By Michael Berry November 24, 2025
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Commissioner Jim Heberer has received a commendation from the Illinois Association of Park Districts for serving for 30 years on the Kewanee Park Board. Here Paula Kapacinskas, park board president, attaches a pin denoting the honor. [Photo by Michael Berry]
Season tickets for greens fees and carts at Baker Park are going to cost more next year.
How much more is yet to be determined.
The park board discussed 2026 park fees at length during their November meeting Thursday, but put off the decision until next month.
Fees are charged by the park district for participation in youth sports, shelter house rental and swimming at the Oasis Family Aquatic Center.
But the highest fees, by far, are for a season of playing golf at Baker.
Andrew Dwyer, executive director of the park district, told the board Thursday that he surveyed golf courses within a 50-mile radius of Kewanee to learn how much they charge for season passes covering greens fees and cart rentals.
The highest fee, over $2,300, was at Sugar Maple Golf Course near Geneseo.
Baker Park’s annual fee of $975 was the second-lowest among the courses Dwyer surveyed.
The season pass costs about as much as 26 rounds of golf would cost if greens fees and cart fees were paid at the clubhouse each time, Dwyer said.
Board members agreed that the fees need to be raised for next year, but didn’t agree on how much of a raise to approve.
Board President Paula Kapacinskas suggested hiking the fee to $1,100 or $1,200, but Dwyer said he felt that was too much.
There was also discussion about whether to continue the discount for seniors. Dwyer said 40 senior passes were sold this year.
Also Thursday, the board learned that the cost for liability insurance will go up about $5,000 for next year, to $57,601.
Part of the increase, Dwyer said, is because the new splash pad and dog park were added to the properties covered by the insurance.
The board also approved the bid of Peoples National Bank of 3.22 percent interest on $663,000 in general obligation bonds for next year.
