2023 Valpo Parks Annual Report

Annual Report 2023

celebrating wins | ValpoParks.org 1 ValpoParks.org

director's message

President’s Message

CITY LEADERSHIP Matt Murphy, Mayor Bill Oeding, City Administrator Holly Taylor, Clerk Treasurer John Seibert, Parks Director outgoing Kevin Nuppnau, Parks Director incoming

2023 CITY COUNCIL Peter Anderson Evan Costas Jack Pupillo Robert Cotton Harry Peterson Diana Reed Casey Schmidt

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kay Magnetti, President Mark Hardwick, Vice-President Don Clark Kevin Cornett Martin Sonnenberg Tim Warner

The year 2023 was a memorable one as we shared so many impactful moments. We celebrated the service of longtime Parks Director John Seibert who dedicated three decades of his life to the betterment of Valpo Parks and the City of Valparaiso. He taught us the value of unwavering dedication, unyielding passion and an unfailing commitment to enhancing the quality of life in our community. John’s legacy continues to drive us forward. I’m grateful to have worked alongside John for five years at Valpo Parks and honored to follow his lead.

Together we had so much to celebrate this year as it was truly a year of Making Moves. Once again, we saw the community come together to support a new park – this time getting On Board for the new Flounder & Friends Skatepark, contributing ideas, energy and resources to turn this dream into a reality. The opening was magical and more skaters, bikers, scooter riders and spectators arrive daily.

In 2023, we saw people of all ages come together to learn new skills, visit new places, challenge themselves, explore the outdoors and connect with others.

Multiple neighborhood parks became more inclusive with the installation of ramps and enhanced playground equipment. Our horticulture team brightened public spaces citywide with an explosion of color. Biking options expanded with the return of BikeShare. And we turned the city into a storybook with sparkling holiday lights. There were options for all ages, interests and seasons – indoors and outdoors.

Valpo Parks is fortunate to work with such a dedicated team, including staff, Parks Board, Parks Foundation, City administration and an engaged community of partners. Together we are committed to providing facilities and programs to serve all generations and for generations to come. In these pages, we’ll share some highlights and some aspirations too. We hope to see you in person this year as we work together to polish some of our legacy parks while building new ideas for the future. Please join us!

Kevin Nuppnau

Kevin Nuppnau, Parks Director

our mission

Dedicated to enriching our community by designing meaningful spaces, creating impactful experiences, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

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| ValpoParks.org

a year in review City of Valparaiso Celebrates John Seibert After 34 years of exemplary service to the City of Valparaiso and Valpo Parks, John Seibert retired as Director in June of 2023. John’s legacy of service can be seen and experienced in all Valparaiso parks.

Some of John’s most notable accomplishments include ValPlayso and ValPlayso Next Generation, Service Memorial at Foundation Meadows Park, Creekside Golf Course & Training Center, Central Park Plaza Phase I and II, Renovation of Tower Park, and ValPAWraiso Dog Park, among other achievements.

In John’s final year as Director, he celebrated with City leadership and community members the ribbon cutting of Valparaiso’s newest park addition, Flounder & Friends Skatepark at Fairgrounds Park. Residents and visitors of Valparaiso will forever be grateful for John’s passion and commitment to the community.

Reinvestments at Rogers Lakewood Park Located on Loomis and Spectacle lakes, this 122acre legacy park is the perfect place to spend a day outdoors. Throughout 2023, Valpo Parks made major reinvestments to key infrastructure. To improve water quality, guests will see an added water fountain and eight aerators on Loomis Lake, along with a new building, tee signs and solar lights in the Disc Golf area, adding to the quality amenities for disc golfers. New pavement and striping at the entrance enhances the park’s overall curb appeal. Updated park signage throughout provides better directional support and consistency for both new and regular visitors. Look for even more improvements to Rogers Lakewood in 2024.

Flounder & Friends Skatepark Opens Valpo Parks celebrated the grand opening of Flounder & Friends Skatepark on November 9, 2023. This innovative new park is 15,000 square feet and features a bowl in the shape of a fish, a musical manual pad, mini ramp, a 6-foot high vert wall and other exciting street features. The $2.6 million project is open year-round, weather permitting, and includes lights to extend the hours of play. Stay tuned for clinics, camps and more fun opportunities at the skatepark!

(219) 462-5144 |

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park financials

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| ValpoParks.org

by the numbers

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Thank you for your support so we can continue to ensure our community is a great place to live, work and play! We are also appreciative of our Valpo Parks Foundation sponsors and partners listed in our spring Roots Newsletter.

Allure Wedding Venue & Event Center

Extra Mile Fitness Company

Ivy Tech Community College Valparaiso

Puntillo & Crane Orthodontics

First Merchants Bank

AM Stabilizers

General Insurance Services

J & B West Roofing and Construction

Purdue University Northwest

Jo Jo Epoxy and Floor Care

Restoration Dental Studio

1st Source Bank

Associated Pediatricians Bach Family Birnam Design, Co. Brandy's Lock & Key

Grieger's Motor Sales, Inc.

Larson-Danielson Construction

Brown Tire of Valparaiso Cavanaugh & Nondorf Orthodontics Costas Family Crumbl Valparaiso

Hannah's Hope

Matt Murphy and Family

Harper & Harper Attorneys at Law

McAfee Animal Hospital

HealthLinc

Metro Recycling

inHealth

Discovery Charter School

Inman's Bowling & Recreation Center

don Quijote Restaurante El Salto Restaurant

Team Chevrolet Terry’s Discount Windows & More, LLC. The Finishers. LLC. Tri Kappa IOTA Chapter Urschel Vale Park Animal Hospital Valparaiso Fit Body Boot Camp

Northwest Health Patton Law Office

Valpo Car Company

Paul Sur Buick GMC

Van Gogh, Inc.

Pepsi Beverages Company

Von Tobel

Mark & Laura Pfledderer

Windows by Anderson Zeller NWIBaths.com

Henry Home Improvements

Athletico Physical Therapy

Journeyman Distillery

Chick-Fil-A

Joy Shiatsu Massage

Country Inn & Suites

SUPERCUTS

Meijer

Indiana Beverage

Designer Desserts

Steiner Homes, LTD.

Martz Family

HighGround, a Hageman Company

Currie Motors Ford of Valpo

Serenity Salon & Spa

Martinis Scratch Kitchen & Lounge

Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry

Real Estate Group

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Lake Cable, LLC

Growing Kids Learning Center

Brokerworks

Anytime Fitness

Good Brothers Painting, LLC

Fluid Coffeebar

Kidworks Pediatric Therapy Center

Franklin House

Lifestyles

Locks of Fun

Ocean Life Construction

Tech Credit Union

Marrell’s

Peddlers Pizza Pub

The Beauty Lounge, LLC.

NIPSCO

Ricochet Tacos

Nuppnau Lawn & Snow

Santefort Real Estate Group, LLC.

Thorgren Tool & Molding, Inc.

Cassie Miller, In Loving Memory

Strack & Van Til

Wings Etc. Zao Island

Arrested Sounds

Flanagin’s Bulk Mail Service

Sandberg’s Towing & Recovery

Family Express

Funkhouser Fotography

Upright Iron Works, Inc.

| ValpoParks.org

Committed to inclusive play Valpo Parks will continue to commit time and resources to improving ADA (Americans with Disabilities) amenities throughout the parks.

These amenities include hard surface connections to playgrounds, accessible benches and picnic tables, and updated inclusive playground equipment to provide more opportunities for all people. In addition, Valpo Parks will focus on adding lighting in strategic locations to create safer and more welcoming spaces for visitors.

Golf, a lifelong sport Since the pandemic, golf courses have witnessed a boom, welcoming back seasoned members and enticing fresh faces to the fairway. This upswing shows no signs of slowing, and Valpo Parks Golf at Forest Park and Creekside Golf Course have reveled in the surge of enthusiastic golfers.

Improvements to the overall operation and courses are planned for 2024 to enhance the user experience.

Additions such as new booking software with a loyalty program will allow guests to earn cash back to use toward future purchases. New cart paths at Forest Park will help to keep areas of the course in better condition throughout the year. Lastly, construction of a new outdoor driving range center at Creekside Golf Course will provide an improved user experience throughout the year. Valpo Parks and Valpo Parks Golf are committed to delivering the area’s best indoor and outdoor golf experience year-round and we hope that you will come visit us!

Back to basics The success of Valpo Parks only highlights the road that led us all here – the FUNdamentals of our parks system. In 2024, Valpo Parks will focus on reinforcing the basics with its programs, events, and facilities that serve the community. Led by our core values of compassion, improvement, integrity, quality and safety, Valpo Parks works to provide the best possible experience for our visitors, while creating exceptional moments. As a department, Valpo Parks is dedicated to enriching our community by designing meaningful spaces, creating impactful experiences, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

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the staff

THAT MAKES IT HAPPEN Administration Tracy Betustak Tristan Leonhard Kevin Nuppnau Tracy Wood

Office Staff Cassey Knight Ruth Martin Nicole Robinson

Marketing Marissa Gentry

Facilities & Venues Beth Bowker Maeve Crowley Dan McGuire

Recreation & Events Madison Bell Cristina Darr Dan Lukes Katie Ridinger

Horticulture April Anderson Paul Chen Jon Jahnke Steve Martinson Vaso Stojic

Golf Maintenance Todd Adams Ben Frankowski Andrew Small

Park Maintenance Troy Camplan Brian Charlson Cole Cornett Dylan Johnson Chris Michalak Zachary Neyhart Jason Phillips Matthew Slack Jeremy Stewart Jake Tudor Richard White Cameron Wright

CONNECT WITH US Valpo Parks Department 3210 North Campbell Street Valparaiso, IN 46385

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm Phone: (219) 462-5144 www.ValpoParks.org

@ValpoParks