Crestview Park renamed by board in honor of Nancy Bush
Colleagues of the late 25-year member have 60 days to select a replacement
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

Following the Dec. 2 death of board member Nancy Bush, the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District board- Patty Hamm, Bob Kelley, Mark Malloy and Paul Rockenstein- have only 60 days to select a replacement. If the four board members cannot come to a consensus during that time, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors will have to appoint someone on behalf of the district.

The board honored its late colleague by voting unanimously to rename Crestview Park, at Esplendido and Bradford roads, Nancy C. Bush Park. The district will construct a cementandtile sign at the park and commemorate Bush at a late January ceremony.

"That park was right down the street from where Nancy lived for many years," said Mark Carlson, clerk of the board and administrative assistant. "She definitely had her heart in that particular park."

At the beginning of the new year, the board will turn its attention to interviewing and selecting a new member. At the end of the next regular meeting, Wed., Jan. 8, the board will hear presentations by applicants.

"We all have some general idea of what we want," Kelley said. "I don't have any preconceived ideas of what the next candidates should be like. We may interview candidates that may not meet any of my preconceived notions, but they may be a great fit because they could bring great talent to the board."

Malloy said that replacing Bush, a 25-year board member who helped the district develop into what it is today, is even more significant because of next November's elections.

"Being an incumbent is a huge advantage," said Malloy, who replaced Hamm as chair of the board during its most recent meeting. "We want to make sure we choose the best person for the job because they could be there for potentially a long time."

Rockenstein, who has served on the board for more than 12 years, will be very interested to hear what candidates say during their presentations.

"You can get a sense talking to people about their interests and what they've done in the parks," he said. "You can ask, if they're married and have children, if they're active with their kids in the sporting activities that are offered. . . . You have to hope for the best, that they don't have agendas other than to be of service to the public and the community."

A PVRPD recreation coordinator for about five years, Hamm is now a supervisor at the Borchard Community Center for the Conejo Recreation and Park District. Hamm would like to see someone appointed who has knowledge of how the Pleasant Valley district functions.

"It's a very important decision," she said. "We need to choose someone who will take their role seriously and do their homework and come to meeting prepared and interested in all aspects of the park district."

After the presentations, the board will have two weeks to make a decision.

"I think there's more interest than ever because we're doing a lot more than we've ever done," Malloy said. "I think we'll see a rich field of candidates."

Applications for the position opened to the public on Monday and will be accepted until Mon., Dec. 31 at 5 p.m., according to Carlson. For more information, call (805) 482-1996.