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Talk-Line: Duane Long on local parks and splash pads · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

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  Speaker 1: We are a quarter past the hour. This is Tuesday,
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  Speaker 1: It's day one of July. The year is twenty twenty five,
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  Speaker 1: and it's time for another informational edition of talk Line
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  Speaker 1: here at wikes In Radio. Good morning, I'm Steve Marco.
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  Speaker 1: Time to kick off July in the right way, and
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  Speaker 1: we do it with the executive director of the Dixon
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  Speaker 1: Park District joining us live for our July twenty twenty
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  Speaker 1: five update of news and information from your Dixon Park District.
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  Speaker 1: Our good friend Dwayne Long is live with us my
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  Speaker 1: telephone this morning here at wikes In Radio.
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  Speaker 2: Dwayne, good morning, Good morning Steve, thanks for having us.
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  Speaker 1: Well, it is nice to have you a board to
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  Speaker 1: get us into July, Dwayne the right way with news
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  Speaker 1: and information from our own park district. And as always
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  Speaker 1: we talk to Dwayne about events activities on the park
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  Speaker 1: district schedule. We'll get to that after a park status report, Duwayne.
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  Speaker 1: As we move into this month of July, how are
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  Speaker 1: the parks shaping up as we get to deeper into summertime?
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  Speaker 2: Now, well, it's going to be one of our easier
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  Speaker 2: park status is because all parks are open and they're busy.
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  Speaker 2: Splash pads, playgrounds, the low park ramps, kayak rentals, shelters,
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  Speaker 2: everything's open. The even Page Park is open now, so
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  Speaker 2: we're excited that time of year. But the park's going
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  Speaker 2: to be busy here the next couple of weeks. But
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  Speaker 2: if you want to get out for the last couple
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  Speaker 2: of days and enjoy the parks with before the portunitya
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  Speaker 2: fest comes in, they're all open and available.
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  Speaker 1: All right, So there you go. Really nothing again as
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  Speaker 1: far as infrastructure, all accesses to the parks are available.
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  Speaker 1: So again, parks are wide open and available. As Dwayne
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  Speaker 1: mentioned in all of the entity within those areas are
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  Speaker 1: also open for business. Dwayne, you mentioned Page Park. Let's
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  Speaker 1: talk about Page Park. You said Page Park is open.
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  Speaker 2: It is Steve. So construction is going to halt there
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  Speaker 2: in a couple of days and the road going through
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  Speaker 2: Page Park will be open. They have their construction zones
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  Speaker 2: fenced off, but generally, and you know, the carnival is
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  Speaker 2: going to be down there. They're already set up and
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  Speaker 2: moved in. They came in on Monday. But everything's on schedule.
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  Speaker 2: The bridge is ninety The steel is coming for the
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  Speaker 2: bridge in the middle of July. All roads, trails, lights,
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  Speaker 2: curb and gutter. That'll all be paid by October. Down there,
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  Speaker 2: everything's moving great. That was in the plans to take
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  Speaker 2: a little pause here for the Petunia Fest. So they're
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  Speaker 2: gonna do a poor today and strip the forms and
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  Speaker 2: then they're gonna be out of there until after Petunia Best.
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  Speaker 2: So they're all set up down there, The carnival's all
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  Speaker 2: set up and moved in. We're ready for the Patunia
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  Speaker 2: Best down there on Page Park.
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  Speaker 1: All right. So again access to Page Park in that
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  Speaker 1: area of park construction obviously due to Project Rock, the
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  Speaker 1: walking bridge over the Rock River continues, but again going
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  Speaker 1: to take a break for the upcoming festival and then
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  Speaker 1: get back to it. It sounds again, Dwayne, like we're
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  Speaker 1: on schedule or ahead of schedule with this.
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  Speaker 2: We're on schedule with the bridge, we're ahead of schedule
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  Speaker 2: for the trails in the road.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, all right, So there you go the Project Rock
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  Speaker 1: update with Dwayne Long today. Our Dixon Park District Executive
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  Speaker 1: director keeps us updated in that regard here at wixcent
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  Speaker 1: So again access is available to Page Park, but again
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  Speaker 1: there are those zoned off areas, those fenced off areas
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  Speaker 1: that will not be available for access due to construction.
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  Speaker 1: But again, as Dwayne mentioned, the Page Park Road will
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  Speaker 1: be accessible during the Dixon Petunia Festival run this weekend.
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  Speaker 1: Let's talk about Petunia Fest, Dwayne, and again the Dixon
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  Speaker 1: Park District a major player obviously because Dixon Patunia Festival
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  Speaker 1: uses many areas of the Dixon Park District to present
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  Speaker 1: events and activities this weekend.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it's that time of year. See smile comes in
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  Speaker 2: my face. I've been around Dixon for fifty four years
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  Speaker 2: and I've loved the Petunia Fest ever since i was
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  Speaker 2: a kid, and just to be a bigger player in
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  Speaker 2: it as an adult is pretty neat stuff. As Haymarket
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  Speaker 2: the soccer fields were used this year pernament for the
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  Speaker 2: Petunia Fest obviously Page Park John Dixon Park. The partnership
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  Speaker 2: is very important for Petunia Fest. It's been strong in
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  Speaker 2: my term here with the partnership work together, especially this year.
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  Speaker 2: You find out what kind of partners you have when
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  Speaker 2: you have major construction in a park, how we can
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  Speaker 2: make that work. And it all worked out great. Yes,
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  Speaker 2: there will be some hiccups, I'm sure, but to allow
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  Speaker 2: it and to arrange it quite a few meetings and
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  Speaker 2: it worked out great, and we're just happy to be
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  Speaker 2: a partner of the Petunia Fest and more importantly a supporter.
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  Speaker 1: A couple of things that we should mention as far
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  Speaker 1: as Park District and Petunia Festival connections are concerned. Obviously,
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  Speaker 1: the Reagan Run is going to take a little bit
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  Speaker 1: of a change, and Duayne, I think this has got
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  Speaker 1: a curiosity peaked with those runners this year. It's going
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  Speaker 1: to take a little bit of a change, but it's
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  Speaker 1: still going to start at the Reagan boyhood home and
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  Speaker 1: end up as you mentioned, at Park District area Haymarket Square.
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  Speaker 2: It is a change, and I'm also hearing some rumors
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  Speaker 2: out there that some people actually like the changes and
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  Speaker 2: would like some of those changes to stay. So, you know,
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  Speaker 2: it's just like COVID. You know changes during COVID, some
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  Speaker 2: of those changes stuck. Well, some of these changes may
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  Speaker 2: stick with the Reagan Run. We don't know, but yes,
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  Speaker 2: there was some major changes. Jim Luyman was in great
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  Speaker 2: contact with me and resetting up this course. He'd made
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  Speaker 2: a good smart move by staying out of that area
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  Speaker 2: because it is a mess for a run up in
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  Speaker 2: the woods. Everything has tore a part up there. The
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  Speaker 2: trails are all reconstructed, so yes, he did the right thing.
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  Speaker 2: But next year it'll be a change. Of course, next year,
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  Speaker 2: I can guarantee it because there will be a bridge
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  Speaker 2: going on the Rock River and I am assuming that
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  Speaker 2: the Reagan Run will be using that because Jim Leyman
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  Speaker 2: has been chopping at the bit the last ten years
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  Speaker 2: to this bridge. It will be changing again next year.
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  Speaker 2: I can confirm that. I just don't know what changes
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  Speaker 2: for sure, but what a successful run. Nancy and Jim
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  Speaker 2: do a great job and they continue to do a
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  Speaker 2: great job. But they're on your station doing commercials all
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  Speaker 2: the time. I'm listening to them, So what a great
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  Speaker 2: job they do for the Reagan Run. I can remember
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  Speaker 2: when it started, and it's evolved and went through COVID
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  Speaker 2: and went through some oft times and here we are Steeds.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, twenty fifth Annual Reagan Run during the sixty first
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  Speaker 1: Annual Dixon Petunia Festival again this weekend, and the association
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  Speaker 1: with the Dixon Park District doesn't stop there. We wanted
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  Speaker 1: to again advise that the disc golf has has had
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  Speaker 1: to make a move, Dwayne, and that's to another area
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  Speaker 1: of the Dixon Park District.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, and We made another good move there the disc
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  Speaker 2: golf people. We actually had to remove the baskets out
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  Speaker 2: of Page Park because there's so much construction, so there
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  Speaker 2: is not a course in Page Park right now, so
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  Speaker 2: they did move to Low Park. That'll be the first
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  Speaker 2: time for that, but I think that'll work out great.
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  Speaker 2: And you never know, Steve, that might stick to. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: it's a great location at Little Park out there. There's
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  Speaker 2: a lot of action going down in Page Park with
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  Speaker 2: a disc golf tournament down there during the Tuna Fest time,
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  Speaker 2: so you never know what happened. But we hadn't made
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  Speaker 2: that change, and they made a good change there.
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  Speaker 1: I think all right, John Dixon Podcasts Dwayne mentioned will
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  Speaker 1: be busy too with the car show and with the
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  Speaker 1: Nuts about Arts, so a lot of venues through the
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  Speaker 1: Dixon Park District will be associated with your Dixon Petunia Festival.
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  Speaker 1: And we thank the park District obviously for there again
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  Speaker 1: availability for the sixty fourst annual Dixon Petunia Festival coming
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  Speaker 1: up this weekend. Dwayne, one more Park District association with
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  Speaker 1: the Petunia Festival that will be on Sunday. You'll be
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  Speaker 1: marching in the parade.
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  Speaker 2: We will be and our our mascot will be there.
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  Speaker 2: Spark will be there. We're handing out thirty seven hundred
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  Speaker 2: popsicles to get out to the kids or adults on
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  Speaker 2: the weather, all right, and our scene this year is
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  Speaker 2: Spark Camp and look out for our prey float. We
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  Speaker 2: have some live action on the flow. So I'm gonna
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  Speaker 2: leave it at that, Steve, So you're gonna have to
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  Speaker 2: show up to the Prey to find out what I'm
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  Speaker 2: talking about.
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  Speaker 1: Well, you can't thirty seven thirty did you say thirty
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  Speaker 1: seven hundred and thirty seven thousand pops thirty you? Okay?
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  Speaker 1: All right? Popsicles for the Petunia Festival parade and again
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  Speaker 1: that will step off at one o'clock Sunday at the
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  Speaker 1: corner of seventh in Peoria. That's there. It's asn't changed.
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  Speaker 1: That's their main route. It will go up and down
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  Speaker 1: again Peoria Avenue pretty much will the parade route. It'll
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  Speaker 1: circle around Haymarket Square in that area of the welcoming
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  Speaker 1: the Haymarket Square in the area there, but again pretty
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  Speaker 1: much sticking to its same route. The Dixon Petunia Festival
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  Speaker 1: Parade Sunday and look for the Park District float and
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  Speaker 1: their representatives to being there participating in the Dixon Petunia
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  Speaker 1: Festival parade. Dwayne. With our last portion of the talk
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  Speaker 1: line today, we went to Obviously there's gonna be more
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  Speaker 1: going on in July than the Dixon Patunia Festival. Obviously
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  Speaker 1: that's center stage because it is the main event during
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  Speaker 1: this fourth of July holiday weekend. But again, there are
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  Speaker 1: other activities going on through the Dixon Practition. Now you
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  Speaker 1: mentioned the splash pads are open. They're going full tilt
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  Speaker 1: now both north and south again in our Dixon pract
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  Speaker 1: District area. But what else is happening now?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, speaking of splash Pad, Steve, we have approximately eighty
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  Speaker 2: kids an hour at the Splash Pass. How it's unbelievable.
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  Speaker 2: It's where our offices and it's just great to see
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  Speaker 2: every day that thing is just full. But moving on,
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  Speaker 2: Steve Tennis lessons July seventh through the seventeenth. We have
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  Speaker 2: another teen escape July tenth. The Forge, Lamont, Corey's and
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  Speaker 2: Corries is where they're going. So there's zip lines, mini golf,
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  Speaker 2: and et cetera going on there. Our first three on
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  Speaker 2: three basketball tournament with partnership with the Dixon Police at
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  Speaker 2: Larry and Louis Basketball Court July twelfth, Kids Table July
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  Speaker 2: twenty second. We have our golf out in August fifteenth,
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  Speaker 2: and Spark Camp. We're doing a second Spark Camp this summer.
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  Speaker 2: We had three hundred participants in our last one. We're
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  Speaker 2: going for more this time. So that is July fifteenth
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  Speaker 2: through the seventeenth. And see if we don't want to
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  Speaker 2: forget Farmers Market Wednesdays and Saturday seventh the noon. And
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  Speaker 2: we have some museum programs popping up here Steeds Summer
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  Speaker 2: nature programs July tenth through the eleventh. We've got Summer
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  Speaker 2: prints July seventeenth through the eighteenth. Insect Investigators in July
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  Speaker 2: twenty fourth and twenty fifth. It's a nature scavenger hunt.
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  Speaker 2: So yes, we circle around the Patunia Fest. We don't
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  Speaker 2: schedule events during the Patunia Fest, but we circle around
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  Speaker 2: that and have our own events here the Partner Strict.
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  Speaker 2: Once the Patunita Fest is gone, people are looking for
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  Speaker 2: things to do. Dixon Partnerstrict is the place to go
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  Speaker 2: if you want something to do for your youth or
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  Speaker 2: even for you.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, and we back to the Petunia Festival. We should Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: you mentioned the Farmers Market will not be Saturday Market
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  Speaker 1: Square right way, because that is correct.
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  Speaker 2: That mark is not big enough to share. No on
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  Speaker 2: the dog Parade and farmers Market, so we do cancel
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  Speaker 2: Farmers Market for that Saturday. That is correct.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, well we might want to make sure that you know, yeah,
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  Speaker 1: it is a wonderful event. But again with the busyness
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  Speaker 1: of Haymarket Square during the Petunia Festival, you just can't,
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  Speaker 1: you know, make that happen during the business of the
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  Speaker 1: Petunia festival. So they will not have a farmer's market
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  Speaker 1: on Saturday at Haymarket Square because of the Dixon Petunia Festival.
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  Speaker 1: The Dixon Park District connections Dwayne are easy. You can
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  Speaker 1: call your office for more information, right, Yes.
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  Speaker 2: You can call eight one five two A four three
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  Speaker 2: three oh six. Jana will be there. Jaina can guide
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  Speaker 2: you wherever you need to go or what program you
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  Speaker 2: need to get set up for or Dixon Partnership dot
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  Speaker 2: com on our website.
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  Speaker 1: Yep. Facebook always updated to Dwayne.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, Facebook for Dixen Partnership is always updated. That's our
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  Speaker 2: main vessel for communication, So reach out to us.
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  Speaker 1: All right. So again, you have many different ways of
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  Speaker 1: contacting and connecting with the Dixon Park District by social
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  Speaker 1: networking or by telephone. Golf then at eight one, five two,
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  Speaker 1: eight four three three zero six. If you have questions.
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  Speaker 1: If you have again inquiries into the various events coming
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  Speaker 1: up the Dwayne spotlighted registration information, go online to Dixonparkdistrict
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  Speaker 1: dot com. Dwayne, always a pleasure having you on board.
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  Speaker 1: This is a great start to the month of July.
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  Speaker 1: A good friend, Dwayne Long with us today here at
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  Speaker 1: AM fourteen sixteen FM ninety five one. Have a good
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  Speaker 1: Dixon Petunia Festival. Dwayne. We will see you, if not
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  Speaker 1: earlier in the month of August right here on wix in.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Steve. We're excited. It's Petunia Times Steve and Dixon,
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  Speaker 2: and we're excited for it.
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  Speaker 1: Dwayne Long is our executive director of the Dixon Park
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  Speaker 1: District and he's been our guest today on the Tuesday
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: morning talk line here at WIXENT eight thirty. News is next,
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: but Tim Lee, good morning for