February 2023 Homestead Headlines

Volume 67, Issue 2 February, 2023

Download the Headlines here

February 2023 Community Center Calendar

12 | Artist Reception Katie Korotzer |

14 | HVLT Board Mtg |

21 | HVCA Board Mtg |

28 | Sanitary District Board Mtg |

1st/3rd Weds. | Tam Design Review Board Mtg |

Saturdays | A.A. Mtg | 10:00 AM

Message from HVCA Board President

For those of you not able to attend our Homestead Valley Annual Meeting in January, I wanted to give an overview of our mission at HVCA and a summary of our accomplishments in 2022.

Our mission is to enhance the community of Homestead Valley residents through cultural, educational and recreational activities, events and services. We strive to accomplish our mission in a variety of ways that can reach the diverse interests, ages, skills and passions of our community.

A few highlights from 2022 include: the completion of our new and improved swimming pool, a beautiful native plant and drought friendly garden, installation of a new trash enclosure in the west end of the parking lot, and welcoming our new General Manager, Amy Torrano. We also hosted our annual events such as 4th of July, the Music Festival, Halloween and our traditional holiday party while adding a few new ones. If you were not able to attend the Taco Party, Teddy Bear Tea or Hanukkah Latke Party, please keep an eye out for the next ones.

The Center and Meadow saw a huge number events such as birthday parties, graduations, reunions, weddings, and art receptions. We also hosted meetings, dance classes, soccer for toddlers and Funderblast held camp for about 60 campers everyday for seven weeks of summer.

The Pool finally opened in early August and was filled with joyful sounds of swimming from all ages. Toddlers to seniors took advantage of our small, but amazing community pool, improved changing rooms and showers and enlarged deck filled with new furniture and umbrellas.

Goals for 2023 include updates to the website, exploration of rooftop solar options, installation of an electric vehicle charging station in the parking lot, technology upgrades throughout the Center and starting the rehabilitation of the Meadow.

We have been fortunate to have Alan Cowan and Lindsey Tucker serve on our Board for a number of years and we will miss them as they step down. While we appreciate all their service over the years, we now welcome two new Board members from the neighborhood. Brad Hansen and Kristen Golden Testa have stepped up to join our Board and we are thrilled to have them. We still have a couple of open spots on the Board. If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please let us know.

I see the members of our Board and our neighbors in the valley living the mission of HVCA on a daily basis. I feel extraordinarily grateful to be part of an organization with a mission of enhancement, inclusion and community.

Ashley MacDonald

HVCA Board President

Dennis Rodoni

District 4 Supervisor

Andy Stoelting

CSA#14 Board

Rick Montalvan

HV Sanitary District

Congratulations to our 2022 Service Award Winners

A highlight of every Annual Meeting is the presentation of our service awards.

Honors for the Community Distinguished Service Award went to Ashley MacDonald for her tireless work shepherding the new community pool to completion amongst a myriad of other task that she does behind the scenes as HVCA President. She is a key contributor to making sure the HV Music Festival is a success and launched HVMF merchandise. She is a self-less contributor to our community, fully engaged in everything she does.

Volunteer of the Year was given to Boriana Fackler. Boriana demonstrated an extraordinarily high level of commitment to HVCA in her role as Treasurer this past year - keeping the organization on track through a challenging time. She was dedicated to tending to our books, stream lining our procedures and ensuring our financial records are accurate. She has the community’s best interest in her heart and is a joy to work with.

Thank you Ashley and Boriana

for your passion and service to Homestead Valley!

New Donor Wall at HVCC

Donate to the HVCA and Become a Part of our New Donor Wall

We’re thrilled to announce the installation of our inaugural donor wall near the main entrance of the community center. The wall was created to recognize contributors to recent HVCA improvement projects, including our pool renovation and educational garden. Community donations help supplement other funding sources to allow HVCA to serve residents with the best possible facilities, programming and open space. Every dollar we raise within the HV community is money we don't need to borrow from the County or dip into from our reserves.

The next round of fundraising will be used to refurbish the meadow as well as add new plantings that will include mostly natives that are firewise and attractive to pollinators. We are also looking to replace the bridge that will provide better access to/from the center and allow for stormwater to pass more freely. This is a chance for our community to come together to enhance the Center and our environment for many years of enjoyment.

Click HERE for information on how to donate.

We’re requesting a minimum donation of $500 to be recognized on our donor wall with a tile in your name of choice. We will be sharing plans for the meadow with the community in the coming months. Thank you for your continued generosity and support!

Local Artist Series

Artist Katie Korotzer

Homestead Valley Community Center continues it's Local Artist Series this month featuring Katie Korotzer.

February 2 - March 1

Katie is a candidate for the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Visual Arts from U.C. Berkeley Extension. When she is not painting in her studio at the ICB Building in Sausalito, Katie is often showing or exhibiting her work at venues such as Marin Open Studios, on Artsy and with Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe.

Before her career as a professional event planner, Katie earned a degree in Home Economics and Journalism from the University of Georgia, managing to find time to study when not out dancing to REM, The B52’s, 10,000 Maniacs, Pylon and Iggy Pop at Athen's famous 40 Watt Club with the art students.

Katie's award winning paintings can be found in private collections, at Ruby Living Design Palo Alto, at UC Berkeley's Hastings School of Law in San Francisco and in the Juried Publication American Art Collector.

Artist Reception

Sunday, February 12th, 1:00-3:00 pm

with musicians from the Mill Valley Philharmonic

Joining Katie at the Artist Reception will be jewelry designer Debra J. Inman. From inspiring gemstones and the exquisite textures of nature, Debra creates artisanal gold and silver jewelry that celebrates individuality and style.

HV Local Artist Series Artist Carol Jacobsen featured in Marin IJ

Homestead Valley resident Carol Jacobsen was featured in the Marin Independent Journal on Thursday, January 19, 2023.

Carol's work was on display at the HVCC through January 31and featured her series "Women of Color and Accomplishment", a collection of portraits showcasing Black women who have “been overlooked by many history books” and “accomplished incredible things despite major obstacles.”

See the Marin IJ article HERE .

Photo Credit: Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal

Start Planning your Spring Parties

Are you planning a Spring BBQ or birthday party?

The Homestead Valley Community Center and meadow are open for rentals. The meadow will dry out sooner than you think and is the perfect place to host an outdoor event with picnic tables and lots of space for folks to gather.

The HVCA Upstairs Suite features a large, sunny room with hardwood floors, a full kitchen, and a cozy seating area with a gas-fire stove. The Upstairs Suite accommodates up to sixty people and has high speed internet, meeting tables, and a great sound system. If you’re looking for a place to host an event or ongoing class, please reach out to [email protected] or visit our website for more information: https://homesteadvalley.org/

General Manager Position at HVCA

The Homestead Valley Community Association is searching for a General Manager to handle all on-site operations at our Community Center in the Homestead Valley neighborhood of Mill Valley.

The Homestead Valley Community Association is a 501(c) (3) Nonprofit Corporation, with a mission to enhance the community of Homestead Valley residents through cultural, educational and recreational activities, events and service. A volunteer Board of Directors oversees the operation, with the General Manager as our full-time employee who is responsible for all administration, finance, infrastructure, rental activity, event coordination and communications.

The General Manager will work on-site, M-F, with occasional after-hours responsibilities related to special events. There is a separate residence on the property, and if interested, the General Manager may be eligible to occupy the apartment as part of the compensation package.

This is a unique opportunity for the right candidate to live and work in a quiet, supportive community in unincorporated Mill Valley, with easy access to all that Southern Marin has to offer.

Click HERE to learn more about this opportunity including key responsibilities and experience required. If you or anyone you know may be interested in this role, please email the HVCA Board at [email protected]