Monterey Peninsula
Messenger
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Monterey Peninsula Branch |
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Calendar of Coming Events
Wednesday, March 1 - Hike, Garrapata Beach and Calla Lily Valley if it is not too wet, with Deborah Stern.
Thursday, March 9, 11:00 AM - Romancing the Coast has a docent-led tour of pre-1945 California Art, at the Monterey Museum of Art.
Wednesday, March 15 - Hike, Ft. Ord Monument starting at Badger Hills Parking Lot, with Anne Albano.
March 21 and 22 - Lobby Days with AAUW-CA. Training webinar March 20.
Saturday, March 25, 2:00 PM - March Branch Meeting. Dramatic reading of the words of Eleanor Roosevelt by actress Teresa Del Piero, at Monterey Center for Spiritual Living.
Wednesday, April 5 - Hike, De Anza Trailhead in San Juan Bautista, with Ardith Peck.
Friday, April 14 - Romancing the Coast visits Filoli Mansion and Gardens in Woodside.
Wednesday, April 19 - Hike, Fort Ord/Giggling Road, with Chris Parmentier
Saturday, April 22, 2:00 PM - April Branch Meeting. Speaker is Dr. Vanya Quinones, President of CSUMB. Location: Community Room, Monterey Library.
Saturday, April 22 - California Annual Event via Zoom. See article below.
Thursday, May 11, 4:00 PM - May Branch Meeting. Social event/branch annual meeting. Celebrating branch 95th anniversary. Details TBA.
Saturday, May 13, 10:00 AM - Romancing the Coast tours Salinas Historic Train Cars and Miniature Museum. Optional lunch at Mi Tierra Mexican Restaurant.
Sunday, June 11, 3:00 PM - June Branch Meeting. Local Scholarship Program Fundraiser. Meet scholarship recipients at Casa Serrano, 412 Pacific St., Monterey.
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MARCH BRANCH MEETING
Eleanor Roosevelt's Words Come to Life
Date: Saturday, March 25
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Location: Monterey Center for Spiritual Living, 400 W. Franklin Street, Monterey
Presenter: Teresa Del Piero, local actress
You are invited to the debut performance of a dramatic reading by acclaimed local actress Teresa Del Piero of the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, presented in celebration of Women’s History Month. There is a suggested donation of $10 to attend but none will be turned away.
Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most influential women in history. Though she was born to privilege, Eleanor reached out to all women, regardless of their economic status or race. Women responded, seeing in her a kindred spirit who understood their struggles and championed their dreams. She was a prolific author, journalist, lecturer, broadcaster, educator and public personality. And, of course, the wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This dramatic presentation will touch on her relationship with her daughter Anna, her insights on women in politics, the Depression, World War II, her work for civil rights and her lessons from life that she shared with the world.
Teresa Del Piero is a longtime pillar of the local arts community and has performed at MPC, Magic Circle Theatre, Cherry Center for the Arts, Pac Rep and The Western Stage. She's a charter member of the Monterey County Film Commission and twice served as its president.
Deborah Stern, Programs
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APRIL BRANCH MEETING
Date: Saturday, April 22
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Place: Monterey Library Community Room, 625 Pacific St. (Click here for a map.)
Speaker: Vanya Quinones, PhD, President of CSUMB
On Saturday, April 22, Dr. Vanya Quinones, President of CSUMB, will speak to us in the Community Room of the Monterey Public Library. President Quinones became the fourth president of the college on August 15, 2022. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in cell biology at the University of Puerto Rico. Her doctorate degree in neurobiology and physiology is from Rutgers University. She has had over 20 years at the City University of New York Hunter College as a professor, Chair of the Department of Psychology, and Associate Provost. She has also worked as a full professor in the Department of Psychology at Pace University.
We look forward to hearing President Quinones speak about her background, her goals for CSUMB and the STEM courses available for women at CSUMB. Please RSVP to Chris by April 15 at [email protected].
Chris Parmentier, Programs
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Save the Date - May Meeting
The branch's annual meeting will take place Thursday, May 11, from 4-6 pm. It will be a social event, celebrating the branch's 95th anniversary. There will be a slide-show of present and past branch activities and programs presented in the background. Details will be coming.
Deborah Stern, Programs
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February IBC Meeting, with Zoe Lofgren
We thank U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D - CA 18th District) for speaking at our IBC Luncheon on February 25. We held this meeting jointly with AAUW Santa Cruz County Branch at the Bayonet/BlackHorse Golf Club in Seaside. Congresswoman Lofgren spoke about her role on the January 6 (2021) Committee and gave us a fascinating account of what happened on that day and the responsibility of the Committee to recount a true and honest story of the events. Many of us were curious about her feelings on that day and the work it took to bring all this information to the public in the subsequent hearings. About 90 AAUW members and their guests attended and we had a very insightful question and answer period after she spoke.
Marilyn Erickson, Public Policy & Diversity Chair
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Zoe Lofgren speaking at 2023 IBC Luncheon. |
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PRESIDENTS' MESSAGE
Celebrate 95 Years!
This year, our Branch celebrates our 95th anniversary. Save the Date for Thursday, May 11, 4 - 6 PM, to celebrate this milestone occasion with a social event. Details will come soon.
Also this year, AAUW reaches its 142nd anniversary. This is a good time to look back at how AAUW was founded and the foresight these pioneering women, Ellen Swallow Richards and Marion Talbot, had in creating the organization we celebrate. We are proud to continue this history of pursuing the mission that these women envisioned so many years ago. Let us continue to embrace the vision and values of AAUW. We are their legacy.
Fatima Dias and Joanne Webster, Co-Presidents
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Ellen Swallow Richards
Ellen co-founded AAUW when she was nearly 40 years old, along with Marion Talbot who was a generation younger. At a time when women were largely barred from higher education, she enrolled at Vassar College in 1868, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in just two years and became the first U.S. woman to earn a chemistry degree, worked on clean water treatment and pollution, and founded the first home economics and school lunch programs.
Desiring to continue her studies, she applied to MIT. She was admitted as a “special student,” so that her admission could not be a precedent for other women to attend. She completed the requirements for a master’s degree but MIT refused to grant it to her, so Vassar awarded it instead. She then completed all of the requirements for her doctorate but never received it.
In 1876, she established the Woman’s Laboratory at MIT and worked as an assistant instructor (without pay). Through the Woman’s Laboratory, she fulfilled her dream of encouraging other women to study science and provided an entry point for their training. At the lab, women were taught chemistry, biology and mineralogy—Marion Talbot was one of Richards’ students.
From 1884 to 1911, Richards taught at the Massachusetts State Board of Health’s Lawrence Experiment Station, where she conducted studies on water quality. Richards remained active with AAUW until her death in 1911.
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Marion Talbot
Marion graduated in 1881 from Boston University. She became Dean of Women at the University of Chicago and worked to improve educational opportunities for women throughout her life. She was an adviser to the younger generation of women college students, working toward her vision of ensuring that younger women did not face obstacles because of their gender, as she had in her youth.
On November 28, 1881, Ellen and Marion invited 15 alumnae from eight colleges to a meeting in Boston. There, they created the idea for the Association of Collegiate Alumnae, which would become AAUW. The plan was to join together to help other women attend college and to assist those who had already graduated. On January 14, 1882, a group of 65 college women graduates met and officially formed the Association of Collegiate Alumnae to “unite in practical educational work.”
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Local Scholarship Committee
Pictured you see Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren with two of our 2022-2023 scholarship recipients. Would you like the opportunity to help select our scholarship recipients this year? We welcome all interested volunteers to our interview panel! We just need a few hours of your time in late April and early May when our committee meets to select students from our three local colleges: MPC, CSUMB, and Hartnell College.
Our Local Scholarship Program is one of our local branch’s outreach projects serving students in the Monterey County area. We meet twice for each school and ask that you try to commit to attend both meetings. At the first meeting in late April, our panel narrows down the applicants to five finalists. During the first week of May, we conduct interviews with the students (via Zoom) to select the scholarship recipients. This is a very rewarding experience!
Please let Maggie Pedersen know if you would like to join us. Contact her at 713-206-6507 or [email protected].
Maggie Pedersen, Co-Chair, Local Scholarship Program
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PUBLIC POLICY
AAUW California has set March 21 and 22 as Lobby Days, to meet with legislators in Sacramento to promote bills that will help women and girls. If you registered by the deadline to participate, you must attend the Training Webinar on March 20, 7-9 PM. To register for the training, click here. Participants will receive in-depth information on our top three Priority bills, information regarding their assignments, and tips on how to talk to legislators. Members are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to meet virtually with our legislators and to provide feedback to them on AAUW priorities. You will be given the chance to read the bills and learn all the complexities of the issues. If you have registered, please email me at [email protected] to let me know.
Marilyn Erickson, Public Policy & Diversity Chair
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Morning Books (via Zoom)
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Mon., March 20, 10 AM
Midnight Library
by Matt Haig
Leader: Sharon Hoffman
Mon., April 17, 10 AM
Crying in H-Mart
by Michelle Zauner
Leader: Gladys Cohn
Kathy Poulson, Coordinator
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Joy of Reading Books
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Tues., March 14, 2 PM
The Light We Carry
by Michelle Obama
Host: Meredith Tibbey
Tues., April 11, 2 PM
The Night Watchman
by Louise Erdrich
Host: Deborah Stern
Marilyn Erickson, Coordinator
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Evening Books
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Tues., March 21, 7 PM
Libertie
by Kaitlyn Greenidge
Host: Donna Foote
Leader: Pat Fletcher
Tues., April 18, 7 PM
While Justice Sleeps
by Stacey Abrams
Host: Fatima Dias
Leader: Lucy Campen
Miriam Lilley, Coordinator
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Thursday Afternoon Books
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Thurs., March 23, 2 PM
Homegoing
by Yea Gyasi
Host: Gilda Montesino
Thurs., April 27, 2 PM
The Forest of Vanishing Stars
by Kristin Harmel
Host: Nancy Soulé
Nancy Soulé, Coordinator
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Hiking Group
March 1 - Garrapata Beach and Calla Lily Valley if it is not too wet - Deborah Stern leader
March 15 - Fort Ord Monument, starting at Badger Hills Parking Lot - Anne Albano leader
April 5 - De Anza Trailhead in San Juan Bautista - Ardith Peck leader
April 19 - Fort Ord/Giggling Road - Chris Parmentier leader
Here is the list of spring and summer hikes chosen at the planning meeting.
May 3 - Toro Park - Julie Smith
May 17 - Marks Ranch - Anne Albano
June 7 - Carmel Hike - Pat Fletcher
June 21 - Historic Homes of Monterey - Nancy Soulé
July 5 - Planned time out with no hike
July 19 - Moss Landing/Salinas River - Ardith Peck
August 2 - TBD - Gilda Montesino
August 16 - TBD - Chris Parmentier
September 6 - Need hike leader
September 13 - Hike Planning Meeting with details announced later in the year
September 20 - Need hike leader
Chris Parmentier and Ardith Peck, Coordinators
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The hiking group explored a newly opened trail off General Jim Moore Blvd. Great views, good exercise and stellar company. |
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Nancy Soulé, Chris Parmentier, Lucy Campen, Cathy O'Conner, and Ann Donaldson hiked Huckleberry Hill. |
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Romancing the Coast
Thursday, March 9 - Monterey Museum of Art
Monterey Museum of Art (click 559 Pacific Street for map) will be the location of Romancing the Coast on March 9 at 11:00 AM. The current exhibit, Monterey Collects California, presents a never-before-seen survey of pre-1945 California Art drawn from over a dozen private collections in and around the Monterey area. We will have a docent-led tour by Kat Morgan, an art instructor at OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), CSUMB. C ost will be $15 per person. The tour limit is 20 people so RSVP by March 2 to Joyce Newell, [email protected]. Afterwards we can walk to someplace nearby for an informal lunch.
Friday, April 14 - Filoli Mansion and Gardens
Filoli in bloom! Our April 14 Romancing outing is to the beautiful estate in Woodside. All are welcome, including guests. We will carpool from the California Pizza Kitchen parking lot in Del Monte Center for the hour and a half commute to Woodside, leaving at 8:30 AM. There will be spring blooms to enjoy in the gardens and a lovely mansion to tour. There is a gift shop/nursery and I get a 20% discount there. The café is quite lovely and includes outdoor seating (~$20-$25). You could also bring your own lunch if you prefer and there are places to enjoy that. RSVP with your check for $32 made out to me, Carol Young, by March 17. Mail to me at PO Box 51627, Pacific Grove 93950. I will get two free passes and some additional discounts when I place our actual ticket order. You’ll get a refund of part of the $32 once I get the final count. We need to reserve early as spring is very popular and dates fill up fast. Let me know if you are willing to drive and how many people you can take. Check the website for a preview: filoli.org.
Save the Date: Tour of Salinas Historic Train Cars and Miniature Museum on Saturday, May 13 at 10 AM, with optional lunch at Mi Tierra Mexican Restaurant a short distance away. RSVP to Nancy Soulé at [email protected].
Carol Young, RTC Coordinator
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Membership
Renewal of membership dues is just around the corner. Watch for more information in a future newsletter and eblasts. Questions: Contact Anne Albano at [email protected] or Julie Smith at [email protected].
Anne Albano and Julie Smith, Co-VP Membership
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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. - Editor |
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Directory Updates
If there are errors or changes in your directory listing, please tell us so corrections can be made. - Editor
Gladys Cohn has a new address in San Diego. See it in the online directory. Her phone and email have not changed.
Betty Ann Wilson has a new phone number. See it in the online directory.
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New Members
Hetty Eddy
Linda J. Lee
Nancy Skager
Kim Snyder
Katherine Stoner
Alicia White
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Online Directory
The password to our password-protected online directory on our website in the Member Center is on the second page of your yellow membership directory. (If you cannot find it, call Julie Smith or Anne Albano.) This is where all of our members' contact information is readily accessible.
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New Member Bios
Hetty Eddy
Hetty attended Dominican University, San Rafael, and then received a BS from University of Oregon, followed by a Teaching Certificate from San Jose State. She is interested in the book groups, hiking, and Community Service Projects.
Linda Lee
Linda has a BA in Cultural Anthropology from UC Santa Barbara, a Master of Social Work from University of Denver, and a Certificate of Non-Profit Management from Metro State College in Denver. She is retired from a long career in development, mostly in Denver, but also at The Carmel Foundation, Carmel-by-the-Sea. She also worked as a social worker at The Health Projects Center, Salinas, providing support to family caregivers. Because of deep family roots in Big Sur, she relocated to the Monterey Peninsula in 1998 where she met her current spouse, Peter. She has a grown daughter and a grandson (22) and granddaughter (18) who live in Santa Barbara. She is interested in Great Decisions, Hiking and Romancing the Coast.
Nancy Skager
Nancy has a BSN from University of Nevada, Reno, and an MA from San Jose State. She is interested in Great Decisions, hiking, Romancing the Coast, Local Scholarships and Community Service Projects.
Kim Snyder
Kim has a degree in Nutrition/Food Science from Penn State University.
Katherine Stoner (Kathy)
Kathy has a BA in Literature from UC Santa Cruz and a JD from Monterey College of Law. She was a member of the Monterey Peninsula Branch several years ago and is returning.
Alicia White
Alicia has a BBA in Economics/Finance from Baylor University. She is interested in the book groups, hiking and Romancing the Coast.
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Wine and Whine a Success
Twenty members came to our first Wine and Whine and all gave our gathering a thumbs up. A nice mix of new and longtime members made for lively conversation and some serendipitous discoveries. We’ll host more of these in future at different venues; hope you can make it.
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AAUW-California and AAUW National Elections Are Coming
National Election Details
April 5 - voting opens (online voting is encouraged)
May 15 - Online voting ends at 5:00 pm ET
May 17 - Vote results announced online
California State Election Details
April 22 - voting opens (online voting is encouraged)
May 13 - Online voting ends at midnight PT
May 17 - Vote results announced online
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AAUW California Annual Event
The AAUW California Annual Event via Zoom takes place April 22. This will be a "star studded" event you should not miss. You can be proud that you are a member of a statewide and national organization with 170,000 members and supporters, known as the premier entity advocating for women and girls since 1881. Watch for sign-ups at www.aauw-ca.org and in emails to come.
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Board Meetings
March 2 at 4:00 PM: Zoom
April 6 at 3:00 PM: CFMC
2354 Garden Road
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Websites
AAUW-MPB
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AAUW-CA
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May/June Messenger
Please email articles for the May/June newsletter to
Caryl Rojas by April 15.
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AAUW DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS
If you paid the full $103 AAUW yearly dues, $64 of that is tax deductible. 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 further information.
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Tech Trek
Make check payable to "AAUW-CA SPF"
with "Tech Trek, Monterey Peninsula" in the
memo line.
Send to Sharyn Siebert
P.O. Box 1584
Carmel, CA 93921-1584
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AAUW Fund
Make check payable to "AAUW"
with "AAUW Fund" in the memo line.
Send your check to Gabriele Simbriger-Williams
880 Newton Street Monterey, CA 93940-1210
or donate at aauw.org, including your member ID for credit to our branch.
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Local Scholarships
Make check payable to "AAUW-MPB Local Scholarships".
Send your check to
Jeanne Krener
25180 Pine Hills Drive Carmel, CA 93923-8965
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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 me 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, Newsletter Editor
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