Out and About in the neighborhood
Our travels in Poland
Poland doesn’t sound sexy, like France or Italy. I don’t think many, if any, of our friends have visited there. It wasn’t even on our bucket list until I read a story about a woman who did a heritage trip to Krakow, and the city sounded very appealing. I thought about my own roots in Poland. I started following some threads and found the details about my Jewish family of peasant stock were very scant. My maternal grandmother was born and raised in Bialystok and immigrated to the US in her teens. I knew my great-grandmother had perished in a concentration camp and I found out the camp was Treblinka. Much earlier, she helped finance her children’s passage to America, but did not want to leave her native country.
Seeking a new destination in Europe, Jim and I decided to travel to Poland. We wanted to explore my family roots but also see the sights in Gdansk, Warsaw and Krakow. Each of the cities had their own charm, excellent museums and surprisingly delicious food.
Our trip to Treblinka was sobering. But the next day, a visit to Bialystok put us in touch with an uplifting museum dedicated to the traditions and history of Bialystok Jews. There are only a handful of Jews living in Bialystok today. The museum founder, who is not Jewish, has collected Judaica and historical documents to preserve the city’s Jewish roots.
We spent two and one-half weeks in Poland and it was a profound and wonderful adventure. If anyone is interested in traveling there, we’d love to share our experiences.
Back at the homestead
After the trip, our first foray into the Yountville social scene was a Yountville Chamber of Commerce mixer hosted by Priest Ranch. Andrea Scarpa May, programs and events manager does a great job organizing regular gatherings for associate members. Andrea, along with Chamber President Natalie Leighton and Member Engagement Manager Jackie Roldan greeted us at the door.
The Priest Ranch team created a lively and intimate setting, serving up excellent wines and charcuterie nibbles. I enjoyed my conversation with Vince Courtney, a fellow Parks & Recreation commissioner who had brought along two of his professional colleagues. I hadn’t been to Yountville Fit in a while and was happy to chat with fellow “gymrats” Dana Dellascio and Carolyn Brown, who encouraged me to attend some of the new classes. I also had a long conversation about travel with Vicky Boscarino. The Chamber organizes many mixers throughout the year and this one was especially fun, making me happy to be back on the home turf.
September 11 remembered
Every year, the Town of Yountville commemorates 9-11 with a special ceremony in the plaza of the Community Center. This year’s event started at 8 a.m. with the raising of a large American flag over the plaza. Mayor Marjie Mohler conducted the ceremony with an opening speech that spoke to the country’s resilience after the tragic terrorist attack.
Other speakers included Anna Chouteau, representing Congressman Mike Thompson, CalFire Battalion Chief Nate Dureloo and Anne Cottrell’s aide, Leah Doyle-Stevens, whose husband was deployed and killed in Iraq and who gave a moving speech. An ever-present reminder is the steel beam from one of the Twin Towers mounted in the plaza. It was brought to Yountville by former Mayor John Dunbar.
A big month for the library
September is National Library Card Month. If you don’t already have a library card, get one at the Yountville Library to be entered into a raffle for great prizes. Library associate Rebecca Simon can photograph you in a large library card mock-up and you will have a fun photo for your album.
The Napa County Library received a proclamation for National Library Card Month from the Napa County Board of Supervisors. The proclamation recognized the libraries for the range of services they provide the community. Director of Library Services for the County of Napa Anthony Halstead accepted the award and Alan Tenscher, president of Friends of the Yountville Library and I were there to witnessthe well-deserved honor.
The Napa Main Library had an artist reception for its latest exhibit, the woodwork of John Sensenbaugh. Some of you might remember John’s unique pieces featured in the Steve Rogers Gallery a few months ago. I attended the reception with my hubby, Jim McDonald, and was delighted when our friends Ronda and Michael Schaer arrived to support the artist. Sensenbaugh transforms simple pieces of wood into extraordinary works of art using a tool called the scroll saw. He did a particularly good job explaining his technique to an admiring crowd of about 50 people.
On the horizon
Thursday, Sept. 18, at 5:30 p.m. – Look for another wonderful art exhibit coming to the Steve Rogers Gallery, “In the Moment”, featuring plein air works by Loretta Loy-Adair.
Thursday, Sept. 25, at 5:30 p.m. – Winners of the Bookmark Story Contest, sponsored by Yountville Arts and Friends of the Yountville Library, will read their short stories at the Community Center.
Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. – Hope’s Chest will hold its annual fashion show to benefit Cope Family Center. Contact Iren Jenny for details about this lively and fun event ([email protected]).
Thursday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m. – Dan Goodman presents what he says will be his last film, “I’d Like to Thank All the Little People” at the Community Center. Go to Yountvilleparksandrec.com for tickets.
In Memoriam
If you have been following my column over the last couple years, you might have noticed the name Richard Talavera. He was my cycling buddy, an actor, playwright, poet and acting instructor. I often referred to him as a Renaissance man and he always got a kick out of that. He was a veteran who served in Germany during the Vietnam era and lived at the California Veterans Home. He passed away a few months ago after a brief illness. Richard touched many lives and will be greatly missed.
You will now see my Out & About column once a month in the “new” Yountville Sun and I welcome your contributions: [email protected]. In the meantime, enjoy the fall colors coming soon!
P.S. At a private party, I indulged in a slice of Mandarin Orange Cake lovingly made by Thomas Henthorne, based on his late mother’s recipe. Invite him for dinner and make sure he brings the cake!
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