Skate Park Re-Opening Honors Brea Senior Center Celebrities
The City of Brea’s recent skate park re-opening on Saturday, September 10, provided the perfect opportunity to honor two Senior Center participants with famous skateboarding backgrounds. The first honoree was Dolly Van Doren, part of the founding family of Vans Skate Shoes in 1966. The second was Patti McGee, who became the first female professional skateboarder in 1965. Brea’s City Council, the Parks, Recreation, and Human Services Commission, and City Staff recognized both women at the event. The two honorees were available to take photos with the public, hand out giveaway items, and even sign autographs during the event. Patti and Dolly, both Brea residents and active members of the Brea Senior Center, brought a rich amount of history to the event and were grateful to be included. Mayor Hupp shared the sentiment of the public when she closed by telling the women, “You continue to be inspirations and integral members of the skate community. We’re very fortunate to have you as part of our community! You’re an inspiration to young women everywhere.”
Proudly Serving the Brea Community
We are proud to introduce a few new talented, customer service-oriented staff members recently hired in the Public Works’ Parks Division.
Rodney Ellis joined the Division late this summer as a part-time Maintenance Services Worker I. His background and skills stem from working as a project manager, service technician, language communications consultant, and teacher. He has lived in other parts of the U.S., and overseas for ten years and can speak four languages. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Morehouse College. Rodney is excited to serve and positively impact the community with his friendly smile and enthusiastic attitude.
Manuel Romero joined the City’s Parks Division in August of this year as a full-time Maintenance Services Worker I. Manuel will be working days at the City Public Works Yard. Formally, he worked for Local 398 Plumbers and Pipefitters. The experience he gained there strengthens the services he will provide to the community.
Pete Bolotin was hired as a part-time Maintenance Services Worker I for the Streets Division this past summer. He gained skills and experience from the City of Orange in their Streets Division. He also has a Class A driver’s license and a certificate in electrical line work. His skills and experience are a great asset to Brea.
Carlos Palacios started with the City this past summer as a part-time Maintenance Services Worker I and will be working days at the Sports Park. Carlos is currently in a water science utility program to achieve T2 Water Treatment Operator and D2 Water Distribution Operator certifications. His previous work experience is from the Park’s Division for the City of Lakewood. He is looking forward to learning and growing with the City and best serving the community.
Salvador Salinas is another excellent addition to the City’s Parks/Landscape Division. He will be serving as a part-time Maintenance Services Worker I and working days. He joined Brea from the City of Fountain Valley, where he worked in the Streets Division. Salvador is excited to serve the community.
Please say hello and congratulate these outstanding staff members when you see them in the community.
Environmentally Conscious CNG Street Sweeper
The Public Works Department recently took delivery of Brea’s first vehicle in the fleet that runs on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The City is moving away from the traditional Tymco 600 sweeper that has been in use for many years and selected the Schwarze A7 Tornado Street Sweeper. CNG is a clean fuel and much safer to work with and maintain than the previous Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG-Propane) powered sweeper. In addition, the hopper has a high debris capacity, allowing sweeper operators to collect more waste during daily routes.
Electrical Vehicle Chargers, Now Open
The long-awaited Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging stations are now open in the Brea Downtown area. The Public Works Department successfully secured grant funding to fully fund this project. Tesla installed 24 Level III V3 Superchargers and 24 Level II chargers. While visiting Brea’s Downtown, EV chargers can be accessed at Parking Structure #2 on level B1, located on Birch Street at Madrona Avenue. The V3 technology is only for Tesla vehicles; however, Level II can be utilized for all EV users. The site opened on Monday, October 10.
Cart Bridge Improvements at Brea Creek Golf Course
The repairs to the cart bridge between holes 4 and 5 at Brea Creek Golf Course are complete. This project replaced the surface wood on the bridge that the golf carts drive on and the horizontal cross bars underneath that support the driving surface. These repairs improve the bridge’s aesthetics and increase its strength and life.
2022 Senior Health Fair & Flu Clinic
Brea’s 23rd annual Senior Health Fair & Flu Clinic was held on Friday, September 23. Nearly 400 individuals attended the event, with 51 vendors offering helpful information and resources, including caregiver assistance, physical therapy, medical options, healthcare plans, and aging-in-place resources. Nine free health screenings were provided, including bone density, vision, hearing, spinal, blood pressure, oxygen, dental, glucose, fitness/strength, memory, and massage. Thanks to the pharmacists at Albertsons Pharmacy, 108 individuals were protected from the flu, 52 individuals from COVID, and over 450 at-home COVID test kits were distributed. A year’s supply of Omega-3 supplements were donated by Spoonful Yogurt Café and provided to all individuals in attendance. Chef Francesco kept everyone fed by serving 101 Breakfast Bowls and 141 Greek Chicken Salads for lunch to vendors, volunteers, and fair attendees.
To top it all off, vendors generously donated raffle prizes worth $25 or more for a door prize drawing which completed the day’s fun event. The Brea Senior Center staff would like to thank the 32 volunteers, the City’s Maintenance Division Facilities, Community Services staff, Print Shop, as well as the Rotary Club, who helped make the day a success.