MISSION  CREEK
Acknowledgements

The Mission Creek Restoration Project is a great example of many agencies and community groups working together to solve an environmental problem.  Employees from Alameda County Public Works have been instrumental in spear heading this project including  Emmanuel Canivel (engineer), Moses Tsang (engineer),  Hank Ackerman (engineer),  Erica La Fleur (legal), and George Bolton (inspector).   They provided the majority of the $1.7 million for the completion of this restoration.  The Department of Water Resources, Urban Stream Program awarded a  $750,000.00 grant to aid the county in funding the project.  Kurt Mulchow with Department of Water Resources, Urban Streams Program helped guide our grant application.  Kathy Cote and Forrest Fraseiur from the City of Fremont, Environmental Services also were instrumental in obtaining funds.   Sydney Temple and Chien Wang from Questa Engineering helped guide the project as consultants.

Fremont Unified School District was very supportive of the idea and allowed us access to the area.  Sharon Jones, now retired superintendent, and Linda Garbarino of Fremon Unified School District provided the leadership that helped finalize the project.  The current  superintendent Dr. John Rieckewald has given support and access to his staff to use the area as an outdoor learning center.  Fremont Unified School District’s Facilities Department helped to insure the project was successful.  This included Theresa Gain (director), Fred Okal, Gene Wheatley, and David Leal.     

Fanta Engineering was awarded the construction contract and actually remolded the creek.     Union Sanitary District moved the sewage line prior to construction.  Alameda County Water District provided access to water for the irrigation system. 

Special thanks to Norm Howell (Mission San Jose High School) and Susan Lemke (Hopkins Junior High) for conducting after school classes with students, prior to the construction.  This helped to get students interested in the project.  Eleanor Kohnen (St. Joseph School) also helped with the geography and geology lesson.

Mary Dean, provided aerial photographs from the 1950’s through 1970’s.  She also helped me understand what Mission Creek looked like without homes. 

There were many artists and photographers who helped in this project.  Doris Raia helped to clarify many of the images.  Elaine Wang, as a student at Mission San Jose High School designed the Mission Creek log while April Yang, also a student helped developed characters for “Through a Frog’s Eye.”  Special thanks to Vicky Eggert for designing many headbands and Sandy Ferreira for her beautiful photographs.   
Lee Ellis and Sandy Ferreira helped identify birds and plants.  Dr. Joy Chien also aided in the identification of flowers.  Katie York helped with chemical analysis with students, and Erdmann Rogge, helped with the initial hydrological student of Mission Creek. 

Victoria Huang assisted in the data gathering for this project.  As a student from Mission San Jose High School she helped take photographs, collect chemical and biological data.  She also helped in organizing high school students who have volunteered their time and effort to the project.

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