What Happened to Renaming Triangle Park?

Back in 2009, TPAC helped facilitate an informal community poll at the Willye B. White Community Center to rename Triangle Park after a female community leader.  This request to rename the park was made by the Chicago Park District.  On January 5, 2010 a special meeting of TPAC was held to discuss the results of the poll and propose the winning name to the Park District and Alderman Joe Moore.

These were the results of the poll:

                                                electronic                     paper

Carmen Dyse Ellis                  365                              98

Mary Jo Doyle                                    27                                0

Tobey Prinz                             99                                0

The council taking into account the results of the community poll, drafted a majority and minority report depicting Carmen Dyse Ellis as the former and Tobey Prinz as the latter. In April 2010, Triangle Park Advisory Council submitted all the proper forms for a name change to Carmen Dyse-Ellis Nature Park and submitted it to both the Chicago Park District and Alderman Joe Moore for consideration.

Carmen was an outstanding and well-liked teacher at Gale Academy who died in 2008.  You may remember that she was also recommended as the community’s choice when the new park building was being named.  Even though Willye B. White was chosen by the Park District for that building the community members and students were promised that Carmen Dyse-Ellis would be kept in mind for future use. 

To our disappointment we learned last tim that the Board of Commissioners does not always follow the recommendation of the community.  We asked them to honor and accept the work the community has done in this regard, and affirm its choice of Carmen Dyse-Ellis Nature Park .

As of July 31st, 2011 we do not know whether or not they will choose to rename the park. 

Please help us to let them know that the community has spoken, and we would like to see the name changed.  You can do so by contacting our Park District liason, Sandra Olson sandra.olson@chicagoparkdistrict.com, and Alderman Joe Moore ward49@cityofchicago.org.