OPAWL Newsletter President’s Message 

November/December 2014
Volume 16, Issue 10
OPAWL Newsletter
President’s Message
Newsletter Deadline for
January is
December 20th

Publisher/Editor ~
Michelle Pettit Williams
Proofing ~
Nancy Madrid

Electronic Distribution ~
Jana Shuler &
Michelle Pettit Williams
Inside this issue:
The Inside Story
2
Membership
2
Christmas Party
2
Our Website
2
Calendar
3
Sections
3
Board Meeting
Minutes + Financials
4
Hot Trotters
6
Beverly’s House
7
Arena Events
7
At this Thanksgiving time I want to
thank all the members of the
OPAWL for making our organization
so wonderful. It is my pleasure to
know all of you and to share in our
mission for Community,
Philanthropy and Friendship in OPA.
Thank you to Peggy Hartley, and
President
Kathy Manulkin
the entire committee who made our
General Meeting Luncheon and talk by
Dr. Stephen H. Fink, such a success. I, myself, really
enjoyed seeing so many members together.

Thank you to Connie Bowin and the Hot Trotters for
the Gymkhana held on October 26th.

May you all enjoy this season of Thanksgiving with
gratitude for all the gifts you have in your life.

We will be putting up the Christmas wreaths on
November 22nd, if you can help please call Kathy
Manulkin, Lori Di Gangi or Lynn Canton. We will also
be organizing our storage bin that day and can use
your cleaning talents.

We invite members only, and their significant others,
to an Orange Park Acres Women League Social the
night of December 12th at the home of Emilia and
Darren Sugiyama. This will be a potluck dinner. We
invite you to bid on silent auction items, with the
proceeds going to the Christmas wishes of the girls
of Beverly’s House. We will have an ornament
decoration station and other surprises! Look for the
information on our web-site www.opawomen.org.

December 21st will the Caroling on Horseback led by
Connie Bowin and crew. Plan on being outside to
hear the beautiful singing, see the horses decked out
for Christmas and share treats with all.

Happy 2015 and plan on many fun and worthwhile
activities this new year.
Kathy Manulkin
[email protected]
714-767-5771
Next Board
Meetings
The Next OPAWL
Regular Board Meeting
Our regular Board Meeting
in November will be held
on Wednesday, November
12th at 7 pm at the home
of Annette Mason, 20212
Rogers Drive, OPA.
Our regular Board Meeting
in December will be held
on Wednesday, December
10th at 7 pm at the home
of Donna Aidekman, 7643
E Twinleaf Trail,
Broadmoor.
Page 2
OPAWL Newsletter
Membership
The Inside Story
Sunshine
November Birthdays
8th
10th
11th
13th
26th
Ava Roberts, Michelle Pettit
Williams and Debbie Kiepfer
are all battling cancer and
winning. Send them your
best wishes for recovery!
Let me know if anyone else
needs a little sunshine in
their lives and I’ll provide
some on behalf of OPAWL!
Volume 16, Issue 10
Karen Grecco
Noreen Bryce Gruebl
Ruth Lundring
Snover Uppal
Laura Thomas
Rita Guarriello
Donna Aidekman
December Birthdays
2nd
6th
10th
11th
Annette Mason
Suzanne Seegers
Christy Cormack
Becky Shiley
Julie Hyde
17th Julie Shaw
25th Joel Lynn Kelly
29th Midge Kennedy
Emily Neubert
Noreen Bryce Gruebl
714-633-3190 ~
[email protected]
A big THANK YOU to everyone who has renewed their
OPAWL Membership for the 2014 - 2015 year. We now
have over 100 members!
We are excited about our new pocket size Directory that
we plan to have out by the first part of December.
November 12th is the final day to renew your membership
and be included in the Directory. So...if you have
procrastinated....Renew NOW!
Laurel Baker, Membership VP
[email protected]
714-289-0270
Our Website
www.opawomen.org
Over the past few years, many people have worked long
hours to get our WEBSITE set up, then cleaned up and
easy to use. A huge Thank You to all of them.
OPAWL Christmas Party
By Jana Shuler
....Christmas around the World....each of our
heritage’s...what heritage’s are represented at Beverly’s
House??
My Grandma would make Rouladen for special dinners
which is a pounded flat iron steak rolled up with onion,
pickle relish and bacon inside. It was my Grandpa’s
favorite meal when accompanied with a large mound of
mashed potatoes and gravy of course. What’s YOUR
favorite family recipe????? Let’s get together and share
the fabulous smells, delicious tastes, dear friends, great
company and lots of fun!
WHEN?
Friday
December 12, 2014
6:30 pm ~ Cocktails
7 pm ~ Pot Luck Dinner
WHERE?
Sugiyama Hacienda
11192 Meads Ave, OPA
Watch for your E-vite!
Our Webmaster these past few months has been Stacy
Bass of Select Web Solutions. She too has worked many
long hours and we are very pleased to announce that
www.opawomen.org is now up to date!
Do yourself a FAVOR and spend some time looking at the
website. You will most likely see your picture in the
brand new photo gallery! Can’t find the email with the
newest Newsletter in your Inbox? Want to check something on one from a few months ago? The OPAWL Newsletters are available on the site, plus announcements of
upcoming events.
And, of course, the Membership page is easy to use to
renew or join online or by mail.
Take time to read the About Us page. Lois Powers has
updated that information and you will learn a lot about
our group.
Also of interest is the Sections page. You can learn what
all are sections are up to and how to contact the leader if
you are interested in that group. Have fun exploring!!
---------------------------------------------------------------WE NEED PICTURES
Send us your pictures.... When you take photos at an
OPAWL event or activity, please email them to:
[email protected]
This way they can be used on our Website and in our
Newsletter! Sending them as attachments is preferred.
OPAWL Newsletter
Volume 16, Issue 10
Page 3
~ Calendar ~
OPAWL activities are in Black, OP Association activities in Orange, Mara Brandman Arena activities in Blue, and various “Holidays” in Green
Sections News
3rd Monday Bridge ~
Marcia Hogie, 714-273-0492 ~
[email protected]
We will meet on Monday,
November 17th at Coco’s on
Newport Ave in Tustin. Call
Marcia for time. Dark for
December.
Beginning Bridge ~
Great New Open Group! Call
Rose Ellen Cunningham, 714532-1326 or Annette Mason,
714-538-4683 Here’s your
chance if you want to learn to
play Bridge. Call these ladies!
We meet the 3rd Thursday of
every month at the home of
Annette Mason, 20212 Rogers
Drive. We will meet on
Thursday, November 20th.
Dark in December.
Bunco ~
Linda Mazzara, 714-633-9079
[email protected] ~
Bunco is held on the 3rd
Friday of each month at 7
pm. Enjoy friendship, along
with appetizers and dessert
for the low low entry fee of
$10 per player. The game is
easy to learn and we have
LOTS of FUN! Dark in
November & December.
Fiber Arts Section
Pam Sapetto, 714-815-7771
[email protected]
All things related to knitting,
crochet, spinning, weaving
and other fiber related
activities. We meet the 3rd
Saturday of every month. On
Sections Coordinator ~ Sheree Haavik [email protected] or 714-633-4054
November 15th & December
20th, we will meet at 10 am
at Pam Sapetto’s home,
20162 E. Chapman Ave.
Contact Pam for more info.
We welcome beginners to
those with advanced skills!
To help with the
maintenance of Pony Park our Corner Beautification
Project - Please contact Ruth
Lundring 714-932-8864 or
Lois Widly 714-633-0836 to
join our volunteer team!
Gad-A-Bouts ~
Coordinator Judy Denton,
714-639-7515,
[email protected]
We will be dark for
November & December.
Hot Trotters ~
Connie Bowin, 714-369-4072,
[email protected]
We are the “horsey” Section
of OPAWL! Watch for emails
for fun events planned! We
had a Halloween themed Play
Day Gymkhana at the Mara
Brandman Arena on October
26th.
Galloping Gourmet
We need a new Leader! Rita
has retired from heading up
this Section. If interested,
contact Sheree Haavik (see
above).
Home & Garden Section ~
Rose Ellen Cunningham,
714-532-1326 ~
Change of Date for a Special
Thanksgiving Event! We will
meet Thursday, November 6th
at the home of Lois Widly,
11155 Meads Ave. $15
deposit buys most of your
supplies including the pumpkin
& succulents for this cute
centerpiece for your
Thanksgiving table.
Sunday, December 21st at 2
pm, there will be Christmas
Caroling in OPA on horseback
and the horses will be
decorated! Don’t miss it.
Kids & Family Club ~
Teresa Beach, 714-501-7840,
[email protected]
or Lois Widly, 714-633-0836,
[email protected]
Neighborhood social activities
for kids and their families.
Literature ~
Kathy Manulkin,
714-639-8686,
[email protected]
We meet on the 4th Tuesday
of each month from 7 to 8
pm but will be dark for
November & December. We
will be discussing Killing
Patton by Bill O’Reilly for
January.
Walking for Fitness ~
Donna Aidekman,
714-356-6545,
[email protected]
Meet us at 7 pm each
Monday at the corner of
Meads Ave and Morada Drive
at the Anita Bennyhoff bench
for an hour walk.
Come out and join us as we
enjoy seeing friends and
talking up a storm :- )
Hire the best.
Pay them fairly.
Communicate
frequently.
Provide challenges and
rewards.
Believe in them.
Get out of their way
and they'll knock your
socks off.
Mary Ann Allison
American scholar and
futurist
Page 4
OPAWL Newsletter
Volume 16, Issue 10
Board Minutes—September 2014
ORANGE PARK ACRES WOMEN’S LEAGUE
BOARD MEETING
September 10, 2014
The regular Board Meeting was called to order by President, Kathy Manulkin, at 7:00 p.m.
Elected Officers present:
President
First Vice President
VP – Membership
VP – Ways and Means
VP – Communications
Treasurer
Recording Secretary
Kathy Manulkin
Lorrie DiGangi
Laurel Baker
Connie Bowin
Michelle Pettit-Williams
Donna Aidekman
Nancy Madrid
Appointed Officers, Committee Chairs and others present:
Sheree Haavik, Peggy Hartley, B.J. Reich, Suzette Slater
Minutes:
Minutes of the June 11 Board meeting and August 22 Board retreat were unanimously approved as
presented.
Treasurer’s Report:
Donna Aidekman presented the treasurer’s report which reflects a balance on hand of $18,627.35 as of
August 17 which does not include approximately $500 owed on web site revisions to date or regular
August financial expenses. Checks will be presented at the membership social to SCC for the 2015
scholarship, and our past year contributions to Beverly’s House, OPA and OPA-ETC.
Membership:
Laurel Baker has set a goal to have our new directory out by Christmas. Any revisions must be
submitted not later than November 12th. The new directory will be a more compact, purse sized edition.
COMMUNICATIONS
OPAWomen.org Web Site:
Laurel advised everyone to take a look at the changes that have been made to date to the web site and
particularly to the Membership section where you can now either renew on-line and pay dues through
Pay Pal or download and print the form to mail with your check. Upcoming modifications are being
made to include past newsletters, information on events and current photographs.
Constant Contact:
Michelle Williams and Jana Shuler are maintaining this program for our newsletter and group reminders
and have recently updated the membership information. Michelle had copies of the updated list.
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Board Minutes—September 2014 (continued)
Facebook:
Mandy Morales has done a great job on updating our Facebook page.
COMMUNITY
Membership Social:
Thursday, September 25th is the date for the membership social to be held at Michelle Williams’ home.
Evites have been sent out to members and contact has been made with new homeowners from
information provided by Chris McKeen. Laurel distributed event flyers and a sign-up sheet was passed
around for helpers. B.J. is phoning to invite inactive members, Emilia Sugiyama will take photos. The
event will start at 5 pm with a meet and greet, followed by dinner at 6.
General Meeting:
Peggy Hartley has made arrangements to host a general membership luncheon meeting at The Villa on
Katella Avenue, with Villa Park Catering providing the food at a cost of $26 per person including tax and
tip. They will require a $300 deposit to reserve. The purpose of the luncheon will be to promote
membership and the program will include a speaker. Peggy was authorized to move ahead with the
plans and to confirm a date for this luncheon meeting.
Motion:
Connie Bowin, seconded by B.J. Reich – unanimously carried.
We briefly discussed also having a Christmas luncheon or party.
PHILANTHROPY
No discussion this month.
OTHER BUSINESS
Connie Bowin advised us that the Hot Trotters group has “fizzled” a little because of the lack of a leader
but they are trying to schedule a Gymkhana event at the arena for October which will be planned by
Bonnie Boone.
We will be asking for volunteers to help clean out and organize the storage unit in December after the
wreaths have been hung.
Sheree Haavik will provide information on our Sections at the membership dinner.
The next Board Meeting will be held on October 8th at Connie Bowin’s home. There being no further
business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Madrid
Recording Secretary
Page 6
OPAWL Newsletter
Volume 16, Issue 10
Hot Trotter’s Play Day Gymkhana
Photos by Kathy Manulkin
Hot Trotters Annual Gymkhana/Omoksee was a BrewHAHA!
Gymkhana: an equestrian event consisting of speed pattern racing and timed games for riders on horses.
Omoksee: a term derived from a Native American phrase meaning “games on horseback.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon on October 26th. Riders started to gather to plan and compete with each other at
the Mara Brandman Arena. It looked like we had six contestants, but they just coming and then we were eleven.
We played musical stalls, serpentined around four poles, attempted to keep the green witches brew in our
champagne glasses as we trotted to the finish, barrel raced with pumpkins, and had our horses bob for apples, etc.
Debbie Kiepfer took first place on her long-eared Joey and was awarded a beautiful leatherworks pouch donated by
Joanne Pritts. Inside it was a $50 gift certificate to Morton’s Steakhouse donated by Kathy Manulkin.
Karen Grecco on her horse, Romeo, earned second place. She
took home a $75 gift basket made by a former Hot Trotter,
Julie Shaw and horse treats donated by Andrea at Foothill
Feed. Nancy Johnson finished third on Frankie. She took
home a $50 Cabi gift certificate donated by Donna Aidekman.
Special thanks to those who helped with the event: Bruce
Williams, Mike Shiley, Jim McElroy and Lynn Canton.
It was a great event for us to get together and just play
together with our horses. We are going to have a lot more
fun in the coming year. Our planning meeting will be
November 6th at the Cormack Cottage. Evites to follow.
Brouhaha: a skirmish amongst people (and horses).
Lets skirmish some more!
Connie Bowin, Head Trotter
Grim Reaper Chris Richardson, Shear Attitude
Nancy Johnson & Witch Connie Bowin
Bobbing for Apples—Equestrian Style
Reserve Winner—Karen Grecco & Romeo
Overall Winner—Debbie Kiepher & Joey
Page 7
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Arena Events
First Steps at Beverly’s House
by Lori DiGangi
Beverly’s House is part of the Rising Tide Communities. It is a
transitional housing program for emancipated foster youth
who are at least 18 years old. The purpose of the program is
to provide motivated young people with affordable housing
and supportive services to help them make a successful
transition to independence. Most kids who age out of the
foster care program have nowhere to go and no one to turn
to who doesn’t want something from them. Many get involved
in prostitution, drug abuse and homelessness.
One of the young ladies living at Beverly’s House is 19 years
old. She grew up in Los Angeles County. She was heavily
involved in gang life as early as 10 or 11 years of age. She
was taken away from a neglectful mother at approximately 10
years old and placed in various group homes. She
consistently ran away from each group home and while “on
the streets” was taken advantage of and sexually trafficked
by various men during her adolescence and teen years.
While living in a group home in L.A. County she met a
mentor. This same mentor has been working with her since
she was 14 years old and is the only “healthy” adult
consistent in her young life. She calls him “Pops”. Throughout
all these years her mentor continued to help her and finally
was able to bring her to Beverly’s House in Orange County so
she would be away from her previous life and the people she
knew and associated with.
She has been living at Beverly’s House for 18 months. It has
not always been smooth sailing. She has her ups and downs.
In the early days she would disappear for days, use drugs,
spend all her money and drop her classes. As time went on
she made concrete advances. She is learning how to choose
wisely between her “wants” verses her “needs”. She has begun to see the big picture and is now on a consistently
forward path. Her accomplishments in just 18 months include: graduation from high school, enrolling in Orange
Coast College and taking classes for three semesters, securing a job as a server in a local restaurant. She has
received good grades in the classes that she finished and enjoys her current job. She is saving for a car and is
almost at her goal. In the next few months she will be moving forward in the program by moving into a Rising Tides
Community apartment.
The girls usually spend one year in the main house at Beverly’s House then move to a Beverly’s House small
apartment in the rear of the main house. After the first 18 months, the girls are able to move to the Community
apartments for 1-2 years giving them about 3 to 3 1/2 years of structure, support systems and guidance to prepare
them for independent adult life. They learn to make a budget, pay rent, save money, cook and do their laundry
among other skills. Beverly’s House staff keeps the school and work schedules for each girl and reviews their
progress on a weekly basis.
At present, there are 5 girls living in the main house and 3 in the rear apartment. The girls’ school tuition is paid for
by the Federal Government because they have been in foster care. They also receive financial aid as long as they are
in school and maintaining passing grades. If they fail or drop out they are quickly cut off from their financial aid.
Some girls are also eligible for monthly support from the Federal Government. From their jobs and the government
support they receive, they budget money for their rent, food and other necessary living expenses.
The OPAWL Christmas party will include fund raising raffles for Beverly’s House - a really important and worthy
philanthropic project dear to us at OPAWL for many years. Please, plan to attend the party on December 12th.
Orange Park Acres
Women’s League
P.O. Box 2696
Orange, CA 92859
Contact Us At:
[email protected]