Volunteers rally to keep Adams Park the gem it is

Adams Park, with its historic fountain, rambling paths and colorful plantings, has often been referred to as "the Jewel in Wheaton's crown."

As the scene of wedding photos, family outings and solitary reflections, the park provides a serene oasis in the midst of downtown Wheaton.

Yet, in recent years, the Jewel has become rather tarnished. In 2005, a proposal was submitted to the Wheaton City Council to redesign the park into an urban landscape, eliminating much of the shrubbery, straightening the paths and digging a water retention basin in the southeastern corner.

The city's public works department didn't have the manpower necessary to plant, weed and maintain the park as a garden.

As all backyard gardeners are aware, a square block garden takes a lot of work. The plan would have turned it into what many call a "mow and mulch" park.

What the city didn't count on was the woman power of a small group of long-time residents who heard of the proposed changes and banded together to preserve the park's integrity.

"We were a little committee of five," Carol Honeywell said. "It's taken a couple of years, starting with word of mouth, then letters to the editors. When we had a letter writing campaign, we appreciated the response from the community.

"The 100 percent response was to keep the park as an arboretum park, not an urban park. We kept the park an issue by periodically presenting to city council," she said.

"Our goal is to make sure that Adams Park is preserved as it has always been known, as an arboretum-style park, by keeping its historical aspect, like the original fountain, the meandering paths and the memorial benches," Honeywell added.

Their persistence has brought results.

Mayor Michael Gresk has appointed a committee, the Adams Park Preservation Council, to harness the interests and energy of Wheaton residents to bring the luster back to the park.

The original five members -- Honeywell, Mary Landreth, Carol Powell, Cay Fischer and Barbara Vercoe -- have been joined by Mary Wachter, secretary; Joan Reuss, volunteer coordinator; and Virginia Isgren and Muriel Krakar as long-range planning directors.

Allen Reed, president of Kiwanis and a horticulturist, has agreed to act as the long-range advisor.

"My plan is to have this group become either a standing committee or a city commission because it (Adams Park) is an asset to the community," Gresk said.

"It's the only city park we have. It's not part of the park district. Our initial goal is to clean up the park this fall, and I'm excited that it can dovetail with Make A Difference Day.

"Long range, we need to sit down after the first of the year and discuss its future. We need a staff person to step up to work with this group. These are sweat equity people -- for them it's a labor of love."

As volunteer coordinator, Reuss has divided the park into sections and assigned a volunteer group to each.

"We're working on 2008 already, with volunteers to work during the growing season," Reuss said.

Two garden clubs, Gardens Etc. and Wheaton Garden Club, have agreed to oversee their sections on a regular basis. Another aspect of park maintenance is garbage pickup.

"There are plenty of garbage cans and the city empties them," Honeywell said, "but Mary Landreth and I go through the park once a week and pick up Starbucks cups, vodka bottles, ice cream spoons and pop cans. From a distance the park is beautiful, but up close it's a different story."

The immediate call for volunteers is for Make A Difference Day, which is Saturday. The Rotary has already offered its services to weed, clear out dead flowers and pick up debris.

"Anyone who is interested is invited to come on Oct. 27 between 9 and 4," Reuss said. "They can come and leave when they wish. There will be someone there to tell them what is a weed and what isn't. Wear gloves, bring a bag and a trowel if the ground is dry, and maybe knee pads for comfort."

For details about the Adams Park cleanup, call Joan Reuss at (630) 653-1538.

For details about the Adam's Park Preservation Council, contact Mary Landreth at (630) 665-0137 or marylandreth1223@sbcglobal.net.