Executive Director Clay Gerhard addresses the large crowd that gathered Thursday morning at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center to kick off the 100th anniversary celebration of the Decatur Park District.
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Attendees take pictures together in front of signs marking the park district's anniversary.
Executive Director Clay Gerhard shared information about the Decatur Park District's past, present and future during Thursday's anniversary kickoff event.
Millikin University director of community engagement and recruitment Lori Kerans talks with Scovill Zoo registrar Heather Purdeu during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Mark and Jenny Mundy immerse in a virtual reality simulator during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast.
Superintendent of maintenance Justin Woodrum and other Decatur Park District employees react to their laser tag scores. The laser tag course was one of several park district activities on display Thursday during the kickoff breakfast event.
Attendees listen to executive director Clay Gerhard during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Executive director Clay Gerhard speaks about grants for upcoming plans during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
19 memories of Decatur parks
Cooling off
1988: Four-year-old Lauren Bradley found a cool spot Tuesday. She visited the Nelson Park swimming pool and appeared to be refreshed after her dip.
Dangling Good Time
1966: Some feet dangled in the swimming pool at Nelson Park for the first time today as the Red Cross "Learn to Swim" program got under way. A few, at the far end of the pool, have ventured in to the pool while others seem to prefer the sidelines at present.
Fariview Park bears
1916: Teddy and Smithy roam their cage and greet visitors at Fairview Park. The bears were bought this year with $100 donated by the public and apparently didn’t like each other too much at first. The fate of those first two bears isn’t clear. A 1925 clipping reported that ‘the Fairview bears are dead.’ They were shot by a taxidermist.
Figure Skating
1966: Jeanette Petrie, one of two instructors provided by the Decatur Park District at Fairview Rink, helps the teenage group begin.
Fun Fair
1983: Joe Farflinger and sons, MIchael, 6, and Robbie, 5, brave the Fun Fair's giant slide.
Fun Fair
1970
Fun Fair slide
1980: The giant slide offered the daring a bird's-eye view of th eFun Fair Saturday in Fairview Park.
Hockey classes given at ice rink
1963
Immersed in Studies
1966: Red Cross volunteers today began twice-a-week swimming lessons for students enrolled in the city schools' compensatory education program.
Joyland
1963: Youngsters ride, impervious of controversy surround Joyland.
Joyland
Me and my penguin
1990: Gerome Woodland, 8, of Decatur happily naps on his inflatible penguin during a time out on a hot afternoon last week at Fairview Park.
Nelson Park Golf Course
1989: The best golfers start young, as this quintet knows. the boys - from left, Robbie Laegeler, 6, Andy Fischer, 7, Chris Weigel, 6, Justin Morrision, 7, and Jeff Houseman, 6 - also kept in mind the adage "drive for show, putt for dough" as they polished their putting practice on the green at Nelson Park Golf Course Tuesday.
Nelson Park Golf Course
1960: Nelson Park Golf Cours, pictured here, overlooks Lake Decatur.
New Instructor
1962:
Really reeling
1984: Fun and sun combined on the first day of Decatur's 29th Fun Fair Friday. Taking a spin on the Scrambler are, from left: Lindsey Delahunty, 9; Angie Michel, 12, Kim Ehrmantraut, 11, and Christine Houseworth, 12.
Skating
1980: Gliding through a Sunday of fun, skaters took advantage of "Crazy Day on Ice" at Fairview Park Rink.
Summer in the Parks
1981: Although it's not summer yet by the calendar, the season has arrived for these fun-loving youngsters. Aboe, the Nelson Park pool got a good workout Sunday as area youths sought relief from the heat and humidity. Top, new park leaders have been playing a variety of games recently at South Shores School, including this one called "Who's It?" The object of the game is for the audience to guess what animal is being portrayed. Playing wolf is Lance Borske.
Summer officially arrives
1978: Today is the first official day of summer, according to the calendar, and these children from Humpty Dumpty School got into the "swim" of things by visiting and frolicking in and around the wading pool in Fairview Park. The bright, sunny and warm first-day-of-summer weather was a direct contrast to the dark, dreary and extremely rainy day on Tuesday.
Photos: Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Breakfast
Executive director Clay Gerhard speaks during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Executive Director Clay Gerhard addresses the large crowd that gathered Thursday morning at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center to kick off the 100th anniversary celebration of the Decatur Park District.
Superintendent of maintenance Justin Woodrum and other Decatur Park District employees react to their laser tag scores. The laser tag course was one of several park district activities on display Thursday during the kickoff breakfast event.
Heather Dodson, of Fleet Feet, plays a laser tag game during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Millikin University director of community engagement and recruitment Lori Kerans talks with Scovill Zoo registrar Heather Purdeu during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Mark and Jenny Mundy immerse in a virtual reality simulator during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast.
Executive Director Clay Gerhard shared information about the Decatur Park District's past, present and future during Thursday's anniversary kickoff event.
Dayle Schinzler and Heather Dodson play a laser tag game during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Kyle May, of Fleet Feet, plays a laser tag game during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Attendees take pictures together in front of signs marking the park district's anniversary.
Attendees listen to executive director Clay Gerhard during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Executive director Clay Gerhard speaks about grants for upcoming plans during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Executive director Clay Gerhard speaks about grants for upcoming plans during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Bill Clevenger takes the microphone from executive director Clay Gerhard during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Attendees listen to executive director Clay Gerhard during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Executive director Clay Gerhard speaks during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Executive director Clay Gerhard speaks during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Executive director Clay Gerhard speaks during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Recreation supervisor Tony Albertina shows Kyle May and Dayle Schinzler their laser tag scores after the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Recreation supervisor Tony Albertina instructs a game of laser tag during the Decatur Park District's 100th Anniversary Community Breakfast at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center on Thursday.
Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR
Donnette Beckett
"Together Decatur" Columnist and Food/Drink Reporter
