Sunday, September 18, 2011
Nearly a year after the Alcott Park playground was ruined by arson, the park — along with the new Lexi Kazian playground — is officially open.
As a child in Buffalo Grove, Kristy Kazian played at Alcott Park. When her own daughter was born, she wanted her, too, to experience playground fun. But trips to parks turned out to be more work than pleasure for the Kazians, who found that many facilities were not designed for children with special needs. “Going to a playground became not so fun,” said Kristy Kazian, who struggled to maneuver 2-year-old Lexi’s wheelchair over the ground, and then found much of the equipment too difficult to use. “When she passed away, I said, ‘How can we make parks better?’” she said. Kristy and her husband, Kris, began The Lexi Kazian Foundation — Helping From Heaven, which aims to improve the quality of life for children with special needs. Since its …
42.146649
-87.970763
Buffalo Grove Park District - Alcott Center
530 Bernard Dr, Buffalo Grove, IL
/articles/video-buffalo-grove-park-district-dedicates-rebuilt-playgrounds
295546
/locations/5393238
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Buffalo Grove Park District will dedicate the reconstructed Alcott Park playground and the newly built Lexi Kazian playground on Sept. 17.
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Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Buffalo Grove Park District will host the dedication of the reconstructed Alcott Park playground and the newly built Lexi Kazian playground at 1 p.m. Sept. 17. Most of the Alcott Park playground was destroyed by an act of arson in November 2010, causing over $80,000 in damage. At that time, the Lexi Kazian Foundation - Helping From Heaven, expressed interest in helping to restore the playground, even though the cost would be covered by insurance. The Lexi Kazian Foundation- Helping From Heaven is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to helping improve the comfort and quality of life of children with special needs. Through donated funds and resources, the organization provides children who have varied handicaps or developmental delays with …
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Westchester Park’s playground will be completely replaced; votes on the new design will be accepted through Friday.
After 17 years, Westchester Park’s playground will be removed, and a new playground will replace it in the same location. The new playground has a scheduled construction start in either late June or early July. “The Buffalo Grove Park District has a plan in place to replace playgrounds. The playgrounds only have so long of a life, and they get worn out,” Mike Terson, the park district’s public relations and marketing manager, said. “It’s time to replace the playground at Westchester.” The playground, which opened in June 1994, was selected on a rotation basis, based on the age of the park. Westchester was scheduled for a new playground last year, but according to Dan Schimmel, executive director of the Buffalo Grove Park District, the …
42.176469
-87.962003
Westchester Park
180 Thompson Blvd, Buffalo Grove, IL
/articles/bg-park-district-seeks-votes-on-new-playground
1301095
/locations/4544362
42.146649
-87.970763
Buffalo Grove Park District - Alcott Center
530 Bernard Dr, Buffalo Grove, IL
/articles/bg-park-district-seeks-votes-on-new-playground
295546
/locations/4544363
42.164227
-87.970509
Willow Stream Park
600 Farrington Dr, Buffalo Grove, IL
/articles/bg-park-district-seeks-votes-on-new-playground
1296798
/locations/4544364
42.164346
-87.954564
Tartan Park
650 Pinehurst Ln, Buffalo Grove, IL
/articles/bg-park-district-seeks-votes-on-new-playground
1301091
/locations/4544365
Monday, May 23, 2011
A charitable foundation is donating funds that will help the Buffalo Grove Park District improve the north side of the playground.
Buffalo Grove’s Alcott Park officially reopened Friday, six months after much of the playground was destroyed by fire. The replacement of burned structures and the cushy surface have restored the playground to its original state. But improvements at the park will continue this spring, thanks in part a donation from a local foundation. The Lexi Kazian Foundation — Helping From Heaven, whose mission includes helping to fund handicapped-accessible parks, initially reached out to Buffalo Grove with an offer to help finance the repairs at Alcott Park. The $82,000 repairs were covered by the Buffalo Grove Park District’s insurance policy, but the foundation still wanted to contribute. Foundation and park district officials decided to collaborate…
42.146649
-87.970763
Buffalo Grove Park District - Alcott Center
530 Bernard Dr, Buffalo Grove, IL
/articles/alcott-park-reopens-additional-improvements-planned
295546
/locations/4394544
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The playground, which was destroyed by fire three months ago, is expected to reopen by summer.
The rebuilding process is underway at Alcott Park, after a fire destroyed much of the playground in November. Workers were on hand Wednesday to begin what is expected to be a multi-day cleanup project, as the burned rubber surface is removed and charred and melted equipment is replaced. While only a portion of the playground’s surface — made from a thick, cushy material that helps minimize injuries when kids fall — was ruined in the fire, the entire playground surface will be replaced to keep it uniform, Buffalo Grove Park District spokesman Mike Terson said. “You want it to be one smooth stone, so to speak,” he said. Insurance will cover the cost of the repairs, which totaled about $82,000, he said. The rebuilt park will closely resemble …
Alan Danenberg
1:25 pm on Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I have to give kudos to the Park District for their responsiveness on this issue. Yesterday I made a couple of suggestions about how to communicate to the community about this playground project, and how to make it easier for the community to weigh in with opinions. Within a short time, they added the issue and voting options to their web site, and this afternoon a flier appeared at my door … more ›