THE H.A.R.D. TIMES Hayward Area Recreation & Park District

April 2016

Introducing New General Manager... Paul McCreary On February 1st new General Manager Paul McCreary took over the helm of the District. Since then, Paul has been very busy getting to the know the District which includes many facets: parks, facilities, staff, residents, and collaborative agencies including governmental and non-governmental. Paul’s landmark appointment is significant because he is the first General Manager in decades to be appointed from an outside agency. Paul’s vast experience in the Recreation field has prepared him for the position which is why the Board of Director’s chose him to carry on the District’s vision and mission. As we all know, the District is an amazing place with so much to offer and learn about which Paul is endeavoring to accomplish. Be sure to stop by and meet or say hello to Paul if you haven’t had a chance to do so yet. WELCOME TO H.A.R.D. PAUL! Press Release Excerpt:

Hayward Area Recreation and Park District Appoints New General Manager Hayward, CA (December 29, 2015) – The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (H.A.R.D.) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul McCreary as the new General Manager to succeed current General Manager John Gouveia, who will be retiring on January 31, 2016. McCreary, who comes from the City of Dublin where he served as the Parks and Community Services Director, brings a wealth of knowledge to the position. His 23 years of experience in the recreation field encompasses recreation programing, capital projects, land acquisition, as well as planning and park development. Board President Paul W. Hodges, Jr. stated “Mr. McCreary’s overall career knowledge of the recreation field and park planning will be an invaluable asset to the community as we move forward on key projects in the communities the District serves.” McCreary received his Bachelor of Science, Park and Recreation Administration from California State University, Chico and his Masters of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco. His professional memberships of various organizations include the California Parks and Recreation Society, California State University East Bay Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism Advisory Committee and the Municipal Management of Association of Northern California. 1

In This Issue 

Health & Wellness

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District Happenings

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HARD at Work

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Job Well Done

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Sustainability Corner

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Comings & Goings

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HARD.ly News

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Employee Spotlight

A Message to Staff From New General Manager Paul McCreary... Email to Staff—February 1, 2016 Team H.A.R.D.: I want to thank all of you for the extremely warm welcome to the H.A.R.D. family. While it has been two-weeks since I officially started, today was my first day on the job...without John. Like many of you, I took a long-pause with that thought as I drove to work this morning. John is an amazing leader and I know I have big shoes to fill. On Friday at John's coffee I enjoyed hearing the many reasons why all of you value John, and the many "positions" he played for the team, and the many things he did with a personal touch behind-the-scenes to make the team strong. I'm honored to follow in John's footsteps! Prior to applying and going through the selection process for G.M. I did a lot of research about H.A.R.D. What I came to learn from residents, staff, community leaders, business leaders and John is that H.A.R.D. is a tremendous organization with astounding people, traditions, and culture...we have endless potential. You have created an amazing reputation in the community and trust with those we serve. I look forward to continuing to support the great work you do for our community. Over the past two weeks I've had the chance to meet many of you, and look forward to meeting everyone soon. Please feel free to stop by and say hi if we haven't met yet. If my door is open, please feel free to poke your head in so we can meet. My goal is each week to visit some parks and facilities over the next few months, and hope to get to all sites in that time. If there is something in particular happening at your park or facility that you would like me to experience, please let me know. While meeting everyone there have been some questions that many people have asked, so I thought I would provide you with my answers to a few common questions. Q. Where did you come from? A. Since 1995 I have worked full time for the City of Dublin. In Dublin I worked my way through the ranks from Pool Manager and Intern, to Coordinator, Supervisor, Manager, Assistant Director and then Parks and Community Services Director in December 2011. As Director I helped support the City's efforts in Park Maintenance and Operations; Recreation; Heritage and Cultural Arts; Parks and Facilities Development; Human Services; Community Development Block Grants; Library Services; and, Special Projects for the City Manager. I have also worked for the City of Walnut Creek and the City of Pleasanton, where I got my start and met John Gouveia (who was a natural born leader even back then!). During my time in Pleasanton I worked in Park Maintenance, Facility Maintenance, and for the Water Department. I was then hired at the pool as a Lifeguard and Swim Coach and decided to pursue my degree in Parks and Recreation at Chico State. Q. Why did you come to H.A.R.D.? A. It has always been my professional career goal to lead a public agency. In 2006 I went back to school while working full-time to obtain my Masters in Public Administration so I could achieve that goal. I always knew that if the GM position was opened at H.A.R.D. I would want to apply for the opportunity. When John announced his retirement I started my research, and quickly came to learn that this is a unique organization with so many positive attributes that I had to apply. The sense of family was a significant draw to the position, as well as the longevity of the employees who know the District offers something special. Q. What is your vision and what are you going to change? A. H.A.R.D. has been extremely successful for over 70 years, and become the largest and one of the most respected Park and Recreation Special District's in California. That is due to years of commitment by District Staff and Boards that came before me, and set the groundwork to make positive impacts in the Hayward area. As such, I truly have no preconceived agenda on what I want to change at H.A.R.D. My goal over the next 90-days is to listen, learn, ponder and work with employees to create a common vision of what we need to accomplish to sustain the District for years to come. I'm sure many of you have other questions for me and I am happy to discuss. Thank you again for your warm welcome to the team. Sincerely, Paul

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Health & Wellness It has just been one of those days! Your alarm didn’t go off so you are running late, the kids are refusing to cooperate and they are fighting with each other, you go out to your car and your tire is flat…really?! You get to work and your boss is in a bad mood…sound familiar? What a stressful day and it is not even 8 o’clock in the morning! It is times like these you wonder why you bothered to get out of bed. Stress is a very real thing. It effects our health and well-being. Did you know that many employers have Health & Wellness programs that employees can attend? Yes, it is true…but did you know that the District offers so much more? We are fortunate enough to have a multitude of programs and options such as sports, art, and nature programs in our recreations guide and at a discount! Think about it… what do you do when you are stressed…get angry, yell, scream, cry, or worse, get into it with a stranger on the road that cut you off? Find something better to do and have fun doing it!

Stress Relievers Find a quiet place.

Talk therapy.

Take a walk.

Relax your mind by meditation or prayer. They are good ways to disconnect from the immediate problem.

Find a friend with a sympathetic ear who is good at listening without judgement.

Get a breath of fresh air by taking a walk outdoors for 10 minutes. It helps to channel your stress in a more positive way.

Work Exercises Get a stress ball.

Deep breathing.

Laugh.

I know it sounds silly but they really do work. By squeezing a stress ball it helps to bring awareness to other parts of your body and out of your head.

Take deep breaths through your nose and exhale though your mouth. This helps to clear the mind.

They say laughter is the best medicine. Find something funny to lighten the mood or find Clarence…he always finds a way to lighten the mood!

But, if you find yourself in a situation that is more serious than just a bad day such as the loss of a loved one, a bad report from the doctor or you find it hard to cope with everyday life, it would be wise to seek help. As a part of your benefits, District employees are allowed free counseling sessions through EAP. Talk therapy goes a long to help what ails you. 3

District Happenings

1st Place Winner -The Early Light

2nd Place Winner -Vivify

The H.A.R.D. TEAM!

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3rd Place Winner -Standoff

District Happenings

On Saturday January 9th, the New Year Polar Bear Plunge took place at the Arroyo Swime Center. Community members were invited to ring in the New Year with a dip in the unheated outdoor swimming pool. Participants received a swim cap, a certificate and were served refreshments. The events is a fundraiser to raise funds for Swim Lesson Scholarships. Be sure to read the San Leandro Times who wrote a very nice article about the event.

On Friday, February 19, 2016 the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center (HSIC) hosted a press conference at the request of Senator Bob Wieckowski, Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, with the backdrop of 30 visiting students from Livermore Valley Charter school exploring part the Hayward Shoreline’s 1800 acres salt marsh habitat. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife awarded a $3 million grant, from Prop 1 funds, to the California Coastal Conservancy. The funding will go towards the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Removal and Tidal Marsh Restoration Project. The common name for Spartina is cordgrass. The native cordgrass, Spartina foliosa is a vital, abundant plant that can survive 24 hours of inundation of salt water and is critical habitat for the Federally Endangered Ridgeway’s rail. Introduced cordgrasses, Spartina alternaflora and others hybrids, are highly aggressive invaders that significantly alter both the physical structure and biological composition of our tidal marshes, mudflats and creeks and do not provide the habitat needed for the rail. The removal of the remaining 30 of 800 acres of non-native Spartina will protect the tidal marsh, mudflats and associated slough habitats.

The Interpretive Center is in its 3rd year of working with the SF Estuary Invasive Spartina Project along the Hayward shoreline. In the next two years over 14,700 native plants will be installed in the H.A.R.D. marsh including the native cordgrass Spartina foliosa. Submitted by Adrienne De Ponte

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District Happenings Branding…have you heard of it? No…not as in a cow or a sheep… but as in the marketing term. For the past few years much effort has gone into the branding process of the District. These efforts began some years ago when the District decided we needed a new website. The results…an award winning website! To continue on this journey of excellence the Public Information Office was charged with helping the entire District with some guidance to continue the excellence journey… the results…the H.A.R.D. “Style Guide.” Over the past few months the Public Information Office has been conducting classes to help District employees understand the new Style Guide. Branding and marketing of the District is a lot of work, takes a team effort and is doing well thus far.

For those of you who were unable to attend the meetings it is good to have a little understanding of what the Style Guide is. The Style Guide gives specific guidelines on the appropriate use of the H.A.R.D. logo, use of color, proper typeface, use of photos, press releases, etc. The guide helps with the marketing of anything and everything about the District. To help, templates were created to ease the process. Change is hard…no pun intended, but the new changes have seen great results. The creative abilities of staff have not gone unnoticed! The new flyers, tag lines, and colors are popping up everywhere… showcasing the District and making it shine! Thank you to all who have helped with your continuing efforts! For those of you who didn’t have the opportunity and would like to attend a future Style Guide meeting email the Public Information Office at [email protected] and we will sign you up for a future class.

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District Happenings

The 71st Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Bonnet Parade took place on March 26, 2016 at Kennedy Park. The Bonnet parade consisted of 78 children who wore homemade bonnets and were lead by a Giant Bunny and they displayed their creative and colorful Easter colors. The winning categories included the prettiest, most unusual and most colorful. Following the parade, the Egg Hunt proceeded and was split into 4 age group that included over 8000 eggs and 800 participants.

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Getting ready for the big event!

District Happenings

Grounds Preparation: Cherryland 8th Annual Easter Egg Hunt on March 19th at Meek Estate Park

Waiting for Egg Hunt

Volunteers & Prizes

Mobile Rec in Action! Face Painting & the Jumper!

Arrival of the Easter Bunny!

Fun Activities!

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District Happenings

PhotoCentral presents Quang-Tuan Luong In the fine tradition of Ansel Adams, Quang-Tuan (QT) Luong is the only photographer known to have photographed all Fifty-Nine National Parks on a traditional 5x7 camera with large-format color film. QT was born in France from Vietnamese parents and he was featured in Ken Burns’ “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” a documentary on the history of the national parks.

On Friday, February 26th, the District’s PhotoCentral hosted a lecture by Photographer QT Luong who’s exhibition has been featured in the halls of H.A.R.D. and Photocentral. The artist talk was well received and had over 100 people in attendance. This interesting photographer talked about his book “Treasured Lands: America’s Fifty-Nine National Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of the National Park Service” and what it took to create the photo filled treasure. He also talked about his adventures and the efforts it took him to get the shots of the National Parks.

QT has been know to hang off the cliff of mountains or hike to remote parts with a 70 pound backpack...alone...for weeks! The stories he told were as mesmerizing as the photographer himself. Afterward, the audience toured the halls to view his large display of work. Thanks go out to the many H.A.R.D. employees and volunteers who made the event go so well! 9

Hard at Work Heroes, many times, don’t know they are being heroes. By nature they go about their day helping others never asking for anything in return. But, there are times when a hero does something that merits recognition. That was the case for Carrie Reginald. Carrie was experiencing problems with one of her custodial machines and asked Jim Pimentel if he could check the battery. She wanted his opinion on the situation because she wasn’t sure the reason the machine stopped operating. She wondered if it was a bad battery or maybe something more serious there she would need to take it to a buffer shop for repair. The next day Carrie found out that one the battery connectors was completely corroded. Jim, without being asked, replaced it. This good deed caught Carrie completely by surprise. She never expect him to do any maintenance on the machine but his kindness saved the District a lot of time and money! The machine is now up and running thanks to Jim!

Back in 80’s the arcade game “Frogger” was very popular. The object of the game was to direct frogs to their homes. The frogs crossed busy roads and other hazards. On February 12th we had our own real-life “Frogger” hero!

One of our Tree Frogs, named Popsicle, escaped the Sulphur Creek Nature Center. Staff looked for hours trying to find him as his life depends on being around or in water, but to no avail. Our custodian, Richard Demarco, saw it hopping unaware that staff had been looking for Popsicle. He took it upon himself to rescue it. He saw Popsicle by the back door, caught it, and cared for it overnight. The next day he returned it back to Sulphur Creek safe and sound! We are truly grateful to Richard that he cared enough to rescue Popsicle from a potential death. Thank you Richard!

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Hard at Work

Bad news...

The District is nothing if not environmentally conscience...We love our trees! But when a tree is in danger of falling because of rot and having multi-trunks...it is time to take action. As most of you know the District office is right next door to a middle school. Every day students walk by the tree. Much consideration was given to the best course of action. Rather than run the risk of serious injury the tree was removed.

Good news... On Saturday, April 30, 2016, Helping Hands Project with be at the District Office conducting a landscape and beautification project replacing the former ailing tree. This volunteer group, in partnership with StopWaste.org, will be transforming the lawns in front to the District Office into a water-saving bayfriendly garden and creating a vibrant ecosystem with healthier soil and plants. Thanks to Stop Waste of Alameda County, the City of Hayward and RRM Design Group for contributing towards this project and to Volunteer Hayward for coordinating this year’s event!

Before

Always happy to help out the crew!

After

Coincidence Clarence? Hmmm...

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Job Well Done Standing out in the sea of good works can be difficult especially if you are the new kid on the block. Such is the case with “new” employee Sacramento Paredes. Park Supervisor, Clarence Dobbs, noticed all of the park improvements that have occurred since the time he has been here. Stonebrae, Jalquin Vista and, most especially, Lewis Park look amazing! Sacramento has replanted his park sign at J. Lewis with no mow grass and added mulch for that special maintenance touch. He has also painted the fence line that bands the lower slope giving that area a fresh new look. Since being hired in August 2015, Sacramento has taken on his responsibilities as if the park was his own. When he was first hired he said, “I now get to care for these parks as if they are my own!” Sacramento has proven that to be true!

WHAT’S HAPPENING  04/08

“One for All: A Solo Artist Festival” Douglas Morrisson Theatre 8:00 p.m.

 04/09

Art Exhibit - 360°: Between Here and Gone. Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center. 2:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m.

 04/11

Fresh Food for Families Eden Greenway Park 2:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m.

 04/11

Alameda County Fire Department: Personal Emergency Preparedness Kenneth C. Aitken Senior & Community Center 2:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m.

 04/16

Girls Tennis Festival Mervin Morris Park 10:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m.

 04/20

Chapel of the Chimes: Pre-planning Seminar Kenneth C. Aitken Senior & Community Center 10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m.

 04/25

Climate Change Forum Kenneth C. Aitken Senior & Community Center 1:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

 04/27

Clipper Card Workshop Kenneth C. Aitken Senior & Community Center 11:30 a.m.

 Special

Free Income Tax Assistance: Kenneth C. Aitken & Hayward Senior Centers. Call for various times.

Good job Sacramento and keep up the good work!

Note...

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Sustainability Corner Have you heard of the Bay Area Bay Share Program? Well if you haven’t, it might be a good idea to visit their website at BayAreaBikeShare.com This innovative program was piloted in the Bay Area in 2013 and is now expanding to include more bikes because of it’s sustainable contribution and popularity. Read excerpts below from their website giving an overview of the program. The next time you are visiting any of the participating cities you may want to ask yourself, “ Could this be me my opportunity to contribute to sustainability and ride a Bay Area Bike Share bike?” ABOUT BAY AREA BIKE SHARE The Bay Area Bike Share is the region’s bike sharing system with 700 bikes and 70 stations across the region, with locations in San Francisco, Redwood City, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and San Jose. Intended to provide Bay Area residents and visitors with an additional transportation option for getting around the region, the Bay Area Bike Share is fun, easy, and affordable. A bike sharing system consists of a fleet of specially designed, heavy-duty, very durable bikes that are locked into a network of docking stations located throughout a region. Bay Area bikes can be rented from and returned to any station in the system, creating an efficient network with many possible combinations of start and end points. With hundreds of bikes at stations, the system is available for use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The station network provides twice as many docking points as bicycles, assuring that an available dock to return your bike is always nearby.

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COMINGS & GOINGS

After a 40 year career with the District, General Manager John Gouveia retired on January 29, 2016. As many of you know, John worked his way up the ranks over the years to become General Manager, a position which held for the last four years. His career began as a teen-age field attended and continued on to other positions including Recreation Supervisor, Public Information Supervisor, Business Manager and ultimately General Manager.

The foundation held an “Aloha” send off for him at the San Felipe Community Center. The event was well attended by those who John had worked with over the years including staff, retired staff and community members from various organizations. John and his wife Hope, who also retired from her job, are planning on spending their time making frequent trips to their home away from home, Hawaii. All the best to John and Hope as they begin an exciting new chapter in their life, living every day likes it’s a Saturday!

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COMINGS & GOINGS

After 31 years of dedicated service to H.A.R.D. and the Sulphur Creek Nature Center (SCNC), Rose Britton, has decided to join her husband, Joe, in a second new life...Retirement. Her last day was February 25, 2016. Rose has dedicated her years at H.A.R.D. to wildlife rehabilitation and educational programs at the Sulphur Creek Nature Center. She took a small animal hospital from a humble unstructured former ranch house and helped rebuild into a thriving native wildlife center that serves approximately 700 animals each year. Rose has worked hard to make the SCNC animal hospital an accredited full-service wildlife care facility recognized by the California State Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Deptartment of Fish and Wildlife and the USDA. Her desire for quality animal care and excellence in educational programming has helped the nature center to fulfill its mission of bringing people and animals closer together.

An amazing retirement party, with music, food, and great spirits was held at Sulphur Creek on Saturday, February 27th with over 130 guests that included family, friends, staff, and volunteers. She was presented with a group gift to stay at the MacCallum House in Mendocino along extra spending money and dozens of gifts and cards. We all wish her well in her new phase of her life!

Stepping into Rose’s shoes is Gracemarie Stafford. Gracie has been with the nature center since 1992 where she started off as a volunteer. Gracie’s skills in animal care, working with volunteers, fundraising, event planning and organization quickly led her to being hired on as staff in 1993. She is looking forward to maintaining the high quality of service that we provide the public while moving us forward to keep up with new regulations and databases as required by State and Federal agencies.

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COMINGS & GOINGS

Congratulations and welcome to Frank Nash who was hired as a new member of the Custodial staff on February 1, 2016. Frank comes to the District from the Dublin Unified School District. He is a graduate of Sacramento State University and a resident of San Leandro. Frank has 11 years of custodial experience and will compliment the District with his experience.

Congratulations to Esteban Roldan has been working with the District as a part-time hourly Custodian since August 2013 and now is a full-time Custodian. During his tenure, Esteban has been a diligent worker. In addition to a great work ethic, Esteban is known for maintaining good working relationships, being knowledgeable and skilled, and is respected as a loyal and dedicated employee.

Congratulations to Marcus Diaz for his promotion from hourly Caretaker to Park Maintenance Worker. In Marcus’ previous position with the District he worked at San Lorenzo Community Park, Meek Estate Park, and Kennedy Park, and worked the weekend crew. Marcus has a wealth of experience qualifying him for the position.

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Hard.ly News

Adrienne De Ponte loves working with butterflies on her time off ...but this year she discovered a new type of Monarch Bay butterfly roaming around the Shoreline...Director, Paul Hodges! Looks like Paul also enjoys being a butterfly on his time off!

The Eagle has landed…again. For those of you who have been around the District awhile know of the Eagle that was acquired by the District back in the early 60’s. The Eagle stood tall at the Hayward Senior Center for 40 years before flying over to the Adobe Art Center and eventually landing at the District office. What many of you may not know is the history of the Eagle. The bronzed Eagle dates back to the Meiji period (1868 – 1912) of Japanese Art. The statue is believed to have been brought into the country by the Hagiwara family and was a part of the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Baron Makoto Hagiwara was the creator of Gardens which, back in 1894, was originally named Japanese Village. In 1966, the District obtained the Eagle through a partial donation and purchase from Nobue Kawabata. Most recently, the Eagle resided in the former GM John Gouveia’s office. As of March 17, 2016, the Eagle has found a new home in the Business Offices of the District. So when you are in the office visiting Ms. Patty with your HR questions and pass by this 72 inch imposing statue you will understand a little more of the history and see its wonder!

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Hard.ly News “55” – Images of Sea Level Rise” - Jennifer Koney’ paintings and Oliver Klink’s photographs art exhibit opened March 13th at the Danville Village Theatre Art Gallery and ran through April 23rd. Tony Iwane from the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center also gave an impressive presentation about the local impacts of sea level rise at the opening. Be sure to read more about the Danville Exhibit with an overview explaining Jennifer and Oliver’s quest to educate those on the importance of sea level rise through her artwork and his photography. Jennifer will also be speaking at the “Last Call” of the show on April 23rd Congratulations to Jennifer as she, along with Oliver, continue to share their amazing show with Bay Area communities. You never know, we may soon be seeing their show at the national level!

Koney Family Jennifer's siblings (left to right): Jackie Koney, Tom Koney, Jennifer Koney, and Jill Koney Daly

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Employee Spotlight “We’re all still in a sense of shock after losing Ben...” As most of you know, in the past, we have spotlighted many amazing people from the District asking questions about their likes and dislikes. This edition we are highlighting one of our own who has passed on. Many of you knew Ben Teller who worked at the District since 2006 as Park Maintenance & Construction Tech under Vince Vierra, Sr. He worked at all of the facilities as a carpenter, painter, and electrician. Ben was integral part of the team with quite a few crew projects under his belt...especially with Ken Amann on painting projects and Ken Washington on lighting retrofits. Ben always had a smile on his face and a “can do” attitude...it was said that he was a “class act.” Once, while on-call, he received a phone call in the middle of the night to drive out to a facility from his home in Milpitas. After returning home, he got another call-out that same night…never complaining about it...knowing the job needed to be done. Bennet Jeffrey Teller, aka Ben, was born on August 24, 1958 in El Paso, Texas. After living for two years in Howell, Michigan his family moved to Berkeley. Ben grew up and attended school in Oakland. He graduated from Skyline High School in 1976. Ben also attended Cal State Hayward. He obtained his contractor’s license and he started his own business remodeling homes, installing and repairing residential and commercial windows in the Bay Area. He also worked as a contractor in Berkeley where he worked on “high end interior molding and trim finish work…he appreciated the art of the work.” Ben was a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, taking a number of multi-state motorcycle trips. He owned many dirt bikes throughout his lifetime and enjoyed off-road riding. He also enjoyed camping, fishing, and recreational shooting.

Ben was a lifelong Oakland Raiders fan. He enjoyed quoting movie lines and seeing if others could guess the movie or character. He was also a devout Buddhist who regularly attended and frequently volunteered at his temple. After a brief illness, Ben passed away on January 9th at Kaiser Hospital in San Leandro. He is survived by his wife, Miwa, daughter, Lisa, son, Jeffrey, mother, Bette, brother, Steven, and sister, Maria.

Ben & daughter Lisa

We would like to thank Ben for his devoted service to the District. “There’s probably not a day that we’re not missing him.” Thank you Ben. You will be missed. 19