See Fair continued on

bidding on these animals and supporting or joining 4-H can email tassajara@ contracosta4h.org.

The Fair will be held at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds located at 1201 West 10th Street in Antioch. The Fair runs from

Thursday, May 12th through

Sunday, May15th. Come have a day of fun supporting our local youth and join in on the activities, events, and shows.

For a Fair schedule and other information, visit

contracostafair.com. Maya and her goat are ready for Fair!

CHROMATICA IS BACK. COME TO THE SHOW!

After a gap of more than two years, Chromatica, the popular Danville chorus, will showcase hits across the centuries at their May 7th concert. The concert will be at 7pm at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church, located at 433 Moraga Rd in Orinda. Vaccination certificates and masks will be required.

What do Mozart, Brahms, Bernstein, Paul Simon, Harold Arlen, Victor Young, and Lili Boulanger all have in common? They all wrote pieces that were huge hits in their time. From Brahm’s German Requiem with its lovely “Wie Lieblich…” to Paul Simon’s “Bridge over Troubled Water,” their music attracted large audiences and created special memories. Chromatica’s May 7 concert remembers these and a number of other pieces in unusual and expressive arrangements.

Lili Boulanger, the younger sister of famed pianist and teacher Nadia Boulanger who died tragically young at 25 and won the prestigious Prix de Rome at 18, produced some extraordinary music. These concerts will feature her “Hymne au Soleil” (Hymn to the Sun) and “Renouveau” (Spring) that also include spectacular piano accompaniment featuring Julie Rieth, Chromatica’s outstanding accompanist. Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” sung in Hebrew, remain among his best choral works. “In Flander’s Fields” is a poignant ode to those who perished in the Great War. Add to these pieces popular toe tappers like “Ciao Bella Ciao,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “When I Fall in Love,” and “Twist and Shout” and Chromatica will again offer a unique program characteristic of its now 10-year history.

Chromatica was founded in 2011 and now includes 20 men and women singers. Led by David P. Huff, an outstanding director and operatic tenor who has sung both in New York and San Francisco and accompanied by the exceptional pianist, Julie Rieth, it seeks to perform challenging pieces at a high level of professionalism.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students, and children 10 and under are admitted free. For concert tickets and to find out more about Chromatica, visit www.chromaticachorale.org. Tickets for all concerts are also available at the door. For a more personal look, you can find Chromatica on Facebook.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Many of our neighbors cannot afford to feed and clothe themselves or their families. Volunteer opportunities for individuals, families, and groups to serve the community are available at White Pony Express (WPE).

WPE, founded by Dr. Carol Weyland Conner in 2013 and headquartered in Pleasant Hill, is a nonprofit that rescues fresh surplus food from supermarkets, restaurants, and farmers markets. This nutritious food is then delivered free to organizations that feed the hungry. In addition, high-quality clothing, children’s toys, and books are distributed free of charge.

Hundreds of volunteers make WPE possible. They volunteer because they believe in the mission and know they are helping others who have urgent needs at this critical time in their lives. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit whiteponyexpress.org/volunteer or call Mandy Nakaya, Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 925-818-6361 or email Mandy@ whiteponyexpress.org. Dreams really did come true for Jim Henson (19371991), creator of the famed Muppets. When discussing his motivation behind Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, Henson stated, “I wanted our audience to know that despite all the chaos, and despite our differences, there is nothing more fun than being together. From there, I never stopped creating and dreaming. In fact, the more we performed, the more fun we had, and the more my dreams grew bringing millions of people together. What can possibly be more magical than that?”

Today, Sesame Street is watched by millions of people in over 150 countries and, at its peak, The Muppet Show was watched by over 235 million people per week.

Who is your favorite Muppet? The question was asked recently on NPR’s Forum radio show and people responded with: Miss Piggy, Rowlff the Dog, Bert and Ernie, and, of course, Kermit the Frog. What I found interesting was why they loved their favorite Muppet. Invariably it revolved around how their chosen character taught them to be a better person or get through tough times or even how their moral compass was created by watching the often-hilarious antics of the lively ensemble.

I discovered many details about Jim Henson in the bestseller Jim Henson by Brian Jay Jones, none so endearing as his relationship with his grandmother. Growing up in a small town in Mississippi, Jim was particularly close to his grandmother, affectionately called “Dear.” Dear could draw, paint, and was great with crafts and sculpting. She was also a seamstress whose skill “was the stuff of family legend.” Jim’s learned skills from Dear and his own innate talents were used when he later built, sculpted, and sewed his own puppets out of any material he could find. She instilled in him a “sense of genteel self-importance.” Author Jones writes, “It wasn’t arrogance, but simply a conviction that he (Jim) could do and be anything he wanted, a confidence and self-awareness that, for the rest of his life, family and colleagues admired and found reassuring.” What touched my heart was that Henson contributed his success to his beloved grandmother.

A Henson documentary directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard in cooperation with the Henson family (he and his wife co-creator Jane Ann Nebel Henson had five children) is due out in 2022. According to a press release, the film will give audiences a first-person view into the life of one of the world’s most inspiring and iconoclastic creators through exclusive home movies, photographs, sketches, and Henson personal diaries.

I recently visited the Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited at The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) in San Francisco which features over 150 artifacts, including actual puppets, sketches, storyboards, scripts, photographs, costumes, and behind the scenes footage. Like anything featured at The CJM, the Jim Henson Exhibition is insightful and informative. Senior Curator, Heidi Rabben, noted, “While Henson himself was not Jewish, his life’s work and legacy beautifully reflect the core values of The CJM. Henson sought to create a better world on-screen, which allowed people from all walks of life to see parts of themselves reflected through these beloved characters. Henson’s enduring lessons around diversity, inclusion, representation, and coexistence continue to have a tremendously formative impact for children and families today.”

The traveling exhibit Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited is on view at The CJM through August 14th. The address is 736 Mission St., San Francisco. Their website is www.thecjm.org. Hours are Thursday-Sunday, 11AM-5PM .

Linda Summers Pirkle is a long-term Danville resident. To share your “Quick Trips” ideas, email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

DUDUM REAL ESTATE GROUP

WHERE REAL ESTATE IS STILL PERSONAL

ACTIVE

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ARTIST’S RENDERING

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PENDING

9695 ASHBY WAY, SAN RAMON 4 BEDS, 2 BATHS, 1,472 SF, 0.17 ACRE LOT OFFERED AT $1,449,000 BRYAN HURLBUT | 925.383.5500 PENDING - REPRESENTED BUYER

1470 DANVILLE BOULEVARD #6, ALAMO 2 BEDS, 1.5 BATHS, 1,072 SF, 0.013 ACRE LOT OFFERED AT $689,000 MARGY LYMAN | 925.963.6380 SOLD

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2562 WALNUT BOULEVARD #54, WALNUT CREEK 1 BEDS, 1 BATH, 658 SF SOLD FOR $410,000 DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047 SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER

5 HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD, LAFAYETTE 5 BEDS, 3 BATHS, 2,724 SF, 0.24 ACRE LOT OFFERED AT $1,925,000 KORY MADGE | 925.366.9899 SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER

400 VERNAL DRIVE, ALAMO 4 BEDS, 3 BATHS, 3,698 SF, 0.22 ACRE LOT SOLD FOR $2,599,000 DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047 SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER

2837 MIRANDA AVENUE, ALAMO 4 BEDS, 3.5 BATHS, 4,408 SF, 0.52 ACRE LOT SOLD FOR $3,300,000 DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047

ALISON J. PETERSEN 925.984.7214

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DANVILLE WALNUT CREEK LAMORINDA BRENTWOOD SIERRA TAHOE

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San Ramon was an important little village in the 19th century. The community was located at the intersection of the county road and the “road down Crow Canyon” which went west to “Haywards.”

In the 1980s, Sandee Wiedemann was the Landmark Chairperson for the San Ramon Valley Historical Society. Her family had ranched in San Ramon since the 1860s and appreciated the area’s history. She gathered information from an older pioneer daughter, Viola Lynch, and saw to it that an unusual Historical Society plaque about San Ramon was produced.

At one point in the 1870s the village was dubbed Lynchville for pioneer William Lynch who had married Mary Norris. Their son Leo Lynch married the talented Minnie Coxhead and brought her to San Ramon where she learned to live in a rural setting. They raised nine children in an impressive and well-remembered house. Viola Lynch was one of their children, a “bright button” who loved living in San Ramon. In her later years after retiring as a teacher, Viola frequently wrote about the area. Many of her memories of the village are reflected in the “Hey Days” art piece.

The incised steel art graphic was produced in 1989. It provides a line drawing of the San Ramon area from 1850 to 1915. Residences and orchards surrounded the classic San Ramon Grammar School, the San Ramon Hall (after 1911), the San Ramon General Store, the Chinese laundry, Thorup Shoe and Boot Store, a blacksmith, boarding houses, Methodist Church, the San Ramon Hotel, shelter for horses, saloons, picnic grounds, and train depot are included. The San Ramon Branch Line railroad track ended east of San Ramon. The tree-lined San Ramon Creek, which today flows under San Ramon Valley Blvd. and I-680 and turns north by a hay field, was once the Borel Ranch. A bridge on San Ramon Valley Road allowed travelers to get over the large San Ramon Creek. The Southern Pacific San Ramon Branch Line station is on the far right of the picture. Entitled San Ramon “Hey Day 1850-1915”, it was presented to the San Ramon Library Foundation by the San Ramon View of many San Ramon village buildings and people, Valley Historical Society at a meeting in the newly dedicated San Ramon Library on May 11, 1989. It is now located put together by Bill Fereira. C. 1990s at the Welcome Center at Forest Home Farms Historic Park located at 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd. in San Ramon.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION

Have you done some recent home cleaning? Do you find yourself with paints and paint thinners, cleaning supplies, pesticides and garden-care items, batteries, motor oil and other automotive products, solvents, fluorescent tubes, personal care products, or unknown rusty containers that need safe disposal?

The local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection facility operated by the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District is open with modified operations and offers this free service to residents.

HHW drop-off is available at 4797 Imhoff Place in Martinez from Monday-Saturday from 7AM until 2PM with no appointment needed. Drop-off appointments for small businesses can be scheduled.

Learn about how to transport your items, as well as other instructions for bringing your items to be safely disposed of at www.centralsan.org/household-hazardous-waste-collection-facility.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Neighborhood Watch is a community action and problem-solving program and one of the most effective means available for resolving issues within the community. Through organized problem-solving activities, your block can remove crime from your neighborhood and address community issues of concern.

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff will be hosting meetings via Zoom. If you have any questions or are interested in finding out more information, please email the Community Services Unit at csu@ so.cccounty.us.

SRV GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society (SRVGS) was organized in 1985 to provide its members with resources, assistance, and educational opportunities that help them successfully research their ancestry. The group publishes a monthly newsletter and offers monthly meetings of small groups with common interests to discuss their specific areas of research. Classes are offered for the beginning researcher and those interested in genetic DNA.

You are invited to join the Tuesday, May 17th, 10am ZOOM meeting with a presentation by Dvorah Lewis entitled “Journey to the West: Genealogical Treasures at the Sutro Library.” Sutro Library, the California State Library branch located in San Francisco, has one of the largest genealogy collections west of the west (i.e. Salt Lake City). Sutro Library is not just the physical hub for the genealogy community, it is also a virtual hub. Come learn about the highlights of the genealogy collection, how to search online, and how to access the collections once on-site.

Dvorah Lewis joined the California State Library in June 2017 as the Genealogical & Local History Librarian at the Sutro Library. She earned her Master’s in Library & Information Science at UCLA. Her passion for archives and genealogy was inspired by an interview with her Great Aunt Essie, the then eldest member of her family. She is excited to help researchers learn how to navigate the State Library’s extraordinary collections and resources. Dvorah feels that by preserving the past we can understand the present and bring positive change to the future.

To become a member of SRVGS, visit srvgensoc.org and click on the “Join SRVGS” tab on the left side of the home page. To attend this meeting as a guest, please email your request to Steve Watty at president@srvgensoc.org.