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NONPROFIT FINDS NEW CEO IN-HOUSE AFTER 2 YEAR SEARCH
Healdsburg, California Healdsburg, California
February 15, 2024 Date, Date, 20202020
MARCY FLORES ELEVATED TO PERMANENT POSITION AT CORAZÓN Staff Report
Photo courtesy of Flynn Creek Circus
Local nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg—which provides services to the Hispanic community and hosts events that “amplify the local Latin-American voice” and “celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion”—finally has someone permanent in the top position again. It’s been almost two years since their first executive director, Glaydon de Freitas, left to fulfill a similar role at Miles4Migrants, an organization that accepts donations of airline miles to provide free travel to migrants. Within a few months after that, Corazón announced that community activist and Geyserville resident Marcy Flores, who had already been overseeing programs and direct client services, would become interim executive director, supported and guided by Corazon’s founders and board members. Now Flores is losing the “interim” adjective. Corazón communications director Holly Fox made the announcement on Friday.: “The board of directors of Healdsburg-based nonprofit Corazón Healdsburg proudly announced today that veteran advocate and community activist Marcy Flores would be stepping into the permanent executive director role for the organization.” Flores is a prime example of the kinds of interests and level of engagement that Corazón Healdsburg brings to the community it serves. Before taking on her current leadership position, she connected families and fire victims
SEEING RED Flynn Creek Circus knife-thrower David Jones and his associate, Blaze Birge, will perform onstage at the Ravens' Winter Gala, Friday, Feb. 23, along with other acts, to put the fun in fundraising.
Raven Brings Far More Than Just the Circus to the Stage for Its Gala SINGING, DANCING, KNIFE-THROWING AND A TOM WAITS AUCTION, ALL TO SUPPORT LOCAL NONPROFIT By Christian Kallen
Imagine if Healdsburg had a performing arts center located right downtown, which offered a stage for performers, an audience for musicians and theater, a school for youth and a troupe for all ages. That would be pretty cool, right? Well there already is such a place, of course, the Raven Performing Arts Center, at the old Raven née Aven Theater on North Street. The town’s rundown movie palace was purchased and remodeled in 1987; with the opening of the Raven Film Center 10 years later, it was bought
as a new marquee, but an essential maintenance item long deferred. Yet as costs increase across the economy, even the local performing arts nonprofit has to keep up with the times, so to speak, as well as rising electric and water bills, taxes and other hard costs. Next weekend, the Raven Performing Arts Theater will be doing something a little different for them, but still in character. They’re holding a Winter Gala fundraiser. And to no one’s surprise, the action on the stage will be worth twice the ticket—which includes wine and beer, six food stations, live and silent auctions.
in 2001 by the nonprofit Raven Performing Arts Theater, whose executive director was Tom Brand. He still heads the nonprofit, and the operating committee, along with Raven Players director Steven David Martin and a handful of others. The lowkey pitch that Brand delivers for donations above the ticket cost before many of the theater’s shows is fully in keeping with the modest mien of the arts theater and the man himself—on brand, one might say. “We’re not really aggressive fundraisers,” admits Brand candidly. “There are some nonprofits where you get something in your mail every week. We tend to be more [like], when we need the money, we ask for it.” Last year they ran a fundraising campaign for a new air conditioner—not as sexy
All About the Show
It may be a gala, but it’s not all sealed bids and paddles—at the Raven, it’s all about the show.
“We wanted a couple things in it that are going to be fun, different, which represent the touring professional things we do here,” said Brand. The natural place to turn, of course, is the circus—the Flynn Creek Circus from Mendocino County, an archaic troupe of magicians, dancers, acrobats and actors. Of course, the whole circus would be too much, even for the remodeled Raven extended stage. But decisions had to be made, so a knife thrower—complete with a game assistant—and a blow-dart marksperson were signed up. “We have changed the sharpshooter we had originally advertised, at the recommendation of the circus, to a dart blower,” said Brand.
It’s not all the deathdefying antics of the Flynn Creek Circus, however. Several Raven Players favorites will take the stage—try to keep them off—including Katie Watts Whitaker, both solo and with her husband, Dennis Whitaker; Declan Hackett and Elliot Davis of “Joseph and the Amazing…,” who will be doing a song-anddance rendition of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”; and the youthful Santa Rosa-based NordquistTaylor Ballroom Dancers, who will show off their steps. To no one’s surprise, Steven David Martin himself will emcee. The chameleonic actor, director, bon vivant and scriptwriter— his latest cable series on a small community theater in a Northern California town is currently ➝ Raven’s Gala, 6
➝ New CEO, 4
RON EDWARDS SHARES HIS OWN STORY FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH COUNCILMEMBER RECALLS FAMILY INFLUENCES By Ron Edwards
Photo courtesy of Ron Edwards
FAMILY PHOTO The Edwards family in Marinwood for their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Top row, Janine Granthan, Ron Edwards and Reuben Edwards; seated, Virginia and William Edwards.
We all grew up with the history of slavery taught to us in school. I, like most who attended California schools, learned that California was a free state. But I have since learned that there were slave owners and 14 slaves living just outside Healdsburg in 1857. We learned about the
emancipation and freeing of slaves and the turbulent Jim Crow era. We learned how 200,000 African Americans contributed to World War I, many as laborers unloading supplies from ships in Europe. The contribution of African Americans continued and expanded into America's involvement in World War II. Many African Americans in the South were recruited to come to the Bay Area to work in the ship and ammunition yards. Many settled in Marin County in temporary housing. Originally the plan was for three years of shipbuilding. But most wanted to stay, and the temporary housing became what is now Marin City. I was born in Richmond, Virginia, to Virginia Edwards, teacher and daughter of a woman who picked cotton and
cleaned homes to put her and her brother through college. My father, William Edwards, was a Richmond native, postal worker and college student. When my father was a high school student, part of the curriculum was to learn how to pass a test to be able to vote. My dad wanted to further his education, but African Americans were not allowed to attend Virginia’s higher education colleges to get advanced degrees. To keep African Americans out of these colleges, the state paid African Americans to go anywhere else to get their education, rather than have them attend in-state segregated schools. My dad found an urban planning program at the University of Washington. We packed up, and our family moved to Seattle. Mom found a job teaching ➝ Black History Month, 4