Sonoma County Regional Parks with Jim Angelo and Carol Presho

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nineties with your host rich McGlinchy. How you doing? Everybody Welcome to another edition of Sonoma County in the nineties. And on this particular program, we're talking about one of my favorite subject. That's our regional parks. Going to be talking to director of regional Parks Jim Angelo

and Ranger Carol preshow. We're gonna talk about the parks, but one of the things we're gonna do a little differently. We're gonna see what's happening as we talk to these folks here and then we're gonna go out to the parts. We're gonna find out just what

they're telling us. before we do that. Hi, Jim. Nice to have you back. Carol. It's first time you visited, but it's nice to have you with us. Um, you've been here for a while now. Uh, about nine years. Time flies when you're having fun. How does

what you told me, right. Um, OK, though. This year, 1992 it works the 25th the silver University for a regional park department. Um, how department grown. How has it grown in this 1st 25 years? Well, we basically started with one facility door in park about 19

6 and seven. And we have now close to 50 facilities and operate about 4000 acres of Parklands. So we operate parks, veterans, buildings, and we also have spud point Marina. So it's It's grown considerably 25 years. It's really hard to believe, isn't it? Um, in view

of the fact that it is the silver anniversary, do you have any special events planned for the remainder of the year? Yeah, we've had a number already, and we continue to plan and are going to have activities throughout the summer. The best advice I can give

people is Teoh, listen to the radio stations, listen to television or look at television. We're going to be advertising there and at the parks the events will be advertised. Also, more things. Um, you know, I used to make its comment here for your predecessor jewelry. Dodo

visited with this number of times. And then you've had had the pleasure talking with you several times, but I think I parks and one about one of the things we really should be proud of. Stuff. I mean, there's recreational areas throughout the county. Now I think

right someone located in every one of our supervisorial district just really puts us. I think several steps above many, many other counties I think we've developed are part thanks to you and Joe. We develop our parks to a far greater extent. Ah, spud point Marina French

is now is one of the I don't know how we're doing over there, but is one of most beautiful spots, I think. Good morning. How are we doing over there? Well, spud Point is having difficulties because of the restrictions have been placed on the fishing and

what not salmon fishing and the drought hasn't helped, so it's struggling. But We're confident that working with state, we might be able to make up a long term financial plan that we're gonna need for the marina. It's a magnificent facility. We were over there photographing men

and just recently, and what is there. We sincerely hope fishing does re gender itself, and things get better real quick because it's a magnificent facility. Are there any estimates on the number of persons to visit your county parks every year? Jim, you know the combined total.

If we look at the marina, the Veterans Memorial buildings in the parks, we think that there is close to four million people that visit on an annual basis, for that's the way we think. It's a conservative estimate because we certainly can't count everybody that comes in.

But that's close to four million people. We have so many parts the you have offhand how Maney parks do we have? Well, there's 40 parks. I believe we have eight veterans memorial buildings in the arena. It's big. It's really speaks well for for not only Park

department, for for the boards of supervisors now and in the past. Looking forward to setting aside these air is getting the areas, given its amenities that other counties this size do not have. Yeah, I really do. I think is wonderful. Well, yeah, well, let's get a

little popularity contest, which parks are the most popular. And, uh, and why my personal thought is is probably during Spring Lake, um, Regal Ranch and probably Maxwell. And they all offer a little bit different activities and features. But I think those are probably the most popular

spring late because of the aquatic facilities. Dorn, because of its long beaches and wriggle on Maxwell because of the athletic activities that could be conducted there once it's basketball. Once I rose, we wanted to know where they're just They're beautiful. Time for you, Carol. Um, swimming

is really very, very popular in the coming in the summer months. What smooth facilities do we make available to the public? Well, a regional parks has two different swimming areas. Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, which is right on the Russian River in the town of Healdsburg on

spring like Swimming Lagoon, which is in eastern Santa Rosa. Both of them are really great facilities. They've got groomed beaches and lifeguard service, and there's picnic facilities available as well as a concession stand, and they're both open through the summer on a daily basis, and the

swimming hours are from 10 to 8. My wife and I drove up to heels Berry last weekend. Teoh have dinner up there, and Morial Beach was jammed. I mean, it was really Jim. I have seen a lot of people there, but I've never seen that many

there before. Um, what should parents be aware of when they take your son or daughter to swim in a county park? Or, for that matter, anywhere? Well, there's quite a few different things, but I think the most important that we want to stress to parents is

to keep a real close eye on your kids. Even if there is a lifeguard service available where you go to swim, the lifeguards, they'd have to concentrate on the water. And every year we have numerous reports of missing Children around the lagoon, and, um, of the

rescues the lifeguards make. Almost 80% of them are for kids under the age of 10 so that's something we really want to stress. What's the county boast? I think one of the largest lifeguard programs in California. Um, what's given a skill level? I guess I'm trying

to stay. And an ongoing training do you require of the county? Lifeguards were very proud of proud of the lifeguard program. They have to go through all kinds of training in order to be a lifeguard, to be certified and work in the in the state of

California. They have to go through 57 hours of of training, including lifeguard skills and then medical training like Advanced First Aid and CPR. And then, in order to be hired, forcing a counter parks, they have to pass several more tests, including the skills tests and then

several physical endurance tests. And then once they're hired, they go through ah, almost daily training throughout the entire summer. We have to training lifeguards that that's basically their main purpose, and they have training sessions every weekday and review the skills and the first day. And then

we go through scenarios with all the park employees with the rangers and park aids and maintenance so that we're prepared for when, if a big emergency short of should occur that were everybody knows what everyone else is supposed to be doing and where we're not caught

unawares. That would make you feel pretty good. Ladies and gentlemen, if you take your Children to memorial on the beach and heels burgers bring, Make to know that the lifeguards are skilled and are able to take care of the area they patrol it it would make

would make any parent feel a little bit better. What about camping facilities? Kill? I know we have them, but what camping facilities are offered by original Parks Department? Well, we have five different campgrounds. Five we've got to up on the North Coast. That's Uncle Allah Point

and still Water Cove. And then we've got to a Bodega Bay door on Park in West Side Park, and then Spring Lake Park also has a campground there, all very nice facilities with with different benefits of each one. They all have sites that can accommodate a

tent or an RV and have flush toilets and and a dump station at each one. And they're open all year round. With the exception of spring like a spring lake's only open days. Excuse me there is closed during the weekdays during the winter months, but during

the summer it's open every day. Well, I want to put it aside in here. Right quick for the ladies and gentlemen. Endured it. If you haven't visited, it's no mechanic parks, a regional party. Really? You should do so. Gralla Part Duran Park, West Side Park. As

I mentioned, the Spud Point Marina Regal Ranch Park, The Spring Lake Park Maxwell Power. The's places are just magnificent places to go toe walk to relax, to take your feet. Your kids, your family. Um, we really have a jewel of a park system. And if you're

living in this county, you should visit them all you can. There's been a lot of discussion about rattlesnakes and lying disease on. Everybody's talking about that, spooked about that. Runners Some of the things people should do when they visited a A world in this park. What

precautions should they take? One of the simplest and the main things is to make sure that you stay on on the trails. Don't be wandering through high grass or fields. And if you do come across a snake, any kind of snake, don't panic. Don't try to

handle it at all or move it off the trail just give it a wide berth and let the park staff know about it. And yeah, and, ah, to protect yourself from ticks and the risk of Lyme disease, make sure you wear long pants if you're gonna

be in a wilderness park, Uh, and if possible, light colored clothing so that you can see the ticks like colored socks. And be sure to check yourself after any outing. If you're gonna be out in the wilderness type area rattlesnake in over that. If you're listening

carefully, they usually rattled the Is my my understanding rattlesnakes tracked. If they feel threatened or something like that, Basically, any Snapple will strike if they feel threatened on a lot of times. Some snakes, like the golfer snake, will simulate the rattlesnake shake of the tail to

try toe fool you into thinking that it's a rattlesnake so that you'll leave it alone. But the Lyme disease now that's really kind of ah, in stupider, insidious thing rather than insipid people. Get that in the nick like, don't think, do those little ticks. It's a

lot, Yes, and you can get the ticks can bite you anywhere they can. They can fall into your hair, whatever. But you shouldn't be panicked if you find a tick on yourself. They have to be on you for an extended period of time before you can

contract the disease. That's my understanding. So as long as if you've been outdoors, if you check yourself, make sure you don't have any on you. And if you find any, remove them right away. You shouldn't be too worried if you those are two things that we

hear most often like in our public information office over there. About what? About Lyme disease. What about those ticks? Are they out? There are rattlesnakes, and those seems to be the two things that bring the greatest level of fear in the people. But what do we

have many of those in any of our parks? What? I don't know about the ticks, but about the rattlesnakes. We do have all kinds of snakes in the parks. However, they're not, um, so prevalent that every time you go out to the park you're going to

see one. However, it is an unusual, especially in the more rustic world parks to run across the snake. However, we've had very few incidents with anyone being injured by a snake, and mainly that's because they've tried to contact it, touch you, remove it or pick it

up or handle it. So if you see it's not, just leave it alone and you won't have any problems. Aside from Lyme disease or ticks and rattlesnakes, what are some of the other precautions people should take when they visit the parks? Well, it's gonna go to

a wilderness area. It's real important to let somebody know, Uh, when you're going and when you're due to come back on the plan. Your plan, your trip in advance. Make sure you have enough water and clothing, and it's very, very important to make sure that your

time that time the trip carefully. No, when the parts gonna close, know how long it's gonna take you to get to your destination and when, How long it's gonna take you to get back and allow yourself plenty of time to complete the journey so that you're

not caught in the park after closing or after dark. And there's a very, very important things is a necessary to make reservations any other places. Well, if you're going to have a group picnic or something like that, it's best to contact us and see if you

can get a reservation. I will say that the best advice I can give to anybody who wants to use a county park, especially during the summer months and a nice days to get there early and try to make your reservations if you're having a large group

picnic way in advance. All right. Now, uh, enough of this talking about all these things. Why don't we go out and see some of the parks? Let's go to see feet, Spring Lake Park. Ladies and gentlemen, when we come back, we'll be visiting you from Spring

Lake Park, and we'll see some of the things that Carol and Jim have been talking about. First this message thistles. Just one of the many parts you can play as a young Red Cross volunteer volunteer and play your part. If your family has

been affected by Alzheimer's disease, you probably know that so far there is no cure. But medical science has made progress in treating some of the most troublesome symptoms. Ask your doctor and be sure to take advantage of the support groups and services that can make life

for the caregiver a little easier. You're not alone for a free booklet that might help you cope a little better with Alzheimer's disease, right? The Will Rogers Institute, White Plains, New York Welcome back to this tradition of Sonoma County in the nineties, as we said earlier

would be coming back from Spring Lake Park, and that's exactly where we are. We're outside of the New Spring Lake Park Visitor Centre. We're talking with regional parks director Jim Angelo and Park Ranger Carol Preshow and Jim. I think it would be appropriate right now if

you tell us a little bit of the history of the New Spring Lake Park Visitor Centre. Well rich. It's been a long time goal of the Cinema County water Agency to have this building constructed and over the past 10 years have been various discussions with the

Board of Supervisors. Various proposals, but finally, about three years ago, under ah lot of interest from the community, they finally developed the master plan, and that master plan was implemented. They hired an architect who want a national award for environmental design, and the visitors center is

constructed. Now it's open for the public to utilize and enjoy the beautiful. Can we gotta get you in on this because you're the park ranger out here. Um, the center at three. Made part just recently opened. What are the hours and the days and that sort

of thing? What's the schedule out here right now? We're open daily from 10 till 6 p.m. And everybody is welcome to come out. It's a wonderful center, and I encourage everybody come out and take a look. It really has a lot of fascinating aspects to it.

I mean, the little kiddies corner and in the little cave out there, people have to come to see all these things. But what kind of displays are actually available to the public? Go. Okay. We have, ah variety of different displays that cover the natural and cultural

history of the area. We've got interactive displays on the plants and animals, as well as just a variety of displays on the facilities that are available here and throughout the regional parks. How much basis there are two or three rooms. I think basically, basically it's one

large room and then there's a small tent area that we have set aside for the kids. Oh, yeah? Well, that's why don't you ask your next. You have a special display for Children. That right? Tell us about that will be interested. It's a wonderful little area

set aside where the kids can experience the environment using their senses. He's in touching and smelling, and it's a chance for them to get a real hands on experience and have some fun. Yeah, I think kids are gonna just absolutely love. This will be programs and

tours, and that's everything available for the public. There sure will right now during the summer, both on Saturday and Sunday. We have nature walks free to the public, getting at 10 30 in the morning and then by the fall, we hope to have organized programs available

for school groups and other groups that are interested. You know, one of the things that's very important to practice. Every county department is volunteers now. Do you use volunteers? And if you do, what do they do out here? We sure do. In fact, we're recruiting volunteers

right now. They don't have to have any specific skills. They just need to have an interest, and they could do a variety of things from answering questions from the public to building and constructing displays or giving nature walks or just a variety of things. There's something

for everybody. Yeah, there certainly is. Um, how does a person go about contacting your folks for more information says somebody wants to be a volunteer. How did they go about getting in touch with your folks? OK, anybody who is interested in being a volunteer, whether at

the visitor center or in any Cinema County park, they can call our regional parks public information number. And that's 5392865 by 392865 With a nice weather coming on, Jim, people are going to be looking more and more to the parks. What are some of the advice

is you can give people who want to use our original parks. The best advice I can give anybody is to get there early. Parks are very popular this time of the year. If they want to get to a plug really to get that picnic site that

they want to get that campsite that they want. One of the things that we encourage people is to think about carpooling so that families can come together as opposed to individually because parking does become a problem in the park. And we'd like the park to remain

a park as opposed to congestion. So, um, we do encourage people to get to the park early and enjoy yourselves. This certainly Springlake is one of the jewels in your crown of parks and is very, very popular known this summer. So the advice you just gave

people would certainly be doubly apply right here. What about bike riding? It's a very popular sport, and it conducted throughout the county County parks. I know offer some of the trails or bike riding is possible. Now, do you have any problems with this sort of thing?

Unfortunately, we do, and it seems to be similar to other parks and what not. You have some bike writers not very many, but certainly some that we'll use excessive speed there. They're not following basically the rules and regulations of being Curtis, you know, showing courtesy to

the people who are not bike riding. So we have an active program of interpreting our rules and regulations to bike riders so that they could enjoy the parks along with everybody else. What do you do about the program? The problem, So to speak. You directly lecture

the bike riders and that sort of thing. Well, we have to catch him first, unfortunately. But once we actually began, right, Once we do find him and we stop them, we remind them of the of the speed limit. Remind them that there is a health and

safety factor that we're looking at there following the rules and regulations like anybody else. And I say for the most part, after we discussed the rules, regulations and the concerns that we have for public safety, that most people will change their attitude about bike riding and

send slowdown Jim, I understand. In a 1991 over 23,000 hours were volunteered to the park environment. Now, what of volunteers do for you here in the park system? Right now, volunteers are doing every single part of the department or assisting us and be hard to imagine

what we do without them, journey would be when the county is a hole. One other thing I know that people think about when they think about I parks and open spaces and trails. And so far, there the present day problem of gangs. Now are we having

a problem with Vandals or gangs in our parks? And if we are, what are we doing about while there is a problem? Unfortunately, it's a growing problem. We have an active program of identifying gang graffiti, and we are on the gang task force with the sheriff

and other law enforcement agencies. And I think that our staff is getting more and more training to identify what gang activities there are. Basically, just making sure that there's good communications between all the organizations. We attack vandalism right away. We clean up the graffiti as soon

as we way see it. Eso It's an active program, unfortunately, an ongoing when it's a very expensive program go. A lot of people probably want to know what a park Ranger does. So why don't you describe a day in the life of Park Ranger? What does

it start? What do you do? Where does it end? Okay, well, we have a variety of shifts. If you're working on early shift to come on in the morning, make sure the campgrounds all in order and make sure no one has any problems in the campground.

Make sure that everything's under control. Then we do patrols take care of all the money problems, collecting the fees and so on. Um, making sure everything's clean. The other staff People that help with our cleanup or have everything they need. Um, come open the center. Make

sure that everything's ah, as it should be. Greeting. Meet the public. And basically Ah, we do a lot of personal one on one contact with with the park visitors starting. Do a splendid job. I've been working with the parks and regional parks for many, many years

and certainly with Jim for the last eight or nine years. And I know your people are held in in high regard by the public in general. So you must be doing something right. I think that, uh, Jim, there are camping facilities here at Spring Lake Park.

What? It described those for people. You know, people are coming up every summer, and you might want to stay out here. Candy? Well, yes, absolutely. Springlake is one of the most popular campgrounds that we operate, so they do have to get here early. But camping. There's

about 31 sites for people you can fit. RVs, trailers. We have a lot of people tend camping. That's a nice ah shower facility restaurant facility, and it's close to everything. You can camp there and walked all all the sights here at Spring Lake. So I again

I would encourage people to get here early and make plans to get here early in the week to find yourself camping. Carol, why don't you describe for us an actual Kids Program day, if you will hear it? The spring like visitors air what takes place. Okay,

if a school group comes usually a dose and tour park ranger will meet them down in the welcoming circle, which is basically just a nice little rock area where we can gather them all together, orient them, get them prepared for the for the program, then will

lead them up the path to the Storytellers cavern and have some kind of a program in there. And then we'll take them on a nature, walk down one of our trails, talk about the plants and animals that are found in the park and finally end up

in the visitor center itself. and, ah, lot times we'll do a little short program in the center and then let them just explore and have fun. You know, you said something about this storytellers cavern I want to hear more about. Yes, this is a marvelous will

area right before you get to the center, its walls built up off rocks of the big boulders with a small little opening and then over the top there some old tree limbs laid across the top, and we can go in there. It's a small little area

where we can gather the kids together closely and just either tell him a story or showing something small or just really get intimate with them. And the kids love it. It's a wonderful little area. Oh, it's a terrific ideas. It's called the storyteller scabbard right like

that. That say, What about passive sore eating? Do you have some of this? Here is a heater of you? Yes, As part of the design, the architect built the center to kind of blend into the hillside, and there are louvers on the glass wall glass walls

to control the amount of heat that comes in. And there's also a whole wall that is passive solar heating. It's got air instead of water. And that helps hate the center in in the winter time so that we don't have Teoh use any kind of electrical

heat. There is a wood burning stove for supplemental heat, but so far we haven't had to use that. Uh, there's one thing I want to ask you. Carol, when I came in to look at the center, the first thing I thought it was gonna take off.

Then I saw that it was anchored by a lower rock. Now there's a lot of rocks all right around the inside of senator with a rope around them. Tell us a little bit about that right in the center. There's a the 10 Terry that I told

you was the kids area surrounding that is some bowlers that air security, Big boulders. Yeah, they're secured by ropes to the 10th and basically everyone asks about that. That is just part of the artists. Architects design to kind of tie in nature and camping and bringing

outdoors inside. So that's just kind of an artistic, um, part of the building. Sally has no truth to the fact that the centre takes off at night goes around. No truth. Okay, Uh, one of the other things I know that very popular here is you're screwing

with You have swimming to three places where I think Healdsburg. And here I know. What about the swimming room? How big is it? Who could use it? Well, it's It's a three acre swimming lagoon and its basically open to anybody and everybody. Anybody that can get

in the water can certainly do it here. We have a lifeguard program. We just have, Ah, great time with kids. We have school groups. We have various groups that come down here to use it. Um, there's a concession stand. There's boat rentals, Canoe Reynolds. So it's

It's a one stop activity for everybody. Jim, how about boating now? What kind of boats are allowed on the lake and when? Tell us a little bit about this because there's a lot of voting into it. Just want to know with the nonmotorized, I believe it's

14 feet that we can get a non motorized boat on the lake and a lot of people do that. They come out here of a sailboat, they fish you know, there are a lot of horseback enthusiast in Sonoma County. Is horseback riding allowed here in Spring

Lake Park? Well, there's a certain trail here that handle, uh, question people. They bring their horses in. They could go right into an Adele. So it is a popular place where people can bring their trailers, their horses and and start up the connector. From how with

springlake to an Adele, it's just uncredible facility. It certainly is. Ladies and gentlemen, we're here at Spring Lake Park and Jim just said It's an incredible facility. It's a lovely place. If you haven't been to this park or any of the cinema, County regional parks go

to them. This summary. It's really a lot of fun. My name is Richman G. The program is cinema can. In the nineties, my guests have been Jim Angelo, regional parks director and Carol Preshow Park ranger. I'll be back with you next week. Other members of the

county government family until end. So long. Good luck. Good help each and every one of you. You know