A GENEROUS & EXTRAORDINARY DONATION

Dedication of Telfair Park in Sylmar

Sylmar - The Department of Recreation and Parks dedicated Telfair Park on Saturday, June 28, 2008. Sylmar's new park offers much-needed green space to the children and families in the area because there are currently no public parks within walking distance of the site.

The new park has an extraordinary story. In 2007, the Tessera Sylmar Homeowners Association made plans to donate a 1.56 vacant acre lot for the proposed Telfair Park to the Department. ValleyCresy Landscape Companies (the nation's leading provider of integrated landscape services since 1949) generously joined the group’s donation and on March 1, 2007, the transformation of an empty and barren lot into a community park took place in just one day. Telfair Park was built by over 150 ValleyCrest managers and executives from across the nation who had gathered in Los Angeles for an annual corporate meeting. The Company donated labor, plants and materials at no cost to the taxpayers, saving the City and residents over $500,000.

Telfair Park features include a practice soccer field, a picnic area, a walking path, and a playground. The new park is located at 15721 Cobalt Avenue, Sylmar 91342.

This isn’t the only project that Recreation and Parks and ValleyCrest Landscape Companies, are partnering on. The Department recently initiated the Smart Irrigation Program. The goal of the program is to develop and promote water conservation and maximize landscape water use efficiency at City parks. Another objective is to employ at-risk young adults, between the ages of 18 and 24, and provide them with hands-on training skills in basic landscape irrigation construction. Burton Sperber, the owner of ValleyCrest, has offered to hire at least twelve Smart Irrigation employees when they finish their training, providing them with a wonderful employment opportunity. The young adults in the Smart Irrigation Program attended the Telfair Park dedication.

The Department wishes to thank Mr. Sperber and his company for their generous support of the Department of Recreation and Parks. The Department also acknowledges the generous donation from the Tessera Sylmar Homeowners Association.

For more information about Recreation and Parks, visit our website at http://www.laparks.org/ or call (213) 928-9200.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jane Kolb: (213) 928-9294