City Projects Honored by Regional & Statewide Peers

Two projects of the City of Davis Parks & Community Services Department, a local park design and an innovative program for older adults, have garnered two awards from District II of the California Park and Recreation Society, which represents 19 northern California counties. Mace Ranch Community Park and "Techno U", a program aimed at enhancing an older adult&rsquos understanding of new technology, have been honored with Awards of Excellence.

Mace Ranch Community Park received an Award of Excellence in Park Planning, which was presented to Mayor Ruth Asmundson and Recreation and Park Commission Chair Charlie Russell at a banquet on March 5. The District II award recognizes that the Mace Ranch Community Park "programming celebrates mixed uses and has overcome differing goals by embracing unique yet complementary elements." The award narrative goes on to state that the project is "innovative, unique and different from other parks in that a highly contested park zone is now a sought-after destination and resource for all who seeks these recreational and natural amenities."

The Award of Excellence in Programming was also presented to Mayor Ruth Asmundson and Senior Citizen's Commission Chair Elaine Musser. The award honors a program entitled "Techno U: What the (Bleep) is All This Technology Anyway?" a multi-generational class highlighting the purpose, features and operation of current consumer technologies. The award narrative stated that the project "is of great interest to older adults since it improves their ability to communicate across the generations, as well as providing a diversified experience that isn't readily available anywhere else."

This program also received a first place statewide award for "Lifelong Learning Through Intergenerational Programs" given by the California Park and Recreation Society Aging Services and Activities Section, which was presented to Christine Helweg, Community Services Supervisor, on Friday March 17, at the annual California and Pacific Southwest Recreation and Park Training Conference in Ontario.

Information about both programs is available at the Parks & Community Services Department website.

The Davis Senior Center is located at 646 A Street.

The Mace Ranch Community Park is located at 3030 Loyola Drive, and can be accessed on Loyola Drive, Fifth Street, and Alhambra Drive. More information on the park can be obtained through the Parks & Community Services Department.

A video tour of the park has been developed and can be viewed on Government Channel 16 at the following times:
> Sunday April 2 through Saturday April 8, at 2:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. each day.

The video tour can also be seen online via streaming video.