For almost 60 years, the Huntley Park District has been a true community treasure. The 28 acres donated by Mr. Edwin Deicke in the 1960’s has grown to 175 acres that currently make up 15 parks. Tens of thousands of people of all ages have enjoyed spending time in the parks as well as facilities such as Cosman Cultural Center and Stingray Bay. Wesley Peete, the Director of Parks and Facilities, has graciously agreed to share some of his knowledge about the parks with our readers.
Welcome to Huntley and the Park District! Can you please tell us a bit about your professional background and what lead you to accept the position of Director of Parks and Facilities?
Throughout my childhood and my professional life, the park and rec field has always been a passion of mine. I grew up playing park district and travel baseball. I remember getting to my little league games 3 hours before the game start so I could take batting practice and the park district maintenance staff were still prepping the field and I thought was the coolest thing.
My professional career lead me to the Fox Valley Park District( FVPD) in Aurora. The FVPD served over 250,000 residents, which provided me the opportunity to see all the facets in running a large park district. Since I was new to the park and rec profession, I felt it was important to expand my knowledge base and skills, therefore, I became a Certified Park and Recreation Professional, Certified Pool Operator and Certified Playground Safety Inspector during my first three years of employment. The importance of education was instilled in me at a young age due to both my parents being educators, I earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Aurora University in 2021.
The desire to work closer to home and to put my newly learned knowledge and skills into practice, I was excited at the opportunity to apply for the Parks & Facilities Director at HPD.
I believe March 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of your becoming the Director. What have you enjoyed most about your position?
I’ve enjoyed working with the residents of Huntley. The park district has an amazing staff and a very dedicated park board of commissioners. It has also been a pleasure to meet and work alongside all units of local government agencies as we continue our partnership such as the Huntley Chamber of Commerce, Fall Fest committee, and so many local businesses.
Watching the youth enjoy the outdoors and sports is something that I’ve always been passionate about.
As we continue to grow as a community and park district and connect the community to better the park and recreation in the Huntley.
Walking has been proven to ease join pain, boost your immune system and reduces the risk of breast cancer. For a resident that wants to develop a walking regiment, which park do you recommend?
Deicke Park would be my choice for a walking. Deicke Park offers a mature tree setting and a nature. The trail system at Deicke offers a few changes in elevation but is primarily on flat ground.
During the winter months, what facilities are available to those who may want to exercise indoors?
During the winter months the Rec Center is open for indoor activities, programs, and fitness classes.
Is there a fee to use those facilities?
Yes, the fees associated with activities, programs, and fitness can be found on our website, or residents can stop by the front desk at the Rec Center for a program booklet.
When I first moved to Huntley, Betsey Warrington was my neighbor. Spending time in the park named after her is especially poignant for me. Can you please tell our readers about her park?
In 1979, Betsey Warrington became the first full time recreation director. She kept adding new programs such as pre-school, extended time care, before and after school, teen programs and parties, aerobics, fitness, Senior Citizens programs, tours, swimming lessons, T-ball, soccer, ice skating, etc. Warrington Park has two baseball fields, rectangular soccer fields, 18-hole disc golf course, shelter and a sled hill.
Fishing is available at one of your parks. Which one is that? Are there any rules or regulations regarding fishing at the park?
Deicke Park offers a stocked fishing pond. Our pond is stocked every April prior to our annual Fishing Derby in May with primarily bass and blue gill. This is a catch and release fishing pond.
If a resident wanted to reserve a shelter at one of the parks, what would be the first step?
To reserve a shelter a resident or a non-resident would call our park district registration office at 847-669-3180.
May residents bring their dogs to the parks?
All patrons are welcome bring their dog to our parks. We ask for the dogs to be leased at all times and for the owner to pick up after their dog. Coming this summer, we’ll have dog waste stations at every park that will provide dog owners unlimited bags and a waste can that will be emptied by park staff and bags replenished.
Pinecrest Golf Club has been a fantastic asset to the park district for 20 years with 18 holes located on 130 acres. What would you like golfers to know about this course?
Pinecrest is well maintained opened to the public and has five lakes. Its nature tree setting allows for golfers to be challenged. Those mature trees provide ample shade on hot summer days. Pinecrest also has indoor golf simulators that are available during the winter months.
When not working, is there a particular park that you enjoy spending time in?
As a resident of Huntley, I enjoy taking family vacations, spending time with my family especially taking my daughter to Tomaso Park to watch the all the sporting events, use the playground and walking trail.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
