A Word from the Park District Manager – Winter 2023 Edition

Dear Wildwood Residents,

There is something special about winter in Wildwood after the beauty of autumn fades and the first snowflakes fall, signaling the arrival of a new season. The parks and lakes transform, becoming home to Wildwood’s favorite traditional winter sports and activities, like ice fishing, ice skating, snowmobiling, and sledding. As we enter this wonderful time of year, I am excited to share with you all the new and exciting events, programs, news, and projects we have planned to make this a fun winter and spring for all in Wildwood!

We still have openings for our Tuesday/Thursday 3’s Preschool Class! Our dedicated, experienced, and caring teachers are committed to preparing your child for kindergarten in our safe and age-appropriate classroom through outdoor learning and play emphasis, small community environment, low teacher-student ratios, nature concepts, and developmentally appropriate practices. Our teachers work directly with the schools in our district to ensure our curriculum aligns with their kindergarten readiness requirements, ensuring that your child is set up for success. 

We are pleased to continue offering our popular programs for adults, such as a one-time winner takes-all Baggo Tournament Night, Yoga classes, and Walking Club; as well as youth/tot programs like our Flower Pot Decorating Event! Two new programs are coming your way this winter/spring with a revival of a Kid’s Culinary Class taught at the Grandwood Park Park District; and a Parent/Tot Arts and Crafts Class taught by our very own Preschool Teacher, Tamara Rasmussen!

Join us for familiar winter/spring favorite events such as Snow Much Fun on January 20th, Hit the Hills Neighborhood Sledding and Bonfire Event on February 3rd, Valley Lake Ice Fishing Derby on February 10th, and our Egg Hunt for kids and dogs on March 23rd! We are also happy to incorporate two new offerings, including an Ice Jug Curling Event on Gages Lake on January 13th, and a festive Winter Light Display at Rule Park! We are pleased to announce that we will be returning to our popular format of the Daddy Daughter Dance on Friday, February 2nd at the Grandwood Park Park District, complete with a catered buffet dinner for you and your special little girl! 

Our Maintenance Team continues to strive for excellence in maintaining our greenspaces, facilities, and playgrounds for our residents. Several winter/spring initiatives include continued in-house restoration of park picnic tables, grills, and sitting benches, as well as Pebble Beach Park shoreline enhancements and protection. Recently completed projects include Pebble Beach Park fishing pier replacement in October, both Sunset and Willow Point Park Pavilions underwent major restoration work this fall, as well as permanent rock bike racks in several parks. Stormwater and drainage improvements around Valley Lake began this summer and will continue into winter/spring as part of the Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements Project, led by Lake County Stormwater Management. All past, current, and upcoming capital projects and improvements can be found on our Capital Project & Planning page at www.wildwoodparkdistrict.com/capital-projects-planning/. 

Winter symbolizes ending as it marks the end of the year, while Spring signifies new beginnings and growth. These lessons remind us that change is possible and welcomed, which inspired the Wildwood Park District to recently revitalize our mission and vision statements, as well as adopt and implement 5 Core Values. These changes will help lead the Park District in best serving our residents – and guide our programming and events, parks maintenance, conservation efforts, and administration. Our new mission and vision statements, and 5 Core Values can be found on page 4 of this brochure, or our website at www.wildwoodparkdistrict.com/about-us/. 

Finally, we here at the Wildwood Park District pride ourselves on providing diverse programs, events, and activities for all ages within our community. On behalf of the entire Wildwood Park District team, we want to extend our most heartfelt gratitude to our community members for continuing to support us for all of your park and recreation needs. 

We are truly honored to serve you. I look forward to sharing another memorable winter/spring with all of you.

Brandon Magnini

Park District Manager