Mautino reports on SV parks

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SPRING VALLEY — Spring Valley Park Board President Tony Mautino addressed the Spring Valley City Council at its meeting Monday, to talk about projects facing the park board and projects already completed.

Much of Mautino’s report was about Kirby Park.

Mautino said the park board’s newest project is fixing up the bathrooms north of the swimming pool, located in Kirby Park. The estate of Eugene Pini paid for the renovation and the new fixtures, and Mautino said the board still needs to repair the partitions.

Mautino said the board had purchased four new stainless steel grills for the park to replace the old brick ones and will replace the main backstop at Foley Field.

Also, Mautino thanked Spring Valley Street Superintendent John Schultz for his efforts this spring in getting the swimming pool ready to be opened. In addition, Mautino said Sue Yopchick managed the pool this year and did a “great job.” Yopchick will also manage the pool again next year.

Looking ahead, Mautino said the board will need to work on the plumbing at the swimming pool in the near future.

Mautino said the park board received about $5,000 worth of donations this year. He said the board is focusing on maintenance, trying to get the park ready for the city’s 125th anniversary in 2010.

“I hope that everybody here would let us know what you’d like to get done or what needs to be fixed,” he said.

Mautino also talked about future development of Coal Miners’ Park and said it needs to be determined what can be done with the property.

Nora Fesco-Ballerine of the North Central Illinois Council of Governments was in attendance at the meeting; it was the NCICG that helped get the OSLAD grant for the park. Fesco-Ballerine said she would get the information but believed the only restriction would be on constructing an indoor recreational facility.

“That’s about 100 years down the road,” Mautino said.

Mautino said there would be a lot of improvements made next year.

“We’re getting there,” he said. “But it’s going to take us a little while.”

The council unanimously approved an additional donation of $1,000 to the park board.