The volunteer work put into the restoration of Spring Lake Park the past two years has earned Streator a Governor's Hometown Award for the first time in a decade.

The Governor's Hometown Award is annually given to multiple communities in recognition of citizen-spearheaded projects involving volunteer time and money. Spring Lake Project has involved the efforts of more than 250 volunteers who have donated money, materials, equipment and labor, said Lois Guyon, one of the group's main volunteers.

Spring Lake Project first met in February 2007 with plans to renovate the 37.2-acre park to its former natural glory after the Streator City Council tried to sell the land seven months earlier. The group succeeded in its goal, taking a overgrown park once derided as a hangout for underage drinkers and other ne'er-do-wells and turning it into a well-maintained, peaceful getaway for visitors of ages.

"The successful park restoration is an example of how the cooperative efforts of city government and citizen volunteers can work together to provide needed public services," said Jerry O'Kraski, chairman of Spring Lake Project.

Among the improvements made at the park are a stone-surface parking lot, a handicapped-accessible pedestrian bridge over Egg Bag Creek, new trail signs and birdhouses and cement steps leading to the falls area. Spring Lake Project volunteers planted additional prairie vegetation, opened trails previously hidden by overgrown weeds and tree branches, host area students on field trips and provide security at the site.

Streator Tourism nominated the project for the award. About a dozen Spring Lake Project volunteers, city officials and Streator Tourism representatives will accept the award during a banquet Monday, Oct. 20, in Springfield. The city will be given a commemorative plaque and a road sign to recognize the award.

The last time Streator won a Governor's Hometown Award was in 1998 when it was recognized for a two-year project through which volunteers renovated and reopened the Streator Municipal Pool. The pool closed at the end of summer 2003 and the city put the property on the market earlier this year. The roadside sign noting the 1998 Governor's Hometown Award can still be seen alongside Route 23 when entering Streator from the south.