June 2022 Homestead Headlines

Volume 66, Issue 6, June, 2022

Download the Headlines here

June 2022 Community Center Calendar

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

***Save the Date***

Saturday June 25th: Furs, Tails and Scales Show

Join us for an animal show in the meadow

Click HERE for more details

Monday July 4th: Homestead Valley 4th of July Parade and Picnic

Line up for Parade at Volunteer Park @ 10:30am

Parade starts @ 11:00am

Picnic in Stolte Grove @ 11:30

Parade*Food*Music*Fun

Saturday August 27th: Homestead Valley Music Festival

11:00 am - 6:00 pm in the meadow

Message from our New General Manager Amy Torrano

Hello Friends,

I am so excited to be joining the Homestead Valley Community Center as the new general manager. I grew up in Marin County and feel so lucky to have now raised my children, Marissa and Dante here. I have been a teacher for most of my adult life and I look forward to bringing my enthusiasm to this new role. A fun fact about me is that my first job after college was at the Pacific Sun Newspaper when it was located at the current site of the Sweetwater Music Hall.

I will be in the HVCC Meadow with my dog, Ruby every Thursday and Friday afternoon at 5pm in June. Please join me for Dog Day Afternoons each Thursday and Friday at 5pm and I will have treats for you and your dogs. You can always reach me at amy@homesteadvalley.org

Thank you so much for welcoming me to this incredible community.

Amy Torrano

Pool Update

The Homestead Valley Pool project is finally nearing completion.

The deck pavers have been installed, siding and doors are in place, plumbing and lighting has been installed and the pool is schedule to be plastered during the third week of June. After the plaster, the pool will be filled with water. It should take about a week for the sanitization system to be balanced and then we can finally open. Stay tuned for a separate announcement for our Pool Opening Party!

Pool memberships will be available for residents and nonresidents shortly. The pool committee is working diligently to confirm pool schedule and dates so that membership fees can accurately reflect pool availability and swim times. Because of the shortened season, we will be offering monthly membership options as well as daily drop in rates. A separate pool update email will be sent out as soon as all details are finalized. In good news, we will have swim lessons available as well as anticipate being open 7 days a week.

HVCC and Meadow Open for Rentals

Are you planning a summer barbeque or birthday party?

The Homestead Valley Community Center and meadow are open for rentals. The meadow 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 rentals@homesteadvalley.org or visit our website for more information: https://homesteadvalley.org/

MHS/HV Joint Committee Meeting

Christina Oldenburg steps down as Co-Chair of the MHS/HV Joint Committee.

Thank you for your years of service to our community.

Background

In 1991, the Marin Board of Supervisors approved the use of the Homestead School site on Melrose Ave (owned by the MV School District) for a non-profit independent school, Marin Horizon School (MHS). As part of the Use Permit reissued in 2005 that allowed for an increase in enrollment and new buildings, MHS was asked to form a permanent advisory committee to communicate with the HV neighborhood. Christina Oldenburg, who has been Co-Chair of this committee since its inception, has decided to step down as Co-Chair after over 17 years of service. She will continue to contribute as a committee member sharing concerns from the community about our shared use and appreciation for the valley. The committee meets twice a year at MHS and meetings are open to the public. Leslie Dixon has agreed to become Co-Chair along with the current Head of School Bill Perrine. Please share any comments with either Bill (bill@marinhorizon.org) or Leslie (lesliekdixon@gmail.com).

Homestead Valley & Marin Horizon School Joint Committee Meeting Notes

April 20, 2022. Click HERE to view the meeting notes.

We're Hiring for Pool Season!

Do you have extra time and enjoy contributing to your community?

The HVCA pool needs lifeguards and gatekeepers. These are great jobs for teenagers, college students home for the summer, retirees or stay at home parents! HVCA will even provide the necessary American Red Cross Lifeguard Training. Requirements for lifeguarding are that you must be 15 years old, swim at least 12 lengths of the pool without stopping and swim with a 10lb brick. Even better, if you lifeguard for HVCA at least 6 hours a week, your pool membership fee will be waived for your entire family! Flexible scheduling available.

If you are interested in becoming a lifeguard or have questions, please email Paul at paul@homesteadvalley.org.

HVLT - "On Foot in Homestead"

Everyone in Homestead Valley who walks the trails or roads regularly will find Matthew’s articles timeless. This column originally appeared in the Homestead Headlines in April 1984.

Curt Oldenburg (HVLT)

Full Moon in June

After a week of fog and drizzle, the sky cleared up the Sunday of the full moon. About half past six in the afternoon, a few of us turned up the Eagle Trail at Stolte Grove and were soon passing through the Weedon Redwoods. Further on, we enjoyed the lushly ferned and forested gullies followed by open meadows. The rosy orange of the ripening rattlesnake grass was sprinkled with the vivid purple of harvest brodiaea, a member of the lily family.

We worked our way across the upper reaches of Homestead Hill, enjoying the evening vistas and each other's company. The descending sun left us mostly in the shade, but when we got to Diaz Ridge, the knoll was still warmed by light, and there we ate our picnics. I've never heard of grouse around here, but two flyovers and one good look at a landing nearby made me think of grouse I saw up in the Trinity Alps last summer. Many swallows plummeted overhead.

We looped down and onto the new trails. In places soap-root lilies made a white lace over the darkening grass. In the gullies the writhing oak trees were black against the sky. Rocks and lichen turned luminous in the twilight. Emerging from the last creek area before coming to the Four Corners Fire Road, something bright caught my eye to the right. The full moon seemed to be sitting right on a distant tree line. It was rich cadmium yellow against the deepening blue sky.

We sat and watched, sat and talked. Stories of long ago and far away came from our lips. The air was still except for a few late swallows darting about. The isolated light of the Baker House made us feel we were far from a metropolitan area. In the shortcut from Ridgewood to Ferndale, we definitely needed flashlights.

June 1985

(reprinted from “On Foot in Homestead A Hiker’s Journal of a Coastal Valley,” by Matthew Davis, 1988.)