RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - A little over a year ago Patrick Larkin became District Administrator of the Cordova Recreation and Park District.  On Thursday, February 16, at the Rancho Cordova Luncheon, Larkin gave an overview of CRPD, which is now in the year of its 60^th anniversary.

The District operates on around 10-12 million dollars, Larkin said.  Around 250 employees maintain the 40 parks and seven facilities and the activities that the District offers. 

The day before Larkin’s presentation, on Wednesday, the new Heron Landing Park in the Anatolia neighborhood of Rancho Cordova received an award from the California Parks and Recreation Society.  “We won the Facility Design and Park Planning award for District 2, which is the largest district in the State of California,” Larkin said.  That evening, the District had a community outreach meeting to obtain feedback concerning the Hagan Park pool.  The meeting was both formal and informal according to Rick Sloan, member of the CRPD Board.  “It was a presentation and it was also a vehicle for people to stand up and express their thoughts,” Sloan said.  

At the Rancho Cordova Luncheon, Larkin said that the number of pools at Hagan Park and the actual program that it will serve is being discussed.  “We’re excited to bring that pool project back to the community, and our goal is to have people swimming in the pool, cannonballing off the diving board, in 2020,” Larkin said.  As far as a full aquatic complex with multiple pools, recreation features, slides and so forth, Larkin is looking toward the Rio del Oro development, which could be 10 to 30 years ahead.

Rancho Cordova resident Mary Nesel has taken an active interest in the Hagan Park pool.  “I’m not happy with their vision of the proposed pool,” Nesel said at the luncheon.  “I think that the project is too small.  They’re definitely still working on it, so we’re trying to get them to up the budget and work with the community to find additional funds . . . so we can go back to a larger scale project.” 

The ever present problem of the homeless is not just a Rancho Cordova problem, but a United States problem, Larkin said.  CRPD has increased the security presence in their parks, but it is also offering resources for people in this situation in the parks.  “We take the approach of not punitive, but helpful,” Larkin said.  “It’s tragic, really, there are so many that are in our parks at this point.”

CRPD staff joined last year with Folsom Cordova Unified School District to help collect items for homeless students of the school district.  The CRPD staff was moved by the heartfelt project. “We’ll be working with that group to collect donations at all of our facilities,” Larkin said.  “They are mostly in need of backpacks and underwear, but we will be doing it year around, instead of just at the holidays.”

The District’s 60^th anniversary will be celebrated in a number of ways.  One is a Day of Service on May 5 from 9-11 a.m. at both Hagan Park and Rosemont Park.  “That’s an opportunity for folks to come out and volunteer their time to support some projects that we need done in our parks,” Larkin said. 

The big 60^th anniversary celebration will be on July 20, a party in the park at Lincoln Village Park and Pool.  There will be a reception in the Neil Orchard Senior Activities Center with wine, beer, hors d’oeuvres and a little history. 

“It’s like it’s a new beginning of a 60 year tradition,” Sloan said.

For more information about CRPD, see crpd.com.