What do you want to see in your neighborhood park? As we are finalizing our plans that will prepare the construction bid for the Marlin Park Playground Renovation Project (Yay!), we are ready to launch the public outreach workshops for Mezes and Jardin de Niños Park Renovations!
The first workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 26th, and the second on November 16th. We want neighbors and park users to get involved by offering suggestions for how we can improve the parks.
For both of the main workshops, we will:
Present in both English and Spanish
Provide tasty snacks and beverages
Have a Kids Zone (recreation staff will be on hand)
Start at 5:30pm for Jardin de Niños and we will meet at Tapestry Church (which is right down the street from the park at 1305 Middlefield Road)
Start at 7:00pm for Mezes and we will meet at Orion School (which is right down the street from the park at 815 Allerton Street)
{ Kids enjoying their first camp experience at Stulsaft Park }
Parents! Does the word “Summer” ignite feelings of panic about how you are going to entertain your child all season long? Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services is again offering a variety of fun and enriching camps for preschoolers this summer. Our camps are built to be inviting, caring and chock full of age appropriate activities for your little one, to help to ensure a positive first camp experience.
Camp is a great opportunity to try something new. Because our camps are usually half-day and one week long, it gives parents flexibility to pick and choose from a variety of themes and topics so kids can have varying experiences. It can also provide some “drop-off” practice for the first day of preschool.
Here are some tips to help get you over the hurdle of deciding if your young child is ready for camp, as well as tips for making the transition much easier:
Your child may be ready for camp if …
Shows signs of independence, goes to school, is accustomed to being separated from you for extended periods and or has older brothers or sister they look up to.
Enjoys making new friends and doing hands on activities.
Enjoys playdates with other children.
Which camp to pick?
Is your child crazy about the outdoors, dinosaurs, soccer, dance, art, bugs, fairytales, cooking etc? Pick a camp that will keep your child’s interest. Many camps will have a theme listed when you sign up. Consider your child’s interests when making a selection.
Ask neighbors and friends about camp suggestions, they can be some of the greatest resources.
Consider if your child would do better in a full day or half day camp setting. If a full day would be too long, consider sending them to a half day camp. Many times a half day is a perfect amount of time for a new camper.
Tips for a better transition
A short and sweet goodbye works best for all. After you sign your child into camp, give them a hug and kiss, introduce them to their leader, and tell them to have a great day.
Make sure your camper has what they need to go to camp. All their clothes and lunch box are labeled with their name since many times campers may have the same items.
If you have specific parent questions about camp or the activities call before the camp starts that way you have your answers before dropping off your child on the first day.
If your camp is held at a local park or community center it may be a good idea to visit the location with your child beforehand.
Before the first day of camp you may want to talk to your child about going to camp and the exciting things they will be doing.
On average, 8 year olds are ready for “sleepover” camp. To ease the transition, kids should experience sleeping over at a relative’s or friend’s house at least one night before going to an overnight camp.
Camps start June 20th. It’s not too late to sign up. Visit our Redwood City Camp Website for more information atRedwoodCityCamps.org. This list can also be found on our Camp Website.
350 motorcyclists turned out for the 7th Annual Poker Run!
Record-Breaking Turnout for Motorcycle Poker Run – $40,000 Raised for San Mateo County Kids
Redwood City, CA – A record-breaking crowd turned out for the 7th Annual Redwood City Poker Run on Saturday, May 14. An incredible total of 350 motorcyclists and guests showed up on over 300 motorcycles to raise money for Redwood City’s After School Sports Programs, including Redwood City Police Activities League and Redwood City Parks & Recreation, as well as the San Mateo County Sheriffs Activities League. The entire goal of the event is to help children in San Mateo County, and this event really accomplished that, having raised nearly $40,000 for that great cause!
Jason Pullen, Motorcycle Stunt Rider
The economic situation today is particularly challenging for many kids growing up in San Mateo County, and they need the community’s help more than ever. This annual motorcycle ride fundraiser is a great way a lot of folks to give back to the community, while having a great time. The fundraising ride was assisted by the California Highway Patrol, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, and put together with the dedicated work of many great volunteers. The main sponsors of this fabulous fundraiser are Dudley Perkins Co. and the Golden Gate Harley Owners Group (HOG) Chapter.
It was a beautiful ride up Highway 35 and along the beautiful San Mateo County coastline, and this year included a surprise guest, stunt motorcycle rider Jason Pullen, to add a little more excitement to the day. The prize drawing included fabulous items such as a 42-inch flat screen, and a several of sets of new tires. The entire event was a great success, and most importantly raised significant funds for kids in San Mateo County.
The official event website is redwoodcitypokerrun.com where there is more information about this wonderful annual fundraiser.
An extensive research study asked California citizens and public officials “Why are parks important to you?” The research, sponsored by the California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS), a nonprofit, professional and public interest organization with more than 4,000 members, was used to develop the first-ever brand of the profession. “Parks Make Life Better!” is now being launched by CPRS members statewide, including the City of Redwood City.
Overwhelmingly, survey respondents value parks and recreation as an essential community service. Virtually every California household (98%) reported visiting a park during the past year. Forty-two percent visited a park at least several days a week; 26% visited at least once a week, and 68% visited at least monthly. Of these, 55% go with spouse or partner, 53% with kids, 48% with family, 46% with a friend. Only 5% of the users indicated they go alone.
CPRS used the research findings to develop the first-ever brand promise and brand identity for parks and recreation. The brand promise incorporates the benefits Californians reported as most important; the many ways parks and recreation make their lives and communities better. Specifically, parks and recreation make life better now and in the future by providing:
Access to the serenity and inspiration of nature
Outdoor space to play and exercise
Facilities for self-directed and organized recreation
Positive alternatives for youth which help lower crime and mischief
Activities that facilitate social connections, human development, therapy, the arts and lifelong learning
In short, parks and recreation services make Californians’ lives better.
How does parks and recreation make your life better?
PLAY Safe, outdoor space
For us, the biggest benefit is a safe, outdoor play space for our kids today…and as they grow.
NATURE Beauty and serenity
Being in nature makes one feel alive. We’re very fortunate to have beautiful spaces so close to home.
EXERCISE Healthy movement
Parks are made for moving at your own pace. And, recreation programs make it easy to stay healthy.
POSITIVE SPACES Free-time fun
Neighborhood parks are an escape, a place to run around and play.
GATHERING PLACES Socializing and learning
Parks are like holidays, bringing us together to share good times. They are the common ground that connects us all.
FOREVER Valued today and always
Parks enrich our lives. They add value to our homes and neighborhoods. Individually and as a community, we’ll always have that need.
Come out and enjoy any one of Redwood City’s 30 parks and hundreds of recreation programs and services that are offered by our Department. Please go to www.redwoodcity.org/parks for more information.
To just say Thank You on this one Hallmark Holiday, is not enough. Today should serve as a reminder as to how incredibly important and valued you are to our organization. You are the front line. You are the living brand that represents Redwood City Parks, Recreation & Community Services. You deliver our mission statement every day in everything you do. You define top-notch customer service by listening, supporting, suggesting, caring and more often than not, smiling. Without all of your dedication, loyalty, creativity and love for working with the public as well as our staff, we would not be complete.
Daily you are faced with a variety of issues. We know that some days it seems as if no one is happy; sometimes you are faced with crisis; but most days you get to see with your very own eyes, happy people whom you have helped solve an issue. You get to soak in the smiling faces of the tutu-clad toddlers on Wednesdays or the Seniors who come in, rain or shine, to exercise EVERY morning and leave smiling – asking about your own families. You have one of the most important jobs in our City. You – on most days – have the greatest impact on what we represent as an organization. Your assistance and support of all of our programs, maintenance issues, financial challenges and staff quirks is priceless.
So today, we say Thank You. Please know that this is how we feel EVERY day, and we should say it more often.
With gratitude,
Redwood City Parks, Recreation & Community Services Staff
Mother Love Fitness Challengers flexing their hard work!
So… you had a baby. You long for the days of your high school figure – which you may not have even liked back then, but now wish you had it back! This new little person in your life has trumped EVERYTHING, including your will and energy to get out and get your body back. You dread the idea of stepping foot into a gym and feeling like you wish you had a shirt that read, “I JUST HAD A BABY, OKAY!”
WHAT IF, there were a group of women just like you? WHAT IF, you could workout WITH your baby, and not stress about your baby in gym childcare during your entire workout. We know many gyms have great child care, but as a new Mom, it is stressful to leave your baby for the first time. Mommies, there is a solution. There are a variety of Stroller-based fitness programs to help jump-start your fitness regimen. Not only will they help you to achieve your fitness goals, but you will be surrounded with the support of other women who are sharing your same experiences.
Christy "Big Guns" Doyle
Christy Doyle, our resident BABY BOOT CAMP Trainer and Mommy Warrior, has been running this popular parent/child, strength training program in our own, Red Morton Park for several years. She recently recruited her own class participants to compete in a National Baby Boot Camp Competition entitled, MOTHER LOVE FITNESS CHALLENGE. Wait… didn’t these Moms have babies recently? YES THEY DID!
Mommies across the nation committed to 3 months of regular exercise, to then compete to become the nations “Fittest Mom” and win monthly prizes for their efforts. The outcome? Our own Kaycie Wall did 1,800 non-stop jump squats at Red Morton to take the National top spot! The Redwood City crew actually took the whole category with two other Redwood City Moms doing 1,758 and 1,600 non-stop jump squats! We also had one Mommy win “Most-Improved” in the push-up category. Day one, she struggled to do one push-up. Thirty days later, she did 10 of them! Red Morton Park has proven to be a fantastic park to work up a sweat! Congrats to our AWESOME MOMS! Come join us, your first class is FREE!
How can I participate?
Baby Boot Camp meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays in Red Morton Park (adding a Friday class at the end of the month!) and at Clifford Elementary School on Saturdays. All classes are at 9:30am. Click here for complete registration information.
What do I need to get started?
YOU NEED: Water bottle, mat or towel WHAT YOUR CHILD NEEDS: Stroller, snacks, toys, sun block, diapers, hat, blanket
When William O’Neill came to us, I thought, “could this guy be for real?” Baritone Opera Singer, Actor, Drama Teacher, a performing arts Jack-of-all trades! Plus, his easy-going presence, playful demeanor and enthusiasm for the Arts was hard to ignore. Oh…and he also founded a very popular Theater and Singing program through the City of San Clemente PARKS & RECREATION! YES! Thankfully, he decided to move up north and join us in Redwood City. He will be teaching After-School and Summer Theater programs this season (see below). We are excited to announce, that the Summer Camp will be held at the AMAZING Carrington Hall at Sequoia High School.
William, aka “Bill” started doing theater when he was very young. His Church-Music-Director-Father encouraged him to try singing and acting. Bill started singing in the choir at the ripe age of five years old, and ventured on to do his first musical when he was eight. He has NEVER STOPPED SINCE! His love for performing brought him to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he graduated with a M.A. in Voice and Opera. Bill has performed in many productions at the SF Conservatory of Music. Some of his more noteworthy parts include: Bottom, in A MidSummer Night’s Dream; Sarastro, in The Magic Flute; Don Magnifico, in the opera of Cinderella; and Colline, in La Boheme.
Check out his Pipes & Chops in this video of Bill performing in La Boheme:
Some Fun Facts About Bill:
Fave movie: I’d have to say it’s toss up between The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter Movies. I’m a big fantasy buff!
Fave TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Iron Chef America
Fave place to see a show: Broadway in New York, OF COURSE! Second is Carrington Hall in Redwood City 😉
First acting role: A street kid in the musical of Cinderella when I was 8. My first speaking part, was Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol when I was in 7th grade.
Fave acting role: My favorite show I’ve ever been in is actually one I’m doing right now. It’s called a Year With Frog and Toad. I’m performing it with Bay Area Children’s Theater. I play the part of Toad.
First movie you ever saw: Hahaha… I think it was probably the original Tron in the early 80’s. I also recall seeing the original Clash of the Titans around the same time. So I’m not sure…
What does Music & the Arts mean to you?: I have advice for all of the kids out there, to never give up on your dreams. When I was a kid I had a lot of speech problems to overcome, but doing things like music and theater is what helped me to break though those problems and give me self-confidence. I wouldn’t be the adult I am today without all the training I had a as a child.
Camp & Class Information:
3rd-5th graders can enjoy…
Adventures in Theater Workshop – Tuesdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 5th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION
Ahhh… the wind in their hair, the smell of fresh air, getting their hearts pumping while keeping their fingers from texting… such great benefits can be attained through the extremely accessible sport of running! Running doesn’t require expensive equipment, just a pair of good shoes and a desire to get out there and do one’s best!
Ready, Set, Run is a “character building” running program for Boys and Girls, ages 8-13, that will prepare kids to participate in a 5K (3.1 mile) run—The Redwood City 4TH OF JULY FUN RUN!
Participants will receive 12 weeks of running instruction, a training manual, t-shirt, and enrollment into the Redwood City, 4th of July Fun Run.
COST: $25.00
Topics Covered: Proper physical training and nutrition, goal-setting, confidence, peer pressure, self-esteem, respecting authority, etc.
MANDATORY PARENT ORIENTATION: MARCH 24TH @ 6PM RED MORTON CENTER.
Program Days/Dates: April 4th-July 4th Mondays & Wednesdays
Times: 4pm-5:30pm (No class 4/18-2/22)
Location: Kennedy Middle School (Stulsaft/Sequoia HS)
We are very excited about offering this new program to the youth of Redwood City! If you have any questions, please contact Erin Niemeyer at 650.780.7335.
We take safety very seriously. When we were made aware of a potential problem in our sand play area at Stafford Park back in January of 2009, we addressed this issue head on. Collectively, our staff felt that the right thing to do was to test the sand to see if indeed there was a problem. We found out there was – presence of what we considered high levels of e.coli – and we closed that portion of the park to correct it. We even went so far as to test other sand areas in our parks to ensure that these were safe. Most were, but we did find that we had an issue at Maddux Park as well.
We focused on these two parks by removing the sand and replacing it with large coarse sand, and when e.coli returned, we tried different approaches. From changing the drainage, treating the sand, turning off the water, and incorporating daily screening of the sand, high levels of e.coli returned inconsistently over the past two years. We felt that it wasn’t fair to our park users to come to a park where a portion of it was often closed. We needed to replace the sand play areas at these two parks with something else that still had a “high play value” for children.
The result after two community meetings held at each park was to transform the sand areas into tot water play areas.
We’re happy to report that Maddux Park is now re-opened! The initial reports for our little users are clear through their smiles as they run through the “spitting frogs”.
We’re also very close in re-opening the tot area at Stafford Park. The contractor is finishing up the “punch-list” items and we’ll open as soon as our high standards are met (again, it should be opened soon!).
Thank you for your patience through this project.
CHRIS BETH Parks, Recreation & Community Services Director
Featured in the January 5th edition of the Palo Alto Daily News.
When Jennifer Williams Came to us, her energy and passion for…yes, you guessed it…TRASH…was infectious! As a City trying to find ways to be responsible and get our GREEN on, we were elated to have found such an exuberant personality as Jennifer’s. A corporate trainer by day, Jennifer has found a way to mesh her passions for inspiring others with her talents of crafting and motivating people to do so! Here is a little more about how her side biz, Moonlit Circus, came to be!
Q: Jennifer, How did this all start?
A: Carnivals, festivals, Halloween… These were my favorite things as a child. The county fair took place every year during my birthday, and I thought it was my personal celebration! As an adult, my creative, whimsical right brain was atrophying from underuse. How to add that childhood magic back into my life while still remaining gainfully employed? And sprinkle a little fairy dust on others along the way?
I decided to create a craft business, but had concerns about the overseas resourcing of materials. Influenced by the DIY, Steampunk, and sustainable living movements, I found my Idea. Upcycling thrift-store sweaters into F*ittens (fingerless mittens) and embellishing them with vintage buttons, beads, and felted scraps was on brand, and Moonlit Circus was born.
Q: Your stuff is so cute & innovative! Where can we get more? How do we learn how to do this?
A: Today I have a booth at art fairs, as well as teaching crafts to others through parks & recreation and private venues.
This session, Jennifer is currently offering:
Let’s Make Wristlets in Half Double Crochet (sign-up) This class happens this Saturday, 1/22 @ 10am, deadline to sign up is Friday (tomorrow) by 11am!
