From the Pastor for August, 2010
Pastor Art and Carol Schaley Puotinen send our heartfelt thanks to Bethlehem Lutheran members and friends for your prayers, cards, and other expressions of love and support for our married life together that began with a festive wedding service at BLC on July 3, 2010. Following our honeymoon trip to Hawaii during July 9-16 we have returned for continued and enthusiastic ministry with you in sharing the message of Jesus Christ. God is good and gracious to us every step in our life journey.
I wish to highlight in this column the activity of the Lords Park Advisory Task Force. BLC member and Elgin City Council member Mike Warren sparked the formation of this group by the Elgin City Council. He urged that the task force be formed to look at Lords Park holistically and create a long-term master plan for development and on-going operation of the park.
The task force began meeting on July 6 in the Lords Park Pavilion and its members include two members of the City Council, two members from City staff; one member from the parks and Recreation Board; and, six members from the public at large. I was pleased to be appointed as a task force member because Lords Park is a beautiful asset and community neighbor, our Child Development Center and Sunday School youth visit the park regularly, and church picnics, wedding celebrations and other activities occur there.
The task force meets next on August 4 and 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lords Park Pavilion and the public is invited to attend. During our meetings on July 6 and 20 the task force, with input from community residents in attendance, has identified various Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats relating to Lords Park.
Our next task force meeting will focus on 7-9 key activity areas for further investigation and formulation. These items include ecology (water related, trees, etc.), programs, traffic concerns, marketing and perception, funding/partnerships/volunteers, heritage (museum, zoo, pavilion, ball fields, pools, facilities) and security.
Did you know that Lords Park consists of 108 acres, 9 baseball fields, 1 basketball court, 1 museum, 1 pavilion, 2 playgrounds, ½ mile of nature/multi-use trails, about 1 mile of hard surface paths and walkways, 1 volley ball area, 2 shelters, 1 pool/family aquatic center, 4 tennis courts, 1 zoo and other resources?
Lords Park was a gift years ago from the Lords family and continues as a valuable asset to the nearby community, the city of Elgin and others who visit and enjoy the park.
For further information on the Lords Park task force please contact Mike Warren or Randy Reopelle, Parks and Recreation Director. I can offer my impressions too. As often as possible you are invited to walk the park, visit the venues, and enjoy God’s creation located across the street from Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
