By James Hanlon
Leader Staff Writer
The estates of Virginia Smyk and her daughter, Cheri Arsenault, made a joint donation to Leonard Village Nature Park for $221,900. Representatives presented a check to Village President Mike McDonald on Oct. 23. “Of course, everybody was just so amazed at the generosity,” McDonald said.
Arsenault was a planning commission member, a Parks and Recreation Committee chairperson and an active volunteer in the village before she passed away in March 2019 at the age of 62. She was survived by her mother, of Chesterfield, who passed away this June and left the donation in memory of Arsenault.
The donation came with suggestions for safety and maintenance improvements to the 3.1 acre nature park located just south of the Polly Ann Trail on the east side of Forest St. (Rochester Rd.).
“Some of the things they named were sidewalks, improved safety crossings on sidewalks that lead to the park and improvements to the trail within the park,” McDonald said. “I envision that we will have some additional sidewalks on the east side of Forest St.” There will likely also be a memorial recognizing Smyk and Arsenault for their donations and support over the years.
“The park’s important to the village because it’s kind of a legacy we’re leaving for future generations,” Arsenault told The Leader in 2010, when she was working with volunteers to establish the nature park.
“It’s not a big piece of property, but it’s a really nice little respite in the Village of Leonard,” she told The Leader five years later, ahead of the park’s grand opening. “It’s a jewel.”
McDonald said the Leonard Village Council had a formal expression of gratitude planed for the November council meeting. “We’re very appreciative and we cherish the memories that Cheri and her mother have left us with,” he said. “And we also appreciate the generosity of other organizations and people that continue to support these activities for parks and recreation in the village.”

Runners’ group donates to Leonard Mill
The morning after McDonald accepted the estate donation, he met with a group of long-distance runners to accept another donation – this one for Leonard Mill.
GoalMakers, a runners’ club and coaching service, made a $2,500.02 donation, coordinated by John Tarantino. The group often runs past the historic landmark along the Polly Ann Trail. “They were very enthusiastic and wanted to support the Mill,” McDonald said.
The donation will go toward restoring and preserving the former Leonard Grain Elevator, which was built in 1889 and operated up until 2005. The Village of Leonard acquired the property in 2014 and replaced the roof the following year.
This summer, work was done to repair the perimeter of the mill’s stone foundation. The next project is to repair the wood floors, hopefully sometime early next year, depending on contractor availability. “When we get the carpentry work complete, we’ll be able to begin the exterior renovation on the structure, which will be very exciting, I think for everybody,” McDonald said.
There are also plans to build an all-season restroom on the south side of the mill, and the village plans to apply for grants from various private and public organizations, including the DNR, to help make that possible. When it is all finished, the plan is to transform the mill into a public park and visitor center.