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The Eagle Scout Service project is one of the most recognizable parts of earning the Eagle Rank. A local scout, Hunter Romanowski, had to plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, school, or community. Hunter chose the Grant Park Foundation and the Heldt Park Natural Playground for his project. While the park did have multisensory experiences, Hunter wanted to add sound to the park’s attractions.  The project was to install an outdoor xylophone and it had to be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, his unit leader, the unit committee, and the district advancement team before he started. The Foundation was delighted with the idea early on and helped to secure permission from the Village Board for the installation. It then became 100% Hunter driven. He raised funds for the project. He was so good at this, he actually raised more than was needed so he also bought and installed a Little Free Library as well, so our young patrons can take a book/leave a book throughout the year.   The day soon arrived for the installation of the apparatuses and so the Scout Leader, Mr. John Drexler and several other members of the scout troop, Alexander DeCarlo, Joshua DeCarlo, and Sylvia DeCarlo, showed up at the park in dry, sunny, and cold Spring weather to begin. They worked well under Hunter’s leadership and the xylophone and library were soon installed. This is a great example of how the Scouts can benefit not only your community but enhance the leadership qualities that are so valued in today’s competitive job market. Hunter wanted to also mention that “every Eagle needs a mentor, and my Eagle mentor was Mr. Mike Casagrande, my Scoutmaster. He was absolutely critical in helping me make my way through the ranks.” Hunter Romanowski is a valued citizen of Grant Park and is sure to retain the things he’s both learned and accomplished through his efforts. His only regret is that the park wasn’t here until he was much too old to use it! Although, watching others enjoy what he has added to the play area will surely warm his heart as much as watching his endeavors warmed ours.   

PHOTOS Little Free Library:  Showing off their Little Free Library is the installation team, Sylvia DeCarlo, Alexander DeCarlo, Joshua DeCarlo, Scoutmaster John Drexler and Eagle Scout Hunter Romanowski. There are plenty of books in it now!  

Xylophone: (PHOTO BELOW) Hunter Romanowski leads his crew as they complete installation of the outdoor xylophone in Heldt Park. His team dug the hole, leveled,  plumbed, and set the post and instrument in concrete under Hunter’s watchful eye. Sylvia DeCarlo, Joshua DeCarlo, and Alexander DeCarlo learned a lot during this project so don’t be surprised if you see them with their own projects soon. (Joshua already has a plan!)  

Grant Park and Bourbonnais Township were recently awarded grants to improve the ecosystem and appearance of two local parks through ComEd’s Green Region Program with Openlands, a conservation organization based in Chicago.

Recipients get a one-time grant of up to $10,000 funded by ComEd to “support and improve natural areas in northern Illinois communities that are crucial to the quality of residents’ lives” and especially mitigate climate change’s impacts, according to a press release from ComEd.

The program gave grants to 23 public agencies in 2021, its ninth year.

“This is our first opportunity applying for this grant and we’re excited that we got it,” said Hollice Clark, executive director of the Bourbonnais Township Park District. “We’ll probably be applying for more.”

The district will use its $3,500 grant to develop an arboretum in Willowhaven Park & Nature Center along the trail between the dog park and the center, according to Clark.

“We’re going to plant the trees along the trail and they’ll be native to the area,” Clark said.

The trail will use climate-resilient trees to create bioswales, which are shallow, landscaped depressions designed to capture stormwater runoff and remove debris, and also feature flowers that will attract pollinators, according to the press release.

Grant Park will use the grant to move forward with renovating an existing gazebo and add a fountain, pollinator garden and related signage, according to a ComEd press release. A pollinator garden is a garden that is planted predominately with flowers that provide nectar or pollen for a wide range of pollinating insects.

Village Mayor Jamie Hawkins estimated the gazebo, which is on the grounds of Grant Park Community Park, is around 100 years old. The grant will help restore it to its original condition, she said.

Clark said the park district has until March 17, 2023, to finish the project, but is currently working on ordering trees and hopes to finish the arboretum trail sooner.

“Probably this time next year, this will be completed,” he said.

The Green Region Program has awarded over $1.5 million to northern Illinois municipalities, helping fund over 200 open-space projects and protecting approximately 1,000 acres of land.

More details can be found at Openlands.org/GreenRegion.