News from Friends of Holstein Park

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Holstein Happenings
July 31, 2010

BUMMER SUMMER . . .

Last weekend's downpour dumped five feet of water into the Holstein Park field house basement. The electrical transformer blew up and pool filter gave out. The park and pool, as a result, were closed for the week.

The good news is that the electricity was restored Friday and the field house is now open. Electricians installed a new pool filter and THE HOLSTEIN PARK POOL RE-OPENED TODAY, Saturday, July 31.

The bad news is better sewer, water and electrical connections were top priorities in a $1 million renovation Friends of Holstein Park has been advocating for seven years. The park district was on the verge of awarding a contract for the work last month, but top officials yanked it from approval by the July meeting of the Chicago Park District board of commissioners at the last minute.

The next meeting of the park district board is Wednesday, August 11. Anybody want to go?
SUMMER CAMP - FINAL WEEK - Monday, Aug 2
All summer camp groups that moved to Hamlin Park during the power outage will resume at Holstein Park Monday for the final week.

PARK DISTRICT BOARD MEETING - Wed, August 11 at 4 PM
The Board of Commissioners for The Chicago Park District will meet at 4 PM Wednesday, August 11, at 541 N. Fairbanks. Citizens may present testimony during the "People in the Parks" segment. Anyone who wants to speak should register by 3:45 PM.

CIRCUS IN THE PARK - PLANNING MEETING - Wed, Aug 11 at 6:30 PM
The next planning meeting for the Circus in The Park on September 25-26 at Holstein will be at 6:30 PM in the Holstein Park fieldhouse. If you would like to get involved, please stop by.

ONLINE REGISTRATION - Mon, Aug. 16 starts at 9 AM
Registration for all park district programs in the fall - Moms & Tots, After School, sports programs and special events - starts ONLINE at 9 AM. THIS IS A SAVE-THAT-TIME OCCASION. Holstein Park programs often fill up in the first 10 minutes.

Holstein Park this year will add a Winter Break Camp for kids ages 6 - 12 during the public school Christmas vacation - but you have to sign up now!

A sign-up tip: Check out the available programs online at the park district website in advance of registration. Use the pulldown menu box to find Holstein Park. Also, get familiar with the online payment routine, which can be tricky.

FRIENDS OF HOLSTEIN PARK MEETING - Thurs, Aug 19 at 6:30 PM
It's a busy fall ahead with Circus in the Park (September 25-26), The Bucktown Apple Pie Contest (October 10) and fieldhouse renovations on the agenda. Find out how you can get involved.

And please stop by the Friends of Holstein Park booth at the Bucktown Arts Fest to learn more, or better yet, volunteer a few hours of your time to man it. It's a great way to meet your friends and neighbors. No experience necessary!

Contact Michele Pennington at mrwerle@gmail.com to schedule your 2-hour slot on Saturday or Sunday.

BUCKTOWN ARTS FEST - Sat-Sun, Aug 28-28, 11 AM to 7 PM
This granddaddy of neighborhood arts festivals turns 25 this year, just as wild and wacky as ever. Over 170 artists will be displaying their work in and around Senior Citizens Park. Live music, theater, poetry and film programs are also scheduled.

The Kick-Off Party on Thursday, August 26, will be held at the Jackson Junge Gallery, 1389 N. Milwaukee. Meet the artists and mingle with community leaders. In addition to food and libation, artists all contribute a piece that is auctioned off at what are usually spectacularly low prices. Admission is $30 in advance or $40 at the door. Learn more at the Bucktown Arts Fest website.

GOLDEN APPLE RAFFLE - Now thru October 10
The Golden Apple Raffle is a one-in-100 chance to win $1,000. The Bucktown Apple Pie Contest sponors it to raise money for the park. Tickets are $25, but limited to only 100 chances.

You can get your raffle tickets in advance at the new American Eagle Bank at Western Avenue and Belden, anytime before the event, or during it. Stop by today!

AND FINALLY . . .
Many thanks to Rich and Keenan for their above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty work cleaning out the mess in the basement. Anybody want a bunch of water-logged baseball gloves or art supplies?

Holstein Happenings is a monthly newsletter from Friends of Holstein Park to keep you informed of what's happening in our park. We also have a new website about park activities (http://www.friendsofholsteinpark.com.) If you would like to add more names to the Holstein Happenings mailing list, send new addresses to friendsofholsteinpark@yahoo.com.

Friends of Holstein Park
email: friendsofholsteinpark@yahoo.com