A large crowd attended the August 8 Ukiah Unified School District Board meeting to show enthusiastic support for the idea of turning the abandoned Redwood Valley School into the Redwood Valley Recreation Center. First District Supervisor-elect Madeline Cline and other community leaders were in the audience.
This agenda item had been discussed in advance, and time was allotted for presentations and public comments. Outgoing Board President Megan Van Sant set the ground rules for the meeting, saying the Board “will not be taking any action tonight” but agreed to hear from presenters and public commenters who had filled out a card in advance.
Marybeth Kelly introduced herself as a former science teacher who taught at Eagle Peak for 12 years. Kelly gave a brief history of the school beginning with the donation of land for a school by JM and Florence Woolley in 1921 (a detailed history is covered in our prior coverage linked at the end).
For years now, the Woolley descendants have been wondering what happened to the brass plaque memorializing the donation. Kelly located the cement plinth that holds the plaque, but it is buried deep inside an overgrown pyracantha bush, so she was not able to confirm that the plaque is attached.
Kelly said about 15 people are on the steering committee for this group, and there are over 300 individuals and businesses that have signed on to support this idea. The Board of Ukiah’s Alex Rorabaugh Recreation Center has agreed to take the Redwood Valley Recreation Center under its wing as a nonprofit organization.
The group’s vision includes three stages of renovation. First, commence work on the athletic fields and tennis courts. The second is to renovate the gym and rec room. The third will be to renovate the classroom buildings. $120,000 has already been pledged from local donors. Kelly concluded “So what I’d like to ask you to do . . . is do the right thing. It’s not necessarily the easy thing but I think morally it is the right thing to consider the value of this property beyond dollars and cents.”
Dr. Marvin Trotter spoke about the epidemic of teen alcohol and drug use, and the loneliness and social isolation often brought on by staying indoors viewing social media on a small screen. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has declared this a public crisis. Ukiah’s ARRC is used seven days a week for the Boys and Girls Club, sports, and other activities. “I feel that the children and families in Redwood Valley and Calpella deserve a similar chance at fun, friendship, families and learning.”
Steering Committee member Sandra Berman Khankhanian told the Board, “We will find a way to raise the money. . . We will apply for grants listed on our Statement of Action. . . .It will add value to our community with dividends for years to come. . . .This seems like perfect timing since the other ideas for the site didn’t pan out.” Redwood Valley is recovering from the 2017 fire and the pandemic. The Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Council has given the citizens a way to come together to recover from those events and to plan for the future. Berman Khankhanian finished by asking the Board, “What do you need from us? Can we get a commitment from the Board so we can get started?”
UUSD teacher Deb Phenicie read letters from herself and from the Woolley family descendants, who were standing with Phenicie at the podium.
Excerpts from Phenicie’s letter:
Honorable Board members, I stand before you as I did 14 years ago, when we were faced with the closing of Redwood Valley School. We were told that the school was no longer needed because of declining enrollment. Yet, we were so large and at capacity, that our 5th graders had to be sent to Eagle Peak. It was not lack of interest or lack of passion or lack of love for our historical school, but we were told that is the situation.
We are asking you not to look at the short term financial gains for the district, but at the long term community service for Redwood Valley. We are asking you not to look at the profit for the District, but for the repurposing of the donated land site. We are asking for the R.V. site to continue serving our community, which was what the Woolley family’s intention was over 100 years ago.
Excerpt from the Woolley family’s letter:
Our great-grandparents donated this property to be utilized by and for the community of Redwood Valley and we are in favor of the new proposed use as the Redwood Valley Community Recreation Center where this can again be a space created where families can bond, individuals can thrive, and everyone can feel a sense of belonging.
Three 14-year old girls who are active in sports spoke next. These girls were unbelievably poised and confident speaking to a roomful of adults, teachers and UUSD Board members.
Zinnia Everson has lived in Redwood Valley for five years. “I think a recreation center would impact the health and wellness of our community in a positive way.” She is involved in athletics, and it has improved her life immensely, but there is no place to practice in Redwood Valley. “In the last ten years we have lost facilities for youth. For example, the roller skating rink and the bowling alley. I think it’s time to start adding to the community.”
Kaci Maynard said, “Sports in my life have played a very important role. Not only have they helped me expand my social group and given me a chance to learn skills that I will carry with me through my life, but they have also helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle.” A rec center would encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Kamala Gardner said, “It’s vital to have a rec center in Redwood Valley. Having a gym in Redwood Valley would open up opportunities for young athletes of all ages, and even open up opportunities for those who don’t consider themselves athletes yet.” She is on the Ukiah Dolphins swim team, and is lucky that her parents can drive her to practice. She acknowledged the “the strain and added effort for the parents and guardians of athletes” who have to drive their children to Ukiah.
Dr. Eric Bauer, a family physician at Adventist Health, said “I can say very confidently that my involvement in after-school activities, in sports, and those educational activities have helped get me where I am today as a physician.” The majority of children he sees in his practice are overweight. “Unfortunately, this generation of children is the first to have a shorter lifespan than their parents did.”
Estok Menton, a local builder with “over half a century of experience” who is involved with the “educational process around construction or building, with the Builders Exchange, the high schools, with Mendocino College Sustainable Construction programs.” He said, “We will be involved in this if given the opportunity. . . . It should be part of the curriculum opportunities that are offered in our area.” Renovating the campus can prepare young adults for real job opportunities for making a good and enlightened living in the world.”
Ken Steely is a former student at Redwood Valley School, who started kindergarten in 1966. Steely maintains a local history site on Facebook. His mother was originally opposed to the Ukiah Unified School District taking over the Redwood Valley School. She organized a Mother’s Protest March across Highway 101 that made the Bay Area TV news. Steely said “We have a chance now for the Ukiah Unified School District to do something positive with that property.”
Eliza Frey speaking on behalf of Frey Vineyards said, “As a local business family, we really understand the value of local involvement and investment in our community.” Because not all the kids in Redwood Valley go to the same school, sports at a community rec center “can be a bridge for children who are in the same community” but who go to different schools, so they can get to know each other. “I’ve seen my child expand his social network and his confidence through sports and different programming.”
Van Sant thanked everyone who spoke, saying “I want to acknowledge the emotion of this experience for you. I want to acknowledge that you lost your school 14 years ago.” During closed session prior to the public meeting, the Board met with attorneys for advice on next steps. The UUSD does not own the land, it is owned by the state. The laws regarding disposal of public school property were put into place because some school districts own very valuable land. The state wants to make sure that board members “are not engaged in a sweetheart deal with developers.”
Van Sant acknowledged that there had been no commercial interest during previous attempts to offload the property. “We’ve gone through this process . . .and have gotten nowhere.”
The Board has requested that the state allow the UUSD to issue a Request for Proposal to buy and/or lease the property. She expects this will happen after the State Board of Education meets in November. “I am really hopeful that RVRC submits a proposal.” Once the RFP is issued, the Board will not be able to engage with the community group, as they need to remain neutral, and not to engage directly with any entity that submits a proposal. “You are asking our Board to thread a needle. . . . We would love to see a wonderful, thriving recreation center at that site, but we still have to follow our rules.”
Kelly asked the Board to confirm that they won’t sell the property in the meantime. She also wanted to know whether they could get started rehabbing the playing fields. Kelly reminded the Board that when the school was closed the District promised to keep the campus in pristine condition and that the playing fields would be available to the public. Is it possible to turn on irrigation water?
Superintendent Debra Kubin didn’t have an answer on the spot, replying that she needed to do research and talk to the maintenance department.
Trustee Zoey Fernandez said “I want to say it’s really wonderful to see such support here for this idea, and it was a great choice on your speakers to have the kids come.”
Trustee Bea Arkin said, “This is very exciting.”
Board Clerk Carolyn Johnson said, “Thank you. Let’s hope we can get this done.”
Trustee Rebeca Orozco said, “Redwood Valley is such a small community and look, you guys have filled this room. It’s really heartfelt, thank you.”
Van Sant closed by saying, “We need your patience and your understanding, and work on a really awesome proposal for the RFP process.”
We will know more after they hear from the Department of Education in November.
Previous Coverage
This will hopefully be an obvious slam dunk, no brainer with the State Dept of Ed.
From my perspective, it already is the only reasonable option and a clear need of the community.
The history and terms of the original property donation, available & existing infrastructure, and groundswell of Calpella/RV Community support should make this a Top Priority for the County AND State.
I’m so happy Dr Trotter cited the American Academy ‘s study. We have regularized screen time as an “activity ” and it’s refreshing to be reminded that this is an epidemic. And yes, living 20 mins from town does make committing to sports difficult. My own kids and family have opted in certain years not to do sports because driving back to town for a 3rd time is exhausting. For all the money RV “got” our county after the fire, it’s only fair.
Still never seen an itemized list of how that money got used despite asking supervisors over and over. They…”don’t know”
So many kids in RV
So many.