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July 2016 Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center: Where the Past Informs the Future By Jody Morgan Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center (315 Cortsen Road, Pleasant Hill) is tucked into a residential neighborhood developed on land once farmed by the Rodgers family. The ranch house, Pleasant Hill’s oldest extant structure, is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. The sloping ground surrounding the building is a vibrant urban farm where classes in the kind of sustainable practices pioneer families employed are taught from the perspective of what will best sustain future generations. Seasonal festivals bring crowds of all ages to savor the experience, while neighbors gather regularly to enjoy connecting. In 1987, 120 years after the structure was completed, the Pleasant Hill Historical Society succeeded in saving the ranch house from demolition by facilitating the transfer of ownership of the Rodgers’ home, original wheat barn, and 2+ acres to
Serving the Lafayette Community The Urban Farmers By Fran Miller If your fruit trees are overflowing and your neighbors greet your offer of yet another bag of lemons with a yawn, it might be time to call The Urban Farmers. No one enjoys seeing their ripened fruit go to waste, but most people don’t know what to do about it. The Urban Farmers can help. The volunteers from this Lafayette non-profit organization harvest
See Observatory on page 21High to Raise Money for Burton Valleycontinued Class Shoots the Hidden Genius Project
The Book Bonanza is an annual fundraiser that has been a long-standing tradition at Burton Valley Elementary School. Every year, the students from Ms. Martinsen’s 4/5 grade AIM class collect, price, and, of course, sell, books. . . at incredibly low prices (some books are as cheap as 10¢).All proceeds go to a charitable cause, and this year the students chose to support The Hidden Genius Project. Based in Oakland, this non-profit organization provides Oakland (and surrounding area) black male youths with the knowledge, skills, mentors, and experiences to obtain and create technological jobs in this new, global, 21st-century economy. The whole class banded together to complete each step in the process, and after three weeks of collections and pricing, the two-day sale was on. Classes from the Burton Valley community came to support the AIM class, buying books and contributing donations to the donation jar . After the frenzy, the students counted their change bags and were thrilled to realize they had surpassed their goal and raised $1,439.21! The students presented a check to Brandon Nicholson of The Hidden Genius Project right after winter break and felt good knowing they had made a difference in many disadvantaged children’s lives.
excess backyard fruit and donate it to the needy. It’s a classic win-win. The organization’s goal is to build a community-based, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable model of hunger relief.
See Farmers continued on page 17 The culinary class runs sessions almost year round.
the Pleasant Hill Park and Recreation District. Loved by many families over the years, the house was in a sorry state of disrepair and the barn was beyond redemption. A non-profit formed as the Friends of Rodgers Ranch in 1991 and renamed the Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center (RRHC) in 2014 took on the task of restoration. When fundraising permits, salvaged portions of the dismantled barn, supplemented by 19th century wood from an Alhambra Valley barn of similar vintage, will be incorporated in a structure visually identical from the exterior. Modern interior space will include room for workshops. Current President of RRHC Denise Koroslev noticed some raised beds on the site during her daily morning walk in 1996. People working on the beds invited her to a meeting. Soon she was immersed in more than just planting herbs. “Physically helping with the restoration,” she writes, “enabled me to see ‘within the walls’ how the house was built. It helped me get a feel for the evolution of the site and all of its occupants over the years.” In 2008, the renovated farmhouse was ready to welcome visitors as well as to offer
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Tribute to the Troops Tribute to the troops Concert and Picnic Honoring our Veterans and Saluting our Troops Saturday July 16th ~ 5:30PM to twilight
CONCERT
AT THE RES
There was a day when veterans came home to their communities with arms wide open. Communities would organize, have a parade, and celebrate their return. These traditions, like our veterans, have been forgotten. So in the spirit of remembering our veterans, Lafayette Rotary will honor veterans of all wars, peacetime service, active reserves, and military. Along with the call out to veterans, active troops and families are invited to attend. Volume X - Number 7 3000F DANVILLE BLVD #117 Master of Ceremonies duties ALAMO, CA 94507 go to ABC News Anchor Dan Telephone (925) 405-6397 Ashley. Each branch of military Fax (925) 406-0547 editor@yourmonthlypaper.com will be honored with their song, and small American flags will Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher be distributed to veterans or their The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Lafayette Today. Lafayette families. Today is not responsible for the content of any of the ad-
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