October 2020 Homestead Headlines

Volume 65, Issue 10 | October 2020

Download the Headlines here

October 2020 Community Center Calendar

Public meetings are cancelled until further notice due to the

shelter-at-home order.

6 | HVCA Board |

13 | HVLT Board |

20 | Firewise Committee |

27 | Sanitary District Board |

1st/3rd Wed. | Tam Design Review Board |

Saturdays | A. A. Meeting |

Wednesdays | Mill Valley Zen Meditation |
Fridays | SingDancePlay - Music Together |

Community Center Updates

Homestead Halloween

Out of ongoing concern for everyone's safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, our annual Homestead Halloween celebration has been regretfully cancelled this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released Halloween guidelines against high-risk activities like traditional trick-or-treating, haunted houses and costume parties, as well as hay and tractor rides, among other things. The federal agency is also clear on the need for social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing to continue.

We look forward to a "spook"tacular celebration with everyone next year!

Have a safe Halloween and Dia de los Muertos everyone!

Supervisor Dennis Rodoni

Homestead Valley Office Hours

Tuesday, October 20th

6:00-7:30 PM

Via Zoom

(We will share the Zoom link in a future email)

Come join Supervisor Rodoni,

for a casual

conversation about issues important to you!

For more information:

Rhonda Kutter

[email protected]

415.473.3246

Land Trust Notes

Goat Photo Contest Winner

By Marabeth Graham and Claudette Heisler

People of all ages from our community came to see 400 goats clear fire fuel from the Pixie slopes last month. Many took pictures and we chose this submission by Paola Giantura to remind us of how much fun it was to see the goats do their work.

This was the first time we've used goats as part of our fire fuel reduction efforts. Not only were they entertaining, but the goats were quite thorough in their consumption of vegetation right down to the ground. The Homestead Valley Land Trust is in the process of assessing the project for future use. Whatever is decided, we will always be glad the goats came to visit.

Past Cowboy Rock

Do you think of Homestead Valley as a cul-de-sac? It is pretty much one if, you are in a car, but not if you are on foot. This column and the next two are devoted to looking at our Land Trust open spaces as portals to other realms. One can walk from Stolte Grove to Muir Woods in under 45 minutes.

The Cowboy Rock Trail takes you to the famous Dipsea route where it crosses Edgewood. You can go left along Sequoia Valley Road to the newly named Walsh Drive through the Flying Y. A generous sidewalk is reserved for the Dipsea route, with a teak bench part way up. Across Panoramic the trail forks.

Keep on the Dipsea and you can descend to Muir Woods on a carefully crafted re-routing built by the youth conservation corps six years ago. It passes under old twisted oaks and down bay lined ravines. Take the right fork, and you can follow the grass-lined Sun Trail, marvelous views abounding, to the Tourist Club. To the right also is the start of the Panoramic Trail, or at least the connecting link to Ridge Ave.

Back at Sequoia Valley Road again, you can go right down the Dipsea Steps, and be in Old Mill Park and downtown in a very short time. Or, try straight ahead, out Edgewood Ave., which eventually becomes the venerable Pipeline Trail, which takes you the Mt. Home locale. Here there are many trails leading up the mountain, around the mountain, or down to Muir Woods on one hand and Cascade Canyon on the other.

Please consult a good trail map before setting out on any of these routes. Then you can anticipate odd jogs in the trail, and you can plan a circle trip or where to meet a ride back.

October 1987

These timeless articles are reprinted from "On Foot in Homestead A Hiker's Journal of a Coastal Valley," by Matthew Davis, 1988. Matthew Davis (1935-2015), a former HVLT Board member, wrote articles which appeared in the Homestead Headlines beginning in 1984. In 1988 Matthew compiled his columns into a book "On Foot in Homestead - A Hiker's Journal of a Coastal Valley," published by the HVLT.

Homestead Valley Vignettes by Chuck Oldenburg

Homestead School

Homestead School opened on January 13, 1908 with 50 first and second graders who had been attending the grammar school on Summit Ave. 28 boys and 18 girls aged 6 to 14 were categorized into five groups independent of age. Coral Coats, the only teacher, was paid $50/month. School ended on June 14, 1908. The second class began on August 3, 1908 with 78 first and second graders, 46 boys and 32 girls. They were categorized into seven groups. Coral Coats' salary had been increased to $75/month. School hours were 9 am to 2 pm, with a 20-minute recess in the morning. Lunch was noon to 1 pm. The daily program started out with opening exercises and music for 20 minutes, followed by phonics, number work, marching, reading, spelling, writing and drawing. In April 1909, 25 pupils transferred to the new Tamalpais Park School, surely a welcomed change for Coral Coats. School ended on June 9, 1909.

Homestead Valley & COVID-19

We hope this finds all our friends and neighbors healthy, happy and safe at home in these continuing turbulent times. As of this writing, the shelter-at-home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues. All public meetings and gatherings are cancelled indefinitely.

"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."

- Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Useful links:

HVCA contact information:

[email protected]

Marin County Coronavirus website:

coronavirus.marinhhs.org/

Marin Recovers

marinrecovers.com

Individuals may contact Marin Health and Human Services with non-medical questions about the coronavirus by calling (415) 473-7191 (Monday - Friday, 9:30 AM to 12 Noon and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM) or emailing [email protected].