the hard times - Hayward Area Recreation and Park District

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.
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In This Issue

Health & Wellness

District Happenings

HARD at Work

Job Well Done

Sustainability Corner

Comings & Goings

HARD.ly News

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.
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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
rene@haywardrec.org 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!
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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.
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