Not enough parks for all our heroes

Much has been discussed recently regarding the honoring of our community's fallen heroes. And questions have been raised about renaming Naperville Park District parks to honor them. I certainly feel grateful to those who have served and currently serve our country, and empathize with all who have lost loved ones. However, the park district serves the entire community and we need to be mindful of the initiatives we undertake so as not to set a difficult precedent.

How could we begin to honor Naperville's soldiers who lost their lives to war in addition to those who will be lost in the future? What about parents who lose a child and wish to honor their son or daughter? How do we recognize law enforcement and fire personnel who died in the line of duty? Whatever decision we make, it needs to be an equitable one. Our park board has an existing policy regarding park naming, which we are reviewing to ensure that it best serves our residents.

As for honoring our men and women in uniform, the district already is involved in several initiatives. Our participation in the Healing Field has been a wonderful community project, and Naperville's Veterans Park is a striking memorial to those who proudly serve and have served our country. Our Remembrance Tree program and memorial benches also provide opportunities for honoring others.

I recognize how important community is, and that is especially apparent in Naperville. And although it is important to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we might be free, we need to look at the bigger picture. With only 139 parks and likely many more heroes in Naperville, we would run out of parks long before we'd run out of heroes. That's just the kind of wonderful community we live in.

Mike Reilly

Naperville park board president