By Aaron Schuetz

Jeannette Wick has been a part of the Lyon Park Community Center’s Board of Governors for more than 20 years, and has served as Chair for the past 15. She will step away from the role at the end of the year. Jeannette’s sense of civic duty and commitment to her position have translated to volunteering an average of 10 hours each week handling issues with building and park maintenance, taxes, non-profit requirements, County policy, rentals, neighbors, and legal matters. Much went  unnoticed, some was criticized, all has helped keep our park and Center in great shape.

Jeannette moved into Lyon Park in 1987 and since that time has worked with the not-just-for-Woman’s Club to bake and sell hundreds of thousands of cupcakes to support the LPCC. She organized the annual Craft Fair for more than 20 years and prepared this newsletter for many years. For about seven years before, during, and after the LPCC renovation, Jeannette organized substantial fundraising efforts (thanks to many of you for responding!), and found, coordinated, appealed and eventually secured a historic tax credit that delivered $163,000 to pay down the renovation loan. These efforts helped ensure the LPCC’s solvency, retiring the loan six years ahead of schedule and just ahead of when the pandemic decimated rental income and would have challenged our ability to make loan payments.

And when it rains, it pours. Cindy Stroup and Bill Short have also chosen to step down at year’s end. Bill has been a Jack-of-all-trades for the Community Center for over a decade, frequently coming in late at night so the space is clean and looks great for the next renter or community user. Bill always goes above and beyond as he deals with excess messes and even damage from renters (he has many gross stories to share…not all are bathroom based!). As LPCC’s caretaker, he addressed many issues to keep the Center looking great.

Cindy has been the rental agent for more than 10 years, starting just before the renovation. During her tenure, Cindy created the online rental process and structured a clear framework for renters to follow. She has supervised roughly 1,200 rentals, more than half from residents like you. In order to maximize rental income to ensure there are sufficient funds for building maintenance and improvements, she proactively recruited more unconventional clients (funerals, classes, business meetings, etc.) to use the center more on previously slow weekdays, instead of relying solely on larger parties that create more stress on the building and the neighborhood. 

During Cindy’s tenure, annual rental income has increased from the tens of thousands to well over $100K annually. Cindy’s very clear rental contracts and checklists have helped reduce, though regretfully not eliminate, violations and misunderstandings (many people simply don’t read what they sign), but she consistently followed up on each with frequent visits to the community center at all hours, and weathered rude treatment from some renters. In addition to being the rental agent, Cindy often schedules maintenance and inspections, maintains supplies, and ensures that all of the building logistics and needs are addressed. Her vigilant oversight, availability, and passion for the community have been essential to minimizing the negative impacts of having a rental event hall in our neighborhood. We’ve all benefited from her commitment. 

Jeannette, Cindy, and Bill all deserve our thanks and gratitude. They set an example of hard work and concern for our community. 

Replace isn’t the word for what’s next. We won’t find people like them, and may need to change some processes to adapt. But hiring a rental agent who is diligent and thorough is a priority. We need someone who can reliably handle rentals, tax documents, financial records, trash contracts, and legal matters. We need people to safeguard this community asset as it prepares to celebrate its 100th year in our park. 

Please consider contributing to help ensure the smooth operation of our park and Center. We have been deliberately light on appeals in the last few years following the renovation and Covid, but the Center relies on donations from the community to thrive. Tax deductible donations (one time or monthly) are easy to do here: https://lyonpark.info/donate/.