New Park District Director to Settle in

Additionally, I have learned over the years that everyone cares and has a vested interest in the successes of their community. I believe in the community in which my family has lived for almost 20 years and the opportunity to serve Glen Ellyn is very exciting. During the course of the interview process with Hazard Young and the board, I was able to clearly communicate my ideals, goals and desire to serve the community, in which I reside, successfully. Again, I am very grateful for the opportunity, and I am looking forward to what we can achieve.

Glen Ellyn Patch: What kind of awards and recognition have you received for your work? Harris: Professionally, I was consistently promoted at Highland Park over the course of my career there. My employment records demonstrated consistent and exemplary performance tied to district and professional objectives during the 20 years I was employed by Highland Park. When it comes to industry awards, there are many standardized awards that the Park Districts received – Distinguished Agency, Outstanding Facility, Best Waterpark, Moody’s Triple AAA bond rating, many safety awards. While at Butterfield Park District (even similar to my perspective at PDHP), our efforts were not focused on winning outside agency awards but servicing our residents and families. We were a "boutique" park district focused on balancing budget, improving our assets and maximizing our services to our constituents.

Glen Ellyn Patch: What are some of the programs and initiatives you have spearheaded at the Butterfield Park District and the Park District of Highland Park? Harris: Through the course of my lengthy career, I have been instrumental in many program and facility initiatives. Highlights include the planning, construction and operation of a $12 million recreation center; planning, construction and operation of a $6 million water park; initiating a learn-to-play hockey program; development of the first completely open to the public (north suburbs) soft tennis courts; revision of the Bullfrog swim team including creating a junior Bullfrog program; created a golf academy summer camp; revised travel and feeder athletic program.

When Taking Advice on the Course, Consider the Source — Winnetka ...

Winnetka Golf Club

Joan Hohs had a wry smile because the errant shot she had just hit careened off of one of the stall dividers on the driving range at Winnetka Golf Club (WGC). The sound of the ball catapulting against the wood wall was thunderous. Colleague Mike Hamu and I were watching on our way to our cars in the twilight lit parking lot. Joan caught her co-workers biting their lips and alerted us that her husband had told her to stand farther away from the ball.

Keep your head down, left arm straight, bend your knees, eyes on the ball and follow through. Those are the tips you hear the most from a meddling golfer trying to keep you up to pace. They’re not wrong, they’re just much too universal. The single guy at Diversey Driving Range in Lincoln Park isn’t saying those things to make you better at golf – he just wants a date, and crosses his fingers that he becomes a hero. My uncle was hitting balls on the WGC range the other night. He was doing fine until another man, a complete stranger, on a bench behind him was barking out instructions in his direction. My uncle, taking the advice of the stranger, started firing the yellow practice balls in every possible lousy way. The swing became over-complicated with thought and my uncle realized the unsolicited advice was coming from a man on a cell phone. He was not in fact talking to my uncle, but a completely different person.

Tips in golf are not found in a magazine or on some cable channel. Just because you hear instructions from an unsolicited advisor doesn’t mean you need to abide. Lessons from a pro, playing and practicing will get the ball straight and in the air. Your golf game is a book and not a pamphlet. It’s personal, profound and nobody can unlock the game with a singular call of a few words. I would never give an unsolicited tip to another golfer, but if asked, I would offer this one piece of advice “swing with tempo and balance.”

As for Joan, she wheeled around and looked at the two pros. “What am I doing wrong?” In unison, Mike and I both exclaimed “Stand closer to the ball.”

Winnetka Golf Club is a facility of the Winnetka Park District. For more information about the Winnetka Golf Club visit www.winnetkagolfclub.org or call 847-501-2050 ext. 0. Find Winnetka Golf Club on Facebook, www.facebook.com/winnetkagolfclub or on Twitter @winnetkagc.

The Park and Recreation Professional's Handbook

The Park and Recreation Professional's Handbook

Winnetka

The American contractor

North eastern reporter. second series