Walter Park: Construction has begun at Walter Park and is moving along smoothly towards completion in approximately June. Photos show the dirt being moved to renovate the park. The renovated park will feature a baseball field with dugouts and bleachers, soccer field, playground with synthetic turf, outdoor pickleball court, bike rack and a quarter-mile asphalt path, in addition to a new parking lot. We are very excited to renovate this park!

Community Park: The transformation of Community Park is fulfilling a vision of the Park District Board. With new trails, accessibility to the park is going to increase opportunities for usage to surrounding neighborhoods. We eagerly anticipate completion of the park by early July of this year. At this time there are still mounds of dirt around the park, but so much work has been done. The playground structure includes ninja features and a zipline. The adjacent picnic shelter has been renovated with new restrooms and a drinking fountain. Across the way is a 24-foot by 48-foot pavilion with picnic tables. Nearby will be two basketball courts, a sand volleyball court and soccer field – all still under construction.

A unique feature on the southwest side of the park is the addition of community gardens (pictured above). Community gardens offer many benefits such as access to fresh produce, environmental benefits and beautification, educational opportunities, and community empowerment which promotes self-reliance by enabling food self-sufficiency. We are excited to see the gardens grow and residents coming together to share their knowledge of gardening and to foster new friendships.

The Carol Stream Park District hosted the 2024 Illinois Association of Park District’s Legislative Breakfast at Fountain View Recreation Center on March 1. The event gave attendees the opportunity to meet with local Senator Seth Lewis and Representative Jennifer Sanalitro, who both serve the Carol Stream Community. They were joined by six other DuPage County legislators to share current happenings and platform challenges from Springfield. They spoke of issues impacting the parks and recreation industry as well as the importance of parks and recreation in the community. In total over 130 guests including Directors and elected park board members from 26 DuPage County park districts and recreation agencies had the opportunity to speak to legislators and share their thoughts, questions and concerns. 

Park District Executive Director Sue Rini with Peter Murphy, President & CEO of the Illinois Association of Park Districts

The Carol Stream Park District recognized two remarkable individuals by nominating Jon Nelson for Special Citizen of the Year and Jared Brown for Male Citizen of the Year. While our nominees may not have won, the significance of being nominated for such a prestigious community award and being recognized for their contributions speaks volumes about their dedication and impact on our community. Their nomination is a testament to hard work, passion, and commitment to making a difference to children within the Carol Stream Park District.

Jon Nelson and his family have been actively engaged with the Carol Stream Dolphins Swim Team since 2016. Jon’s experience, knowledge and expertise assure the success of the Dolphins Swim Team and swim tournaments, making the Dolphins an award-winning team.

Jared Brown has been committed to helping the Carol Stream Park District succeed in youth sports leagues. Jared has been involved in tee ball, baseball and soccer programs as both head and assistant coach. Jared provides insightful knowledge of sports to the kids, and the Park District was honored to nominate him.

Jeff Bates, a dedicated volunteer for three years with the Parks Department, focuses on removing invasive species along Klein Creek and in Red Hawk Park. With at least 150 donated hours, he's saved the Park District thousands of dollars in labor costs, improving aesthetics at both sites. Jeff also volunteers for the County and Village of Carol Stream. He's recognized as a 'Friend of Parks', and we proudly showcase his work whenever possible.