Latest News
Letter From The Director
The 2012 calendar lists March 20 as the first day of Spring. Good enough for us! As we
anxiously wait out the last few weeks of winter, we can now turn our attention to getting out
and enjoy hearing the song birds returning to the area, encourage the grass to start growing
and spend some quality time in the parks, along the local trails and on the many sports fields
throughout the area. Welcome to another edition of the Grayslake Community Park District
quarterly brochure. We hope you will find a wide array of programs and services that you and
your families can enjoy. Below is also the latest edition of our People, Places and Projects.
People: 
Meet Tena Chirempes. Tena has
been with the Park District for 10 years as a
Registration Coordinator. She enjoys interacting
with people and taking part in the holiday
special events. Many of you may recognize
her as Mrs. Potts from our Pumpkin Fest.
She also enjoys seeing the children every day
and watching them grow in our programs. On
a more personal note, Tena and her husband
have 2 daughters and a son-in-law. She enjoys
cross-country motorcycling on her Gold
Wing and is very excited for the arrival of her
first grandchild this April.
Places: The Grayslake Park District has 26 neighborhood parks embedded within the many
subdivisions of Grayslake and a portion of Hainesville. Neighborhood Parks, different from
the larger acreage Community Parks that are usually reached by motorized transportation, are
generally defined by being able to get to them by walking or biking within 10-15 minutes from
your home. These parks typically offer playgrounds, green space and in many cases, picnic
shelters. Offering 26 Neighborhood Parks for a population of just over 22,000 residents is indicative
of how the District strives to provide optimum recreation opportunities for its residents.
As Spring arrives and the weather improves, try to take some time to enjoy a Neighborhood
Park near you. The parks and facilities map located in the back of this brochure can help you
locate the park(s) nearest you.
Projects: In addition to the many Neighborhood Parks the District provides, it also possesses
a number of undeveloped areas within some parks along with entire properties that can be
considered Natural Areas that offer limited recreational opportunities, but provide animal habitat
and many other environmental values. These undeveloped areas include retention and detention
ponds, woodlands and grasslands. The District realizes these areas benefit from management
initiatives such as prescribed burns, removal of invasive plants and shoreline restoration.
This Spring, the District will be performing a prescribed burn in the College Trail wetland and
open space area, working in conjunction with the Carillon North Subdivision in removing invasive
plants in wetlands in Sunrise Park and within their adjacent property and will also be performing
some shoreline restoration work on portions of the College Trail pond along Cambridge
and Buckingham Drives. The shoreline project is funded in part from a grant received from the
Lake County Storm water Management Commission.
Enjoy the rest of the Winter and I hope to see you at our Ice Cream Social with the Easter
Bunny on Saturday, March 31st!
Jeff Nehila, Executive Director
Grayslake Park District
Birthday Party Packages
Out of ideas for your child’s next birthday party? Tired of doing all the work and not enjoying any of the fun? Look no further than the Grayslake Park District. We will take the hassle out of planning your child’s next birthday. All packages will be tailored to your child’s specific interests. The birthday party staff will implement your party from start to finish. We will accommodate all ages. Click here for the Birthday Party Package Reservation Order Form