REPORT TO PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a List of Names for the Parks & Recreation Commission’s Consideration for Naming Public Parks
Report
BACKGROUND
According to Council Policy No. 035 (Attachment 1) the City Council names municipal facilities using the following guidelines:
• Individuals, living or deceased, who have made outstanding contributions to the City of Santa Clara or Santa Clara community;
• Individuals, living or deceased, who made contributions of local, state, national, or worldwide significance;
• Geographic location, prominent environmental feature(s), or historical significance of the area that the building/facility is located.
According to the same policy, the Parks & Recreation Commission (Commission) reviews all naming proposals for public park facilities at a publicly noticed meeting and make a recommendation to the Council Governance and Ethics Committee. The Governance and Ethics Committee reviews all naming recommendations at a publicly noticed meeting and may deny the recommendation or make a recommendation to the City Council for final approval.
At the November 19, 2019 Commission meeting (Attachment 2), the Commission recommended that the naming of the New Neighborhood Park located at 1205 Coleman Avenue, and the New Public Park located at 2343 Calle Del Mundo be tabled until one month after a comprehensive list of potential park names is developed by the Commission for consideration. In addition, the Commission recommended that each commissioner provide staff a list of three to four names (with sufficient background information about the name in conformance with the Council Policy) by the January 21, 2020, Parks & Recreation Commission meeting.
At the February 17, 2020 Parks & Recreation Commission meeting, the Commission discussed a comprehensive list of names to consider when recommending a name for future public parks.
The Commission recommended list of names for consideration with supporting information includes:
• Jennifer Sparacino - Former City Manager of Santa Clara for over 25 years. She was a former teacher and Community Recreation Center Coordinator. Sparacino was promoted to City Analyst by City Manager Don Von Raesfeld in 1983. When Von Raesfeld retired in 1987, Sparacino was hired by the City Council to take his place. Along with the purchase of Great America and the beginning of the Levi Stadium, Sparacino spearheaded and completed many public projects. These include Santa Clara’s Convention Center, Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club, the Youth Activity Center; many new city parks such as the Skate Park and Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park. Under her administration she oversaw the rebuilding of five fire stations; a new police headquarters and Rivermark substation; the Central Park Library; and the Don Von Raesfeld power plant.
• Stanford “Stan” Wittmayer - The founder of Stan's Donuts. Stan’s has been a community fixture in Santa Clara for more than six decades. This family-owned, independent donut shop was established in 1959. Stan was a World War II veteran. He was married to his wife, Florence, known to family and friends as Tina, for 60+ years. They had nine children, who each spent time working in the donut shop. For many years, son Richard was the second hand to Stan. Working alongside his father, he learned the business and would eventually take over the donut making to keep the legacy alive. Stan’s Donut’s is now a top destination spot for visitors to Santa Clara.
• W. Robert Morgan - Founder of the Triton Museum of Art. The Triton Museum of Art was founded by rancher, lawyer and art patron W. Robert Morgan and his wife June in San Jose, California in 1965. It was the first non-university art museum in Santa Clara County. Less than two years after its opening, the Triton Museum of Art moved to its current location across the street from City Hall. The Triton Museum of Art is a destination spot for the region, providing a venue where local artists showcase their work, and where students of all ages learn about art. The Museum reaches over 158,000 people annually, through its exhibitions, education and community programs, and satellite gallery and exhibition spaces.
• Joseph “Joe” Kornder - The multi-talented educator and City Council Member (2006-2010) who inspired generations of students and colleagues with his dedication, generosity and accomplishment. He was renowned for his passion for literature, reading and learning. He received many accolades such as the California School Board Association’s Golden Bell Award for educational excellence. He was a well-recognized basketball coach at Buchser High School who lead his teams to seven league championships.
• Bay Miwok - A cultural and linguistic group of Miwok, a Native American people in Northern California. They joined the Franciscan mission system during the early nineteenth century (including Mission Santa Clara de Asís), suffered a devastating population decline, and lost their language as they intermarried with other native California ethnic groups and learned the Spanish language.
• Zahra Billoo - A civil rights attorney and the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (based in Santa Clara). CAIR’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. In this capacity, she leads the oldest CAIR chapter in the country, serving the Bay Area's 250,000 Muslims. Billoo is frequently seen at mosques and universities facilitating trainings and workshops as a part of CAIR’s grassroots efforts to empower the American Muslim community and build bridges with allies on civil rights issues.
• Amy Tan - An American writer whose works explore mother-daughter relationships and the Chinese-American experience. Tan lived in Santa Clara during the 1960s and attended Peterson High School. Her novel The Joy Luck Club was adapted into a film in 1993 by director Wayne Wang. Tan's children's book Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat was adapted into a PBS animated television show
• John Hendy - A former professional American football player who played defensive back for two seasons for the San Diego Chargers. Voted First Team NFL All-Rookie at cornerback 1985. Hendy coached successfully at Wilcox High School in his hometown of Santa Clara, as an assistant for seven years helping earn the schools two Central Coast Section (CCS) championships.
• Hyunju "Juju" Chang - An American television journalist for ABC News, and currently serves as an anchor of Nightline. Juju Chang was born in Seoul, South Korea, to Okyong and Palki Chang and graduated from Wilcox High School. Juju Chang became the first Korean American in a prominent role on a U.S. morning news television show when she joined Good Morning America on December 14, 2009.
• Leon Panetta - Former US Secretary of Defense. He graduated from Santa Clara University in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science followed three years later with a Juris Doctor. Panetta returned to Santa Clara as Presidential Professor. Since retiring as Secretary of Defense in 2013, Panetta has served as Chairman of The Panetta Institute for Public Policy. The Institute is dedicated to motivating and preparing people for lives of public service and helping them become more knowledgeably engaged in the democratic process.
• Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong - Key historic figures in the Delano Grape Strike in 1965, when more than 1,500 farm workers walked off the grape fields in California. Filipino Union leader Larry Itliong, of the Agricultural Workers Organization Committee (AWOC), and Mexican American farm worker organizers, including Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, representing the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) joined forces to organize the protest, which laid the foundation for future labor groups (including the United Farm Workers (UFW)) to fight for higher wages, better working conditions and medical benefits for their members.
• Fred Korematsu - An American civil rights activist who objected to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Shortly after the Imperial Japanese Navy launched its attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 (a controversial World War II policy), which authorized the removal of individuals of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast from their homes and their mandatory imprisonment in internment camps. Korematsu, 23, a Japanese-American citizen challenged the orders and became a fugitive. The legality of the internment order was upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in Korematsu v. United States. To commemorate his journey as a civil rights activist posthumously, "Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution" was observed for the first time on his 92nd birthday, January 30, 2011, by the state of California, the first such commemoration for an Asian American in the United States. Korematsu was a Bay Area native.
DISCUSSION
Under Council Policy No. 035 the Parks & Recreation Commission makes recommendations to the Governance and Ethics Committee for names of facilities relating to the Commission’s purview, such as parks. Proposed names must be in accordance with at least one of the criteria outlined in Council Policy No. 035.
While staff does not have a recommendation for any particular name or list of names, it advises the Commission to develop and provide a biographical sketch and background information for each person nominated for consideration for inclusion on a list. The biography will provide an account of the life and activities of the individuals including the person's name, place of residence, education, occupation, life, and activities. The information will provide a basis basis of review and consideration prior to a recommendation to the Governance & Ethics Committee. If the proposed name of a facility or park is not a person, commissioners are recommended to include a rationale for the name.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a project within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“ECQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund for the current action.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Parks & Recreation Commission agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve a List of Names for the Parks & Recreation Commission’s Consideration for Naming Public Parks
Staff
Reviewed by: Dale Seale, Deputy Director of Parks & Recreation
Approved by: James Teixeira, Director, Parks & Recreation
ATTACHMENTS
1. Council Policy No. 035
2. Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes November 19, 2019