Category Archives: Recreation

La Sierra University Alumnus To Be Inducted Into Baseball Hall of Fame

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(As reported by Darla Tucker, La Sierra University Newsroom)

This July, sports medicine legend and La Sierra University alumnus Frank Jobe will receive one of the highest honors a civilian can get from the professional sports world – a special recognition from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. during Hall of Fame Weekend 2013.

Sports medicine great Dr. Frank Jobe receives the La Sierra University Alumnus of the Year award from university President Randal Wisbey on April 19 with Jobe’s sons Meredith Jobe (left) and Chris Jobe standing by. (photo source: http://www.lasierra.edu)

But his first stop was La Sierra University where on Friday, April 19 he received an award as Alumnus of the Year during an Alumni weekend banquet held at the university’s Glory of God’s Grace sculpture plaza.

“Tonight we have the privilege of honoring him first,” said La Sierra University President Randal Wisbey in remarks prior to presenting Jobe with the crystal award.

“Our alumnus of the year’s impact on the game of baseball simply cannot be measured. And he never played an inning in the major leagues,” Wisbey said. In fact, Jobe changed baseball forever on Sept. 25, 1974, when he performed the first ever ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on the left elbow of a Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Tommy John. The procedure, now known as the “Tommy John” surgery, involved grafting a tendon from John’s forearm into his elbow to replace the ligament. John recovered and took his baseball career to new heights. Before Jobe operated on John, the pitcher had won 124 games in the big leagues. After the surgery, he won 164 games, and was able to play until age 46.

Since that groundbreaking achievement, Jobe has performed more than 1,000 Tommy John surgeries on pitchers of varying level and ability, and the procedure has prolonged or saved the careers of 150 professional baseball players. He later developed another revolutionary procedure, a shoulder reconstruction surgery that was first used to save the career of Dodger great Orel Hershiser.

Jobe graduated from La Sierra in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then studied medicine at Loma Linda’s College of Medical Evangelists, now Loma Linda University School of Medicine. In 1965, along with sports medicine physician Robert Kerlan, he founded the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic which currently operates out of locations in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Anaheim, and Santa Monica.

Jobe spoke briefly to the audience of La Sierra alumni, family members, faculty and staff after they gave him a standing ovation. His son Meredith Jobe, daughter-in-law, Melanie Jobe, wife of Chris Jobe, and Jobe’s grandson, Kevin also all graduated from La Sierra. Jobe attributed his success in life to others, and he cited the life lessons he learned from La Sierra’s faculty during his college tenure.

“Those life lessons are probably more important than any book learning,” said Jobe. “They showed me how to live, how to be nice to people, how to take care of people. La Sierra has such a treasure in its faculty. I hope it’s never lost.”

As a ‘Location of Choice’ known for developing world-class athletes, it is a celebration for Riverside and a testament to the quality of education at La Sierra University, to honor an alumnus that has had such an incredible impact on the game of baseball and the field of sports medicine.

To read the full article as published by La Sierra University, click here.

Riverside Recognized for Prioritizing Play for Children

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With research proving play is critical to the overall well-being of children, Riverside earned recognition from national non-profit KaBOOM! as a 2013 ‘Playful City USA’ community for our efforts to give children the childhood they deserve by providing ample opportunities for play, proving this city to be a ‘Location of Choice‘ for recreation, youth and community wellness. This year, 217 cities and towns were recognized.

Sponsored by the Humana Foundation, Playful City USA is a national program from KaBOOM! that celebrates and promotes local policies that increase play opportunities for children and is a key platform in combating the lack of play among children.

“Active living is the Riverside Way” said Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey.  “This community understands the important role of connecting with others – and that begins with ‘Play’ during childhood.  We are a Fit Fresh & Fun city and we are proud to be recognized by KaBOOM as a Playful City USA.”

For more information on the recognition, KaBOOM, Humana Foundation, or to read the full press release, click here.

Riverside AQuettes Successful at National Team Trials

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Representing Riverside as a world-class location for sports training programs, members of the Riverside AQuettes synchronized swimming team traveled to Walnut Creek for the USA Synchronized Swimming national team trials the weekend of May 4-5, 2013.

Riverside AquettesElizabeth Davidson successfully qualified for the Senior National Team and will compete at the US OPEN in Texas in July.  Catalina Nedulcu was named as the youngest member of the Junior National team and also qualified handily for the 13-15 year old Age Group National team.  At the recommendation of her coaches, Catalina is choosing to compete with the 13-15 team and will be traveling to Puerto Rico in early August for the UANA (Union Americana de Natacion) championships.

Both the Junior and 13-15 National teams will be training in Riverside this summer.

For more information on the Riverside AQuettes program, please contact Sue Nesbitt at 951-750-3744 or visit the Aquettes website at www.raqsynchro.org.

‘Splash’ Launches with High National Ratings, Showcases Riverside’s World-Class Diving Facility

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According to Entertainment Weekly, last week’s debut of the latest TV reality show, ABC’s Splash, was the top unscripted series debut on broadcast TV since Fox’s The X Factor first premiered in 2011, beating out Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen and second only to CBS’ NCIS in the 8 p.m. time slot. What most of the country didn’t realize, however, was that the world-class diving facility that was the backdrop for the show was right here in Riverside.

RCC Aquatics Complex

(photo source: rccd.edu)

In a February 22, 2013 Riverside City College press release, it was reported that it was a little bit of showbiz luck–and efforts by RCC, the Riverside SPORTS Commission, Riverside Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City of Riverside–that factored into the college becoming the shooting location for “Splash.” Back in January, a production crew visited the Riverside Aquatics Complex to film a promotional spot for the show. A stellar experience that day, and some key production elements, prompted ABC and producers to consider RAC as the main production location. In less than a week–unusual in the industry–a deal was struck.

Executive Producer and Eyeworks USA CEO JD Roth, said, “The stars were aligned in more ways than one in forging the show’s relationship with the Riverside Aquatics Complex, with the entire team stepping up as great partners. Riverside City College has a beautiful aquatics facility, absolutely world class, and we know our audience will find that it matches the show in visual allure and excitement, while also serving as a perfect backdrop for an authentic diving competition.”


The show will continue its filming through mid-April, showcasing one of Riverside’s incredible training centers and proving why the community is increasingly a location of choice for residents, business, visitors and athletes.

To watch the ‘Splash’ ABC promo here.

For more info on the Riverside Aquatics Complex and to read the full 2/22/13 press release, click here.

Riverside Parks & Recreation Receives Two Awards of Excellence

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The City of Riverside, Parks Recreation & Community Services Department (PRCSD) received two Awards of Excellence from the California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) this week at the 2013 California and Pacific Southwest Recreation and Park Training Conference in San Jose, CA.

DalesSrCenterRiverside is recognized for the Facility Design of Dales Senior Center Renovation Project in the category of Community Centers/Mixed Use Facilities and for the 2012 Mariachi Festival in the category of Marketing and Communications – Marketing Campaign.

According to Ralph Nunez, Riverside PRCSD Director, “The CPRS awards program is the highest recognition our agency can receive and our award is a credit to the Council, staff, TR Design Group and volunteers that made this happen. We are honored to receive this award on behalf of our residents.”

The City of Riverside, Dales Senior Center Expansion Project embodies the CPRS “Parks Make Life Better!” campaign.  The new 10,500 SF space is a place for the community to gather, exercise, interact with nature, learn new skills and make new connections.

Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey said, “The new Dales Senior Center space and programs should inspire seniors to take advantage of our state of the art facilities and become more ‘Fit Fresh & Fun‘.”

The marketing campaign award recognized Riverside’s promotion of the Riverside Mariachi Festival — noting Riverside’s promotional materials and the partnerships with community groups, other agencies and businesses.

CPRS Executive Director Jane H. Adams states, “These agencies represent the finest in recreation programming and community wide initiatives, park planning, facility design, and marketing and communications in California. Park and recreation agencies throughout the state provide families, individuals, and groups access to the serenity and inspiration of nature; spaces and places for play and exercise; opportunities for directed and self-directed recreation; positive alternatives for youth to reduce crime and mischief; and activities that facilitate social connections, human development, therapy, the arts, and lifelong learning. CPRS and the award sponsors, Rain Bird, Little Tikes Commercial Play Systems, and RJM Design Group, Inc., are proud to recognize the excellent parks, recreation programs, services and facilities provided to Californians.”

The California Park & Recreation Society presented awards in 5 categories:

  • Creating Community Award of Excellence
  • Excellence in Design – Park Planning
  • Excellence in Design – Facility Design
  • Marketing & Communications Award of Excellence
  • Professional & Service 

The two recognitions further demonstrate Riverside’s commitment to increasing the quality of life for all residents through recreation, gathering, health and fitness facilities and programs.

Local Author Memorializes Moving History of North High School Basketball, Coaches

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Riverside resident and famed author, KCET’s Susan Straight, beautifully details the success, history and people that have made North High School basketball an integral piece of Riverside’s big city recreation and hometown feel.

Coach Bartee. | Photo: Douglas MuCulloh

On February 28, 2013, Straight published ‘People Who Stay: A Basketball Coach, a Golden Voice Chanting ‘Three-Ball’, and Players who Hang on Every Word‘ about North’s Varsity Basketball Coach Mike Bartee and the impact he has had on the court, his players and the community:

Mike Bartee gathered his players around him — he had something to say about defense, and sharing the ball, and in the faces shining with sweat, in the circle so close to his words, every eye was trained on his hands and his mouth. They want to do what he asks — every single trip up and down the basketball court — because he would never spend his entire life here if it didn’t mean the world to all of them. (Read more…)

Photograph by Douglas McCulloh

Nearly a year earlier, Straight featured the North girl’s basketball program and the legendary gymnasium in her story ‘J-Dub: The Gym of American Dreams‘:

In Riverside, every day I see people I’ve known since kindergarten, and every time I go to a North High game, it’s like a family reunion. Even if we see each other twice a week during basketball season, we hail, wave, hug, and get ready to scream. John W. North High, named for an early founder of Riverside, has that kind of great sports legacy like many high schools in different parts of America. (Read more…)

To read more about the author, Susan Straight, visit her page here.

Riverside Honors the Achievements of Its Finest Athletes, Coaches and Contributors

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(Includes excerpts from the January 19, 2013 article by Jim Alexander, PE.com)

Earlier this month the names of the inductees for the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013, were announced: Gary McCord, Jess Mortensen, Butch Johnson, Tyree Washington, Becky Miller-White, Dave Almquist and Nick Goldware. They will be officially inducted at the Hall’s annual celebration on May 19 at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium.

Artists rendering of the 2012 Inductees; image from the RSHOF Facebook page.

The Riverside Sport Hall of Fame’s mission is to celebrate the achievements of athletes, coaches and contributors who have brought fame and honor to Riverside. Members come from the ranks of residents, former athletes, athletes, coaches of high school, college and other levels, administrators and athletic directors. In addition, The Riverside Sport Hall of Fame also honors individuals who have demonstrated excellence in sports on the Wall of Distinction.

The announcement was made in conjunction with the ceremony honoring this year’s Wall of Distinction honorees: (Baseball) Rob Brantly, Joe Kelly, Thomas Neal, Garrett Richards; (Basketball) Kisa Hughes, Malcolm Lee, Kawhi Leonard, Maz Trakh, Mark Warkentien; (Softball) Morgan Stuart; and special recognitions for Stan Davis, Jack Allman. (Read more about the event here.)

The Sport Hall’s first chairperson, Dr. Chuck Kane, a former Riverside Community College president who passed away in 2004, is credited for bringing to life the vision of recognizing excellence in Riverside sports.  Since that time, Riverside has proven its commitment to providing opportunities for athletes in nearly every sport to become world-class competitors.

To read the bios for each of the Class of 2013 inductees as published in Jim Alexander’s article in the Press-Enterprise, click here.

To read more about the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame, click here.

To follow Jim Alexander’s blog on the PE.com, click here.

State of the City 2013: “Imagine What We Can Accomplish By Working Together”

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On January 24, 2013, Riverside’s 17th mayor, William “Rusty” Bailey, delivered his first State of the City address to an audience of residents, business owners, fellow educators, current and past elected officials, several of his students, and his family. 

“Through my conversations of the state of our city, I discovered this: the state of our city is responsive and responsible, dynamic and sustainable, inclusive and intelligent. These are the words that I believe best describe and exemplify OUR city.”

Mayor William "Rusty" BaileyThat statement set the tone for the new mayor’s articulations of his commitments and vision for Riverside, and he referenced three themes that he not only integrated into his address and (per Bailey) will continue to refer to throughout his time in office: Gratitude, Leadership Philosophy, and Challenge.

“My philosophy on leadership is simple: lead by example and take care of your troops,” explained Bailey. “Integrity, vision, courage and passion are all characteristics that motivate me daily, and it is my mission that these characteristics will define Riverside’s leadership and for which Riverside will be known throughout the region, the state, our country and the world. If we all share the philosophy of a servant leader, imagine what we can accomplish working together in public and private enterprise.”

As his inaugural address, naturally this is the instance in which the mayor’s expectations of city employees are set.  However, the 6th generation resident added a slightly different and more personal touch for the audience to contemplate.  What would their role be? What are they doing to make their lives and Riverside a better place? What can they do?  Bailey acknowledged that Riverside needed the engagement, support and leadership of our community to make these things happen.

“Better together;” doing things “The Riverside Way”.

“We have our own style here, our swagger…but I call it, The Riverside Way,” to which Mayor Bailey described as

  • Collaborative…we are ‘better together’
  • Welcoming…we make new people feel at ease and at home; old Riverside accepts new Riverside like no other
  • Relational…meaningful conversations build meaningful relationships

“My challenge to you is to believe in the Riverside Way, and to commit yourself and to make yourself available to the Riverside Way in 2013. Available to serve your family, available to serve your neighborhoods, and available to serve YOUR city,” challenged Bailey. “To do this, we build upon the four pillars of our strategic plan, Seizing Our Destiny: Intelligent Growth, Catalyst for Innovation, Location of Choice and Unified City.” (Click here to read Riverside’s definitions for each.)

Bailey’s commitments for 2013 included:

Intelligent Growth

  • Leveraging our relationships with Sister Cities to create economic opportunities for Riverside
  • Making weekly school and business visits
  • Keeping the UCR School of Medicine Creation a top priority
  • Continuation of the Education Roundtable to continue the work of Completion Counts and create new approaches to ensure we are enabling our students to be the best and brightest
  • Organizing a Business Roundtable to create policy and programs that help Riverside businesses create jobs for our community

Catalyst for Innovation

  • Increasing green and sustainable programs and businesses in Riverside
  • Creating an Innovation Center on Main Street Riverside that supports new entrepreneurs and start-up businesses
  • Supporting the creation of the Riverside Entrepreneurial Academy with the four universities and colleges in Riverside to grow our own entrepreneurs

Location of Choice

  • Telling Our Story: “ensuring the Riverside we know and love becomes the Riverside that everyone knows and loves; we are a new side of classic California”
  • Developing a 21st century transportation network, including a streetcar plan to help college students have easier access to our retail centers and entertainment hubs

Unified City

  • Continuing Mayor’s Night Out and Walk with Mayor events
  • Spending time with each of the City Councilmembers in their Wards and with city staff in all departments
  • Continue building bridges and cultivating relationships to deepen our historic roots and promoting the Riverside Way
  • Promoting a healthier lifestyle for all Riversiders
  • Encouraging Riversiders to commit to helping others and the community

Mayor Bailey concluded his inaugural State of the City address with this challenge:

“What is your destiny in Riverside? This is YOUR city. This is YOUR moment. Whatever your destiny is, let’s achieve it together.  After all, THAT is the Riverside Way.”

To watch the full 2013 State of the City address, click here.

Donation Helps Riverside City College and the Wood Streets Green Team Get New Community Garden Out of the Ground

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(Includes excerpts from the article submitted by Riverside City College and published in the January 1, 2013 Press-Enterprise)

A $1,000 donation from Calvary Presbyterian and the Wood Streets Green Team capped nearly two years of planning for a new community garden at Riverside City College that supporters hope will yield organic fruit and vegetables and provide an “outdoor lab” for students and the community. The new garden will open in the spring.

“We are excited about the creation of this community garden and very pleased with the enthusiasm and generous support from our neighbors and local businesses,” said RCC President Cynthia Azari. “Along with the new LEED certified School of Nursing and the Math and Science buildings, the community garden is another example of RCC’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community involvement. It will be an extraordinary learning environment for everyone.”

From left are: Ryan Sendejas, RCC student; Marilyn Morris; Preston Galusky, RCC faculty member; Pat Silvestri, Calvary Presbyterian member; Kamron Golbaf, RCC student; Justin Scott-Coe, of the Woods Street Green Team; Tonya Huff, RCC faculty member; and Virginia White, RCC faculty member.

From left are: Ryan Sendejas, RCC student; Marilyn Morris; Preston Galusky, RCC faculty member; Pat Silvestri, Calvary Presbyterian member; Kamron Golbaf, RCC student; Justin Scott-Coe, of the Woods Street Green Team; Tonya Huff, RCC faculty member; and Virginia White, RCC faculty member.

Volunteer crews of students, faculty and community members are prepping the former parking lot turned garden site, located adjacent to the Math and Science building and the Library and Learning Resource Center on upper campus. College facilities staff installed a security fence and funds donated by the Associate Students of Riverside provided materials that volunteers are using to construct runoff-prevention decomposed granite pathways. Corona Tools donated more than $1,000 in contractor-grade equipment towards the effort. The donation by Calvary Presbyterian and the Wood Streets Green Team will be used to purchase fruit trees and garden benches. Other planned amenities include a gazebo that will provide shade and space for gardening workshops, as well as entrance arbors to support grape and kiwis vines.

RCC students, faculty, and community members initiated the project in order to learn, teach, and encourage sustainability through local food production and community building.

 “The Green Team is thrilled to provide a return on the investment RCC has made and continues to make in our community,” said Justin Scott-Coe, a member of the Wood Streets Green Team Board of Directors and member of the Seizing Our Destiny Champions Council. “The RCC Community Garden is the first of what we hope are a number of community gardens supported through our local fundraising and partnership efforts. We thank Calvary Presbyterian for providing such a generous donation toward what will certainly be a premier community education and healthy food resource.”

As the new community garden comes on line, planners expect to schedule regular workshops focused on local gardening techniques from pruning to pest management. Once opened, the RCC garden, which features cultivation plots, will join a number of established and emerging gardens throughout the city of Riverside that participate in the Riverside Garden Council. As part of the Council, RCC will be able to help connect interested parties with gardening and volunteer opportunities throughout the city.

The RCC Community Garden demonstrates, the spirit of a unified community that comes together around common interests and concerns and showcases Riverside’s commitment to being one of the most inspiring, livable, healthy and adventurous cities to live in or visit.

For more information about the new Riverside City College community garden, or to volunteer, call 951-222-8361.

For more information on the Wood Streets Green team, click here.

To read the full article as published in the Press-Enterprise, click here.

New La Sierra University Athletic Advisory Board Chair Views Sports as a Way to Connect Campus with Community

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A well-known university athletics director and basketball coach who led four teams to national tournaments is bringing his leadership skills to a fledgling athletics board at La Sierra University.

Stan Morrison, who retired August 2011 from 12 years as athletics director for the University of California, Riverside took up chairmanship this fall of La Sierra University’s Golden Eagles Athletics Advisory Board. In his first meeting earlier this fall, board members were given a game plan by their leader: they are to bring one person unaffiliated with La Sierra University to one game per month, and to come to the next board meeting with the names of two alumni with whom they can share the vision of La Sierra’s athletics department.

Morrison_LSU article

Photo source: www.lasierra.edu

“Athletics can be the front window of an institution,” said Morrison. Sports scores and stories in the media serve as “a great way of introducing a university to a community.”

Morrison’s arrival at La Sierra has been met with enthusiasm.

“He is the best person we could have brought on board,” said Derek Robbins, head coach for the Golden Eagles men’s basketball team. “He’s been a successful player, a successful coach, and he’s done a great job as an athletics director. It’s a benefit to us that we can grow and follow his lead into the future.”

“It is an honor for our athletics department to have someone like Stan Morrison as the chair,” said Yami Bazan, La Sierra’s vice-president for Student Life division that oversees the athletics program. “His lifework on and off the court is an inspiration not just for our athletes, but for our coaches, our athletics director, and those of us who are in leadership positions today. We are grateful and consider his leading of our athletics advisory board a God-gift.”

Morrison’s love of Riverside is infectious. Beyond his new role at La Sierra University, Stan is an active and engaged champion for youth, health, athletics and community programs that grow strong leaders and increase community spirit, including Seizing Our Destiny.  Morrison lives by his belief that “Leadership must go to extraordinary lengths to get extraordinary results.”

To read the full article as published on the La Sierra University website, click here.