July 22--As one of the city's newest outdoor spaces for younger kids, Margaret Donahue Park offers lots of cool features -- a hidden stone rabbit (and a contest to name him!), a splash zone and playground equipment that references the Hancock and Willis towers, not to mention the turf field for impromptu games of catch or kickball.
But the coolest feature of all may be the half-acre park's child-friendly lessons in empowerment, starting with its namesake.
Born waaay back in 1892, Donahue left the family farm in Huntley at age 16 to find a job as a secretary in Chicago. In 1919, with only one year of high school, a year of secretarial training and experience working at a laundry, Donahue was hired as a stenographer by Chicago Cubs President William Veeck. (You'll notice the Cubs insignia on the park's entrance and turf). She took on one responsibility after another -- bookkeeping, ticket sales, stock transfers, gate receipts for special events -- and soon was traveling with the Cubs.
In 1926, Veeck promoted her to corporate secretary, an unprecedented role for a woman in the major leagues. She proved herself an equally pioneering thinker. Donahue conceived the concept of season tickets, off-site ticket sale locations and discounted tickets for kids.
Fast-forward to the modern era for a different sort of lesson in taking the initiative.
Lakeview parents like John C. Silva said their neighborhood had several "pocket" playgrounds but not a lot of open spaces for kids to play. Nearby Hawthorne school has a large turf field, but on many afternoons and weekends, kids are displaced by adult social sports leagues that use that field for games.
"I know personally that I would get very frustrated when I had to tell my son, age 5, that we had to stop playing on the field at Hawthorne because grown-ups wanted to play kickball," Silva said.
Silva channeled that frustration into action and joined the Margaret Donahue Park Advisory Council. So did other parents. He's now president.
"(Including) the turf field was a major point for a lot of families," Silva said. "Our large turf area gives kids open space to play, and we included shaded picnic tables for families who want to bring lunch."
Signs prohibit organized sports on the turf, which may be part of the reason it has become one of the most popular places in Lakeview for "the under-5-foot set," Silva said.
Margaret Donahue Park is at 1230 W. School St. Some street parking is available. There are no bathrooms on-site, but neighboring Higgins Tavern/restaurant and Two Hearted Queen coffee shop offer use of their facilities to park patrons. The splash zone is open 7 a.m to 8 p.m. through the end of summer.
Special events
--On Aug. 10, Urban Gateways Touring Performances will bring a live show to the park 5:45-6:45 p.m. as part of the Night Out series featuring music, dance and theater artists at sites across the city.
--The advisory council is having a naming contest for the stone rabbit, a relic of the building that used to stand on the park grounds. Parents can see www.facebook.com/DonahuePAC if their kids want to enter an idea.
