AV UNIFIED NEWS: A WIN FOR WYNNE
Dear Anderson Valley Community,
Another week of school zooms by and the warmer weather certainly is reminding us that graduation is around the corner. Please mark your calendars for these important dates.
Preschool District Office Lawn–May 22
The following events are all at the high school gym:
6th Grade Promotion–Tuesday, June 4
8th Grade–Wednesday, June 5
High School Graduation–Thursday, June 6
Measure M GroundBreaking–High School Oval–Thursday, June 6 at 12 noon
The big news of the week was the gargantuan task that technology manager Wynne Crisman accomplished, by himself, replacing all of the district phone hardware and software systems.
When Wynne first approached me about the idea a few months ago, which was definitely needed as often people could not reach the sites due to glitches in the decades old technology, I thought it was going to be a messy task. It was further compounded with the phone service carrier that said they could only perform the critical switch during a specific, not ideal time of 8:00 a.m., on a weekday morning! I was worried, we would be in a big old mess with a telephone company thousands of miles away unable to support our remote location. However, much to my delight and relief thanks to Wynne’s efforts, it went off without a hitch. I am super grateful to Wynne for his dedication and expertise in getting this done. One of the new features of the system is if a call is received on an extension and it is not picked up, the voicemail that is left can be sent to the person's computer. We also have a recorded message in English and Spanish for families to report absences on the absence line to ensure that parents can report a message without being required to call back.
Panthers were on the move this week! Many of the sixth graders were on their field trip to the Mendocino Woodlands with Ms. Cruz, and some high school students journeyed up to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival with Mr. Folz and Mr. Ballentine. They are enjoying two plays and several workshops. The big FFA plant sale is tomorrow. So be sure to stop by and get your starter plants!
Both sites have completed their State testing and we are appreciate Ms. Sweet and Ms. Ewing getting that done. Spring was definitely in the air with the chicks hatching in Ms. Mayne’s room and the beautiful bulb planters sprouting and growing rapidly in Ms. Soto’s room! Colorful art is hanging in the hallways and it is always great to see a student’s face light up when they realize you are looking at their creation!
Speaking of pride in work–be sure to visit the Elementary Open House on May 21 at 5:30 p.m. and the High School Exhibition from 3:30-6:00.
We thank you for your partnership as you continue to ensure your students attend school on time and ready to learn. We are in the home stretch, but we still have a “whole lotta learning to do!”
I would like to close with deepest gratitude to the staff for their on-going work and care for kids. We are celebrating staff appreciation next week, and while celebrating for one week everyone’s contribution is terrific, I want to recognize and express my deepest gratitude for the on-going commitment, energy, and investment our staff gives every day.
Sincerely yours,
Louise Simson, Superintendent
AV Unified School District
Proud of students and staff and special shout out to secretarial staff at school both sites
The staff has been working very hard to move attendance rates upward including a competition at the Junior Senior High. The attendance rates for the Junior/Senior High School from the period August 15, 2022 to May 12, 2023 was 89.90%. It has improved over the same period this year to 91.29%. The elementary site is improving as well with last year’s numbers at 89.53% and this year 91.60%. This is important as kids can’t learn if they aren’t here, and also as far as the average daily attendance funding.
A huge shout out to the secretarial staff that work those phones to get kids to school and to all of the district staff that go and pick up kids when they miss the bus.
We still have a long way to go to get to 98% daily, but this is a great improvement.
Your efforts are appreciated!
PS. Just a reminder that the free Naloxone (Narcan) training is tomorrow at the elementary school at 4:00 p.m. Anyone may attend.
Take care,
Louise Simson, Superintendent
AV Unified School District
39TH ANNUAL BOONTLING CLASSIC
The 39th Annual Boontling Classic 5K Footrace took place on Sunday, May 5, at the Anderson Valley Elementary School on a beautiful spring morning. Leading the incredible turnout of 167 runners and walkers-one of the largest Boontling Classics in the history of the event-was Harrison Frankl of Santa Rosa, with the fastest overall time of 16:47. Peggy Prendergast of San Carlos led the woman with a time of 23:23. First place ribbons were awarded to the following runners in each of their respective age divisions: Kaimana Ibrahim, Pele Esserman-Melville, Adolfo Vazquez, Harrison Frankl, Kenny Smith, Nathan Hill, Bernie Norvell, Tom Shaver, Rodger Schwartz, Ad Dawood, Ailyn Velasco, Leela Nasser-Gammet, Delancy Kidd, Shannon Foley, Sara Hill, Katy Zaugg, Peggy Prendergast, Rebecca McLean, and Gail Leland.
After the run, participants enjoyed the post-race drawing with prizes generously donated by local businesses. Special thanks to the following sponsors: Bee Hunter Wine, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, The Apple Farm, The Boonville Hotel, Paysanne Ice-Cream Parlor, Offspring Pizza, Navarro Store, Maggy Hawk Winery, Farmhouse Mercantile, Navarro Vineyards, Wickson Restaurant, Jan Wax & Chris Bing, Pennyroyal Farm, The Bohemian Chemist, Sun & Cricket, Lemon's Market, John Hanes Fine Art Gallery, Handley Cellars, Witching Stick Wines, Gowan's Heirloom Cider, Boonville General Store, Long Meadow Ranch, Disco Ranch, Brashley Vineyards, Filigreen Farm, Foursight Wines, Breggo Cellars, Lula Cellars, The Boonville Distillery, Philo Ridge Wines, Toulouse Vineyards, Meyer Family Cellars, Yorkville Cellars, Panthea Winery, Husch Vineyards, Mosswood Market, Anderson Valley Market, The Redwood Drive-in, Rossi's Hardware, Boontberry Farm, The Rock Stop, The Pot Shop, Scharffenberger Cellars, Domain Anderson, Roederer Estate, Twomey Wines, Lichen Estate, and Greenwood Ridge Vineyards. The AV Skatepark Project from the Anderson Valley High School printed the awesome t-shirts, and the paletas were supplied by Paleteria Corazón Purépecha in Ukiah!
Thank you to everyone who volunteered their Sunday morning to help make the race a success, especially Brenda Smith, Tatiana Bertsch, and Oscar Bautista. Special thanks goes to Flick and Jan for continuing to help make this race such a great community event.
This race was sponsored by North Coast Striders and we are grateful for additional resources and support provided by the Anderson Valley Lion's Club, Principal Thomas-Swett and the Anderson Valley Elementary School, and the Anderson Valley Historical Society.
See you at the Race next year!
BILL BRADD
William John Bradd was born on May 1, 1935, in Toronto, Canada, to Gerry and Elinore Bradd. Gerry was a professional hockey player and Elinore was a Mohawk Indian who passed away when Bill was a toddler. Because his father was often away for hockey games, Bill lived with his grandparents and uncles and learned early to be independent. Living on a farm on the Precambrian Shield in rural Northern Ontario shaped much of his early writing.
At age 22 he was in Toronto working at the Goodyear Tire Company factory. As comfortable as he was in a working-class environment, where he learned to love dancing and carousing, he also felt drawn to writing and began auditing classes at the University of Toronto. Two years later he moved to New York City and began a lifelong activity — organizing and giving poetry readings.
In 1965 he moved to Big Sur where he joined with followers of Gurdjieff, continued writing poetry, and winning a Canada Council grant for his work. He supported himself as a bartender. By 1972 he had moved to the Mendocino Coast where he created a literary and interview program called “Collage” on a local radio station. It was through this that he met a young radio assistant, Judy Sperling, who became his life companion for the next 47 years.
Bill continued to organize poetry readings and read in venues from Canada and New York, to San Francisco and throughout Northern California. His reading was extremely powerful, entertaining and impactful. He produced three iterations of North Coast “Poetry on the Radio” programs. His work with California Poets in the Schools inspired a generation of Northern California poets. Many poetry magazines published his work. Bill was an interviewer for the bicentential project Mendocino County Remembered, editor of The Mendocino Review and a co-founder and editor of the Ten Mile River Press, which received a National Endowment for the Arts grant.
Bill's excellence as a raconteur and storyteller is captured in three spoken word CDs. He published seven books of poetry including: Snuffling Sound, A Kingdom of Old Men, Dialogue of a Three-Cornered Hat and Continent of Ghosts. His memoir/novel Notebooks from the Emerald Triangle describes a slice of unique local history.
Through all his work, his love of the spoken word, and his irreverent, non-judgmental, and creative experimentation (e.g., “Avenue of Madness”), Bill was an inspiration for and companion to countless poets, artists and musicians in Canada and the United States.
He was an ace card player, a lifelong horse racing enthusiast, a lover of his own and others’ dogs and cats and reveled in his life along the Ten Mile River, canoeing and watching the wildlife.
He is survived by ex-wife, Victoria, daughter Michelle Ryan and the love of his life, Judy Sperling. His spirit survives in the rural Ontario farmland, in California coastal hills, valleys, bars and dance halls, in the Mendocino sunshine and fog and wherever the spoken word has importance in the human heart. His web site — https://billbradd.com/ — will stay up for 5 years and additional work will be posted periodically.
Bill passed into the realm of the spirit on April 9, 2024. May he Rest in Peace, Love, and Beauty.
(originally published in the AVA, with a few additions. — Duane BigEagle)
JOHN MARK
We deeply mourn the passing of John Mark, a long time resident of Yorkville, California. John died suddenly on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
John was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 10, 1946 to mother Virginia (Schnittmann) Mark and father John Mark Sr. He attended Steinmetz High School in Chicago. He moved to California in the late 1960’s after traveling across the country in a remodeled school bus and settled in Mendocino County.
He is survived by his first life partner, Julie Beardsley of Ukiah, CA and son Joshua Mark of Scott Bar and Ukiah, CA. He was preceded in death by his second life partner, Narda Vincent. John and Narda have two surviving sons, Bodhi Mark of Yorkville and San Francisco; Mabin Mark of Portland, Oregon; and Narda’s first son James Symkla, of North Carolina. Extended family include niece and nephew Dorian Vincent DePaul of Willits, Aeolian DePaul of Willits, brother-in-law Joseph Vincent of Korea, and Lena Orlando of Montara CA, sister to Joshua Mark, as well as numerous cousins.
John was a member of the Anderson Valley Grange #669 and was active in local community events. He raised sheep for many years and worked with many local ranchers up and down Highway 128 shearing each year. John was one of the first licensed cannabis farmers in Mendocino County. He was a licensed contractor, wine maker, and an avid pickleball player. John’s observations on life were often very funny, and he was always there to help his neighbors. His life was long and full of adventures. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. (Julie Beardsley)
MAX SCHLIENGER
Max Peter Schlienger passed from this earth on May 4, 2024 at the age of 96. He was born in McKees Rocks Pennsylvania on April 12, 1928 to Swiss immigrants Max A. and Luggi M. Schlienger. His siblings were sisters Ruthie and Helen. He joined the Navy as soon as he was of legal age, and served at the end of World War II and then again during the Korean war. After his time in the Navy he received a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Engineering from Penn State University. With his degree in hand, Max took a job at TMCA (Titanium Metals Corporation of America) in Henderson, Nevada. While in Henderson (as a sideline) Max opened up the first television shop in town, DoMax TV.
It was also in Henderson where Max met his future wife Joan Miller. Max met Joan at Lake Mead where Joan was a lifeguard. He would swim just beyond the buoys that bounded the swimming area forcing Joan to paddle out on a surf board and explain the rules. On one such occasion he asked her out, and the rest, as they say, is history. Max and Joan were married and moved to Pittsburgh when Max got a Job with Universal Cyclops Steel, a company that was just entering into the production of titanium.
While in Pittsburgh they had three children, Eric, Dana and Daryl. Soon after Daryl’s birth Max received an offer from Stauffer Chemical Corporation in Richmond CA to be Plant Manager and help them develop their titanium processing capabilities. Max, Joan and the kids moved to San Rafael California and settled in.
When Fansteel Corporation bought the Titanium Division of Stauffer Chemical and chose to consolidate operations in Muskogee Oaklahoma, Max and Joan decided they did not want to relocate and consequently founded Schlienger Engineering Company. Schlienger Engineering’s primary focus was on the design and production of equipment for the refining and processing of titanium. Being early in the use of titanium, titanium processing work was sometimes scarce and Max found other ways to use his many talents by creating and manufacturing such diverse items as: game tables for Bool, a game he invented, Instant Hot Water Heaters, Automatic Shoe Shine Machines and equipment for turning the original Golden Gate Bridge cable into coffee table memorabilia.
During this time Max developed and patented equipment that allowed clean processing (and reprocessing) of aerospace grade titanium. When the aerospace industry thought that the largely titanium SST (Super Sonic Transport, aka the “Concorde”) was to be the aircraft of the future, (and titanium production looked to be headed for explosive growth) he became the target of a hostile patent action by a large multi-national corporation.
Instead of capitulating, Max sold the majority ownership of Schlienger Engineering to Corning Glass Works (who were looking to expand into the titanium market) and the legal action evaporated. While Max was working under the Corning umbrella, he decided that he wished to return to being his own boss.
He and Joan nearly bought a winery, but instead they purchased Al Thrasher Equipment Corp in Ukiah Ca, renaming the company Retech. As Max was turning towards the production of Sawmill equipment (and plate flanges) the sonic boom of the Concorde caused it to be banned by congress with ultimately only three US airports allowing the aircraft. The sudden lack of demand for the Concorde resulted in huge change in the outlook for titanium and subsequently Corning offered to sell Schlienger Engineering back to Max and Joan on favorable terms.
Retech and Schlienger Engineering were consolidated in Ukiah under the Retech name and Max and Joan lived in Ukiah for the rest of their lives.
In 1995 Max was awarded the honor of National Small Businessperson of the Year and until that time was the only recipient to have been nominated by his employees. In 1996 Max was also appointed by Governor Pete Wilson to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board. Under Max’s leadership, the talented team at Retech developed: Single Crystal Casting Furnaces for aircraft turbine components, Plasma Melting Furnaces for melting and refining titanium and other high temperature alloys, Arc Saw for the rapid cutting of metals, VAR furnaces, Melt Spinning Furnaces for the production of material for NdFeB magnets and many others.
Through the course of his career, Max’s name appeared on 38 US patents. He was elected an ASM Fellow and received the 2012 Lifetime Achievement award from the International Titanium Association. Max served on the Advisory Board of The Leonard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education and endowed the Max and Joan Schlienger Graduate Scholarship in Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
Max spent his retirement enjoying the company of family and friends, growing grapes and developing his concept for a modern day atmospheric railway system. Max is survived by his three children Eric Schlienger, Dana Thelen and Daryl Henzl, 11 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. He will be forever missed.
The family wishes to express our heartfelt love and gratitude to Masi Valentine who cared for both Max and Joan. Masi’s loving heart and ever cheerful demeanor provided both Max and Joan with the ability to remain within the home they built together until their ultimate passings. A private memorial is planned; in lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be sent to Hospice of Ukiah.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Eversole Mortuary.
Be First to Comment