Community Corner

Resident: New Rec Center Needed, 'Not Just for the Kids'

One resident shares why she believes a new $6.3 million rec center would be worth it for Palos Heights.

The following was submitted as a Letter to the Editor

The city of Palos Heights has mailed a survey to residents soliciting feedback on the proposed recreation center improvements. I urge all residents to take the time to educate themselves on the proposal and respond to the survey. Additional information on the proposal can be found at the Recreation department web site at www.palosheightsrec.org.

I believe that our recreation facility is woefully outdated. Our Recreation department does a great job offering quality programming in such limited, antiquated space. Imagine what they will be able to do in the new space!

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A renovated recreation facility will be an enormous asset to everyone in our community and will make our community more attractive to new businesses and residents. It is clear to me that great efforts were taken to ensure that there is something in this proposal for everyone.

For me personally, one of my biggest reasons for supporting the proposal is my children. I believe that having a quality recreation department and facility will impact everything from their health and wellness — in a time when childhood obesity is such a problem — to their academics — studies have shown that kids that participate in extra-curricular activities perform better in school. I want my children to have somewhere safe and fun to go – open gym, the teen center, additional clubs and activities, etc.

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But it’s not just for the kids. There is a lot in this proposal that I plan to utilize, too! I can’t wait to use the indoor walking track.

Finally, I believe it is imperative that we continually maintain, update, and improve our city. For a city to thrive, we need to embrace change. To be forward thinking. To keep families here and attract new families and businesses, we need to ensure that we have facilities and services that reflect our town. And I believe that Palos Heights is a great place to raise a family. We have great schools, beautiful neighborhoods, Lake Katherine, the pool, a fantastic library, great people, etc etc. What’s missing is a great recreation facility.

Karen P. Wright
Palos Heights resident since 2002 


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