From the Naperville Park District
The Naperville Park District invites the community to celebrate the grand reopening of Knoch Park on Saturday, April 7 at 9:30 a.m. at Knoch Park Field #5 (formerly known as Field #8) on West St., just south of Martin Ave., adjacent to the new playground.
The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by the first pitch for Little League’s opening game of their 60th anniversary season. The V. F. W. Cardinals (home), coached by Paul Spitz, will face the Naperville Baseball Academy Cubs (away), coached by Troy Jackson. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and cheer on their favorite team. The first 100 attendees will receive free Crackerjacks.
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“We are pleased to be able to officially re-open Knoch Park in time to host Little League’s 60th anniversary game,” said Naperville Park District Executive Director Ray McGury. “Knoch Park has hosted baseball games for over 40 years. We are proud to unveil the latest improvements to this great park,” he said.
The event is celebrating the completion of extensive park improvements in the south section of Knoch Park that began in the summer of 2011. The project included renovating the ball fields and installing a loop trail, a new restroom building, a new playground, and a picnic shelter. The project was funded, in part, by an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Additional funding was provided by a grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Governor of Illinois through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. This grant supported the installation of a 10,000 gallon underground cistern that stores rainwater for re-use in irrigating the ball fields.
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Knoch Park, home of Naperville’s Ribfest, is one of the Park District’s busiest parks, hosting tennis, baseball, softball, and football games and providing open space for the public and for Naperville Central High School student activities. The new playground, multi-use trail, and picnic shelter will give park visitors more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, whether they are there to watch a ball game or just to explore the park.
For more information about the Naperville Park District, please visit www.napervilleparks.org or call 630-848-5000.
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