Newsletter
2 0 1 1 N E W S L E T T E R
2011 was an amazing year for Waterside Workshops. Together, our youth interns and staff diverted over a thousand bicycles from the landfill, and put them back to use, providing sustainable transportation for the community. In the boatshop, many new boats were constructed by a skilled team of 
youth interns, including a traditional Portuguese boat that had never been 
constructed in the US until now (right). In addition, our shop produced a custom-designed featherweight canoe, many rowboats and dinghies, chairs, benches, and paddles. One of our teenage interns constructed her own 13ft custom wooden sailboat! Our job-placement program kicked into gear this year, with youth being hired in our shop or placed into jobs in local businesses. Longtime intern Matthew Henderson (left) now works at REI here in Berkeley, and loves every second of his new job. Next time you need outdoor gear, make sure to say hello to Matt and congratulate him on a job-well-done. With Matt moving 
on to REI, one of our long-term interns (pictured right) moved up in the ranks, and now runs the Waterside Café on the weekends. His latte skills impress even the biggest coffee snob, so make sure you stop by and give one a try. In the bike shop, Eric D.(below right) was promoted from youth intern to employee early in the year, and since has become an instructor. In January 2012, Waterside is flying Eric to the Youth Bike Summit in New York City to present a video he has created about Waterside and how our programs impact the lives of local youth. If you have extra airline miles you would like to donate or just want to help out, please let us know! Randy (below left) returned to our programs this year, and he came back ready to get 
to work! Randy can often be seen in our open shop helping five customers, running our Point of Sale System, and answering the phone all at once. 
He can multi-task with the best, and we are very proud of his progress this year.
Our year-end newsletter isn’t complete without talking about one of our intern’s amazing performance as an assistant at BORP’s adaptive cycling program (below right). This young man (name withheld for privacy reasons) got some mechanic’s skills under his belt as an intern at Waterside, and he decided he wanted to use those skills to help others by assisting physically disabled folks who attend BORP’s weekly programs. He accompanies youth and adults 
on Bay Trail rides and helps program director, Greg Milano to maintain their fleet of adaptive cycles. Greg can’t say enough about how much he and BORP’s patrons appreciate this young man’s help and dedication. Many other of our youth accomplished amazing things this year, and we want to say “congratulations!” to them all.
In August, our boatshop Director Helder Parreira (left) was able to travel to Portugal through a grant he received from the Ed Monk Scholarship Fund. During his travels, Helder was able to assist with the construction and repair of the Portuguese “bateira”. This boat is truly an endangered species, and Helder’s work in Portugal will play a major role in making sure that the craft is passed on to the next generation. In 2012, stick your head in the shop and witness Helder and his skilled group of youth interns constructing a traditional “bateira”.
It looks like Aquatic Park renovations and the construction of the new Animal Shelter at 1 Bolivar Drive are almost complete! We are really excited about the new sidewalks and beautiful signage. This new face of Aquatic Park will help to pull more foot-traffic down to our neck of the woods, allowing us to ramp up what we provide for the public. Watch for boat and bicycle rentals, a small retail area for paddling and maritime supplies, and a diversified menu at the Waterside Café.
We couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments of our youth this year, and we can’t wait to see what 2012 brings. Since our programs are free for those in need, we are always in need of support in the form of monetary and in-kind donations. Please click HERE to find out how to support our programs, and in turn play a personal role in the lives of youth in your community.
From all of our youth, interns, volunteers, and staff, we wish you the merriest of holiday seasons, and a happy 2012!
