Title
REQUEST TO INITIATE 45-DAY NOTICE PERIOD
TO RENAME COLUMBIA BEACH PARK IN HONOR OF HELEN DORIA
Body
To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District
I. Recommendation
It is recommended that an order be entered authorizing the General Superintendent or his designee to initiate a 45-day notice period to solicit public input to rename Columbia Beach Park in honor of Helen Doria
Proposed Park or Feature Columbia Beach Park
Location: 1041 W. Columbia Ave.
Community Area: #1- Rogers Park
Ward #49
Proposed Name: Helen Doria Beach Park
II. Explanation
The Chicago Park District naming and renaming procedures allow for the naming of features in parks, including playgrounds and buildings. Local residents and civic groups have requested that the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners rename Columbia Beach Park in honor of Helen Doria. This proposal has support of 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore; Congressman Jan Schakowsky; Cook County Clerk David Orr, Chicago Public Schools CEO (and former CPD General Superintendent) Forrest Claypool; the Rogers Park Neighbors and the Loyola Park Advisory Council.
Helen Doria (1951 - 2012) was a dynamic cultural leader who spent decades enriching Chicago with strong cultural programs that unified individuals, groups, and neighborhoods throughout the city. The oldest of eight children, Helen was born in Chicago and grew up on the Southwest Side. After receiving a bachelor's degree in political science and history from Mundelein College in Chicago in 1973, she began her professional career as a grass root activist in the Rogers Park neighborhood. While working as an aide to then 49th Ward Alderman David Orr, she worked with the Chicago Park District to acquire the Berger Park mansions and develop the site as a Cultural Center Park. She went on to work for the City of Chicago's Department of Special Events and Department of Cultural Affairs, spearheading such initiatives as the S...
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