Volume 63, Issue 7 | September 2018   
  Download the Headlines here 
September 2018 Community Center Calendar
 
  4 | HVCA Board | 7:00 PM
  7 | Kids Night Out | 5:00-9:00 PM
11 | HVLT Board | 7:30 PM
14 | Supervisor Dennis Rodoni - Office Hours | 2:00-4:00 PM
18 | Firewise Committee | 7:00 PM
18 | Music Festival Committee | 7:00 PM
20 | CSA-14 Advisory Committee | 5:00 PM
20 | Tam Design Review | 7:00 PM
21 | Kids Night Out | 5:00-9:00 PM
22 | Firewise Community Meeting | 3:00-5:00 PM
25 | Sanitary Board | 7:30 PM
1st/3rd Wed. | Tam Design Review Board | 7:00 PM (Log Cabin, Tam Valley)
Saturdays     | A. A. Meeting | 10:00 AM
Wednesdays  | Mill Valley Zen Meditation | 7:00 PM
 Fridays         | Music Together | 10:30 AM
4th Friday     | Hu Chanting Group | 7:15 PM
 
Save the Date
 
October 31 | Homestead Halloween | 4:00-5:30 PM

"Who Dat?"
Homestead Valley Music Festival - Another Beautiful Day in the Meadow!

By Alex Scalisi,  Festival Co-Chair

The 2018 Homestead Valley Music Festival returned on Saturday, August 25th for the 11th year of amplified music in the meadow at the Community Center.  This year brought a New Orleans style theme to the Valley with music, food and crafts centered around the "Big Easy".  The weather cooperated nicely as the crowd estimated to be just over 900 adults and children enjoyed beautiful sunny skies.  Continuing with our tradition from previous years, we were once again "OFF THE GRID" as local Evergreen Street resident Darren Malvin, not only continued to be one of our major sponsors (THANK YOU AMERICAN SOLAR) , but also powered the entire event from his SOLAR POWERED HOME!

The festival opened with our annual "Youth Showcase" featuring local youth performers, Footsteps followed by the King Street Giants, who brought the crowd to their feet by leading a traditional "Second Line" parade down the stage, through the meadow, up to the parking lot and back down to the stage once again to finish their set. 

Next up was San Francisco 'Rock and Soul' band, Shantytown , who brought their mix of originals and traditional covers with booming vocals and tight interplay.  Following Shantytown, Homestead Valley's own, Jonathan Korty closed the event with the Uptown Rulers including members of the California Honeydrops, who had previously performed at the music festival and who now tour extensively around the world and recently opened up for Bonnie Raitt.

Lots of food, beverages and fun accompanied the musical offerings.  They included our friends from The Pig in the Pickle, (best BBQ in the Bay) and an incredible variety of homemade baked products by a host of Homestead residents and overseen by Mia Wyman.  Also once again, we were thrilled to provide snow cones thanks to Homestead resident Charity Smart and team including Jeremy Cowan helping with soft drinks.
Lisa 's Bar in the Meadow,  run by Homestead resident Lisa Santos and team, once again poured ice cold Lagunitas  IPA (one of our major sponsors), a nice selection of wines and for the second time margaritas! A KIDS KORNER  was created by Summer Shapiro including make your own New Orleans style parasols that the kids loved.  Also for the first time, we were thrilled to offer a Homestead Valley Music Festival merchandise table, selling a great variety of hats, stickers and cups all with our great logo created by David Rush and inspired by neighborhood favorite Cinnamon who we all miss very much.
Additionally, we could never pull this off without the many fine volunteers we had working on everything from food, wine/beer, set up/clean up, etc.  We thank them wholeheartedly and they are (in no particular order...!) as follows:  Ron Shalhoup (music),  Bob Westbrook  (MC), Ashley MacDonald (everything), David Rush (art and promotion), Matt Thomas (communications),  Margaret Harding (attendance and volunteers) and Patrick Wyman (parking and traffic).

Additionally we would like to thank the following day of volunteers:  Diana Flasher, Maxine and Nejat Flasher-Duzgune, Leslie Dixon, Rachel Carlin, Diana, Scott and Mattie Greenstone, Mike Scurich, Alan Cowan, Mary Walsh, Lindsey Tucker, Helena Chaye, Jonny Alper, Chris Heeler, Susan Burns, Rachel Hunter, Sean Pakenham, Rick Stern, Stephen Morse, Danny Scuderi, Anne, Bill and Henry Perrine, Chandi Hempala, Kathleen Hazelton-Leech, Grace Westbrook, Marcy and Vanessa Rush, Ada Holmes-Hidalgo, Julie Ogawa, Jennifer Coyne, Kimberly Hansen, Marabeth Grahame, Elvin MacDonald, and Lindsay, Jack and Anastasia Scalisi.

AND, of course, let's not forget the ongoing efforts of David Ross at HVCA for his continuing support.

 We 'd also like to give HUGE thanks to the generous sponsors that made the festival possible. They are: PREMIER SPONSORS Postmates, American Solar MAJOR SPONSORS: Mill Valley Dentistry, Alpha Dog, Malugani Tire Center, Marin Horizon School community for the generous donation, wrist branders and parking; Lagunitas  Brewing Company for a veritable truckload of beer, and Good Earth for their donation and day of participation. BIG thanks go to Mill Valley Refuse for their support and donation to the festival.

LASTLY - We would like to thank all of those who made GENEROUS gate donations this year.  Without you, WE COULD NOT PUT ON THIS FANTASTIC COMMUNITY EVENT!! 

Thanks again to all who made this such a success and please let us know if you'd like to volunteer for next year's event.  Mark your calendars for next year --Saturday, August 24th 2019!!  See you there!
Reed Creek Flood Control
Reed Creek Property Owners Support Needed

Marin County Flood Control & Water Conservation District Flood Control Zone 3 (Zone 3) has provided annual vegetation maintenance to property owners along Reed Creek in Homestead Valley for decades.
The work is crucial for maintaining a healthy creek channel that can handle heightened water flows during storm events, thereby minimizing the risks of flooding in Homestead Valley. The maintenance also helps to preserve the natural resources in the watershed and the surrounding ecosystem by managing non-native and invasive plant species.

However, this important work has become increasingly challenging as Zone 3 does not have easements or property ownership on or along Reed Creek. The majority of the maintenance work requires Zone 3 to have access to private properties along Reed Creek. For this to happen, property owners need to give written permission for Zone 3 workers to reach the creek area.

Every year Zone 3 staff sends letters to obtain Rights Of Entry from 88 property owners along the creek. But the process of obtaining authorization to do the maintenance work on private property is reaching infeasible levels. For example, of the 88 letters sent last year, only 48 approvals were received.

Without an increase in community support, the Zone 3 maintenance program may phase out in the Reed Creek area. In accordance with Marin County Code 11.08.020, this potential outcome would mean that the property owners along Reed Creek would be solely responsible for maintaining the section of creek that runs through their private property.

Reed Creek property owners will be receiving this year's Right of Entry letter soon. Please make sure to reply as quickly as possible.

Thanks Homestead Valley Community Association (HVCA) for providing space for this important information.

Zone 3 Staff
Marin County Flood Control & Water Conservation District Flood Control
New Class Offering Beginning September 12th
Funderblast News
Summer Wrap Up! 

Camp Funderblast is so grateful to have completed an epic fourth summer at Homestead Valley Community Center! We had a tremendous amount of new families who were so excited to join us for the first time. Lots of happy kids singing, playing, swimming, getting creative and making new friends. Even though the Community Center faced some physical challenges - Funderblast stayed strong, our kids and staff remained resilient, adaptable and happy! 

We shifted our Counselor-In-Training Program for entering 8th-10th graders - "Expanderblast" and had a stronger focus on leadership training, we also encouraged and allowed these kids to step up and lead more activities, learning what it means to have greater responsibility.
 
Some highlights from summer were of course our improv staff skits, which if you've ever happened by during morning assembly then you know not only the kids enjoy, but staff and parents too!! We are grateful to the Homestead Community for continued support and love and look forward to more adventures ahead! 
After School Camp and Kids Night Out!  

Camp Funderblast is having such a great time at the Community Center we are sticking around all year long! We have revamped our After School Camp Program and are now offering pick up from Old Mill, Edna Maguire, Park School, Tam Valley and Marin Horizon School!! Camp is open Mondays through Thursdays from 2pm-6pm. Don't need the ride - you can drop your kids off! To learn more and register visit www.Funderblast.com 
 
We are also, continuing to offer Kids Night Out two Fridays/month from 5pm-9pm for $40/child. It includes dinner, games, hide & seek, art and a movie.  We will also be offering care during Mill Valley Public Schools - back to school night on September 13th from 5pm-9pm.  
 
Drop in at any one of our events to feel the Funderblast magic and love! We look forward to seeing you soon!!
 
~Veronica, Summer, Louie the Lightning Bolt of Love, and the Camp Team! 
Homestead Valley Vignettes by Chuck Oldenburg
4-H Valley Riders

In 1952, a group of teenage horse lovers founded a club, the 4-H Valley Riders. They fixed up buildings on the historic, non-operative and rundown Hillside Dairy on Sequoia Valley Road. They turned it into a horse ranch with a makeshift boarding facility, corral, horsering and club headquarters. It would later become the Diamond 4-H Ranch and then the Flying Y Horse Ranch. Each of the original 28 members, 16 years of age or younger, had his own horse. On Saturdays they drilled at Tam High under the direction of Norman Powell, a former rodeo star. They also competed with other clubs in Play Days, now called Gymkhanas, and horse shows at Tam High and other Marin venues. They often rode up to Lake Lagunitas for Trail Rides and Tests. When not competing they often rode to Muir Beach and on many Mt. Tam trails.
Firewise News
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