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.
Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District General Election
NOVEMBER 4, 2008
Information for Candidates
Offices to be Filled
Term
Board of Directors (2)
4 years
Board of Directors (1)
2 years
NOMINATION PAPER/QUALIFICATIONS Nomination papers may only be secured from the County Election Office, 555 Escobar Street, Martinez. Candidate qualifications are:
A resident and registered voter of Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District
Any person 18 years of age or older
A citizen and one who is not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the State from holding a civil office
NOMINATION PERIOD The nomination period will be July 14, 2008, and the last day to issue or file nomination papers is no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 8, 2008. These documents must filed at the County Election Office during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
CANDIDATES STATEMENTS
Candidates may submit a Statement of Qualification for the official ballot information pursuant to Election Code Section 10012. The Candidate’s Statements shall not exceed 300 words. The Candidates Statement will be paid for by the individual candidate not the District. The cost, estimated by the County, is $780.
CURRENT INCUMBENTS: Dennis Donaghu (4 year)
Joseph Hurd (2 year)
Sherry Sterrett (4 year)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District General Manager, Bob Berggren at (925) 682-0896.
Bev Malpass Wins Mary Shockley Award
On May 27, the Central Contra Costa County Senior Coalition awarded Bev Malpass of the Pleasant Hill Senior Center a Mary Shockley Award for Outstanding Senior.
According to PH Senior Center Supervisor Kendra Luke, Bev has been active on the Pleasant Hill Senior Club Board of Directors for the past 10 years, currently as President. She also coordinates the Thursday boutique group, helps with the membership drive, and represents the Pleasant Hill Senior Center on several committees within the community.
"More valuable than all of the volunteer hours and services Bev contributes is the heart she has behind it all," said Luke. "She is a genuine advocate for the positive impact a Senior Center provides to its members and the community as a whole."
The annual Mary Shockley Memorial Awards are presented to senior volunteers for sustaining the heritage of tireless community service and advocacy exemplified by Mary Shockley, a 30 year advocate for older adults and community involvement.
Cutting Up Again! Some PH Senior Club members paid Bev Malpass (center with flowers) a little respect after the Senior Coalition's Award Ceremony on May 27
Teen Council Recognized
The 2007-2008 Pleasant Hill Teen Council was recognized by the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Board of Directors on Thursday, May 22 for an exceptional year of community service. Under the supervision of Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Supervisor, Katrina Hunn, this year's Teen Council coordinated three high school dances, one middle school dance, one concert, planned classes and activities for their peers, and volunteered at a number of community events. Teen Council meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month from September through June, at 147 Gregory Lane at the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Office. Teen Council is open to middle school and high school students through out Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Martinez, and Concord.
Back Row (left to right): Brittany Goonan, Bojana Bozic, Brett Cantrell, Katy O'Keefe, Kelly McBee, Tom Bryan
Middle Row: Kaitlyn Malcom, Melissa See, Allison Maeyama, Sarah Power, Jillian Cary, Kaela Carson, Christanna Stafford, Bijan Shamai, PHR&PD Recreation Supervisor Katrina Hunn
Front Row: Nicole Thompson, Jenna Landry, Parisa Broomand, Nasreen Broomand, Priscilla Rodriguez, Julia Meilan
Sprayground Cover Kids
At the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Board of Directors Meeting May 22, 2008, Board Chair Dennis Donaghu thanked Ethan Tuey and Jaime Pitcher for appearing on the cover of the Spring/Summer edition of the Spare Time Spotlight. Ethan and Jaime posed in the new Sprayground water park at Pleasant Hill Aquatic Park, 147 Gregory Lane.
Funds to build the Sprayground were raised by the Pleasant Hill Community Foundation. The community came together with generous donations for the interactive water park that opened on May 24, 2008. Read more about the Sprayground.
Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District features local residents on the cover of the Spare Time Spotlight. Printed three times each year, 75,000 copies of the Spotlight are distributed to homes and businesses in Pleasant Hill and surrounding areas. The next issue comes out in August, 2008.
The photo and the cover of the Spare Time Spotlight were produced courtesy of Faye Donaghu of Donaghu Graphic Designs, in Pleasant Hill.
Thank You Pleasant Hill Community Foundation
Betty Geishirt-Cantrell, Vice President of the Pleasant Hill Community Foundation, presented a check for $1000 to Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Board Chair Dennis Donaghu at the board meeting on May 22, 2008.
The grant was part of the Foundation's Spring grant program and will benefit Music in Pleasant Hill. The concert series will resume this fall at the Pleasant Hill Community Center.
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
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
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.
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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