-friendly practices on a daily basis is central to that …
Friday, August 3, 2012
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.
As the saying goes, there’s really nothing like being there. Such is the case with Waubonsie Lake Park. On behalf of the Fox Valley Park District, I’d done numerous press announcements over the last 18 months detailing all the renovations and improvements taking place at this beautiful park. But a recent check-in changed everything and created an even greater sense of appreciation. During that late afternoon visit, all the artist renderings and photo simulations and concept plans were now in living color. And these weren’t just pictures, but sights and scenes of real people enjoying every aspect and new amenity of this public treasure. Moms pushing strollers and moms chasing toddlers. Young boys fishing. A middle-aged couple, paddling solo…
