ROCHELLE — At its monthly meeting Monday, the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a number of special use permits for upcoming events in the area at its facilities.

Among requests approved Monday was one by the City of Rochelle to use Atwood Park for its fireworks celebration on Saturday, July 5. Flight Deck Bar & Grill will host its fireworks on Friday, July 4.

National Night Out will be held by the Rochelle Police Department on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at Atwood Park. The City of Rochelle will also host a movie in the park on June 20.

On Saturday, May 3, the north parking lot at The REC Center will host the Rochelle Hispanic Community Association's annual Cinco De Mayo Festival from 3-11 p.m. Activities will include food, a mechanical bull, bounce houses, bands and dancers and dog races. That event is typically held downtown, but will not be this year due to the city's ongoing parking lot work.

The special use permit fees were waived for each of the requests.

Field

Park District Executive Director Jackee Ohlinger said during the meeting that recent overhaul work has been done on the playing surface at the minor league field at Tilton Park.

"Despite a lot of ongoing challenges associated with this field, we've been working diligently on it," Ohlinger said. "So far we've incorporated a total of 10 pallets of turface into the field and we tilled it about six inches deep and addressed the soil. We then leveled the field to the best of our ability and finished it with our drag and saw some rain and leveled it and dragged it again."

The three fields at Rochelle Middle School will have bases installed to serve as backups for some of the clay fields that could be unplayable depending on the weather conditions throughout the season.

Driving range

Ohlinger also announced during the meeting that the driving range at Skare Park officially opened for the season on April 1. Tokens can be purchased at The REC Center and all REC members get a buy-one-get-one discount on tokens.

A controlled burn was also recently completed at the prairies at Skare Park. Spring work has also included turning on water at all park district facilities.

Spring Lake

Park District Director of Recreation Maureen Stevens said during the meeting that preparation to open Spring Lake Pool this summer is underway and "going well." Most seasonal staff for the facility have been hired.

Ohlinger announced back in March that there will be no fee increases for daily admission, pool passes, swim team or swim lessons at Spring Lake Pool for upcoming summer.

Delivery

The park district recently took delivery of a new 2025 Ford F-250 Super Duty truck from Prescott Brothers Ford that it approved for purchase for $63,668 back in March. The purchase of the truck included a snow plow. The truck replaced a vehicle sold by the park district at auction in 2021.

The park district also recently took delivery of a new zero turn mower from Johnson Tractor that it approved for purchase in February for $11,680. The total purchase of the new mower was $16,860 with a $5,000 trade in of an existing mower.