UNITY CLUB NEWS
by Miriam Martinez
On June 6th the A.V. Unity Club installed the front allowing officers for the 2024-25 year:
President - Mary Ann Grzenda
Vice President - Val Muchowski
Vice President - Janet Lombard
Secretary - Ellen Fontaine
Treasurer - Jean Condon
Parliamentarian - Janet Lombard
These officers will serve one more year, then we will have new elections for the next 2 year term.
The Lending Library will be closed from last Saturday, the 15th of June, until the 25th. Great news! We will hold a "$5 a bag" Book Sale during the month of July.
Library hours are Tuesdays from 1 to 4 and Saturdays d from 12;30 to 2:30 except when the Fairgrounds are rented out for other functions. On July 23 the Library will close until October, because of Apple Fair preparations.
See you around the Valley. Have a safe and nourishing Summer.
THE GREAT BOONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL MAKEOVER IS ON!
Dear Anderson Valley Community,
Both sites were busy with construction this week. The elementary parking lot under the direction of Northwest Construction is looking good. The area has been reconfigured a bit, widening the drive lanes to make it safer. The striping and concrete blocks will finish the job.
We ran into an unexpected issue with the elementary floor and have had to test the mastic, which is the old glue from the decades-old tile installation to make sure that it is not asbestos. We will keep you updated as to next steps on that. There is no health issue as the material has not been disturbed, it just means we would need to build in a mitigation plan, if results are positive.
We continue to wait for DSA to respond to our elementary kitchen second round comments. We have put in a reminder email to them asking for a status update. As soon as a permit is received, it will go out to bid. I am grateful to all of the families that wrote to officials last year and to Congressman Huffman and his staff for the $500,000 federal award that was to be used for our septic. We had to do some negotiations with the USDA to allow it to be used for the high school kitchen remodel, as the septic had already been completed as it was an emergency health and safety hazard. We have been told this will be funded within the next two weeks, which is just incredible. The funds will augment the elementary kitchen budget.
The transformation at the high school was rather magical this week with the entire library wing gutted and the asbestos abatement well underway. Friday, the science rooms were stripped and the abatement will start there at the beginning of the week. Additionally, the concrete walkways around the back of the high school wing were completely demolished in preparation for the new walkways and patios. Exciting times.
The interior bathrooms in the office building are yet to be demolished, but should be underway by next week. I wish to thank Casey Cupples for running such an organized and efficient job. No time was lost with the subs running in quick succession to get things done. We are looking forward to a productive summer. My understanding is the windows will be installed in July. The reconstruction and finish work will commence as soon as abatement work is completed.
The DSA track comments are being responded to by our civil engineer and architect and the plan should be resubmitted to DSA next week. Hopefully, we can get that out to bid within six weeks. The high school gym seismic project phase 2 drawings are well underway and have to go to an estimator. Once we receive the cost estimate to retrofit, we resubmit to DSA to have a determination made as to whether it is a retrofit or a replacement eligibility. That cost would be funded by the state. I am confident that the cost will exceed a replacement valuation. My hope is that a new gym would be constructed over the new track so that students could concurrently use the old gym until construction is completed. This is a process that will take two years to move through and you just have to work the system.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Board of Trustees for their support. I cannot express my gratitude enough for the leadership of Richard Browning, Saoirse Byrne, Erika Gatlin, Justin Rhoades, and Linnea Totten. Serving on a school board in some districts is one of the most contentious and thankless jobs. Anderson Valley is lucky to have such a steady and thoughtful governance team. Their ability to work together and do the right thing for kids is truly remarkable. I am grateful to them for their time and care.
Please remember, if you signed your student up for elementary summer school or a high school credit recovery class to please make sure they attend. High school is being held in the outbuilding at the elementary school that was formally the Family Resource Center. There is no summer school for middle school.
A couple of reminders from Coach Toohey to make sure that your student has their required sports physical and starts practice on time. The clinic is happy to schedule an appointment over the summer, even if your current physical has not yet expired. Don’t wait because your student will be out of practice and play if they have an expired physical. Coach also wants to reiterate that sport reporting dates are August 12th, with the exception of football that will start July 29th! Please make sure you are here, or you may not be eligible.
A reminder that all vaccinations are required for TK amd K and those transitional vaccination grades. This comes up as an audit finding for us if we have admitted students that don’t have their vaccinations. The rules are strict from the state. Your students’ attendance can be affected by not having those vaccinations in place. Please make sure you have done so.
I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
Jobs in progress:
High school science labs and elementary parking lot!
Louise Simson, Superintendent
AV Unified School District
HERE THEY ARE!
Portables arrived, parking lot finished and demo in the office
HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR THE AV HIGH SCHOOL WEIGHT ROOM AND GET FIT!
There will be access to the weight room 8 hours a week for 7 weeks for adults this summer for $50 that will support the maintenance and improvement of the weight room equipment. There is a required training on equipment for $20 before access to the weight room Providing supervision coverage in the weight room weekly can be offered in exchange for tuition. Text or call Donna for more information or if you’re interested in doing supervision of the weight room in exchange for tuition 707 684-0325
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A GREAT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY?
Martha Crawford will be working with small groups of students in the summer school program to design and make mosaic tile covered trash and recycling cans for the Community Park. It would be an opportunity for you to use your artistic and creative talents along with helping the students in a fun activity. The program starts 6/25 and takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon for 4 weeks. If you'd like to participate a little or a lot, just let Donna Pierson-Pugh know at 707 684-0325 and thanks for considering helping with this project!
Anderson Valley Village
PO Box 576
Boonville, CA 95415-0576
AV SKATEPARK PROJECT
First week of summer break and… there's not much to do. AV teens are wishing we had a skatepark!!
Luckily we're getting closer and closer to making it happen. Right now:
- The wonderful folks over at Frontier Skateparks are finishing up the technical construction documents.
- Our wonderful civil engineer Tyler Pearson at Cornerstone Civil Design is completing the final drainage plan design to fix the park's drainage problems and also deal with skatepark runoff.
- And our wonderful architect Alex Korn will be updating our site plan and submitting our permitting application in August (!).
We have $370,000 raised towards our goal and are working with folks in the community to hone the scope and budget for our project. Thanks for staying tuned.
NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL FROM CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED WRITER
(March 18, 2024) Publishing this May, My Fairy Godfather underscores what many parents know and what new-to-parenting guardians may quickly discover: that lying beneath the façade of teenage cynicism is the profound desire to be understood and loved. Reeling from the death of her parents in a car crash, teenage Billie travels over the rainbow and under tangled concrete overpasses from her native Austin, Texas to the improbably named town of Liberal, Kansas. Her plan is to live with her godfather, Adam, a lonely gay film geek stuck inside a jock’s body. Adam and his partner Steven run the Starlite, a movie theater and safe haven for their eccentricities and artistic yearnings.
Liberal, the adopted home of Oz’s Dorothy, is also home to small-town intolerance. But Billie is still able to find kindred spirits: Clara — a goth, lesbian Dorothy impersonator who’s used to being an outsider — and Dylan — a teen who finds himself caught between his old allegiance to rigid cliques and his magnetic attraction to this new girl who rocks Frida Kahlo tees and cowboy boots.
It’s the story of grief, love, friendship, compromise, support, acceptance, and finding the path to one’s true self.
About The Author:
Robert Mailer Anderson is a San Francisco-based writer, producer, and activist. Among other honors, he is a San Francisco Library Laureate. His other works include the novel Boonville and the graphic novel Windows on the World, as well as a play entitled The Death of Teddy Ballgame. He also cowrote the films Pig Hunt and Windows on the World.
About The Artist:
Jon Sack is a US- and UK-based artist and writer. He graduated with an MFA from Goldsmiths College in 2006, and his work has been published and covered internationally. His comic books include La Lucha, which is about violence in Juárez and the lawyers working to combat it, and Iraqi Oil for Beginners, about the complicated history of oil in Iraq.
To learn more: www.jonsack.com
Publisher: Fantagraphics Underground; First edition (May 21,2024)
Paperback: 144 pages
ISBN-10: 1683969804
ISBN-13: 978-1683969808
Books available nationwide at bookstores and online.
What inspired the book?
The genesis of My Fairy Godfather character traces back to the birth of my niece, Audrey, and the unique familial dynamics that unfolded within my own family. Reflecting on the hypothetical scenario of Audrey being orphaned and raised by her godfather, a manager at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, sparked the initial concept for my book. Drawing from personal experiences and observations, I envisioned an alternate life path for Audrey, exploring themes of family, tragedy, and resilience.
How did you choose the setting of the book?
The choice of setting for my book was a deliberate reflection of what I perceived as a microcosm of America, representing a significant portion of its cultural and social fabric. After careful consideration, I stumbled upon Liberal, Kansas, despite its paradoxical name not aligning with typical liberal ideologies. However, the town's connection to Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, alongside its vibrant Dorothy theme park and festival, intrigued me. With the LGBTQ+ community’s long standing reverance to the legacy of Judy Garland, I felt compelled to situate my narrative within this unique backdrop.
How did you create the character Billy?
The creation of the main character, Billy, was a multifaceted process influenced by various aspects of my life and relationships. Initially inspired by my niece Audrey, and as a father of teenage daughters, my emotional investment in the character stemmed from contemplating their hypothetical experiences if they were ever separated from me. Billy exudes an alternative vibe, reflecting the aesthetic I observed in my daughters and their friends.
It’s interesting that music and film are an intricate part of your story. How did you come to that?
The rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, a meaningful anthem within the LGBTQ+ community, has been sung by my daughters for years, and organically became a cornerstone in shaping Billy's identity. This mix of musical influence and personal observation, alongside a nod to the Molly Ringwald-esque thrift store style, seamlessly integrates into the vibrant backdrop of Austin, a city known for its boot-clad coolness and eclectic charm. As someone immersed in the music scene, from leading successful campaigns for cultural institutions like the SF Jazz Center to producing acclaimed jazz albums, music isn't just a passion—it's a guiding force for Billy's character.
What was it like writing a graphic novel after you success with your novel Boonville?
Novels are probably the toughest. It's a solitary road until you've got an editor, just you and the words grinding away. I'm all about those digressions that build a whole universe, but they don't exactly fit the A, B, C of a screenplay. Comics are in this sweet spot between writing a novel and making a movie. I really enjoyed woking with Jon, my illustrator.
Who is this book for?
This book is written for the moviegoers at the Castro Theater, a historic venue in San Francisco known for showcasing retro films with LGBTQ+ themes. It's dedicated to those who found solace in the darkness of the theater and emerged into the light with a new perspective. While it's intended for older audiences who lived through those experiences, it's also suitable for precocious 16-year-olds and up. The goal is to break down stereotypes and portray people as individuals, transcending conventional themes to focus on authentic storytelling.
The book explores identity and includes a lot of outsiders. Why is that important to you?
I'm really fascinated by how society labels people and how that can clash with their true selves. Like in Windows on the World, the main character's Mexican identity suddenly becomes a big deal when he crosses the border, even though he never saw it that way before. And in My Fairy Godfather, Adam's whole identity gets overshadowed by his sexuality, which isn't fair. It's something I've noticed in my own life too—I can define myself more freely than some of my characters. These conflicts and complexities, like intimacy issues, are what I love exploring in my writing, sparking conversations about how we portray people in stories.
Be First to Comment