It's Your Business I Meadowbrook Park's new playground projected to be done in fall
Apr. 7—Demolition of the nearly 30-year-old PrairiePlay playground at Meadowbrook Park is complete, and the new playground is estimated to be finished this fall, said Derek Liebert, superintendent of planning and operations for the Urbana Park District.
At present, workers are "installing underdrains and rock for site drainage," he said.
"We had a wonderful last playdate before the demolition where we had over 500 attendees join us to say goodbye and share memories," Liebert said.
Following the final Play Date in late February, the park district held two work days in March where community members could retrieve the "Helping Hands" pavers they purchased when the playground was originally built.
Park district officials estimate that over 300 of the approximately 1,200 pavers were reclaimed by donors, Liebert said.
Preparing for the 'Alpacaclipse'
Sundrop Alpacas, 656 E. County Road 1000 N in Bement, is inviting the community to come out for the solar eclipse — or, as they call it, the "Alpacaclipse."
The farm will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. The eclipse will begin around 1 p.m., peak at 2 p.m. and end at about 3 p.m., the business said. Bement is not in the path of totality; coverage is estimated to be about 98 percent.
"Bring your lawn chair, your eclipse glasses and a positive attitude," said farm owner Stephanie Block.
Additional parking is available at a farm across the street from Sundrop. There are no restrooms onsite.
Donations are encouraged but not required for entry. The suggested amounts are $5 per person or $20 per car. According to Block, the funds will help the farm pay for hay and feed.
The alpacas at Sundrop will have the ability to stay in their barn or venture out into their pastures during the eclipse, Block said.
"The odds are that they will be out in the pasture watching us," she said. "And then we don't really know what they'll do when the eclipse happens. They may look around confused or maybe they'll lay down and think it's bedtime."
The farm didn't hold an official event during the 2017 eclipse, Block said. However, she did watch the eclipse with the alpacas and said that they didn't "necessarily seem to notice" the event, but other animals, such as birds, did.
"It was eerily quiet," she said.
Reading and riding
In honor of National Library Week, community members who show their Champaign Public Library or Urbana Free Library card will be able to ride with the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District for free this week, Champaign city officials said.
National Library Week runs from April 7 to 13.
Both libraries are also hosting festivities for the solar eclipse.
Fiber internet provider expands service area
Pavlov Media's Gigabit-speed internet will soon be available in the Prairie Meadows subdivision of Savoy, the company announced earlier this week.
Pavlov also shared that it is expanding its network to include Loda, and residents will be able to receive high-speed fiber internet in the coming months.
Campus Communications Group, Pavlov Media's subsidiary and fiber construction team, will oversee the planning, design and construction of the fiber-optic installation in both areas.
Savoy residents who are interested in service can check their availability at . Those in Loda can go to .
Mahomet DQ on the cusp of reopening
After two years of being closed, the Dairy Queen at 601 E. Oak St. is expected to reopen this week.
New owner Yogi Patel is planning to officially reopen the shop at noon on Tuesday, said village administrator Patrick Brown.
The Mahomet DQ has been closed since a fire in March of 2022 and has been undergoing renovations as it prepares to open its doors once more.
