Scott and Paulette Smith
When there’s wine to be served, Scott and Paulette Smith are happy to help, especially if the event calls for festive dress. Hippie outfits and peace signs for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Santa hats for Christmas, beads and baubles for New Year’s Eve, and always, always smiles.
The Hayward couple began volunteering at the Park in 2012, shortly after moving here as newlyweds from Chicago suburbs. Now in their 80’s, they have no intention of slowing down.
They initially helped with cleaning up the Park on a community work day. Scott, a retired engineer who loves solving problems, was quickly tapped to be part of the regular work crew. A project he’s particularly proud of is hanging the stage lights safety bar.
“That was very satisfying,” he said. “It’s a big thing, and you don’t want that dropping down on anyone. Now when I'm there, I always look up and say, ‘I did those.’”
He also designed the decorative trees gracing the stage at the annual Christmas shows.
“I made them out of two inch thick Styrofoam,” he said. “I didn't know how long they would hold up, but they're in their third season and still looking good.”
The Park is just one of many community organizations that benefit from the Smiths’ time and talents.
Paulette, a retired registered nurse, is president of the Hayward Garden Club. Scott grooms the hospital ski trails for HASTA. They’re both on the parking crew for Birkie events; Scott is a race chief for the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival; Paulette, a volunteer. As members of the Hayward Community Choir — he sings bass, she sings tenor — they recently sang in the Christmas Cantata.
Scott is a major force behind a new 18-hole disc golf course now under construction at Mt. Telemark Village in Cable.
“I brought the idea to Ben Popp three years ago, and this year, it finally got the okay to go ahead,” said Scott. “The terrain up there is just up and down, so it really makes for an interesting course.”
The couple share a lifelong love of outdoor athletics, particularly skiing and triathlon. Paulette’s completed 70 triathlons, including two world age group championships, one in Geneva, Switzerland and the other in Honolulu. She’s skied the Korte 13 times, but has retired from competition.
Not so Scott. His goal is to be the oldest person to complete a full Birkie, “If I live that long,” he laughs. He’ll be 83 for the 2026 Birkie, which means he’ll need to keep at it for another four or five years. He’s already notched 23 Birkies and nine Kortes.
“I think it would be cool to ski the Birkie when I’m 90,” he said.
The two met on a ski trail in Illinois, Paulette coming one way, Scott the other.
“I saw that she had a New Moon jacket, so I asked her about that,” said Scott. (Paulette’s son Chris is an owner of New Moon.) “I was involved with a ski club, so I said, ‘You ought to join’ and she did. We were acquaintances at first, but after we both went through a divorce, the rest was history.”
“I never thought I'd meet a woman that wanted to live in Hayward,” he laughed.
It’s a choice they’ve never regretted.
“We love Hayward, and the Park Center is just a gem,” said Scott. “Such an asset to our community. We started going there from the beginning and have enjoyed so many
wonderful shows there.”
They particularly appreciate the “fantastic” Artist Showcase series and the Manhattan Shorts Film Festival along with the Park’s more unusual offerings. They attended the Rocky Horror Picture Show this fall, which neither had seen before. “It was quite an experience,” said Paulette.
They’ve seen Mary Mack at the Park four times.
“New Year’s Eve at the Park is always fun,” the couple agrees.great. “Mary is so funny, and her husband's hysterical too.”