Press Release: For immediate release - Dec. 22, 2008 Contact: Robert Battaile 707-526-3110 battaile@calexas.com Santa Rosa Bocce League Moves Forward Santa Rosa Bocce League moving forward with City Recreation and Parks to Co-Sponsor 2009 Bocce Season in Julliard Park. One good news item this Christmas is that a Bocce League for Santa Rosa is in the works and slated to start play in April of 2009. Please visit www.santarosabocce.com to find out more and take a Survey if you're interested in playing. The Santa Rosa Bocce League is an informal group of citizens working together to establish bocce as a vigorous sport and community activity. Robert Battaile, Interim Director and Michelle Jensen, Organizing Committee member met recently with key people in the Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks Department. Eric Jorgeson, Deputy Director; Rick McLaughlin, Recreation Supervisor; Denise Anderson, Parks Superintendent; and Brandon Hamann, Recreation Coordinator were very friendly, had lots of suggestions and genuinely want to make this work for the community. The recent effort started with a letter from Battaile to the City Council which responded with enthusiasm for the League and for positive citizen interaction at Julliard Park located in downtown Santa Rosa. The park has four bocce courts on its west side. "The City Council was very supportive but cautioned that we would have to make this happen on our own," add Battaile. "Recreation and Parks are facing tough budgets and staff layoffs. Luckily for us, the costs are low and the fun is huge!" Battaile, a Video Producer/Web Designer and Musician, formerly played in the St. Helena Bocce Leagues and was taken by the social scene and friendly competition. Last summer, St. Helena had over a thousand people on 89 teams playing. Not bad for a city of 6,000. Bocce works best with potluck food and wines shared by the players. In St. Helena, the weekly newspaper posts the bocce scores. Here in Santa Rosa, Monty Montague and some friends started building the bocce courts with a couple of rakes about thirty-five years ago. Informal play happens on Thursday, Friday and Sunday mornings but a true league has yet to manifest itself. "Bocce is a great game that favors neither age, strength nor sex. It's all about technique and strategy," continues Battaile "I've seen burly truck drivers humbled by little old ladies." There are also bocce courts in DeMeo Park and Battaile hopes the West End Neighborhood will have at least one team. "If the original Julliard group also forms a team, I think we've got six teams already." Oakmont bocce community is interested and Denise Anderson, Parks Superintendent wants to lead a city team. "I've got two teams from my friends, most of whom just learned the game" Battaile contends. Battaile sees a team as ten players and the season as starting in mid-April and running for 12 weeks. "Depending upon the interest, I think we'll have two-three nights per week of reserved play from 5-8 pm on three of the four courts at Julliard." After the season, Battaile hopes the best team will play in a regional match at the Park. "It would be great fun to have an Exhibition Match with teams from Martinez, San Francisco, St. Helena and others, say at the end of June." Teams will pay registration fees of $100-200 per team which will be used for insurance coverage and other necessary costs. "If Santa Rosa gets involved, this can go on for years and years." Stay tuned for more information. # # # cc: Organizing Committee Michelle Jensen michellejensenm@aol.com Karl Adelman Ksmikkia@ap.net