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Jeremy Hays: I'm not going to be reacting when you're talking, so I'm going to be mute. So I'll be smiling and I'll I'll I'll react to you. But I'm not going to say anything or like laugh or something, so that can seem a little strange. Just ignore that. The fact that I'm not actually doing anything. Sure. OK. Jim Pekkain: OK. Jeremy Hays: So, Alan, you'll just tell us when we can, we're good to go. Jeremy Hays: The first things I'm going to talk about are just to get a little bit of background about you. So I'd like to ask where, where did you go out? Was your family from here? Were you?

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Jeremy Hays: From here I. Jim Pekkain: Was born in Oakland and lived there in until I moved to. Jim Pekkain: My next city, I was in the Navy for a couple of years and then I went to San Jose State and then I worked in Pacifica for two years and then Newark, CA for another seven years. Jim Pekkain: Until I was able to get this job in Roto Park.

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Jeremy Hays: And what did your folks do when you were growing? Jim Pekkain: Up, my dad served 30 years in the Coast Guard and my mother was a. Jim Pekkain: Stay at home, mother. They met late in their age. They didn't get married. Having until I was 4042. My mother was from England and my dad was from Latvia. Jeremy Hays: And you moved here in what?

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Jim Pekkain: Year I moved here in January of 1971. Jeremy Hays: OK. Jeremy Hays: And you said you found a job here. Jim Pekkain: What job was that? This was the job of recreation director for the city. I was the first full time director hired and the population that time was 7000.

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Jeremy Hays: What were you looking specifically for? A job in Rohnert Park or in Sonoma County or Northern California? Jim Pekkain: Field of the time I was working in the 60s, you would work as a recreational supervisor for a number of years, and in order to move up, generally speaking, you would have to go to another. Jim Pekkain: City and I applied for a directorship. I had interviewed at several other. Jim Pekkain: Fees and was fortunate enough to get the job here in Roanoke Park.

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Jeremy Hays: What did you think when you arrived? Rohnert Park was about nine years old then, at the time from from since it incorporated. It had been growing fairly fast, but it was still, you know, a pretty small town. In some ways, you came here and interviewed, I imagine. What did you, what did you think? Jeremy Hays: The room. Jeremy Hays: Of the place. Jim Pekkain: Well, first of all, I had no idea where Rohnert Park was. I, as I said, I live in, in, in Newark.

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Jim Pekkain: And I heard it was near Santa Rosa. I was so excited about that because I like warm weather. But as I found out, bodega breezes would come through. And about the afternoon and cool everything down about 5°. So it was an unknown to me. I had no idea that existed here. close as I. Jim Pekkain: Knew about. I didn't even know about when I played football. Oakland, JC. We came up and we went by here I guess way back when and but. Jim Pekkain: Totally new, totally new. I didn't know anything about Roto Park at. Jeremy Hays: All. So when would you come up? Would you play at the JC, would you?

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Jeremy Hays: Play the JC up here in football. Jim Pekkain: No, I played in Oakland Junior College, where he came out and played the Santa Rosa. Jim Pekkain: JC team what years were those? Jim Pekkain: See, I got out of Navy in 50.

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Jim Pekkain: 57 and I was in junior college for one year. So you know, between 57-58. Jeremy Hays: So Rohnert Park had just become a community services district around 58 or so. Do you remember when you used to drive up here and the bus coming to play the JC? What? What was here? Jim Pekkain: I mean I I could say when I. Jeremy Hays: And I had. Can I ask?

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Jeremy Hays: You to please start that. Jeremy Hays: So and just say when when we used. Jeremy Hays:OK. Jeremy Hays: To come up to play games on.

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Jeremy Hays: The bus. There was nothing here or what? Jim Pekkain: OK, well, when we came up here, play games, there was nothing up here. We only I only recall one HomeAway game that we played up here and I don't recall anything up here at. Jeremy Hays: The time when you came back and I guess 71, you come to interview. Jeremy Hays: What did it? What did Rohnert Park look like at the?

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Jim Pekkain: Time. Well, as you said, it's a very small community and the area, this is great. I didn't know a whole lot about a lot about Sonoma County, but again, it was a full time job as a director and that excited me a great deal and to start a new basically a new department. Jim Pekkain: It was a small city with a part time director and had only two parks at the time, so I looked at it as an exciting challenge. Jeremy Hays: I'm sorry, Jim, can you? Jeremy Hays: Not say again. Or as I said, that's that's happened a couple times, I always say.

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Jeremy Hays: It's easy to forget. Jim Pekkain: Well, I say it again. Yeah, OK. Jeremy Hays: So, well, I think what I want to just. Jeremy Hays: To my phone a.

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Jeremy Hays: Little bit and so I'll get tipped over just. To touch. So yeah, it's easy to forget that stuff. Jim Pekkain: Yeah, yeah, it's a false connective. There's not good. Yeah. Jeremy Hays: No worries, no worries.

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Jeremy Hays: OK. Jeremy Hays: I know when I've gone places for an interview I like drove around the town kind of get a sense of. Jeremy Hays: It did you? Jeremy Hays: Keep, try and look around the Rohnert Park when you came with the interview and kind.

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Jim Pekkain: Of get a sense of it, well, I was happy in getting the job and we moved to the B section, which was the only section left. And actually we bought the last two-story house that was available at that time and they had not developed B section. Jim Pekkain: So there wasn't a whole lot to look for. So we took whatever was available at that time. Jeremy Hays: Was there. Do you remember what? What we've talked to? I talked to art, to Pete, and I was really interested in how much their houses cost at the. Jeremy Hays: Time because it.

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Jeremy Hays: Was different than now. Yeah, it was pretty. Jim Pekkain: Reasonable for a two-story bedroom. Jim Pekkain: I be honestly, I can't tell you exactly what the cost was. The only exciting part is that I found out I live right across from our famous worker here. I'm trying to think of his name. Jim Pekkain: I can't think of.

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Jeremy Hays: His name? It'll come. Jim Pekkain: Back it will, it will. It will. Jeremy Hays: So by then there were, in town with scissors market here already. Jim Pekkain: Yes, Southwest Blvd. was already, and that was the only shopping center that was existed at that time.

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Jeremy Hays: And was there, were there still things that weren't here that you needed to go or your wife needed to go to Santa Rosa to get Petaluma to get? Jim Pekkain: You know I don't. You know, they pretty much had what we wanted at the shopping center. I don't recall having to travel that much to Santa Rosa or Petaluma to get things that that we needed from that I recall the. Jim Pekkain: Name of the person and I forgot it again. Jim Pekkain: Alright, let me.

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Jeremy Hays: So where was your? Jeremy Hays: Where was your office at the time? What was? Jim Pekkain: It like over there I worked at the now Burton Ave. Center. At that time it was a Community Center. My office was located in that facility. Jeremy Hays: And that must have been one of the newer city buildings at the time.

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Jim Pekkain: Well, yeah, it was built back in. Jim Pekkain: I'm going to say sometime in the 60s, yeah. Jeremy Hays: Was that in your neighborhood? The B? Jim Pekkain: Well, B section was a new section as as.

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Jim Pekkain: You're well aware of or. Jim Pekkain: The A section was the first section and the founders and there was on the Dean all the sections. Jim Pekkain: B. Have a letter section to it. So B was the next one and that's where we. Jeremy Hays: Move to and so at the time there was.

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Jeremy Hays: Only A and. Jeremy Hays: B. That's correct. OK. Jeremy Hays: So you got here, Rec director, new rec director. What did you want to do? Right away. What would the first your first priorities? Jim Pekkain: Well, my first priority is was to set set up a recreational program. They had some activities there, but I wanted to improve them. What they had. We formed a variety of different leagues.

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Jim Pekkain: I remember the softball league that they used to play was at Alicia Park. They used to hit the balls into the trees and I felt that was a liability. And so we moved them over to B Park, which had a softball facility and and we formed the league there. And I also formed a. Jim Pekkain: A slow break basketball league. And that's when George Geister and some of the older players would play in it. Jim Pekkain: And Jimmy Rogers is the person's name. I was thinking of by the. Jim Pekkain: Way. OK, thank you.

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Jim Pekkain: So yeah, it was just to provide activities and that was the primary goal is to have the community be able to enjoy by participating in a variety of different recreational activities. Jim Pekkain: As I mentioned, I started the Tennis Club back in 74 and using the two parks that we had at that time, we had A and then L park was built sometime in the 70s and we had two tennis courts down there. So we would play at those two courts. Jeremy Hays: What were the challenges in those early days of doing those? Jeremy Hays: Getting those things done, getting the direct department up.

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Jim Pekkain: Well, actually, I'll have to admit that Callanan, as a city manager and the City Council were very supportive of providing recreational facilities. Jim Pekkain: So the master plan was set up that each neighborhood would have its own recreational facility, such as a park and a pool. Those were the two amenities. And so it wasn't difficult for me to get the facilities I needed, and generally they would fund the recreational programs. A lot of them are all fee based. So we got some money. Jim Pekkain: That so? You know, I had a pretty free reign as to what I, you know, was interested in having the established. Jim Pekkain: There, I do recall getting back to the moving the softball facility over to the B Park, I also set up a league schedule and a double elimination. All that and they were all upset because they used to play whatever. And actually Roberts who no longer.

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Jim Pekkain: He was on a team and George Geister and they were all upset about it, but and the Enron, they all realized what it was and it was better organized for them. And and the city itself. And the liability factor. Jeremy Hays: Let me take a step back to something you were saying before that when you moved into to be a neighborhood big deal is that you were living across from Jimmy Rogers. Yes. Why was that a big deal to? Jim Pekkain: Live across from Jimmy Rogers. Well, Jimmy Rogers. The time was he. He worked in a real estate and got to know him that way. And it's. Jim Pekkain: Growing but in the long run he was a big factor in the city and I thought that was quite, you know, I was very proud to be able to get to know him as a neighbor and he was very, very influential with the growth of the city and developing it so.

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Jim Pekkain: You know, that was kind of like, oh, Gee, I I knew this guy. That was pretty good there. And so I felt good about that. Jeremy Hays: Did you from your time knowing him get any insights into like what it was like for the city to grow? What was the plan for the city? Jim Pekkain: Well, as I mentioned. Jim Pekkain: The plan was pretty much laid out by the.

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Jim Pekkain: Founders of Maurice. Jim Pekkain: Hendricks and and Pete Golis in the sense that the neighborhoods would have their own facilities. Jim Pekkain: I did create a little bit of problem in the sense that every facility could not afford to have swimming pools in them. The infrastructure wouldn't call for and I actually took two of the pools out of the master plan just because of the cost factor. That was one problem and we never really had a major large part. We just had the. Jim Pekkain: Neighborhood parks? We didn't have a large swimming pool, which was originally at the Sports Center. There was going to be Olympic size pool built there, but do the cost and everything else that never materialized. So that was some of the factors in the infrastructure trying to maintain the cost of all.

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Jim Pekkain: The various facilities we had I had built in every park, a tennis court, trying to keep that up, we had 22 tennis courts and all the 13 parks. But in retrospect, a lot of that, the maintenance of it was difficult. I did feel accomplishment of finally getting a 8 tennis courts out of. Jim Pekkain: Magnolia Park, back in just before I retired back in the late 90s and they still have that Tennis Club going on now, playing the leagues down there. Jeremy Hays: Can you answer the next question? I was rec director and from when to when? Jim Pekkain: I was a recreation director from 1971 to 1997.

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Jeremy Hays: Pretty good. Long stretch, huh? Jim Pekkain: 27 years yes. Jeremy Hays: When you first moved here, there wasn't a lot of. Jeremy Hays: Places to go.

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Jeremy Hays: And run apart. No it. Jeremy Hays: Was not. How did you get to know? Jim Pekkain: People. Was it hard? No, actually because of the community being as small as it was, they would have functions at the community, the old Community Center, which as I mentioned was. Jim Pekkain: Burton Ave. so you got to know people pretty quickly because, like, there was only two sections.

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Jim Pekkain: There and you know, if you went to the functions and then within my job as Recreation Director, I got to meet a lot of people through contact of the leagues they participate in or where they had questions about the parks and what have you. So it really wasn't that difficult. It was a small community, pretty close knit, had some interesting interactions. Jim Pekkain: Among families and what have you. And so it's pretty easy to make friends. Jeremy Hays: And when you, you know, you have kind of a unique. Jeremy Hays: Viewpoint in your job because you see all these families come through.

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Jeremy Hays: So how would you describe the type of people who were renter park residents? Jim Pekkain: Well, what's what's interesting about the residents of Rohnert Park is that many of them was born in Sonoma County, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Petaluma. What have you? So you didn't have a lot of transplants from that. You did eventually. Jim Pekkain: On the years from San Francisco or other areas, so they were homegrown in Sonoma County and everybody loves Sonoma County. It was very just. Jim Pekkain: A a beautiful.

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Jim Pekkain: County to live in and then the people that lived in Rohnert Park just love the area. Jim Pekkain: And I remember many of them still in the area or in Santa Rosa. Some have moved out and some have no longer with us. But, you know, basically the people just enjoyed the fellowship of participating in our leagues and partying, if you will. And it was just a close knit community. It was. Jim Pekkain: A beautiful field. Jeremy Hays: Really. What were some of your, you know, going back to those early days in the early 70s of your, what are some of your favorite memories of, of whether it was related to your work as recreation Director or just personally as a resident?

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Jim Pekkain: Of the city, basically. Jim Pekkain: I just thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to. Jim Pekkain: Provide new facilities to be able to plan a park almost every year about and and then create activities that people were aware of and they were enjoying as far as a family at that time we were raising 3, three children. I certainly enjoyed that and now and then when we go to the softball games and. Jim Pekkain: Whatever. Everybody just came out. It just was a close knit community and my first wife was a teacher in the elementary school that eventually became a principal. So, you know, she was able to get involved in the community that way too. So it just was a.

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Jim Pekkain: A beautiful time to be with these people and and even to this day I still meet some of them and some of my old youngsters I used to coach baseball. I run across them and my old pool manager Laura Robinson, he I run into him periodically so you know, I plan to be here till good Lord. Jim Pekkain: As we go somewhere and so basically I love it here and I just love the area. Jeremy Hays: In the beginning, I mean now Rohnert Park is definitely established, right? You know, it's got 40,000 people. It's not going anywhere. Jeremy Hays: In those days was 10 years old, pretty much it was still. Did it feel like it was still developing? Did it still feel like the future was, you know?

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Jeremy Hays: Still coming to pass like you didn't know what would what what would happen? Jim Pekkain: Well, I wouldn't say they didn't know what was happening because as I mentioned, they did have a a master plan for the parks that that was it. There was some minor changes were actually the golf course, the new, the new course, the North course originally in the master plan. That was a. Jim Pekkain: 127 Acre Park but with the development of the hotel and Jimmy Rogers involvement with that, they changed that aspect of it and just love having two golf courses in the small community. What this community has with a Sports Center. Jim Pekkain: And of course, the Community Center is not a unique, but the Sports Center that we have. There aren't many facility like that in even in Santa Rosa or pendulum or larger communities don't have those. We're way ahead of our time in that regards. Yes, there were some political problems along the way which you know you don't want to get into.

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Jim Pekkain: But basically that's part of the growth. Jim Pekkain: Process, you know? Yeah. Jim Pekkain: And but overall, with the City Council and the city manager Callahan, and then when John enter took over, they were all supporting the recreational facilities. Now when we built the Sports Center, we had a gymnastics room there and gymnastic was very popular there at that time. Jim Pekkain: But then all of a sudden, with the Olympics and the high school, they all dropped that. So we were able to develop that into what it currently has is a.

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Jim Pekkain: Only for those people to come in and work out it, you know. And that was that worked out beautifully. So we had some changes and what have you. But they all worked out and. Jim Pekkain: When I'm looking back at all those years, I I think we did well. We may have overbuilt in a couple of the tennis courts and maybe of course a couple of pools and longer exist nor a couple of tennis courts for that matter. But in general, we kind of kept to the concept and the and the City Council and everything else moved on that and supported it. Jim Pekkain: A great deal so. Jim Pekkain: I would say that the the master plan was met really.

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Jeremy Hays: You did mention there were some political challenges and you know, going on aside from those, what were some of the other kind of challenges that not everything ever always goes smoothly? What were some other challenges that you faced? Jim Pekkain: Well, sometimes you have staffing problems and what have you. And and I had a a staff of one time of 10. Jim Pekkain: 10 employees working for me and you know they there was some issue there and but dealing with that we I had to let go one of the supervisors because I didn't feel he was doing it his job correctly and I got support of that and then maintaining my goal was to make sure our facilities were all maintained correctly and so we would have a contractor. Jim Pekkain: And they're trying to maintain our Community Center and that didn't work out too well. So you have to make changes there. It's it's just, you know, part of the job.

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Jim Pekkain: Sometimes people didn't like what I was doing and they would feel like I wasn't supporting them. And but overall we we got through those problems. I remember 1 soccer coach was really upset that I was scheduling the soccer field other than what he wanted. And so we have to deal with that. Jim Pekkain: You know when you have that many, I mean at that time that was 7000. Then we went to 15,000, then we went to 30,000. So when you have interaction with that many people, you're not going to please everybody. So the IT wasn't, it was a challenge trying to be. Jim Pekkain: As helpful and and as pleasing as you possibly could to everybody. And I think overall I did, I might have had some issues that I had to deal with and I worked on those. And so I think I, I I really feel like I've done a pretty good job in what I have to deal with and I just you know. Jim Pekkain: Of living here. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here.

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Jeremy Hays: Schools that was part of the master plan of school in every neighborhood pool when they was talking to, I think, to art, who was talking about the importance of when the churches started to open, get built and opened. So those are institutions that are really important to, you know, to the, to the Community developing and becoming a community. Jeremy Hays: Can you talk about how important it is to the community for things like different, you know, like the softball league to to, to develop or to come into being the tennis clubs that you started them, how how, how did those help build community? Jim Pekkain: Well, you, you let's take the Tennis Club, if you will. And and like I say, it was about 75. Jim Pekkain: And and we had maybe about 20 members on that. You you, you build a fellowship among the people that you're playing tennis with and you get together and playing in tournaments. And so there is a community feeling there. And then with the softball.

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Jim Pekkain: Big so we would play those at the Bee Park and the families would all come out there and and route the teams on and then go on to socialize afterwards. It it just brought everybody together in that regards. And then like I said, they occasionally would have social function functions where you would come in and. Jim Pekkain: Meet everybody and you know we're potluck or whatever on that, so. Jim Pekkain: The leagues themselves brought in the individuals to meet each other to have their competitive spirit be involved in those leagues, and some of those leagues, especially with George Geiser, he used to be a heck of a basketball player and you didn't want to mess with him too much. Can you knock your head off? He knows that I've talked to him. Jim Pekkain: But you know, I think that it just submitted a a relationship within the people in the Community because they participate not only in the softball league, actually have flag Football Tag League there.

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Jim Pekkain: And you know, through the not everybody played volleyball, basketball. I played in all the sports. I mean, not only organized them and I played in them and that might have had some relationship with my first marriage. But anyway, I just was enjoying the sports for what they were and. Jim Pekkain: I I just want everybody to have that same feeling. Jeremy Hays: If you had gone to take your you know your rec creation director job, the first one at a a different city, one that had. Jeremy Hays: Been around for a while and that had in place already.

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Jeremy Hays: Leagues and tennis courts and this and that seems like it would have been a really different opportunity. And so because you came here and there was, there wasn't a lot. You have developed it. Can you talk about what kind of opportunity that? Jim Pekkain: Was for you the opportunity of coming to Rohnert Park was just fantastic. If the answer your first question is that basically? Jim Pekkain: Going to establish city, all you're doing is kind of continuing what they're doing and trying to improve on it. We're here. I was able to establish it from the beginning. It was my ball game, if you will. And yes, I tweaked it and people helped me too. Jim Pekkain: It it just was thrilling to be able to develop the parks and and try to get them to be what we would hope the neighborhood wouldn't joy and we would have meetings on that. And but one of the things that we did on the parks, you know, with all the various names like Sunrise, Eagle Park.

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Jim Pekkain: That we had Ladybug Park. Jim Pekkain: And then there was a couple other parks with names that we would have the children select the names for those parks. So we got the the names and basically we're we worked with the school district that time we didn't have a gym. We used a high school gym for our basketball leagues. And also we worked with the college and a couple of. Jim Pekkain: Other usage of their facilities, so you try to connect with outside of your own realm to get everybody involved. Jeremy Hays: UM.

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Jeremy Hays: Go back and kind of give me a summation of the way the and you've talked about this in like a bit here and a bit there, but talk about the way the. Jeremy Hays: Amenities of the city have developed since 1971 to to now like what's happened. Jim Pekkain: Well, I mean, we, like you said, we had, we actually build on what was started initially with the neighborhood parks. I mean, there were two of them and they both had the softball facility. Jim Pekkain: Swimming pool and again in the Benicia Park, the same amenities. So several of the parks were continued that way at Honeybee Park was the other pool that was established again, we we had a soft officiality. That was the only part that I tried to make an open space.

00:26:12.000 - 00:27:02.000

Jim Pekkain: Area. So it was a soccer field and ball fields where we had a lot of open grass area in that. And then a ladybug we put a park down there also that had a softball facility and a pool is but as I mentioned that. Jim Pekkain: They got filled in because of the expense of maintaining it. So basically what we did was gave every neighborhood the same opportunity to have the same facilities. They didn't have to travel to a community park where they, you know, they had a large, but they had it in their own area and they had, you know. Jim Pekkain: 30 minutes to get to the part, whatever. So that concept was carried through all the way in the time that I worked with the city and and and in 27 years that I was able to help develop the city in that. Jeremy Hays: Is there one thing that you're proudest of?

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Jim Pekkain: Well, I think I'm proudest of the fact that I was able to provide a lot of wholesome activities for for many people within the community. Certainly the development of the Community Center. I've certainly enjoyed being in the planning process of that as well as the Callahan Sports Center. I can't take credit for. Jim Pekkain: Being the initiator of. Jim Pekkain: That but I can't take rid of seeing develop and very proud of that. It's being used as it was envisioned. The Community Center is certainly been upgraded, but it's being used as I envision. You had talked about churches. We actually established a policy when we built the Community Center. Jim Pekkain: Allow churches to use the facility and I remember the city attorney at that time. I can't recall his.

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Jim Pekkain: Him said, well, if you have one church and you have to let other churches and I said fine, and which we did and I believe that policy still in existence also. So I'm I'm very proud. I've had people that come up to me that that have known me for years and you know they they've always been very complimentary. And what I have done in the community. Jeremy Hays: I forgot if you mentioned you have kids. Jim Pekkain: I have three. I have two daughters and a. Jeremy Hays: Son. And they grew up.

00:28:24.000 - 00:28:47.000

Jeremy Hays: Warner Park. Jim Pekkain: Yes, they all went to Rancho Grande High School. And so basically, you know, they lived here until they they moved away. One daughter is in San Francisco and the other one is in San Anselmo. And then one in Petaluma. Jim Pekkain: That's the only one that's married, and I have two grandkids. Jeremy Hays: So describe and talk to me a little bit about what it was like to raise kids here and what it was like for your kids.

00:28:54.000 - 00:29:22.000

Jeremy Hays: To grow up here. Jim Pekkain: Well, I was involved in in my children and and coaching them. My son went from peewee baseball, which was like 6 to 9 all the way up to about 70. Jim Pekkain: My middle daughter also is involved in coaching and playing softball and coaching her actually, George Geiser and I coached our girl softball together for many years and my older daughter. Jim Pekkain: Basically got involved but wasn't very athletic and and then really play as much as the other two. My two daughters did play in high school volleyball. My middle one played for four years and my son did play one year in high school and based.

00:29:39.000 - 00:30:11.000

Jim Pekkain: As far as getting them involved, that was my involvement in basically coaching and I did that for a number of years. At one time I coached 3 teams and kept me pretty much active, but that's that was it. So and you know, I I just enjoyed that. I enjoyed that. And then I played tennis and it's. Jim Pekkain: You know, my son didn't really get involved with tennis, but eventually down the road he did so it. It was, you know, it wasn't hard to deal with all that because that was my love. Jeremy Hays: So why was it a good place to raise? Jim Pekkain: Kids, it's good place to raise kids because everybody loved each other.

00:30:18.000 - 00:31:03.000

Jim Pekkain: They kind of look after each other. I mean, we really didn't have any major problems during the early years of the city as far as crime, if you will or and then the public safety at that time, bless his heart. Denon who is a former chief of police that passed away, he. Jim Pekkain: Took care of my daughter and a couple of incidents that any other city I may not have and and so you know each, you know, even the officers that you know that would see that your children they would look after them vice versa. So it was a tight knit community from that standpoint and you felt safe here. Jim Pekkain: And you felt that everybody really enjoyed each other's company, if you will fellowshipping. Jeremy Hays: Did UM.

00:31:08.000 - 00:31:42.000

Jeremy Hays: Rohnert Park how did Rohnert Park surprise you? Jim Pekkain: Well, actually the biggest surprise and and and the fact that the Council and the city manager would didn't have, you know, we're open to all the facilities that we needed to be built and the Sports Center was a real surprise. Didn't ever expect that to happen. Jim Pekkain: That was a very positive thing and a very big plumbing in the City Council's life in peak Wellness life and and having that facility developed. Jeremy Hays: One second here.

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Jeremy Hays: You're doing great. Jeremy Hays: Thank you. Yeah, you're doing great, Jim. Jeremy Hays: Thank you. Trying to remember to take. A little bit of.

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Jim Pekkain: Well, yeah, yeah, that's right. I forgot. Jim Pekkain: I kept going. That's one of my favorites. Jim Pekkain: Speak. Oh, I'm gonna turn that off. Sorry about that. Jeremy Hays: No worries. What time are we?

00:32:17.000 - 00:32:34.000

32 Jeremy Hays: I think I may have asked you this, but in a different way. So let me just ask, who did you see, you know, from your perspective as recreation director? Jim Pekkain: It's my phone. Jeremy Hays: OK, we'll wait for.

00:32:36.000 - 00:32:56.000

Jim Pekkain: It well, I thought I turned it off. Jim Pekkain: Let me put it on. When I go to mute. So I got it off now, OK. Jeremy Hays: Yeah. So who did you see, you know, from your point of view as a recreation director and just as a resident of the city, who is the typical Rohnert Park resident? Jim Pekkain: Typical road and park resident.

00:33:02.000 - 00:33:51.000

Jim Pekkain: Well, George Geiser is a good example. I would say he was involved in in most of the leagues. He was really involved in coaching softball at the high school. I never went to the varsity level, but he did. He and Carol were involved in the activities in the city there. Jim Pekkain: There was Ron Rasmussen. They were both on my Parks and Recreation Commission. Ron, who lives in Santa Rosa, don't see him that often. Sometimes I would see him at the golf course. Jim Pekkain: You know, I I can't the top of my head think of other individuals, but basically they were all typical in the sense they were involved in sports and you know we we did things together on that. Jim Pekkain: Didn't do a lot of socializing, you know, on an ongoing basis, just periodically like a lot of people, you know, go out to dinner or whatever. And that wasn't something we did all the.

00:34:03.000 - 00:34:11.000

Jeremy Hays: Time. But let me ask it in a different way than like without naming any particular people. So you don't have to think of, you know this person, this person. Jim Pekkain: OK. Jeremy Hays: What kind of people? Jeremy Hays: Lived in Rohnert Park as you were.

00:34:14.000 - 00:34:52.000

Jim Pekkain: Here, people that love their children by raising their children and enjoying the the school system and enjoying the recreational facilities that we had and they were very friendly, very open, they basically. Jim Pekkain: Cared for other people, you know, they just were very good people, basically. Jeremy Hays: New city. You were new recreation director. How did you? You know what kind of things did you did you look to Santa Rosa and Petaluma and other established cities to learn to get ideas, to learn how they. Jim Pekkain: Were doing things well. It was like they had been it. I been in recreation for almost 8-9 years.

00:35:00.000 - 00:35:30.000

Jim Pekkain: And I read activities at at those cities, basically and I. Jim Pekkain: Had you know some challenges and Pacifica running a team program there and I learned from that. So no, I didn't. You know, I I felt that I had a pretty good background in in running the leagues and establishing the leagues and setting up criterias that I needed sometimes. Maybe I. Jim Pekkain: Put in too many rules and regulations at the individuals and like, but overall. Jim Pekkain: Was that difficult? And then I had a an excellent staff that worked for me, a guy Miller and my supervisor. He was in charge of the Aquatics program and eventually became the recreation manager. But, you know, I think that we we offered a great variety to the community. And like I said, I had a great staff.

00:35:52.000 - 00:35:59.000

Jim Pekkain: And hope we do. Jeremy Hays: That let me ask it a different question then, about the same subject. If you were to offer, say, there was a new city starting up. Jeremy Hays: The block there. Jeremy Hays: Do you?

00:36:00.000 - 00:36:21.000

Right. Jeremy Hays: And there are four or five years in what advice would you give them about how to put a recreation program into, you know, into action? Jim Pekkain: Well, I think what you if you've got a new study on this like I didn't necessarily do this, but it's always good to go to the individuals in the community and and ask them what they would like to have. Jim Pekkain: It's always good to provide, in my opinion, activities it's going to.

00:36:28.000 - 00:37:01.000

Jim Pekkain: Help individuals physically, mentally, emotionally and and leagues are always a a way of doing that. As I mentioned before. And so I I think that what you want to do is is find out what the interests of the Community is and then attempt to provide activities to meet those needs and. Jim Pekkain: That would be one way of starting a new, you know, with a new group in that in that in my mind. Jeremy Hays: Were there anything you think that you wish now that you had either done, that you didn't do, or that you wish you had done differently? Jim Pekkain: Yeah, I didn't put enough parking in Sunrise Park that now that they put an artificial turf and everything. Yeah, when? I don't know what we why we missed that. But we would have softball there and also soccer and parking became a problem. We have to go to the school.

00:37:21.000 - 00:37:56.000

Jim Pekkain: Across the way, there are the side streets there. Jim Pekkain: No, I think overall, you know I don't have any major regrets in what I did. I think that, you know, I'm looking at some of the facilities that are still in existence, although I think we over built probably on the tennis courts. I would have maybe not more complex as well, but I was trying to meet. Jim Pekkain: The plan of neighborhood parks and that became an economic problem down the road and as far as maintaining those and so. Jim Pekkain: You would have had to change the massive plan to do that. That wasn't within my prerogative to do.

00:38:03.000 - 00:38:24.000

Jeremy Hays: In in the in the context of the master plan, did you ever think that Rohnert Park would get to the size that it is? Jim Pekkain: Well, I, you know, knew it. Yeah. To a certain extent, uh. Because they have a lot of land that they didn't actually put a moratorium for 10 years on building. I'm not really happy to see all the growth. Jeremy Hays: Can I ask you to start? Jeremy Hays: We're in and say I I did think because we're missing the the basis of.

00:38:30.000 - 00:38:33.000

Jeremy Hays: The question so. Jim Pekkain: OK. Jeremy Hays: This is about, you know, did you ever think that Rohnert Park? Jeremy Hays: Would get to.

00:38:34.000 - 00:39:03.000

Jim Pekkain: Be this. Oh, did I ever think that Rohnert Park get this? OK. Yes. Jim Pekkain: We did well. Try if you could phrase it. I I I did think Rohnert Park to get this would get to this size and then explain why. Yes I did think the park would get to the size based on the land development we had and and that it would be developed eventually and then. Jim Pekkain: And eventually the population would increase. Jeremy Hays: How did Rohnert Park residents show? Because.

00:39:07.000 - 00:39:30.000

Jeremy Hays: I gathered when I was getting ready, you know, for this, I read a lot of old Press Democrat articles and press and and you could see that in the early years of the city, people were really proud of the city. So maybe you can, you know, knew it was their city. They were helping make the city. Jim Pekkain: Right. Jeremy Hays: If you could talk a little bit about how did people show their pride in in Rohnert Park and start it with people showed their. Jim Pekkain: Pride. Well, I I think you know they annually would have.

00:39:36.000 - 00:39:54.000

Jeremy Hays: Can I wind? Can I wind you back? Sorry. Sorry if you could start with people showed their pride. Jim Pekkain: Oh yeah. Jim Pekkain: People showed their pride they had an annual Father's Day event and at that event they would show off all the former City Council and the activities there. And I think they did that every year. Jim Pekkain: Then there be other events during the year that they would have, you know, festivals or what have you.

00:40:03.000 - 00:40:26.000

Jim Pekkain: I think that was a way that they showed their pride in the city itself. Jeremy Hays: Just as a. Jeremy Hays: Like pretend you weren't the recreation director, you were just somebody who moved to Rohnert Park and you had job and you lived here for. You know, you're you're in the same house that you. Jeremy Hays: Oh, you've moved since I've moved three times. Yeah, and I imagine you're proud of Rohnert Park. You talk a little bit. Talk a.

00:40:34.000 - 00:40:52.000

Jeremy Hays: Little bit about. Jim Pekkain: That well, I'm proud of Rohnert Park in the sense that it's a community for the people and it was all established years ago as the friendly city. And I really feel it is. Jim Pekkain: Yes, has grown in many respects. Jim Pekkain: I would say the ethnic situation hasn't changed that much within the city, may have gotten a little more expensive for young families to live in, but that may be the situation all over. But overall, with the neighborhood situation as it is, it's just the a beautiful, friendly community.

00:41:13.000 - 00:41:58.000

Jim Pekkain: And with the churches I I attend a church called Gateway that I thoroughly love, and that's in a lease facility just down the street here. But I think that, you know, overall, you've got the religious aspect of it. You've got the. Jim Pekkain: Commercial that the people have a, you know, can shop pretty much. I think the only thing is lacking in the city is for the people to thoroughly enjoy this restaurants. They don't have a lot of quality restaurants in Rohnert Park and people have to leave the city to go there. But overall, the amenities that are in the city are pretty much people. Jim Pekkain: And you know, shop and and stay in Rohnert Park and get what they want and you know you run across people, they're very friendly, you know, in a casino situation, hasn't really. Jim Pekkain: Change that that I'm aware of and we have a wonderful public safety department and you know, the cities here and people, you know, just it's it's you don't feel like a stranger in the city. I I don't know how I can explain it but other than the fact that it you know.

00:42:19.000 - 00:42:26.000

Jim Pekkain: But people are comfortable. I know I'm comfortable. I try to. Jim Pekkain: Make people comfortable that way. Jeremy Hays: That's a great way to put it that you don't feel like a stranger in. Jeremy Hays: The city did.

00:42:31.000 - 00:42:54.000

Jeremy Hays: No, what was I going to ask? Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you want to make sure that you get a chance to talk about or points to raise or just memories to to to recollect? Jim Pekkain: I think we've pretty much covered all the thoughts that I had mentioned in my little notes there and in all the years I. Jim Pekkain: Worked in the city. I just uh. Jim Pekkain: Reiterate that I I love the city. I I love the county. I'm going to be here for eternity, or as long as that is, and I enjoy golfing. I'm covering that too much. I G3 to four times a week, and so I fairly enjoy the courses that we have here. I enjoy the fellowship of the guys.

00:43:15.000 - 00:43:41.000

Jim Pekkain: I I play golf with. I just love it here. I don't know of anywhere I would go. Jeremy Hays: William were both golf courses here when you? Jim Pekkain: Arrived just the South course was here at the time. That was the first course that was built and it was run by private lease company and then they changed that and this course was built when the the DoubleTree. Jeremy Hays: This course being.

00:43:43.000 - 00:43:58.000

Jim Pekkain: Lower of course. Jeremy Hays: You mentioned restaurants as the city needs more restaurants. Do you remember what was here when you when you moved? Jim Pekkain: Here when I moved here, you only had Southwest Blvd. Jim Pekkain: In southwest Blvd. I'm trying to remember if there was a restaurant there that goes back a few years.

00:44:07.000 - 00:44:10.000

Jim Pekkain: I can't recall. Jeremy Hays: Fair enough that. Jeremy Hays: That tells me that there weren't. Jeremy Hays: Yeah. So just describe me the, the the infrastructure at the time there were southwest, there was what streets ran where.

00:44:20.000 - 00:44:40.000

Jim Pekkain: Well, you had a section that was on the north side and then the B section came in pretty much on the South side. So you? Jim Pekkain: Had southwest Blvd. Jim Pekkain: Then the commerce Blvd. Was developed. Jim Pekkain: The Expressway was.

00:44:44.000 - 00:45:24.000

Jim Pekkain: Developed when the added that shopping center area over there. That was where the the new shopping center was. Safeway and all that came in and I can't remember what years those were. But initially there was just Southwest Blvd. Commerce Blvd. Jim Pekkain: And then you had intersects the other streets that were connected to go up to Petaluma Blvd. And I can't remember where that street was. The interesting thing is when the Redwood trees down in Rohnert Park Expressway. Jim Pekkain: I remembered years ago driving down there. There was nothing on the north side of that. Jim Pekkain: And that I envisioned that all being developed eventually because you had the College in there, that was a big push to see that develop that was on in the planning stage for a number of years and got put on hold when they had a moratorium and that was another reason I knew that we'd be growing big time because once the.

00:45:46.000 - 00:45:58.000

Jim Pekkain: Let that go then that whole subdivision, which is now being developed. Jeremy Hays: Well, how important was the college to the university too? Jim Pekkain: Well, that that was interesting situation with the college. Jim Pekkain: City manager Pete Callanan attempted to make this a college community and worked very hard with the college.

00:46:08.000 - 00:46:39.000

Jim Pekkain: But because the state requirements or whatever, because they wanted to build a football field but they could not build it on the college because there's too much, you know. Jim Pekkain: State requirements. Jim Pekkain: I worked with the athletic department up there with some of the Co sponsoring sports up there, but overall and never really developed into a college community. As such, I actually spent seven years getting on my my Masters degree in in public administration. Jim Pekkain: To college. So I got, you know, I got a little involved with the College in that respect of it, but it just was there as another and and entity, it wasn't really part of the community. I mean, you had college students that would flood in every year and increase the population about 7 to 9000. You know, you have traffic problems there and all that, but that's about.

00:47:00.000 - 00:47:18.000

Jeremy Hays: But they didn't, I imagine. Take part in the recreation programs. Jim Pekkain: Well, the students, I mean, I can't say they didn't participate in our leagues, but they may have. Of course, the college had their own programs up there and whatever like I can't. Jim Pekkain: Say offhand they didn't or did be honest with you. Jeremy Hays: All right.

00:47:21.000 - 00:47:35.000

Jeremy Hays: I think that pretty much covers it for me. If there's any questions you can think of, Alan that I. Jim Pekkain: No, you've done that job. I think I've been able to say what I needed to say anything. Just that I love the city. Jeremy Hays: Well, you said that pretty clearly. Jim Pekkain: Yeah, you got that. OK.

00:47:39.000 - 00:47:43.000

Jeremy Hays: Thanks, Jim. Well, thank you. I really appreciate it. Well, thank. Jim Pekkain: You a lot of memories going through that. Jim Pekkain: And trying to. Jim Pekkain: Remember them all.