Volume 72 Issue 2

Nov./Dec. 2024

Calendar of Coming Events

Wed., Nov. 6, 9:30 am - Hike, Monarch Sanctuary Walk

Thurs., Nov. 7, 10:00 am - Romancing the Coast tours Monterey One Water

Fri., Nov. 8, 10:30 am - noon - New & Prospective Member Social, Pebble Beach Community Service District office, 3101 Forest Lake Road

Sat., Nov. 9, 2:00 pm - Nov. Branch Meeting. Escape Rooms. Center for Spiritual Living, 400 W Franklin St, Monterey

Tues., Nov. 12, 4:30 - 6:00 pm - Wine & Whine, Osteria Al Mare, 32 Cannery Row, Monterey

Wed., Nov. 20 - Hike, Garland Park

Wed., Dec. 4 - Hike, Moss Landing

Sat., Dec. 14, 2:00 - 4:00 pm - Dec. Branch Holiday Party. Pat Fletcher home, 6 Overlook Place, Monterey

Wed., Dec. 18 - Hike, Fort Ord Monument

NOVEMBER BRANCH MEETING

Date: Saturday, November 9

Time: 2:00 pm

Place: The Monterey Center for Spiritual Living, 400 W Franklin St, Monterey

(Click here for a map.)

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO ESCAPE IN TIME?

Do you have the problem-solving skills and the ability to work as a team to figure out how to escape from a “locked” room before the clock runs out? Join us for an insightful and fun team experience.

Our speaker, Christina Riddoch, is an entrepreneur who opened and operated several businesses on Cannery Row: the California Seasons gift shop, the Candles & Clay Candle Shop, and Monterey Rent-A-Roadster.

In 2017, she brought the escape room phenomenon to Monterey when she opened Escape Room 831 on Wave Street. Now she has additional escape rooms and a family arcade on Cannery Row called Oscar’s Playground. Christina will share her story about the spark that evolved into a business, the challenges she faced along the way, and the lessons she learned as a budding entrepreneur. And she will have a challenge for you!

RSVP by November 5 to Joanne Webster at jwebster2717@gmail.com or at (831) 595-5600.

Chris Parmentier and Joanne Webster - Co-Directors, Program Committee

DECEMBER HOLIDAY PARTY

Date: Saturday, December 14

Time: 2:00 - 4:00 P.M.

Place: Pat Fletcher's home, 6 Overlook Place, Monterey (Click here for a map.)

Let’s celebrate the Holiday Season with good cheer! We welcome members, prospective members, and partners to join us for our Holiday Party at the home of Pat and Peter Fletcher.

As this is the season for giving, we invite you to bring a new or gently used unwrapped book to be donated to local children for the holidays. Books for any child’s age are good; bilingual books are especially appreciated.

Attendees are asked to bring a bite size appetizer or dessert according to the list shown below as well as wine or another beverage to share. We will have plenty of places to sit but no table seating arrangements.

Last names starting with A-G: Bite-size dessert

Last names starting with H-Z: Bite-size appetizer

RSVP by Tuesday, December 10, to Pat Fletcher at (408) 373-5800 or pfletcher02@gmail.com. Let her know if you need to reserve a driveway parking spot due to mobility issues. Parking is on the street, which is hilly. Plan on carpooling, if possible. Drop off your dish/beverage in front of the house before parking, if you wish. Hope to see you there!

PRESIDENTS' MESSAGE

We hope that you are doing well. Our AAUW-MCB branch activities are now in full-swing, which is plain to see as we read our wonderful branch newsletter. We are getting our feet on the ground as your new Co-Presidents, a job made so much more manageable thanks to our branch’s talented and resourceful Board members, as well as our team of energetic and creative committees and their leaders. We thank each of you who has agreed to take an active role in sustaining and enriching our vibrant and engaged branch; we want to offer our support to each of you in your various roles to make this a fun and rewarding year. Lastly, we want to thank the members who have devoted so much time, throughout this year, to educating others about the important issues involved in the upcoming elections and encouraging citizens throughout our country to participate in the democratic process by VOTING! Thank you, intrepid and determined volunteers, ALL!

This past summer, we (Anne and Debbie) had the privilege of meeting with Betty Sproule, one of our branch’s 50-year members (though this summer marked 52 years from her joining), to award her with her 50-year pin. Betty was given her AAUW Life Membership upon her achievement of a PhD degree (the first woman to be awarded a PhD in Computer Science Engineering at Ohio State University) by her mother, an AAUW member herself for many years. Betty has contributed to the growth of others by teaching at University of Texas and Ohio State University, has worked for a number of tech companies through the years, and continues to work for a consulting firm in Silicon Valley; she has also co-authored (with her husband, now a member of the Emeritus faculty at San Jose State) a book entitled “The Stuff Cure.” At our meeting, Betty, who characterizes AAUW members as “women who think,” very kindly entrusted Anne with the AAUW pin awarded to Betty’s mother when she was president of her branch.

As we consider the gift of Betty’s AAUW membership, it seems appropriate to thank all of you for your contributions to our branch and well beyond. We all benefit from your largesse, as will the generations of women to follow. We hope many of you had an opportunity to see the fruits of some of your volunteer efforts as we celebrated the Tech Trek participants in the fundraiser-meeting on October 19.



“We rise by lifting others…”

Debbie Hobbs and Anne Albano - Co-Presidents

TECH TREK

Tech Trek Campers Wow Members

Four campers delighted members and guests as they shared their Tech Trek experiences. Parents said that their daughters had come back more committed to STEM and to study. All appreciated the opportunity as well as the challenging classes, new friendships, and the Camp cafeterias.

You were all very generous so we are closer to meeting our fundraising goal of $12,000 to send at least 12 girls to Tech Trek in 2025. Thank YOU! The girls also benefited from conversations with you. They were shy at first but by the end of the afternoon they were full of questions and happily received input on future studies and career paths. Again, thank you! We’re also going to pursue other grants, so stay tuned. A special thank you to Maureen Vieth for opening up her lovely home and being such a gracious hostess.

We’re also looking for volunteers to join us to select the girls for 2025. Beginning in January, we’ll promote Tech Trek to middle school teachers, select and interview girls, and then help guide them through the application process. Each volunteer is assigned ONE school, so it’s a very doable task that will bring you great fulfillment.

If you missed the fundraiser you can still make a donation. Donations are accepted throughout the year and 100% goes to the girls! Tech Trek is a 501(c)(3) so you can donate through your IRA or Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), or by sending a check. Please make your check payable to: "AAUW-CA SPF" with "Tech Trek, Monterey Peninsula" in the memo line. Mail checks to: AAUW MPB, P.O. Box 1786, Monterey, CA 93942

Fatima Dias and Gail Widener - Co-Directors, Tech Trek

PUBLIC POLICY

Public Policy is a cornerstone of our mission at the state and national level. The public policy newsletter contains probably more information than you are interested in; however, to see all we at the state level have accomplished and continue to do, click the following link:

https://www.aauw-ca.org/documents/2024/10/public-policy-news-october-2024.pdf/

You will be brought up to date on all we have done for all Californians to further our mission. Most importantly, a number of bills which we have been supporting have been signed into law. Remember that part of your AAUW California dues goes to pay our advocate in Sacramento.

Sharyn Siebert - Public Policy Director

Above all, VOTE!

Know in advance where you can go to vote or drop off your ballot on or before November 5 at 8 pm. Find or verify your voting location at https://www.sos.ca.gov/voters-choice-act/.

You can track your ballot to make sure that it is counted by signing up at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status/wheres-my-ballot/

Ballots must be received by November 12 to be counted.

WINE & WHINE

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 12

Time: 4:30 - 6:00 pm

Place: Osteria Al Mare, 32 Cannery Row, Monterey (Click here for a map.)

Celebrate the end of a long election season at our no-host social gathering. Have a glass of wine with your AAUW friends and guests in a beautiful little Italian bar overlooking Monterey Bay. Osteria Al Mare is located off Foam Street at the end of the Coast Guard Pier, adjacent to San Carlos Beach. Plenty of parking is available next to the restaurant/bar.

Please RSVP to Debbie Hobbs (2debbiehobbs@gmail.com) or Anne Albano (apalbano@att.net) by Nov. 10.

See you there!

Debbie Hobbs and Anne Albano - Co-Presidents

Banned Books Club

======

New Book Group Forming

A new book group will be forming, to start in January. Nancy Soulé is volunteering to organize and lead it with a planning meeting in her home. This new group would meet in member homes on a Wednesday afternoon (exact dates and time to be determined by the group). If you are interested, please contact her at nancyksoule@yahoo.com.

HIKING GROUP

Nov. 6 - Monarch Sanctuary Walk with Nancy Edwards

Meet at 9:30 at entrance to El Carmelo Cemetery. Parking is available on Asilomar Blvd, in front of Pt. Pinos Lighthouse or on opposite side of Asilomar bordering the cemetery. It's mostly a flat walk on paved roads, small stretch of dirt path. We'll do a 2 1/2 mile loop. Hope some butterflies have arrived. RSVP to Nancy Edwards. njfedwards44@gmail.com

Nov. 20 - Garland Park Hike with Sue Henderson

Dec. 4 - Moss Landing with Fatima Dias

Dec. 18 - Fort Ord Monument Hike with Ardith Peck

Jan. 15 - Pt Pinos Loop Hike with Andrea Madsen

Feb. 5 - Frog Pond Walk with Ann Donaldson

Feb. 19 - Garrapata Hike with Kathy Greenwald

March 5 - Marks Ranch Hike with Anne Albano

March 19 - Pinnacles Hike with Deborah Stern

Chris Parmentier and Ardith Peck, Coordinators

ROMANCING THE COAST

RTC events are always open to all members, and guests are also welcome.

Thursday, Nov. 7, 10:00 am - Monterey One Water Tour

9:30 - Carpooling (required due to limited parking) from California Pizza Kitchen parking lot in Del Monte Center. RSVP to Linda Hanger by Nov. 5; LindaJHanger@gmail.com or 831-915-9260. Participants will be pre-registered due to security issues on site. The facility is just off CA Highway 1 in Marina next door to our regional landfill, ReGen Monterey.

Monterey One Water is the sewer treatment provider in northern Monterey County, here to protect public health and the environment. Each time you wash dishes, flush toilets, etc., the used water is sent to the Monterey One Water Regional Treatment Plant to be cleaned and safely reintroduced into the environment. This is done for more than 250,000 residents and 7,000 businesses residing in the service area. About 17 million gallons of wastewater are pumped to the facility daily, requiring 30 miles of underground pipe, 29 pump stations and extensive, multi-step treatment processes. Water is reintroduced to the environment through regulated ocean discharge which meets or exceeds State and Ocean Plan requirements. Additional tertiary treatment produces non-potable recycled water for the irrigation of raw food crops like lettuce and strawberries. Additional purification produces potable recycled water for groundwater replenishment of a local drinking water basin.

WEAR CLOSED TOED SHOES.

Linda Hanger, RTC Coordinator

Romancing the Coast – Coordinator for 2025 needed.

Romancing the Coast is one of AAUW-MCB’s popular programs featuring monthly outings to interesting and engaging locations, each led by group members. Many thanks to Linda Hanger for her terrific leadership as the coordinator of the program for the past two years. We are seeking a new coordinator (or two) whom we hope might begin in December or early January to get the schedule organized for the new year. As coordinator, you will have the support of Linda and the group participants. If you are interested in learning more about taking on this role, contact either Debbie Hobbs (408 234-2436), Anne Albano (831 595-5394) or Linda Hanger (831 915-9260).

MEMBERSHIP

Kenis Dunne & Judy Nejasmich, Co-VP Membership

To protect the information of our members, membership information about new members and changes for current members will not be shown in the newsletter. Instead, we will list their names, for you to go to the password-protected online directory (see the third column below) to see what is new, allowing you to make changes in your printed directory. - Editors

Directory Updates

If there are errors or changes in your directory listing, please tell us so corrections can be made. - Editors

New Members

Nancy Bonsangue

Kathleen Kahn

Jane Sink

Online Directory

The password to our protected online directory on our website in the Member Center is on the second page of your pink membership directory. (If you cannot find it or do not have a directory, call Kenis Dunne or Judy Nejasmich.) This is where all members' contact information is readily accessible.

http://mpb-ca.aauw.net

NEW MEMBER BIOS

Nancy Bonsangue

Nancy graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a BA in Communication and MA in Communicative Disorders. She is a retired Speech and Language Pathologist, specializing in early intervention, stuttering, and voice. She volunteers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She enjoys music, playing the hammered dulcimer, and is learning the mountain dulcimer. She is interested in our Book Groups, the Hiking Group, and Romancing the Coast. She would like to know more about the Local Scholarship and Tech Trek Committees.

Kathleen Kahn

Kathleen graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with a BA, followed by an MA in Organization and Leadership from University of San Francisco. She worked as an elementary school administrator. She enjoys knitting, quilting, and reading. In our branch, she is interested in a daytime book group, Great Decisions, Hiking Group, and Romancing the Coast. She would like to know more about the Local Scholarship Committee.

Jane Sink

Jane graduated from Indiana University with a BA in French language. After moving to her husband's hometown, she helped manage two Dairy Queen franchises. After building and selling those businesses, they moved to Pacific Grove. After a stint as Food Service Manager at the Aquarium, she joined her husband's firm as Marketing Director for Darryl L. Sink & Associates, where she continues to work. They have two grown children and a 16-year-old grandchild. She is a lifelong yoga practitioner. In our branch, she is interested in a daytime book club, Great Decisions, Romancing the Coast, the Local Scholarship Committee, and (maybe) AAUW Fund.

NEW & PROSPECTIVE

MEMBER SOCIAL

Date: Friday, November 8

Time: 10:30 am - noon

Place: Pebble Beach Community Service District office, 3101 Forest Lake Road (Click here for a map.)

Whether you are a new member, a prospective member or just want to learn more about the interesting activities and programs that our Monterey Peninsula Branch offers, please mark your calendar to attend. We’re looking forward to seeing you at our AAUW welcome get-together on November 8. This is an informal gathering. We’ll introduce ourselves and our member programs. We’ll be interested to hear from you too – a bit about yourself and how you came to find AAUW. We’ll be in the Board Room of the PBCSD office. To get there, the Pebble Beach Morse Gate entrance is the easiest. Whichever gate you choose, please tell the gate greeter that you are going to an event at the Pebble Beach Community Service District offices.

To RSVP and receive more details, contact Kenis Dunne at kgmdunne@gmail.com or Judy Nejasmich at janejasmich@icloud.com.

Kenis Dunne & Judy Nejasmich, Co-VP Membership

Board Meetings

Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m.

Dec. 5 at 1:00 p.m.



CFMC, 2354 Garden Rd.

Websites

AAUW-MPB

https://mpb-ca.aauw.net/

==========

AAUW-CA

http://aauw-ca.org

Jan./Feb. Messenger

Please email articles for the Jan./Feb. newsletter to

Caryl Rojas and Bonnie Lockwood by Dec. 15.

AAUW DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS

If you paid the full $115 AAUW yearly dues, National dues ($72) is tax deductible as a charitable donation. In addition, any donations to our charitable funds will be tax deductible for a tax year if paid by December 31st of that year and if you itemize deductions. Note that a donation to any of these three areas can also be made in honor or in memory of a friend or family member. More information and a donation form (optional) may be found at this link to our website. If making a donation directly from an IRA as a qualified charitable donation (QCD), consult your tax advisor or www.irs.gov for more information.

Tech Trek

Make check payable to "AAUW-CA SPF"

with "Tech Trek, Monterey Peninsula"

in the memo line.

Send to Noelle Hetz

200 Hawthorne St.

Monterey, CA 93940

AAUW Fund

Donate at aauw.org, or write a check payable to "AAUW".

Send your check to Gabriele Simbriger-Williams

1822 Links Drive

Seaside, CA 93955

NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE

Newsletters are published around the 1st of the months of September, November, January, March and May. There will be short "eblasts", containing reminders or special announcements. If you do not receive a newsletter, please contact us so we can fix it. Please note that newsletter content will relate only to AAUW and branch matters, a policy of AAUW National.

Caryl Rojas & Bonnie Lockwood, Newsletter Co-Editors