In order to serve the diverse recreational needs of individuals
and families and to enrich the quality of life for all residents,
the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District is committed
to providing park facilities, open space, programs, and activities.
Two Top State Honors for
Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District
The California Association of Recreation and Park Districts presented two top state honors to Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District in mid April.
On Friday, April 25, Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District General Manager, Bob Berggren and PHR&PD Board Member Sherry Sterrett presented the statewide honors to Mal Malpass for Outstanding Senior, and Tom and Ruby MacDonald for Speical Honor Award at the monthly meeting of the Pleasant Hill Senior Club.
Long-time Pleasant Hill resident and former owner of Malpass Construction Company, Malpass was invited to take on the volunteer position of Building Supervisor at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center when he retired in 1995. Ever since that time, he has made major contributions to the Senior Center and saved Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District thousands of dollars in maintenance costs with his skills managing budgets and schedules, working with contractors, and doing many projects himself.
According to Bob Berggren, Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District General Manager, “Mal has put in a tremendous number of hours maintaining the Senior Center. He has a love of the building and the programs that fill it.”
Sherry Sterrett, presented the CARPD Outstanding Senior Award to Mal Malpass on April 25 at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center.
Tom and Ruby MacDonald, owners of three Pleasant Hill retirement communities (the Chateau of Pleasant Hill, Chateau II, and Chateau III) were presented with CARPD’s Special Honor Award for spearheading the effort for a new Pleasant Hill Senior Center. They recognized the need for a new Center and put together a grassroots committee made up of Park District leaders, City Council members, community leaders, and managers from their company. They helped plan the design, paid for architectural plans, and continue to support a public education campaign to spread the word about the need to replace the aging facility.
The Pleasant Hill Senior Center was established in 1955 in a building built in 1942. Intended to be temporary, it is still in use. Three other buildings make up the center.
Sherry Sterrett, member of the Board of Directors for Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District presented the CARPD Special Honor Award to Ruby MacDonald and son Tim, standing in for his father, Tom MacDonald, owners of the Chateau in Pleasant Hill.
The new plans call for a single building to be built on the same site (at the back of the property, where the parking lot is now). It will have a large dining and a meeting room that can double as a second dining room with a capacity of 250 persons. There will be space for exercise classes, computer labs, offices for staff and spacious decks that take full advantage of the location adjacent to Pleasant Hill Park.
CARPD was established in 1958 and is dedicated to improving the quality and efficiency of California’s recreation and park districts. Through two joint powers authorities, the 65 recreation and park districts that are members of CARPD are eligible for reduced rates on worker compensation coverage and liability/property damage insurance – saving local communities thousands of dollars. Each spring, CARPD hosts an annual conference and awards competition to recognize outstanding programming, facilities, and service to the community.
For more information on CARPD, visit www.carpd.org. For more information on Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District, visit www.pleasanthillrec.com or contact the District at 682-0896.
Letter from Bob Berggren, General Manager
Dear Friends of Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park
District:
The year begins with the need to complete crucial infrastructure repairs at the Community Center. Although carefully maintained since it was built in 1972, the wood components are sadly in need of structural repair. The Board plans to explore various financing options to pay for these infrastructure improvements as well as a way to fund a new Senior Center. A public information firm has already been contacted to recommend a plan of action.
The District has launched a campaign to educate the community on the need for a new Senior Center, now composed of four separate, small buildings. Please stop by, view the existing buildings as well as the latest architectural drawings, and become involved in the process. The need is very real.
This year, the Pleasant Hill Sunvalley Golf Classic, produced by the Pleasant Hill Community Foundation, will benefit programs for both Pleasant Hill youth and the Senior Center Care Management Program. Senior volunteers will be involved in the golf tournament production and bring new sponsors and energy to the event. For information on how to participate, please call 682-0896.
In regard to staff changes, on behalf of the District, I would like to thank Margo Spaulding for her years of directing the Seniors 50+ Trip Program. Margo leaves us after almost ten years of service. It is through her leadership that the program has remained popular and exciting. Pages 24-25 of this Spotlight serve as a testimonial to her skills and abilities to make the trip program flourish. I would also like to congratulate Todd Smith, who was recently promoted to the position of Parks Supervisor. Todd has been with the District also for ten years and will oversee the operations of the parks and park maintenance staff.
Plan to attend the Grand Opening of the Sprayground at Pleasant Hill Aquatic Park on Saturday, May 24, 1– 4:30 pm. Through the successful fundraising efforts of the Pleasant Hill Community Foundation, the community came together to raise $173,000 for this innovative new water park. The celebration, complete with ribbon cutting, dedication ceremony, and recognition of the major donors, will be free to the public. You are invited!
Have a great summer!
Robert Berggren, General Manager
Dog Park
Closed for Turf Repair
The Off-Leash Dog Park at Paso Nogal Park will be closed for approximately eight weeks due to severe turf damage. The park will be closed March 17 and will re-open May 9. Small and large dogs and their owners will enjoy a re-invigorated lawn and smooth surfaces free of ruts and holes. For information, call the Dog Park Hotline, 210-6130.
Holiday Festival 2007
Rachael Holmes joined
Bob Berggren on the stage in memory of Oliver Holmes
and to recognize the tree that was planted to honor him
for his many community services. Participating in the
annual countdown to the lighting of the tree, she stands
with the enthusiastic winners of the annual Coloring
Contest and Gingerbread House Contest, and Board Members
Sherry Sterrett and Dennis Donaghu.
Community Awards
On November 14, at the Pleasant Hill Community
Awards Night, Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District,
the City of Pleasant Hill, and the Chamber of Commerce recognize
those who have made outstanding contributions to this community.
PHR&PD is proud to bestow two awards, the Community Service
Award and the Board Appreciation Award.
Jim Utz and the Pleasant
Hill Community Foundation are the worthy recipients of the
Community Service Award for their fundraising efforts for
the new Sprayground at Pleasant Hill Aquatic Park. Jim Utz
researched grant opportunities, wrote proposals, organized
fundraising events, and promoted the project to any and all.
Three Board Appreciation awards are given this year. First
to Denise Koroslev, who, through her leadership and involvement
in Friends of Rodgers Ranch for many years, has kept the
history of Rodgers Ranch alive to the youth and adults of
Pleasant Hill. The second recipient is Brick Mason Dan Fitzgerald,
who installed the imprinted bricks for the Sprayground. Dan
helped to build the Snack Shack at the Pleasant Hill Education
Center Pool, and has volunteered for PH Dolfins projects.
Mark Celio is the third winner. Owner of Club 50 Fitness
Center, Mark spends countless hours volunteering at the Senior
Center. “He
always seems to be there when he is needed,” said Sherry
Sterrett, Board Chair.
On the Cover of the Spare Time Spotlight
At the Board of Directors Meeting at Pleasant Hill
Recreation & Park District on November, 1, 2007, the
pre-schoolers who were on the cover of the Fall/Winter
edition of the Spare Time Spotlight "signed" copies
for the Board.
Megan Ostrowski seems to be having a great time putting
her thumbprint on a copy.
Thanks, Pleasant Hill Community Foundation
The Board of Directors and staff at PHR&PD thanks the
Pleasant Hill Community Foundation for spearheading the efforts
to raise $160,000 towards building the Aquatic Park Sprayground.
The successful effort has raised over $174,323. “We
can all feel proud to be a part of a community that can rally
together and achieve such a large goal as quickly as this,” said
Christine Sampson-Hafner, President of the Pleasant Hill
Community Foundation.
Donations were received from individuals,
families, clubs, businesses, and corporations. The Dean & Margaret
Lesher Foundation was instrumental in the achievement with
its generous $20,000 matching grant. In addition to Pleasant
Hill Recreation & Park
District and the PH Community Foundation, other major donors
include The City of Pleasant Hill, Pleasant Hill Lions Club,
Rotary Club of PH, Pleasant Hill Senior Club, Magoo’s
Grill & Bar, Red Brick Pizza, Ted & Suzy Winslow,
and Valentine Capital Asset Management on behalf of Ron & Jennifer
McGarry.
Joe Hurd Takes Oath of Office
At the Board of Directors Meeting on August 9, 2007,
Joseph Hurd took the Oath of Office, administered by
Robert B. Berggren, Clerk of the Board.
Hurd was selected to take the seat that was left when
Greg Smith resigned in June, 2007.
Hurd is a 28 year resident of Pleasant
Hill and is now retired after a career in banking, finance,
and the telecom industry. He brings impressive skills
in data analysis, economic forecasting, demographic analysis
and preparing short- and long-term budgets. He earned
a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University
of Utah, and a PhD in economics from UC Berkeley.
From the Cover of the Spare Time Spotlight
At the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Board
Meeting May 10, 2007, local children pictured on the cover
of the Spare Time Spotlight autographed copies for the board.
Left to right Becca Kefer, Jillian Kefer, Sean Taheri, and
Ryan Taheri. For the last three years, Pleasant Hill Recreation
& Park District has pictured local residents on the cover
of the Spare time Spotlight. Autographed copies are on display
at the Administration Office of Pleasant Hill Recreation &
Park District at 147 Gregory Lane, in Pleasant Hill.
Paso Nogal Off Leash Dog Park Information
For
information regarding rain closures and Park Maintenance
activities impacting the off leash dog park, please
call the 24-hour information
hotline. 925-210-6130
Thank You To the 2007 Teen Council
At the Board Meeting on May 24, 2007, the Pleasant Hill
Teen Council was honored for its work during the 2006-07
school year by the Board of Directors of Pleasnt Hill Recreation &
Park District. The Teen Council includes representatives from
local middle and high schools, and helps plan activities, classes,
dances, sports and trips for youth in grades 6-college.
Front Row: Allison Maeyama, Sarah Power, Jillian Cary, Julia
Meilan, Priscilla Rodriguez, Allison Jones. Back Row: Taylor
Jones, Nasreen Broomand, Katy O'Keefe, Katrina Hunn (Pleasant
Hill Recreation & Park District Recreation Coordinator-Teens),
Brett Cantrell, Ben Altman, and Justin Pitcher.
Not Pictured: Jordan Baldwin, Danielle Brasher, Christina
Dodson, Farrah Hussein, Jenna McBee, Kelly McBee, Anthony Ortolan,
Christina Ortolan, Melissa See and Amanda Spark.
A New Senior Center for Pleasant Hill?
Tom MacDonald, owner of three Pleasant
Hill retirement communities, Chateau Pleasant Hill, Chateau
II, and Chatueau III said he had, “always known the Pleasant
Hill Senior Center to be an excellently-run operation, but
he also knew that the facility was lacking. “You ought
to have a first-class building to operate a first-class operation,” he
said.
That was the motivation behind his generous move to have
plans drawn up for a brand new Pleasant Hill Senior Center. “I
know that it’s easier to get things done when people
have the visual tools,” he said.
After reviewing the
District Master Plan, MacDonald and Steve Harriman, AIA,
designed a 20,800 square foot Senior facility. The plans
include a multi-use room (245-person capacity), a dining
room (capacity 90), offices; a library, a large commercial
kitchen, plus exercise, computer, and game rooms.
According
to PHR&PD Supervisor Kendra Luke, the plan would
be to build the new facility on the back parking lot. Existing
buildings would continue to be used as construction progressed
and would be removed later to make way for a new parking
lot.
“I hope that within the next year to 18 months
there might be shovels in the ground,” MacDonald said. “The
big unknown is, how do we fund a facility that might cost
between $3.5-$4.5 million?”
The Spraygound: The Dream is Becoming a Reality!
At the Board of Directors Meeting of Pleasant Hilll Recreation
& Park District (PHR&PD) on March 15, Joe Lesher of the Dean
& Margaret Lesher Foundation presented a $20,000 check that
was part of a matching grant for the Sprayground at Pleasant
Hill Aquatic Park. Pictured above, Lynn Spatz, PHR&PD Park
Superintendent, Aquatics Supervisor Korey Hayman, Joe Lesher,
and Jim Utz leader of the fundrasing drive for the Pleasant
Hill Community Foundation. Fundraising efforts are almost complete,
but there is still time to order a brick with your name on
it for $50.
Outstanding Contributions
At the Pleasant Hill Community Awards Night November
15, 2006, an impressive group of winners was recognized
for their outstanding contributions.
At the Pleasant Hill Community Awards Night on Novmber 15,
2006 Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District, the City of
Pleasant Hill, and the Chamber of Commerce recognized those
who have made outstanding contributions to this community.
PHR&PD is proud to bestow two awards, the Community Service
Award and the Board Appreciation Award.
The Pleasant Hill Martinez Soccer Association is the worthy
recipient of the Community Service Award for its outstanding
contribution to the improvement of the irrigation system
at Pleasant Oaks Park. PHMSA serves over 2,300 local youth,
ages 4-18 years, and runs an award-winning program. As one
of our co-sponsored organizations, PHMSA is truly a partner
to the District.
Richard Moriguchi, an active volunteer at the Pleasant Hill
Senior Center, is the recipient of the Board Appreciation
Award. Richard is "always there" helping with the center's
events and daily activities. After starting the senior's
Pleasant Hill Explorers Hiking Group, he now plans weekly
Bay Area hikes. He acquired his commercial driver license
to operate the District's 19-passenger van. The District
recognizes and thanks Richard Moriguchi for his ongoing daily
contributions toward the happiness and well being of others
at the Senior Center.
Berggren Elected
to Two Statewide Offices
In February 2006, PHR&PD General Manager
Bob Berggren was elected President of PARDEC, (Park and Recreation
District Employee Compensation) and Vice-President of CAPRI
(California Association for Park and Recreation Insurance.)
Both are statewide Joint Powers Authorities made up of California
recreation and park districts joining together for reduced
rates on workers compensation coverage and liability/property
damage insurance. As a leader of both groups, Berggren will
share some of the success of PHR&PD to help other districts
improve safety and reduce the rates they pay for insurance.
Appreciating the Rotary Club of Pleasant Hill
At the California Parks & Recreation Society, District
III, annual awards ceremony, the Rotary Club of Pleasant
Hill received the Outstanding Non-Profit Organization Partner
in Community Services Award. Presented by District III
on behalf of Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District,
the award was in recognition of the over-50+-year partnership
with the District to provide services for the community.
Recently, as part of Rotary International’s Centennial
Celebration, the Rotary Club of Pleasant Hill funded and
installed a beautiful new gazebo in the park adjacent to
the Pleasant Hill Community Center. The gazebo is perfect
for weddings, outdoor concerts, and special community events.
The District appreciates the Rotary Club of Pleasant Hill
for the help and support the members have offered to the
District over the years. Thank you, Rotarians!!
Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District
Associations and Organizations
The Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District belongs
to several national, state, and local organizations. These
memberships serve as valuable resources to the development
and evolution of our services to the community. Please
visit their web sites for more information.
The mission of the District Arts Commission is to act
and advise the District Board of Directors and staff concerning
the promotion and encouragement of programs supporting
the arts.
The Commissioners for 2007 are: Joan Alexander (Chair),
Donald C. Flynn, Patricia McConnell, Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff,
Beverly Lauderdale, and Bob Rezak.
Public meetings are held three times a year on the fourth
Tuesday of February, May, and September, 7-8 pm at the
Board Room at the District Office, 147 Gregory Lane, Pleasant
Hill. For information, please call the District at 925-682-0896.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The
Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District welcomes persons
with disabilities. 5% of rental fees and $1 per person/per
class is designated for facilities improvements and services
to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Pleasant Hill funded and
installed a beautiful new gazebo in the park adjacent to
the Pleasant Hill Community Center. The gazebo is perfect
for weddings, outdoor concerts, and special community events.