Valley Club News: August 2015

Submitted by Jim Melehan

Kiwanis of the Valleys

Recent club activities included participation in Scotts Valley’s 4^th of July festivities at Skypark. The club teamed with Boy Scout troop 623 to run the carnival game concession, and also joined in the parade down Scotts Valley Dr.

The club was proud to award the $2500 Mike Smith Scholarship to Connor Lydon, an outstanding student who will soon be graduating from San Lorenzo Valley High School.

The 7^th season of the Kiwanis produced Music at Skypark summer concert series kicked off on July 26^th. The first show was a rousing success. Sponsorship support for Music at Skypark has reached an all time high this year, and the best is yet to come with Extra Large and The Joint Chiefs set to play the next show on August 30^th. The concerts are free. Sponsorship donations and net proceeds from our onsite vendors benefit the music programs in our local schools. Concert day volunteers are needed. If you can help, please contact us at http://www.kiwanisofthevalleys.org/

Kiwanis meets 7:00am every Wednesday morning at Bruno’s BBQ. The second Wednesday of each month is an evening meeting at Bruno’s at 6:30 pm. We invite you to join us.

Rotary Club of San Lorenzo Valley

On July 29, the Rotary Club of San Lorenzo Valley will be celebrating the 75th wedding anniversary of Charter Member, Gil Gunn, and his wife, Marge. Gil has been a Rotarian since 1951.

Rotarians are volunteering during Thomas the Train’s visit to Roaring Camp Railroad in July and August. Proceeds from these events support several local youth projects including scholarships, a speech contest, and leadership camps.

This summer, the Rotary Club of SLV is meeting every Wednesday at 7:15 am at 9465 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, the future site of the Ben Lomond Bistro. Meetings are open to the public. If you are interested in joining a service organization, Rotarians always welcome new members. Additional information can be found on our website slvrotaryclub.org < http://slvrrotaryclub.org/.

The Valley Women’s Club

On Saturday, August 29th, Isadora Duncan will come alive as a person and dancer in a performance by Duncan specialist Lois Flood, in a 7 p.m. performance at Park Hall in Ben Lomond. Isadora Duncan was an iconic dancer and inspirational symbol of women’s independence, both in her style of dance, in the schools she established in the US and Europe, and in her rejection of the social strictures of the beginning on the twentieth century.

The Valley Women’s Club’s Women’s Issues Committee, is bringing Ms Flood back by popular demand, after a sell-out performance and a dance workshop presented locally last year.

In May and June, several hundred “Ready for School” bags were distributed by the VWC’s Education Committee to incoming kindergarten and pre-kindergarten youngsters, as they came to enroll at San Lorenzo Valley Elementary and Boulder Creek Elementary Schools. The bags, supported by donations, offer a book, school and learning supplies, and information to help parents prepare their youngsters for the experience of going to school. The inspiration of Dusty Gipson, Boulder Creek Mom and past VWC Board Member, the bags have helped many hundreds of 4 and 5 year-olds gain needed skills as they ready for school.

The Environmental Committee was granted funds by the County’s Environmental Health Department (from our taxes designated to help assure functioning septic systems) to print and mail an informative brochure entitled, “Save Our Septics,” to every SLV resident. Filled with information, and entertaining to read, the brochures were designed by VWC member, Nina Moore printed (at the discount) by Community Printers. We are grateful to Environmental Health for enabling it to be sent to every SLV resident.

Plan to help with the 29th Annual River & Road Clean-up, coming to Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, and Felton on Saturday, September 19th, from 9 to 3. The VWC, in conjunction with Save Our Shores, is county on volunteers to come help remove trash and recyclables from the River and Creeks, and from the roads along the River – before the rains come and wash the debris down the creeks and River to the Bay and Ocean. Volunteers of all ages are needed. Check out the VWC website for information, www.valleywomensclub.org, or call Nancy at 338-6578.

The Exchange Club of Scotts Valley

The Exchange Club of Scotts Valley is currently partnering with the SVPD with the D.A.R.E. Golf tournament Friday August 21st.

D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a curriculum that is taught to 5th grade students in the Scotts Valley School District. D.A.R.E. has a common objective of teaching students life lessons that they can use every day. These lessons include building self-esteem, learning assertiveness, managing stress, and reducing violence. D.A.R.E. lessons also include saying yes to positive alternatives and making decisions about behaviors, as well as resisting drugs, alcohol, gangs and other negative situations.

Community support of D.A.R.E. through our golf tournament is greatly appreciated and helps make Scotts Valley a safer place for our youth. Proceeds from this event also support our other juvenile programs such as Red Ribbon Week, the Junior Police Academy, etc.

The Exchange Club is in the planning stages of a trip to Estonia led by our favorite Exchange Club spouse and Estonian Piret Harmon!

The club meets the 4th Wednesday of the month at 5:30 at Bruno’s. All are welcome.

For information on any of these events, please call Chris at 462-3293