AV UNIFIED NEWS
Dear Anderson Valley Community,
We had a great 4-day week! Thank you to all the parents, students, and staff who attended Thursday night’s DELAC meeting. It was wonderful to enjoy a pizza meal and to talk and work together.
District Updates…
Students, staff, parents, and community members joined us Thursday night at AVES to learn about AVUSD’s programs and supports for all students and to provide input. Additionally, supports pertaining to immigration enforcement and student privacy were shared and discussed.
A highlight of the meeting was a spirited discussion about the ways AVUSD supports students when they struggle with academics, behavior or social-emotional needs. Students and parents shared thoughts and ideas; we are excited to integrate this input into our plans, going forward. We are deeply grateful for the authentic collaboration, much of which was inspired by the thoughtful input of high school students Cinthia Garcia-Parra, Lupe Arias-Pena, and Joanna perez-Medina, who attended the meeting. Many thanks, also, to Cora Hubbert, Deleh Mayne, Nat Corey-Moran, Dave Ramalia, and Heath McNerney for taking part in this event.
Stay tuned! Exciting things are coming, including enhanced academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports to help all our students succeed.
Construction
It has been a while since I shared a construction update! Here is a snapshot of what’s happening on our campuses with construction:
- The main wing of AVHS has been completed and students are enjoying the new library and classrooms.
- The science rooms at AV Jr/Sr High are in progress; construction has been delayed by the need for additional moisture testing. The rooms will be completed shortly after Spring Break. We will be doing a ribbon cutting for the main wing and science rooms when everything has been completed. Stay tuned!
- The Jr/Sr High School Gym is still under consideration by OPSC for funding for either replacement or renovation. The district is hoping for full funding and should have information from OPSC about the total amount of funding soon.
- The Jr/Sr High School Track Project will be going back out to bid soon, after the scope has been adjusted. We are hopeful that the bids will come in under budget this time!
- The AV Elementary School Kitchen will be renovated during the summer and the early fall. We are excited about new kitchen facilities!
We Value ALL Our Families: Immigration Support and Updates
Please find links to additional information for families below:
- Mendocino County Office of Education: Immigration Resource Page
- Immigration and California Families: State Immigration Website
- National Immigration Law Center: “Know Your Rights”
If you would like to be more involved at school, please contact your school’s principal, Mr. Ramalia at AVES or Mr. McNerney at AV Jr/Sr High, or our district superintendent, Kristin Larson Balliet. We are deeply grateful for our AVUSD families.
With respect,
Kristin Larson Balliet
Superintendent
AV Unified School District
klarson@avpanthers.org
BOONT TRIBE COMMUNITY SCHOOL:
Okay Anderson Valley…now that we can see clearly after Valentine’s Day and the White Wine Festival….let make fun plans for ourselves this weekend!!! Delicious food, delectable wine, and a truly fun and educational painting experience!!!
Our Paint and Sip nights are fundraiser for a local nonprofit! We are a “two room school house”. An alternative to both homeschool and public school. Your ticket helps a student come to school! All proceeds go toward our scholarship fund! For the first time in a couple years, we were able to give all families a scholarship who applied! Thanks to nights like these and community members like you!
This event is this Saturday night!! February 22nd at 6pm. Dinner is a seafood (calamari, salmon and shrimp) and mixed veggie rice bowl. For dessert there will be a variety of tea cakes in a jar. This delicious dinner will be paired with Weatherborne’s Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir. Once were all done with dinner, we will paint a pixelated masterpiece, either on canvas or glass. Using something as simple as squares of color to create an image will be a lesson in color mixing and depth perception! Come learn and enjoy art!!
Tickets are $75 and that includes everything!! Wine, food and art supplies!!! Contact Seasha at boonttribe@gmailil.com if you would like to attend! We still have some tickets available!
REPORT FROM A SMALL FARM IN BOONVILLE
Hi friends,
The weather's been erratic to say the least. After a completely dry January (our formerly rainiest month) we're making up for it this month. Looking forward at the ten day forecast it seems as though spring is coming which means all the stone fruits will bud out after the rain we just had. Let's hope it stays spring or a lot of buds will die.
Speaking of which, Oreo, our breeder male yak, died last weekend in the lower field. Juan found him on Monday. There was no sign of struggle and we hope he just keeled over with a heart attack. He was 18 years old and yaks can live for 20 or more. His mate, Kayak, is alone now and although we gave her the opportunity to join her children, five of whom graze in another field across the farm, she refused by jumping several fences several times to return to her old field. She must have become confused (or adventuresome) one afternoon because when I was putting the chickens to bed at dusk, I found her standing in our driveway in front of the house. That means she crossed the cattle guard to get there! It took a bit of cajoling and hypertension on our parts to keep her from heading down to the highway. We called Juan to come help and managed to get her into the swale area where some of the chickens live and the fences are good. Next morning, to block her, Juan moved two vehicles onto the driveway leading down to the road and let her out to walk back across the cattle guard (which she does easily!) and from there she immediately headed to her old field. She's now there alone. And all this time we thought cattle guards kept bovines from wandering and that yaks were herd animals.
There's little else to report. We are in cleanup and prep mode…pruning, grafting, seeding, sowing, and moving plantings, and, in the kitchen, jamming up all the cambros of frozen fruit saved from last year. Of course we are also keeping up with the news which has our country taking a flying leap from high places into the void. Face plants (the only kind of planting these folks do) are coming for the evil doers but first a lot of undeserving folks are being badly hurt. Hard to stomach. We do our best to support those fighting the evil and we're sure you do too.
Stay well, Nikki Auschnitt and Steve Krieg
Boonville
Petit Teton Farm, February 2025
Fresh now: Turmeric, chard, kale, broccolini, herbs, mizuna mustard
All the preserved foods from jams to pickles, soups to hot sauces, made from everything we grow.
We sell frozen USDA beef and pork from perfectly raised pigs and cows.
Squab is also available at times.
Contact us for what's in stock at 707.684.4146 or farmer@petitteton.com.
Open Mon-Sat 9-4:30, Sun 12-4:30.
18601 Hwy 128 - Mile Marker 33.39
UNITY CLUB NEWS
February is a short month, so I have to let you know that the Unity Club will meet at 1:30 on March the 6th, in the Dining Room. Our Mendocino County Sheriff, Matt Kendall will present a program on the state of the County's Law Enforcement, and when will we see a new Resident Deputy in Anderson Valley. Our hostess crew of Grace Espinosa, Beverly Dutra and Terry Sites, will bring us tasty food and beverages. Jot down some questions to ask Sheriff Kendall while we have him here for an encore.
Are you interested in helping Liz during the April 3rd Meeting? It would be kind of you to lend a hand. I volunteer to make the coffee and bring tea + half & half.
Our Annual Wildflower Show is fast approaching. It will be held May 3rd and 4th, with the Elementary school students viewing on the 5rh of May.
Bring some Silent Auction items for Jean to the April 3rd Meeting. We will be discussing ideas and have sign up sheets at the March 6th Meeting as well.
Our Lending Library will be open every Tuesday from 1 to 4, and every Saturday, when the Fairgrounds are not being rented out for a function, from 12:30 to 2:30. There are new titles to check out and many books for adoption; only $1 for hardbound; paperbacks are 2 for $1.
I'll be seeing you next week: Thursday, March 6th at 1:30 in the Dining Room, Fairgrounds.
Miriam Martinez
THE UNITY CLUB
The first Unity Club was formed in New York in 1868. 21 years later they joined with similar clubs in other states to form a Federation subsequently known as the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC). According to their brochure, they deal with legislative issues such as violence against women, child labor, health care, human rights and automobile safety. They also claim to be responsible for the establishment of 75% of America’s public libraries. Nationwide, the Club boasts 168,400 local club projects. Locally, our Unity Clubbers are responsible for the popular annual Wildflower Show, the Community Library, annual high school graduate scholarships, and a variety of other community-bolstering activities.
ANTIQUE EVALUATION WITH BRIAN WITHERELL
(22 Years With Antiques Roadshow)
Sunday, March 16, 2025
10am-2pm
Anderson Valley Museum
$5/Item for AV Historical Society members
$8/Item for non-members (3 items per person)
Hosted by The Anderson Valley Village & The AV Historical Society
Proceeds benefit the AV Historical Society
Do you have a family heirloom or treasured collectible that you’d like more info about? Curious about where it might have come from and what its value might be?
Come join us for a local “Roadshow” experience.
Hear the Stories, find out what your “treasure” is worth and enjoy Crunchy Snacks.
Brian and his associate Adam Anapolsky, will provide an informative, enjoyable experience in a wide range of categories including jewelry, coins, watches, fine art, comic books, sports memorabilia, advertising, historical memorabilia, collector cards, militaria, antique firearms, weapons, Native American, silver, sculpture, furniture and decorative arts.
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