Winnetka Park District Celebrates World War II Veteran this Fourth of July

Winnetka, IL; June 28, 2021 — Glenn L. Felner, World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, will serve as grand marshal for the 2021 Fourth of July Parade. The parade, held 10am, Sunday, July 4, will afford parade attendees the opportunity to recognize Mr. Felner’s bravery, leadership, and patriotism for his participation in what has been called the “greatest American battle of the war.”

Born in Chicago, Felner enlisted in the army after high school and served as a technical corporal for the 271st Regiment, 69th Infantry, Division Seventh Army. As a combat infantryman, Felner fought in the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes region of Belgium, where he survived brutal weeks of frigid conditions in a quest for freedom and liberation. Months later in Germany, his unit came upon the Buchenwald Concentration Camp where he saved thousands of Jewish prisoners “from certain death at the hands of their Nazi captors.”

Felner received many military accolades for his heroic activities including the Combat Infantry Badge, the U.S. Bronze Star, and the French Legion of Honor decoration.

Leaving his military career behind, Felner came home to a job in journalism for the Chicago Sun-Times but eventually spent decades in the insurance industry.

Successful during his career with Mass Mutual as a chartered life underwriter, Felner is just as proud of his accomplishments as an animal lover. Felner was an honorary consul general in Rwanda through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, established the PAWS Adoption Center in Highland Park, and if given the chance, would bring any stray dog into his home to stay forever. Along with wife Bonnie and dogs Patch and Alfie, Felner continues to impress.

The Winnetka Park District and Village of Winnetka are honored to recognize Felner as grand marshal of the Fourth of July parade. The parade starts at Elm Street and Glendale Avenue and travels east on Elm Street to the Village Green. Following the parade, the Winnetka Park District will host Fourthfest at 12pm with the support from local business sponsors. Fourthfest participants will enjoy a balloon artist, crafts, games, inflatables, a giant slide, and more.

Charitable transaction helps Park District preserve its beaches

After months of due diligence by the Winnetka Park District’s board of commissioners and staff, the Park District is acquiring the lakefront single-family home and lot that separates Elder Lane Beach and Centennial Beach, allowing the two parks and beaches to be combined into one.  The transaction is being accomplished through a property exchange agreement, which results in the Park District exchanging the southernmost end of Centennial Park/Beach for the lakefront property between Elder Lane Park/Beach and Centennial Park/Beach. The parcel of property the Park District is acquiring is the same width at Sheridan Road and the same width at the beachfront as the parcel of property the Park District is conveying.

“This exchange marks a significant milestone for our Village, aligning Winnetka’s lakefront property to create one of the largest public beaches on the North Shore,” said Mickey Archambault, Winnetka Park District Board of Commissioners President.

The property exchange allows for the combination of Elder Lane Beach and Centennial Beach to provide nearly 1,000 feet of continuous public beach.  It also joins the two parks to create nearly eight contiguous acres of parkland.

“One of the key steps in the Winnetka Waterfront 2030 plan is to acquire the residential property between Elder Lane Park and Centennial Park,” said Warren James, one of seven commissioners of the Winnetka Park District board, which voted unanimously in support of the property exchange. “Only with the acquisition of the property can we implement the Waterfront 2030 plan as it was envisioned and adopted by the Board back in 2015.”

Mr. James, who co-chaired the development of the Winnetka Waterfront 2030 plan, continued, “We are now positioned to construct shoreline breakwaters in a cost-effective, efficient manner to protect Elder Lane Beach, Centennial Beach, and the respective bluffs.  Shoreline protection planning is in the works. We are working to apply for permits in an effort to begin shoreline work next spring.”

The Winnetka Park District recently issued $9 million in bonds to pay for lakefront improvements, $4 million of which is earmarked for significant, critical improvements at Lloyd Beach.

“The remaining $5 million is available for essential shoreline protection measures at Centennial Beach and Elder Lane Beach, which are in dire condition,” said Archambault.

“The two beaches (Elder and Centennial) are approaching a critical condition, similar to Lloyd Beach, as recent lake conditions continue to inflict significant damage which will make future restoration far more expensive if not addressed now.  If we were to pause and not act, we very likely would incur more damage along this shoreline.  In these times, it’s incumbent upon the Park District board to be responsible financial stewards and, in so doing, maintain the value of Winnetka’s wonderful lakefront assets.”

Aside from standard real estate transaction costs, the Winnetka Park District will not incur any expense to exchange the properties, thanks to a private individual’s generosity.

“Merging these two parks by acquiring the private parcel between them has been a priority for many years,” said James.  “So, we’ve kept our eyes on the prize for quite some time.  The pandemic drastically affected the Park District’s revenues and we have been required to significantly tighten the Park District’s expenditures. The Park District has been, and continues to be, without the resources to conduct an outright purchase of the property. In light of its many competing priorities and extremely limited financial resources, the Park District could not have acquired the private parcel independent of the exchange.  When we were presented with an opportunity to accept a gift of substantially greater value in exchange for a parcel of park property, we realized it was a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”

“To have a long-term goal realized, given all its positives, truly is amazing and is of great, great benefit to the residents of Winnetka.”

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Focus Groups

• Date: Tuesday, October 13
• Times: 9-10:30am, 11am-12:30pm, or 6-7:30pm
• Location: Winnetka Golf Club, outdoor patio/screened-in porch

Participant Commitment

• Fill out a short questionnaire before your focus group (five minutes or less)
• Actively participate in focus group (90 minutes)

Social Distancing

Focus groups will be outdoors or in a screened-in area (depending on weather). Each group will include eight to ten participants, one moderator, and two park district staff. Participants will be spaced at least six feet apart. Sanitizing stations will be available, and all tables and chairs disinfected between groups. 

Sign Up

If you are interested, please fill out this form. We will finalize focus groups and notify participants by September 30. Thank you in advance for your time and input! 

If you have questions or need additional information, please reach out to Kelsey Raftery at kraftery@nullwinpark.org or (847) 501-2044.

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Enjoy some time outdoors and help us celebrate the beautiful Green Bay Trail! Submit your photos to Friends of the Green Bay Trail anytime before September 30th, 2020.

Voting is open from October 1st through the 18th. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to vote for their favorite photos! A total of 12 winners will be chosen.

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