Out and About in the neighborhood
Neighbors at Kaiser and in cyberspace
It is weird to think the Kaiser clinic in Napa is part of my neighborhood, but I often see friends and neighbors there. After a recent appointment with my physical therapist, I recognized someone in the waiting area who looked familiar. I knew he lived near my development, but somehow we had never gotten acquainted. He has a pretty distinctive look, occasionally sporting a baseball cap over a neatly groomed ponytail. I decided to say hello and introduce myself. He is Phil Serrantino, and after seeing him many times working in his front yard or sitting on his patio, it was good to put a name with a face.
But the really weird thing was that on the very day I ran into Phil, who should pop up on my Facebook list of “people you may know?” I’d never seen Phil Serrantino on Facebook before! I wondered if there were cyber spies at Kaiser tracking my whereabouts? It wasn’t Halloween yet, but this was pretty spooky!
On the art scene
Speaking of spooky, the Halloween Scarecrow Contest is in full swing at the Community Center outdoor plaza. There are some really creative scarecrows out there, including a fun display by the folks from the Veterans Home Creative Center for the Arts. Scan the QR code and vote for your favorites.
After you check out the scarecrows, you might want to pop into the Steve Rogers Gallery to see the work of Loretta Loy-Adair. The exhibit called “In the Moment” captures the essence of her plein air landscapes and still life paintings. The show will run through Nov. 28, and Loretta can frequently be seen painting outside the gallery on Fridays and Saturdays (weather permitting).
Michael (MJ) Schaer’s photograph “Red Rowboat” has been selected from more than 1,400 submissions that will be on exhibit beginning Oct. 19 in the inaugural Sausalito Center for the Arts Open. Michael is the husband of Yountville Arts Commission Chair Ronda Schaer, and he volunteers to hang nearly all of the exhibits at the Steve Rogers Gallery.
MJ shows and sells his photographs at various venues including Art, Sip and Stroll and Napa Open Studios. He has also published a collection of his work titled “5ive X 5ive,” which includes several small format photographs that were on exhibit a few years ago here in our town.
Not to go unmentioned, our valley is also a hub for literary arts. Thanks to Yountville Arts Commissioner Geoffrey Leigh for spearheading the third annual Bookmark Stories Contest (reported earlier by co-columnist Susan Wiechers). You can find the winning bookmarks on display at all the Napa County libraries.
Brandon Tagle, a young poet who read at Yountville Out Loud, has now organized monthly open mic sessions in both St. Helena and Napa for poets and other writers. He often partners with our Napa County Poet Laureate Aisha Rivera and may be a poet laureate in training! If you’re interested in more information about the open mic events, please let me know.
Napa County Library Literacy Project
I want to give a big shout-out to the Napa County Library for its hugely successful Literacy Project. Over the last couple years, I have attended some graduations of students who have completed the program and was inspired to become a tutor. I have been tutoring Jonathan, a young man from Michoacan, Mexico, and it has been a joy to experience his literacy and life skills flourish. We usually study with workbooks and news media but have started to do some monthly field trips to get us out and about together. Our first field trip was a docent tour of the Yountville Art Walk, and the docent was none other than my husband, Jim McDonald. Jonathan’s favorite sculpture was the iconic “Sidewalk Judge.” I later took him to Honor Market to get another taste of Yountville, a soft serve ice cream cone!
Baubles and bangles for charity
The Hope’s Chest Fashion Show was covered by Lisa Adams Walter in last week’s Yountville Sun but I want to put in my two cents. Iren Jenny is the queen of fun and philanthropy! Her Hope’s Chest charitable endeavors bring buyers in touch with all sorts of bling and accessories, and every event is pulled off with Iren’s usual flair.
I have attended four of her annual fashion show fundraisers to benefit Cope Family Center. There’s always an abundance of food, drink and baubles to fill your appetite for fashion. This time I went with friends Marilyn Rapport and Rebecca Heskes, and each of us walked away with a bangle or two. There were so many Yountvillagers there, just too many to mention. It was great to see Judy Meredith and Ivy Zellmer modeling this year. Model Whitney Diver McEvoy dazzled us with a new hair style along with her jewels. Kudos to Iren for creating another special experience to benefit a worthy cause.
Yountville honors its staff and volunteers
Each year, the Town Council holds a Board, Commission and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to recognize the many residents who contribute their time on behalf of the town. This year’s event was an especially lively gathering, thanks to the preparations of Samantha Holland’s Parks & Recreation team, who were also recognized for the work they do on so many valuable town programs. I counted up 30 non-duplicated volunteers who serve on the Arts, PRAC, ZDRB, Transportation, Affordable Housing, Library Commission and Yountville Community Foundation. There were at least another 15 volunteers who were also acknowledged for the many hours they contribute to various non-commission projects. Mayor Margie Mohler, Vice Mayor Robin McKee and Councilmembers Eric Knight, Pam Reeves and Hillery Trippe all spoke about the vital role volunteers play in supporting the vibrancy and strength of our town.
Also of Note…
Happiest of birthdays to Ted Jenny and Marilyn Rapport!
We finally tried Burgers and Half Bottles – loved the food, vanilla milkshake and the Brew Bus.
A bounty of Halloween events are coming up: the Pumpkin Carving Contest (starts Oct. 20), Halloween Carnival (Oct. 25) and first annual Yountville Halloween Block Party (Oct. 31). Check the Rec Guide and Yountville Connection newsletter for more details.
Feel free to get in touch with me with your good news at [email protected]. Enjoy the fall colors and happy Halloween!
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