California Parks & Recreation magazine, Fall 2022, Vol. 78, No.4

5

Primrose Park Grand Opening City of Temple City

A vacant lot between the downtown shops and the wellkept residential neighborhood was the perfect site for a new park. The grant application identified as a parkpoor area, where many residents would greatly benefit from having close-by access to park activities. An inspired plan to build the new park on the neighborhood side of the lot and move the business serving parking south solved several circulation challenges and better pedestrian access was the result.

The new park has a plethora of activity areas, green space, and community gathering spaces. The communityinspired design includes multi-generational areas for recreation and respite. Shaded seating surrounds the bold and interesting play space. There are exercise elements, art spaces, picnic tables with shade, and lawn for tai-chi and informal activities. Neighborhood patrons and visitors to the downtown business district can come to visit the city’s newest park in 50 years.

Designing landscapes that create community.

Alissia De Salles believes that becoming a Certified Park and Recreation Professional will make you a better park and recreation professional. She explains how the process worked for her.

NEW MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR TO PUT HIS STAMP ON CPRS ........................

CPRS welcomed our new Director of Membership, John Doyle, in September to the CPRS HQ office. Learn a

Traveling The State To A Multitude of CPRS Trainings

by Frank Carson • CPRS President

This past September through November has been very active with CPRS Regions, Districts and Sections. Starting in September, CPRS State Board hosted its annual Leadership Summit in Burlingame at their newly constructed community center. It is an amazing facility and I would strongly recommend you visiting the location. District and Section leaders from across the state joined together and learned about Clifton Strengths as well as provide feedback to state leaders as to the direction of CPRS.

Many California state professionals then joined together in Phoenix the following week in September at the National Recreation & Park Association Conference. I had the opportunity to attend a session with CPRS Executive Director Stephanie Stephens along with other state presidents and executive directors. It was a great opportunity to see how other states organize their professional societies and work synergistically within the profession.

The last week in September I spent time at the School of Rec, a training of the Recreation Section at the newly constructed West Hollywood Community Center. District 9 hosted their Frank 5K there during the school of Rec and big “Shout Out” to the 30+ staffers that came from the City of Los Angeles. Also, it is important to recognize Tina Fiero for leading a very successful School of Rec this year.

On October 14, I had the opportunity to attend and speak at annual District 8 Training in Solvang. All

I can say is “Wow!” If you have never been to Solvang, I would strongly recommend you make an effort to visit the beautiful city. All of the members of District 8 were very welcoming of me and each other. It was great to see all of the comradery. They had a Frank 5K scavenger hunt the night before with cutouts of me all over the city. It was fun to walk into the training the next day and have people tell me that they saw my picture all over town.

MANAGEMENT & CIRCULATION

Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: same as #7; Editor: Stephanie Stephens, California Park & Recreation Society, 7971 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95832-9701; Managing Editor: John Glaeser, California Park & Recreation Society, 7971 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95832-9701 10. Owner: California Park & Recreation Society, 7971 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95832-9701 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders

Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total

Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None 12. The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes has not changed during the preceding 12 months. 13. Publication

Name: California Parks & Recreation 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Summer 2022 (mailed August 2022) 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

The following week in October, I had the chance to visit and present at the Aquatics Section – California Aquatic Management School in Lake Arrowhead. This was my first time at this facility and it is a great place for a retreat and training. It was great to see all of the aquatics members from across the state at one location to share current trends and learn from each other. I do want to recognize Jenni Worsham specifically

continued on page 54

Frank Carson is the 2022-23 CPRS President and the Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of El Cajon.

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Cultural Awareness

By John Glaeser Director of Communications

California Park & Recreation Society

There is a German custom called Polterabend, an event that involves the breaking of porcelain items like dishes and vases with a soon to be married couple. For good luck the couple cleans up the broken items. Speaking of plates, in some countries it is offensive not to finish all the food on your plate.

It is akin to saying that it wasn’t good enough to eat. And yet in some other cultures an empty plate signifies that you are not yet full and want more. Which is considered to be a bit rude.

In some cultures tossing a baby from a very high height to be caught by a group of people holding a sheet is done for good luck and a healthy life. While another festival has a person in a bright yellow costume jumping over a group of babies to ward off evil spirits.

For some people these traditions are a bit wild or extreme, for others they are quite normal.

Try to avoid using a red pen at registration tables. For some cultures red ink is used to write the names of the dead. To write a live person’s name in red ink is considered taboo.

And in western culture maintaining eye contact is often expected to show an interest in the conversation or to signify trustworthiness. But in other cultures it is a sign of respect to avoid eye contact.

The whole point of these examples is to provide a context that may sometimes explain another person’s behavior that may seem a bit off or rude to you. But they are also presented to give you a broader understanding of just how different we are and if we are going to better understand each other, we should expand our knowledge of the people in our community that we serve.

With that in mind, what follows are some cultural/religious traditions to increase your understanding of the variety of people in your community.

Running along this article is a calendar listing of many religious and cultural observances. Again these are provided for your general knowledge, we invite you to find ways to include

some of the events in your programming or at the least social media posts to help educate others in your community.

New Year’s Day

While many celebrate January 1 as New Year’s Day, Chinese culture recognizes Lunar New Year as the end of winter and the beginning of spring. In 2023, this day falls on January 22. Buddhists will celebrate Mahayana New Year on January 7, 2023 as it is the first full moon in January. In Judaism, starting at sundown on February 5, 2023, marks the beginning of the “new year” known as Tu Bishvat which is a celebration of the earliest blooms on trees.

Spring

For most Christians the two biggest observances are Easter and Christmas. Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of the season of Lent will be on February 22, 2023. The season of Lent also includes important observances on Good Friday (the crucifixion of Jesus Christ) and on Easter Day the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.

Buddhism will recognize Parinirvana Day, also known as Nirvana Day, on February 15 which recognizes the death of the Buddha when he attained complete nirvana. In Islam, February

18, 2023 is Lailat al Miraj which celebrates the Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Jerusalem. He was visited by archangels who purified his soul, filled him with wisdom and he then ascended to heaven.

For Hindu culture, Holi is a major festival which celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It will be celebrated March 7, 2023. Holi is also known as the “Festival of Colors”. The celebration begins the night before with the lighting of large bonfires to ward off evil spirits. The celebration continues the next day with the throwing of colored powders into the air or on each other. The colors do have significance. Red symbolizes love and fertility. Green stands for new beginnings. Blue represents the Hindu God Krshna. Yellow is associated with turmeric which is an important ingredient and has medicinal uses. White and black colors are normally avoided since white is the color of mourning and black is considered ugly or evil.

The Islamic celebration of Ramadan will be March 23- April 21. The holy month of fasting commemorates the night God revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad. It is also an important time for family and praying. A strict daily fast is observed from sunup to sundown. The fast is a purification ritual which also teaches self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice

and empathy for those less fortunate. A proper Ramadan greeting would be “Ramadan Kareem” or “Ramadan Mubarak”. Respectively they translate to “Have a generous Ramadan” or “Happy Ramadan”. Ramadan ends with the festival Eid-al-fitr.

Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is often a three day festival of celebration and prayer. Muslims visit their mosque and often pray under an open sky. New clothes are often worn and large feasts are shared among families. The exchanging of gifts is also a part of the celebration. A common

greeting is “Eid Mubarak” which is translated to “Blessed Eid”.

A major springtime observance for the Jewish is Passover (pesach) which begins at sundown on April 5 in 2023. This holiday celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Passover traditions vary from family to family. But for the most part, these themes are often interwoven in the eight-day celebration: the Jewish homeland, Jewish history, family, social justice and freedom. Other rituals include the removal of leavened products from the home, a ceremonial Passover meal called seder, and the retelling of the exodus story. For some, the first two and last two days of Passover are observed by not driving, working, using electricity, lighting fires or spending money.

Cinco de Mayo is more of a Mexican-American celebration than a popular celebration throughout Mexico and despite popular belief it is not Mexican

Calendar Year of Cultural Observances

This is not an exhaustive list of cultural and religious events, festivals and observances. Many are based on lunar or other calendars and the dates change from year to year. These dates are for 2023

January

Mahayana New Year (Buddhist), January 7 – Recognition of new year on first full moon in January

Makar Sankranti (Hindu), January 15, 2023 - Observed on 1st day of 10th solar month of Hindu calendar

World Religion Day (Baha’i), January 16, 2023 –Lunar New Year (China), beginning of new year on lunar calendar (January 22, 2023) – celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Vasant Panchami (Hindu), January 25, 2023 – festival marking the beginning of spring.

February

Ash Wednesday (Christianity), February 2, 2023 – marks the beginning of the season of Lent.

Imbolc (Pagan/Wiccan), February 2, 2023 – Celtic tradition marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

Setsubun (Japan), February 3, 2023 – Celebrating the beginning spring according to the old calendar of Japan. Involves the eating and throwing of beans to ward off evil spirits.

Independence Day. Cinco de Mayo is actually the celebration of the Mexican Army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 16. In the region around Puebla, Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated. Mexico celebrates the military on May 5.

Juneteenth (June 19) is the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is also known as “Freedom Day” and “Emancipation Day”. This day’s significance is that despite the Emancipation Proclamation being issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, there were many people in Texas who kept enslaved people until federal soldiers arrived on June 19, 1865. When slavery ended, many families that had been separated began to reconnect. Juneteenth became the day for them to celebrate as a family and a community. Descendants of slaves continued the tradition of celebrating Juneteenth. On

Lantern Festival (China), February 5, 2023 – spring festival marking the end of the Chinese New Year period.

Tu BiShvat (Judaism), February 6, 2023 (starts at sundown on February 5) – marks the beginning of the “new year” for trees when the earliest blooming trees emerge and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle.

Parinirvana Day (Buddhism), February 15 - also known as Nirvana Day commemorates the death of the Buddha when he attained complete nirvana

Lailat al Miraj (Islam), February 18, 2023 (begins sundown February 17) - celebrates the Prophet Muhammad’s nighttime journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he then ascended to heaven. While sleeping in the Ka’bah, the sacred shrine of Mecca, Muhammad was visited by the archangels Jibril and Mikal. The archangels purified his soul and filled him with wisdom.

Maha Shivaratri (Hindu), February 18, 2023 – Great Night of Shiva to honor Lord Shiva.

Lent (Christiananity), February 22-April 6, 2023 – Christian season of spiritual preparation before Easter.

Festival of Ayyam-i-Ha (Baha’i), February 24-February 28, 2023 - “Days of Há” and commemorates the transcendence of God over his attributes since “Há” has been used as a symbol of the essence of God in the Baháʼí holy writings.

Great Lent (Orthodox Christianity), February 27-April 8, 2023 – fasting season of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

March

Māgha Pūjā (Buddhist), March 6, 2023 - The second

January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas and on June 15, 2021, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill that made Juneteenth a legal public holiday.

Rosh Hashanah (Judaism), September 15-17, 2023 (begins sundown September 15) - It is the first of what Jews call the High Holidays (or High Holy Days), a ten-day period that ends

with Yom Kippur—the holiest day of the Jewish year. On Rosh Hashanah, Jews from all over the world celebrate God’s creation of the world.

Rosh Hashanah is two days long, and it usually occurs during the month of September.

Yom Kippur will be celebrated on September 25, 2023, but actually begins at sundown September 24. Also known as Day of Atonement this is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Tradition says that on Yom Kippur, God decides the fate of each person. Jews are encouraged to make amends and ask for forgiveness for sins committed during the past year. Yom Kippur is also referred to as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths” and includes a 25 hour fast. The fast is believed to cleanse the body and spirit. Other

most important Buddhist festival after Vesak, celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and on the full moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar

Holi (Hindu), March 7 – Festival marking the end of winter and beginning of spring. Also known as Festival of colors and the festival of love.

Purim (Judaism), March 7 (begins sundown on March 6) – Commemorates the day the Jewish people were saved from execution in ancient Persia.

Mid-Sha’ban (Islam), March 8, 2023 (begins March sundown March 7) - Muslim holiday observed by Shia and Sunni Sufi Muslim communities on the eve of 15th of Sha’ban — the same night as Shab-e-barat or Laylat al-Bara’ah. The Salafi Muslims do not celebrate this holiday

Hola Mohalla (Sikh), March 8-10, 2023 - also called Hola, is a three-day long Sikh festival which normally falls in March. It takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chett, a day after the Hindu spring festival Holi but sometimes coincides with Holi. Hola Mohalla is a big festive event for Sikhs around the world

Ostara (Pagan/Wiccan), March 20 – festival celebrating the spring equinox

Naw-Ruz (Baha’i), March 21 (begins sundown on March 20) – festival celebrating the Baha’I new year and ending the annual 19-day fast.

Ramadan (Islamic), March 23-April 21 – holy month of fasting that begins and ends with the appearance of the new

restrictions include not working, bathing, using cosmetics and the wearing of leather shoes.

Fall Celebrations

On October 24, 2023, Hindus around the world will celebrate Dussehra. The festival is a celebration of good over evil and commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over the demon Ravana.

October 31 is of course Halloween which has many Celtic beginnings. In the beginning, people would light large bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

But on November 1, many Christians celebrate All Saints Day which commemorates all the saints of the church. On this day some people celebrate Samhain which is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.

Another popular tradition at this time is Dia de los Muertos. This is often a 2-day Mexican celebration

moon and commemorates the night God revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad.

Rama Navami (Hindu), March 30 - spring festival commemorating the birth of Lord Vishnu.

April

Mahavir Jayanti (Jain), April 4, 2023 – Mahavir Janma Kalyanak is one of the most important religious festivals in Jainism. It celebrates the birth of Mahavir, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of present Avasarpi ī.

Qingming Festival (China), April 5 – Also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, to honor one’s ancestors.

Hanuman Jayanti (Hindu), April 6 – festival celebrating the birth of Lord Hanuman.

Theravada New Year (Buddhist), April 6 – three-day Buddhist new year festival celebrated by followers of Theravada beginning on the 1st full-moon day in April.

Passover (Judaism), April 6-13 (begins sundown April 5) – Also called Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring.

Good Friday (Christianity), April 7 – Friday before Easter to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus.

Easter Sunday (Christianity), April 9 – celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.

Vaisakhi, also pronounced Baisakhi, (Hindu/Sihk), April

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on November 1-2 when it is believed that the passageway between the real world and the spirit world is open so deceased loved ones can visit family in the real world. Brightly decorated alters are created with offerings (Ofrendas) which include favorite foods and drinks, photos and personal items of the departed and bright flowers (often Marigolds).

“Day of the Dead” celebrations happen around the world and have a similar belief that the recently departed can pass back into the real world to visit

family and friends. A part of these traditions include covering the grave site with a cloth and the laying of flowers and lighted candles to help the departed find their way back to the real world.

In India the biggest and most important holiday is Diwali, or “Festival of Lights”. In 2023, Diwali will be on November 9 and is celebrated worldwide by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. The legends associated with Diwali differ, but the common thread is the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali is often a five-day celebration. Day one is marked by people cleaning their homes and shops to attract good vibes and a clean and peaceful aura to welcome god Lakshmi. On Day two people decorate their homes with clay lamps and create

14, 2023 - marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is a celebration of spring harvest primarily in Northern India.

Orthodox Easter (Orthodox Christianity), April 16 – officially called Pascha commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Yom HaShoah (Judaism), April 18 (begins on sundown April 17) – Also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day

Laylat al-Qadr (Islamic), April 18 – Also known as Night of Power recognizing the night the first verses of the Holy Qur’an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Eid ul-Fitr (Islamic), April 21 – festival marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Rdvan Festival (Baha’i), April 21-May 2 (begins sundown April 20) – 12-day festival commemorating the days Baha’ullah spent in the Garden of Ridvan and announced his mission as God’s messenger.

Yom HaZikaron (Judaism), April 25, 2023 (begins sundown April 24) - Israel’s official remembrance day, enacted into law in 1963. While Yom HaZikaron has been traditionally dedicated to fallen soldiers, commemoration has also been extended to civilian victims of terrorism.

Yom HaAtzma’ut (Judaism), April 26, 2023 (begins sundown April 25) - Independence Day is the national day of Israel, commemorating the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. The day is marked by official and unofficial ceremonies and observances.

design patterns called rangoli on the floor. Day three is the main day of the festival where families pray to the goddess Lakshmi, enjoy an elaborate feast and light fireworks. Day four is the first day of the new year and is celebrated by the exchanging of gifts. Day five sees brothers visiting their married sisters who prepare lavish meals.

Another “Festival of Lights” is Chanukah which Jews will celebrate December 7-15 in 2023. Chanukah is an eight-day celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple (or Second Temple) in Jerusalem in the 2nd century. The history of Chanukah, also spelled Hanukkah, begins with the victory of a small army of Jews against the Greek armies that led to the reclaiming of the Holy Temple. During the lighting of the Temple’s Menorah, it was discovered that only a single day’s-worth of oil was available. Miraculously, the oil supply lasted eight days until new oil could be prepared. Today’s tradition includes the lighting

May

Beltane (Pagan/Wiccan), May 1 – Gaelic May Day festival between spring equinox and summer solstice.

Cinco de Mayo (Mexico), May 5 – Recognizes the day of the Mexican Army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla.

Vesak Festival (Buddhist), May 5 – Also known as Buddhist Day, celebrates the 3 major events of Buddha’s Life: birth, enlightenment and death.

Lag BaOmer (Judaism), May 9 – Recognizes the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon. Also marks the end of a plague that killed Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 disciples.

Ascension Day (Christianity), May 18, 2023 – Also known as Feast of Ascension, celebrating the day Jesus ascended into heaven, occurring on the Thursday 40 days after Easter.

Declaration of the Bab (Baha’i), May 24 (begins sundown May 23) - Commemoration of May 23, 1844 when the Bab announced he was the Herald of a new Messenger of God.

Shavuot (Judaism), May 26-27 (begins sundown on May 25) - Commemorates the day God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.

Pentecost (Christianity), May 28 - A festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and marks the beginning of the Christian church.

Ascension of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i), May 29 (begins sundown May 28) - An observance of the anniversary of the death of Bahá’i founder Bahá’u’lláh.

Cultural Awareness u

of one of the candles each day on the nine-pronged menorah. The center prong candle is used to light the other eight. Special blessings are given before each lighting and traditional songs are sung afterwards. The exchanging of small gifts is also part of the modern tradition. Specially prepared meals are part of the celebration.

Kwanzaa is the celebration that ends the calendar year. Kwanzaa is an

June

African-American holiday celebrating family, community and culture, December 26 – January 1. It was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga and is based on African harvest festival traditions with similarities to the United States Thanksgiving and Jewish Chanukah. Kwanzaa has a seven-prong candle holder called the kinara. Each candle represents one of seven principles: unity (umoja), self-determination

August

The Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (Sikh), June 16 - Commemorates and celebrates the life of religious figure Guru Arjan Dev who sacrificed his life for the Sikh people.

Juneteenth (US), June 19 - The oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

Litha (Pagan/Wiccan), June 21 – Marks the 1st day of summer solstice.

Dragon Boat Festival (China), June 22 - Commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and minister known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry.

Hajj (Islam), June 27-July 1 (begins sundown June 26) - An annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime

Eid al-Adha (Islamic), June 28 - Also known as festival of the sacrifice, commemorating the story of the Muslim Prophet Ibrahim’s test of faith when commanded by God to sacrifice his son.

July

Fast of Tammuz (Judaism), July 6, 2023 (begins sundown July 5) – commemorating the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple. It falls on the 17th day of the 4th Hebrew month of Tammuz and marks the beginning of the three-week mourning period leading up to Tisha B’Av.

Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha’i), July 10 - A holy day commemorating the execution of the Bab Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad in 1850, one of the founders of the Bahá’i faith.

Muharram (Islamic), July 19 - Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year.

Tisha B’Av (Judaism), July 27 (begins sundown July 26 - Commemorates the destruction of the First Temple in 423 BCE and the Second Temple in 70 CE in Jerusalem.

Ashura (Islamic), July 28 - A day in Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, that commemorates God saving Moses from the Egyptians. For Shia-Muslims, it is a day of mourning the martyrdom of Hussein in 680 AD.

(kujichagulia), collective responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba) and faith (imani). On the lighting of each candle, usually a conversation about that day’s principle will be discussed. On the sixth day, people celebrating Kwanzaa come together for a feast known as Karamu. On the seventh day there is an exchanging of homemade gifts.

Lughnasadh (Pagan/Wiccan), August 1 - A festival halfway between summer solstice and autumn equinox marking the beginning of the harvest.

Obon (Buddhist), August 13-15 - An annual three-day festival honoring one’s ancestors.

Qixi Festival (China), August 27 - Also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, the festival is based on a romantic legend about a weaver girl and an ox herder. The festival is also known as Double Seventh Festival because it is celebrated on the 7th day in the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Ullambana (Buddhist), August 30 - Ullambana means “deliverance from suffering,” and specifically refers to the salvation of anguished souls in Hell. This concept originates from the Buddhist legend of Maudgalyayana saving his mother from Hades. The Ullambana festival reinforces the important concept of filial piety which is deep-rooted in Asian culture.

September

Arba’een (Islam), September 6, 2023 (begins sundown September 5) – Shia religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Al-Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad, who was martyred on the 10th day of the month of Muharram

Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu), September 7, 2023 (begins sundown Sept 6) - The Krishna Janmashtami festival marks the birth of Krishna, one of the most popular deities worshipped by Hindus. He is thought to have been born in 3228 BC. His birthday is celebrated eight days after Raksha Bandhan, a festival celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters.

Rosh Hashanah (Judaism), September 15-17, 2023 (begins sundown September 15) - It is the first of what we call the High Holidays (or High Holy Days), a ten-day period that ends with Yom Kippur—the holiest day of the Jewish year. On Rosh Hashanah, Jews from all over the world celebrate God’s creation of the world. Rosh Hashanah is two days long, and it usually occurs during the month of September.

Tzom Gedaliah (Judaism), September 18, 2023 - Also known as Fast of Gedaliah is one of four fast days created by the Rabbis to mourn the Temple’s (Beit HaMikdash) destruction and subsequent exile from Israel. It is held on the third

of Tishrei, the day after Rosh Hashanah, and lasts from sunrise to sundown.

Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu), September 19 - A festival celebrating the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha.

Mabon (Pagan/Wiccan), September 21 - Occurring at the autumn equinox, it is a time of gratitude and sharing with others.

Yom Kippur (Judaism), September 25 (begins sundown September 24) - The holiest day of the year in Judaism known as Day of Atonement.

Mawlid (Islamic), September 27 - A festival celebrating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

Anant Chaturdashi, September 28, 2023 – dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu in the form of Anant. Devotees keep a strict fast throughout the day and tie the sacred thread to the idol of Lord Vishnu, also known as ‘Anant Sutra.’

Sukkot (Judaism), September 30-October 6 (begins sundown September 29) - A festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest and a commemoration of the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai.

October

Shemini Atzeret (Judaism), October 7 (begins sundown October 6) - Shemini Atzeret means “the eighth day of assembly” and is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month Tishrei, following directly after the seven-day celebration of Sukkot.

Simchat Torah (Judaism), October 8 (begins sundown October 7) - Simchat Torah means “Rejoicing in the Torah” and marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings.

Navaratri (Hindu), October 15-23 - A festival celebrated over nine nights near harvest time when the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped.

Birth of the Bab (Baha’i), October 16 - Observance of the anniversary of the 1819 birth of Siyyid, the Bab, prophet and forerunner of the Bahá’i faith.

Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i), October 17 (begins sundown October 16) - A holy day celebrating the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’i faith.

Dussehra (Hindu), October 24 - A festival symbolizing the victory of good over evil, commemorating the victory of Lord Rama over the demon Ravana.

Reformation Day (Christianity), October 31 - A day marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in 1517.

November

All Saints Day (Christianity), November 1 - A commemoration of all the saints of the church, known and unknown, who have attained heaven.

Samhain (Pagan/Wiccan), November 1 - Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the

beginning of winter. It occurs about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.

Dia De Los Muertos (Mexico), November 1-2 - A 2-day celebration when it is believed the passageway between the real world and the spirit world is open so deceased loved ones can visit.

All Souls Day (Christianity), November 2 - Commemoration of those who have died and are now in purgatory being made pure before entering the presence of God in Heaven.

Diwali (Hindu), November 9 - A religious festival also known as Deepavali and the festival of lights signifying the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil and hope over despair.

Kristallnacht (Judaism), November 9-10 - The Night of Broken Glass commemorates the attacks against Jewish people throughout Germany and Austria in 1938.

Martydom of Guru Bahadur (Sikh), November 24 – Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day is also observed as Shaheed Diwas every year on November 24. On this day in April 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur was publicly executed on the orders of Aurangzeb because he had opposed religious persecution

Day of the Covenant (Baha’i), November 26 - A festival commemorating Bahá’u’lláh’s appointment of his eldest son, ‘Abdul-Baha, as the Center of his Covenant.

Advent (Christianity), November 27 – December 24 - Season of the liturgical year observed in most Christian denominations as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming.

December

Chanukah (Judaism), December 7-15 (begins sundown December 6) - An eight-day holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem in 2nd century BCE.

Bodhi Day (Buddhist), December 8 - Commemorates the day when Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama, attained enlightenment.

Las Posadas (Christianity), December 16-24 – Las Posadas is a novenario. It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, and by Hispanics in the United States. It is typically celebrated each year between December 16 and December 24.

Yule - Winter Solstice (Pagan/Wiccan), December 21Marks the first day of the winter season, the longest night and shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

Christmas (Christianity), December 25 – Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Kwanzaa (US), December 26-Jan 1 - A seven-day African American and pan-African holiday celebrating family, community and culture.

Blame, Threat and Clash:

the war between pickleball and tennis players is escalating – on and off the court

By by Adam Gabbatt The

Guardian

Reprinted with permisson. Originally appeared on October 5, 2022

Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2022

There’s a storm brewing on the tennis courts of America. Admittedly a very middle-class, middleaged storm, but a storm nonetheless. On one side are the tennis players, with their eons of history, perfectly pressed shorts and thousands of dollars to spend on lessons. And on the other are the advocates for America’s fastest-growing athletic pursuit: pickleball.

Almost 5 million people in the US are classed as pickleball players, depending on how closely you read the pickleball-published statistics, and in the last two years the number of people playing pickleball has grown by almost 40%.

With towns and cities across the country erecting dedicated pickleball courts, the sport will surely continue its expansion. But while that may be music to the ears of pickleballers, the tennis players are not happy about their court space being eroded and the feud between the two ball-hitting factions is only likely to get worse.

A row of space and sport

Pickleball, invented by three men in 1965, involves using a solid rectangular “paddle” to hit a plastic ball with holes in it over a 36in high net. A pickleball court looks a bit like a tennis court, but is about a third of the size, and the sports share some other rules – a point starts when a player serves from the baseline, and the ball can only bounce once.

Because the ball – known as a wiffle ball – has holes in it, it can only travel so fast. And because you’re playing with a little paddle, you can only hit the ball so hard. There’s also not too much running, because the court is quite small.

All this means that pickleball is booming among the older generation, with retirement communities, local parks departments and cruise ships increasingly offering pickleball access – often creating the space by getting rid of tennis courts.

Tennis players are fighting back: in 2021, pickleball courts in Santa Rosa, California, were closed for several days after “at least six quarts of oil were spilled” on to their surface, the Press Democrat reported. Lying in the oil was a “profanity-laced note”, according to the newspaper, in which the writer threatened to scratch the cars of any pickleball players.

In New York, tennis players are making the dubious claim that they’re the true sport of working people. Brooklyn-based group Club Leftist Tennis recently launched an anti-pickleball lobbying campaign, tweeting: “Reminder: pickleball is an astroturfed, venture capital-backed parasite on public space,” in September.

Reports of the animosity go on. The Dink, a pickleball news website, reported that an unnamed person had made a number of stickers which read: “Tennis players against pickleball, get your wiffle balls off our courts”, while on a pickleball thread on Reddit one player said they had witnessed “a couple of fights between tennis play-

ers and [pickleball] players at my local playground”.

“Tennis players don’t like that we’re on their courts,” said Brent Ingram, secretary of Atlanta Pickleball Club.

“Which I understand. But there’s nowhere else for us to play.”

Atlanta has 636 registered tennis courts – the third most of any city in the US – but Ingram said there are no public pickleball courts. This means players are forced to use tennis courts, drawing out their smaller courts with chalk lines in a fashion that can irritate some tennis players.

Ingram usually drives 25 miles (40km) to Marietta, Georgia, where there are public pickleball courts, but earlier this year nets at that location were vandalized twice in three days.

“I think it’s one of two people, it’s either tennis players that are frustrated with us, or houses that are nearby that don’t like the noise,” Ingram said.

The row over space and sport has led the city of San Diego to recruit Jodie Adams, a lecturer at Missouri State University who specializes in park management, to mediate between pickleball and tennis players, while the US Tennis Association issued a slightly sniffy Statement of Guidance on how both pickleball and tennis can be accommodated in cities. (USTA’s verdict is essentially to build pickleball-specific

facilities, but it offers no suggestions as to where the money will come from.)

Not all pickleball players are blameless. They can be jerks, too. In July police were called in San Diego, California, after a group of pickleball players commandeered a tennis court and began to play. The pickleballers were eventually removed, the OB Rag reported, “but not until they had played on the court for approximately 40 minutes”.

Earlier this year, Arslan Guney, from Denver, Colorado, was arrested on a felony charge of criminal mischief after he used a permanent marker to delineate pickleball boundaries on a basketball court. Guney escaped prosecution on the charge – which carries a prison term of up to three years – after he agreed to pay about $5,000 damages and write a letter of apology.

‘I can do this with my eyes closed’

According to USA Pickleball, the sport’s governing body, a majority of regular pickleball players are over 55, and at this point in pickleball’s development it is fair to say that it is essentially a sport for old people. Zorano Tubo is on a quest to change that, and in the process watch pickleball expand even further.

Tubo, a certified coach for the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association, has been an avid pickleballer for eight years and thinks

the sport is poised to bridge the age gap. “Some youngsters are starting to trickle in, but the high schoolers haven’t found it cool yet. But when they do, it’s gonna be a second miniexplosion,” Tubo says.

“When the high school kids think it’s cool, and then the middle schools and we get it into the elementary schools, it’s over.”

It was a chance encounter that brought Tubo to pickleball. He happened to be at a gym when he heard the distinctive bop-bop-bop of a pickleball game, and stopped to watch the action. It looked fun, Tubo thought, and as a keen racquetball and squash player, he was confident he could handle the slower pace of the pickleball game.

“Once I saw what it was I said, ‘Wait a minute, I can do this with my eyes closed’,” Tubo says.

“I mean racquetball is 10 times faster than this. Playing this is like The Matrix, it’s so slow.”

The lower level of physical exertion

is one reason for pickleball’s surge, particularly within older groups. Tubo says he thinks the sport has saved many old people from a life of boredom and inactivity.

“People were retired, people used to sit on their couches and go: ‘What do I do, you know? Do I sew, and watch Oprah, and eat bonbons?’” Tubo says.

“Now, those people are teaching their grandchildren how to play, they’re teaching their sons and daughters how to play pickleball, and they’re extending the quality of life.”

The small size of the courts also makes pickleball a more accessible sport, as “almost every ball is within reach”.

Zorano Tubo, also known as Coach Z, says the small size of the courts makes pickleball a more accessible sport.

“So any grandmas, if they can stand up, lift their arm, they could do some damage,” Tubo says.

“And it’s like, ‘Holy sh*t. I’m competitive.’ Even non-talented people can

be superstars, you know, that never played a sport.”

Plenty of superstars are getting involved too: Larry David, some of the Kardashians, and Leonardo DiCaprio are among pickleball’s growing number of celebrity players, and with news recently that basketball players LeBron James, Draymond Green and Kevin Love are investing in Major League Pickleball, the sport’s professional league, perhaps Tubo’s prediction that high schoolers will soon find pickleball “cool” is about to come true.

To the casual observer a pickleball court looks like a shrunken tennis court, but there are some differences. Both involve using an implement to hit a ball over the net. Like in tennis, in pickleball the ball cannot bounce more than once.

In pickleball, however, a player is not allowed to volley the ball while they are in the ‘no volley zone’, a strip of court either side of the net. This prevents the kind of point-ending smashes that are frequently seen in

tennis. The scoring system is different from tennis too, closer to sports like squash and racketball, and points can only be scored on a serve.

Tubo explains all this to me, breathlessly, on a sunny afternoon in West Hartford, Connecticut. We meet at a set of pristine blue pickleball courts, separated from two tennis courts by a wire mesh fence. Tubo has driven from his home in West New York to give group lessons. But before that, he offers me some one-on-one tutoring, which focused on what Tubo called “the three Ds of pickleball”: deep serve, deep return and “dink”.

We start with the dink, which, according to Tubo, is the most important D.

It involves tenderly knocking the ball over the net so that it lands gently on the opponent’s side. Ideally, the dink will result in the ball bounding low, limiting an opponent’s ability to return. If the ball comes to them high up, they can just whack it back over the net. Not so with the dink.

“No one is able to attack the dink,” Zorano says.

“The idea is to take the power out of the game.”

This was illustrated when I misdink, the ball soaring over the net and reaching Zorano at head height. He immediately bats the ball back towards me, hitting me in the chest.

“I intentionally smacked it to you,” Zorano says. There’s no apology, but he adds that this unexpected attack will help me remember “the ready position”, which is essentially not standing there with your paddle right down by your side. Luckily, there isn’t much weight to the ball and my right pectoral survives unscathed.

If there is a very mildly rough aspect to the game, then there is a growing viciousness to the climate around pickleball too.

As Tubo points out, in between dinking and pelting me with the ball, three pickleball courts can fit on one tennis court. At amateur level, pickleball is mostly played as doubles, which means

16 players can be pickleballing on a tennis court-sized area at any one time.

Temptation and injury

Tennis players, and others, might view pickleball as some newfangled, unserious fad with a silly name, but the sport has been around for a long time. The three people who came up with the idea were businessmen Barney McCallum and Bill Bell and future US congressman Joel Pritchard.

According to USA Pickleball, Bell and Pritchard returned to Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island in Washington state after a game of golf to find their families bored. Pritchard had a badminton court, but no shuttlecock, so the men instead started batting a perforated plastic ball over the badminton net with table tennis paddles. The next weekend, McCallum came over, and they decided to drop the lofty badminton net down to 36 in. The name, meanwhile, came from Joan Pritchard, Joel’s wife, and is, apparently, “a reference to the thrown-together, leftover non-starters in the ‘pickle boat’ of crew races”.

In the coming months, the table tennis paddles were replaced with larger, custom paddles, and the game soon became popular among neigh-

bors and friends, and in the coming years pickleball spread, through word of mouth, down the Pacific coast.

Pickleball may have been created at the whim of some bored wealthy white men, but one of the perks of the sport, initially, was that it was inexpensive. All you needed was a paddle and the ball with holes in it. But just like any pastime, you can spend as much money as you want. The Paddletek Tempest Wave Pro pickleball paddle retails at $175, for example, while you can also buy pickleball shoes which are almost identical to tennis shoes.

If a player can avoid the temptation to buy the best and latest gear, however, pickleball can still be pretty cheap. Tubo wore tennis shoes and track pants. I wore sneakers and a soccer shirt. Having played against Tubo, I can confirm that he knows what he’s doing, yet he plays with a $20 paddle.

The easy access to pickleball can be problematic, however, because previously inactive people can get carried away.

Tubo says he has to monitor his classes closely to maintain safety.

“It is the No 1 sports injury for seniors in hospitals. Because they’re coming out, haven’t played anything in years and they’re loving it, they’re

like: ‘Oh my God!’” Tubo says.

“And then they’re like, ‘Oh sh*t.’ They fall down, break a wrist.

“But they love it so much, they won’t stop playing.”

If players can avoid injury, however, then pickleball can certainly be a pleasant way to spend a few hours. Under Tubo’s tutelage I was soon dinking with aplomb, and a particularly spirited smash drew admiring gasps from Tubo and his daughter Morena Tubo, who at 18 years old is an up-and-coming player in her own right.

With celebrity backers, some of them cool, it seems the only thing that could hold back pickleball’s expansion is the lingering battle with tennis players over space and status, and in West Hartford I experienced some of the friction first-hand.

In the car park I passed a tennis player getting some rackets out the back of his SUV. I smiled and nodded at him: it was a warm day, the sun was out, I was spending the afternoon hitting a daft ball with a glorified pingpong paddle.

Instead of nodding back, however, the man glanced at my pickleball paddle, scowled and slammed the trunk of his Toyota Highlander.

By Abby Mackey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Originally appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Reprinted with permission.

Copyright 2022 Pittsburgh-Gazette

Ten years ago, many Pittsburghers may have described Sharpsburg as that town beneath Route 28 on the way to the zoo. That’s still true. But when Mayor Brittany Reno created the Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan beginning in 2017, the tide began to turn.

‘Artspiration’ is the next rung in Sharpsburg’s artistic ascent

Good Process

Through one-on-one coffee meetings with residents and town halls with hundreds of them, Reno and others learned what the community wanted and needed. They talked about sustainability efforts, such as winterizing homes and solar power initiatives, and mobility improvements, such as bike racks and better access to the riverfront trails. But the change residents wanted that is most visible, especially to those just driving by or through, is more public art.

“One of the great things about living or visiting here is how walkable the community is,” Reno said. “Trying to give people different things to get excited about while they’re walking around outside is huge. It’s almost like there isn’t a bad piece of public art because everything is going to make somebody feel something.”

Murals have been popping up in Sharpsburg at a rate that seems almost impossible, and behind many of those projects, either holding a paintbrush or connecting artists with blank walls is Fox Chapel Area School District art teacher and Ketchup City Creative art space owner Nanci Goldberg.

“As soon as the art started going up, people got really excited and talking about how cool it was. They started looking down alleys more and making suggestions about where more could go,” she said. She was referring to one of the first murals she worked on, a series of patterned balloons on the side of Art in Motion dance studio. “I’ve never had that many people stand in an alley and have a conversation.”

A few projects later — and midpandemic — Goldberg decided to formalize her efforts into a new nonprofit called Artspiration, and she had plenty of connections in the local art scene to get it going.

Not only is Goldberg known for drawing a crowd for public art, but also she attracts everyone from the art-curious to professional artists as the owner of Ketchup City Creative.

That inclusive environment welcomed collage artist Lauren Broyles. When the former addiction researcher isn’t teaching academics how to secure federal funding for research, she’s orga-

nizing her group, Pittsburgh Collage Collective, or serving on the board of Artspiration.

“For me, it’s about creating the art together as well as having the finished product,” she said. “It’s not just about the sculpture, painting or mural — It’s in the making.”

Although Artspiration is only a few months old, there’s already been plenty of that making.

Through a donation from Second Harvest Community Thrift Store and food bank, fence tape was used around the 16th Street Playground: “We’ve had incredible feedback,” Goldberg said. “And it’s just a fence!”

Then, there’s the Kindness mural at the corners of Main and 10th streets, painted by acclaimed public artists Shane Pilster and Max GEMS Gonzales.

A Welcome to Sharpsburg piece is in the works, and plenty of others are in the brainstorming phase.

Since its inception, Artspiration has already expanded to include Etna and Millvale, and Goldberg hopes someday to extend that reach even further.

But it takes money. The group’s first “fundraising push” will take place Oct. 15 at Ketchup City and another community art space in Sharpsburg, Atithi Studios.

Findings from the Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan turned into the Triboro Ecodistrict Plan, a to-do list with many of its public art boxes already checked because of the efforts of Goldberg and Artspiration.

“My approach to community leadership is never that one person gets the plan done. It’s always been finding the people who want to do more, who can do more, and lift them up,” Reno said. “For some people that’s gardening or parks. For Nanci, it’s public art, and it’s been tremendous.”

Abby Mackey: amackey@post-gazette. com, Twitter @AnthroAbbyRN and IG @abbymackeywrites.

THE WALL LAS MEMORIAS City of Los Angeles COMMUNITY HEALTH & WELLNESS

Five Ways of Wellbeing

By Stephanie Stephens Executive Director

California Park & Recreation

Society

So, how are you?

No seriously, how are you, really?

This was the topic for a District presentation I did recently. I went into this presentation knowing it’s been a long haul of craziness for our members. I also went in knowing it’s time to share some reminders of how to feel our best as we all move into whatever is next. After some googling and reading about the millions of ways to get/stay/be well, I found a framework that spoke to me and our profession of parks and recreation. Here’s a recap of that presentation, in hopes a nugget or two may also sing to you…

Five Ways of Wellbeing Connect

Yes, we all know this one well, don’t we? It’s what we do with and for our members on the daily! But do we practice it ourselves intentionally? To kick off my presentation, I invited each table of professionals to get to know each other on a new level, by asking them to find 1 thing they all had in common - outside of being human and working in parks & recreation. What one table discovered was that they all have a love for hiking (future hiking group!). Another table found they were all dog lovers and cat deniers (this crazy cat lady did not approve!). What everyone discovered was a new, deeper connection with someone they already knew!

My challenge to you – intentionally deepen a connection you already have with that officemate, spouse, CPRS acquaintance, next door neighbor. Find out something new about them. Discover new things you have in common. Get to know them on a deeper level. You’ll feel more grounded. They’ll feel more connected. You’ll both feel better, almost instantly.

Be Active

Nothing new here, right? But are you doing it? Here’s the fun part… this doesn’t have to be hours of high intensity work outs or miles and miles of running. It can be as fun as a RockPaper-Scissors tournament in a room of fun people! In just 10 minutes, almost 80 people were engaged in a battle for the Starbucks gift card and title of Rock-Paper-Scissors Champion. Heart rates were up. People were laughing. Breathing was heavy. Competitive juices were flowing!

My challenge to you – stand up, right now. Do a few squats while finishing this article. Walk around the office during your break. Challenge your office mates to a fun game of Rock-Paper-Scissors at lunch! (not recommended if your office-mate is a cat!!)

Take Notice

When was the last time you took a walk and heard the trees rustle? The birds chirping? Did you notice the leaves changing this morning on your drive into the office? When was the last time you thought about why you have that fun little item on your desk? We all get busy and in our heads. This one is all about being present and enjoying the moment. It’s also about taking notice of the people around you. Did you notice your office-mate’s energy today? Was it a little lower than normal? What energy did you bring to your space today? Take notice of these things, then employ your Give and Connection skills to bring up that energy and create a lovely space for being present.

My challenge to you – Take a walk around the office and notice something new. Ask an officemate about that photo on their desk. Pay attention to the trees on your drive home. Take notice of the energy you bring to a space.

Keep Learning

Don’t start a kerfuffle, or cause someone to have the collywobbles. Let them know they are flawsome!

You have just now been exposed to three new words!

Kerfuffle – to cause a fuss

Collywobbles – that nervous feeling in your tummy

Flawsome – full of flaws but still totally awesome

Learning keeps our brains fluid, our minds open and our friends wondering. It opens new worlds, new ways of thinking and doors for new opportunities. If you haven’t challenged yourself to learn something new lately, do it.

Today. It can be as easy as learning a new word, you flawsome individual!

Give

I stepped into my presentation with a plan to create thank you cards that attendees would then give away (crayons, markers, and paper for everyone!). We did create some pretty spectacular cards that were shared by the end of the presentation. However, after waking up to a text from a very dear friend that morning, this part of the presentation took on even more meaning. Here’s what the text said…

“I’m reaching out because I started a New Year’s challenge… challenging myself to send an encouraging message once a day to someone. I started with the letter A in my contact book and now I am on the letter S and today is your day! When I think about how to best encourage you today, I want to talk about your heart as a leader...”

The text went on to say some really lovely things my friend believes about me. It truly changed my day, perhaps even my month (year!). By taking just a few minutes each day to GIVE a few words of encouragement and kindness, both she and I were lifted up. I now have this text saved for those days I need a little lift. And, I have a new challenge for myself as the new year approaches.

This one happens to be one of my love languages… If you don’t live on my street during the holidays, you are missing out! Nothing gives me greater pleasure than baking tasty treats and giving them out to friends, knowing I helped spread a little sweet joy.

My challenge to you – send that ‘I’m thinking about you today’ text. Tell someone Thank You and truly mean it. Bake those cookies and give them away.

Not one of these concepts is new. Or difficult. Or earth-shattering. All are easy to do and highly effective. If we do them intentionally. Daily.

I’ll ask again… How are you? How

are you, really?

Here’s hoping you find a new connection. That you take notice while being active today. That you keep learning . That you find pleasure in giving – both this holiday season and into the new year. And that you truly are feeling well.

Namaste my friends!

By Alissia De Salles, CPRP, AFO Recreation Supervisor Rio Linda Elverta Recreation and Park District

My Experience Becoming a CPRP

Becoming a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) was a worthwhile experience that required dedication, planning, and time. The process required applying to sit the exam with NRPA, acquiring study materials, and dedicating a plethora of personal time to studying for the exam. A scholarship through the California Foundation of Parks and Recreation (CFPR) was instrumental in allowing me to complete this certification and was how I began the journey in receiving this incredible opportunity to become a CPRP. Overall, my experience was very positive, and I would recommend that other professionals in the parks and recreation industry pursue this certification. I truly believe that learning the material to complete this certification has made me a better industry professional, and simply becoming a CPRP candidate helped me to receive a promotion and move to the next step in my career.

In order to acquire a CPRP certification, one must first submit an application to sit the test with the NRPA. The purpose of this application is to verify that the applicant has the requisite industry experience and education to qualify for the exam. Prerequisites and fees can be found on the NRPA website under the CPRP certification section. The application is fairly simple to complete and

requires that the applicant detail their past industry and education experience. There is a fee to apply and to sit the exam in addition to the cost of study materials, which is why gaining the CFPR scholarship was necessary for me in this process. Though the application was not complicated, it did take a few months for the NRPA to review and approve my application. Because of the time it takes for application approval and study, applicants should set realistic timelines for certification completion. This is not a process that can be completed from beginning to end in just a couple months. The CPRP candidate should be prepared to be patient, dedicated, and remain positive throughout this process, as it can take a while to complete.

Once approved to sit the exam, the CPRP candidate must acquire study materials and set up a personal study schedule. The study materials I used were the 5th edition CPRP Exam Study Guide as well as the digital basic training modules available through the NRPA website. I found it very helpful to have both versions of study materi als, as not all the exam information is covered in the modules or study guide alone. The modules and the study guide each offer different practice ex ams and sample questions, which were very helpful in preparing for the exam as well. The exam covers five different content areas related to the park and recreation professional’s domains of re sponsibility: Communication, Finance, Human Resources, Operations, and Programming. I began my study with the digital modules and dedicated a few weeks of intensive study to each content area. I followed up by read ing through the entirety of the study guide and then dedicated 2 weeks for thorough review of all content and practice testing. It is important to note that each of these content areas is very detailed and requires dedicated study time for mastery. I passed the exam with a 90% and dedicated at least 15 hours of total study to each section, not including review and practice testing. The NRPA recommends allowing at least 3 months to study for the exam, and I completely agree. As a fulltime working professional and mother, al

lotting 3 months to study and learn the material was the absolute minimum for fitting an adequate amount of study time in on evenings and weekends.

The final step in the certification process is scheduling and sitting the exam. The exam is administered through a professional testing service and must be scheduled in advance and taken in person. In my area, the testing center is only open on weekdays during regular business hours. I had to plan to take a half day off of work to complete the exam, which was all the more reason to prepare well in order to ensure that I would not have to take the exam more than once! The test has 150 questions and CPRP candidates are given 3 hours to complete the exam. The testing process is extremely formal and requires that candidates follow very specific protocols to schedule and take

professional, and fair. The best part was that I was able to receive my score right away, which provided immediate relief from the stress of preparing for and sitting the exam.

My overall journey in becoming a CPRP was definitely worthwhile. The content really does directly relate to my professional work, and I find myself using information I learned while studying for the exam daily while on the job. As I stated above, simply receiving the CFPR Scholarship and becoming a CPRP candidate opened doors for me in receiving a promotion from Recreation Coordinator to Supervisor within my agency. I am extremely grateful to the California Foundation for Parks and Recreation for believing in me and for providing me with this opportunity. Pursuing a CPRP certification was truly a positive

New Membership Director To Put His Stamp On CPRS

By John Doyle Director of Membership California Park & Recreation Society

I am excited to start in my new role as Director of Membership at the California Park & Recreation Society. Since taking up my role at the Society, I have been delighted with the warm welcome I have received from across the Society. It is my honor to serve the membership of such a prestigious Society and I will endeavor to provide all our members with an energizing membership experience.

Originally from Birmingham, England, I made my first move into the world of Associations/Societies when I became the Membership Manager for the Intensive Care Society in London. This was my first role working full time in a membership organization and I found working in this role to be professionally stimulating and fulfilling. I learned the importance that a society of professionals plays in both advocating for and advancing the work of their chosen field and the important role in the headquarters of a Society plays in both organizing and administrating this work.

In 2016, my wife and I made the move “across the pond” initially landing in North Carolina. Again, I found myself serving the membership of a professional association, this time working with those involved in building high-performance homes in the South-East of the United States. In 2018, I moved from this role to a role in the events team at the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. During my time at the ISTH, I worked on conferences across the globe working closely with both with attendees and exhibitors. Working at the ISTH helped me a gain a greater understanding of the importance of delivering a quality service to a society’s membership and how we can engage a society’s membership to the overall benefit of the professional’s industry. After almost five year’s working with the ISTH, I left in September 2022 to take up my new position with CPRS.

When I am not working to the serve the membership of CPRS, I like to spend as much time outdoors as possible and enjoy the opportunities

the Californian sunshine provides to pursue an outdoors lifestyle. My wife Amanda and I moved to Sacramento, California in 2021 from North Carolina. We met in Kobe, Japan, in 2011 when we both served as ESL teachers and after that moved to London before finally settling in the United States. Amanda works as a Neo-Natal ICU nurse at UC Davis. We both love to travel and have visited over forty countries on six different continents. When we are not travelling, we enjoy spending time and going on long walks with our dog Monty. I also enjoy watching and occasionally playing sports, listening to live music, and going for hikes.

In my new role as Director of Membership, I am looking forward to personally meeting as many of the CPRS members as possible and listening to both what CPRS is getting right for our members and areas in which we can improve. The membership is the life blood of any Society and I look forward to serving the needs of the CPRS community. Recreation

and parks definitely make life better, and I look forward to supporting our members as they continue to provide such a valuable resource and service to our communities.

Integra Planning + Landscape Architecture creates sustainable, engaging, and innovative outdoor spaces that blossom with beauty. Our team of landscape architects and designers work closely with our clients to create spaces that are as beautiful and they are functional.

The Need To Reconnect Post Pandemic, The Importance of Alumni Associations

By Patti LaPlace, MPA, RTC

Part-time Faculty CSULB and Joanne Conley Lead and Retired Faculty CSULB

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we found ourselves suddenly disconnected from our regular in-person group support systems. Whether it was in-person family gatherings, social recreation interest clubs, networking meetings, service/volunteer groups, and/or regular get-togethers with friends, these things came to a sudden halt in March 2020. Our society found itself faced with new and safe ways to connect with others in respect to physical and social distancing using a variety of “virtual” options.

Even though the majority of us learned these new ways of connecting with others virtually, we continued to long for the face-to-face contact we were accustomed to before COVID. As humans, we need that human connection as part of our survival. Zoom, FaceTime and other virtual formats became vital for individuals to maintain connections. Now that pandemic restrictions are lessening and more in person opportunities are available, we are not reconnecting at the level pre-pandemic. How can we engage in this “reconnecting” process? One way is through our Alumni Associations!

As college students, we were taught and encouraged to network with professionals as part of our career development endeavors. As professionals, we continue to value the power and influence in networking with others with similar interests, knowledge and skills. In an article by Genevieve Carlton, PhD, Ten Benefits of Joining an Alumni Association, she states “Alumni association membership benefits can include discounts, networking opportunities, and professional resources”. In her article, Dr. Carlton identifies what some of those “Benefits” might be:

1. Networking Opportunities

Alumni associations offer networking opportunities, which can connect recent graduates with established professionals and help people pursue career changes.

2. Alumni Events

From alumni lectures, to game day pep rallies, alumni associations often host social and academic events. These events help alumni build a community and stay connected with friends from college. Alumni events are also a great networking tool.

3. Discount at Your Colleges

Alumni benefit from all kinds of discounts through their schools, including cheaper tickets to football games and discounts on continuing education classes. Alumni also often have access to their university library systems, fitness centers, museums and on campus performances at a discounted rate.

4. Discounts from Businesses

Alumni associations often partner with businesses to offer discounts for members. This could include discounts on auto insurance, health insurance, cell phone service, and computers.

5. Travel Discounts

Another major perk of joining your alumni association are travel discounts. From cheaper hotel rates to discounted airfare and travel insurance, members can save on all kinds of travel expenses.

6. Career Services

Alumni associations offer career support for recent graduates and longtime alumni. Career services can help professionals choose a career path, transition into a new field, and explore career opportunities.

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Alumni Associations u

7. Email Access

Being part of an Alumni Association helps you stay connected to the university and show affiliation with their schools and connect with other alumni.

8. Volunteer Opportunities

Alumni can participate in a variety of volunteer opportunities through their alumni associations, helping them give back to their communities. Many schools offer virtual volunteering events, rely on volunteers to staff committees, and invite alumni volunteers to guest lecture.

9. Give Back to Future Students

Colleges rely on their alumni to help current students and graduates. Alumni can give back to their communities and help current and future students in many ways.

10. Stay Connected To Your Alma Mater

Joining your alumni association offers all kinds of perks, like discounts and networking opportunities, but above all, an alumni association keeps you connected with your alma mater. Whether you graduated decades ago or you’re still in college, an alumni association helps you maintain a link with your school.

We all have experienced an extraordinary time in our history and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will be long lasting. Reconnection is a vital part of the recovery process, post pandemic. California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Recreation and Leisure Studies Department is embarking on a major campaign to not only reconnect with our alumni, but to promote this reconnection process as one of the ways to recover from emotional consequences of social and physical distancing.

Author and poet Drishti Bablani, writes:

“Never underestimate the empowering effect of human connection. All you need is that one person, who understands you completely, believes in you and makes you feel loved for what you are, to enable you — to unfold the miraculous YOU.” (Dec. 2020)

For more information regarding CSULB Recreation And Leisure Studies Alumni (RALSA), please contact the alumni office at: https://www.csulb.edu/alumni or call 562-985-7159.

Resources:

Carlton, Genevieve, PhD; Ten Benefits of Joining an Alumni Association

https://thebestschools.org/magazine/benefits-joining-alumni-association/

CSU Alumni Assocation

https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/alumni

Bakersfield Alumni Assocation

https://www.csub.edu/Alumni

Cal Poly Alumni Assocation

https://alumni.calpoly.edu/

Cal Poly Pomona Alumni Assocation

https://www.cpp.edu/alumni/

Channel Islands Alumni Assocation

https://www.csuci.edu/alumni/index.htm

Chico Alumni Assocation

https://www.csuchico.edu/alumni/

Dominguez Hills Alumni Assocation

https://www.csudh.edu/alumni/

East Bay Alumni Assocation

https://www.csueastbay.edu/alumni/index.html

Fresno Alumni Assocation

https://alumni.fresnostate.edu/ Fullerton Alumni Assocation

https://alumni.fullerton.edu/

Humboldt Alumni Assocation

https://alumni.humboldt.edu/ Long Beach Alumni Assocation

https://www.csulb.edu/alumni

Los Angeles Alumni Assocation

https://www.calstatela.edu/alumni

Maritime Alumni Assocation

https://www.csum.edu/alumni/

Monterey Bay Alumni Assocation

https://csumb.edu/alumni/

Northridge Alumni Assocation

https://w2.csun.edu/alumni

Sacramento Alumni Assocation

https://www.csus.edu/experience/alumni-association/

San Bernadino Alumni Assocation

https://www.alumni.csusb.edu

San Diego Alumni Assocation

https://www.sdsualumni.org/s/997/22/home.aspx

San Francisco Alumni Assocation https://alumni.sfsu.edu/

San Marcos Alumni Assocation https://alumni.fullerton.edu/

San Jose Alumni Assocation

https://alumni.sjsu.edu/

Sonoma Alumni Assocation

https://www.ssualumni.org/

Stanislaus Alumni Assocation

https://www.csustan.edu/alumni

California Agency

City of Agoura Hills

City of Alameda

City of Albany

City of Alhambra

City of Aliso Viejo

Aliso Viejo Community Association

Ambrose Recreation & Park District

City of American Canyon

City of Anaheim

City of Anderson

City of Antioch

Town of Apple Valley

Arcade Creek Recreation and Park District

City of Arcata

Arden Manor Recreation & Park District

Arden Park Recreation & Park District

City of Arroyo Grande

City of Artesia

City of Atascadero

City of Atwater

Auburn Area Recreation and Park District

City of Azusa

City of Bakersfield

City of Baldwin Park

City fo Banning

City of Beaumont

Beaumont Cherry Valley Recreation & Parks District

City of Bell

City of Bell Gardens

City of Bellflower

City of Belmont

Belvedere Tiburon Joint Recreation

City of Benicia

City of Berkeley

City of Beverly Hills

City of Bishop

City of Blue Lake

Boulder Creek Recreation & Park District

City of Brawley

City of Brea

City of Brentwood

City of Brisbane

City of Buena Park

City of Burbank

City of Burlingame

Buttonwillow Recreation & Park District

City of Calabasas

City of California City

California State Parks

City of Calistoga

Cameron Park Comm. Svcs. District

City of Campbell

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City of Capitola

City of Carlsbad

Carmichael Recreation & Park District

City of Carpinteria

City of Carson

Central Plumas Recreation & Park District

City of Ceres

City of Cerritos

Chico Area Recreation & Park District

City of Chino

City of Chino Hills

City of Chowchilla

City of Chula Vista

City of Claremont

City of Clovis

Coalinga-Huron Recreation & Park District

City of Commerce

City of Concord

Conejo Recreation & Park District

Cordova Recreation & Park District

City of Corona

City of Coronado

City of Costa Mesa

Cosumnes Community Services District

City of Cotati

City of Covina

City of Culver City

City of Cupertino

Cypress Recreation & Park District

City of Cypress

City of Dana Point

Town of Danville

City of Davis

City of Del Mar

City of Delano

Desert Recreation District

City of Diamond Bar

City of Dinuba

Town of Discovery Bay

City of Downey

City of Duarte

City of Dublin

East Bay Regional Park District

City of East Palo Alto

City of Eastvale

City of El Cajon

City of El Centro

City of El Cerrito

El Dorado Hills Community Services District

City of El Monte

City of Emeryville

City of Encinitas

City of Escondido

City of Exeter

Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District

Feather River Recreation & Park District

City of Folsom

City of Fontana

City of Foster City

City of Fountain Valley

City of Fremont

City of Fresno

City of Fullerton

Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District

City of Galt

City of Garden Grove

Georgetown Divide Recreation District

City of Gilroy

City of Glendale

City of Glendora

City of Goleta

Green Valley Homeowners Recreation Association

Greater Vallejo Recreation District

City of Gridley

City of Grover Beach

City of Half Moon Bay

City of Hanford

City of Hawaiian Gardens

City of Hawthorne

Hayward Area Recreation & Park District

City of Healdsburg

City of Hercules

City of Hermosa Beach

Hesperia Recreation & Park District

Highlands Recreation District

City of Hughson

City of Huntington Beach

City of Huntington Park

City of Imperial

City of Indio

City of Inglewood

City of Irvine

City of Irwindale

Isla Vista Recreation & Park District

Jurupa Area Recreation & Park District

Jurupa Community Services District

Kensington Police Protection & Community Services District

City of Kerman

County of Kern

City of King City

City of Kingsburg

City of La Habra

City of La Mesa

City of La Mirada

City of La Palma

City of La Puente

City of La Quinta

City of La Verne

City of Lafayette

City of Laguna Beach

City of Laguna Hills

City of Laguna Niguel

City of Lake Elsinore

City of Lake Forest

City of Lakewood

City of Lancaster

City of Larkspur Recreation

City of Lathrop

City of Lawndale

City of Lemon Grove

City of Lemoore

City of Lincoln

Livermore Area Recreation & Park District

City of Lodi

City of Lomita

City of Long Beach

City of Los Alamitos

City of Los Altos

City of Los Angeles

County of Los Angeles

City of Los Banos

Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation

City of Lynwood

City of Madera

City of Malibu

Town of Mammoth Lakes

City of Manhattan Beach

City of Manteca

County of Marin

City of Martinez

McKinleyville Community Services District

Mendocino Coast Recreation & Park District

City of Menifee

City of Menlo Park

City of Merced

City of Mill Valley

City of Milpitas

Mission Oaks Recreation and Park District

City of Mission Viejo

City of Modesto

City of Monrovia

City of Montclair

City of Montebello

City of Monterey

City of Monterey Park

County of Monterey

Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District

City of Moorpark

Town of Moraga

City of Moreno Valley

City of Morgan Hill

Mt. Shasta Recreation & Parks District

City of Mountain View

City of Murrieta

City of Napa

City of National City

Navy Region South West

City of Nevada City

City of Newark

City of Newport Beach

City of Norco

North County Recreation & Park District

North Highlands Recreation & Park District

North of the River Recreation & Park District

North Tahoe Public Utility District

City of Norwalk

City of Novato

City of Oakland

City of Oakley

City of Oceanside

City of Ojai

City of Ontario

City of Orange

Orangevale Recreation & Park District

City of Orinda

City of Pacifica

City of Palmdale

City of Palm Springs

City of Palo Alto

Paradise Recreation & Park District

City of Paramount

City of Pasadena Human Services & Recreation

City of Pasadena Parks & Natural Resources

City of Paso Robles

City of Patterson

City of Perris

City of Petaluma

City of Pico Rivera

City of Pinole

City of Pismo Beach

City of Pittsburg

County of Placer

City of Placerville

Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District

Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District

City of Pleasanton

City of Pomona

City of Port Hueneme

City of Porterville

City of Poway

City of Rancho Cucamonga

Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District

City of Redding

City of Redondo Beach

City of Redwood City

City of Reedley

City of Rialto

City of Richmond

Rim of the World Recreation & Park District

Rio Linda Elverta Recreation & Park District

City of Rio Vista

City of Riverbank

City of Riverside

County of Riverside Regional Park & Open Space District

City of Rocklin

City of Rohnert Park

Rosamond Community Services District

City of Rosemead

City of Roseville

Rossmoor Community Services District

City of Sacramento

County of Sacramento

City of Salinas

Town of San Anselmo

City of San Bernardino

City of San Bruno

City of San Carlos

County of San Diego

City of San Diego

City of San Dimas

City of San Fernando

City of San Francisco

County of San Francisco

City of San Gabriel

County of San Joaquin

City of San Jose

City of San Juan Capistrano

City of San Leandro

City of San Luis Obispo

County of San Luis Obispo

City of San Marcos

City of San Mateo

County of San Mateo

City of San Pablo

City of San Rafael

City of San Ramon

City of Sanger

City of Santa Barbara

City of Santa Clara

County of Santa Clara

City of Santa Clarita

City of Santa Cruz

County of Santa Cruz

City of Santa Fe Springs

City of Santa Maria

City of Santa Rosa

City of Santee

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

City of Saratoga

City of Sausalito

City of Scotts Valley

City of Seal Beach

City of Selma

Shafter Recreation & Park District

City of Sierra Madre

City of Signal Hill

County of Solano

City of Solano Beach

South Coast Air Quality Management District

City of South El Monte

City of South Gate

City of South Lake Tahoe

City of South Pasadena

Southgate Recreation & Park District

County of Stanislaus

City of St. Helena

City of Stanton

City of Stockton

City of Suisun City

City of Sunnyvale

Sunrise Recreation & Park District

City of Tahoe City

Tamalpais Community Services District

Tehachapi Valley Recreation & Park District

City of Temecula

City of Temple City

Templeton Community Services District

City of Torrance

City of Tracy

Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District

City of Tulare

City of Turlock

City of Tustin

City of Twentynine Palms

City of Ukiah

City of Union City

City of Upland

City of Vacaville

County of Ventura

City of Victorville

City of Visalia

City of Vista

City of Walnut

City of Walnut Creek

Wasco Recreation & Parks District

City of Watsonville

City of West Covina

City of West Hollywood

City of West Sacramento

West Side Recreation & Park District

City of Westminster

City of Whittier

City of Wildomar

Town of Windsor

City of Woodland

City of Yorba Linda

Town of Yountville

City of Yuba City

City of Yucaipa

Out-of-State Agency

Brownsburg Parks, Indiana

City of Bluffton, Indiana

City of Butte-Silver Bow, Montana

Clarksville Parks & Recreation, Indiana

City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Friends of Maryland State Parks

City of Franklin, Indiana

Greenfield Parks and Recreation Department, Indiana

City of Johnson City, Tennessee

City of Logansport, Indiana

Mooresville Park & Recreation District

City of New Albany, Indiana

City of Olivette, Missouri

New Haven-Adams Township, Indiana

Noblesville Parks & Recreation, Indiana

City of Shelbyville, Indiana

City of South Bend, Indiana

Washington Township, Ohio

Company

Alfa Products

All About Play/Little Tikes Commercial - Nor Cal

Buell Recreation

California’s Great America

Callander Associates

Capitol Enterprises Inc.

Columbia Cascade Company

Community Works Design Group

David Evans and Assoc. Inc.

David Volz Design Landscape Architects, Inc.

Friends of Rockhaven

Goric Marketing Group USA

The Heritage Trail Conservancy

The HLA Group, Landscape Architects & Planners

Innovative Playgrounds Company

Integra Planning + Landscape Architecture

KPCRadio.Com

Land Concern Ltd

Leader Manufacturing, Inc./Fairweather Site Furnishings Division

Maximum Solutions, Inc.

Melton Design Group

Murdock-Super Secur

My Bark Co.

National Academy of Athletics

National Parks Promotion Council

NLM Consulting Services

Nuvis Landscape Architecture

PlayCore

PlaySafe, LLC

Play Smart Surfacing

Play-Well TEKnologies

Poimiroo & Partners

Public Restroom Company

Recreation Republic

RHA Landscape Architects Planners, Inc.

RJM Design Group, Inc.

Robertson Industries, Inc.

Schmidt Design Group

Shade Structures

Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation

SpectraTurf

SSA Landscape Architects, Inc.

Stone Soul Music

StructureCast

Sybertech Waste Reduction Ltd.

Tri Active America

Western Wood Preservers Institute

Windsor Parks-Recreation Foundation

Verde Design, Inc.

Vermont Recreation & Parks Association

University/College

CSU Long Beach

CSU Northridge

San Jose State University

SDSU MOVE

Advertisers Index

A-G Sod Farms, Inc. (951) 687-7581

www.agsod.com

2900 Adams St., Ste. C-120, Riverside, CA 92504

SERVICE: Five farms in California & Colorado producing high quality sod for sports fields and parks.

All About Play/Little Tikes Commercial Nor Cal (916) 923-2180

www.littletikescommercial.com

3844 Presidio Street, Sacramento, CA 95838

SERVICE: Accessible outdoor playground equipment including unique theme playscapes and park service equipment.

American Ramp Company (417) 206-6816 x 107

http://www.americanrampcompany.com/ 601 S. McKinley Ave., Joplin, MO 64801

SERVICE: Design and build services of wheeled action sports parks (skate parks, bike parks, and pumptracks).

American Solutions for Business (714) 504-2274

www.pmlbstore.com

400 Princeland Ct, Unit #1, Corona, CA 92879-1341

SERVICE: Providers of printed documents, promotional products, corporate logo apparel, brochures, uniforms, stationery, catalogs, forms.

Amilia (877) 343-0004

1751 Richardson Street Suite 3.102, Montreal, PQ H3K1G6

SERVICE: SmatRec by Amilia is an eCommerce platform for activities and recreation. We enable organizations to engage with their community by making it easy to find, register, and pay for activities online.

Company Members through July 15, 2022

Aqua Source (209) 745-6401

www.aquasource.com

P.O. Box 1146, Galt, CA 95632

SERVICE: Commercial swimming pool equipment, automated chemical & filtration systems, commercial pool vacuums, heaters, deck equipment.

Aquatic Design Group

(760) 438-8400

www.aquaticdesigngroup.com

2226 Faraday Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008

SERVICE: Programming, planning, design and engineering services for competition, recreation, and leisure aquatic facilities.

Architectural Nexus

(916) 443-5911

930 R Street, Sacramento, CA 95811

SERVICE: As a full-service architecture design firm, we are people driven in pursuit of meaningful experience.

B SAFE Playground Inspection Services, Inc.

(916) 850-5071

10349 Ormond St, Sunland, CA 910401413

SERVICE: Playground and athletic field inspection services.

BCI Burke Co, LLC

(920) 933-6711

www.bciburke.com

P.O. Box 549, Fond Du Lac, WI 54936

SERVICE: BCI Burke has been manufacturing high-quality and innovative playground equipment for 95 years.

Berliner Seilfabrik Play Equipment Corporation

(864) 627-1092

www.berliner-playequipment.com

96 Brookfield Oaks Dr. Suite 140, Greenville, SC 29607

SERVICE: State of the art play structures from the world’s leader in net climbing playground equipment.

BFS Landscape Architects

(831) 646-1383

www.bfsla.com

425 Pacific Street, Suite 201, Monterey, CA 93940

SERVICE: Parks, trails and open space planning; design for healthy and sustainable communities.

BMLA Landscape Architecture

(951) 737-1124

www.bmla.net

310 North Joy Street, Corona, CA 92879

SERVICE: BMLA Landscape ArchitectureDesigns that build lasting communities.

BrightLife Designs

(714) 326-8326

https://www.brightlifedesigns.com

16351 Gothard St., Suite C, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

SERVICE: Decorative commercial lighting & Christmas holiday decor. Offer purchase and lease, installation, removal and storage.

California Dinner Adventure (714) 690-1497

http://www.piratesdinneradventure.com

7600 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90620

SERVICE: Restaurant and show with pirates theme.

Callander Associates Landscape Architecture, Inc. (916) 985-4366

www.callanderassociates.com

12150 Tributary Point Drive, Suite 140, Gold River, CA 95670

SERVICE: Landscape architects. CivicPlus (888) 228-2233

www.civicplus.com

302 S. 4th Street, Suite #500, Manhattan, KS 66502

SERVICE: CivicRec (r), the park and recreation management software from CivicPlus(r), is built specifically for local governments.

Coast Recreation Inc. (714) 619-0100

www.coastrecreation.com

3151 Airway Avenue, Suite A-3, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

SERVICE: Representing Landscape Structures play equipment, DuMor site furniture, and Surface America in Southern California.

Columbia Cascade Company (503) 223-1157

www.timberform.com

PO Box 1039, Camas, WA 98607-0039

SERVICE: TimberForm and PipeLine playground and outdoor fitness equipment, TimberForm site furnishings and CycLoops & CycLocker bicycle security products.

Community Works Design Group (951) 369-0700

www.comworksdg.com

4649 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506

SERVICE: Your source for creative park planning, landscape architecture, irrigation design, and CASp/ADA services.

Counsilman-Hunsaker (310) 734-2282

www.chh2o.com

10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 400, Saint Louis, MO 63127

SERVICES: Aquatic design, engineering, and operation services.

Crane Architectural Group (714) 525-0363

www.cranearchitecturalgrp.com

110 E Wilshire Ave # 300, Fullerton, CA 92832-1934

SERVICE: Architectural services - community centers, senior centers, sports complexes, concession stands, park restrooms, ADA improvements.

Dahlin Group Architecture Planning (925) 251-7200

www.dahlingroup.com

5865 Owens Dr., Pleasanton, CA 94588

SERVICE: Architectural and planning services with a passion for placemaking, including community, senior, recreation, and aquatic centers.

Dave Bang Associates, Inc. (800) 669-2585

www.davebang.com

P.O. Box 1088, Tustin, CA 92781

SERVICE: Suppliers of high-quality park, playground, athletic equipment, & site equipment since 1979.

David Evans and Assoc. Inc. (909) 481-5750

www.deainc.com

4141 E. Inland Empire Blvd. Suite 250, Ontario, CA 91764

SERVICE: Multidisciplinary firm specializing in landscape architecture, civil, and transportation engineering, surveying, and construction management.

David Volz Design Landscape Architects, Inc.

(714) 641-1300

www.dvolzdesign.com

151 Kalmus Drive, Suite M-8, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

SERVICE: Award winning park planners and sports facility experts! DVD provides assistance with project planning budgets.

Discount Playground Supply (888) 760-2499

www.discountplaygroundsupply.com

P.O. Box 278, Simpsonville, SC 29681

SERVICE: Park & playground products, site furnishings, sports equipment, surface repair, ADA products replacement parks and swings.

EcoFert, Inc

(714) 580-4659

www.ecofert.org

1237 S. Wright Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705

SERVICE: Landscape care solutions through a full service program utilizing organic based amendments applied through fertigation systems.

ELS Architecture and Urban Design (510) 549-2929

https://elsarch.com/ 2040 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704

SERVICE: Architecture and planning services for sports/recreation/aquatics, education, theaters/performing arts, mixed-use, historic renovations, and urban design.

FirstService Residential (949) 338-1908

LaderaLife.com

28192 O’Neill Drive, Ladera Ranch, CA 92694

SERVICE: Property Management company offering recreation and community services to residents living within the property.

Flexground (916) 275-3588

www.flexground.com

2029 Opportunity Drive, #3, Roseville, CA 95678

SERVICE: FlexGround is the premier provider of rubberized poured in place and recreation surfacing.

Fun Express, LLC (800) 228-2003

www.funexpress.com/corporate

4206 S. 108th Street, Omaha, NE 68137

SERVICE: Crafts, art supplies, educational items, active play, camp, and seasonal items at discounted prices.

Gold Bug Park and Mine (530) 642-5207

www.goldbugpark.org

2635 Gold Bug Lane, Placerville, CA 95667

SERVICE: Gold Bug Park is Gold Rush History! Offering mine tours, gem panning, blacksmith, stamp mill, museum, and hiking trails.

Grand Slam Safety, LLC (315) 301-4039

www.Grandslamsafety.com

9793 Bridge Street, P.O. Box 35, Croghan, NY 13327

SERVICE: Impecable and removeable or permenant, indoor/outdoor fencing system; netting, divider curtains and batting cages.

Great Western Recreation (435) 245-5055

www.gwpark.com

975 S. State Hwy 89, Logan, UT 84321

SERVICE: Turnkey design-build firm providing playgrounds, shade/shelters, surfacing, site amenities, splash pads, beachers, etc.

Buyer’s Guide u

Greenfields Outdoor Fitness (888) 315-9037

www.greenfieldsfitness.com

2617 West Woodland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92801

SERVICE: Outdoor fitness equipment.

Gro-Power, Inc. (909) 393-3744

www.gropower.com

15065 Telephone Avenue, Chino, CA 91710

SERVICE: “Go green” with Gro-Power products. They’re safe for the environment and naturally conserve water.

Group 4 Architecture Research + Planning, Inc. (650) 871-0709

www.g4arch.com

211 Linden Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080

SERVICE: Architectural, research, and planning services.

GSM Landscape Architects, Inc. (707) 255-4630

www.gsmlainc.com

1700 Soscol Avenue, Suite 23, Napa, CA 94559

SERVICE: Award winning landscape architectural design for parks, sports fields, recreational, and educational facilities throughout California.

HAI, Hirsch & Associates, Inc. (714) 776-4340

www.hailandarch.com

2221 E. Winston Rd. #A, Anaheim, CA 92806

SERVICE: Landscape architecture, park planning, master plans, sports facilities, redevelopment, & public work projects.

Hermann Design Group, Inc. (760) 777-9131

www.hermanndesigngroup.com

77899 Wolf Road, Ste.102, Palm Desert, CA 92211

SERVICE: Landscape architecture, planning, and project management for community parks, sports parks, and dog parks.

Hunter Industries (760) 583-4479

1940 Diamond St., San Marcos, CA 92078

SERVICE: Irrigation Manufacturer - MP Rotator, Sprays, Rotors, Smart Controllers, Valves, Drip.

Imagen (626) 593-9618

www.imagenagency.com

421 E Route 66, Glendora, CA 917403502

SERVICE: We are a promotional marketing agency that produces custom branded apparel, promotional products, and print.

Innovative Playgrounds Company (877) 732-5200

www.innovplay.com

12407 East Slauson Avenue, Unit D, Whittier, CA 90606

SERVICE: Sales, designs, and project management for BCI Burke playground equipment, safety surfacing, shade structures, and fitness/sport/site amenities.

Inspector Playground

(888) 293-7889

http://www.inspectorplayground.com

P.O. BOX 16654, Encino, CA 91416-6654

SERVICE: Independent inspector, surface impact testing with Triax, early childhood certified, playground inspections, compliance certificates, insured.

Integra Planning & Landscape Architecture

(805) 441-7537

www.integrapla.com

1506 4th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

SERVICE: Planning and landscape architecture design services including parks, aquatic centers and recreation facilities.

Issuu

(844) 477-8800

https://issuu.com/tryissuu

131 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301

SERVICES: Issuu is the self-service content creation and distribution platform that enables Parks & Rec agencies to easily publish documents online.

Mackay Park Picnic & Play, Cypress

Gilroy Gardens Splash Pad, Gilroy

Mackay Park Rain Water Catchment, Cypress

Gilroy Gardens Water Journey, Gilroy

Pedestrian & Bicycle Paths Long Beach

IZone Imaging (254) 778-0722

www.izoneimaging.com

PO Box 368, Temple, TX 76530-0368

SERVICE: Sign Solutions and Custom High Pressure Laminate (CHPL) graphic panels and decorative surfaces.

JetMulch (866) 306-8524

www.jetmulchinc.com

P.O. Box 1667, Capitola, CA 95010

SERVICE: Blown-In Mulch and ASTM certified playground materials.

Jones & Madhavan (805) 777-8449

www.jmae.com

100 E Thousand Oaks Blvd Ste 211, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-8134

SERVICE: Planning, architecture, & engineering services for public aquatic facilities.

Kay Park-Recreation (319) 987-2313

http://www.kaypark.com/

1301 Pine Street, Janesville, IA 506470477

SERVICE: Manufacture bleachers, picnic tables, grills, fire rings, drinking fountains, bike racks, pedal boats, litter receptacles, outdoor games, & more!

Kimley Horn (619) 234-9411

401 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101

SERVICES: We offer expertise in the planning, design and implementation of parks and recreation facilities.

King Plastic Corporation (941) 493-5502

www.kingplastic.com

1100 N. Toledo Blade Blvd, North Port, FL 34288

SERVICE: King Plastic is the leading manufacturer of quality polymer sheets, slabs, and massive shapes.

KOMPAN Playgrounds

(800) 426-9788

www.kompan.com

605 West Howard Lane, Austin, TX 78753

SERVICE: KOMPAN is a world leader in playgroud and outdoor sport & fitness solutions.

KTU + A Planning & Landscape Architecture

(619) 294-4477

www.ktua.com

3916 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103

SERVICE: We Provide Award Winning Landscape Architectural Planning and Design Services for Parks and Recreation Facilities.

Landscape Structures, Inc. (763) 972-5200

www.playlsi.com

601 7th Street S, Delano, MN 55328

SERVICE: Commercial playground designer and manufacturer.

LDA Partners, LLP

(209) 943-0405

www.ldapartners.com

222 Central Court, Stockton, CA 95204

SERVICE: Architectural services.

Lincoln Aquatics (925) 687-9500

http://www.lincolnaquatics.com

2051 Commerce Avenue, Concord, CA 94520

SERVICE: Distributors of commercial swimming pool equipment, chemicals, and aquatic supplies since 1954.

Loco Canopies (833) 722-6679

www.lococanopies.com

17 Hammond #411, Irvine, CA 92618

SERVICE: Custom canopies, feather flags, tear drop flags, custom umbrellas, table covers, event display solutions.

Across our different product lines we offer hundreds of choices in style, size, features, materials and colors.

Commercial quality products able to withstand years of use and exposure.

Made in the USA since 1959.

RJ Thomas Mfg. Co., Inc.

Cherokee, Iowa

800-762-5002

www.pilotrock.com

customerservice@rjthomas.com

LPA, Inc. (408) 780-7203

www.lpainc.com

60 South Market Street, Suite 150, San Jose, CA 95113

SERVICE: Sustainable design solutions in architecture, landscape architecture, and engineering for community centers, aquatics, and parks.

Mack5 (510) 595-3020

www.mack5.com

1000 Broadway Suite 260, Oakland, CA 94608

SERVICE: Project/Construction management and cost planning/estimating services for park & recreation capital projects.

Magnation Water Technologies (510) 467-4000

https://magnationwater.com/ 660 4th Street, Oakland, CA 94607

SERVICE:Designers and manufacturers of physical water systems for conditioning, correcting & balancing water for optimum performance.

Melton Design Group, Inc. (530) 899-1616

www.meltondg.com

820 Broadway Street, Chico, CA 95928

SERVICE: Landscape architecture, providing design services for parks, sports complexes, skateparks, & masterplans. We focus on providing personal service.

MIG, Inc. (510) 845-7549

www.migcom.com

800 Hearst Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710

SERVICE: From playgrounds to park systems, MIG advances strategic, equitable and community-based planning and design.

Miracle Playground Sales/Miracle

Recreation

(800) 264-7225

www.miracleplayground.com

9106 Pulsar Ct, Ste C, Corona, CA 92883-4632

SERVICE: Innovative playground equipment, playground safety surfacing; park shelters & gazebos; tables, benches & athletic equipment & splashpads.

Miracle Playsystems Inc. (800) 879-7730

www.MiraclePlayGroup.com

PO Box 263, Alamo, CA 94507

SERVICE: Play equipment design, distribution, and specialty contracting firm serving all of central and Northern California.

Most Dependable Fountains, Inc. (901) 867-0039

www.mostdependable.com

5705 Commander Dr., Arlington, TN 38002-0587

SERVICE: Outdoor drinking fountains, pet fountains, showers, misters, play towers, hydrants, jug fillers, handwash stations, & grills.

MRC

(800) 922-0070

www.mrcrec.com

2130 Route 35 Bldg B, Suite 222, Sea Girt, NJ 08750

SERVICE: Leading supplier of playground, park, recreation, fitness and sport equipment; site amenities and surfacing.

Musco Sports Lighting (949) 754-0503

www.musco.com

3002 Dow Avenue, Suite 504, Tustin, CA 92780

SERVICE: Providing sports lighting solutions for your budget, for the environment.

My Bark Co., Inc. (209) 786-4042

www.mybark.net

P.O. Box 932, Linden, CA 95236

SERVICE: ReadyPlay, EWF from virgin forest wood, bark products, colored enhanced mulches, and soil amendments. National Academy of Athletics (707) 541-2365

www.NationalAcademyofAthletics.com

1260 North Dutton Suite 243B, Santa Rosa, CA 95401

SERVICE: Year round Sports Camps and Clinics offering 8 different sports for players, coaches, and parents.

Neptune Benson/Evoqua Water Technologies (800) 832-8002

http://www.neptunebenson.com/ 334 Knight Street, Suite 3100, Warwick, RI 02886

SERVICE: Neptune Benson provides water filtration and disinfection solutions serving the recreational market since 1956.

NGI Sports a Division of River City Athletics (775) 544-6306

www.ngisports.com

2807 Walker Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421

SERVICE: NGI Sports’ tennis and track surfaces-guaranteed solutions. We specialize in innovations for sports construction.

Noll & Tam Architects (510) 649-8295

www.nollandtam.com

729 Heinz Ave., Suite 7, Berkeley, CA 94710

SERVICE: Architectural design, programming, and planning for recreation/ community/senior centers and other civic buildings.

NUVIS (714) 754-7311

www.nuvis.net

20250 SW Acacia Street, Suite 260, Newport Beach, CA 92660

SERVICE: NUVIS landscape architecture - over 40 years of design solutions for people, environments, and experiences worldwide.

O’Dell Engineering

(209) 571-1765 x102

www.odellengineering.com

1165 Scenic Drive, Suite B, Modesto, CA 95350

SERVICE: Multi-disciplinary firm providing landscape architecture, civil engineering, land surveying, and 3D laser scanning.

Opark, Inc.

(415) 994-6627

www.opark.com

186 Mrning Sune, Mill Valley, CA 94941

SERVICE: Online view, registration, and payment of community activities and events.

Opti-Fit International Inc. (916) 939-3690

www.opti-fit.com

P.O. Box 6716, Folsom, CA 95763

SERVICE: Opti-Fit Inc. is your one stop total fitness solution. Planning, design, supply, and service.

Outdoor Creations, Inc. (530) 365-6106

www.outdoorcreations.com

2270 Barney Road, Anderson, CA 96007

SERVICE: Precast concrete site furnishings, includes picnic tables, benches, BBQs, fire pits, planters, signs, and concrete products for outdoor use.

Pacific Park and Play (714) 846-4885

www.PacParkPlay.com

3640 N Pankratz Way, Meridian, ID 83646-6866

SERVICE: Providing park and playground products and services to Southern California cities, counties, schools, churches, and others.

Paddock Pool Equipment Co. (803) 324-1111

https://www.paddockindustries.com/ 555 Paddock Parkway, Rock Hill, SC 29730

SERVICE: Paddock is a leading manufacture of commercial swimming pool equipment; gutters, filters, bulkheads and deck equipment.

PDPlay

(760) 597-5990

www.PDPLAY.com

2235 Meyers Avenue, Escondindo, CA 92029-1005

SERVICE: California manufacturer of commercial play structures, site furnishings, and poured-in-placed rubberized surfacing.

Play & Park Structures

(800) 727-1907

www.playandpark.com

544 Chestnut St., Suite 310, Chattanooga, TN 37402

SERVICE: Play & Park delivers a boutique experience with every playground design, from start to finish.

PlayCore (423) 425-3168

http://www.playcore.com/ 544 Chestnut St., Chattanooga, TN 37402

SERVICE: PlayCore helps build stronger communities by advancing play and recreation through research, education, partnerships, and products.

Playcraft Systems LLC (888) 571-7640

www.playcraftsystems.com

123 North Valley Dr., Grants Pass, OR 97526

SERVICE: Seller of playground equipment (commercial type).

Playgrounds by Design, Inc. (925) 426-6705

3086 Boardwalk Street, Pleasanton, CA 94588

SERVICE: Park Structures, playground safety, surfacing material, concrete products, site furnishings, bleachers, recycled plastic picnic tables and benches. Murdock Super Secur restrooms and drinking fountains.

Playgrounds Unlimited (408) 244-9848

www.playgroundsunlimited.net

980 Memorex Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95050

SERVICE: Construction services; site preparation; play equipment; water play; shade shelter installation; pour-in-place & synthetic turf safety surface.

Public Restroom Company (888) 888-2060

www.publicrestroomcompany.com

2587 Business Parkway, Minden, NV 89423

SERVICE:

Public Restroom Company is a design build specialist for odor free, vandal resistant, park restroom, and concession buildings.

R. E. Schultz Construction, Inc. (714) 649-2627

www.reschultzconstruction.com

1767 N. Batavia Street, Orange, CA 92865

SERVICE: General engineering contractor/ playground eq. installation/park rehabs/ fitness eq. installation. Site work/concrete/shade shelter installations.

R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co./Pilot Rock (800) 762-5002

www.pilotrock.com

P.O. Box 946, Cherokee, IA 51012-0946

SERVICE: Manufacturing and direct sales of park grills, picnic tables, benches, campfire rings, trash receptacle holders, etc.

RecWest Outdoor Products, Inc.

(818) 735-3838

www.recwest.com

31316 Via Colinas, #118, Westlake Village, CA 91362

SERVICE: Representing Landscape Structures Inc., DuMor Site Furnishings.

RHA Landscape Architects - Planners, Inc.

(951) 781-1930

www.rhala.com

6800 Indiana Avenue, Suite 245, Riverside, CA 92506

SERVICE: Park & sports facility planning, LEED certified, water conservation design, community consensus building, park rehabilitation.

RJM Design Group, Inc.

(949) 493-2600

www.rjmdesigngroup.com

31591 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

SERVICE:

Park and sports facility master planning and design; park and recreation master planning; landscape architecture; LEED Certified; community consensus building.

Landscape architects, park planners, and civil engineers at David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA) provide creative and innovative design solutions that balance growth with environmental sensitivity. DEA offers you experienced professionals in multiple disciplines who can quickly form a team to meet your project needs. We work closely with public and private clients to plan and design parks, trails, resorts, residential, and commercial land development projects.

ANGELES, ONTARIO, SAN DIEGO, SANTA CLARITA, TEMECULA, TUSTIN, VICTORVILLE

ROMTEC, Inc.

(541) 496-3541

www.romtec.com

18240 North Bank Road, Roseburg, OR 97470

SERVICE: Design, build, and install recreational structures ie: restroom buildings,concessions, kiosks, pavilions, storage buildings, gatehouses, cabins, sidewalk restrooms, etc.

Ross Recreation Equipment Company, Inc.

(707) 538-3800

www.rossrec.com

100 Brush Creek Road #206, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

SERVICE: 44 years of providing superior recreational & outdoor products and service with attention to quality, safety, and design.

Royston, Hanamoto, Alley & Abey (415) 383-7900

www.rhaa.com

225 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941

SERVICE: Landscape architecture, site planning, master planning, urban design, and recreation planning services locally, nationally, and internationally.

RRM Design Group (805) 543-1794

www.rrmdesign.com

3765 South Higuera Street, Suite 102, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

SERVICE: RRM Design Group designs award-winning recreation areas by collaborating with people who use them.

RRM-CLM Services, LLC

(602) 569-2333

www.clm-services.com

11811 N Tatum Blvd, Ste 4095, Phoenix, AZ 85028

SERVICE: Provides professional park management, security, maintenance, ranger patrol & related services.

S.R.Smith LLC (503) 266-2231 x2278

http://thermalpoolcover.com/

1017 SW Berg Parkway, Canby, OR 97013

SERVICE: Manufacturer of EnergySaver thermal swimming pool covers, storage reels, and automatic re-winders. Safe 2 Play - Certified Matters (925) 999-0117

www.PlaygroundSafetyInspections.net

PO Box 945, Leander, TX 78646

SERVICE: Certified playground safety inspections, safety surface impact testing on playgrounds, & sports fields.

Sator Sports, Inc. (888) 887-2867

www.satorsoccer.com

1455 W. 139th St., Gardena, CA 90249

SERVICE: Retailer of top-quality Agora Goals & Equipment. Call for Volume Pricing and free catalog.

Schmidt Design Group, Inc. (619) 236-1462

www.schmidtdesign.com

1310 Rosecrans Street, Suite G, San Diego, CA 92106

SERVICE: Landscape architecture, park planning, and design that balances artistic expression with environmental sensitivity.

Schmitz Foam Product LLC - ProPlay (517) 781-6620

www.proplayus.com

188 Treat Avenue, Coldwater, MI 49036

SERVICE: We supply safety and performance underlayments for synthetic turf - enhances safety, perforamnce and drainage.

The Prop 68 Round 4 deadline has been extended to March 12, 2021. With almost $400 million in available funding, let us help you realize your park vision and guide you and your community to a successful application!

Please contact us for more information at dougg@rhala.com or the number below.

Smart Rain (801) 295-3339

https://smartrain.net/ 1343 West 75, North, Centerville, UT 84014

SERVICE: Offers a complete state-of-theart smart irrigation package, combining our sophisticated commercial-grade controller with an extremely intuitive water management software application. Our average customer saves 30-40% on their water usage. Smart Rain’s smart controller is EPA WaterSense Certified and qualifies for LEED points.

SoCal Shade Sails (619) 972-1100

www.shadesails.biz

10449 Roselle St., San Diego, CA 92121

SERVICE: Manufacture and install custom made, commercial grade shade sails, triangles, rectangles, side panels, steel.

SofSurfaces Inc.

(800) 263-2363 x230

www.sofsurfaces.com

4393 Discovery Line, Petrolia, ON N0N

1R0

SERVICE: Rubber tile solutions for playground, fitness facility, and architectural applications.

Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation

(626) 448-0853 x16

www.scmaf.org

P.O. Box 3605, South El Monte, CA 91733

SERVICE: Professional training, education, and networking; insurance services; sport rules, training, and competition for youth and adults.

Spohn Ranch, Inc. Custom Skate Parks

(626) 330-5803

www.spohnranch.com

6824 S. Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90230

SERVICE: Skate park design, construction, operation, and insurance. The leader in responsible skatelite, concrete, and hybrid parks.

SSA Landscape Architects, Inc.

(831) 459-0455

www.ssala.com

303 Potrero Street, 40-C, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

SERVICE: Award winning parks & recreation master planning, community workshops/consensus building, construction documentation/administration.

St. Nick’s Commercial Design & Decor (562) 438-0017

www.st-nicks.com

527 E. 1st Street, Suite 101, Long Beach, CA 90802

SERVICE: St. Nick’s does it all: we imagine, build and install large Christmas displays (other holidays too)

Stover Seed Co. (213) 626-9668

www.stoverseed.com

P.O. Box 1579, Sun Valley, CA 91353

SERVICE: Turfgrass and sportsfield seed mixtures, wildflower and native seed mixtures.

StructureCast (661) 833-4490

http://www.structurecast.com/ 8261 McCutchen Road, Bakersfield, CA 93311

SERVICE: Precast, pre-engineered restroom, & concession buildings.

Summit Supply Corporation of Colorado

(970) 247-8858

www.summitsupplycolo.com

5092 County Road 302, Durango, CO 81302

SERVICE: 46 years of supplying park and playground products, sports equipment, site furnishings, sprinklers and hoses.

SVA Architects, Inc.

(949) 809-3380

www.sva-architects.com

6 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 1150, Santa Ana, CA 92707

SERVICE: SVA Architects is a full-service architectural firm committed to creating sustainable environments for our communities.

SyberTech Waste Reduction Ltd. (888) 888-7975

www.swrl.com

P.O. Box 3009 - 33191 1st Avenue, Mission, B.C. V2V1G0

SERVICE: Our in-ground trash system, self-watering planters, and other products greatly save operational costs.

TMT Enterprises, Inc. (408) 432-9040

www.tmtenterprises.net

1996 Oakland Road, San Jose, CA 95131

SERVICE: Bulk Material Supplierbaseball surfaces, playground materials, top dress sand, topsoil, soil mixes, decomposed granite, organics.

Trueline (951) 817-0777

http://gotrueline.com

12397 Doherty Street, Riverside, CA 92503

SERVICE: Resurfacing of tennis courts, basketball courts, game courts, playgrounds, striping, installation of equipment, and refurbishment.

Turf Star, Inc. (800) 585-8001

www.turfstar.com

2255 Meyers Avenue, Escondido, CA 92029

SERVICE: Commercial mowing equipment & irrigation.

USA Shade & Fabric Structures (707) 257-7296

www.usa-shade.com

PO Box 3467, Coppell, TX 75019-3406

SERVICE: USA Shade provides shade solutions for everything under the sun!

USGreentech (513) 371-5520

www.usgreentech.com

3607 Church Street, Cincinnati, OH 45244

SERVICE: USGreentech provides progressive infills for the synthetic turf market including their products Envirofill and Safeshell.

Verde Design, Inc. (408) 985-7200

www.verdedesigninc.com

2455 the Alameda, Suite 200, Santa Clara, CA 95050

SERVICE: Multi-disciplinary office of landscape architects and civil engineers with a focus on community projects.

Vineyard Rock Products (831) 637-6443

www.vineyardrockproducts.com

1781 Limekiln Road, Hollister, CA 95023

SERVICE: Decorative granite products.

Vortex Aquatic Structures Intl. (887) 586-7839

www.vortex-intl.com

11024 Bailey Road, Unit C, Cornelius, NC 28031

SERVICE: We create water play experiences for children to develop, communities to flourish, and businesses to thrive.

Water Odyssey By Fountain People, Inc.

(512) 392-1155

www.waterodyssey.com

P.O. Box 807, 4600 Hwy. 123, San Marcos, TX 78667-0807

SERVICE: Leading manufacturer of aquatic playground and fountain equipment.

Waterline Technologies (714) 564-9100

www.waterlinetechnologies.com

620 Santiago Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701

SERVICE: Sales and service for aquatic facilities - chemical delivery

West Coast Arborists, Inc. (714) 991-1900

www.wcainc.com

2200 E. Via Burton Street, Anaheim, CA 92806

SERVICE: WCA provides public agencies, school districts, and colleges with urban forestry management and maintenance services.

West Coast Turf

(760) 340-7300

www.westcoastturf.com

P.O. Box 4563, Palm Desert, CA 92261

SERVICE: Growers and installers of premium quality natural turfgrass sod.

Since 1990, Jones & Madhavan has worked with public agencies throughout California to develop h u n d r e d s o f s u c c e s s f u l a q u a t i c facilities If you are planning a n e w a q u a t i c f a c i l i t y o r a r e c o n s i d e r i n g m o d e r n i z a t i o n o f a n e x i s t i n g f a c i l i t y , J o n e s & Madhavan can provide the professionalism you will appreciate from beginning to end.

WE DESIGN W A T E R YOU CAN USE

t i o n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n

Dominguez Aquatic Center Van Nuys / Sherman Oaks Recreation Center

Terra Linda Aquatic Center Granite Hills High School

Western State Builders (760) 270-8639

www.westernstatebuilder.com

2141 Orange Avenue, Escondido, CA 92029

SERVICE: Playground Installation, shade structure installation, site furnishing installation.

Who Built Creative Builders Inc. (707) 763-6210

www.whobuilt.biz

P.O. Box 1568, Shafter, CA 93263

SERVICE: Installation of play equipment and athletic equipment.

WOOD RODGERS, INC.

(916) 341-7760

www.woodrodgers.com

3301 C Street, Bldg. 100-B, Sacramento, CA 95816

SERVICE: Landscape architecture design consultants

Wyatt W. Underwood & Associates (213) 279-2455

https://www.wyattunderwood.org/ 19360 Rinaldi Street - 150, Northridge, CA 91326

SERVICE: Playground design & build, playground equipment, shade, shelter, site amenities, and sports flooring since 1992.

Youth Evolution Activities (805) 202-8620

www.youthevolutionbasketball.com

191 S Oak Park, Suite 11, Grover Beach, CA 93433

SERVICE: Youth Recreation Backetball & Soccer Programs

Zasueta Contracting, Inc. (619) 589-0609

www.zasuetacontracting.com

P. O. Box 866, Spring Valley, CA 91976

SERVICE: Playground equipment installation.

ZGolf Food & Beverage Services, LLC

dba Wedgwood Weddings (951) 491-8110, Ex. 326

www.wedgewoodweddings.com

43385 Business Park Drive #210, Temecula, CA 92590

SERVICE: Professional full service food & beverage management and operations with a focus on weddings, special events, and golf course F&B operations.

Tim Farmer Hired as Coronado’s New Recreation & Golf Services Director

The City of Coronado has named Tim Farmer, current Parks and Recreation administrator for the City of Chula Vista, as its new Recreation and Golf Services director. His first day with Coronado was Oct. 24.

Farmer has 26 years of experience working with parks and recreation departments for the cities of Santee, Escondido and Chula Vista. As Chula Vista Parks and Recreation administrator, Farmer oversaw recreation and aquatics programming, facility operations, parks maintenance, and park ranger operations. Farmer graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Literature and Writing Studies from California State University, San Marcos. In his spare time, Farmer enjoys spending time with his wife and three boys, playing guitar, golfing, and surfing.

“It’s my pleasure to welcome Tim to the City of Coronado,” City Manager Tina Friend said. “Tim’s proven track record in regional parks and recreation departments and his enthusiasm to work to improve all that Coronado already offers were important factors in his selection. I’m confident he will use

his experience and energy to effectively serve the Coronado community.”

Farmer will oversee Coronado’s recreation facilities including the community center, aquatics center, John D. Spreckels Center, golf course, skatepark, athletic fields, Glorietta Bay Tennis Center, a robust array of recreation programs and three concessionaires. He

will lead a department of 25 full-time employees and more than 80 fulland part-time temporary employees.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity and I am looking forward to serving the community,” Farmer said. “Coronado is known for its traditions and excellence and I will be dedicated to providing programs and services that are innovative, and are in line with the values of this fine city. I’m excited to start working with the staff team, City Council, City Manager, and the residents to continue to improve Recreation and Golf Services for Coronado.”

https://malibutimes.com/community-service-director-jesse-bobbettresigns-from-city-after-six-years

Community Service Director Jesse Bobbett resigns from city after six years

By Jimy Tallal

In responding to an inquiry from The Malibu Times, the city released the following statement: “On October 18, Community Services Department Director Jesse

Bobbett announced his resignation effective November 4. He has worked for the City as Community Services Director for six years. The City thanks him for his service to Malibu and wishes him well.”

In a phone interview, Bobbett said that in the six years he spent in this position, the department was continuously changing and evolving. Not long after he started work here, the city got the 530 acres at Charmlee Wilderness Park back from Joe Edmiston. Then the city’s arts programming started to really take off, he said, with the expansion of quarterly art exhibits at City Hall, a poet laureate program, and sculptures in Legacy Park.

“Arts programming has really expanded over the past six years, and our staff has worked hard to implement those programs without increasing the number of staff in our Department,” he said. “The City will definitely need to look at hiring additional staff to keep these programs moving forward and growing into the future.”

When asked about his biggest accomplishments since being hired on Nov.

21, 2016, the first thing that came to mind for Bobbett was building the temporary skate park at Bluffs Park on the expanded footprint of donated land, and the fact that the permanent skate park is now in the design stage.

“It was the first dedicated skate space available to our residents in 11 years, so and it was great to play a small role in making that project a reality,” he recalled.

Another big project was successfully initiating the Legacy Park Rehabilitation Project, which studied the native plant life and poor growing conditions there.

“We assessed the soil and water conditions throughout the park, and then worked with a consultant to select and install native plants that could thrive in the salty marine environment,” Bobbett said. “It has been exciting to see native plants and vegetation thrive in the park after struggling for many years.”

There’s currently 10 staff members in the Community Services Department (including Bobbett), and he was proud to see many of his employees develop during his tenure. Additionally, he enjoyed working with the various

departments on projects, promoting employee engagement, and working to promote health and wellness at City Hall.

The positon was not without its frustrations and setbacks, though. Just like everyone and everything else in Malibu, the job was severely affected by the Woolsey Fire of 2018, followed by over two years of the pandemic.

Charmlee Park was heavily damaged by the fire, and was closed to the public until 2020. During that time, the trails became heavily overgrown and the city was able to find grant funding to remediate them, Bobbett explained.

The double whammy also slowed everything else down.

“It was frustrating not getting some of the big ticket items farther along in the process, like the public outreach process regarding the utilization of the city’s vacant properties,” he said. “And there’s the ongoing challenge of having several parks spread across 21 miles of coastline, as well as the challenge of managing residents’ concerns and commissions, but that’s just part of the job.”

Bobbett decided to resign in order to “take a break from public sector work, which is hard to say after 22 years of public sector service.” He’ll be getting married in a few weeks and going on a honeymoon to Tahiti. When he comes back, “It’s time to try something different,” he says.

He ended by expressing how much he enjoyed working with his fellow city staffers.

“The management team and staff here are really great — the best team I’ve been a part of,” he emphasized. “You hear a lot of things during City Council and Commission meetings about our staff, but they really are an amazing group of dedicated professionals doing the best they can with the resources available.”

At the time, Jesse began working at Malibu City Hall, he had over 14 years’ experience in increasingly responsible positions at parks and recreation departments at nearby coastal cities — El Segundo and Manhattan Beach. He’s a native of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in sports and fitness management from the University

The Community Services Department (formerly known as Parks and Recreation) provides administrative support to the Malibu Arts Commission, the Harry Barovsky Memorial Youth Commission, and the Parks and Recreation Commission. It’s in charge of a wide range of community programs beyond those already mentioned: four city parks, the Senior Center, playgrounds, Library Speaker Series, Cinemalibu, classes, community pool, hikes, day camp, Earth Friendly Management, and the list goes on.

2022-2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

Frank Carson City of El Cajon 619-441-1756 • fcarson@cityofelcajon.us

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Doug Grove, RLA, ASLA, LEED AP RHA Landscape Architects 951-781-1930 • dougg@rhala.com

VICE PRESIDENT

Kyla Brown Riverside County Regional Park & Open Space District 951-955-4306 • kylabrown@rivco.org

SECRETARY-TREASURER

Nicole Acquisti, CPRP City of Burlingame 650-558-7337 • nacquisti@burlingame.org

REGION 1 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 1, 2, 3)

Adam Chow, CPRP City of San Ramon 925-973-3321 • achow@sanramon.ca.gov

REGION 2 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 4, 5, 6)

Lauren Merriman City of Campbell 408-866-2107 • laurenm@campbellca.gov

REGION 3 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 7, 8, 15)

Lauren Cronk Standard School District • lcronk@standarschools.net

REGION 4 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 11, 13, 14)

Victoria Reyna, CPRP

Jurupa Community Services District 951-727-3524 • vreyna@jcsd.us

REGION 5 REPRESENTATIVE (Dist 9, 10, 12)

Jenni Worsham City of Fountain Valley 714-593-4447 • jenni.worsham@fountainvalley.org

SECTION REPRESENTATIVES (Administrators, Recreation and Recreation Therapy)

Tiarra Warner City of Rohnert Park 707-588-3407 • twarner@rpcity.org

(Aging, Aquatics, Development & Operations and Educators)

Teri deRosier Cosumnes Community Services District 916-405-5605 • TerideRosier@csdparks.com

Please contact any Board Member with questions or comments

Continued from page 6

and thank her for all of her efforts leading CAMS in the south over the past many years.

The First week in November brought the Region 4 Mini Conference in Chino Hills and the Region 1 Fall Forum in Elk Grove. They were both very gracious to allow me to be the keynote speaker and offering some challenges to the large amounts of people attending. Both regional events were maxed-out with attendance and this was the first time both regional events were able to host their traditional trainings since pre-COVID times. So many of the people were happy to be able to physically connect with each other in-person. Big thank you’s to Adam Chow, Victoria Reyna, Michael Adams, Ashika Lal, and most especially Jennifer Gault for wearing a yellow banana outfit to support my presidential year color of advocacy.

On November 10, I attended and presented at the Region 2 Mini Conference in Morgan Hill. This was their first regional event since 2019 when I had the opportunity to be their keynote speaker. Thank you to all the leaders in Districts 4, 5 & 6, and especially Noreen Leak and Lauren Council for rising to the occasion to ensure the training was so successful. Kyla Brown, CPRS Vice President, gave a very thought-provoking keynote.

On November 16, I was given what I think is my final keynote of the calendar year at the CPRS District 12 award winning November Workshop in Coronado California. This event had over 30 students attending from San Diego State University and it was great to see the room filled with so many parks and recreation professionals from San Diego and Imperial Counties. I do want to thank Heather Carter for doing such a great job leading the workshop along with Tracy Stayton doing a lot of the behind the scenes work to make it so successful.

I am sorry that I did miss the District 15 Rodeo, the Development & Operations Section Maintenance Management School and the Aging Section’s Consortium. Hopefully I will have an opportunity to connect with those members in the next five months. Lastly, I want to welcome all members to join the State Board meeting in Bakersfield on January 12 and 13. If you cannot join us in-person, pay attention to the CPRS facebook page as your state board will be going live for member comment on those days.

Have a great holiday season and I look forward to connecting with you on 2023!

Pole Climber