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September 2020 Community Center Calendar
Public meetings are cancelled until further notice due to the
shelter-at-home order.
1 | HVCA Board |
8 | HVLT Board |
15 | Firewise Committee |
22 | Sanitary District Board |
1st/3rd Wed. | Tam Design Review Board |
Saturdays | A. A. Meeting |
Wednesdays | Mill Valley Zen Meditation |
Fridays | SingDancePlay - Music Together |
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HVCA Wants You!
The Homestead Valley Community Association (HVCA) Board of Directors has two seats available for enthusiastic, mission oriented people. The HVCA Board is composed of 15 volunteer members from our community. Serving on the HVCA Board of Directors is a great way to be more involved in your community and help shape the direction of the HVCA for the future. Board Members are asked to attend monthly meetings (first Tuesday night of the month - the public is invited!) and to participate in at least one Committee that provides direction for services like the pool, vision for the meadow, events (4th of July, Halloween, Music Festival, etc.), communication, finance and other critical elements of running the HVCA. Do you have ideas on how to engage our community, do you want to get to know your community better, do you have particular expertise that you want to share with HVCA (e.g., finance, marketing, property improvements/maintenance).
If you are interested in a Board seat, please contact David Ross, Executive Director of HVCA, at david@homesteadvalley.org. David can put you in touch with any board member to learn more.
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Election Day Is Coming!
Election Day is coming and it has been extended with early voting! Polling places will be open for four days - October 31 through November 3 in Marin County. Homestead Valley's polling place at the Community Center will be open October 31, November 1, and November 2 for eight hours each day. Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd hours will be 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM.
Voters needing to go to their assigned polling place for a replacement ballot, to register and vote, or to vote on an accessible marking device are advised to go those days before Election Day to avoid lines. Masks and social distancing protocols will be required at all polling places and a limited number of people at any one time will be allowed in the polling place for the safety and protection of poll workers and other voters.
Additionally, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health and well-being of poll workers and voters, every active registered voter in California will automatically receive a ballot in the mail. Registered voters should have received a postcard in the mail giving them an opportunity to update their signature on file with the elections Department.
- Ballots will be mailed 29 days before the election. All active registered voters automatically will be sent a ballot in the mail starting October 5. Ballots will be treated as first-class mail. Call (415) 473-6456 if your ballot does not arrive by October 13.
- Ballot return envelopes have pre-paid postage and will be treated as first class mail. Envelopes must be postmarked by November 3. The U.S. Postal Service encourages voters to mail their ballot at least seven days before Election Day.
- The election mail logo on ballot envelopes helps postal workers quickly identify them.
- Voters have the option to return their ballot at any polling place beginning three days before the election, anywhere in the state.
Voters can help to ensure a smooth election and reduce lines at polling places by:
- Voting by mail. This will be the safest way to vote during this pandemic and avoid lines at polling places.
- Registering to vote now or checking registration status so their ballot is mailed on October 5.
- Sending the voted ballot back as early as possible, allowing someone they know and trust to return the ballot, or using one of the secure drop boxes throughout the county. Ballot drop boxes will be available starting October 6 and a location list will be posted at marinvotes.org.
- Signing up for ballot tracking service at BallotTrax to receive automatic email, text, or voice call notifications about ballot status.
Remember, in California election departments can process your returned ballot before Election Day, which helps us to produce final results faster after Election Day. Signature verification on vote-by-mail ballot envelopes takes time to ensure security and accuracy. Dropping off your return ballot on Election Day requires time to count and process your ballot, delaying certified results.
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Fall Deer
Trees and rocks, grass and flowers, and the trails to reach them. These are what come to mind when I think of our open space lands. A recent hike up the south side and across the valley head to Cowboy Rock impressed me with another feature.
Still in the woods, my dog got a large creature moving; I could hear the bounding of a deer. Out in the open, I was about to head uphill. A doe had been coming down towards us. She studied me a few seconds, her head above the bushes, ears catching every nuance of sound.
Crossing the top of a gully, I saw a large rack sticking above the brush further down, or was it just some old snags above the greenery? No, branches would not be turning with our progress. The buck soon moved out of sight.
It's that time of year when tender green food is scarce on the higher slopes of the mountain. Here in the valley are all our well-watered yards. But the deer are more than garden raiders; they are our fellow residents.
Rutting season is nigh, so chances of seeing deer in the upper valley meadows are good for the next couple of months. I saw or heard five on this one outing.
September 1984
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.
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See Your Photo Published in The Homestead Headlines!!!
We are pleased that so many of you came out to enjoy our very successful goat rodeo. We noticed lots of people taking photos and would like to invite you to send in your favorite. We'll pick one or two to highlight in our October or November edition.
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The Port
On June 28, 1963 a fire in the Jolly Stores building at 393 Miller Ave. completely destroyed the Jolly Market, Jolly Liquors, Jolly Coffee Shop and Marion Electric. The owner of the building announced that a supermarket would be a tenant as quickly as possible. Food King supermarket opened in 1964, and Jolly Liquors became Jolly King Liquors. In 1968, Top Hat Market formerly in the Quonsets (today, Whole Foods) replaced Food King. It didn't last very long. In 1970 the owner of the building designed the interior of the building to resemble a port of call. "The Port" had an eclectic assortment of about 20 tenants in a "funky" environment. Small shops sold such items as macramé plant holders, patchouli oil, peasant blouses, roman-style sandals and jewelry. Among the shops were Candles of Marin, Hi Ho Silver Co., Knits & Knots, Nature's Way, Peaches & Cream, Stitch Witch and Sundance Leathers. The Port was not perceived to be very welcoming, in part owing to the rather dark and maze-like interior. Many businesses moved out. In 1975, the interior of the building was remodeled mainly for office space. "The Port" name was dropped. Mama's Royal Café, a popular breakfast and lunch spot, and Jolly King Liquors survived the transition from "The Port."
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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.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do much."
- Helen Keller
Useful links:
HVCA contact information:
Marin County Coronavirus website:
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 COVID-19@marincounty.org.
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Community Center Office
David Ross, Executive Director
415.388.0137
Community Association
Ashley MacDonald, Vice-President
Land Trust
Brian Spring, President
415.497.2880
Firewise
Mark Stahl
415.519.7525
Sanitary District
Bonner Beuhler, Manager
415.388.4796
Stolte Grove Rentals
Sheila Nielsen
415.388.2162
Joint Marin Horizon School/Homestead Valley Committee
Christina Oldenburg, Co-Chair
415.388.9315
Bill Perrine, Co-Chair
415.388.8408 x225
E-Mail HVCA Board, Center & Headlines
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