Personal Accounts

Written and Submitted by: Kate Erickson,
Communication and Marketing Manager
River Trails Park District

Quarantine. Lock-down. Social distancing. Six feet apart: Words and phrases we never imagined would become a part of our collective vocabulary. Concerns and questions immediately followed: How in the world could ‘6 ft apart’ work in Parks and Recreation? How could programming continue when our community was “locked down”? It was something that we would quickly find out.

On Friday, March 13th, Executive Director, Bret Fahnstrom, called an Emergency Leadership Meeting to discuss Governor Pritzker’s possibility to issue a Stay-At-Home-Order. At that point, there were thirty-two cases of COVID-19 across the state, primarily in Cook County. Three of the early cases were at NW Community Hospital in Arlington Heights; It felt like this mysterious virus was inching closer to home, and the team had to come up with a plan. Details and information seemed to be changing by the minute during those early days in March 2020. With closures imminent, the board and leadership team met to discuss the possibility of closures and lock-downs that appeared to be looming. Based on the information coming from health officials and from the state, the team made the difficult decision to furlough almost all part-time recreation, parks & maintenance staff which impacted approximately 80% of the entire District workforce.

By March 17th, Governor Pritzker issued a Stay at Home Order for the State of Illinois. Residents could only leave their homes to seek groceries, medicine, and medical care. As confusion around the virus enveloped the media, state, and country, the River Trails team realized our community needed us more than ever. We stayed at home, jumped on zoom calls, and got to work on redeveloping our programming and continue a place of community, despite not being able to be in our buildings. During those confusing days of March, the Parks and Maintenance team developed a facility and equipment cleaning program in hopes of a short-term service interruption. We created signs that we never could have imagined we would have put up around our parks: “For the safety of our community, please do not play on our playground equipment.”

The Recreation team quickly began developing programs that could be done virtually. During those early days, the Recreation team got creative by bringing the community together with chalking driveways and sharing nature scavenger hunts via social media. Marketing got to work on a list of resources on our website, called Happy Trails at Home. We provided local resources, tips, and ideas for keeping active and busy while at home.

Spring into Fun went live and evolved throughout the next year. The Recreation team served the River Trails community online; they reached out to partners and worked tirelessly to create virtual fitness, creative art, early childhood, and youth athletics. The impact of programs halting in March was seen immediately. Despite the loss of over $1 million in revenue, the fund balance of the district decreased by only $150,000 by the end of 2020. This was accomplished by purposefully reducing expenditures, and full-time staff really stepping up to serve in many roles beyond their typical responsibilities.

Difficult decisions still needed to be made as we headed into the summer of 2020: The Leadership team came to the difficult decision to keep Woodland Trails Pool closed during the summer of 2020. In all, this would impact approximately 140 summer jobs. River Trails’ popular all-day summer camps would also need to be scaled down considerably due to limitations dictated by the state in order to keep our children healthy.

That summer, the district continued to get creative and work together: our Backyard Camper Series allowed kids to have activities to do while at home while other kids joined us for Camp River Trails, our scaled-back Day Camp. And while The Trails Fitness Center remained closed, the community grabbed their mats and weights and joined our small but mighty fitness staff for group exercise classes outdoors. There was a collective feeling of excitement brewing regarding the programs we could bring back with caution and by following Phase Three of Restore Illinois. Micro Baseball, Parkour, and Expressions Dance came back while following six-feet apart guidelines and limiting the capacity of participants.

By August 2020, the staff developed Kid Squad Connect, an off-shoot of our Kid Squad Before and After School Program. Kid Squad Connect allowed children to do remote learning at our facilities with safety measures in place. It brought the district great pride to help working parents find a way to survive remote learning at a safe location for their children. Our Trail Blazer Preschool employees could return due to enrollment numbers comparable to pre-pandemic enrollment. Kids returned to preschool with masks and with as many activities as we could develop through learning outdoors.

Youth Soccer League and Basketball started back up during Fall and Winter of 2020/2021. We created a format that ensured 6 feet apart, stressed teamwork, focusing on passing and ball movement. Parents cheered from the sidelines while being socially distanced and wearing masks. Our Fall Brochure’s theme was ‘Rediscover’ – and it genuinely felt that this is what was happening: our community was rediscovering their favorite activities as the district slowly brougt back their favorite programs and events – safely. It would become a theme that followed the River Trails Park District throughout 2021.

We reconstructed our popular community events and added new ones to fit with the possibility of more shutdowns throughout 2020 and 2021. From our Halloween House Decorating Contest to Cuisin’ with Santa to additions such as Earth Day and Movies in the Park, we were excited to see our community out and enjoying River Trails events again. Our famous Youth Obstacle Course Race (OCR) was reimagined with new safety measures in place. New obstacles were built that ensured limited hand touching by participants. Transportable sinks were added throughout the race, and we limited the number of racers who could participate. OCR was a success, with over 150 participants racing through Woodland Trails. In 2021, OCR was back to its normal format and with record-breaking registration numbers.

As the vaccine became available and cases decreased throughout Cook County, our ability to join together as a community became more of the norm, instead of the exception. One example of this was when Woodland Trails Pool opened for business in June 2021. Opening day at the pool brought a line wrapped all around the building, as families eagerly awaited the welcomed sound of lifeguard whistles to mark that summer pool days were, indeed, back again. A resident emailed our team, “I could barely control the tears as kids were jumping and splashing in the pool again. Thank you for giving our children back their summer!”

Cases surged again with a new variant in December 2021 and COVID fatigue set in. As we headed into year three of living through a pandemic, we were reminded that we are resilient as a team and community.

We hung up signs and sent out messaging regarding the requirement to show vaccine status and we braced ourselves for push-back. Instead, we found that our community was open to working together to get through this latest setback in our post-COVID world.

We continue to reflect and are reminded of the good we have seen along the way. We celebrated the restoration of Burning Bush and Aspen Trails Parks. We are grateful for our Board and our staff who made it their priority to develop creative programs that foster connections and activity while keeping the health and wellness of the community at the forefront of their minds. Even during the most uncertain days, watching the community come out and explore our parks, sit in nature, bike our trails, and watch kids race through River Trails Park District’s open, green spaces, will be something we will never forget.

The beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 was very shocking for everyone.  “Like most everyone around the world, we could never have imagined that the pandemic would still be happening, nearly two years later,” Superintendent Mary Gorr reflected in January 2022. 

“We had not participated in virtual learning prior to this pandemic, so preparing for the initial school closures was especially challenging,” she said. “In addition to needing to get every District 57 student a technology device, we needed to consider which learning resources were best to use for teaching students remotely. Many of us didn’t even know what Zoom meetings were at that time.”

“In 2020 we did not hold an in-person graduation ceremony due to pandemic closures. Instead, we honored students by hosting a special drive-by event where our graduating 8th graders were driven past Lincoln Junior High School by their families and District 57 staff members were lining the streets to cheer for them. We also had a special feature section in the Mount Prospect Journal newspaper where our graduates were honored,” Dr. Gorr continued. 

When the 2020-21 school year began, most students and teachers were once again faced with remote learning. By late fall/early winter, students were able to return to in-person learning in a hybrid model, which is a combination of in-person instruction and remote instruction. While most District 57 students participated in the hybrid learning model, some D57 families chose to keep their students in the full remote learning program for the remainder of the school year. 

Whether provided virtually or in-person, all classes were offered throughout the pandemic – even fine arts classes. 

“We were thrilled to be able to return to full in-person learning in the spring of 2021, which enabled students to have access to their full learning experiences. And while District 57 staff members longed to safely return to in-person instruction, at different times throughout the pandemic, there were significant concerns about the ability to do this in a manner that was safe for students and staff, alike,” Dr. Gorr stated. 

By spring of 2021 District 57 was thrilled to be able to offer an in-person graduation ceremony again. In order to offer appropriate social distancing, they held two ceremonies with half of the graduating 8th graders in each ceremony.

“It was a special night and there was extra appreciation for the chance to be together,” Dr. Gorr recalled.

“I think there’s no debate that, unfortunately, the pandemic has negatively impacted most learners in some way,” she continued. “From the frequent disruptions to instruction, to the constant changes and transitions in learning modality, necessary adjustments and the overall stress and anxiety that has occurred for both students and families, this pandemic has presented major obstacles. But we are optimistic that our students will recoup their learning over time.”

“The pandemic has also had a negative impact on many students’ and others’ mental health,” Dr. Gorr added. “We have invested time and resources in training our staff to be better equipped to support students’ mental health needs, and District 57 has also offered a variety of resources to support staff members’ mental health.”

Over the course of the pandemic many District 57 students, families and staff had COVID and, tragically, many students and staff lost loved ones to the virus. 

When COVID-19 has abated, Dr. Gorr feels that everyone who lived through it will feel a deeper appreciation for things they previously took for granted, “such as being in the same room as our students!”

By Nellie Beckner, Assistant Village Manager

When reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to keep in mind that the Village did not stand alone in our response. The Village made a cognizant effort to follow and promote State-issued restrictions and guidance (as well those independently issued by the CDC and Cook County) in the interest of protecting public health and safety of our community and team members. We relied on experts both within and outside our organization to guide the Village’s internal and external policies. The Village began working to address pandemic restrictions right away by opening our “EOC” – emergency operations center – so the Leadership Team could meet, discuss challenges/logistics, and begin to utilize our Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). It is through these daily meetings – which were held virtually for several weeks – that we were able to discuss every aspect of our pandemic response, from working remotely to business assistance.

We reduced staff in Village Hall and closed the Public Works and Fire Headquarters to the public starting March 16, and then closed Village Hall to the public in conjunction with the Governor’s Stay-at-Home orders on March 31. The Village’s employee population is best categorized in two groups: those that can perform work from home, and those who cannot. The Police, Fire, and Public Works departments remained serving our community “in-person” throughout the pandemic. The Village had a sufficient stock of personal protective equipment to ensure our first responders were able to safely respond to emergency calls. The Mount Prospect Emergency Management Agency were effective in obtaining additional equipment to ensure work areas were sanitized. To help protect as many employees as possible, we issued masks and sanitizer, immediately instituted masking and distancing policies for all employees, and staggered shifts as best we could to protect our staff. Although we did not conduct in-person business at Village Hall or the Public Works counter, we did have a few staff in the office on a rotating basis, as there are some tasks that are done preferably in an office environment. Although these buildings were closed, we insisted on providing all services to our residents and businesses throughout the stay-at-home order. Staff proved very effective working from home, thanks in part to IT preparing employees with the technology needed to be successful while working remotely. We launched an online building permit software, and encouraged all residents and businesses to conduct business electronically such as bill payment and requests for service. The Village purchased Go-To-Meeting and Go-To-Webinar software to meet virtually, both for internal staff use as well as meeting externally.

The Village reopened doors to the public the last week of May 2020. Prior to, we again distributed masks and sanitizer gel and wipes, separated work spaces for social distancing and installed Plexiglas barriers at our front counters.

Each department had its own challenges but, thanks to our daily Leadership meetings, everyone was kept in the know and able to respond as a team. One of the greatest concerns we had at the start of the pandemic was having illness spread throughout an entire shift or department. The Village was fortunate to not experience significant shortage of staff due to illness throughout the pandemic. This is also a testament to our staff for being diligent about prevention measures.

Once the State of Illinois mandated prohibitions on gatherings of 25, then 10 or more people, the Village began to hold Village Board meetings, as well as other commission meetings, online using the Go-To-Meeting/Webinar platform. We were also able to do so thanks to the Governor’s issuing an emergency order modification to the Open Meeting Act requirements. The Village reached the public by sharing the link of the meeting online so the public could watch on their computer or smart phone; the meetings were still broadcast on local cable access television. The Village was able to take in commentary both through the software’s messaging features as well as via email prior to the meeting.

A few of the greatest challenges seen by the Administration Department during this time dealt with communication and COVID-19’s financial impact. Residents were seeking information about COVID restrictions which we were not able to answer; questions such as “when can I re-open my restaurant”, “when is lock-down going to end” or “are you having [event] this year”? These questions were asked of staff several times a day, and not having answers lead to increasing frustration for both sides. Village staff was made aware of extensions to the State’s emergency orders, masking mandates, etc. generally at the same time as the rest of the public. At most, we were given a “heads up” an hour or so before a press conference. Although key staff participated in conference calls with the Cook County President or even the Governor’s office, these rarely provided the answers to those aforementioned questions, and instead were more of an update on infection rates, programs created to assist residents/businesses, and similar news. Nonetheless, the Village remained persistent in our attempt to share information to the public by posting almost daily to the COVID-19 page on the Village website, sharing news on social media and via press releases.

The Village kept up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 positive cases as well as deaths for Mount Prospect as well as surrounding municipalities. County and State positivity rates were also monitored as they were key to moving toward various phases in the Restore Illinois plan to reduce mitigation restrictions. The data that the Village tracked was gathered directly the Illinois Department of Public Health’s and Cook County Department of Public Health’s websites; we were not given any additional data that was not shared publically.

Another challenge was being asked to predict the future during an unprecedented time, and this includes financially. We could predict that the closing of restaurants, theaters, and the cancellation of social events would have an impact on sales tax revenue. Initial forecasts seemed to indicate a loss of $5.6 million in revenues with an estimated General Fund impact of $3.8 million. However, our teams stepped up and implemented our Budget Contingency Plan, which includes expense reductions, and the shortfall was reduced to $1.7 million by the end of 2020; the majority of the revenue losses ($868,000) were seen in state/local sales taxes, including food and beverage and hotel/motel tax. The savings came both in the form of certain event cancellations (such as not holding the Downtown Block Party) and by implementing temporary holds on department allocations to the Vehicle Replacement Fund. By early 2021, when final numbers were in, the Village’s actual revenues revealed there was no net loss for 2020 after considering outperforming income tax revenue, ambulance billing fees and CARES Act grants.

Many businesses also struggled financially due to restrictions and a change in customer behavior. Restaurants in particular suffered due to the limitations on dining-in. The Village was able to offer a COVID-19 Restaurant Assistance Program, dispersing grants of $10,000 each for qualifying restaurants. A total of $590,000 in grants were awarded to 59 restaurants throughout Mount Prospect. In addition, a special allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds were acquired, allowing the Village to give 22 additional grants to qualifying restaurants. In total, $830,000 in grant money was allocated to 81 restaurants in 2020. In addition to financial assistance, we fast-tracked the review for outdoor dining permits and promoted take-out and delivery options for all restaurants via our Experience Mount Prospect website. In the 2020 – 21 year, just a handful of businesses (not all restaurants) closed their doors, due in part from pandemic hardship. In addition, we saw no significant delays in projects other than what could be best described as supply chain disruptions – major projects throughout downtown, for example, continued construction, with Maple Street Lofts and 10 N. Main both opening and renting with great occupancy rates considering the economic environment.

The Village understood that many of our residents were suddenly placed in tough financial situations due to job loss or illness, so the Human Services, Police and Fire Departments worked together to provide as much assistance as we could accommodate. Increased push for donations for the food pantry was accomplished by the launch of an online donation page, and contributions flourished. Due to COVID safety protocols, we were not able to accept nor distribute food in our traditional manner. We had staff collect funds and purchase food, which was then shared to those in need via a “drive-thru” contactless pick up. In addition, the Human Services team worked with various organizations to assist residents with rent or utility payments, and, once available, signed up seniors for hard-to-get vaccinations. Every day, our first responders were dealing with a stressed or frustrated public, and their patience and professionalism is admirable. This staff worked tirelessly to provide access to care and assistance while also dealing with the impacts of the pandemic in their own lives, and we remain grateful for their contributions.

Moving into a transition phase, of which, due to ongoing mitigation measures and State emergency declarations still exists, has also had its challenges. Planning for events, even those held outdoors, had an air of uncertainty as the Village needed to follow whatever mitigation measures would be in place at the time of the event. Event guidance from the State was not perfect – there was no ideal way to categorize all types of events, and our staff was not in the position to “police” items like masking and distancing at large-scale events. Fortunately, by the spring of 2021 and the return of the Lions Club 4th of July Festival, most individuals understood how to attend public events in a responsible fashion and we did not get large-scale complaints on compliance.
Overall, the Village is able to respond to this and potential future crisis by relying on our ability to prepare for the unexpected and communicate effectively. Our organization was fortunate, for example, to have a stockpile of N-95 masks on-hand at the start of the pandemic, due to emergency preparation policies currently in place. This put our team in a position to immediately protect ourselves while continuing to provide essential services. In addition, the Village’s Continuity of Operations Plan helped us to remain organized internally and clearly outlined roles for every employee. Even when working remotely, our focus on communication was essential to managing through this crisis successfully. Regular meetings with staff and other community leaders, such as leadership within the school and park districts, and business organizations, allowed the Village to assess our response on a regional scale, share information, and provide assistance when able. Lessons that most everyone has learned over the past 20+ months is we are able to accomplish more when we work together, heed expert advice and support one another.

By Jill Friedrichs and Teresa VanOpdorp

Since 1993, Mount Prospect’s Special Events Commission has annually hosted a Shining Star Gala on the first Saturday of February. Developing such an event was the first order of business the Commission was given after its creation by Mayor Skip Farley following a very successful Village of Mount Prospect 75th Anniversary Celebration.
Over the intervening years the event has evolved into a lovely evening celebrating Mount Prospect. The constant over the years has been celebrating individuals and organizations that live or work in Mount Prospect and make our Village a better place.

The 2020 event went on, as usual, on the first Saturday of February. But shortly thereafter, the world changed and all of the other events that the Special Events Commission plans and oversees were cancelled:

• No 4th of July Parade
• No Village Bike Ride
• No Tree Lighing (lighting was done virtually)
• No Christkindlmarket
• No New Year’s Eve Eve celebration for children

We also knew that an in-person celebration of the Shining Star winners in early 2021 wasn’t in the cards, so planning for an alternate celebration began in August of 2020. An official committee for the 2021 Shining Star presentation was formed consisting of Brenda Sawyer, Teresa VanOpdorp, Tarina Wimmer, Christina Greco, Mike Cassady and Jill Friedrichs. They considered: What will be allowed six months later? Will we be able to gather? Will we be allowed to celebrate? How do we recognize those that have made a difference? We were all hoping that 2021 was going to be better.

The group strongly considered gathering in small groups at local restaurants and showing pre-taped videos of the winners receiving their awards at the Pocket Park from Mayor Juracek. But then it happened, total lockdown! Winners had already been chosen so the awards needed to be given out somehow.

In the end, the Commission chose to do a Publishers Clearinghouse-type of event consisting of a parade including the Special Events Commission members, mayor, police and fire, and to give the awards to winners at their doors. Everything would be videotaped and posted on social media. In addition, a sign would be placed at each winner’s house to acknowledge their accomplishment and baskets of specialized gifts would be assembled.

The morning of February 6, 2021 was brutally cold but the hardy Commission members met inside at the Mount Prospect Public Works garage to decorate vehicles. Once the vehicles were decorated and members of the Mount Prospect Police Department, Fire Department and Public Works were at the garage, they began the celebration. The parade was a sight ~ with lights flashing, horns and sirens blaring as we headed south on Busse Road.
At each house everyone got out of their vehicles to help celebrate the winners. Each winner was given a yard sign to acknowledge they were a 2020 Shining Star recipient and the category in which they won. Mayor Juracek was out – front and center – presenting the winners with a crystal award, a beautiful bouquet of Purple Rose flowers and a gift basket that included a bottle of champagne, gift card to a Mount Prospect restaurant and an ornament from the Mount Prospect Historical Society depicting a local landmark.

The event was filmed by a member of the Village Staff to put together a video memory of the event to be run on the local cable channel at a later date. Jill Friedrichs ran a live feed on Facebook to capture the presentations live. With the Village of Mount Prospect YouTube channel, the presentations will be around for eternity. Some family and friends were at houses when the parade showed up to help acknowledge and celebrate the winners. Others came out of their homes as they heard the ruckus coming up the street. The parade lasted several hours into the early afternoon. At our last stop we celebrated a successful alternative to the traditional gala and the end of an era. This was co-chair Teresa VanOpdorp’s final event as a Commission member.

The 2020 award winners were:

• Tom and Nancy Bussan, Best Neighbor Award
• Mount Prospect Junior Women’s Club, Open Arms Award
• Joey Carbone, Home Town Award
• Nick Acerenza, There Ought to Be More Like This Award
• Sam Cannizzaro, Invigorated Youth Award
• Joe Scanlon, Star Spangled Banner Award
• Nicholas & Associates, Inc., Community Partner Award

Once the hurdle of the Shining Star Dinner was past, the Commission moved on to successfully bring back many of the events cancelled the year before including:

• 4th of July Parade
• Village Bike Ride
• Tree Lighting
• Christkindlmarket

But the Shining Star Dinner of 2022 was once again cancelled as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 reared its ugly head. Only time will tell when things will return to normal.

The Mt. Prospect Park District Covid-19 pandemic story began on a regular business day in March 2020. As the Leadership and management team met for a round table planning discussion for summer 2020, the phones of the gathered staff began to blow up. While on our individual phones, we could hear the family, friends and staff of those seated nearby nervously sharing information that the Governor was preparing to shut down Illinois due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Governor Pritzker was addressing Illinois residents in response to comments from the White House and the decision of the NBA to cancel the remaining basketball season. In a matter of hours, our patrons flooded the mppd website with hundreds of questions regarding program/facility closures, cancellations and shut downs.

And so it began.

Fast forward to January 2022 and the world has certainly changed. 2020 impacted our lives and business in hundreds of ways both big and small. In 2020, the District lost over 2 million dollars in revenue. Ultimately, staff’s herculean effort to reprogram “everything” into a new socially distant format succeeded. The Art Studio closed but over $8,000 in DIY art kits were sold and sent home for completion. The popular FPC plant sale was restructured in just three weeks; an online plant catalog was created and patrons placed orders picked by staff and delivered curbside to our customers. Pools were closed in summer 2020 as the data was not complete as to whether water contact was safe. The youth baseball season was worked and reworked and ran successfully with parents socially distanced along the baselines and both coaches and players in masks.

The Mt. Prospect Golf Club had a record breaking year as golf was designated a “safe” activity and did much to recoup what would certainly have been another million dollars in lost revenue.

The staff losses were the worst blow of all; 7 full-time positions eliminated and over 500 part-time staff furloughed. Those who remained worked double and triple duty being sent to any/all facilities that needed assistance on a given day. Rec Managers worked the golf course and marketing and admin watered, counted and priced plants. The park district was operating with an “all hands on deck approach” just to stay open.

Facility staff was very minimal and rolling shutdowns happened throughout the year. Both the Central Community Center and RecPlex were closed on weekends for most of 2020. All full-time staff who could work from home were directed to do so. Most staff headed home in late April/early May and did not return to their offices until late November.

There were moments of great inspiration. After reading a New York Times article on outdoor concerts in New York City where patrons were seated in 10 foot circles spaced 6 feet apart; the Community Relations team created their own version of circle concerts at the Veterans Memorial Bandshell for three concerts in July and August 2020. The concert organization, including the assigning of circles, was very labor intensive but the concerts were sold out in one day and very appreciative audiences enjoyed several nights of music under the stars.

The District focused on the mainstay of parks & recreation; the 21 outdoor parks spread throughout the District. Our social media shared albums of four season OUTDOOR fun and the public responded positively. Riding a bike path or picnicking in the park became an outing of choice. When in doubt, go green. In order to go green, get outdoors!

These worst of times produced several best of times moments. Community Relations received hundreds of emails over the summer of 2020 thanking the District for all they were doing to keep normalcy alive for our residents and particularly our children. A father shared that “if not for baseball going forward, he would never have witnessed his son’s first joyful base hit.” We will all remember the email from a grateful mother of four who reserved a circle for the Dancing Queen concert. She wrote, “I have been to the bandshell dozens of times but I couldn’t hold back the tears on this summer night as I watched my children dance the night away while I worried if the world would ever be the same.”

The District hit their stride in late summer. Social distancing became the norm. Our logo of three touching trees was redesigned with the trees now appropriately socially distanced. Outdoor events such as the annual Fishing Derby, Fitness in the Park, Halloween movie night at the Veterans Memorial Bandshell and a modified October outdoor dance recital were executed with great care and much appreciation from patrons. The Veterans Day Ceremony was produced in a virtual format and shared with thousands of schoolchildren across the county. The December Holiday Open House showcased Santa in a Gingerbread House with a wide plexiglass window where happy children could smile and wave to Santa while passing their wish list through an open mail slot.

The four season program guide moved quickly from a printed and mailed verison to an online offering in summer 2020. The District was committed to offering as much programming as possible but COVID regulations seemed to change daily so the program guide changed as well. The online format was well received by eager residents looking for up-to-date information. In 2021, the District made the decision to keep the program guide online into 2022.

The District website at mppd.org provided the most up-to-date information via the Know Before You Go webpage. Patrons quickly became familiar with checking the website before heading out the door to programs, facilities and events.

Continued Covid protocols, rules, signage, mandates, closures and recovery propelled our team wearily into 2021. We had learned so much and appreciated the vaccine availability and its positive impact on our agency. While 2021 began a return to normal, the damage was great. The District was operating with a skeleton staff and much work to do. There were good days and bad as Covid stayed with us for much of the year and has now followed us into 2022.

At the December 2020 District Manager’s meeting, we went around the room and asked each person present to share their insights of 2020. The meeting lasted over three hours. There was laughter and tears. In the end, the laughter won the day as we realized we are resilient, creative, innovative, financially accountable and responsible to “present and future generations” as stated in the Mt. Prospect Park District mission statement. We had stayed the course and provided a bit of normalcy and a summer of good memories for those we are committed to serve.

We continue to adapt as Covid surges once again. But, the Mt. Prospect Park District is ready to face the challenges with a focus on teamwork and solution-minded planning.

Written and submitted by:
Ruth Yueill
Director of Community Relations & Marketing
ryueill@mppd.org

The Garden Club of Mount Prospect is solely sustained by its member volunteers, who remain committed to the club mission:
“… to encourage interest in gardening and horticulture, artistic use of plant materials, civic beauty and conservation of natural resources.”

Who would have thought that our lives could change so drastically in just one short month?
The Garden Club of Mount Prospect met in person on March 11, 2020. Then due to the lockdown for COVID-19, plans for the rest of Spring 2020 were canceled, including the May fundraiser and June road trip. The community plant sale morphed into a front porch plant sale for members.

The advantage of being gardeners did not escape us – we could be outdoors while doing our favorite activity – gardening. So projects across the village continued throughout the summer, including the Green Thumb program where the club recognizes outstanding gardens throughout town. Among the awarding winning front yards in 2020 was this home at 112 S. Owen St.

By Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez
Rector
Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine

The Archdiocese of Chicago canceled all in-person liturgies, including the celebrations of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which has thousands of pilgrims coming to celebrate it, and all Christmas festivities and activities. In short, over 270,000 congregants were unable to celebrate 2020 celebrations due to the COVID pandemic.

Fortunately, The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe had been livestreaming Sunday services for years. We had recently upgraded our systems and built a new Chapel dedicated to St. Joseph that seats 1200 parishioners. The chapel was completed and consecrated by Cardinal Blase Cupich in 2019.

When the pandemic hit, the Shrine was ready to move all services and programs online, including religious education instruction as well as Sunday and holiday Masses. Since capacity was also deemed limited at funerals, weddings, and baptisms, we were also able to offer to the community livestreamed services that greatly supported families in helping them feel united whether they were here locally or in their home country.

Incidentally, the number of funerals greatly increased during COVID. I would say that the number of funerals celebrated at the Shrine has grown by over 50% over the past year.

We have not had immunization clinics come to the Shrine, but I have publicly encouraged people to get immunized and assuaged any concerns they may have about the immunizations available from a Catholic point of view.

However, Hispanic Catholics tend to be highly suspicious of government mandates when it comes to their heath. They also have a significant moral objection to the vaccines created by aborted fetal material. Lastly, they are unsure of the long-term side effects of these drugs on their health. The fact that there are too many narratives both for and against getting immunized has only added to the confusion and insecurity.

The greatest impact of the Pandemic on the Hispanic community has been the issue of mental health. Immigrants, especially undocumented ones, suffer from not being able to visit or bury their loved ones back in their home country. This is a major emotional trauma.

Also, the education of their children has been seriously hampered. Online classes have been a major challenge to the community since both parents often don’t speak English or have a lower educational acumen than their children. Students feel lost and alone in this process of education.

By Ben Finfer
District Communications Specialist

As with districts all over the country, the COVID-19 pandemic affected River Trails School District 26 in every way imaginable.

In March 2020, the seriousness of COVID-19 began to set in, which led to a quick change to online learning. This was difficult because it required our students and teachers to learn new technology and processes that had never been utilized before. A lot of collaboration went into planning this phase of the pandemic which would ultimately set the stage for how the District would handle a new learning environment over the next 18+ months.

We began preparing about two weeks prior to the governor’s “stay at home” order. Our instructional coaches developed lessons for what we thought would only be a few weeks at home. Not only were these lessons shared around our District, but many other districts in the area used and modified our work. Our goals were to do the best we could for our students in less-than-ideal circumstances and that meant sharing the workload.

The district already had one-to-one Chromebooks for students. However, in grades PK-3 they were kept in the classroom. In addition, we had students without Internet access at home. We were fortunate to partner with Maine Township School District 207 which provided us with additional hot spots that we distributed to these families.

The pandemic wasn’t just complex for logistical reasons. It also had an emotional impact on everyone. Students were expected to continue learning in isolation and without the typical experiences that all children deserve. Sports and other after-school activities were cancelled or moved to digital formats. Daily interactions with friends, schoolmates and teachers were limited or eliminated altogether.

Teachers had to learn a whole new way to teach. Somehow, they had to hold the attention of their students and be a source of comfort while managing their own families and mental well-being. It was an overwhelming experience and did not allow for the typical support that a teacher might otherwise have.

Online learning was certainly much more of a challenge at the beginning when the processes and hardware had to be sorted out. There was very little time for preparation. There were some additional challenges for our youngest learners. Imagine 20 kindergarteners all trying to talk to you at once! And they think you have been able to hear them. We also met a lot of family members and pets as they joined in on screen. Eventually everyone was much more comfortable with the setup, even if there was always a level of difficulty to it.

There was also an effect on the rest of the District staff. The maintenance department had to prepare buildings for the eventual return of students; administrators had to make completely new calendars and plans for the school year; and others had to figure out how to complete their daily tasks at home without the resources offered in an office environment.

The 2020 school year ended while on lockdown and an 8th grade car parade was our “promotion” ceremony.
The district began the 2020-2021 school year with remote learning. In October 2020, we moved to a hybrid model with some students attending in person for half the day, while others remained in a remote environment. However, after some students and staff tested positive the district quickly pivoted to remote learning again.

This remained in effect until the district returned to hybrid in-person learning in January 2021 and full-time in-person learning in April 2021. However, students were still able to remain in a remote learning environment, if they chose to do so. About 75% of the student population returned to the buildings, in addition to much of the staff. And teachers took advantage of outdoor learning opportunities, whenever possible.

Everyone handled the situation differently, though no one had an easy time of it. Some students were better suited for e-learning than others.
The same applies to teachers. However, it is fair to say that it was an overwhelming experience for most, if not all, of them. It was not the job they had signed up for and things were changing on a week-to-week basis. But the teachers were committed to making it work because they understood the importance of being a stable force in their students’ lives. The fact that the District was able to endure, and even thrive, was because of the teachers’ dedication to their students.

Morning meetings became an essential component for all of our students and staff. It was a way to check in and make sure everyone was okay. It also became a way to let each individual child know they are important and to see if some needed additional interventions.

By the fall of 2021, returning with masks and social distancing did not seem so strange. We had figured out how to provide students with high quality learning and fun in a safe environment.

Most teachers were afraid until they walked into school and saw their students. They followed the health protocols and helped improve our systems in order to stay safe. That being said, there are still fears, especially for those that live with others who are immunocompromised.

It was also incredibly difficult to set up classrooms for the needed space between children. Our district had to use every bit of space for classrooms prior to the pandemic and having to maintain proper social distancing made it much more of a challenge. Prairie Trails School, a renovated early learning center, was already under construction as the result of overcrowding at our elementary schools. It is a credit to Dan Whisler, the district’s director of buildings and grounds, along with his team, that we were able to get the classrooms set up for safe learning.

It also forced us to get creative with how we used various spaces. Cafeterias and libraries were turned into classrooms, gyms became cafeterias, and even hallways were used as learning spaces from time to time.
There was also more consideration and upgrades to the ventilation system and other measures that were taken to ensure safe classrooms.

One of the silver linings of the pandemic is a better understanding of how to utilize online learning. We, of course, prefer to be in an in-person classroom setting and feel that best suits our students and teachers. However, it is nice to have online learning as an option when there are closures. Everyone is much more comfortable with it now than they were in February 2020.

In some areas students did lose ground. This was mostly in math and reading. There was also the lost social interaction, which could have had an impact.

However, in other areas these students learned more than any other group of students has before. They learned about using technology, personal responsibility and how to adjust on a moment’s notice. They learned compassion and empathy. They were forced to pay more attention to the news, both locally and around the world. In many ways, these children grew up even faster than children usually do.

There were a few children who did not log on to school regularly and we partnered with parents to find ways to encourage participation. In addition, we found that some of our older students did not want to have their cameras on. Sometimes this was due to them learning ‘right out of bed’ in the morning and not looking their best and others did not want their fellow students to see their homes.

When we look back on this time, I think we will think of the pandemic as an incredibly challenging and demanding period. It took a physical and emotional toll on everyone and tested people in countless ways. It was unfair.
At the same time, it brought out the best in many people. It forced teachers and students to learn new skills. It brought the community closer together because that was the only way to best serve the children while keeping people healthy and safe.

It brought out creativity and compassion. We had amazing online talent shows, art exhibits and even celebrated spirit days online. We learned that you can see a smile — even with a mask on. We learned educators matter even more than we realized and that we are all truly better when we work collaboratively.

Our District served hundreds of thousands of meals during this time, feeding our families and bringing much needed resources to share with our community. We partnered with charitable organizations and made sure that our families were fed, clothed and had places to live. We are indebted to every one of these organizations for keeping our community safe.

We will characterize this time as an unimaginable burden and somehow impossible to believe it happened, even though we all experienced it. But in many ways, it was the proudest moment for our school district.