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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
COMMEMORATING UNITY PARK ADVISORY COUNCIL’S 30th ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, in the early 1950s, a fire ravaged the homes on the 2600 block of Kimball Avenue. Following the demolition of the remaining structures, the lot was turned into a parking lot for businesses at the corner of Diversey, Milwaukee and Kimball Avenues. and;
WHEREAS, time passed and the nearby businesses shuttered, the lot was no longer needed, becoming an impromptu play area for the neighborhood’s children. and;
WHEREAS, in the 1970s, residents demanded the City of Chicago donate a portion of the lot to the Chicago Park District. With community organizing, planning and help from Logan Square Neighborhood Association, the City of Chicago granted these neighbors their request. Playlot 293 was created with just a sandbox and basic play equipment. and;
WHEREAS, in 1986, as children flocked to the playlot, parents’ and neighbors’ concerns grew about the concrete being too rough for kids to play on safely, but so too did the need for an actual playground. ;and
WHEREAS, during this time, Manuel Guillot of Logan Square Neighborhood Association was walking door-to-door to speak with residents about improvements they were interested in pursuing. Through this outreach, Mr. Guillot encountered Mr. Joel Monarch who would later become Unity Park Advisory Council’s co-founder and co-chair. and;
WHEREAS, Mr. Guillot and Mr. Monarch began inviting neighbors to a community meeting and through this gathering, ‘Parents for a Decent Playlot’ was created; and
WHEREAS, this group of seven residents, fought for nearly half a year with the Chicago Park District to have the playlot rehabbed. In June 1987, after protests and contentious community meetings, the concrete was replaced by a soft surface and fresh landscaping which was part of the City’s pilot program to overhaul 300 playlots across Chicago. and;
WHEREAS, with the unveiling of the new playlot came a new name, Unity Playlot Park and in 1993 UPAC received their official advisory council status. Since then, Unity Park Advisory Council has held meetings on a monthly basis and has seen four expansions of the park. Unity Park now has an incredible community base and offers activities and events, together with Chicago Park District such as April’s Earth Day Clean-Up and Planting, July’s “Art in the Park”, an August movie and October’s signature “PumpkinFest” which are all funded by the Council’s annual fundraisers; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and Cook County Board, issue a proclamation that all of the citizens of Cook County acknowledge and congratulate Unity Park Advisory Council members and volunteers for their committed, purposeful and philanthropic community contributions during these past thirty years. Unity Park Advisory Council will be celebrating their 30th Year Anniversary on Friday, June 16, 2017.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body, and an official copy of the same be presented to Unity Park Advisory Council to commemorate this milestone event.
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