The Loma Prietan
February-March 2003
A Big "Thank You" to the Legion of Year 2002 Volunteers
by Dan Kalb, Carrie Hudiburgh, and Belle Marino
The Loma Prieta Chapter staff would like to express their appreciation to all who donated their time and talent over the past year. Throughout the past year we needed many volunteers to help in fundraising activities: mailings, the Human Race, calendar sales and processing donations. Tabling events and phone banks also required volunteers and gave us an opportunity to educate the public on the activities of the Chapter and issues we support. This year we had a booth at the San Mateo County Fair, which many of you helped to staff. There were also the on-going volunteers who participated on the Executive Committee, Conservation Committee, Regional Groups, Activity Sections and in the all-important Chapter office.
Thanks to the Executive Committee members for the hours they worked on this important leadership committee. Bill Michel (Vice Chair), Leslie Weise (Legal Chair), Fadi Saba and Caralin Adair served their final year, while Rafael Reyes (Chair), Shawn Britton (Secretary), Karen Maki (Council Delegate), Shirley Sampson (Membership Chair), Debbie Benham (Black Mountain Group Rep), Joe Cernac (Guadalupe Group Rep), and Bob Carlson (San Carlos/Belmont Group Rep) will continue serving. We are pleased that Bill Michel will continue on as Transportation issue chair and Leslie Weise will continue serving as Legal Chair for the Chapter.
Also, special thanks are deserved for Jean Watson and David Berkowitz who spent many, many hours as the co-treasurers for the Chapter. Thanks also to Dan Tischler who acted as the Activities Chair last year.
Conservation issues are the highest priority at the Chapter and it takes a high-energy and committed group to work on the issues that are important to our members. Thanks to all our talented and knowledgeable leaders in conservation last year: Michael Stanley-Jones (Chair, ConsCom), Bill Michel (Co-Chair, ConsCom), Richard Zimmerman (SFO Bay Protection Task Force), Karen Maki (Forest Protection), Joyce Eden (Air Quality and Yosemite), Suparna Vashisht (Sustainable Land Use/Housing Coalition Representative), Kurt Newick (Global Warming and Energy), Georgia Stigall (Native Plants), Eva Henin (Food and Agriculture), Ruth Troetschler (Pesticides), Bill Hill (Population Committee), Ann Schneider (Recycling/Solid Waste), Patrick Moore (Transportation Committee), Irvin Dawid (Transportation Committee), Mandy Rose (Water Resources/San Benito County), Ed Smith (Wildlife/Wilderness), Teresa Nemeth (Guadalupe rep.), Wim de Wit (San Carlos-Belmont rep.), and Kelly Moran (at-large).
In addition to Richard Zimmerman, we would also like to thank SFO Task Force volunteers Kathy Diamond, Marion Weiler, and Pat Walker for their ongoing involvement and active dedication on this issue.
The Political Committee owes special thanks to Caralin Adair, Gary Bailey, Ed Blackmond, Craig Breon, Shawn Britton, Meg Caldwell, John Cordes, Jessica Couleur, Diane Gleason, Dan Kalb, Jeff McCartney, Margaret Okuzumi, Rafael Reyes, Ann Schneider, Jackie Schneider, Luda Shuster, Stephanie Shaaf, Jon Silver, Victoria Tregoning, Leslie Weise, and Richard Zimmerman. Their contributions were tremendous: researching issues, coordinating meetings, interviewing candidates, discussing decisions, and lobbying legislators.
The Loma Prietan newsletter had many volunteer contributors that helped get important information to our members. Once again, Ann Harding provided her expert guidance and editorial skills. Among the many talented contributors, we would like to especially thank: John Maybury, Kay Bushnell, Patrick Moore, Mandy Rose, Richard Zimmerman, David Smernoff, Jessica Nusbaum, Karen Maki, Rafael Reyes, Kathy Switky, Dale F. Mead, Dan Seligman, David Willett, Vicky Hoover, Sherri D. Osaka, Annie Strickler, Charlene Barnes, Rajesh Krishnan, Teri Shore, Joan Jones Holtz, Sarah Schaller, Irvin Dawid, Mark Massara, Mandy Rose, Jude Lamare, Eva Henin and Justin Caporusso.
Ginny Laibl helped in the office by making phone calls and recruiting volunteers for the Human Race fundraiser in May. We had participants from both San Mateo and Santa Clara County: Dick Simpson, Janet Hung, Karen Harper, Wendy Greenfield, Danielle Harris, and Hugh Harris. Thanks to all of you for walking in support of the Chapter with a special nod to Rob Corrigan for raising the largest amount of money for the Chapter. The Chapter has a dedicated staff of volunteers that help with mailings and this year we saw a few new faces too. Those that helped with the Summer and Year-End appeal mailing are: Deborah Pastucha, Jon Silver, Teri Michel, Caralin Adair, Bill Michel, Ginny Laibl, Wim DeWit, Jane Kos, Ann Schneider, Dorothy Young, Jane LaPaglia and Bob Young.
The booth the Chapter staffed at the San Mateo County Fair was a successful opportunity to educate the public about the SFO airport expansion proposal and other conservation issues. Thanks to all of you for helping to get the word out: Steven Smith, Bill Livingston, Danette Lisfschulpz-Soncino, Marion Weiler, David Weiler, Jeanne Scharetg, Bob Moncrieff, Kathy Diamond, Jody Bradford, Karen Maki, Mark Reedy, Leslie Weise, Frances Goeser, Jim Goeser, Pat Walker, Ellen Golden, Sylvia Gregory, Diana Gregory, Sheida Otmishi, Patrick Moore, Wim De Witt, Ruth Troetschler, Wilson Pinney, Michelle Cohen, Daniel Scarpace, David Weiler, Elly Hess, Adeline Horlick, Irene Wallace, Laura Babbitt, Tom Cronin, Bob Moncrieff, Ralph Bridge, Silvio Lopez, Harry White, Thomas True, Jack Daane, Bob Black, Roy Padilla, Bill Michel, Debbie Benham, Carl Darling, DJ De Prospero, Irvin Dawid, Dorothy Meyer, Evelyn Dominion, Merlyn Alphonso, Linda Santo, Judy Kaufman, and Gary Bailey (phew, hope we didn't miss anybody here).
Besides the Fair, there were several other opportunities for staffing a table at an event. Carl Darling helped at an event at Roche in Palo Alto. Roberta Millstein and Thoi Pham tabled at a High Speed Rail Forum at San Jose State. The Bay Area PaddleFest had a table with volunteers Patrick Moore, Gary Graham, Richard Zimmerman and Kathy Sheck.
There were numerous opportunities to volunteer for Earth Day events. Jon Silver, Bob Carlson, Sylvia Gregory, Danielle Harris, Wim DeWit, Richard Zimmerman, and Harlo Lenning helped make phone calls to recruit members for tabling events. Edie Trevion, Tian Harter, Mark Reedy, Richard Joste, and Jane LaPaglia made phone calls to inform members about an Earth Day Rally at Coyote Point regarding SFO Airport expansion. Ralph Bohnert, Nick Gasnier, Bob Carlson, Keith MacFarland, Richard Peters, Betty Frischmann, Bill Hill, Susan Harby, Thomas Miller, Lee Peterson, Valerie Pierce, D.J. Deprospero, Barbara Hudec, Jean Staats, John Kavmeyer, Patricia Marriott, Dora Fishman, Kay Wood, Richard Harrison, John Keller, Carol Jacobson, Chris Ralston, Jennifer Hubbart, John Prenner, Irene Prenner, Esther Harris, Jack Daane, Gary Vanderlinden, Elaine Peterson, Harvey Herman, Arlene Herman, Carol Lynn Cross, Leslie Weise, Marion Weiler, and Francisco Farruguia answered our calls and tabled at various Earth Day events.
Very special thanks to Shirley Sampson and the Black Mountain Group for planning and hosting the Chapter-wide BBQ picnic and hike last year. This was a wonderful and well-attended event.
The Chapter coordinates Coastal Cleanup Day for San Mateo County every year. Judy Kaufman was called upon again this year to help and she came through for us. She handled phone calls and paperwork, coordinated Beach Captains, and worked directly with the California Coastal Commission. She made all the difference in making this a successful event.
Emily Renzel and Tom Harder are two of our most dedicated volunteers. They show up weekly to help with donations. They handle processing the checks, address "thank you" cards, enter the information into our database and make deposits at the bank. Conrad Lalonde helped with donation data entry for six months out of the year while he was here from his homeland of Canada. Words don't do justice for the cheerful attitudes of these three and all they give to the Chapter.
The office volunteers are an invaluable resource upon which the Chapter office heavily relies. Ginny Laibl and Jane Kos come by the office weekly to lend a hand wherever they are needed. Nate Bowen, Lisa Costello, Erin Reddy, Nancy Gogan, and Elaine Peterson all spent time in the office this year helping with special projects. Paul Hsieh gets special mention for his behind-the-scenes help on keeping the website informative and current.
For anyone who volunteered last year and does not see his or her name, please let us know. With so many events to staff with volunteers this past year we regretfully may have missed a few of you.
As you can see, the Loma Prieta Chapter relies heavily upon the vast resources our members provide. There is no question we could not do it without you and your willingness to put in time for causes about which you care. Thanks again!
P.S. from Dan Kalb, Chapter Director:
It's been quite an experience working with so many volunteers over the past three years. The dedication and passion I've observed in so many of you for the issues we have worked on assures me that the Chapter will continue to be a force in the Peninsula and South Bay region. I wish you all the best in the years ahead. Good luck!