Cosumnes Connect Newsletter - November

November 2023

MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

November officially marks the beginning of the holiday season. Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and if you were to ask me what I am thankful for I would have an answer like my job, family, food on the table, and so on. These are all perfect and great things to be thankful for, but what else?

What about all of those small moments/events in life? The ones we all take for granted. A chance encounter with a co-worker in the hallway where we can talk about our last weekend, an opportunity to volunteer somewhere, or go to a favorite sporting event with friends? Can you think of instances in your life, of choices that you made that made you who you are, that brought you to where you are now?

This month I want to be intentional in finding reasons to be thankful and reminisce on events that took place that brought me here. I want to take the opportunity to thank those responsible for making me who I am.

Life is too short to spend it living absentminded, I want to be mindful of my life and find reasons to be thankful, I encourage you to take time this month and find things, events, and people you are thankful for.

Thank you all for the work you do every day and for the impact you make on the community you serve. I am very thankful for each of you.

ABOVE AND BEYOND AWARD On Wednesday, th October 25 , the City of Elk Grove’s Disability Advisory Committee awarded Recreation Supervisor, Ciera Dulgar Above and Beyond Award. With two external nominations, Ciera was recognized for her work with the Recreation Adventures (RAD) Program, the new RAD Games event offered last May, educating recreation staff on disability etiquette and forming partnerships with organizations that advocate for those with disabilities.

EMERGING LEADERS The Recreation Section’s “Getting to the Core” plan for 2023 has as one of its objectives to target professional development. Through that initiative, they created a new program called Emerging Leaders. The program included a two-hour training every other month for part-time leads including Site Directors, Recreation Specialists, Pool Managers, Office Specialists, and Pre-school Aides.

These trainings were an opportunity to coach up our part-time lead personnel and bridge the gap to fulltime positions. The training topics included: resume building, interview skills, leadership, work ethic, professionalism, and decisionmaking.

UPCOMING EVENTS • RAD Fundraiser International People with Disabilities Day (Wear Maroon for Support) - BJ’s Restaurant Fundraiser – December 4th – 11 am to 11 pm. Use code DEC252 • Flannels & Flapjacks Celebrate the season with a magical winter wonderland – December 2 – 8 am to 12 pm - Advance registration required!

• Cosumnes CSD Holiday Party Ugly Sweater Theme - December 19 – 11:30 am to 1:00 pm – District 56

COSUMNES FIRE DEPARTMENT AWARDED GRANT The District Fire Department is the recipient of a $104,120 grant to purchase new extrication equipment.

Known as the “jaws of life”, first responders use these specialized tools to safely rescue crash victims trapped inside a vehicle.

This grant will significantly impact our fire department’s ability to protect and serve our community, allowing us to respond even more effectively when patients are trapped in motor vehicles.

As the automotive industry evolves, a diverse range of techniques and tools are required to ensure individuals’ safe the efficient extraction in various emergency scenarios. This is particularly critical for the District as Interstate 5 and Highway 99 traverse our boundaries. The funding will pay for battery-operated modern rescue tools and the required training, enabling our personnel to navigate the complexities of vehicle extrication effectively.

This is a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

AROUND THE DISTRICT Some highlight areas of the District that are always moving and keeping us moving forward.

Guess how many range balls were sold in October– 536,200. That is just about the average of range balls sold every month at Emerald Lakes Golf Course.

There is not a time in the day when the driving range is not bustling with golfers trying to improve their skills. Emerald Lakes is a very busy facility all year round, and our personnel does a great job in keeping it look awesome.

Accounts payable processed 1,269 invoices from mid-October to midNovember, issued 457 checks in the month of October amounting to $10,048,705, and received 283 payments amounting to $10,581,738.

POOL OF PUMPKINS Our Pool of Pumpkins event at Wackford Aquatics Complex on October 21, 2023, had more than 400 participants who filled our pool with excitement!

Participants had the opportunity to take a dip in our floating pumpkin patch, witness pumpkins being dropped from the top of the slide, engage in creative arts and crafts activities, and have the chance to win a complimentary pumpkin.

It was a fantastic way to kick-start the fall season.

POLLINATOR GARDEN AT LAWRENCE PARK The District made significant progress in strengthening its commitment to environmental stewardship with its inaugural effort to create a pollinator garden at Lawrence Park. This garden was designed exclusively with native plants. The plants were carefully selected to optimize insect life support

both as a food source and habitat and proportioned so various plants would bloom early in the year, with other plants cascading their blooms through summer and into winter. This garden has 119 individual plants from 17 different species and will have an additional 60 plants installed in Spring 2024. Park Rangers, members of the Parks Advisory Committee, and family and friends worked on the installation. These native plants offer numerous advantages over traditional ornamental plants including low maintenance, reduced susceptibility to pests and diseases, and no irrigation needs after they are established. The garden’s focus is to support local insect life such as the specialist bees who depend on the presence of specific plants to survive and caterpillars who are in short supply for the birds and aims to strengthen our intricate food web. This garden will also be used by the District’s Ranger Service for public interpretation and educational purposes.

PUMPKIN DROP Eager competitors and spectators gathered at Wackford for the Annual Halloween Lunch and Pumpkin Drop Party. Six pumpkins were carefully cushioned in pool noodles, old staff shirts, broken lifeguard tubes, balloons, and cardboard, hoping to bring victory by surviving a drop off the Wackford slide tower.

This year’s awards were: •Precious Cargo - Facilities •Most Likely to Survive 10 Stories – Customer Care •Never Stood a Chance - Communications

2023 GIANT PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

For the 29th year, the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival lived up to its reputation as the community’s favorite event!

Festivalgoers witnessed an exciting moment as the scales tipped at an impressive 1,941 pounds during the annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off. The gourd belonged to seasoned pumpkin grower Russ Pugh, who clinched the $7,000 grand prize. Pugh’s journey with giant pumpkins began in 2001 when he attended the Elk Grove contest for the first time.

For two days, Elk Grove Park was bustling with pumpkin enthusiasts and autumn-inspired activities. Folks cheered during the Pumpkin Regatta, played games, made arts and crafts, picked out the perfect pumpkin, shopped local businesses, watched musical acts, and more. This Elk Grove tradition once again proved to be the perfect way to welcome the fall season.

VETERANS DAY PARADE

HALLOWEEN

On November 11th, the Fire Department joined the American Legion Post 233 for their Annual Elk Grove Veterans Day Parade. Chief Rodriguez presented a proclamation to American Legion Post 233 honoring Veterans Day. We celebrate America's Veterans for their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Thank you for the sacrifices you have made.

Double take! Cosumnes Fire Chief Rodriguez and Elk Grove Police Chief Davis traded places for a little Halloween switcheroo!

RETIREES HONORED The Cosumnes CSD honored all personnel who have retired since 2020 with a proclamation and presentation at the October 18 Board of Directors Meeting.

Fire Chief Felipe Rodriguez and Elk Grove Police Chief Davis switched places all in the name of safety and fun.

They hosted social media posts wishing the community a safe and happy Halloween and offered safety tips for those trick or treating on October 31st.

Instagram and Facebook posts had over 800 engagements and shares.

BASEBALL CHAMPS Our off-duty Cosumnes firefighters recently stepped on the mound of the Jim Martin memorial tournament and rocked the diamond at this charity softball game hosted by @fremontfirefighters at @bigleaguedreamsmanteca. The Cosumnes Firefighters A-team battled their way to victory….took down the Misfits, San Jose, Fremont, and Stockton, then faced Fremont again in the Championship. After an intense game, Cosumnes took the WIN in walk-off fashion! Victory tastes even sweeter when it’s for a good cause.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES TRAINING On October 11, the Administrative Services Department participated in a Fire Department Training as a teambuilding component of their monthly meeting. Personnel rotated through three stations to experience an introduction to fire cadet training.

Training involved fire extinguishing with fire hose, rescuing victims, and vehicle extraction with the “Jaws of Life”, (Administrative Services/Finance)

YEARS OF SERVICE AND AWARDS Personnel were honored during a breakfast event on October 27 at District 56. The District recognized its personnel with milestone anniversaries in 2022. Employees with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of service were recognized and received their challenge coins. Personnel were also recognized for their outstanding contributions in their departments and in Leadership, Innovation, Diversity and Equity, Initiative, and Lifetime Service to the District.

10 Years 15 Years 5 Years

25 Years Admin Services

Fire Parks & Department Recreation

30 Years

Facility & Development

Lifetime Service

Diversity & Equity

Innovation

Initiative

Leadership

TOWN SQUARE PARK REVITALIZATION Town Square Park is a 6.2-acre neighborhood park located in West Laguna that was originally built in 1992. A design workshop was held in 2019 to discuss the future renovation of the park. Our in-house design team listened to the feedback, developed a concept plan, prepared construction documents and put the project out to bid.

Construction began April 2023 and is 75% complete.

Renovations include all new play equipment with an expanded area to accommodate children of all age groups, installation of accessible concrete pathways, a large shade structure, an adult fitness station, a game table area, a half basketball court, benches, and planting and irrigation improvements. The park is anticipated to re-open to the public in early 2024.

STAFF HIGHLIGHT Christine Manitta is our Staff Highlight .this month. She is the Senior Landscape Architect in the Facility and Development Department. Christine is married and has a stepdaughter, a granddaughter, and a super sweet Boston Terrier named Zoe. Christine enjoys spending her free time on various hobbies including, gardening, crocheting, baking, hiking, bicycling, and crafting. Her favorite pastime is working on construction projects with her family and getting that feeling of accomplishment when those projects are complete. Christine also enjoys music and has played the piano and organ since she was five years old and dabbles in playing the saxophone.

Tammi Rominger Urban Forestry Manager

Kavita Takhar Management Analyst

Drew Golbin Management Analyst

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