Santa's Comin' to Town! by Joan and Kevin Steele:
Hesperia Hall's Christmas Potluck tradition continues as the old building will be transformed into our very own version of the North Pole on Friday, December 19th. Join hosts, Joan and Kevin Steele and family, as wecelebrate the season. Please bring along your favorite holiday dishes to share with friends and neighbors. As always, the hall will be decorated to the hilt, and the Christmas tree will be alight. Ornaments will be decorated, and songs will be sung as we await the arrival of that jolly old elf Santa and the presentation of gifts to the children of our community. Come early, as seats will be going fast. Dinner will be served at 7 PM. Happy Holidays!
Please call Cherie Landon at (805) 472-2650 if you plan on attending with children that would like to receive a gift from Santa Claus
President’s Report by Janice Smith Ramseier:
Thanks to Barbara Walters for her great article concerning our Oktoberfest Evening. The evening was truly wonderful and enjoyed by all. Barbara also gives us a helping hand by being a faithful quilt ticket and calendar salesperson.
The October Potluck was the Annual Meeting and Election of Officers. Our Secretary/Treasurer determined a quorum was present, and after a brief summary of the year's activities, ballots were distributed and the Annual Election was held. All Officers remained the same. Jim Brand stepped down, as director, and David Villegascame on the Board to fill that position. Jim agreed to “fill-in”, as needed. Many thanks to Jim and Kay for your years of service to the Hall. We need you as part of our team. Please plan to attend future Board Meetings when possible. Secretary/Treasurer, Lois Lindley, invited any who would like additional financial information concerning Hesperia Hall Foundation to contact her.
Thank you to all who have made this year successful! You have worked hard, and all of us on the Board appreciate your votes and assistance. Please consider serving on the board for 2010. We will need someone for President; new ideas keep the organization fresh and energized.
January Potluck:
The first potluck of the new year will be Friday, January 16th at 7 PM. The Lockwood 4H kids will be making some presentations starting at about 8 PM.
Irish Night at the Hall!
On November 11th, Hesperia Hall was the scene of a wonderful night of Irish music, stories, and ballads. Hailing from the rebel county of Cork, Máirtín de Cógáin and Jimmy Crowley shared their gift of music with the local community. They have given their whole lives to the promulgation and nurture of the Irish language and the ballad. You might remember Máirtín from his Hall concert with the Fuchsia Band back in July 2006. Although currently touring with Jimmy, Máirtín promises to return to the Hall with his band mates, Oein and Mick. Jimmy was also captivated by the Hall and our lovely community, so he promised to return for a solo gig or to play with the Fuchsia band. News of Máirtín and Jimmy can be found on their web site http://www.captainmackey.com/ while the Fuchsia Band web site is http://www.thefuchsiaband.com/
Thanks go out to a number of local folks that made the night possible. Ali and Pat Tabidian provided a vehicle for the west coast swing of Máirtín and Jimmy’s tour, as well as opening their house on Smith Road for sleeping accommodations. Barbara, Tom and Josh Walters hosted a wonderful post concert reception in their home, plus Barbara ran the donation, CD, and calendar sales table at the Hall. Judy and Rupert Lyle hosted a fabulous dinner party in honor of our guests the night before the concert. Jim Brand set up one of the wood stoves in the Hall, so we could have a cozy, warm evening during the performance. Kate Snell made dozens of cookies and an apple tart for refreshments at the concert. Our President, Janice, made brownies, made the coffee, and helped set up the Hall for the concert. Fred and Carol Kenyon were a big help, with Fred serving as official photographer and both working the hall clean up. All in all, it was a most enlightening visit and performance by the lads, which also raised money for the Hall, and we look forward to seeing them again down the road!
Successful Faire by Janice Smith Ramseier:
Our 21st Country Faire was a successfulevent made possible by lots of good workers, beautiful weather, and 33wonderful vendors! The variety of sale items was spectacular: handmade soaps, jewelry, pies, painted gourds, ironwork, woodwork, walking sticks, crafts (of all types),food,andthe Country Kitchen! Flea market booths and local manufactured olive oils added to the variety, as well.
Jim Hill donated a wonderful load of firewood to raffle. Dwight Bennett again provided the shell casings and prize for theGuess the Number of Casing in the Jar contest. Dick and Connie Brown won the load of wood. Cecilia Pineda had the closest guess in the Shell Game. The Big Winner of the day was Janice Gilbertson!! She won the beautifulquilt made by the ladies of the Hesperia HallQuilting Group. Janice was aDELIGHTED winner!!
Throughout the afternoon, wonderful prizes were awarded to winners of the raffle conducted by the San Antonio Valley Firefighters. This group provides wonderful emergency services to the local areas, and we were delighted they chose our Country Faire as the venue to conduct the drawings.
Sincere "Special Thanks" from the Board to all of you who helped on Saturday with cleanup, those who came early to setup, and all who stayed to put everything back in order, late Sunday afternoon. Thanks, too, to Jim and Dwight for their donations and the Over the Fallsband for adding wonderful music to our afternoon. We appreciate all of you!
Still Christmas Shopping? by Jo Geary:
If you're still searching for those last minute gifts, then look no further than the Hall to supply your needs. The 2009 Hall calendars will be on sale at the Christmas potluck and the Sunday Farmers’ Markets. These calendars are not only full of pictures reflecting the beauty and character of our area but the quality of the printing and presentation surpasses that of any mass-produced calendars. A really big incentive to purchasing these calendars is that 100% of the purchase price will be deposited in the Hall maintenance/music and arts/scholarship funds thanks to the on-going generosity of our sponsors. Please support the Hall and our sponsors this holiday season.
Don't forget to keep your camera handy during this busy, fun time and to turn it to take portrait (vertical) shots to enter in the 2010 calendar judging. Have a Happy Holiday Season.
Scholarship News by Ed Buntz:
The scholarship committee would like to express our appreciation to Bill and Ann Jones for their second generous donation to the scholarship fund this year. Their consistent support of the scholarship program and the Hall itself is truly wonderful! Thanks also go out to Heather Carter, who is a new donor to the fund. Heather learned about the Hall from attending Carri Wiatt’s yoga classes in Atascadero, and is now a great supporter. We would also like to thank Jan Henry Martinus for making a donation in memory of Gene McCormack. For those of you who managed to attend the beautiful night of Irish Music at the Hall on November 11th, we express thanks for the numerous contributions placed in the band/Hall donation bucket, some of which is headed into the scholarship fund. The Home Bureau gets a very special thank you, as the raffle quilt was a huge success again this year. Janice Gilbertson is the proud winner of this year’s quilt, and the scholarship fund is the happy recipient of the astounding proceeds!
Remember we are nearing the end of the calendar (and tax) year, so if you would like to support the Hall scholarship program with a tax deductible donation, simply make out a check to Hesperia Hall, put Scholarship Fund on the memo line and send to:Hesperia Hall, 51602 Bryson-Hesperia Road, Bradley, CA 93426. If you would like to save a stamp, feel free to give your check to any board member at a potluck or Hall event.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 472-2070 or Lois Lindley at 472-9556.
California Holly by Gloria Wilson:
As December comes along, the Toyon berries began to transform from a bland orange into a masterpiece of brilliant cardinal hues. Their razor leaves are just as attractive as the berries and have inspired their reputation as California Holly. In fact it is widely believed that Hollywood got its name from these spectacular shrubs that are dispersed among the hills surrounding Los Angeles. People have enjoyed Toyon for Christmas decorations for years; gathering branches around the holidays became so popular that in the 1920’s California past a Law stating that Toyon could not be gathered from public land. Lucky for us country folks we can still add some sprigs to wreaths or tie a bough to our door, but don’t forget to leave enough berries for the birds. Toyon is enjoyed by a variety of feathered friends including magpies and Robins. The Salinans gathered them to be cooked and eaten. Getting the berries when they were ripe was important because before the berries reach a rich orange/red they contain cyanide. The plant releases the chemical during the maturing of the berries as a defense mechanism against birds and other Toyon eating animals, but once they have matured it slowly withdraws the chemical. In California’s Central Coastal warmish and sometimes dry winters, Toyon can be looked at as the real symbol of the season. Whether you are bringing it into your home or admire it from a far it is sure to bring some magic to your country Christmas.
January Cheese making by Aurora Denny:
I will be presenting a cheese making class at the Hall on Saturday, January 17th at 10 AM. This is an opportunity for people interested in learning how to make fresh mozzarella cheese as well as gaining an understanding of basic cheese making principles thatcan be applied to various types of cheese. There is a materials fee of $8 for each participant. There will be plenty of cheese to taste, and everyone will have some rennet to take home. Children 10 and up are welcome as well. For more info call Aurora at 472-9036.
The Winners Are… by Carla Martinez:
The Volunteer Firefighters of the San Antonio Valley Fire Fund wish to thank all the supporters of our first annual fundraising raffle. We were able to raise just under $3,000 with this first attempt. We extend our sincere thanks to all who supported us by purchasing raffle tickets and donating prizes. Our donors included Bryson Resorts, Helipro, Hotel Cheval, Scheid Vineyard, Candace McIvor, and the Paso Robles Inn. Many, many thanks go out to these generous donors, as without their support this raffle would not have been possible. The winners of this year's raffle are Dave Wade (Pig Hunt), Richard Taylor and Ann Brown (helicopter rides), Melvina Dobson (Rifle), and Lance Vasquez (Hotel Stay). Winners of our second chance raffle included Bruce Dobson (Christmas Quilt and a case of Scheid Vineyard wine), Kristy Parker (SAVFF Tee Shirt), and Tim Foster (Paso Robles Inn History Book and gift certificate). We are currently in the process of collecting prizes for our 2009 raffle. If you have a prize to offer, please contact Carla Martinez at (805) 391-3185. We will begin selling raffle tickets in June with the raffle taking place at the 2009 Country Faire in October. Again, we extend our sincere thanks out to all who participated, and we wish you the best of luck in our 2009 raffle!
Grafting Class:
Mark your calendars for a very special event on Friday, March 20th, 2009.Marv and Pet Daniels in concert with the California Rare Fruit Grower’s Organization (CRFG.org) have graciously volunteered once again to conduct an apple tree grafting demonstration/class at Hesperia Hall as part of our potluck evening. Everything is free for attendees; the Hall will pay for the rootstock and the potting soil. CRFG.org will bring instructors and much of the necessary equipment. We will order 50 trees, so be sure to sign up early to ensure you get a tree to graft and take home. Please call Ed Buntz at 472-2070 if you are interested in attending the class.We do have a few one gallon plastic pots left from last year, but we will need about 20 more to cover all 50 grafted trees.
Attendees are welcome to bring apple scions of their choosing to graft onto the rootstock, but must first complete some tasks.
1. Cut pencil sized scions from this year’s growth in January or February (when leaves have all fallen off and before buds are popping out).
2. Choose buds close together to have the best growth potential.
3. Cut to length. Store, by wrapping in damp paper towel or newspaper, place in zip lock bag, label each cutting and then place in refrigerator (do not freeze!).
4. Bring your scions to the class on March 20th.
Everyone is welcome to attend, but priority for trees will go by RSVP date if necessary (although there were plenty of trees for everyone last year, so some attendees took home more than one). The class will start promptly at 5 PM in order to allow for plenty of time to complete the demonstrations and to graft, pot, and water all the trees. The potluck will commence at the usual time of 7 PM.
Winter’s Lullaby by Gloria Wilson:
Eerie voices drifting on a crisp breeze
Archaic moans emitting from skeleton trees
A raven’s hungry plight
Silence in a placid night
A coyote’s distant cry
Winter’s lullaby
Advertisers’ Alert:
As the year comes to a close, it is time to think about renewing your ad in News from the Hall. The annual rate (6 bimonthly issues) for a business card size ad is $50. The single monthly rate costs only $10 per issue. This is an economical way to promote your business throughout the local community as we distribute over 300 copies every issue. All current ads expire December 31st. To ensure inclusion of your ad in the February/March issue, please submit payment and your business card or information to Lois Lindley, 75313 Interlake Road, Bradley, CA 93426 no later than January 15th.