Waterford’s riverside park wins award

Waterford’s new riverside park has won an Award of Excellence from the California Park & Recreation Society.

The city, which sits atop a bluff along the Tuolumne River, spent about $2.8 million in state grants on the project. A small part on the east end opened in 2006. The rest was dedicated in May.

The 29-acre park offers picnicking, swimming, fishing, nature study and other activities. Visitors can walk down a 150-foot-tall staircase or hike a switchback trail to reach the water. A ramp for nonmotorized boats is scheduled for construction this summer, but they can already launch from the banks.

Waterford worked with schools, civic groups, environmental groups and other partners on the park. It stretches across the city’s entire south boundary.

The award, for excellence in planning and development, will be presented at a March 3 banquet in Sacramento. The society works on behalf of 535 park and recreation agencies around the state.

SCOE honors nonsupervisors at reception

Five area school employees were honored last week by the Stanislaus County Office of Education as employees of the year and will represent the county in a state competition in May.

Leonard Rodrigues of the Foothill Horizons Outdoor Education camp near Sonora was picked in the maintenance/operations category. Mary Fran Souza of Bonita Elementary in the Newman-Crows Landing Unified district won in the office and technical group. Kathy Smith of Turlock High was chosen as the top paraeducator. Jenny DeSousa of Turlock Unified’s Medeiros Elementary won in the support/security services category. And Della Espinoza of Sylvan Elementary School in Modesto was chosen in the transportation class.

Modesto 500 Lions donate Little Free Library

The Modesto 500 Lions Club presented a Little Free Library to the Stanislaus County Office of Education last week during a ceremony at the Central California Migrant Head Start Child & Family Services Division Early Childhood Program in Modesto. Research shows that children who are not reading at grade level are four times less likely to graduate from high school, and 71 percent of third-graders in Stanislaus County do not read at grade level. The library will allow a free exchange of books, also donated by the Modesto 500 Lions Club, to encourage children to improve their reading skills.

Downey teacher Schmidt recognized by Love Modesto

Philip Schmidt of Downey High is Love Modesto’s teacher of the month for December. He was lauded by nominees for serving students on issues ranging from college entrance to homework, and spends his summers working with local churches mentoring and assisting in youth programs.

Visit LoveModesto.com to learn more about its teacher-of-the-month program.

Christian Public Servant awards available

Applications for scholarships in memory of former Modesto City Schools trustee John Hollis are being accepted. The $750 awards will go to deserving students who plan careers in public service. Those fields include teaching, law enforcement, fire safety, nursing, public administration, political science, etc. Applicants must submit a biography and one-page statement explaining the desire to be a public servant; a list of achievements including school, church and community participation; a school transcript; letters of recommendation from ministry leaders; a letter showing intent to enroll in an accredited college or university; and contact information including email. Mail the information to Christian Public Servants, P.O. Box 3591, Modesto, 95352-3591.

Soroptimist scholarships available

The deadline to apply for Soroptimist International of Modesto scholarships has been extended to Feb. 14. The organization will present three awards of $1,000 each. Applicants must be seniors in high school, demonstrate involvement in community service activities involving women and/or girls, enroll in a higher-learning institution for the fall 2017 semester, write an essay, demonstrate financial need, and live or attend a school in the Modesto City Schools area.

Contact Mona Martinez at desdemonamartinez@yahoo.com

This story was originally published January 28, 2017 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Waterford’s riverside park wins award."