Buyer’s Guide u

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 Ave., 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. (514) 694-3868 www.vortex-intl.com

7800 Rte Transcanadienne, Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 1C6

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.

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.

Willoughby Stainless Fountains - WSF (317) 875-0830 www.wsf-usa.com

5105 W. 78th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268

SERVICE: WSF manufactures outdoor site furnishings and plumbing fixtures for parks and recreation.

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 https://www.noozhawk.com/santamarias-rec-parks-leader-reflectson-lengthy-tenure/

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

Alex Posada Celebrates 30 Years as Director

With more than 40 years working for the city of Santa Maria, Alex Posada still gets a thrill at what the job of Recreation and Parks Department Director job brings on a daily basis.

“It’s really just that every day I come in I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen that day. I know in my mind what I’m supposed to get done that day, and then things just come up,” said Posada, director of the department since 1993.

“If it was a boring job or a job that was repetitive, I probably would have left a while ago,” he said, adding that he and his wife have talked about his possible retirement sometime.

Posada will mark his 30th anniversary of leading the department on Aug. 16, 2023. By far, this makes him the longestserving department head in the city currently.

Some may be surprised to hear that Posada has hinted at retirement.

“I said I will not be here forever,” he said, recalling a conversation with colleagues before laughingly adding, “My wife has told me that.”

After growing up in the East Bay and attending San Jose State University, he worked for teen programs in San Jose and for the Hayward Area District.

He had a brief stint working for the Santa Barbara County Social Services Department before returning to the city.

Posada was hired full-time as a recreational specialist in May 1979 at the opening of the Minami

Community Center in Santa Maria. He was promoted to recreation supervisor in April 1981, and director in 1993.

The city now boasts 28 parks, swimming pools and multiple community centers.

“I think the best part of the job, and probably the proudest part is, when I see people that are now in leadership roles, principals of schools and educators, who used to be rec leaders for me. That’s a pretty gratifying feeling to have,” he said.

Since becoming director, Posada has worked for seven mayors and at least four different city managers.

“Alex has been with us since 1979, which is remarkable, and is by far our longest-serving department director now at nearly 30 years,” City Manager Jason Stilwell said. “He epitomizes public service, and his whole family believes in supporting our growing community.

“He deflects attention from himself, but he’s deservedly earned recognition awards such as the Robert F. Grogan Public Service Award from the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. He’s an advocate for recreation for everyone, helps the Kiwanis raise large sums, and is a great mentor.”

Among parks added under his tenure, Santa Maria opened Los Flores Ranch Park, which actually sits approximately 12 miles south of City Hall.

Los Flores has become his favorite among the city’s parks.

“It’s out in the open, obviously. You have room to roam,” he said. “I think it brought Santa Maria from having the neighborhood park kinds of things to being able to offer the residents another experience without going to the mountains.

The park at 6271 Dominion Road sits in the Solomon Hills, and covers 1,778 acres and boasts 8 miles of hiking, equestrian and mountain biking trails

“You can go to Los Flores, and you see people horseback riding, hiking, doing the bicycle thing, and be out literally with no one else around you for several hundred yards easily. It gives that other kind of experience,” Posada said.

Recent efforts have focused on renovating the older parks, with Buena Vista, Oakley, Russell, and Atkinson already done.

As a Kiwanis Club member, Posada proudly pointed out the organization’s efforts that led to the installation of Santa Maria’s first inclusive playground, which is at Preisker Park.

Veterans Memorial Park is the latest being modernized.

“That’s a huge project,” he said. “There’s a real need in that neighborhood to make the park more functional for the neighborhood.”

He enjoys the challenge of creating parks to serve the residents who live nearby.

Not all new parks come from development. A pocket park on DeJoy Street is in the works on a site that once housed city utility equipment.

COVID-19 relief funds will allow the city to move forward on the park’s development with plans for completion by the end of summer 2023.

He’s also proudly noted the city has received funding to provide lighting at two sports fields — Adam and Crossroads — to extend their hours of use by 40%.

“That’s what people want — field space is in demand everywhere,” he said.

Under his leadership and with the help of community members, People for Leisure and Youth or PLAY formed to help raise funds and collect donations for programs and parks.

“The generosity of the community is what makes Santa Maria, I think, a great place,” Posada said.

In Memoriam

https://www.legacy.com/us/ obituaries/sandiegouniontribune/name/david-bradstreetobituary?id=38595217

David Bradstreet

Passes Away

David Bradstreet passed away peacefully in his home on January 1, 2023, after a nearly 3-year illness with Esophageal Cancer.

He was born in Lander, Wyoming on April 24, 1936, to Lee and Thelma Rook Bradstreet. His family left Lander when he was 3 years old and lived in Oregon, Nevada, and Utah before settling in Stockton, CA in 1944. While in Stockton, David helped his family run a grocery business and worked on their walnut farm while he attended school.

When David was 20 years old, he branched out on his own and headed to the beaches in San Diego. He began working for Rohr Aircraft and held a number of positions. He completed his undergraduate degree at San Diego State University and received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from National University. Additionally, he received a teaching certificate and taught recreational classes at both Southwestern College and San Diego State University.

In 1962 David began his career in City Government in Chula Vista as part of their Parks and Recreation Department, working in all facets of recreation programming. In 1970 he was selected as the city’s Parks and Golf Course Superintendent. In January 1979, David was hired as the City of Carlsbad’s Park and Recreation Director. For the next 19 years, he and his talented staff embarked on an aggressive park development program. These efforts played a major role in developing Carlsbad’s Park system, consisting of over 480 acres of parks and facilities which have played host to thousands of recreation program enthusiasts within Carlsbad and throughout San Diego County. In June 1994 David further expanded his responsibilities by assuming the position of Community Service Director which included many Public Works Functions as well as the Park and Recreation Departments. After 35 years of public service,

David retired in 1997. His recreational interests during his life were many. He was an avid water and snow skier. He tried his hand at fly-fishing, but found out you didn’t catch a lot of fish with a fly. He played recreational basketball and softball, even injuring several fingers as a player in Overthe-Line tournaments. His absolute two loves in sports were sand volleyball and golf. He always tried to be paired in volleyball with rated players and went on to win several major 2-man tournaments in the South Bay and in Mexico. In golf, he was known as a grinder who had a good short game. He had four holes in one. David often said, if you play long enough, you’re bound to get one hole-inone somewhere!

Published by San Diego UnionTribune on Jan. 8, 2023. https://www.chicoer. com/2023/01/11/retired-cardmanager-ann-willmann-dies/?fbcl id=IwAR1FBDXz5OUMVYdMqy SeuHDtiTYhlfmZ0yqxCJicnfEgVtn4wjdrCVYvhSs

Retired CARD manager Ann Willmann dies

By LAURA URSENY | lurseny@ chicoer.com | Chico EnterpriseRecord

Flowers lay Tuesday at the bottom of a boulder at Rotary Centennial Park in honor of the late Ann Willmann, who died Jan. 6, 2023. The rock bears a plaque that dedicates the park’s play area to Willmann, the retired general manager of the Chico Area Recreation and Park District.

“The Chico Area Recreation and Park District board of directors dedicate this area to honor Ann Willmann’s faithful service to the district and significant contributions to ‘Helping People Play’ during her tenure from 2006 to 2022. Ann is a devoted and loved member of the Chico Rotary Club,” reads the plaque.

It was the Rotary Club that raised the funds and put the park into motion to recognize the organization’s 100th year. According to her family, it was a project that provided a lot of gratification and pride for Willmann. Once a bare plot of land known as Ceres Park at Ceres Avenue and Whitewood Way, the lot was transferred to CARD as home for the new park.

There were others high points for Willmann too, including the creation of Creekside Rose Garden, which is where her memorial will be at 1 p.m. Feb. 18 behind the Chico Community Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave.

Renovation of the Humboldt Avenue Skate Park was another highlight, and family and friends remember how jazzed she was to hear that skateboard icon Tony Hawk was unexpectedly skating there one day.

A tax- and program feesupported special district, getting CARD through the pandemic was another achievement after seeing revenue-generating programs shut down for months and months.

None of these projects were wrinkle-free, but her family recalled she handled all things in her life with a positive outlook, from work to her struggle with cancer.

Willmann worked with the city in the transfer of city-owned parks to CARD, such as Wildwood Park and Humboldt Avenue Skate Park, as well as new recreation opportunities, such as answering the demand for more facilities from pickleball and bocci ball enthusiasts.

“I think Mom would like to be remembered for her kind heart and adventuresome spirit,” noted daughter Grace. “She was always looking for the next adventure.”

That may have been camping, repainting her daughters’ bedrooms, building furniture or going for a run in the rain.

“We were a close family,” said Hans Willmann, who said he came home after a work shift to find she had single-handedly painted the house’s exterior. She also made sure everyone sat down to eat dinner and talk about their day.

Willmann was born in Woodland, and came to Chico in 1990 to attend Chico State.

As a recreation graduate, she found jobs in Davis, Vallejo, Sausalito and others before moving back to Chico in 2000 with her husband Hans, an emergency medical technician. She worked for the Butte College Small Business Development Center before joining CARD.

Willmann started with CARD in 2006 as a recreation supervisor under General Manager Steve Visconti, then left in 2013 to manage the Feather River Recreation and Park District in Oroville. In 2015, she was hired as the CARD general manager to head a staff of about 40 full-time and several hundred part-time employees, along with answering to an elected board of five directors. At the time, she told a reporter, “It’s like coming home.”

Current CARD board chair Michael McGinnis noted Willmann’s handling of the special district matters over many years, saying she did “a tremendous job.”

“Her time at CARD was the beginning of reassessment, given the city’s desire to get out of the parks business. She was part of that process and took on the challenge. She did a good job advocating for additional recreation too.”

CARD director Tom Lando wrote, “Ann was a great leader of the organization, following in the line of excellent general managers CARD has been blessed with. She showed great innovation and insight, and of course also led during a time of personal challenge,” in reference to her cancer. “I considered her a friend and was honored to know her and work with her.”

She also worked with former Chico assistant manager Chris Constantin, who now is city manager in San Dimas. Constantin wrote, “Ann was a remarkable partner in providing the highest quality park and recreation. She and I worked closely and her passing is a tremendous loss. Chico is today in parks and recreation because of Ann’s love and care.”

Willmann retired in October 2022, citing health issues. She struggled with cancer, which ended her life, but not before sharing her voyage and goalsetting on her Facebook page. Reader comments there reflected empathy for her journey, but also an appreciation for sharing what she learned and her bravery. Readers said she was an inspiration.

She is survived by husband Hans Willmann of Chico, and daughters Alison of Anaheim, and Maddie and Grace of Chico.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations checks be made to the Jan Sneed Youth Scholarship Fund, in care of CARD, 545 Vallombrosa Ave., Chico.

Passing of Frances Hernandez

Frances Marie Hernandez passed away from this life, peacefully, on Thursday, November 30, 2022, after a 15-month long battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her many loved ones during her final days.

Frances was born in Pomona, California on March 30, 1963, to par- ents Robert and Rebecca Vidaure, and her four siblings, growing up and attending primary and high school in La Verne, California, excelling in both academics and athletics, being a powerful force in the sports of Field Hockey, Tennis, and Softball, eventually pursuing opportunities to coach youth teams during her time in college. Frances met Joseph Hernandez in 1980 and eventually married in 1988, after an 8-year romance, and started a family with her high school sweetheart, being blessed with four children, all boys, in the growing city of Fontana.

Frances studied Liberal Arts at Mt. San Antonio Community College from 1981 to 1983, eventually earning her degree, and pursued her bachelor’s degree even further in Human Services, with a concentration in Counseling, at California State University of Fullerton, graduating in 1985.

Frances was no stranger to her surrounding community, making her entire life’s work and career based around helping others. From June 1986 to March 1991, Frances worked as a Recreation

Therapist at Mckinnley

Residential Treatment Facility in San Dimas, CA, creating daily activities that gave residents in the home a chance to express themselves and find their won passion. Frances later expanded upon this recreation mindset and became the City of Fontana’s Community Services Manager from March 1991 to May 2014. Later on, Frances worked for the City of Yucaipa in their own Community Services Department, acting as the Community Services Director from May 2014 to January 2018, a 26- year career that was dedicated to the greater community around her that she adored from the bottom of her heart. Frances, along with her husband Joseph, eventually retired from full-time work in 2018, with Frances taking up part-time work as the Director of Resource Development at the Boys and Girls Club of Fontana and Pomona, working before and during the COVID-19 pandemic to create fun, engaging, and educational activities for kids during an uncertain time, all the way up until her diagnosis in August of 2021, further cementing herself as a gracious, loving, and charitable person on this Earth.

Frances is survived by her husband Joseph, sons, Joseph Jr, Samuel, Matthew, and Alexander, daughters-in-law, Ixchel and Adrianna, parents, Robert and Rebecca, and siblings, Bobby, Anna, Lisa, and Louie.