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Park Board Minutes 2010 10-28-10 4 ° ° o Yorkville Parks & Recreation Department 3/a/,, 0 Administration Office - 201 W. Hydraulic St Yorkville, IL 60560 630-553-4357 Park Board Meeting Parks and Recreation Administration Office 7:00 p.m. October 28, 2010 Call to Order: Ken Koch called the meeting to order at 7:13 p.m. Roll Call: Ken Koch —Yes; Vickie Coveny—Yes; Seaver Tarulis —Yes The business meeting was cancelled due to the lack of a quorum. However, the guests from the Illinois Padding Council and Chicago Whitewater Association were invited to give their presentation to the members present. Introduction of Guests, City Officials and Staff: Superintendent of Recreation — Sue Swithin Superintendent of Parks — Scott Sleezer City Council Liaison to Park Board —Diane Teeling, Ward 4 Alderman Richard Hart— Chief of Police Tom Lindblade, President, Illinois Paddling Council Gary Mechanic, Vice President, Illinois Paddling Council Sigrid Pilgrim, Board Member, Illinois Paddling Council Erik Sprenne, Chicago Whitewater Association Representative Rich Hart, Yorkville Chief of Police Presentation: Sigrid Pilgrim, board member of the Illinois Paddling Council, gave a presentation to members present supporting the Illinois Paddling Council's request to name the Riverfront Park Whitewater Recreational Facility after Marge Cline. Pilgrim spoke about the contributions that Cline made to the paddling community for 30 years before her passing. She discussed Cline's personal involvement in teaching water safety and becoming a mentor to people who wanted to paddle. Cline was not a resident of Yorkville, but she was well known in the Chicago area and recognized nationally. Tom Lindblade, Gary Mechanic, and Eric Sprenne gave their comments and answered questions from the park board. They thanked members present for the opportunity to make the presentation on behalf of Marge Cline. The narrative Pilgrim distributed at the meeting is included in the minutes and details the many accomplishments and contributions of Marge Cline to the paddling community. The Marge Cline naming request will be brought back to the Park Board for discussion and recommendation. Public Comment: Sue Swithin took a picture of the guests from the Illinois Paddling Council and Chicago Whitewater Association presenting Rich Hart, Yorkville Chief of Police, with a donation of$500.00 from the Chicago Whitewater Association and $300.00 from the Illinois Paddling Council. Monies will be used for rescue equipment and training. The Chief thanked both organizations. Adjournment A motion was made by Vickie Coveny and seconded by Seaver Tarulis to adjourn the meeting at 8:15 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 4, 2010. Respectfully submitted, Louise A. Beukelman i Park Board Meeting October 28, 2010 Page 2 of 3 The narrative from Sigrid Pilgrim that was discussed and distributed at the meeting is included in the minutes as follows: MARGE CLINE- DECEMBER 27, 1940- OCTOBER 29, 2007 Marge Cline started paddling in 1949 in a dugout canoe and continued her involvement in the sport throughout her much too short life. Marge was an important and active member of both national and local paddling organizations. She has started and trained thousands of paddlers in the Chicago area for over 3 decades. In 2000, Marge Cline was honored by Paddler Magazine for being one of 100 "Paddlers of the 20th Century"who've made a difference. She was also given posthumously the Illinois Environmental Hero Award by then Lt Governor Pat Quinn. Marge was instrumental in bringing the American Canoe Association's instructor program to the Midwest, especially after the Red Cross discontinued its own small boat instruction classes. Marge took it upon herself to provide instructor training to numerous organizations - Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Nature Centers, Summer Camps, River Stewart Volunteers such as the Friends of the Chicago River, and many more. Paddlesport in Illinois and throughout the Midwest, if not the Nation, owe much to Marge by her insistence on paddling education and safety To name the Yorkville Whitewater Venue in her honor would be a tribute to her dedication to safety and recognize her achievement. Some notable accomplishments that Marge Cline has been known for: • Candidate for International Whitewater Hall of Fame 2006 President, American Whitewater Association 1982- 1988 Paddler Magazine - 100 Paddlers of the Century 1990 ACA 'Legend of Paddling'award 2002 ACA 'President's Award' President of the Midwest Division of ACA • National board of directors of ACA Instructor Trainer Educator with ACA (only 1 of about 20 in the country) • Editor of the CW A newsletter for 28.5 years Judge for many years at the National Paddling Film Festival 1983 National Paddling Film Festival- Winner 8mm Film: Recreational Scenic- Gallatin and Yellowstone River My own personal memories of Marge Cline go back to the late 1970's when she joined what was then and continues to be one of the Chicago Whitewater Association's winter instructional programs at the YMCA's pool in Oak Park. Soon Marge took over the club's newsletter and was its editor for over 28 years. During that time she also started and distributed CONFLUENCE- a compilation of the best articles from other clubs' newsletters she exchanged with organizations around the country. Park Board Meeting October 28, 2010 Page 3 of 3 Marge Cline viewed paddling a canoe or kayak not only as a recreational activity, but a means to gain self confidence and self reliance, as well as to appreciate nature and respect the power of moving water. The Yorkville Whitewater Venue is a facility that has tremendous potential as has been shown in many other similar venues. I know if Marge was still with us, she would be standing in my place and already have made a commitment to conduct educational classes for anyone interested in learning the skill of putting a blade to water! But beyond offering instructional paddling programs or letting anyone just enjoy the pleasures of riding the waves, your facility also has value in teaching water safety/rescue skills, basic hydrology or limnology and in general, be a teaching resource for many environmental and outdoor subjects - all of which Marge Cline believed in and shared with her legacy of students. I am also convinced that naming the Yorkville Whitewater Venue in honor of Marge Cline, would give your city important recognition beyond your borders. Word has already spread into neighboring states and we have already received comments from paddlers there that they cannot.wait to come. With Marge Cline -lovingly also known as RIVER MOM- still being so well known in the paddling community- dedicating the facility to her will quickly become widely known. The positive economic impact of whitewater venues is well known. The uniqueness of the Yorkville Facility in our region and the recognition of Marge Cline's contributions to the sport nationally, regionally, and locally, are mutually reinforcing to the benefit of your city. I greatly appreciate your consideration of naming the Yorkville Whitewater Course in honor of MARGE CLINE. Respectfully submitted Sigrid Pilgrim