News from the Hall May 2012
News from the Board by Carol Kenyon
Due to some important last-minute demands, Andy Peterson was forced to postpone his presentation at the Hall last month. Thankfully, the problems have passed, and he is again ready to share his Afghanistan visit with us at the May potluck. Hall members will be treated via personal brief to his view of a remote area central to a very important world situation. Following Andy's presentation, Janice Smith-Ramseier will host Bingo for the hard-core gamblers among us.
The Easter Bunny did herself proud again this year, and the excited children had a wonderful time hunting for eggs in the woods above the Hall. Among all those who made this treat for the kids happen, Kate Snell and Cherie Landon have once again earned our special appreciation.
Our Chicken Barbecue, thanks to some emergency repairs David Gillette made to the grill, and the White Elephant Sale were grand successes. Thank you to all of the many whose efforts made it possible. You know it wouldn't happen without you.
If and when convenient, stop by the Hall to examine the professional overhaul Ron Fisher and John Plumb are providing our pantry. It was ready for a remake. Once again, many thanks to both of them.
Photos for the calendar competition must be submitted to either someone on the Calendar Committee or a Board member by May 29th. The night for community judging and selection is June 2, 5:00 - 9:00 pm, at the Hall. Come pick your favorites.
Please mark your calendars for the June 24th community picnic potluck at Kay and Jim Brand's. Catching up on what has been happening starts at 11:00 am. Food sharing begins at 1:00 pm. See you there.
The next monthly potluck at Hesperia Hall will be at 7:00 pm on Friday, May 18. Bring a dish to share and join your friends and neighbors for this spring gathering. Local writer Andy Peterson will make a presentation on his experience visiting with our troops in Afghanistan, and Janice Smith-Ramseier will host Bingo night.
Cinco de Mayo Potluck The April potluck dinner, an early celebration of Cinco de Mayo, is hosted by the Pineda family and is one of the year’s most festive and anticipated. This year’s on April 20 did not disappoint. Dinner was our first of the year to take place outside under the oak, with the area and tables colorfully decorated and the food excellent, of course. Young women in lovely costumes, mariachi music, and a piñata enhanced the conviviality of a large and lively company. A hearty thank you goes to Vincent and Delfina, to Tiffany, Yuri, Cecelia, and Michael.
Scholarship Report by Ed Buntz
The Hesperia Hall Scholarship Selection Committee met in April and awarded scholarships to deserving students for academic year 2012-2013. King City High School (KCHS) graduates will receive their awards at the KCHS Scholarship banquet in King City on May 3rd. The annual Hesperia Hall Scholarship potluck will be July 20th, where all remaining scholarships will be awarded and opportunity provided for short presentations from current or past scholarship recipients. Mark your calendars, as it will be a wonderful summer evening to meet our inspiring youngsters in pursuit of their dreams.
The scholarship committee would like to express its gratitude for the recent substantial donation arranged by Trustee Beth Winters from the Charles/Anna Pedrazzini Foundation.
We most certainly thank the Home Bureau quilters for completion of the beautiful raffle quilt for this year. Please get out and buy those tickets to support the scholarship program and give yourself the possibility of taking home a spectacular quilt in October.
If you have any questions about the Hesperia Hall scholarship program or how to establish a 529 college savings account, please contact Ed Buntz at (805) 472-2070 or Lois Lindley at (805) 472-9556.
Kid's Fishing Derby by Rich Lingor
Saturday, May 12, is the day for the 2012 Ron "the Bear” McKibben Memorial Oak Shores Kids Fishing Derby. Last year organizers gave away over seventy fishing poles along with tackle and other prizes. The two-dollar registration fee includes lunch and a raffle ticket. After registration, the fishing starts at 7:00 am and ends at the noon weigh-in, followed by lunch, an awards ceremony, and the big raffle. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, every kid has a great chance at winning a nifty prize.
Preregister Friday evening, May 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Register Saturday, May 12, from 6:00 until 6:45 am. A brief pre-fishing meeting takes place from 6:50 to 7:00 am.
Check out the website for rules, phone numbers, and address. The website is http://www.oakshoreskidsfishingderby.com/.
I have had the opportunity to witness the fun firsthand. This is a terrific event and is "Fishing with Rich" approved.
Little Black Train Concert by John Lindley
On Saturday May 12, Little Black Train, the trio of traditional Irish fiddler John Weed, bluegrass mandolinist Kenny Blackwell, and old-timey songster Stuart Mason will again fill Hesperia Hall with their lively acoustic Americana music. Little Black Train will be promoting their brand new record "Barn Dance," with copies for sale at the show.
Come join us at 7:30 pm on May 22 to enjoy an evening of lively music with Little Black Train. CD’s will be available for sale, and there will be a collection jar for this wonderfully entertaining group. We strongly encourage donations for this talented trio of accomplished musicians; while they love being and playing here, they are, after all, trying to make a living and support families! We need to show them how much we appreciate their talents.
We expect another exceptional musical, neighborly evening at our historic Hesperia Hall.
“The Sunshine Boys” Comes to Hall by Gloria Wilson
The Hall theater group is proud to be bringing Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys,” one of the great Broadway comedies, to Hesperia Hall. Prepare to let a crotchety duo of vaudevillians and a collection of other colorful characters win your hearts and leave you laughing.
Performances will be May 25th and 26th starting at 7:30 pm. The performances will be free to the public, but we request that, as the show dates approach, you call Gloria Wilson at (805) 286-2545 or Daphne Denny at (805) 472-9036 to reserve your seats.
2013 Calendar Photo Judging by Jo Geary
This is the final reminder that judging for the 2013 calendar photos will take place at Hesperia Hall on Saturday, June 2, from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 29th. You may give your entries to Jo Geary, Silas Denny, Beth Winters, or Jan Smith, bring them to the Hall on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, or call Jo at (805) 472-0429 to arrange pick up. Don't forget, only four entries per member are accepted.
If you're not a photographer, you can still come and enjoy yourselves at the judging. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors. You do not have to be a member to judge. Wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and tasty hors d'oeuvres will be available for your enjoyment.
We are looking forward to seeing you there.
Farmer's Market by John Plumb
Thanks to those who took the time to write their thoughts about moving the Farmer's Market to Saturday. It appears that the majority of those responding wish to keep market activity on Sunday. We hope, as the growing season kicks into full gear, to see you all there, both growers AND buyers!
Yoga Classes at the Hall by Aurora Denny
I am offering yoga classes at the Hall twice a week in the month of May on Monday and Friday mornings from 9:00 until 10:30 a.m. These classes include breathing practices, meditation, and physical postures designed to increase strength, flexibility, and balance, and thus offer a balanced and holistic approach to physical and mental wellbeing. The classes are appropriate for both beginning and intermediate students ages twelve and up and are suited to all body types. The cost is $10 per session. Dress in layers and bring a blanket or towel and a yoga mat if you have one. Other props are provided.
I am also planning to start teaching an evening yoga class in Lockwood, probably on Monday evenings. Anyone interested can contact me for more information either by phone at (805) 472-9036 or by e-mail at .
FREE Yoga class on Mother's Day by Aurora Denny
I will be offering a free yoga class for all level students at the Hall on Mother's Day, May 13, from 4:00 until 5:30 pm. Bring your mother, bring your kids, or just come and do yoga in honor of nurturing feminine energy, wherever you find that in your life. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one, although I have a few to lend.
Cooking from the Garden by Kate Snell
So often in late spring, we have few fresh vegetables in our gardens to choose from. The winter crops have bolted, the summer vegetables are not yet producing, and we crave something from the garden. The solution is planting Swiss chard in the fall. It will go to seed at higher temperatures than other winter crops and will see you through until your squash and tomatoes get started. Use it in any recipe calling for spinach. A personal favorite is the mushroom and chard calzone given here.
Mushroom and Chard Calzone
1 lb. pizza dough*
½ lb. crimini mushrooms
10-15 large leaves Swiss chard
3 Tbsps. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
~6 oz. smoked mozzarella
1 egg, beaten
Put olive oil in sauté pan on medium heat. Place sliced crimini mushrooms in pan and sauté for ~ 5 minutes and set aside. Next place minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chard leaves in pan, and sauté for several minutes until fully wilted and cooked down. Turn off heat.
Divide dough into three parts and roll each part into circle ~9 inches in diameter. Place 2 oz. cheese (sliced, grated, or cubed) on lower half of first circle, followed by 1/3 of mushrooms and 1/3 of chard. Fold top half of circle over filling, brush inner edge with beaten egg, and crimp edges. Repeat with 2 remaining circles of dough. Egg wash may be brushed on top.
Place calzones on baking sheet or pizza stone in 450 degree preheated oven. Bake for ~20 minutes, or until properly browned.
*Either make pizza dough at home with 3 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1 tsp. salt, 1 package yeast, and olive oil to coat outside of kneaded ball of dough 2 hours before making calzone, or use store-bought dough.
Harp Concert at the Hall by Aurora Denny
Mark your calendar for a spectacular concert on Sunday, May 20, at 3:00 p.m. Ramón Romero, virtuosic Paraguayan harpist, will once again grace the stage of the Hall and is looking forward to reconnecting with his Bryson-Hesperia friends. Many of you may remember Ramón from his previous visits to the Hall and recall his astounding proficiency on the harp, rivaled only by his showmanship and gracious sense of humor. Those who have not had the pleasure of hearing him perform are encouraged to come and discover an impeccable performer of the rich and varied folk music traditions of Latin America. He will be joined on some selections by Carole Romero and Aurora Denny.
Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted to help cover the performer's costs. Refreshments will be served; feel free to bring snacks to share. Questions; call (805) 472-9036.
SMCERTA Report by Carla Martinez
Spring has finally arrived, and we hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather we have been experiencing. South Monterey County Emergency Response Team Association, or SMCERTA, has been busy promoting disaster preparedness. In April we attended the Mee Memorial Health & Safety Fair. Our local area was well represented by a number of residents working for various organizations. Lois and Jack Lindley were manning the American Red Cross table; Carl Evans and Goldsmith set up a ham radio station; Ann Brown and Carla Martinez worked the CERT table with disaster preparedness information. Other organizations represented at the Fair included the California Highway Patrol, CalStar, Kasey Fitness, March of Dimes, Farmer’s Insurance, and several others. This was a great time to learn about the services these organizations offer as well as to learn about good nutrition, have your blood pressure checked, learn zumba, have your hearing checked, and just to have a good time generally. Mee Memorial fed everyone, giving away over 500 hamburgers.
SMCERTA is anticipating the arrival of our equipment trailer. We have secured a location at Lake San Antonio to store it, and we will be holding some fundraising events in order to equip it. Keep your eyes open, as we hope the entire community will participate in these activities.
We welcome everyone to participate in SMCERTA. Our monthly meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at Hesperia Hall at 7:00 pm. We hope to be seeing some new faces.
Hacienda's Wine & Dine by Karyn Planett
I would like to make mention of the Hacienda's Wine & Dine, which takes place the first and third Saturday of every month. It is usually a three-course meal (appetizer, main course, dessert) and is very reasonably priced at $16.50 for adults and $6.00 for children. Dinner is served at 6:00 pm and follows a complementary wine tasting at 5:30 pm featuring a local winery. You must purchase wine served with dinner.
We really support the team working hard to make a success of this enterprise, and they would truly appreciate locals supporting them as well. The reservation number is (831) 386-2988.