Lake in the Hills board to vote on parks post

Some of Lake in the Hills resident Don Keacher's favorite memories involve community parks.

"I spend a lot of time at local parks with my three kids," he said. "I've always wanted to become more involved with the places I love."

So, when he learned that the Lake in the Hills Parks and Recreation Board had a vacancy, the construction foreman had no hesitations about applying for the job.

Village board members will vote on appointing Keacher to the parks and recreation board at Thursday's meeting.

Keacher is the only person being considered for the position, according to Parks and Recreation Director Trudy Wakeman.

If appointed to the board, Keacher said he would like to increase the number of bike paths in the village, and better mark the streets for runners to share roads with cars.

"We've got some great parks here -- but I'm not sure everybody who lives here knows that," he said. "I'd like to help create more of a sense of awareness for the community's outdoor spaces."

Additionally, he'd like increased promotion of community outdoor activities.

"I helped out with the triathlon this summer," he said. "It was a huge hit -- I'd love to see more activities like that."

The seven-member parks board has had a vacancy since board member Tracey Rentschler resigned last month for personal reasons.

Wakeman noted that Keacher has already been actively involved in the community.

"He's got kids who are a wide range of ages, so he's aware of a lot of what's going on here," she said. "I don't think he'll be shy about giving input."

However, the process of going to community meetings and inspecting the village's parks "will probably be a little eye-opening for him," she said.