March 8, 2024

Dear friends of the parks,

It is a busy time of the year for our organization.

We are excited for the April 20 Earth Day Clean-up and Celebration. There’s still time to volunteer to be a site captain. Click here to sign up. See the list of parks that already have captains here.

Our goal is to have events in all neighborhoods across Chicago! We will be at tomorrow’s Park Advisory Counsel Conference to encourage more sign-ups. . . and to say thanks to the local leaders who volunteer countless hours as stewards and advocates for our parks.

Big thanks also to the Chicago Park District for their enduring partnership with this event and Wells-Lamont and Magid Glove for again committing to provide gloves. 

Our policy and advocacy work continues—stay tuned for some exciting developments in our lawsuit to prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from expanding the Confined Disposal Facility, the toxic waste site that borders Calumet Park and was promised to be converted to a park decades ago.

And it has also been a treat to see reservations for spring Nature Along the Lake field trips roll in and receive wonderful feedback from students and teachers from the winter trips.

Amid all this work to inspire, equip and mobilize a diverse Chicago to ensure an equitable park system for a healthy Chicago, we are receiving many inquiries about proposals for a new Bears stadium.

It has been interesting to see how often FOTP is referenced in news coverage as the key line of defense the Bears will have to break through to achieve their reported goal of staying on the lakefront. We take pride in our history as defenders of an open, clear and free lakefront and will continue to be guided by our principles. However, we are waiting until we see specific proposals, released by the Bears, before deciding how to respond.

We have sometimes been characterized as an organization that says no. We also say: “hold on, let’s talk about this, work to ensure that all stakeholders are at the table (or on the field), explore a range of options, and be creative.” We value courageous conversations. That’s why our Parks as Democracy? Conferences have a question mark.

We must remain ever vigilant so that our lakefront remains forever open, clear, and free for generations to come!

Right now, our main reaction is frustration at the apparent urgency for decisions to be made. Discussions about projects as impactful as new stadiums that will require significant public investment and that will profoundly affect the literal and figurative landscape of Chicago and our neighborhoods should not be rushed.

It is a curious contrast to how long it takes to approve and plan a new park!

While we juggle the many balls already in the air, we need you to donate today to help us keep careful watch on the ones being tossed around by billionaires, politicians and other power brokers.

With forward momentum,

Gin Kilgore

Interim Executive Director