Summer 2014 - San Geronimo Valley Community Center

Transcription

Summer 2014
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The Journal of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center
The Valley Gym and Loft at 5 Years
…Exceeding All Expectations
by Don Holmlund
The San Geronimo Valley Gym and Loft was completed
almost five years ago; the official opening of the Loft Youth
Center was in October of 2009, and the first basketball games
on the beautiful maple Gym floor were held in January 2010.
As so many Valley residents played very important roles in
providing ideas, funds, and manual labor in building the Gym,
Stone Soup is taking a brief look back at the building of the
Gym, surveying how it is used today, and sampling some opinions as to its importance to the Valley.
A Gym in the San Geronimo Valley was envisioned as
early as the 1970’s by John Beckerley, Peter Oppenheimer,
Dave Cort, the Saturday morning basketball group, and others. Steve Kinsey, Jasper Thelin, John Smithyman and others
kept dreaming and planning of a Gym throughout the 1980’s.
These dreams were always met with a smile and called impossible amid the realities of a school district with very little money
and many other priorities for Marin County funds.
In the early 2000’s, many factors were converging to begin making this impossibility a reality. A Gym
Committee had been meeting and making proposals;
Andrew Giacomini, who successfully helped raise funds to
Valley Coed Basketball league in action (photo by
build the new ballfield in Woodacre, knew of civic minded
Sam Davidson).
people who wanted to help out on another project; County
Supervisor Steve Kinsey hinted that he might be able to secure County money to help with a project; the Marin
Community Foundation hinted that they might be able to help; and a Valley family foundation implied
that they would help as well. The Boards of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center and the Lagunitas
School District held numerous and lengthy meetings and discussions, and voted in 2005 to embark on a
Joint Building Program and a Joint Usage Program. Essential to all of this was a Fundraising Committee (the
Gym Committee) headed by Andrew and Susi Giacomini, and there were many fundraisers, letters, and telephone calls from many volunteers asking for funds to build the Gym.
Plans were drawn up for the Gym, revised to include a teen center upstairs, later named The Loft, and construction began in 2007. Alexis Persinger was our architect and Greystone West provided construction management.
While Alten Construction were the contractors on the project, donated labor, including contractors, and volunteer
efforts were numerous and heroic. Joe Brown, Jim Purkey, and Marc Warner were instrumental in the construction
of the building. Tom Carmody oversaw the electrical work; Van Midde Concrete was amazing, Rick Scarborough
and Dominic Berardi did the tile work; Richard Sloan headed up a volunteer day at the Gym, Avis Licht helped
with landscaping. Once again, Valley folk too numerous to name pitched in on various projects. Check out the
appreciation wall in the lobby to see the names of all of the building’s heroes. During the entire construction phase,
various fundraising events were held. Among them were Valley Games started in 2007 and have been bi-annual since
then, with Jasper Thelin and Mike Davidson as co-commissioners. The Chavez Family shot 49,000 free throws to
Inside!
San Geronimo Valley Community Center
PO Box 194, San Geronimo, CA 94963
Mexican Art Festival
Saturday, June 21, Noon – 5:00 PM
Free, Bilingual & Fun for All Ages
Featuring Norteño rising stars Tenientes del Norte
See page 10 for more info.
(continued on page 2)
Performing Arts & Events Valley Resource Center
Spring Art Show, Pages 9, 11
Mexican Art Festival, Page 10
SF Mime Troupe, Page 10
Sandra Valls, Page 10
Gallery Art Shows, Page 11
“Hey, Hey, LBJ,” page 11
Michael McQuilkin’s Family Music Hour,
Page 11
San Geronimo Summer Rock Festival,
Page 11
Revivir la Cultura Dancers take a bow at the 2013 Mexican Art Festival (photo by
D. Mundo).
Horizons, Page 4
Senior Programs, Page 4
School Readiness Program, Page 5
Food Bank Banter, Page 5
Community News
Cuba Trip, Page 5
Marin County Parks, Page 6
Healthy Community Collaborative Updates,
Pages 14-15
Building Partners in Prevention, Page C-4
The Usual
Rolling Stones, Page 2
Volunteer Profile, Page 3
Volunteers, Page 3
The Loft, Page 6
Healthy Choices Day, Page 6
Lagunitas School District, Page 7
Milestones, Page 7
Fund Development, Page 8
Thank You, Donors, Page 8
ECR WSS
Postal Customer
Alphabet Soup, Page 12
Q & Artist, Page 12
Wilderness Calls, Page 13
Valley Environmental News, Page 13
Movie Muse, Page 16
Community Calendar, Page 20
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Lagunitas, CA
Permit No. 1
Rolling Stones
by Dave Cort, Executive
Director
This Rolling Stones column is dedicated to Larry Enos
and Sally Hutchinson who are retiring from the Lagunitas
School District on June 30, 2014, after 4 decades of
unprecedented service to the children and families of the
San Geronimo Valley.
“Ch Ch Ch Changes!” As David Bowie said there is a
whole lot of change going on around the Valley. Times
of change and transition can be very stressful for a
community and the people who live in the community. At the same time a lot of growth, learning, and
evolution have the opportunity to take place.
Here at the Community Center our Board of Directors are involved in a long-range strategic planning process to map out goals and directions for the Community Center over the
next three to five years. We have been blessed to have San Geronimo resident Mike Howe
facilitating this process. Mike has had an amazing career working as the CEO of the East
Bay Community Foundation for fifteen years. Also, Mike was a founding program officer at
the Marin Community Foundation and was a professor of sociology at the University of San
Francisco. Mike has met a number of times with our Board of Directors and has completed
interviews with staff members, community members, funders, and more. We will be reporting
to the community soon on our new strategic directions.
Gym and Loft at 5 Years (continued from page 1)
raise over $20,000. Al Baylacq and Good
Earth kept everyone well fed during the
entire process. The impossible became a
reality and construction was completed
in late 2009.
From the very beginning, the Gym
and Loft have been used practically every
day of the week year round. In addition
to being used during school hours as a
P.E. venue, this is what the Gym looks
like today on a daily schedule.
Monday: Open Gym for Loft members and Women’s Open Gym Basketball
Tuesday: Open Gym for Loft members
Under construction, 2008.
Wednesday: Open Gym for Loft members and Men’s Open Gym Basketball
Thursday: Ping Pong after Senior Lunch, Open Gym for Loft members, and Sweat Your Prayers
Friday: Special events
Saturday: Basketball leagues during the season
Sunday: Table Tennis for adults and kids at all skill levels
It is a rare day or evening when there are no activities in the Gym or Loft.
The Loft is a diverse, youth-driven teen program dedicated to promoting personal and group development through fun events, creative expression, community activism, youth empowerment, mentoring,
and the open exchange of ideas. The Loft is for all youth in 4th grade and up. The Loft is also quite busy,
and is open until 5:00 after school Monday through Thursday. Recent special events include a Youth
Our Stone Soup quarterly newsletter will be in transition, as Larry and Barbara Brauer
Leadership Institute, a Youth Job Fair, Metal Arts classes with Griffe Griffin, Cooking Classes, weekly
will be handing off Stone Soup. See the accompanying article on page 3 of Stone Soup.
hikes, and monthly pancake breakfasts with Dads.
Deep, deep, appreciations to Larry and Barbara for coordinating and producing Stone
Many of those who use the Gym and Loft today were
Soup for the past ten years. We are happy to let you know that Barbara will still be
recently asked to comment on the Gym five years later. Sweat
very involved here as a member of our Board of Directors.
Your Prayers, a weekly dance event which some have called a
The Lagunitas School District is going through a major transition with the retirement
spiritual experience in addition to a workout, has been held
of Larry Enos and Sally Hutchinson who have been cornerstones of the District since
in the Gym for 4 years; a solid core of about 40 regular dancthe 1970’s. Howie and I were honored to attend a retirement party for Larry that was
ers comes every week and newcomers are welcome. Sandra
put on by both the Lagunitas and Bolinas/Stinson School District’s in late May. Fellow
Fitting, one of the organizers of this event with her husband
teachers, School Board members, and administrators who worked with Larry and
Dan, says that it is an enchanting place to dance and that they
Sally throughout their careers attended the heartfelt gathering on a beautiful Sunday
“love the Gym and foresee using it for years to come.” Mike
afternoon at the Inverness Yacht Club overlooking the Tomales Bay. Larry and Sally’s
Davidson, director of the St. Cecilia’s youth basketball program
colleagues told incredible stories and their son Dylan who had recently returned from
in the Valley and one of the major users of the Gym between
a semester of study in India got the tears rolling as he shared his thoughts and feelings
November and March, said, “the Gym has accomplished exactabout his dad and mom. Other transitions at the School include new teachers in the
ly what I expected. It is so much more than just a basketball
Lagunitas Middle School and the Montessori program. The Waldorf inspired program
Gym — it really has become an extension of the Community
at the San Geronimo School will be closing at the end of this school year.
Center and all it offers. It is hard to remember how we operated
Loft pizza night.
without it.”
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to see Madeline Levine speak in Mill
Julie
Young,
with
the
Community
Center,
who has worked with teens for many years, says of the
Valley. Madeline is a brilliant therapist, author, and speaker. She wrote the best selling
Loft: “It is a space that the kids can call theirs. They helped create the program from the very beginning.
book The Price Of Privilege and has a new book out called Teach Your Children Well:
The Loft has been for the kids, by the kids, and provides activities they are interested in. Having a space to
Parenting For Authentic Success. Madeline closed her talk with the following statement:
call our home is a blessing.” Susan Shannon, who works with Youth Programs at the school through the
“While we all hope that our children will do well in school, we hope with even greater
Community Center, adds, “Middle School students have been asked for many years what they wanted in
fervor that they do well in life. Our job is to help them know and appreciate themselves
an after-school youth center. The Loft has incorporated nearly every suggestion.” Heather Richardson, who
deeply, to be resilient in the face of adversity, to approach the world with zest, to find
grew up in the Valley and now works with kids in the Loft, recalls her own childhood days: “Back then,
work that is satisfying, friends and spouses who are loving and loyal, and to hold a belief
we simply didn’t have a place to go, so having the Loft is awesome.” Larry Enos, Superintendent of the
that they have something meaningful to contribute to the world.
Lagunitas School District, commented: “Our Community Gym and the Loft have become such an inteWith all the changes in our community I pray that we all heed Madeline’s words and be
grated part of the school day, it’s hard to imagine how we functioned all those years without it. This facility
resilient in the face of adversity and (my words) change. Let’s all be built for the long haul
is really a testament to our community-based school and the enduring partnership between the school
and celebrate our Valley community.
district, the San Geronimo Valley Community Center and the community-at-large.”
Finally, eighth graders at Lagunitas Middle School, who experienced Valley life before and after a
Gym and teen center, were asked to comment. Many are grateful that there is now a place to be when it is
cold and/or raining; they remember days of being wet and miserable replaced by warm times in the Gym
and Loft. The Gym and Loft have also created new afterschool activities and opportunities. Grace Trimble
Stone Soup is printed four times a year and reflects the diverse cultural interests of the
reflected: “Before the Loft, there were days after school where I would sit around bored. Never, anymore.
Community Center and the Valley. Though it is a publication of the San Geronimo
It’s nice to know that there is always a friendly place with snacks and games to go to and hangout.” For
Valley Community Center, it is meant as a journal for everyone in or around the
those playing basketball, the Gym is great! Alicia Baylacq said, “It has made it easier to play the game I
Valley. We are interested in your input. If you have any comments, ideas for articles
love, basketball. Before, I was always playing outside or in the Pavilion in Fairfax; now I don’t have to travel
or columns, news, art, stories, poetry, photography, or information for the Milestones
as far.” It is also seen as much more than a Gym. Emilia Hernandez calls it, “A place for everyone to come
column, please forward them to: The Stone Soup Editorial Committee c/o San
together for activities such as sports, school dances, parties, and fundraisers.” Ronan Goulden summarizes
Geronimo Valley Community Center, 6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. P.O. Box 194, San
that feeling in saying, “the Gym is more than just a building on our campus; it is a symbol of the Valley.”
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Jasper Thelin sums up the past 15 years of building and opening the Gym and Loft in reflectorg, or visit www.sgvcc.org.
ing that, “the ultimate vision of the Gym has manifested: kids growing up today, doing Buck
Chavez’s P.E. class, having school assemblies, going to the Loft...is just amazing.” Thanks to numerStone Soup does not exercise editorial control on the content of submissions by
ous Valley residents who contributed ideas, money, and physical labor; and thanks to the San
organizations, byline columnists, or display ads. We reserve the right to refuse to
Geronimo Valley Community Center staff and Board and the Lagunitas School District staff and
publish ads or submissions.
Board, the Gym and Loft has become not only a reality, but has exceeded all expectations.
Editorial Committee: Barbara & Larry Brauer, Dave Cort, Suzanne Sadowsky, Christin
Anderson
Proofreading: Dave Cort, Hannah Doress, Larry Rippee, Suzanne Sadowsky
Production: Barbara & Larry Brauer, Wordsworth
For gatherings large and small, consider holding your next event
Printing: Marin Sun
at the Community Center!
Ads: Larry Rippee
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Option A: Four-hour minimum rental of Valley Room, West Room, Lobby and
Center Board of Directors:
Kitchen starting at $250.
Anne McClain, President
David Lakes
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Option B: Individual room rentals $30/hr, $25 each additional hour.
Marian H. Cremin, LCSW, Treasurer
Alexander McQuilkin
Credits
Facility Rentals Available
Barbara S. Brauer, Secretary
Christin Anderson
John Beckerley
Carol Rebscher
John Rutledge
Jean Berensmeier, Founder
Page 2 SGV Community Center Stone Soup
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Community Gym and Loft hourly rentals available; ask for details.
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Rental discounts for community events and for Community Center contributors.
For more information, contact Poko at 488-8888, #250, or [email protected].
Volunteer Profile:
Michael McQuilken
Hannah Doress interviewed
Michael McQuilken, volunteer and creator of the
Michael McQuilkin Family
Music Hour (FMH).
Thousands of people enjoy the services provided at the San Geronimo Valley Community
Center and we need volunteers to help us keep our programs running smoothly. We love
working with youth and adults who have community service hours as well as others who like
to volunteer on a one-time or ongoing basis. Below is a list of some of the volunteer opportunities that we provide. If you have any other questions about volunteer opportunities at the
Center, please call 488-8888 and just ask. We always could use a hand around the Center
whether it’s light maintenance, organization duties or just lending a hand with daily activities.
SENIOR LUNCH
Come help set-up, serve, and enjoy “old” friends, or come and play music, read your poetry,
or share your life story.
Hannah: What is it that
inspires your funny stage
banter — was it Captain and
Tennille? Sonny & Cher? Do
tell…
FACILITIES
We always need a little help keeping the Center beautiful! There are landscaping, light carpentry, and general maintenance needs that are always cropping up.
Mike: I like to think of
myself as Paul Schaefer and
David Letterman rolled
together into one person.
Hannah: What was the spark
from which FMH came?
Become an SGVCC volunteer!
Michael and Alexander McQuilkin (photo by Lisa Baylacq)
Mike: We were always doing shows with Valley families at events like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and it occurred to me, why wait for an event to have a show? So I decided to create a
regular show that would happen in the Valley with some of the same people we were already putting on performances with.
Hannah: How has FMH developed from there?
Mike: We’ve basically learned by trial and error how to put the show together. For instance, we
discovered by accident mostly that the best times to have the show were during school breaks,
which gave out of town college students a time when they could be there. So the show became a
reunion for some of our most talented 20-somethings.
Hannah: What are you most proud about FMH?
Mike: Something I’m proud about is how FMH has become such a great community-builder in
our area. We have identified a number of ways that the show benefits the community by bringing people together, keeping youth connected with each other and their families, supporting
emerging talent, creating a safe place for “closet performers” to come out, and serving as a springboard for those who might want to pursue a professional career. It allows people with disabilities
to participate alongside their friends and families, and it fosters a spirit of collaboration as people
work together on the show. We include people of all ages and musical backgrounds in the show
with participants from age 7 to 70+, people of different ethnicities with talents ranging from
newcomers to professionals.
SEE AN EVENT YOU ESPECIALLY LIKE?
We are always looking for people to help with events. We need community hosts to email
your network (personally invite 10 friends to come). We need volunteers to set up chairs,
design and/or hand out flyers, sell cookies, run sound, etc., etc. If you see an event you are
especially excited about and want to get involved, we would love to hear from you!
MEET NEW PEOPLE FOR A GOOD CAUSE
The Arts & Events department is looking for friendly, outgoing people who like to meet
new people and go to events — to hand out flyers about the Community Center’s upcoming events. This is a great way to get out in the community, attend interesting events, and
meet new, exciting people. All ages and types of people are welcome to participate. Let us
know what kinds of events you like to attend. Hannah has met hundreds of interesting
people flyering and met her spouse while ushering!
STROLL IN POINT REYES STATION AND WEST MARIN FOR A GOOD CAUSE
We are looking for people who like to walk and enjoy window shopping or actual shopping
to help us get our event posters up in store windows in Marin. Let us know the neighborhood you enjoy and get some exercise, find cool finds and meet interesting shop-owners and
workers while helping the Community Center and independent artists!
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS
Help with tutoring or drive for field trips.
Hannah: What are some of the other ways you volunteer with the Community Center?
Mike: I am the Community Center’s dedicated piano service company, currently maintaining
the two pianos for the Center. I provide piano services for the Lagunitas School District. I have
donated a piano and a keyboard to the school that we have been able to use for local events. I
also volunteer for the SGVCC Gala band, Howie’s Persuasion.
Hannah: What are your future plans for the show?
Mike: My goal is to work on finding ways to have the show be sustainable so we can continue to
do it over the years. You need a core group because you need a basic foundation, but we always
include new people in each show. My mission is to support our vision “Music Brings Families
Together,” which has grown to become “Musical Families Bring Communities Together.”
In a recent KWMR show about the FMH, Buck Chavez said it well, “I treasure my memories of
music with my family growing up, and now this show is creating new family members in real time.”
Another goal I have is to broadcast the show locally and over the Internet. We’ve begun that
process with our media sponsor KWMR radio, and hope to air on public access TV. I like to
think of the FMH as akin to Prairie Home Companion which had its beginnings as a local show
in the Minnesota area. Other communities can benefit from our experience and create their own
Family Music Hour events by seeing what we’re doing here.
Wordsworth Signs Off
This summer, Wordsworth celebrates 30 years in business. As we ease into semi-retirement to concentrate on book editing and production, some changes are in order. This is our final issue as coordinators
of Stone Soup.
In 1984, when we started Wordsworth and moved with our young son to San Geronimo,
home-based businesses with personal computers were new. Data was stored in 5-1/4 inch floppy
disks. There were no faxes, no emails, no internet. It was a different time . . .
Our first work for the Community Center was a flyer requested by Constance Washburn. We
did various other jobs for Constance and her successor, Arnold Ericson. One of Arnold’s ideas was
a Community Center newsletter/newspaper he dubbed Stone Soup, done for many years “in-house.”
We continued to work from time to time with the Community Center, including on the joint publication of Stone Soup and Community Alliance’s Ridgelines.
Fast forward to 2005, when Dave Cort asked us to produce the classes catalogue and coordinate
Stone Soup. We served on the 2006 and 2011Resource Guide committees and prepared them for the
printer—enterprises that proved more daunting than expected and more rewarding than we could
imagine.
This led to our taking on all aspects of Stone Soup as a quarterly publication. It has been an
honor and a privilege to work with the Center and all of you in the Valley community on this
entertaining resource of information, insight, and Valley news.
With best wishes and thanks,
Barbara and Laurence Brauer
VOLUNTEERS
Deep appreciations to everyone who has volunteered at the Community Center in 2014.
Please let us know if we did not include you on the list.
John Adams
Huda Al-Jamal
Carole Alter
Gisela Alvarado
Alejandro Alvarado
Rachel Allvillar
Jim Archer
Al Ardelle
Kristy Arroyo
Betsy Ayers
Andrew Bailey
Bard Bailey
Cathryn Bailey
Dr. Bob Baker
Al Baylacq
Lisa Baylacq
Christina Bejarano
Patricia Benito
Geoff Bernstein
Beverly Berrish
Vicki Block
Elliot Brent
Sarah Brewster
Kevin Brown
Christian Caiazzo
Tim Cain
Heidi Calderon
Jannelly Calmell
Mathew Carlson
Sadie Carter
Alan Charne
E.J. Chavez
Laurie Chorna
Sylvia Cornejo
Daley Cort
Janet Cort
Katherine Cowan
Dorothy Cox
Anne Darragh
Donn DeAngelo
Gaetano DeFelice
Sorcha Dolan
Julie Egger
Dan Emery
Richard Ferrero
Roberta Floden
Laura Flores
Danielle Fogel
Lissette Fogel
David Ford
Stephanie Furniss
Maria Marta Garcia
Terry Garthwaite
Andrew Giacomini
Antony Giacomini
Dante Giacomini
Rakanui Giacomini
Susi Giacomini
Zachary Gilmour
Lawrence Gilmour
Cathleen Glaubinger
David Glaubinger
Minouche Graglia
Steve Granville
Bert Greene
Jim Griffiths
Libby Groutt
Maria Guttierez
Judy Hall
Liam Hanrahan
Joy Estela Hanson
Zoe Harris
Brennan Healy
Ed Healy
Miguel Hernandez
Abi Hernandez
Cio Hernandez
Nicole Hofeditz
Shirley Holmland
Muniera Kadrie
Peter Kahn
Jack Kamesar
Geri Keintz
Jean Kinsey
Amos Klausner
Veronica Buros
Kleinberg
Jeremy Knudson
Michel Kotski
Skye La Ponte
Inanna LeFevre
Alec Levy
Joelle Levy
Michele Livingston
Rich Lohman
Miranda Lowell
Al Lubow
Mike MacKenzie
Francisco
Maldonado
Rebecca Maloney
Esther Martinez
Cipriano Martinez
Kelly Mason
Liz McCann
Alex McNeil
Diana McNeil
Michael McQuilkin
Kevin Meade
Marty Meade
Diana Muhic
Douglas Mundo
Kalle Nemvalts
Erica Obedzinski
Mary Olsen
Para O’Siochain
Asher Padua-Freund
Dave Pesce
Pautie Purnall
Marcia Phipps
Ramon Ramirez
Rubin Raphael
Jonah Rasmussen
Jane Rawlinson
Nancy Ray
Molly Rea
Jeremy Richardson
Sam Rippee
Nancy Roen
Shawkie Roth
Debra Ruff
Michael Ruggles
Socorro Santiago
Jack Sayers
Ethel Seiderman
Pam Sharpe
Laura Sherman
Steve Shimm
Emily Sims
Richard Sloan
Gina Smith
Derek Soeth
Jay Soladay
Liora Soladay
Aaron Stanbro
Melissa Stanbro
Assya Stefaneli
Terry Steinberger
Allen Strong
Sean Sullivan
Beth Cooper
Tabakian
Tom Tabakian
Cyrus Thelin
Jasper Thelin
James Tolbert
Jessica Tolchin
Denise Trevino
Cecilio Trididad
Sharon Valentine
Angelina Vicenzio
Felipa Vicenzio
Vivian Vivas
Yuyu Wai
B Warner
Jean-A Warner
Carol Whitmire
Conrad Williams
SGV Community Center Stone Soup Page 3
ValleyResource
Horizons
Center
by Suzanne Sadowsky
Director, Valley Resource Center
West Marin Coalition for Healthy Kids
Marin County is a healthy place to live. For the fifth year in a
row, our county ranked #1 in the state in Health Outcomes and
Health Factors according to a report issued by the Marin County
Department of Health and Human Services.
Of the 56 counties in California, Marin had lowest premature death
rate, ranked lowest in adult obesity, lowest in physical inactivity,
lowest teen birth rate, lowest uninsured adults, lowest unemployment rate, lowest percent of
children in poverty, the lowest violent crime rate, and the highest high school graduation rate.
Some of these top scores are attributable to the high socio-economic status of Marin residents.
We have the highest average income in the State, but we also know that lower income families
in Marin don’t share in these positive health outcomes.
Senior Programs, Activities
and Services at the
Community Center
The San Geronimo Valley Community Center is excited to be offering healthy and interactive programs for people of all ages. We are especially proud of our programs for people 60 years of age and
over — our senior lunch, our cultural events, art shows and much more. We also have an electronic
newsletter with updates every few weeks with new information and lunch menus. Send an e-mail to
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Despite all the good news, there are some really troublesome findings: Marin County
ranked in the bottom 25% in measures of excessive drinking by adults. Excessive drinking is an even more serious problem in West Marin. Particularly alarming are the data
on drug and alcohol use by local youth.
We are offering ongoing programs here at the Center to keep our lives vibrant. There is also an
array of classes that are reasonably priced listed in our Stone Soup Catalogue.
In a 2009-10 survey:
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18% of the 7th graders in the Lagunitas School District and 55% of the
11th graders in the Tamalpais High School District reported that they drank
alcohol at least once in the past 30 days prior to the survey.
Senior Lunch Mondays and Thursdays at Noon
This very popular program has been operating since February 2009 at the Center. We have delicious well-balanced meals brought in from the kitchens of Good Earth Natural Foods with new
menus every week. Some of the most popular meals are taco day, eggplant parmesan, and barbequed chicken. All the main courses have great sides and salads and fresh fruit. It’s the happening
event for a healthy meal and great conversation with neighbors and friends. Suggested donation
for seniors is $3 a meal and for others the charge is $6 per person. Monday’s lunch is in the West
Room and Thursday’s lunch is in the Valley Room here at the SGVCC.
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83% of the 7th graders and 61% of the 11th graders reported having used
drugs or alcohol at least once in the past year before the survey.
Y
Additionally, the California Health Interview Survey conducted in 2007-9
reported that in the San Geronimo Valley, 61.8% of adults engaged in binge
drinking in the previous year compared to the county-wide average of 34.9%.
The Valley was second highest in the county.
For decades — since the 1960’s or even earlier, there has been a culture of drug, alcohol and
tobacco use in some of our West Marin communities that today continues to influence and
damage the lives of many of our young people. We have witnessed too many drug and alcohol related arrests, accidents and overdoses in our homes and on our highways.
There is an acceptance of the use of alcohol and recreational drugs as a cultural norm.
Adults drink alcohol at virtually every social occasion. We will often end a stressful
day at work by pouring ourselves a glass of wine when we get home. This permissiveness has historical roots going back to the early part of the 20th Century when the San
Geronimo Valley was renowned in San Francisco for its nightspots and dance halls.
People arrived by train from the City and elsewhere on weekends and in the summer for
the high life and adult entertainment. In the 1960s, during the Summer of Love, young
people who were using marijuana, LSD, and other hallucinogenics were frequent visitors, many of whom settled in and became long-time residents of Bolinas, Forest Knolls
and other West Marin communities.
Today’s “recreational” drugs are more potent and are more available to young people
than they were half a century ago. We also know more today about health consequences
for youth who use drugs and alcohol and the effect on their social, cognitive and emotional development. We need to do more to educate our children and their families
about these consequences and offer treatment options and alternative healthy choices.
Those of us who work with youth programs: The Loft here at the San Geronimo Valley
Community Center, the Tomales Bay Youth Center in Point Reyes, and the Den in
Bolinas have been aware and concerned about the special circumstances and problems
affecting youth in our rural communities — problems of geographic isolation, lack of
recreational facilities, limited transportation to access health and social services, all of
which contribute to risky behavior.
We have been working to address some of these problems by providing recreational,
emotional literacy, social engagement, sports, internships, community services, and
other resiliency programs that provide healthy choices for youth after school, on weekends and during the summer.
The Community Center has been awarded a grant by the County Department of
Health and Human Services to put together a coalition of local organizations and
individuals — parents, youth, church leaders, schools, law enforcement — who will
be working locally to better understand the cultural norms and the environmental factors, and to educate and develop prevention programs for our young people. As the
Coordinator of the West Marin Coalition for Healthy Kids, we will be working with
our colleagues in Bolinas and Point Reyes to develop meaningful community based programs so that our young people will have the resources to make healthy choices. Please
contact me or Heather Richardson in the Valley at 488-8888 or Madeline Hope in the
coastal communities at 446-8587 to learn more about our work.
Ongoing Programs:
Emergency Food Pantry Thursdays at 1:00–2:00 pm in the West Room for people attending the
Senior Lunch. Fresh nutritious food – fresh produce, dairy, canned goods, eggs, chicken — to prepare
healthy meals at home. (The Food Pantry is also open on Mondays from 9:00 am — 5:00 pm.)
Mah Jong
This class will resume in the fall. Ping Pong at 1:00 pm on Thursdays after Senior Lunch. A free program in the Community Gym
offered by volunteer Jack Sayers.
Jazz in the Afternoon Thursdays at 1:30 pm in the Valley Room following Senior Lunch. Every
week a Jazz combo with Shawkie Roth, Judy Hall and others play great music for all to enjoy. Free.
Growing Old Gracefully — a Senior Peer Counseling Group. Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:30
am. Volunteer counselors help senior members of our community sort through the transitions and
realities of aging that we all face: the loss of independence and control, isolation, and declining
physical health. Limited to 10 seniors. Sign up with Suzanne, 488-8888, ext. #251.
Counselors provide emotional support and practical tools to help clients deal with change,
remain independent as long as possible, and cultivate a positive approach to aging. Senior Peer
Counselors are trained and supervised by mental health professionals. This is a free program made
available by the Older Americans Act, administered by the Marin Department of Health and
Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services. The current session is ending. A new one
will start in August or September.
Book Club— Mondays 10:30 AM
Many of us enjoy reading books and discussing them with others. The next book club meetings are
on June 9 and July 14. Call Suzanne at 499-8888, ext. #251 if you are interested and available.
Field Trips and other Activities
West Marin Senior Services is sponsoring a San Geronimo Valley Shuttle funded by Marin Transit.
See page 15 for a schedule and more detailed information. Please call West Marin Senior Services –
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“Off The Wall” Freewriting Sessions at the Community Center!
Sundays, June 15 & July 20, 2:00 to 3:30 PM
These monthly events are free and open to all! Join us for this session of carefree, stress-free creativity! All ages, all levels welcome, from experienced writers to absolute beginners. Come be inspired by
the amazing art on exhibit each month, writing prompts provided, or your own muse! Questions?
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Free Legal Clinic offered by One Justice
June 19, 2014 from 12-5:00 pm in Room 9
Volunteer Opportunities
We have many ways that seniors provide support to the Center for its various programs and activities. Please call Suzanne at 488-8888, ext. #251 if you have some time to spare and we will try to
find a job that fits your interests and schedule.
Valley School Readiness
Program
Programs, Events, Resources & Classes for Families
with Children Ages 0-5
by Heather Richardson, MS, MFT Intern
School Readiness 101
If anyone was to watch me as I shuffle through applications, process papers, build a new data base and
coordinate with countless service providers, health care professionals and other community players,
they’d think I was masterminding the entire 2016 U.S. Presidential Election all on my own. In fact, I’m
actually doing something much more important.
Summer Bridge, the San Geronimo Valley Community Center’s free, 5-week summer program for all
entering kindergarteners is, for many children who have had little to no pre-school experience, a firsttime entry level position in the world of school right before they transition into the full-time job that
kindergarten brings, come fall.
Going into our 11th summer, Summer Bridge is taught by our very own Community Center staff member, Nicole Ramirez, a bi-lingual, credentialed California, multi-subject teacher. Nicole has been teaching Summer Bridge since the beginning and with the classroom assistance of Leslie Gray, this dynamic
teaching duo brings the Summer Bridge experience to fruition each year. Summer Bridge is a time for
students to learn a lot about the routine that they will encounter once they start kindergarten. Nicole
provides a structure to the day that is very much in line with what these little guys will experience when
they begin class in the Open Classroom, Montessori, Nicasio or another kindergarten program. Our
Summer Bridge students enjoy a theme-based curriculum that changes each week. Children explore
numbers, colors, seasons and more, as they relate to school and their community.
I always love planning for Summer Bridge. It takes a lot of work, but to meet these little faces, and see
their parents so happy as they watch their almost kindergartners blossom over the 5 weeks they spend
with us is priceless. It’s true. I could be working on the next election, but I’d rather be right here, working on the early education of our future presidents.
Summer Bridge is a free 5-week summer program for children entering kindergarten in the fall. Summer
Bridge runs Monday-Thursday from 9 AM –12 noon, June 30–July 31, 2014.
Playgroup, a free twice-a-week playgroup for all children 0-5 years olds, is held Tuesdays and Thursdays from
10 AM -12 noon in room 9 at Lagunitas School. No need to call, just come by! Playgroup runs year round but
we will take a break for the month of August.
For more information on any of our 0-5 year old programming, contact Heather at [email protected] or
488-8888.
Senior Lunch volunteers
Jean Kinsey, Laurie
Chorna, Marcia Phipps,
and Nancy Smith.
Food Bank Banter
by Nicole Ramirez
As the worry of drought diminishes in our area, thank goodness, the Central
Valley of California has not been so lucky, which then affects local Food
Banks. Fresh produce accounts for more than half of food distributed to the
Bay Area’s Food Banks. An estimated minimum of 500,000 acres are to be fallowed in California’s Central Valley, leaving growers less fruits and vegetables
to donate.With a decrease in donations, food prices can soar, making it more
of a struggle for families in need. The food system in California has an effect
on all of us. Regardless of race or socio-economic status, we all consume food.
How our food system is altered can have bearing on everyone’s lives.
Driving south on I-5 this April, I noticed the lack of crops and the barren
tilled fields for miles. The most obvious thought I had was that the lack of rain
must have resulted in water restrictions which then affected the farmer’s ability
to produce. Upon my return, a co-worker gave me the April 21 edition of the
S.F Chronicle that read on the front page, “Drought drying up Food Bank supplies.” I then went on to read other interesting facts about the Central Valley
and the effect the drought would have on all in California. Although we have
not yet felt the direct hit on our Food Bank here in San Geronimo, I always
hope for the best. We live in such a generous community and rely on donations from local organizations, local farmers, individuals and gardeners who
may have an abundant yield.
The San Geronimo Valley Community Center is so fortunate to be the recipients of such wonderful kind local donations that hopefully we won’t feel the
backlash of the food withdrawal. For the last six months we have been receiving food from a local non-profit founded by Marv Zauderer called ExtraFood.
Org. This amazing organization collects food from local restaurants, schools,
hospitals, and businesses and distributes it to local Food Banks and other
non-profits. With an energetic fleet of volunteers who are ready to pick-up
and deliver food, this program is flourishing. We so appreciate what has been
done in such a short time and value the extra food. The food that is picked up
would otherwise be discarded. Through ExtraFood we have received food from
Kaiser Permanente, Branson School and Spirit Rock. Thanks for such an awesome organization!
We are also recipients of Arizmendi Bakery in San Rafael, who donates every
week an array of baked goods. Also, a local community member has been
donating soup that she makes at home every other week. We also receive hot
food for Food Bank participants from Saint Vincent de Paul’s dining room.
Another local gentleman donates food he prepares from wheat he grows here
in our Valley. We are always delighted to receive greens from the community
garden that we distribute at the Food Bank. With the help of many, food is
always here. Appreciation to all who donate and contribute to supplementing
food to individuals and families. Thanks to a wonderful community!
Food Bank
Emergency food distribution is offered two days a week, year round to
needy Valley families. Staffed by local volunteers, the Food Bank is supported by the Marin Community Food Bank and by generous donations
from local Valley people and service organizations. Information is provided
on nutrition and healthy eating, and, when available, fresh surplus produce
from the School-Community Garden is offered to Food Bank clients.
Cuba Trip
The Community Center Food Bank is open Monday from
9: 00 am – 5:00 pm and Thursday afternoons from 2:00–5:00 pm.
by Jim Griffiths and Muniera Kadrie
In late March we travelled to Cuba under the auspices of Global Exchange, a San Francisco nonprofit that has been sponsoring people-to-people trips like these for many years, and it was one of
the most fascinating trips we ever took.
We travelled the length of the Island from Santiago de Cuba to Havana. It is a very diverse place
with mountainous regions not unlike the river valleys of China, to farm lands, to bustling cities.
We met teachers, artists, musicians, students, dancers, community organizers, and just plain folks.
We found everyone to be incredibly warm and friendly. We attended block parties (these folks
know how to party), a Down syndrome school where the kids did incredible block prints, elementary schools, and art schools.
Cuba is on the cusp of big changes. Tourism is their main economic engine and you see large hotels
being built for that purpose. Our hope is that it doesn’t turn into another Miami, but the Cubans
definitely don’t want a return to Batista and the Mob.
We highly recommend this trip, especially thru Global Exchange, because you break out of the
tourist bubble in ways that you can’t do on your own.
Loft, Internship and Youth Programs
Update
By Heather Richardson
It’s Good to Be a Kid Out West
Not to brag, but for such a tiny town, we sure have a lot going on for young people here in
the SGV. If you’re a young person entering 7th grade and up and want to intern, the San
Geronimo Valley Community Center’s Youth Job Training Internship Program is just the thing
for you. With various sites and all kinds of topics to choose from, every internship age youth
will find something that feels just right.
On Wednesday, April 30, we
hosted our annual Youth Job Fair,
showcasing many of our summer
internship placements. Thirty-two
youth showed up for an afternoon
of internship information and job
positive workshops. Our panel of
speakers came from all over, both in
and out of the Valley.
Youth Job Fair, April 30, 2014.
For many youth, the summer
internship session is their first
real, hands-on experience in
a job-like setting. They have
responsibilities, schedules, supervisors and evaluations. This
summer, we have such an array
Marin County Parks
A Salute to the Sargents of
San Geronimo Ridge
By David Herlocker, Naturalist for Marin County
Parks
There are a number of protected animal species that get a lot of attention
here; the coho salmon, steelhead, and northern spotted owls to name a few.
The list of rare plants that thrive in this protected watershed is also quite
impressive, 14 species have been found on the Gary Giacomini Open Space
Preserve alone. These plants and animals are a testimony to the fact that
there is something special about this place—that the conditions here are
unique, and that the landscape has been treated gently and respectfully.
Recognition as “rare” according to federal and state standards is certainly
meaningful, but when it comes to uniqueness, the habitat found along San
Geronimo Ridge is as special as a place can be. The pygmy Sargent cypress forest and the
surrounding landscape are truly
breathtaking. The architecture of
the trees among the weathered
boulders creates an aesthetic combination evocative of a meticulously maintained bonsai garden
framed by a stunningly beautiful
sweeping panoramic backdrop.
The ridgeline between the
Sylvestris and Conifer fire roads
passes through a prime example
of the pygmy forest. Reaching
the ridge takes a bit of effort,
but the fire roads that climb up
from the Valley floor are also
special places, gorgeous and
serene at any time of the year.
Take your time and treat yourself
to a stroll through this jewel that
you are lucky enough to have in
your own back yard.
A Sargent cypress stands guard, Gary Giacomini Preserve
(photo © Craig Solin).
of placement choices, it’s really
quite impressive. Do you have a
youth who shows promise as an
animator, computer coder or possible engineer? Then maybe she’d
like to try the Intel Computer
Club House internship. Thinking
of becoming a vet? The San
Geronimo Valley Veterinary
Clinic may be the place for you.
Maybe you dream of putting on
big lavish parties. Then join the
events crew at the San Geronimo
Golf Couse.
These are just a sampling of the
Youth Job Fair, April 30, 2014.
kinds of placements available
for youth this summer. As the summer ends, many interns go on to hold internships during the school year, too, as our program is year round and just like everything else at the San
Geronimo Valley Community Center, there’s something for everyone.
For more information or to get a summer internship application, come by the Center or email
heather at [email protected] or call 488-8888.
Healthy Choices Day
at Lagunitas Middle
School
by Susan Shannon
“It was the most inspiring 6 hours of my life.”—6th Grade Boy
On April 7, the Lagunitas Middle School Emotional Literacy team collaborated with the
Middle School Staff to present “Healthy Choices Day.” This was a full day of events focused on
helping our middle school students learn how to make healthy choices in all areas of their lives.
Our keynote speaker Alton “Coach” McSween gave an extremely engaging account of his own
journey from the perspective of someone whose life was altered drastically by a few unhealthy
choices in response to traumatic life experiences, and how he rebuilt his life into one that helps
others by way of dedicating himself to health and finding his place in community. Coach’s presentation was followed by a panel of Drake Peer Resource students who gave their own feedback
and stories on the kinds of choices one encounters in high school.
After we heard from the guest
speaker and panelists, all students
and panelists, including Coach,
broke into small group discussions
with their homeroom teachers and
EL facilitators about what they
heard and how it applies to their
lives. After lunch each grade participated in a discussion about difficult choices they face in middle
school, and then learned about
the decision-making process by
Alton “Coach” McSween talks to the Lagunitas Middle
choosing a scenario and walking
School about Healthy and Unhealthy Choices.
through this process. At the end
of the day, the entire school came together again to present, as panelists themselves now, what
those choices and decisions were.
The rich day closed out with an
“open mic” where kids came up to
the microphone and told others
what they had learned from the
day. This part was extremely moving to all of us adults, as nearly
every kid spoke from their heart
about how they were inspired by
the day, and how they learned
that just because difficult and
tragic events happen, we can still
be whole, happy people who can
effect change. Another gem—one
by one the kids thanked US, the
adults who planned the event, for giving them such a full and meaningful day!
Kids Sports and Our
Schools
by Steve Rebscher, Lagunitas
School Trustee
Sports take an increasing share of many students’ time each year and an ever increasing number of children participate in a wider range of sports. In large part, this upward
trend can be attributed to two movements with roots in the 1970’s and 80’s. First, Title
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programs, both in and out of schools, were limited both in the number of programs
offered and the quality of those programs. Within just a few years, the number of young
women participating in a wide range of sports exploded as school funding for boys and
girls teams were, in general, equalized. With this new influx of athletic role models, girls
began to envision sports as a new possibility for exploration.
A second revolution in sports was less publicized but no less important. Mill Valley author
George Leonard symbolized changing attitudes toward participation in sports in his book
The Ultimate Athlete in which he professed the radical notion that each and every person has
the right, and innate potential, to be an athlete; to move with grace, confidence and joy. This
inherent athletic capacity is far too often suppressed at an early age when children are categorized as “winners” or “losers,” or as slim and athletic versus overweight, ungainly or having a
high BMI computed on a chart that lacks any understanding of individual variation. How
many children hold onto their joy of running freely on a beach after they are picked last on
the playground time after time? How many lose sight of themselves as an athlete and later hide
their very enjoyment of physical activity to avoid once again not being chosen for the team?
So, what new attitudes and programs can help to increase the number of young people that
feel comfortable participating in sports and why should we, as a school community, make this
a priority in our programs?
We might first want to ask the more fundamental question, “What positive benefits
do sports and physically active outdoor programs offer our children?” From a learning
perspective recent research has clearly shown that children accomplish cognitive learning
tasks and simple memory tasks better following physical activity than after long periods
of inactivity. Most of us assume that physical activity also supports improved overall
health. But when I asked Buck Chavez what sports bring to kids he stressed the social
benefits of team-based sports. In team sports you learn first hand that one person, no
matter how talented, can’t get very far. Each and every participant on a team contributes
to a successful team effort at one time in a game. The ability to form effective respectful
relationships on the court or on the field is an incredibly important lesson for school-age
children. It is a skill they develop with practice as clearly as they gain the ability to hit a
baseball, pass a basketball or perform mathematical calculations.
In addition to social skills, kids also learn something about their own capacity as individuals. When it’s hot out, when a player doesn’t feel well, when another player gets hurt
or when the score says you’re losing a game, time and time again kids are amazed at their
own ability to step up, to run faster, to play harder or smarter and surpass their expectation or vision of themselves. The potential benefit of these situations for increased selfesteem and self-value is immense and requires little more than a few positive words from
teammates, teachers, coaches or parents. Last, the separate emotional space created by
sports and play is becoming more important every year as the academic and social expectations and stresses put upon school age children increase relentlessly. The playfield, the
court or the pool can offer a place totally separate from those demands. A place where
we all can “play” – in the true sense of the word.
How can we ensure that these positive outcomes outweigh the potential negative consequences
that have traditionally been an unwanted part of sports; the mirror images of each of the
positive aspects outlined above?
Milestones
by Denise Santa Cruz-Bohman
This spring, Alana Hamilton was voted Rodeo Queen in Yuma, Arizona. She was raising funds for
extracurricular activities for underprivileged children.
Larissa Bohman and Anthony Stevenson of Santa Rosa were engaged to be married on Valentine’s
Day. Larissa is formerly of Forest Knolls.
David Ford was honored by Robert Hurwitt of SF Gate as MVP of the year for 2013. He was honored
as “the Marsh’s master developer of new work and has been helping performers find their voices and craft
their stories” for two decades. He is credited with helping to launch careers such as Josh Kornbluth, Marga
Gomez and Charlie Varon—who still works with David and follows in his footsteps as a teacher and cocreator of new shows. He has worked with Brian Copeland and Geoff Hoyle and many others.
Jean Berensmeier received the Peter Behr Lifetime Achievement Award from the Marin
Conservation League for her tireless work as an environmental activist. Certainly well deserved!
Congratulations to the College of Marin baseball team for placing as a high seed in the State playoffs for Community Colleges. Valley Residents on the team include Benny Shea, Brian Bostjancic,
and Sterling Champagne. Our own Alexander McQuilkin is one of the team managers.
Valley Graduates from Drake: Steven Bohman, Amanda Brown, Andrea Talas Baylaq, Sean Morrison,
Liam Plunkett, Liam O’ Neill, Rhiannon Reeder, Ivan Snow, Olivia Gray, Danielle Poppe, Kyle
and Tyler Noland, Collin Dallara, Isabelle Louise, Austin Sewell,William Marriott, Kyla VanGelder,
Omar Benito, Emma Rose Bauer. Graduating from Marin School of the Arts, Joshua Witt. Graduating
from the Marin School, Jasemine Sagebiel. We are so proud of these kids!
We were so deeply saddened to learn of the death of Steven Charles Charrier. Steve was a beloved
member of our community for many years. Born June 2, 1950, in Washington, D.C., to James
and Jane Hurley Charrier and raised in Bethesda, Maryland. He earned a degree in sociology from
Northwestern University.
A true child of the ’60s, he marched on Washington and attended Woodstock. He moved to
San Francisco in 1974, and lived the rest of his years in the Bay Area, mostly in West Marin. He
served on the Lagunitas School Board from 1991-1999, and pursued a career as a life coach and
Tarot reader. He is survived by his daughters, Emily and Jessica, his mother, Jane, siblings, Bill,
Mike and Bette, and numerous neices, nephews and other loved ones. His memorial was held on
April 12 and a tree was planted in his honor at Lagunitas School.
Rocky McKinsey and his beloved dog, Poetry, both passed on recently. Rocky was a very popular homeless man that many knew from waiting for the Stage, or giving him rides to his camp in the Valley, or
watching Poetry do tricks in the Fairfax Parkade. Sadly, Poetry became ill and was put down last winter.
Rocky developed cancer and died in April. They leave behind many heartbroken friends.
Michael Hassan, who with his wife Lynn raised their sons Dov and Shandor in Woodacre from the
mid-70s through the ’90s, passed away in New York City in March, just shy of his 71st birthday. While
living in the Valley, he earned his living as a cabinentmaker, with a shop in the basement of his home
at the corner of Railroad and Carson. For a time, his business partner was Anne McClain. His passion
for literature and writing led him to finish his undergraduate degree at SF State, and then head to New
York for his doctorate. He taught at the Pratt Institute and Long Island University, along the way, writing
in many genres, including the novel, Island Song. Lynn was his colaborator and illustrator for the book,
Florida Dreams. Michael stayed connected to many of his Valley friends. His good humor, generous spirit,
questioning mind, and ability as a raconteur will be missed. He is survived by his wife and sons, daughterin-law Linda, and grandsons Jacob and Caleb. A gathering to remember his life was held on May 10, at
the Loft. Thank you, Amy Valens, for submitting this wonderful tribute to Michael.
Former Community Center staff member Deb Hubsmith was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia
(AML) in October 2013. AML is a serious and aggressive form of blood cancer. In March she was admitted to Stanford’s Cancer Center to receive a bone marrow transplant. You can make a financial contribution to help with Deb’s medical expenses; donations of ALL sizes are greatly appreciated! Thank you so
much for your generosity; it will help Deb with her journey of healing and becoming fully cured! To
donate online: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/love-healing-deb-/143995 or send a check
(100% will go to Deb’s healing) to: Deb Hubsmith PO Box 663 Fairfax, CA 94978
Lagunitas School 8th Grade Graduates
First, as a community, we need to continually embody the philosophy that redefines
“winning” as less about the final score or the feats of one or two “star” players, and
more about the real goals — having fun, “playing,” building better performance
through practice and teamwork, learning from each mistake as well as each success,
and recognizing that physical activity makes us feel good.
Second, as parents, we can help our kids attain these goals by supporting them in
their sports and outdoor activities, but letting them take the lead. “These are their
games — go get your own!” might be a good suggestion for many parents. Let their
teacher or coach do the teaching and deliver positive suggestions for improvement.
Do ask, “How did you do today?” instead of “Did you win today?” Two of the most
important things a parent can do for a young athlete is to help them show up, be on
time and have the nutrition they need to focus on physical effort. Kids need food
after school before they can successfully participate in organized sports or everyday
playground activities.
Third, as a school community, we need to provide the resources to both our children
and their parents to facilitate the transition from result-oriented sports to life-long
learning opportunities. In our school district, we have supported the wonderful work
of Buck Chavez, Nathan Murray, Howie Cort, and others on our staff, to establish
ongoing “PE” classes for our Middle School and regular activities for younger students
that provide inclusive opportunities for each to discover what sports they enjoy, to
learn new skills, to build successful relationships and to find a piece of the athlete that
lies within each of them. Our kids are truly fortunate to have these progressive mentors
and the dozens of compassionate parents that volunteer their time to support healthy
sports in West Marin. To learn more about new perspectives on competitive sports
look at the website of the Positive Coaching Alliance (positivecoach.org).
Fund Development
by Dave Cort
On behalf of the Community Center Board of Directors and staff we deeply appreciate the contributions that we received from the people listed on this page. These
contributions were received from March 1, 2014 to May 15, 2014.
Your contributions both large and small are the key to insuring that our organization is going to be able to continue to be a critical resource to our Valley by
providing programs that meet the needs of all community members.
Please consider joining our Council of Major Donors. It currently includes over
100 individuals, families, foundations, and businesses who make exemplary financial contributions to the Community Center each year and support our mission
of “fostering a healthy San Geronimo Valley by providing a dynamic center for
locally-based human services, arts and culture, education, health and wellness, and
community-building.” Council members come from the Valley, Nicasio, Fairfax and
other neighboring communities. Each member of the Council makes a direct or inkind contribution of at least $500 year — many contribute significantly more. The
collective impact of Council members’ contributions is enormous, given that the
Community Center operates on a budget of less than $1 million each year.
Other ways to financially support the Community Center include making a monthly contribution, donating stocks, bonds, real estate or a vehicle, or making a planned
gift to the Community Center through your estate planning.
This spring we approached our Valley Community through an email blast and
through the envelope enclosed in this Stone Soup.
Donating Time, Money
Creates Personal Meaning
In an article published by the New York Times, Arthur C. Brooks explains the link between donations of time and
money and greater happiness and prosperity for the donor. The following was excerpted from “Why Fund-Raising
Is Fun” (New York Times Sunday Review, March 29, 2014)
In 2003, while working on a book about charitable giving, . . . I was finding that donors ended up
with more income after making their gifts. This was more than correlation; I found solid evidence
that giving stimulated prosperity. . . .
Psychologists, I learned, have long found that donating and volunteering bring a host of benefits
to those who give. In one typical study, researchers from Harvard and the University of British
Columbia confirmed that, in terms of quantifying “happiness,” spending money on oneself barely
moves the needle, but spending on others causes a significant increase.
Why? Charitable giving improves what psychologists call “self-efficacy,” one’s belief that one is
capable of handling a situation and bringing about a desired outcome. When people give their
time or money to a cause they believe in, they become problem solvers. Problem solvers are happier than bystanders . . . . If charity raises well-being, there is no obvious reason it would not also
indirectly stimulate material prosperity as people improve their lives. . . .
I have found that the real magic of fund-raising goes even deeper than temporary happiness or
extra income. It creates meaning. . . . By investing their own time, talent and treasure, every
American can bring his or her core principles to life. . . .
Nonprofit leaders serve others, and help build causes. But just as important, by providing opportunities to give, they empower us to breathe more meaning into our lives.
We deeply appreciate your support and your trust in our Community Center. Please
consider making a donation at this time. Please use the enclosed envelope or contribute through our website www.sgvcc.org, or give me a call at 488-8888 ext.#224.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Contributors
Nadia Al-Samarrie
Anonymous
Robert Barton
Kathleen & John Beckerley
Zoila Berardi
Dominic Berardi, Berardi Tile
Hanson Bridgett LLP
Brownco Construction & Development
Matthew & Lynn Brown
Michael & Jeanine Chavin
City Sewer Pumping
Denise & John Colwell
Dave & Howie Cort
Craig & Pao-Pao Curran
Pat & Cia Donahue
Marie Eisen
James & Janelle Fazackerley
Bernard & Barbara Felling
Gerald & Geraldine Fleming
Front Porch Realty Group
Gardeners’ Guild, Inc.
Gary & Linda Giacomini
Dahlia & Jack Kamesar
Laurel Marinelli
McPhail Fuel Company
Meridian Commercial
Moresco Distributing Company
Carol & Guido Mori-Prange
Ralph & Barbara Morris
Novato Pool Scene, Inc.
Anne Pennypacker
Marge & Floyd Rector, Jr.
Andrew Rosaia
Janet & David Semling
Serenity Knolls
San Geronimo Valley Lions Club
J. Gregory & Maureen Young Smith
Sean Sullivan & Kathryn Callaway
Terra Insurance Company
Union Bank
Grantors:
Community Development Block Grant
County of Marin
Dino J. Ghilotti Foundation
Endurance Fund
Freitas Foundation
Far West Festival
George Lucas Family Foundation
Hartford Foundation For Public Giving
Kaiser Permanente
Lagunitas Middle School Parent Group
Marin Community Foundation
Marin First 5 - Children and Families
Commission
Olympic Club Foundation
Presbyterian Hunger Project
Reliance Fund
San Geronimo Valley Lions Club
The Scorpio Rising Fund
Union Bank Foundation
United Way Bay Area
West Marin Community Resource Center
Jack & Patty Wright Foundation
Youth Leadership Institute
BIRDIE SPONSORS:
Pat and Cia Donahue
Front Porch Realty Group
Gary and Linda Giacomini
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Moresco Distributing Co.
SGV Lions Club
PAR SPONSORS:
Berardi Tile
Bayline Painting
Crosse Landscaping
Drakes Bay Oysters
Fairfax Lumber & Hardware
Geisen Painting
Golden State Lumber
Hog Island Oysters
Holden & Company LLP
McPhails Fuel Co.
North Coast Concrete
Northbay Tile
Novato Glass
Novato Pool Scene
Pengelly Flooring
Point Reyes Compost
Golf Tournament
BG=R-NKD>R0MN=BH
Sponsors
SGV Veterinary Clinic
Thank you Jay & Liora Soladay for chairing Swift Tree Service
the Tournament and San Geronimo Golf Tarantino Plumbing
Course for hosting the Tournament!
Toby’s Feed Barn
Tomales Bay Oysters
HOLE IN ONE SPONSORS:
Van Midde Construction
Andrew Rosaia, Inc.
Verde Metals
Hanson Bridgett LLP
Woodruff Sawyer
Good Earth Natural Foods
Terra Insurance
Union Bank
Janis Baldwin.
John Baldwin.
Myra Terziev.
Griffe Griffiths.
Phil Arnot.
EAGLE SPONSORS:
Brownco Construction
Cort Family
Gardeners Guild
Hallroan & Stanley Construction Services
Jayli and Point Reyes Surf Shop
Pete Lind Family
Meridian Commercial
Paul Berensmeier.
Fred Berensmeier.
Spring Art Show 2014
Photos by Donn DeAngelo
Gaetano DeFelice.
Brian Staley.
Jack Gescheidt.
Veronica Buros Kleinberg.
Gisela Alvarado.
Liana Kornfield.
Justine Tot Tatarsky.
Marcia Patrice Ganeles-Kislik.
Xander Weaver-Scull.
Monstark
Louis Nuyens.
Jean-A Warner.
Judy Arndt.
Carrie Fisher-Coppola.
Tobias Berardi.
Parra O’Siochain.
Ellen Gray.
Krista Kielman.
Michel Koski.
Robert Bloomberg.
Barbara Morris.
Donn DeAngelo.
Karl O. Lichtenstein.
Sherry Petrini.
Anne Faught.
Connie Smith Siegel.
Gabriele Schwibach.
Anton Skye LePanto.
Marty Meade.
Rosie Echelmeier.
Kelly Pennypacker.
Bud Meade.
Alexzandra Adieu.
Molly Rea.
Al Ardelle.
Live! At the Center
Hannah Doress,
Arts & Events Coordinator & Larry Rippee,
Dear Community Friends,
Do you like how much is going on at your Community Center? The top three things you can
do to support us are 1. Donate something you can afford $5-$500—whatever you are able
to dedicate to your home community. 2. Volunteer — come down, be part of it, see what’s
happening and why it matters with your own eyes and 3. Sign up for our email list — with
constantly shifting sands and increasing focus on monetization at Facebook and with other
social media, and shrinking print media, email is the reliable way we can communicate and
make sure that you are invited to all the exciting events that we truly want to share with you!
And if you want to do one more thing to help us — please tell your friends to join you at our
events and find out how much fun we have out here in the beautiful San Geronimo Valley!
Your fan,
Hannah Doress
P.S. If you’re on Facebook please like us at “San Geronimo Valley Community Center Arts &
"O>GMLZ:G=B?RHNK>HGMPBMM>KIE>:L>?HEEHP0:G$>KHGBFH3 Visual Arts Coordinator
San Francisco Mime* Troupe
Saturday June 28, 3:30 PM music, 4:00 PM show
A family friendly event on Lagunitas School Field.
Right next to the playground.
*This is not a mime troupe — this is a world famous political comedy group!
The legendary Tony and Obie award-winning political comedy troupe is back for their
annual sneak preview! The Mime Troupe depends on the brilliant artistic minds of the
Valley to give them feedback on the show prior to the world premiere in July. Come be a
part of the art & enjoy a hilarious show! Bring your family and your picnic. This is a free
show. Donations to support the SFMT are welcome. Please support SGVCC through your
purchase of a drink or treat.
4th Annual Mexican Art Festival— Fun for All Ages
Saturday, July 12, 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 21 , 12:00–5:00 PM
From LA – Outrageous Comic
Sandra Valls!
Free, Bilingual & Family Friendly
3@57O(GE;5O!AA6OD38FEOA??G@;FK
Featuring Norteño Sensation Tenientes del Norte
With the leadership of Revivir la Cultura program participants from our local Mexican immigrant community, the San Geronimo Valley
Community Center courtyard is proud to host a
warm and family friendly, bilingual and handson celebration of Mexican culture, and to share
these engaging traditions, sounds and flavors
with you! The event will be free with affordable
authentic food, including kid-friendly options
and everyone is welcome and encouraged to
attend. Plus good times for kids in the bounce
house!
As seen on HBO, ABC, Showtime
Cosponsored with Spectrum
LGBT Center
“Comedic Gold!” — Latina Magazine
“A Knock Out” — My San Antonio
“Belly clutching laughs” — Shewired
“Freakin’ hilarious!” — Womenfest
“She brings to light issues that impact the
women of color community!” — QWOC
Media
Rising Norteño stars Tenientes del Norte featured on
Radio Lazar 107.1 and La Exitos 98.7 and seen on Raza
Obrera and Banda Troyaro.
The Mexican Arts Festival is the perfect family
stay-cation loaded with fun, authentic & interactive activities, stellar performances as well as
meaningful ways to connect with our families, friends and neighbors. One of the goals of this event is to bring
our community closer together and encourage cross-cultural understanding and communication. Want to talk
to your Spanish-speaking neighbors, but need some help? At the event we’ll provide a vocabulary cheat sheet
and we’ll be happy to help with translation.
Find out why hundreds of people have had a fantastic time at
this super family friendly bilingual annual tradition!
Don’t miss our very own SGVCC Revivir la Cultura Dancers
featuring talented kids from the Lagunitas and Nicasio Schools!
Please donate generously to support SGVCC Revivir la Cultura
including this free event, weekly ESL classes, the youth dance
group, translation support for teachers and more!
Revivir kids poem presentation (photo by D. Bilingual volunteers needed: If you speak Spanish and English
please join us! For more information, please email Hannah at
Mundo).
:KMLL@O<<HK@
If you would like to share information about Revivir la Cultura with a Spanish speaking friend, see below:
El Centro Comunitario del Valle San Geronimo Presenta:
Festival de las Artes de Mexico
Sabado 21 de Junio, 12:00–5:00 PM
Celebracion interactive para toda la familia
Musica * Baile * Comida * Manualidades y Mas * Brincolin * Nos divertimos!
Gratis. Comida compre separado
En el Patio detras del Centro Communitario
Con Tenientes del Norte!
Informacion: Nicole Ramirez 306-1616
“Valls is as true to her ethnicity as she is to
her sexuality; knocking tv audiences on their
behinds!” — Curve Magazine
Sandra Valls is a brash, high-energy, smart,
outrageously funny, Latina comic… and
then some! Voted by Latina Magazine as one of the Top 33 Bad Ass Comics with
Latin Roots, Sandra performs to standing-room-only, sold out comedy performances
all over the country. She’ll make you laugh till your face hurts with her frank, no
holds barred comedic genius!
Sandra ignites the stage with powerful, electric performances in two Showtime hit comedy
specials, The Latin Divas of Comedy (nominated for an Alma Award) and Pride: LGBT
Comedy Slam! hosted by Bruce Vilanch (both available for viewing now on Hulu.com). In a
time when gays and lesbians in the United States are still struggling and fighting for equality, Sandra Valls unapologetically takes the road less travelled, celebrates her sexuality, and
steps up to the front lines entertaining and educating folks through laughter and plenty of
PRIDE! So it comes as no surprise that she was voted one of Curve magazine’s Top 10 funniest lesbian comics and Top 10 faces to watch in 2010 by Diva magazine.
Her other television credits include NickMom Night Out (Nickelodeon), Outlaugh
Festival, One Night Stand Up (LOGO), Comic’s Unleashed with Byron Allen (ABC),
Habla! (HBO), Que Locos (Galavision), Funny is Funny, Latino 101 (Sitv), BET’s
Comic View and countless other tv spots including MTV3’s Quiero mis Quince, Wanna
be Latinos and Top Tr3ce, Mun2 Comedy Documentary and I love Jenny!
Sandra’s hosting credits include La Femme Film Awards (4 years in a row), Power UP
10 Amazing Gay Women and Men Gala, and GLAAD Awards, to name a few. From
hosting to touring with the Latin Divas and Queer Queens of Qomedy to sharing
the stage with Eva Longoria at the HBO Comedy Festival, Sandra still finds time to
give back to the community by volunteering for various causes including benefits/
fundraisers for Aids, sobriety, domestic violence and LGBT rights. She won a Special
Recognition Award for her groundbreaking achievements in production for promoting
fair and accurate representation of the LGBT community in English-speaking Latino
television.
Pick up your copy of Out on the Edge: America’s Rebel Comics and read all about what
it’s like to be a lesbian and a woman of color in the comedy world!
2014 Gallery Art Shows at
the Maurice Del Mué Galleries
Valley Room — Enter through Lobby
West Room — Adjoining Valley Room
JUNE
Latino Photo Project
Norm Catalano
Opening reception on Sunday, June 8, 4:00–7:00 PM
Valley Room
West Room
JULY
Valley Room
Lilianna Rayner
West Room
Sarah Spector
Opening reception on Sunday, July 13, 4:00–7:00 PM
AUGUST
3rd Annual Photography group show
3rd Annual Photography group show
Opening reception on Sunday, August 10, 4:00–7:00 PM
Valley Room
West Room
Spring Art Show
by Larry Rippee, Visual Arts Coordinator
In this issue of Stone Soup you will see photos of many—certainly not all—of
the participants in the 24th Annual Spring Art. We had nearly 100 artists—your
neighbors and friends—packed into two gallery spaces. And with an unusually
high ratio of large art pieces, this year the gallery was truly packed.
The Spring Art Show is a collective, community endeavor that requires the
work of handfuls of volunteers. There is no way to reasonably acknowledge
all the people who work on the show, but here are a few I feel deserve special acknowledgement.
Photo by Donn DeAngelo.
As always much thanks to the Spring Art Show Committee: Donn DeAngelo, Gaetano DeFelice, Jack
Kamesar, Veronica Buros Kleinberg, Molly Rea and JeanA Warner. Marty Meade once again, for her care creating each artist’s labels. The hanging crew (Donn, Geoff, Molly, Parra, Tom and Michel) for a beautiful job.
A special nod to Donn who, for years, has corralled wayward artists to stand still for the official group photo.
Gaetano and Donn also created this year’s poster.
“Hey, Hey, LBJ!”
Sunday, June 29
7:00 PM
Sliding scale $12-25
En route to scheduled performances at
three major Fringe Festivals, actor David
Kleinberg will bring his gritty and true
to life 70-minute solo piece on his year
as an army combat correspondent in
Vietnam. The show traces his journey
in Vietnam starting as a 23-year-old
supporter of the war, then following as
he slowly shifts his position as the year
unfolds, returning home to protest the
war after three of his buddies come
under rocket attack.
Kleinberg interweaves his solo performance with video clips from LBJ’s “Why
Vietnam” speech, his own 8mm film of the destruction of a Vietnamese village
“for no good reason,” scenes from Bob Hope’s USO tour and Mike Wallace’s
reporting on the rocket attack.
Thanks to the volunteer reception crew, the gallery
sitters, sign-in crew and check-out crew. Mill Valley
Services for poster printing, the Two Bird Cafe for
reception food donation, Michel Kotski additional
photography, and Ed Healy for painting the rooms
on a tight deadline. And of course, all those mysterious musicians—the “band with no name” that
shows up and provides so much musical enjoyment.
Finally, thank you to the Center staff for support:
Hannah Doress for reception coordination, Julie,
Poko, Dave, Nicole, and everyone else who provided support insuring the success of this year’s Spring
Art Show.
PARENTS: This show includes strong language, adult themes, and film of an
actual attack on a Vietnamese village, and is not intended for children.
David Kleinberg is a San Francisco native whose ground-breaking solo theater work, “The Voice: One’s Man Journey Into Sex
Addiction and Recovery,” ran for 18-shows at San Francisco’s
Exit Theater. It was a hit at the 2012 Boulder Fringe, winning
an encore performance and 18 web reviews (16 five star, 2 four
star). David is also a stand-up comedian who has appeared with
Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, and others. He was the editor of
the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sunday Datebook for 14 years during a 34-year editing/writing career at the newspaper.
San Geronimo Valley Community Center
Proudly Presents:
Michael McQuilkin’s Family Music Hour
Summer Extravangza
Saturday, July 19
5:30 PM Good Earth Natural Foods BBQ
Doors 6:30 PM Show 7:00 PM
Lagunitas School Multipurpose Room
The hot and heavy hit show of the Valley, steams
up for a summer extravangaza of talent! Find out
why this event has taken the Valley by storm!
SINGERS: The Purkeys, Alexa Davidson, The
McShea-Riddleys, Andrew Giacomini, Kyla
Vangelder, The Chavez Family Singers, James
Tolbert, Alexander McQuilkin, Kira Thelin, Tealy
Gapinski and more!
BAND: Michael McQuilkin, Howie Cort, Frank
Lewis, Mike McShea, Julie Egger, Tim Cain and
the Lagunitas Horns!
Suggested donation $10; info:
SGVCC.org or (415)488-8888
Read all about it – see interview with Michael
McQuilkin page 3.
Reception photos by Michel Kotski.
Sunday, August 24
3:00–7:00 PM
San Geronimo Summer Rock
Festival
Featuring All-star Sensation
Ghosts of Electricity
$20 advance/$25 door
Kids up to 12 $5 advance/$10 door
It’s not just an all-star Bob Dylan cover band. It’s some of the hottest
players on the Jamband circuit that got together to pay tribute to one
of America’s greatest songwriters...and they pay tribute the only way
they know how....by rockin’ out. The story starts with a Dylan song
and these skilled improvisers go on from there....taking Dylan songs
where they’ve never gone before. Every show is an adventure, with
four part harmonies, gentle ballads and overthe-top, guitar-driven rock and roll.
Featuring Stu Allen (Jerry Garcia Band, Dark
Star Orchestra): Guitar / Vocals, Greg Anton
(Zero, Steve Kimock): Drums, Mark Karan
(The Other Ones, Bob Weir & Ratdog):
Guitar / Vocals, Pat Nevins (Workingman’s Ed,
Deadbeats): Guitar / Vocals, Mookie Siegel
(David Nelson Band): Keyboards, and special
guest Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green): bass.
Plus — Additional music TBA.
(Photos by Carrie Korsgaard).
Enjoy a relaxed, outdoor family-friendly day of music. Bring a blanket or low beach
chairs and kick back and enjoy the music with friends and family and/or dance in the
grass by the outdoor stage. Free bounce house for the kids. Delicious affordable food
and drinks for sale.
ATTN: WRITERS!
“OFF THE WALL” Freewriting Sessions
June 15 & July 20, 2:00–3:30 pm, Community Center
See p. C-3 for details.
Alphabet Soup
by Sara Tolchin
Local Writers Read
Renowned local fiction writer Molly Giles will read
from her work with local poet Sara Tolchin at the Mine
Gallery in Fairfax at 3:00 pm on Sunday, June 29.
happy ever after.
by Calea Dallara
i wish you would tell me how you’re going to sweep me off my feet and rent a house
on the beach and drink champagne till i fall asleep. there are so many nights to see, so
many mornings to feel, cups of tea to drink.
we walk the coast the stars in the sky, you take my hand look into my eyes. forever after
babe you say. it’s on. this is what i’m signing up for. i’m done. you’re the perfect match
for me. and away we’re gone………
Everyday
By Philip M. Klasky
Walking in the hot, humid countryside
in El Salvador
climbing Mango trees for the sweet
thirst quenching fruit
carrying a bible
pretending to be a missionary
as cover
human rights workers were targets
of the military
I remember the huge bellies
of the children
lambrisas, worms
the unmistakable mark of poverty
Visiting the homes of the poorest of the poor
thatched roof, dirt floor, empty shelves
and still, they offered the best of what little they had.
Knowing that I was taking food from the mouths of their children
I ate the meager meal,
to refuse would be an insult
a rejection of their generosity
the only gift they could give
We spoke about protecting their streams
vaccinating their children
the dangers of pesticides
illegal here, sold there
news about the war
Hope hovered like faint clouds
in a vast blue sky
Everyday
back in the land of plenty
I am thankful for the clean water that flows effortlessly,
abundantly, miraculously
from faucets and shower heads
the incredible wealth of food and goods on market shelves
all within my modest grasp
Our amazing freedoms
paid for in far away places.
Philip M. Klasky lives in Woodacre and teaches at San Francisco State
University in the departments of American Indian Studies and Ethnic
Studies. In 1986 he served as a Witness for Peace in El Salvador.
the salmon
by fred bretz
one day while swimming down to the sea
a certain thought came to me
now being a salmon both bright and uncommon
i thought i would think about armageddon
now you might wonder why such a subject would interest a fish like me
on my return when i ascend it will be my end for me a catastrophe
it will be my fate to spawn and die
unless i was a steelhead of course
whether it is personal or universal
i would just like to know why
This is But a Beginning
by Emilia Hernandez
Small pink bare hands
Stretch forward
Plump, little fingers uncoiling
Reaching out
To collect pieces
It’s a puzzle
Pieces scatter, orbit
Where to go?
Where to find them?
A life time will tell
This is but a beginning
Strong, worn hands
Slowly, stubbornly try to make pieces connect
Where do they fit just right?
A frustrated flick
Of a hairy knuckled forefinger
Sends pieces flying farther
Where did they go?
A life time will tell
This is just a beginning
Shaking, papery hands
Tiredly coil inward
Cradling one
Last piece
What is to happen next?
A life time has told
This is yet another beginning
Q & Artist
Justine Tot Tatarsky
I Say:
That nothing will stand in the way
Of my whirlwind desire
For driving this storm
Is an inspiration
As large as the earth itself.
327459110-SM
A, WO-RLD/OF
LEttERS+NO.S
(:!?*&”/-’).
T&10+,1
HaRD ^tO SeE
WHy% WE’rE~~
oN oVerLOAD!
I am a living organism,
and upon my surface nowI have been scarred.
For I carry a disease
diagnosed the “human race”
whose neglect has spoiled
the beauty of my perfection.
Spreading as does a cancerous growth
embedded - gnawing at my flesh.
Destined for the destruction of my body.
(unless they choose otherwise)
Do they recognise their own mother?
Do they consider my well being — or theirs? For
they rely on my existence — But,
Lost amongst images of possession, self pity
and power —
they destroy me.
We are the lucky ones.
The earth has chosen us to roam her surface,
and we must honour her for our birth.
We must nurture as she taught us,
plant seeds for her nourishment,
treasure the gifts she offered,
tend creatures that share home.
A gentle spirit, whose generosity
has given us the nature that we are.
Any motifs that particularly appeal to you?
Stories seem to emerge in my artworks as I “follow the bliss”
of my eyes and my hand; the voice of my heart; and curiosity.
I like to play with illusions of negative and positive space. My
color pallet is very broad — why exclude any? I create creatures,
faces, birds, eyes, hands, people dancing, embracing, reaching,
Universal Language.
plants, animals, abstract patterns. I had powerful experiences
of nature in my childhood and, though I never used my degrees from UCB, I still explore the
relationships between wilderness and civilization, and between spirit and mind, through art.
What is it about working with tile that intrigues you?
My fascination with glazes on ceramic tile began in 1986 in a four-day workshop that I took on
a whim through UC Santa Cruz extension. It was taught by Lark Lucas, who had worked with
renowned tile artist Guillermo Granizo. Soon after, I became a single mom with a son, Noah; and
my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I had a lot of emotions to express during this challenging time and a burning excitement about my new medium, so I’d churned out about 150 tile
artworks. In 1988, in order to afford to take care of my mom and baby, I had to sell them…so I did!
This launched my career as a self-supporting artist.
You Say:
You have a fear
that you shall never see
the life that you were forming.
You Ask:
How it is
that others who have the chance
don’t use it,
and why you are left with
a useless passion.
I love drawing on
earthy terra cotta; the
sensuality of wet glazes;
the way dull dry glazes
transform into luminous
colors through firing;
and the way my inner
eye has been honed
through the challenge
Book of Names.
of visualizing a finished
artwork. It’s exciting to
see my art become part of someone else’s expression when built
into homes and public places.
by Roberta Floden
Justine Tot Tatarsky was born in South Africa
in 1962. When she was one, her family, seeking a more egalitarian society, sailed to the
United States. In 1968, they settled in Taos,
New Mexico, where her parents, Geoff and Naomi Tatarsky founded
and taught at Da Nahazli, a K-12 school based on their own educational
philosophy. The school encouraged children to think for themselves,
practice nonviolence and accept diversity. It offered a great variety of
materials, but no art “direction” or criticism. The Tatarskys believed children’s individuality and innate ability to tap into the collective unconscious should be protected from adult interference. In 1977, Justine’s
family, nearly penniless, moved to Vallejo, where she spent a little over a
year in high school before testing out. She continued a daily practice of
art and creative writing while studying psychology and environmental issues at UC Berkeley.
Poems by Sarah McLeod
What brought you to the San Geronimo Valley?
I moved to the Valley in 1992, drawn by its woods and meadows and the school’s Open Classroom
program. I’m very appreciative of the SGV community and inspired by all the creative energy
here. I got lucky and met my life partner Clive Bridges in 1993. Our daughter Naomi was born in
Woodacre, in 1999. Clive works with me full-time. He helps me to create copies of some of my tile
pieces in small, limited-edition series and to market my art. We welcome people to visit our studio
and website, www.artontile.com.
Wilderness Calls
by Paul Berensmeier
Rainbow Mandala Sunrise
6:30 am . . . Bolinas Ridge . . . red-orange sunrise . . . mysterious mist . . . I run
on and spot a large, thick swath of pinkish-red colored mist illuminated by the
sunrise. Then I encounter a tall, vertical shaft of golden-white light, beaming through two remarkably
tall redwood trees, appearing as a giant translucent curtain. Wind whistles mist over the vertical beam,
trees and branches sway, and suddenly this myriad of giant dancing forest shadows comes alive, superimposed onto this silvery backdrop. Two-story-high animated shadowy-shapes appear, traveling in a great
procession west across my path. Enormous shapes of people . . . animals . . . strange beings . . . faintly
recognizable on their journey . . . merge into the billowing mist and shadows, becoming something else
all over again. A huge . . . slow . . . heartfelt procession . . . like ghosts of long forgotten ancestors.
I run on . . . an opening in the forest . . . a powerful beam of direct sunlight illuminates the mist, sending a huge golden beam across my path. I can’t resist . . . jump in . . . relishing the sun’s warmth on my
back. Looking west, my curiosity is piqued by the appearance of a huge circular rainbow projected on
a large redwood tree . . . then the appearance of a smaller round rainbow inside the big one. Now what
could produce another rainbow inside? I take a step to the side to do a double take. “Wow,” I whisper,
“the small rainbow inside is created by the sun beaming over my own body!” I thought deeply about
this magical moment, unaware of the passage of time, thinking of my teacher saying we are all rainbow
beings. I could actually see this!
My curiosity grows. I turn and look toward the sun. The bright orange orb is perfectly blocked by a
redwood tree, enabling me to look directly into the bright, thick mist which produces a huge (20’) completely round mandala that is composed of a round double rainbow inside . . . am I dreaming? I’m taken
aback by the colors of these rainbow mandalas, one inside the other. My native teacher taught me about
the three sacred fires — blue, red, and yellow — and my dad the artist added that these are the three
primary colors from which all colors originate. These are the very colors I see! “Wow,” I said, thinking of
the great teachers . . . “this must be similar to the great visions they experienced, and here I am so close
to home!” Wanting to impress this great image in my mind’s eye, I start in the center, where the sun is,
moving my eye slowly outward: yellow . . . red . . . then blue. Further out the blue becomes purplish,
then merges into a brilliant green. Since I’m staring into an amazing double rainbow, this pattern of
colors repeats itself, radiating out to the giant mandala’s edge. I remain a long time, watching this animated vision . . . shimmering . . . wavering . . . billowing . . . as the wind gusts clouds of mist through.
I am curious that the order of colors is reverse of the native teachings. This must mean something.
Then it dawns on me . . . instead of starting in the center, I let my eye go from the outside edge of the
mandala and move inward, noting the colors all coming in the exact order I’d learned in the teachings!
“Of course,” I said, “the sacred order of colors leads one toward and into “the source,” not away. What a
teaching!
Note: When the timing is right . . . when the Valley is blanketed in fog . . . hike to the top of Bolinas
Ridge for a sunrise . . . you won’t believe it.
Community Center Wish List
Valley
Environmental
News
by Debra Amerson
Wildfire Preparedness
Recently, while driving home on Arroyo Road, a car occupied my lane on a blind
curve and to avoid a head-on accident my VW squeezed 4” from the rock cliff.
Stressful! Since the shoulders of the road have so much overgrown vegetation,
people drive in the middle of the road, and to get out of the way they speed
through it … I’ve done it too! Arroyo Road boasts consistent traffic — including cars, deer, turkeys, bikers, and people walking their dogs. Knowing this is
a recipe for disaster, in the past I contacted the county division, who handles
road striping, to request a white lane stripe be painted on Arroyo Road to help
direct drivers to stay on the correct side of the road. My request for a stripe went
nowhere…
In April, I attended a Wildfire Preparedness meeting at Spirit Rock and I was
very impressed to see so many of our neighbors turn out to hear presentations
and field questions about equipment and techniques, and residential firefighting mitigation used by Marin firefighters. We were also told that California’s
firefighting techniques are being hailed and copied worldwide. So, while we have
the most experienced hands when it comes to containing wildfires, our beautiful
vegetated mountains and lush green forests could easily trap us in an evacuation. The question of road striping came up during that presentation and got me
thinking again about the importance of safe evacuation from our SGV homes.
Meet the“Tree Chomper”
Last winter, I routinely saw the Nicascio road crews (our everyday heroes in
the yellow maintenance trucks) using a cool piece of equipment that I refer to
as the “Tree Chomper.” This big machine has a mechanical arm a la Edward
Scissorhands that acts like a giant weed whacker with huge saw blades that easily
thin and shave large branches along the roadsides. The Tree Chomper quickly
clears large vegetation on the side of the road enlarging firebreaks and opening up shoulder space for emergency equipment, cars, wide trucks, RV’s, hikers
and bikers. The after effects look pretty dire for a few weeks until the plant life
reinvigorates the area. That said, I propose that using the Tree Chomper on each
residential road in SGV and THEN stripe those same roads. In the event of a
fire, wider passages would allow safer access for both emergency vehicles and cars
to traverse out of our presently narrow Valley roads.
Accounting for the costs of the road crew, the Tree Chomper and striping SGV
roads should not be allocated as an expense, but rather an investment in saving
lives and damn it—we’re worth it!
If you would like to help the Center by donating any of these items or becoming a volunteer,
IE>:L><:EE-HDH:M>QMHK>F:BE:=FBGL@O<<HK@4>EHHDforward to thanking
you in the next issue of
Stone Soup!
The Office:
Y
Copy paper is always welcome, recycled if you can
Y
M:I>YI>G<BELY=KR>K:L>F:KD>KLYI>KF:G>GMF:KD>KL
Y
Volunteers, web designers, events planners, special guest hosts!
Y
Air Purifier with ultraviolet capacity
Y
Volunteer painters and carpenters
Y New iMac for Suzanne
The Arts/Events Department:
Y
-HP>K>=FHGBMHKLY!BK><M;HQY0*FB<KHIAHG>LY:N<MBHGBM>FLYIB:GH;>G<A
L
Inkind support needed: Skilled painters, graphic designer, sign painter; Sound Operators,
Fund raising
The Kitchen:
Y
Strong volunteers to help move food at the Food Bank on Thursdays
Y
Teachers for a one-time cooking class!
Y
Dish towels
Y
Cookware — pots, pans, cookie sheets, etc.
Y
Food Bank Volunteers, skilled and unskilled.
The Loft
Y
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Y
-KBS>L?HKK:??E>LY;:MM>KB>LY4BB<HGMKHEE>KL
Y
1HHELY"O>GM3HENGM>>KL
Y
Soccer balls, kick balls — in excellent condition, please!
Don’t forget that donations of food are always welcome at the Food Bank, so organize a food drive
at your church, community or youth group today, and we’ll specially thank you in the next issue of
Stone Soup!
SGV Healthy Community Collaborative
About the Healthy Community Collaborative
Since 1996 the Community Center has hosted monthly meetings of the San Geronimo Valley Healthy Community Collaborative (HCC). The collaborative gives local organizations and individuals the opportunity to gather at the Community Center and share information about the work they do on behalf of our Valley community. Each member organization of the collaborative
is invited to submit a short update on recent activities and information on upcoming events that reflect the collaborative community composition of the HCC. Each member organization is
responsible for the content and accuracy of their submission.
Steve Kinsey attended the Healthy Community Collaborative meeting on May 7, 2014.
Collaborative partners had the opportunity to update Steve on their organizations activities.
Steve provided an update on projects that the County has been working on and lead a discussion on the many ways for our organizations to collaborate. Organizations represented at
the meeting included: San Geronimo Valley Community Center, SGV Lions Club, Lagunitas
School District, Coastal Health Alliance, Valley Broom Pullers, SPAWN, Turtle Island Restoration
Network, SGV Emergency Fund, St. Cecilia Church, San Geronimo Community Presbyterian
Church, Gan Halev, SGV Community Garden, Tamalpais High School District, SGV Stewards,
West Marin Senior Services, Rotary Club of West Marin, SGV Disaster Council, West Marin and
Bolinas Youth Centers.
Seated left to right: Casey Howley-Brigham, Dave Cort, Alexander McQuilkin, Michelle Clein,
Suzanne Sadowsky, Hannah Doress, Nicole Ramirez
Standing left to right: Madeline Hope, Laura Sherman, Kate Clayton, Cia Donahue, John
Carroll, Erica Heimberg, Rose Mary Sharp, Poko Giacomini, Anne McClain, Steve Kinsey, Lynn
Chittick, Steve Siegel, Donna McGuinn. (photo by Phil Sotter).
The Community Garden Is a Healing
Garden
Salmon Protection and Watershed
Network—SPAWN
We appreciate the devotion of Barb Scott, member of the
Senior Plot of the SGV Community Garden who gleans and
delivers fresh produce weekly to the SGV Community Center
for the Food Bank and senior lunch program.
In our ongoing growth from our original vision for the
Community Garden, we are creating a Healing Garden within
the Community Garden with plantings to support remedies
for digestion, stress, sleep, vitality, skin and wounds, and more.
From our garden, herbalist Cheryl Fromholzer will lead healing workshops for the Valley community. We are asking for
help from the community for purchasing supplies and plants.
Visit our website: www.sgvcommunitygarden.net for details. We
thank you and Mother Nature.
Endangered Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout Protection is a Priority
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife
awarded two critical grants to SPAWN. These
grants will help endangered coho salmon populations by designing an improved fish migration passage at Roy’s Pools and by developing a
restoration plan for a mile-long-stream-stretch
near Samuel P. Taylor State Park.
Barbara Scott.
HGM:<M)BS):NM>KEBSE:NM>KAHMF:BE<HF
In other exciting news, baby coho salmon and
Sixth-grade students from Montessori de Terra
steelhead trout (known as smolts) are migratLinda Middle School and their teacher Micah
ing to the ocean, and can be seen in San
Lewis helped SPAWN Biologist Preston Brown
Geronimo Valley creeks. SPAWN’s Research and
monitor salmon populations.
Monitoring team tracks the fish populations in
Arroyo, Larsen and San Geronimo Creeks. See our data below.
Parr/Resident
(No sign of
smolting)
LEAP
Once again LEAP is amazed and incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support for our
Lagunitas students through your participation in Valley Visions. Whether you were a sponsor,
a guest, a host, or participated in the bidding on our online auction, you are an essential part
of the education of our students. 75% of the money raised directly by LEAP is allocated back
into our district’s programs to fund art, music, PE, and other activities that enrich our children’s school experience. The remaining supports band, teacher mini-grants, and staff appreciation. We can’t do it without you, thank you!
In other news, LEAP recently purchased a piano for the Lower Campus Multi-Purpose Room
to replace one of the old pianos there. It will be nice to have a fully functioning, tuned, piano
for special occasions. LEAP would like to give special thanks to Michael McQuilken for procuring the new piano.
Coho Salmon
Steelhead Trout
Transitional
(Silver color,
some loose
scales, faint
parr marks)
2
10
Smolts (All
silver, loose
scales, clear
fins)
Fry
25
19
0
41
6
3000
*Data as of April 28, 2014.
Please help protect our streams and fish all year-round, and get involved by contacting Preston
KHPG:MIK>LMHGMBKGG>MHK>QM
We have also completed another successful Read-a-Thon!
SPAWNusa.Org now redirects to SeaTurtles.Org. The new website houses all of Turtle Island
Restoration Network’s programs (including SPAWN) and is focused on taking action. Visit
SeaTurtles.Org to see the new look and let us know what you think!
San Geronimo Valley Emergency Fund
San Geronimo Valley Planning Group
11th Annual Fundraiser Jazz on the Lawn
The San Geronimo Valley Emergency Fund has been serving our community since 2000. We
are dedicated to providing financial respite to qualifying applicants experiencing hardship due
to unforseen circumstances. Our disbursement board decides awards on a case by case basis.
We serve the four villages of the San Geronimo Valley.
This is the last place. There is nowhere else to go — Lou Welch
Climate Change
For years climate change was kicked down the road as something to consider in the future.
That future is now. The problem is worldwide from the top of our atmosphere to the bottom
of the ocean.
Over the fourteen years of service to our community, we have averaged a total of $12,000 per
year of grants to those needy residents of our community. We depend on your community
support along with an annual matching grant of monies raised.
By the time you read this, a 1300 page report, called the National Climate Assessment, compiled by 300 leading scientists and experts will be released by the White House. The report
will stress that the changes are not the same everywhere but the evidence is everywhere and
what Americas doing about it.
We invite you to attend our annual celebration and participate in the friendship and support
of members of our community. Come and join us on Sunday, September 7 from 3:00–6:00
pm at Zoila’s, 80 Meadow Way, San Geronimo.
Some problems . . .
We will have a silent auction, lots of yummy finger foods, oysters, beer, water, wine and we are
looking forward to the jazz music of the Tina Martell Jazz Quartet.
Parking is available and bicycles are welcome! A lovely afternoon for all. Come and join us.
Killer heat waves creating droughts impacting drinking water supplies and irrigation for farms.
Droughts fueling more frequent wild fires. Heavy downpours causing flooding and landslides
with long, dry spells in between.
What to do?
The Planning Groups membership meetings will begin to discuss this report and what we
might do as individuals and as a community to reverse the trend. Everyone is welcome.
Learn more . . . www.sgvpg.org\
Wilderness Way Environmental Center
By Paul and Jean Berensmeier
Salmon Crossing Signs
Lagunitas School students made over 50
Salmon Crossing signs located at the School,
in the Valley, at Taylor Park and on trout
streams in Fairfax. The children sanded,
primed, painted and helped install them.
Students are currently cleaning and repairing
the oldies and making signs for new locations. We loved the letter from a 30-year
Fairfax resident who said, “I never knew that
trout spawned in my creek until I saw the
signs. Wonderful!” Thanks to Montessori
Parents and the Lions Club for grants that
helped fund this project.
Steelhead-in-the-Classroom
San Geronimo Community Presbyterian
Church
A new offering to young people ages 8–15 years
of age — the Sing Team Music Camp, August
4–8, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the San Geronimo
Community Presbyterian Church. The young people
will explore the theme “Where Does Music Come
From?” culminating in the presentation of an original musical revue on Saturday, August 9.
Retiring Middle School teacher, Sally Hutchinson,
is surrounded by 7th graders from the SIC program
who surprised her at the trout release ceremony
with the giant Wishing Pole she is holding composed of a fish design from each student.
With no steelhead eggs available because of
the drought, State Fish & Wildlife arranged for Rainbow Trout eggs for our S-I-C program in
Middle School and the primary grades. Monitoring, lectures, journals, hiking, games and ceremony went smoothly. Rain required raingear and boots for the primary grades field trip. The
bonus? Finding over 50 rain loving newts near Lagunitas Lake.
San Geronimo Valley Affordable Housing
The San Geronimo Valley Affordable Housing Association is pleased to announce the addition
of three new Board members. Suzanne Sadowsky, Kit Krause, and Howie Cort have all volunteered to help with the operating of the six-unit affordable senior facility in Forest Knolls.
These beautiful apartments have been full (with a large waiting list) since opening in 2000.
The next focus is to find a site for a family facility in the Valley. If you know of a possible location or are interested in helping with this phase, please contact us at 488-4890.
Participants will explore the multicultural beginnings of music, including rhythm, poetry, common scales and ideas that have led to the music we know today. In addition to musical director
Rebecca Jones, guest musicians and artists will also be involved to teach: ensemble singing,
rhythm, drama, singing technique and performance presentation. Cost is $220 and scholarships are available.
#HKFHK>BG?HKF:MBHGIE>:L><HGM:<M/>;><<:'HG>LKHCHG>LOH<:E:KML<HFHK
*:K@:K>M(K:NLLF:K@:K>MDK:NLLAHMF:BE<HF
St. Cecilia’s & St. Mary’s
Fr. Cyril O’Sullivan
Since the Syrian Civil War began, one million Syrians have fled into Lebanon as refugees.
An influx of one million refugees is massive for any country, but for Lebanon it is staggering
because of limited resources, economic struggles, poor trade and weak tourism. Lebanon no
longer can meet the needs of this humanitarian crisis. Water, electricity, sanitation, education,
medical needs, food, public services, etc. They are struggling to meet this increased demand.
The international community will have to come together to shoulder some of this burden
placed on Lebanon.
Best wishes to Bill Blanton, long-time board member and MVP, Jack of All Trades, go-to
member, who is making a nice recovery from serious health problems at home in Woodacre.
And many thanks to Valerie Fontenot, also a long-time board member who recently resigned
to spend more family time. We miss you both!
West Marin Senior Services
SGV Stewards
For 60+ yr. riders and, when space is available, non-senior riders welcome.
Outings of all kinds!
Every third Tuesday.
Missions Accomplished
Wildfire Forum was a big success.
Pilot Jim Barnes fights fires from the air for Cal Fire. He also serves on the SGV Steward’s
steering committee. Jim got together with his co-worker Breanna Buchanan, a Fire Apparatus
Engineer for the Fire Department. Together they produced a spectacular slide show of firefighting actions during wildfires.
Narrating the show, along with Breanna, was Deputy Fire Chief Mark Brown and Cal Fire
Battalion Chief Chris Jurasek. We learned prevention and response strategies along with evacuation advice from these very knowledgeable, and yes, entertaining, professionals.
We all learned so much.
The Stewards want to thank Spirit Rock for hosting the event. We also are very grateful to the
Disaster Preparedness volunteers who attended and supported the event. We are very lucky in
the Valley to have so many hard working people looking out for us in case of emergency.
Valley Cleanup Day was so much fun this year. The Stewards brought a team of workers
wearing blue handkerchiefs around our necks to pick up debris along the roadside.
It was a delightful way to get exercise and do some good for the Valley. We thank Jim
Rawlinson for being the father of this event every year.
Last issue we asked you to be on the lookout for word of our upcoming event. Our event
planner is dealing with a family illness, so our event will be later rather than sooner. We will
let you know.
The SG Valley Shuttle is Launching!
June 17, July 15 and Aug 19: Northgate 1 & 2
Departs: 10:00 am SGVCC parking lot
Returns: 2:30/3:00 pm
Suggested donation $5
Reservations required.
Call Chloe or Audrey, WMSS: 415-663-8148 x103 or 101.
Sponsored by WMSS. Funded by Marin Transit.
El Autobús del Valle de San Jerónimo Comenzara
La prioridad será para las personas mayores de sesentaanos, y cuandotengamos lugar, se le dará
la oportunidad a las personas menores de sesentaanos.
Viajes de todo tipo!
Cada tercer martes del mes.
17 de Junio, 15 de Julio, 19 de Augusto: Northgate 1 &2
Salida: 10:00 am en el parqueaderodel SGVCC
Regreso: 2:30/3:00 pm
Donaciones de $5 seránapreciadas
Reservaciones Requeridas
Llamen a Chloe o Audrey, WMSS (415) 663-8148 x103 o x101
o Llamen los viernes y preguntenpor Adriana Lopez, WMSS: (415) 663-8148 x0
Best wishes to Bill Blanton, long-time board member and MVP, Jack of All Trades, go-to
member, who is making a nice recovery from serious health problems at home in Woodacre.
Gan HaLev
by Mike Lerner, Board Member
Worship without walls……
Lately wondering whether GanHaLev wouldn’t be better off if we had a synagogue. Others in
Marin, Kol Shofar and Rodef Shalom are places where Jews gather in prayer, conduct learning,
and celebrate within walls of their own structure.
We don’t have a building. High Holidays are at SGVCC and Shabbats in homes. When our
Community Center is decorated with the flowers, and the walls with paintings and photographs of the locals, we start becoming a GanHaLev temple. Light candles, bring out the
torah, sing ancient Jewish prayers, and the synagogue lives. Isn’t that what it’s really about, the
walls that can disappear and then reappear when we’re in prayer?
Judaism survived because Jews were willing to pack up our rituals and prayers, take them from
one place to the next. At GanHaLev we carry on a tradition that has been going on since Jews
were a tribe wandering the Sinai Desert thousands of years ago.We are content letting God
move us around.
I love being part of GanHaLev and creative people that gather to worship in a way that is old.
For more information about GanHaLev, please contact us at 488-4524 or email shalom@ganhalev.
org. Visit our website: www.ganhalev.org. Shalom!
Movie Muse
by Peter Oppenheimer
A pinched nerve prevented me from attending a special Director’s Night
event at the San Francisco International Film Festival. It was an interview and brief retrospective of Richard Linklater’s work (Slacker, Dazed
and Confused and the “Before…” trilogy, among others) and a pre-release
screening of Boyhood, his latest creation. Boyhood is a fictional narrative with its own unique backstory of having been filmed over a 12 year period. Though scripted, we get to actually watch the lead
actor grow from a 6-year-old boy to an 18-year-old on the verge of manhood. The same actual aging
is true for all the actors and characters in his extended family and community. The entire film crew
got together every year for a week or so for 12 years. Sounds interesting, huh? That’s why I made it all
the way to the Hub in San Anselmo before calculating the back pain, that had me squirming in my
driver’s seat, multiplied by the 2 hours of driving roundtrip to the city and the 3 plus hours of sitting
for the program, convinced me to turn around and spend the evening in a more horizontal position.
As the deadline for this Movie Muse column had already been extended to accommodate the
Director’s Night, I was left with a quandary. Then, while perusing my personal film archive, I
came across a wildly underappreciated film from 2010 called Catfish. At the time of its release,
Catfish was a cutting edge slice of the burgeoning world of internet social networks, and now
four years later it’s focus remains a hot button issue, i.e., the interrelations and fabrications of
intimate communication online. If there is a difference now, it may be that online dating and
matchmaking, one of the movie’s central themes, is no longer a fringe curiosity, but presently
consists of countless massive networks of people, meeting and interacting in both cyber and
actual space. We are both the weavers of this worldwide web, and we ourselves are the ones
entangled and ensnared in the webs of our own making. It’s hard to judge, as for every online
deception, there is an online connection.
In Catfish, we first meet Nev, a
handsome and charming twentysomething professional dance
photographer. An 8-year-old
named Abby sees one of his
photographs in a newspaper and
gets inspired to create paintings
based on his photographs. She
contacts him on Facebook, and
they develop a sweet friendship
with lots of LOLs and Peace and
Loves, and talk of pen pals. Abby
is a prodigy, her paintings and
ponderings beyond her years. In
the process Nev contacts Abby’s mother Angela on Facebook and over the phone, and they,
too, develop a friendship.
In one of her posts to Nev, Abby mentions that
her 19-year-old half sister, Megan, has a crush on
him, based on pictures of him on Facebook and
some of his messages to Abby. Nev is intrigued by
Megan’s Facebook page and calls her on the phone.
Immediately sparks fly and they commence a somewhat feverish and flirtatious affair in cyberspace and
through texts and phone conversations.
I know, what could possibly go wrong, right? Well,
buckle up for the ride, as Nev’s brother and an old family friend, who have been casting about
for a topic for a documentary film, decide to document Nev’s relationship with this family for
a film about internet hook-ups. In a story that strains even the documentarian’s credulity, a
mystery is both woven and unraveled with many a twist and revelation. So as to not spoil the
great fun, I don’t want to say another word about the developments, except for a few to set
the stage. Nev works in an office/studio space in New York City, shared with his filmmaker
brother and his partner. Abby, Angela, Megan and their family and friends live in Ishpeming,
Michigan. And before the film is half over the twain shall meet.
The first third of Catfish documents the elaborate and compelling evolution of a rather complex mystery, which is also problematic. The second third of the film solves the mystery. But it
is only in the final third that the problem created by the mystery begins to be resolved. It turns
out that solving a puzzle and resolving it can be two different things.
Who and what is the catfish? This too is revealed in the final third of this engrossing, entertaining, at
times unsettling, and ultimately rewarding film that deals with issues of genuineness and deception.
How is genuineness to be gauged online, or for that matter in person? After all, even when we are
being ourselves, we’re still playing a part. By turns comic, profound, and provocative, with elements
of mystery and thriller, Catfish reels you in. Maybe we are the catfish? See for yourself.
Newsflash!!! and . . . 92.3 FM San Geronimo Valley
Community
Calendar
June
Mon
Thur
Sat
Wed
Fri
Sun
Tues
Sat
Sat
2
5
7
11
13
15
17
21
21
5:00 pm
6:30–8:30 pm
8:30–10 am
6:00 pm
Sat
Sun
Mon
Mon
28
29
30
30
3:30 pm
7:00 pm
Fri
Fri
Sat
Sun
4
4
12
13
8:00 am
Noon
8:00 pm
4:00–7 pm
Tues
Sat
Sat
Sun
Sun
15
19
19
20
27
10.00 am
5:30 pm
7:00 pm
2:00–3:30 pm
4:00 pm
2:00–3:30 pm
10.00 am
Noon–5:00 pm
Noon–2:00 pm
July
HCC BBQ
Honoring Our Seniors
Pancake Breakfast for Dads and Kids
8th Grade Graduation
Last Day of School
Off the Wall Freewrite
WMSS Shuttle
Mexican Art Festival
Artist Reception: Latino Photo Project and
Norm Catalano
SF Mime Troupe
“Hey, Hey, LBJ” with David Kleinberg
Summer Camp begins
Summer Bridge begins
Community Center Staff Directory
and Phone Extensions
488-8888 (be sure to press # before dialing the ext.)
Presby Church
Comm Center
Loft
Lag School
Comm Center
Comm Center
Comm Center
Comm Center
Lag School Field
Comm Center
Loft
Comm Center
Pancake Breakfast
4th of July Parade, Flea Market, BBQ
Comedian Sandra Valls
Artist Reception: Lilianna Rayner and
Sarah Spector
WMSS Shuttle
McQuilkin Music/Good Earth BBQ
Michael McQuilkin’s Family Music Hour
Off the Wall Freewrite
St. Cecilia’s Parish Picinic
Woodacre FD
Woodacre
Comm Center
Comm Center
Toys & Joys Benefit
Sing Team music review
Artist Reception: Annual Photography
group show
WMSS Shuttle
First Day of School
San Geronimo Summer Rock Fest featuring
Ghosts of Electricity
Loft
Dickson Ranch
Presby Church
Comm Center
11th Annual Jazz on the Lawn
Artist Reception
Back to School Night
Rosh Hashannah begins
9th Annual Community Center Gala
Loft
Meadow Way SG
Comm Center
Lag School
Comm Center
SG Golf Course
Comm Center
Comm Center
Comm Center
Comm Center
St. Cecilia’s
Regular Meetings and Events
Community Center Board mtg.
Healthy Comm. Collaborative
Lions Club Dinner
4-H Meeting
School Board mtg.
Lag. Ed. Foundation (LEAP) mtg.
Serenity Knolls After Care mtg.
SGV Planning Group
WIC Board Meeting
Woodacre Garden Club
Rainbow Playgroup
Rainbow Playgroup
Senior Lunch
Senior Lunch
Artists' Receptions
SGV Al-Anon Family Group
Valley Disaster Council
August
Sat
Sat
Sat
Sun
2
2
9
10
Tues 19
Thur 21
Sun 24
8:30–10 am
6:00–11:00 pm
2:00 pm
4:00–7 pm
10.00 am
3:00–7 pm
Comm Center
Comm Center
September
Sat
Sun
Sun
Wed
Wed
Sat
6
7
8
10
24
27
8:30–10 am
3:00–6:00 pm
4:00–7 pm
4:00–7 pm
7:00 pm
5:30 pm
Adult
Classes
at the
Center
DAY
Mondays
Mondays
Mondays
Tuesdays
Wednesdays
Wednesdays
Wednesdays
Wednesdays
Thursdays
Thursdays
Fridays
Fridays
Fridays
Fridays
CLASS
Where Earth Meets Sky, Chi Is Current
Core and Strengthening Fitness
Elevate Your Life with Art of Qigong
Corematics
Elevate Your Life with Art of Qigong
Core and Strengthening Fitness
Family Dog 1
Corematics
Pure Beautiful Healing Qi Gong
Sweat Your Prayers
Yang Style Short Form T’ai Chi
Yang Style Long Form T’ai Chi
Meade’s Watercolor Basics
Intermediate Jazz
Dave Cort, Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#224
[email protected]
Suzanne Sadowsky, Associate Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#251
[email protected]
Hannah Doress, Events Programmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#253
[email protected]
Larry Rippee, Visual Arts Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#252
[email protected]
Susan Shannon, Youth Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loft
[email protected]
Julie Young, Youth Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loft
[email protected]
Lynn Charne, VAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#214
[email protected]
Alison Pringle, VAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .#214
[email protected]
Heather Richardson, Youth Program, Family Advocate, First 5 . . . . . . . . . .Loft
[email protected]
Poko Giacomini, Human Services Family Advocate, Wellness,
Facilities Mgr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #250
[email protected]
Nicole Ramirez, Human Services Manager, Family Advocate. . . . . . .#254
[email protected]
Buck Chavez, Gym Recreation, Family Advocate
[email protected]
Howie Cort, Gym Administrator
[email protected]
The LOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .488-4118, ext. 218
Gym Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .488-4118, ext. 219
2nd Thursday
2nd Wednesday
4th Thursday
2nd Wednesday
3rd Thursday
1st Monday
Every Tuesday
2nd Monday
3rd Tuesday
2nd Saturday
Every Tuesday
Every Thursday
Every Monday
Every Thursday
2nd Sunday
Thursdays
Last Wednesday
6:00 pm
3:30 pm
7–9 pm
6:30 pm
6:00 pm
7:00 pm
7:00 pm
7:30 pm
7:00 pm
9:30 am
10–noon
10–noon
Noon
Noon
4:00 pm
7–8 pm
7 pm
Comm Center
Comm Center
Two Bird Cafe
Comm Center
Lag. School
Lag. School
Comm Center
WW Env. Ctr.
WIC
Oval Park
Room 9
Room 9
Comm Center
Comm Center
Comm Center
Presby. Church
WW Env. Ctr.
SGVCC Website
The San Geronimo Valley Community Center’s weekly listing of events
and activities is posted on our regularly updated website. Visit us at:
www.sgvcc.org. Email us at [email protected] to join our email list.
TIME
8:30–9:30 am
9:00–10:15 am
6:30–7:30 pm
7:30–8:30 am
9:00–10:00 am
9:00–10:15 am
7:00–8:00 pm
7:30–8:30 am
11:00 am
7:00–9:00 pm
9:00–10:00 am
10:00–11:00 am
10:00 am–1:00 pm
4:30–5:30 pm
TEACHER
Jacob Barnett
Susan Chavez
Amy Matthaei
George Adams
Amy Matthaei
Susan Chavez
Holly McArthur
George Adams
Kathy Perkins
Jennifer Burner
Kenn/Vicki Chase
Kenn/Vicki Chase
Marty Meade
Susan Chavez
CONTACT
488-4458
342-3579
488-1084
342-3579
259-9481
488-1084
488-1279
488-4213
488-4213
488-4210
START DATE
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Begins 6/20
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Summer 2014 - San Geronimo Valley Community Center

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