STATUS REPORT ADMINISTRATION JANUARY 2011

Transcription

1 Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District Status Report January 2010

2 ADMINISTRATION JANUARY BOARD MEETING Presentations At this time we anticipate presentations to be made in recognition of volunteers from the Christmas Parade along with annual updates from the RC Track, Roadrunners Radio Control Auto Racing Club, the Camarillo Cougars, and AYSO Region 68. Don t be surprised if this portion of the meeting takes a good hour for all the groups to provide their respective information. Consent Agenda The only items currently listed on the consent agenda include the recent meeting minutes and the approval of warrants and payroll. New Items Discussion/Action Although a number of the following items have been introduced to the Board at previous meetings and have been reviewed by Board Committees, staff will provide a brief introduction on each item only to ensure that adequate time has been devoted prior to taking action on the Employee Policies and Procedures Manual, and the District Facility Use Policy. Additional items seeking approval include a new agreement with the RC Track Roadrunners Club (many of the same conditions as the recent BMX agreement), a request for approval of an easement for both Calleguas Park and Pleasant Valley Fields for the construction of bike paths at both parks. The City will coordinate the construction with funding provided by a Ventura County Transportation Commission grant. The easements will allow for the construction of a bike path through the south side of Calleguas Park thereby allowing access to the bike path along the creek and the PV Fields easement will allow for the introduction of the bike path at the east side of the park. Staff will continue discussion on the proposed opening of Camarillo Grove Park on weekends for off-leash use by dog owners and as requested staff will return to the Board for approval of the renaming of Pleasant Valley Park to Bob Kildee Community Park. Reports by the Board and Staff The Chair will review the new committee assignments with reports provided on the Ventura County Special District meeting and committee reports from Finance, Policy, Personnel, and Long Range Planning. ADMINISTRATION Christmas Parade Greater detail is provided in the Recreation Section of the Status Report but it should be mentioned that the weather was great, attendance was up in parade entries and spectators that lined the street, and from all accounts a good time was had by everyone. The introduction of the fly-over, and confetti cannons to start the parade and the inflated balloons during the parade were all successful and added another dimension to the event. The parade is an excellent example of the dedication and effort given by District staff. Virtually all District staff work the event from the early morning hour to the late afternoon conclusion of Santa s Village. Congratulations go out to the staff, the Board for their support and attendance, the City for support through the Policy and Public Works Departments, and the numerous volunteers that assist throughout the day.

3 ADMINISTRATION Ventura County Special District Association As requested, the General Manager gave the members in attendance an overview of the District and current projects. To add interest to the presentation, the GM literally used the recent issue of the Activity Guide as the basis of the presentation. The group was requested to use the guide as a source of information to a variety of questions posed to the audience. Correct answers were awarded a priceless District T-shirt or hooded sweat shirt. By the end of the presentation, audience members were shouting answers and shirts were flying which in the end added to a fun evening for everyone. Ethics Training and Council meeting On December 8 th, the Board, City Council and the City Planning Commission attended an Ethics Training class in the City Administration conference room. The two-hour class was conducted during a recess of the City Council meeting. After the recess, the Council resumed the meeting in the Council chambers and based on a presentation by the City Redevelopment Agency, approved the sale agreement for Dizdar Park. As an update to the transfer of the park, staff and the Board have signed the deed documents, including a transfer of the Chamber of Commerce agreement with the opening of escrow pending. Meeting with City Officials Staff (GM and Parks Superintendent) met with the Community Development Director and Assistant Director to discuss long range projects and the City Manager and Public Works Director to review the proposed bike path. In the Community Development Department the conversation concerned the proposed Ran Rancho development which is the second phase of the Springville project. Items discussed included the expansion of the proposed five acre park, the acquisition of available open space, and dedicated bike paths. Additional discussion included the Conejo Creek project and a new commercial recreation development. This information will be shared with the Long Range Planning Committee at their next meeting. In the City Manager s office we discussed the proposed bike path. Items of discussion included the point of connection at Pleasant Valley Fields, the completion of the bike path at the same location, grant funding for the project, and easements required for the project. Administration Division Re-organization Based on the current vacancy in Human Resources, the General Manager has met with the management team and clerical staff to review and discuss a possible re-organization of the Administration Division. The concepts and proposals will be reviewed with the personnel Committee on December 22 nd. Holiday Get-Together Staff and the Board attended the annual Holiday party and Employee Recognition luncheon on December 15 th at the Aloha Restaurant. A good time was had by all in attendance with great food, tons of door prizes and as always the big raffle at the end. Employee recognition was given to Matt Parker and Alex Segundo for 15 years in the District and Billy Baskas for his 30 years of service. A big thank you and job well done goes out to Jane, Mark and Steve for coordinating the event.

4 FINANCE FINANCIALS Financial Statements NOVEMBER 2010 COMPARATIVE (ACCRUAL BASIS) Mark Carlson will continue providing the Financial Statements inside the Status Report for your review. You may call Mark with questions on any item and he will do his best to answer your question or research the answer and get back to you. At any time, you may request that the Financial Statement be added as an Agenda item for discussion at a Board meeting. REVIEW OF COMPARATIVE FINANCIAL THRU NOVEMBER 30, 2010 In the following pages of this Status Report you will find the PVRPD Summary Financial Statement for the period of July 1, 2010 through November 30, 2010 with a year-to-date comparison for the period of July 1, 2009 through November 30, The amount of Budget used should be at 41.67%. Income With five months into the fiscal year, revenue is now above last year by 9.66% which equates to $70,123 from previous year actual. This is mostly due to Facility Rentals up by $34,596 a 93% increase and the two $30,000 donations from the youth soccer groups. The District received an unexpected PARDEC dividend from prior years in the amount of $18,592. The District has received State Reimbursements in the amount of $37,783 a $10,194 increase with more to come. Expenditures Personnel Expenditures are above last year by 2.69% and below this fiscal year budget by 2.95%. Service and Supply Expenditures are below budget by 8.29 % but above last year by 18.5%. Capital Improvement Expenditures are above last year by $11,075 but below budget by 6.71%. Overall Totals: Operational Expenditures are below budget by 5.4%! The District is off to a strong financial start well within the approved Budget even with five months of PV Field expenditures that we did not have one year ago. The focus of Governmental Accounting is on accountability rather than profitability. The Budget is a legal document. The Board approves the Budget and staff must abide by it. Total expenditures cannot exceed appropriations. ADMINSTRATION Staff is working together to facilitate the absence of Human Resources. Mark is handling the paperwork as it comes in, fielding HR issue calls, working with the District contacts that previously went through HR, obtaining results from DOJ and Medical handlers, and working with our Customer Service Representatives on any issue they can't handle. BUDGET Staff is in the process of providing amendments and their justifications for review and the midyear Budget with be presented to the Finance Committee in January and the Board in February.

5 PARKS DIVISION - FACILITIES FREEDOM SHOP Staff recently installed a handicap parking stall. This addition to the Shop parking lot was initiated following a safety inspection of the Freedom Shop by the City. City staff determined that the Freedom Shop was not in compliance with city ordinances because we had no handicap parking stalls. THE FLIGHT OF THE BALLOONS Well, the Christmas Parade this year was absolutely wonderful. We had the entire staff participating in the Parade in one form or another, the weather outside was delightful and we couldn t have asked for a better day. This year was a first for the big Balloons. We had 4 different kinds of ornaments in the sky. There were 3 groups of volunteers navigating the large balloons throughout the parade. These groups were formed with our volunteer of the year, Mr. Mike Mishler leading the A.Y.S.O. kids, the Senior Walking Club, and the Pleasant Valley Swim Team. FREEDOM CENTER Staff has continued to remodel and make improvements to The Freedom Center. Staff recently removed the old carpet that was covering the stage. As a part of this project, they relocated the electrical system. We installed the system flush to the carpet in order to eliminate trip hazards. Staff also installed a flush mounted box for the P.A. system s cords. To finish it off, we installed new carpeting. The crew is trying their best to keep this building looking good. PREPARING FOR THE HOLIDAYS Recently the maintenance staff began setting up the decorations for the holiday season. They constructed Santa s Village, added Christmas lights to the buildings, and added four 60 inch Christmas wreaths to the Community Center. These were a great addition to the unadorned walls.

6 PARKS DIVISION GROUNDS Freedom Park In preparation for the anticipated start of the Freedom Park phase 1 renovation, staff has made many modifications to the existing irrigation system. They installed several water mainline isolation valves throughout the site to allow for the isolation of the irrigation supply in the area of the first phase of Freedom Park renovation. They also redirected and looped the water mainline, laying down approximately 400 feet of 3 diameter pipe to allow for the continued supply of water to the R/C Track, In-line Skate Rink, and the BMX Track during first phase of renovation construction. Community Center Between the recent rains, Christmas Parade, and other events staff managed to push forward and continue with the planned water wise landscape renovation of the community center. These upgrades, when complete, will consist of the removal of turf and the creation of new planters with water wise plants, irrigation retrofit, and the rehabilitation of existing planters. Eldred Lokker Park Holiday Tree It s hard to believe that we are already here again; I guess it rings true to the saying, Time flies when you re having fun. Staff assisted active neighbor and community member, Tom McKiernan in the annual stringing of holiday lights atop a 35 foot center piece Cedar tree at Eldred Lokker Park. This tree was planted by the District several years ago with partial funds raised from the surrounding neighborhood by Mr. McKiernan himself. Since then with the continued support of the District, the lighting of the tree during the Holiday season has become an annual tradition for neighbors of Eldred Lokker Park and the community as well. Leadership Training Select members of the Parks staff had the wonderful opportunity to partake and graduate through a Leadership symposium sponsored and taught by the District s management staff. Students were trained on management styles, employee motivation, customer service, public speaking, etc. The feedback from all who had attended was all positive and the responses from those who want to attend the next session were enthusiastic.

7 RECREATION Camarillo Christmas Parade After finishing a great Christmas Parade, staff is already reviewing improvements for the following year. Staff met on Tuesday, December 14 th to evaluate the parade, Santa s Village, the overall operations, the Pre-parade Celebration, the V.I.P. Area, the parade application fee, and Grand Marshal possibilities for the 50 th year. With so much to do, staff is looking at dividing the parade into multiple areas and appointing key staff to be in charge of their area. This may help with the overall operations and timeliness of completing tasks for this large special event. The debut of the large helium filled balloons was eye pleasing and great treat for all the spectators. The Senior Center Walking Club, AYSO and the Pleasant Valley Swim Team walked with the four balloons. Staff is also in the beginning stages of reviewing the idea of a graphic designer to assist with creating the poster for the parade. This would tie in with the advertisement in the Activity Guide and give an overall recognition to the parade theme for the year. Safety Committee Meeting The Safety Committee met on Wednesday, December 15th at 9:30am to elect the 2011 Safety Committee. The 2011 representatives are Chair: Charles Woodley, Vice Chair: Kelley Levin, Recreation Representative: Yvonne Valles, Grounds Representative: John Fletcher, Facilities Representative: Bob Cerasuolo, Aquatics Representative: Kelley Levin, Administrative Representative: Dan LaBrado. The next meeting will be Wednesday, January 19 th at 9:30am. The December 2010 minutes are attached. Roadrunner Remote Control Track Contract Staff met with Steve Bray, President of the Roadrunner R/C Club on Wednesday, December 1 st. The updated contract will be for three years and include annual performance goals for both parties including a fence being placed around the track and upgrading electrical, scheduling upcoming races and offering classes and programs to the public. After meeting with Steve, he met with his Board of Directors and they agreed that a payment to the District was viable and agreed to pay $200 per month or $600 per quarter. In anticipation of revenue, staff will now develop a budget for the R/C Track. Calendar Meeting Staff met with a Pony Baseball representative, a Camarillo Cougars representative and a representative from the Camarillo Girls Softball Association. The meeting went well and dates for practices, games, tournaments, and more were placed on the calendar. Facility reservation forms were also completed for the use of classrooms at the District Office. Recreation Meeting The Recreation staff met on Tuesday, December 21 st to discuss a variety of items such as the website development, Spring Class Details, Spring Activity Guide and mid-year budget adjustments. In addition to the regularly scheduled management meetings, the Recreation staff will now meet every two weeks. The addition of this meeting will bring cohesiveness to the

8 RECREATION group and fine-tune a variety of items such as staffing needs, evaluation or programs, calendar meetings, budget management, part time staff meetings, staff trainings, website and activity guide production and design. Website Development In anticipation of the website kick-off meeting scheduled for January 12 th, staff is continually updating the website and brainstorming ideas for the organization and layout of the new site. In addition, staff is gathering information to create a mapping module. This consists of gathering park amenities, latitude and longitude coordinates, and other significant information. Civica recommended to better prepare for the initial meeting, staff should review a variety of websites and note the specific features, organization, and the look of sites they like. This will help to make the meeting more productive and give Civica a better idea of how to create the look of the site.

9 I. Call to order: 9:42am Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Safety Meeting Minutes for December 15, 2010 II. III. IV. Members in Attendance Billy Baskas, Amy Stewart, Jeri Armstrong, Kelley Levin, Stephanie Pape, Brandon Lopez, Mike Cruz and Dan LaBrado. Woody Woodley was absent. Approval of November 17, 2010 Minutes Motion to approve as amended by Jeri Armstrong and seconded by Amy Stewart. Review and Comments of Employee/Patrons Accident/Incident Reports The committee reviewed in detail, nine accident/incident reports. The first report reviewed involved an employee (lifeguard), at the PVAC who was slightly injured while unwinding the lane line. While unreeling the lane line, the hook became disengaged and hit the top of his hand, leaving a bump and small cut. It was suggested that the lane lines be unwound slower to prevent the hook from coming loose and causing additional injuries. The second injury that was discussed involved a 79 year old man who experienced shortness of breath and became overheated from walking in the parade. Paramedics were called. They checked his vitals, and had him drink water and rest. He was not transported to the hospital, and drove himself home after resting. Discussion was held on how each of the other accident/incidents were handled and possibilities to prevent future occurrences. The motion to approve all nine reports with one revision was made by Kelley Levin and seconded by Billy Baskas. V. Review/Discussion of Inspection Reports from District Sites A. Grounds Division: Mike Cruz reported that there have not been any safety issues concerning the grounds. B. Facilities Division: Brandon Lopez reported the rubber mats at Lokker Park playground need to be removed. Replacement to be determined. C. Aquatics Division: Kelley Levin reported that the PVAC staff was re-certified on December 10 and 12, They have scheduled in-service dates through August They have created and new checklist for first aid kits. D. Recreation Division: Jeri Armstrong reported that the Pleasant Valley Co-op Preschool has completed emergency evacuation drills through December 1, E. Safety Committee Trainer: Woody Woodley was absent. VI. New Business: A. Nominations for 2011 Safety Committee: 1. Chair: Woody Woodley 2. Vice Chair: Kelley Levin 3. Secretary: Stephanie Pape 4. Grounds Representative: John Fletcher 5. Facilities Representative: Bob Cerasuolo 6. Aquatic Center Representative: Kelley Levin 7. Recreation Representative: Yvonne Valles 8. Admin Representative: Dan LaBrado Page 1 of 2

10 9. Safety Committee Trainer: Woody Woodley All candidates were nominated and approved by the 2010 Safety Committee. VII. Topics for next meeting: A. Review of Accident Reports B. Follow-up on emergency evacuation drills Next Safety Meeting: Wednesday January 19, Conference Room - 9:30am Meeting adjourned at 10:45 am Safety Committee Chair: Billy Baskas Date Page 2 of 2

11 RECREATION DIVISION AQUATICS New Year Kick Off Aquatic Staff is diligently preparing to kick off the New Year with new programming. Beginning in April, evening and Saturday morning Aqua Aerobics classes will be offered. These will differ from our current Water Aerobics classes as participants will not be required to purchase a Fitness Pass. Instead, participants may pay a single entry fee or use a Splash Pass, which is also good for other Aquatic Programs. The new classes will be taught by current swim instructors trained by Debbie Greenwood, the Aquatic Center s former Water Aerobics Instructor. Using their noodle during Water Aerobics. Staff being tested on caring for head, neck, or back injuries on land. Staff removing victim from the pool. Customers can look forward to a greater number of swim lessons being offered in the spring. Due to high demand, additional private swim lessons will be offered weekday evenings, extending lessons until 8pm. Parent and Child swim lessons will now be offered once a week Wednesday mornings. This is an effort to provide parents who cannot attend Saturday lessons a chance to take Parent and Child Swim Lessons before the summer season begins. Attendance Due to cold weather and the holidays, Saturday Recreation Swim attendance began to dwindle in November. As such, all Saturday Rec Swims were cancelled for the month of December in an effort to reduce expenses. However, Friday Night Dollar Day Recreation Swims were still relatively popular and the total attendance for November was up from the previous year. During Thanksgiving break, staff received many phone calls inquiring about Recreation Swim for kids who were out of school. Aquatic management will consider scheduling extra Recreational Swims during upcoming holiday breaks. In-Service Training Nearly the entire staff, including seasonal staff in college, was recertified for CPR/AED for the professional rescuer, First Aid, and Lifeguarding in December. Friday, December 10 th, staff arrived at the Community Center ready to test their First Aid skills. Sunday, December 12 th, staff spent the entire day challenging their CPR and Lifeguarding skills. To recertify, staff must not only demonstrate the required skills, but also pass three tests with 80%. In addition, in-service trainings have been schedule through August 2011.

12 RECREATION DIVISION COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Rise & Shine Preschool The Rise & Shine Preschool had their holiday break from December 20 January 2. During this time staff will be cleaning and organizing the facility, and planning lessons for the New Year. The Parent Advisory Committee is currently working on the upcoming Family Wellness Seminar scheduled for Saturday, February th Annual Camarillo Christmas Parade The 49 th Annual Camarillo Christmas Parade was held on Saturday, December 11 th under beautiful blue skies and Southern California summer weather. Participants found it hard to believe that it was December. With 113 entries, the parade from beginning to completion lasted approximately 2 ½ hours. Participants came from as far away as San Diego to participate in this year s parade. This year s parade was a menagerie of floats, specialty, equestrians and band entries. New additions to this year s event included large helium balloons, confetti canons, and a T-6 flyover. One of this year s surprises came in the form of the 6 month old Camarillo White Horses that culminated the parade. These youngsters pranced down with joy along the parade route making all the little boys and girls very happy. The children also enjoyed the large inflated ornaments carried by the various community service groups. The parade ended at the Camarillo Community Center where participants and guests enjoyed the Santa s Village Holiday Carnival. This event featured vendors, inflatable attractions, entertainment, carnival games, crafts and much more. Santa Claus visited with children from 2-4pm listening to their holiday wishes. December 10, 2011 will be the 50 th Camarillo Christmas Parade. Theme ideas include A Golden Christmas in honor of the golden anniversary of this great community event.

13 RECREATION DIVISION COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Community Classes Staff is currently working on the Spring 2011 session of classes. Many new classes will be featured this spring with many new instructors contracting with the District. Staff has added jewelry making, sewing, Pilates for expectant mothers, boot camps and much more. Staff will host two independent contractor meetings on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 6pm and Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 9am. These meetings will cover basic District information, safety procedures, updates to contracts and the upcoming summer season. Earth Day Staff will meet with the Camarillo Community Garden in January to discuss ways the District can assist and support this group with their upcoming Earth Day event. The event is slated for April 17, Easter Eggstravaganza Staff will begin soliciting for sponsors for the Easter Eggstravaganza and Craft Fair beginning in January. This year s event will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2011 from 10am-3pm. The event will have longer hours than in the past to promote the Craft Fair portion of the event and will allow participants to enjoy the festivities for an extended period of time. Crossroads Community Church will once again participate by providing volunteers to assist with the carnival games and inflatable attractions. Kid s Day in the Park & Safe Families Event Staff in conjunction with Safe Kid s Ventura County, Ventura County Medical Center and Los Robles Hospital has selected a date for the next Safe Kid s Summer event. Kid s Day in the Park will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 10am 1pm. Staff will begin the planning of the activities, events and giveaways for this event in mid January. This year Community Programs Staff will work with the P.V. Aquatic Center Manager to include water safety into this event. Camp Funtastic Staff is currently working on developing the Spring and Summer Camp session of Camp Funtastic. Staff will begin recruitment for summer staff in February and will begin staff training during April and May.

14 RECREATION DIVISION SENIOR PROGRAMS Camarillo Café Camarillo Café put together a special Holiday Benefit Concert on Saturday, December 18 th. The evening began at 8:00PM and featured ten stellar performances by Songmakers musicians. The net proceeds from the evening will be donated to the Songmakers Organization. Their mission is to preserve home-made music and support the belief that all people need music in their lives; believing maximum enrichment music should be a participatory activity rather than just a spectator entertainment. They asked for a $10 donation at the door. Staff has begun preparing computer lessons for classes that will start in January. Seniors listen to a presentation by a CTAP representative. Low vision student turns in paperwork so he can receive a specialized phone. Computer Training Staff is developing hands-on lessons for senior computer classes that will begin in January. The classes will run as a six week series. There is a waiting list of seniors wanting to begin these classes. Staff will start with four seniors and teach them the basics of using Microsoft Office. There will be a minimum charge of $10 for the six week series. CTAP Telephone Distribution Staff had a representative from the California Telephone Access Program at the Senior Center during a Low Vision class. CTAP came to provide free telephone equipment to qualified California residents. A total of approximately 40 participants were able to take a new phone home with them. These specialized phones have the ability to have a higher volume, make dialing easier, provide hands-free operation, flashing lights for incoming calls, and conversations displayed in text and/or built in number memory. Those that received phones seemed very pleased and were anxious to try them out. Camarillo Council on Aging The Camarillo Council on Aging continues to work as a volunteer organization, chartered by the Camarillo City Council to represent senior interests in the city. They placed ads in both local papers announcing they have a vacancy on their board. The council will fill the vacancy by board action during its January 11th meeting. Candidates must live in Camarillo and have an interest in matters affecting the senior population, though they need not be seniors themselves. The

15 RECREATION DIVISION SENIOR PROGRAMS selected candidate will serve from January until June, at which time a regular election by seniors living in Camarillo will be held to fill the Board seat. Interested parties can send a brief résumé to camarillocouncilonaging@gmail.com, or CCOA, 881 Vista Coto Verde, Camarillo, CA Applications must be received by January 4, December s Board Meeting had the swearing in of recently re-elected members Elaine and Bob. Elaine Magner, was recognized for her outstanding year serving as Board Chair. Seniors filling their plates at the Holiday Potluck Feast held in the Senior Center. December Board Meeting The District s monthly Board meeting was held in the Senior Center for the month of December. Besides recognizing Mike Mishler as an outstanding volunteer, staff also recognized Mark Carlson as an outstanding employee. After the recognitions the Board members held their elections. The chair for 2011 will be Paul Rockenstein, the vice-chair will be Patty Hamm, and Elaine Magner will be the secretary. Everyone was invited to stay for an end of year celebration of cake and punch. Excursions Staff secured more tickets for the December trip to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza to see the Holiday Spectacular show. Staff will be taking fifty seniors on a coach bus from Barnes Charter to Thousand Oaks for the show. Staff held an informational meeting on Tuesday, November 23 rd for the six seniors who will be traveling to New York with Collette in December. The Collette representative also provided information for our next excursion to Eastern Canada at the end of May He also discussed the plans for an Italy excursion in the fall of Holiday Feast Staff held a Holiday pot-luck feast for approximately 80 seniors and numerous staff members in the Senior Center on Wednesday, November 23 rd. Staff provided the turkey and ham while the seniors brought a huge array of delicious dishes and treats. There was everything from cranberry sauce to mashed potatoes and gravy. For some seniors, this was their only holiday dinner. Several other senior programs held individual holiday parties for their participants.

16 RECREATION DIVISION SENIOR PROGRAMS Leadership Academy Staff helped provide a festive graduation for the six members of the District s second Leadership Academy. Everyone was invited to attend the graduation on December 1 st after the taking of the annual Holiday picture. Each student was given a leather portfolio as a gift and was congratulated by all those present. The graduates were Bob Cerasuolo, Brandon Lopez, Cheryl Peterson, Mike Cruz, Nick Marienthal and Yvonne Valles. Leadership Academy Graduates and Dan at the graduation ceremony. Staff prepared the VIP Room in the Senior Center this year. The PV Senior Center Walking Club held onto one of the balloon ornaments during the parade. Logo Staff assisted the Recreation Manager with the application for the District s new 49 th year logo in the CPRS s Annual Awards Program. It is being submitted in the Agency Showcase Division under the Agency Logo Category. This category recognizes excellence in printed material that encourages participation in recreation activities. Staff feels in an effort to improve our image, we have created a vivid modernization of our existing logo which lets the community know how long the District has been in business and includes important contact information. Monthly Totals Staff received a total of 473 phone calls in the office during the month of November. The number of seniors dropping by the office for information was 409. The attendance total for all Senior Center programs and activities in the month of November was 4,123. Forty-four volunteers worked 293 times throughout the month for a total of 1,004 hours to help run these programs. Parade The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District presented the 49 th Annual Camarillo Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 11 th. All the District s staff was on hand to make sure the day was a successful community event. Before the parade, all the VIP s were invited to a delicious breakfast featuring Mark Carlson s famous breakfast burritos in the Senior Center, which was turned into the new VIP Room. Then

17 RECREATION DIVISION SENIOR PROGRAMS Staff members Alex and Matt were recognized for 15 years of service while Billy was recognized for his 30 years of service. Matt Parker won the 40 flat screen television grand prize. Tau Tai Tai after a thrilling ride through the parade route, filled with cheering spectators, the VIP s returned to the cool Senior Center to enjoy a tasty lunch of pizza, sandwiches and salad from Valentino s. Despite the extra warm weather, everyone seemed to think the parade was a huge success and that everything ran very smoothly. Even the Senior Center Walking Club was glad they had the opportunity to participate. The Grand Marshall, Jack Wilson and the two special guests, Charlie Kimball and William Smith, all expressed their appreciation for having the opportunity to be part of the annual parade. Staff Holiday Service Luncheon All full and part-time PVRPD s staff members were invited to gather at Aloha Steakhouse for the annual Holiday Service Luncheon. The District Board Members and retirees were also invited to join staff as they recognized Alex Segundo and Matt Parker for their 15 years of service and Billy Baskas for his 30 years of dedicated service. Management staff also thanked Dan La Brado for all he has done for the District, in the short amount of time he has been General Manager. After a delicious meal, and a fast-pace gift exchange game, all staff members walked away with a small gift. Bernadette Limon and Amy Stewart won major raffle prizes and Matt Parker walked out with the 40 flat screen television grand prize. Tau Tai Tai The Senior Center staff and all the participants in our Hula Tahitian Class want to say a very fond farewell to our beloved instructor Tau Tai Tai. Tau unexpectedly died on Thanksgiving day, leaving behind an extremely grateful group, who so appreciates the time they had with him. His gentle spirit will live on in the beautiful Hawaiian dance that he loved sharing with all his students. The Pleasant Valley Senior Center Staff wants to wish everyone:

18 RECREATION DIVISION SPORTS Adult Softball League The softball manager s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 11 th at the Community Center Auditorium. The meeting is an informational meeting for all softball managers for the upcoming season notifying them of registration procedures, new rules and dates of the season. AYSO Region 68 AYSO hosted the Area Team Playoffs at Pleasant Valley Fields on December 4 th - 5 th, and December 11 th - 12 th. AYSO is hosting the Area W All-Star Playoffs at Pleasant Valley Fields on the weekends of January 15 th - 16 th, January 22 nd - 23 rd and December 29 th - 30 th. Eagles Soccer Club The Eagles Soccer Club hosted the College Showcase at Pleasant Valley Fields on December 10 th and 11 th. This event was a round robin format with some of the top high school boys in the nation playing on three fields. Divisions were the Boys U16, Boys U17 and Boys U19. Camarillo Cougars Football Club The Camarillo Cougars are scheduled to present their Annual Update to the Board on January 5 th. Camarillo Youth Basketball Association The CYBA starts its season on January 8 th and goes through mid-march at the local gyms. There are 680 participants playing basketball this season. Camarillo PONY Baseball Camarillo PONY Baseball is still taking registration through January 1 st. The CPBA starts the season on January 8 th with Skill Assessments. The season officially starts on February 7 th and Opening Ceremonies on March 5 th.

19 RECREATION DIVISION SPORTS Camarillo Girls Softball Association The Camarillo Girls Softball Association ends registration on December 22 nd. The season begins on January 8 th with Skill Assessments. On January 15 th and 16 th Alicia Hollowell of USA Softball will have a pitching clinic and on January 22 nd and 23 rd Alicia Lindsey Collins, a professional catcher in the National Pro Fast Pitch League, and a former catcher at the University of Arizona will host a catching clinic. The season officially starts on February 1 st with practices and Opening Ceremonies on February 26 th. Annual Sports Calendar Meeting The second of three calendar meetings was held on Tuesday, December 14 th in the District Conference Room. Attendees were representatives of Camarillo PONY Baseball, Camarillo Girls Softball and Cougars Football. The meeting was a success as the group was able to lay out plans for tournaments and league schedules. Some of the key features this year are the Girls Softball District B Tournament on June 24 th - 26 th. The CPBA is hosting the Camarillo Classic on May 27 th May 30 th. The Cougars Football begins its season on July 18 th. The third Calendar Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 6 th at 6pm in the District Conference Room. The meeting will involve staff and representatives of the Roadrunner Remote Control Track, Camarillo Roller Hockey and Freedom Park BMX Track.

20 Camarillo holds 49th annual Christmas parade By Mark Storer Camarillo holds 49th annual Christmas parade

21 Camarillo s 49th annual Christmas parade marched off the starting line at Temple Avenue and Las Posas Road on Saturday morning to the shrill sound of sirens and cheers from an exuberant crowd. Under a blue sky and balmy sunshine, people began lining Las Posas before 10 a.m. to get the best view of the 113 entries, which included large balloon floats making their first appearance in the parade. I like to do the parade bigger and better each year, if I can, said Dan LaBrado, Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District general manager. So we got these four giant Christmas ornament balloons from Big Events in San Diego. Each balloon was 13 feet tall and was held aloft by various community groups. The official start to the parade was a flyover of two World War II vintage aircraft provided by the Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing based at Camarillo Airport. The British Spitfire and American P-51 Mustang sped over the parade s course as the crowd looked skyward. The parade went from Temple Avenue and Las Posas Road down to Carmen Drive and ended at the Camarillo Community Center where Santa s Village, a collection of arts and crafts, games and activities and food vendors were set up to continue the annual celebration. This year s theme, Christmas Through the Decades, had participants dressing in costume. Camarillo High School s marching band, which led the parade down Las Posas, dressed in blue jeans and T-shirts, representing the 1950s. Jack Wilson, shortstop for the Seattle Mariners, was one of three grand marshals. We were really excited to be asked to participate, said Wilson, who lives in the Santa Rosa Valley. It s fun to bring the kids out and see all the folks. The other two grand marshals were William Smith, an actor and author, and Charlie Kimball, an Indy Lights race car driver who grew up in Camarillo and went to Rio Mesa High School. I grew up with the parade and was involved in 4-H for a while, so got to march in it, said Kimball. I feel such a strong connection to Ventura County, and it s great to be part of this. Kimball said his plan for 2011 is to step up from Indy Lights to the Indy Car Series. Gianna Tartisel, 9, of Camarillo, was marching with Pleasant Valley Swim Team. It s fun to see all my friends and wave to them from here, she said. Last year, I was on the street waving to people who were in the parade and now I m in it. Gianna s father, Larry, was marching with her. I ve lived in Camarillo since 1965, he said. I ve never been in the parade, so it s a first for me, too. Read more: - vcstar.com