Jan 2016 Orinda News.Indd
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THE ORINDA NEWS Gratis Published by The Orinda Association 12 Issues Annually Volume 31, Number 1 Delivered to 9,000 Households and Businesses in Orinda January 2016 Local Mom, Philanthropic Organization Win Orinda’s Top Honors for 2015 SALLY HOGARTY SALLY HOGARTY Anna Tague has been selected as the OA's 2015 The Orinda Community Foundation is this year's William Penn Mott, Jr. Environmental Award recipient. (L-R) OCF board members Ted Urban, Mark Roberts, Volunteer of the Year. Dick Burkhalter, Sue Severson, Richard Westin and Richard Stanaro. Not shown is board member Carol Penskar. By SALLY HOGARTY deliberating over their choices. But, when the Year. “There are so many wonderful in reality, she volunteers for many things,” Editor all was said and done, Anna Tague emerged people in our community that do so much,” says Sandy Kassis. “If she sees a need in as the Volunteer of the Year and the Orinda she says. “Can I decline the award so you the community, she doesn’t just talk about ach year the Orinda Association (OA) Community Foundation was selected for can give it to someone truly deserving?” it, she personally looks for ways to meet Ehas the difficult task of selecting the the William Penn Mott, Jr. Environmental However, given the many recommenda- the need.” Volunteer of the Year and the William Penn Award. tions that flowed into the OA office on her From working with the Orinda Juniors Mott, Jr. Environmental Award recipients behalf and her impressive 19 years of vol- to the Community Center Auxiliary to from a myriad of local residents. This year Volunteer of the Year unteering in Orinda, this year’s Volunteer driving for the OA’s Seniors Around Town was no exception with OA board members Anna Tague swears she doesn’t deserve of the Year award is well deserved. program, Tague has kept very busy while reading through the various nominees and the honor of being the 2015 Volunteer of “Anna says she ‘never volunteers’ but, [SEE AWARDS page 12] Orinda Association Marks 70 Years of Service to the Community By SALLY HOGARTY helped form the Orinda Union School Way is named after former OA president inevitable growing pains. Editor District? The busy volunteer organization Mowry Irwin? As the Orinda City Council and its many officially became the Orinda Association As the town continued to grow, the OA committees took shape, the OA looked to he Orinda Association (OA) proudly in 1946 when the Orinda Improvement formulated plans and began fundraising refocus its role in Orinda. In March of 2003, Tcelebrates 70 years of making Orinda Association (OIA) and Orindans, another for a community center. By 1974, the a committee made up of a cross section of a better place to live and raise children. public service organization, merged. group had sufficient funds to make a major community members recommended a new Beginning this month, the OA takes a look The fledgling group named landscape capital down payment on the former Orinda structure for the OA and a new mission to back at its rich history and its plans for designer William Penn Mott, Jr. as its first Union School and provide the impetus for maintain and improve the quality of life in the future. president. Mott went on to serve as head purchase and development of today’s Com- Orinda, promote awareness of issues and Most residents recognize the OA for its of the State of California park system munity Center. encourage volunteerism. popular 4th of July parade and the monthly and then head of the national parks under Prior to incorporation as a city, Orinda The OA already had a proud history newspaper The Orinda News. Others par- President Reagan. The OA proudly awards residents looked to the OA to act as their [SEE OA page 8] ticipate as riders or drivers in the OA’s Se- a local resident the William Penn Mott, Jr. voice with local, state and federal authori- niors Around Town volunteer ride program Environmental Award each year. ties -- a role the OA took to heart with mem- while students come to the OA’s Volunteer Knowing libraries were very important bers regularly present at county meetings IN THIS ISSUE Center looking for volunteer hours to fulfill for the sleepy little hamlet, the OA (then to be sure Orinda got its fair share of tax News school service requirements. the OIA) established the first real library dollars and services. City Council 5 But did you know that in 1923, the OA in 1935, and, in 1956, gave 1.4 acres of With the 1985 incorporation of Orinda, Education Bill 5 (then known as Orinda Improvement As- land for a new library, which stood for many expected the OA to disband but in- Police Blotter 6 sociation) established the Orinda Volunteer many years at the corner of Orinda Way stead the organization continued its watch- Roads 7 Fire Department, and, in the same year, and Irwin Way. Did you know that Irwin dog role as the new city went through its Around Town Local Organizations 14, 15 Local Residents 10 Orinda Association’s Obituary 8 Schools/Students 11 Annual Awards Dinner Visual Arts 2 Business Buzz 16 February 21 – 6 p.m. Calendar 13 Orinda Country Club Classifi ed 12 Editorial 4 Come and celebrate your fel- Orinda Association 3 low residents for their exceptional Roving Reporter 9 volunteer work in our community. See Something to Howl About 10 page 3 for more information. The Reel Less Traveled 5 DAVID DIERKS The Orinda Association board of directors: Back row L-R: Bill Waterman, Alison Dew, Cindy Powell, Tom Romanack; Front row: Joe Haughin, JIm Luini and Joe Garvey. Not pictured are Maura Aars and Chris Laszcz-Davis. ECRWSS Postal Customer Customer Postal PERMIT# 4 PERMIT# ORINDA, CA ORINDA, PAID US POSTAGE US NON-PROFIT 2 n THE ORINDA NEWS n JANUARY 2016 LIBRARY GALLERY Library Gallery Rings in New Year With Exhibit By Women Artists By ELANA O’LOSKEY City and an MFA from the Academy of to get out of the house. While her husband Staff Writer Art in San Francisco. The theme for her watched the kids, she enrolled in a ceram- show is “Art Around Town” because she ics class. As an art major in college she had lfred Lord Tennyson reminds us that, has chosen more than 10 works depicting done a lot of things, but never clay. She was A“Hope smiles from the threshold of local landscapes such as the Lafayette Res- hooked from the first night. After moving the year to come, Whispering ‘it will be ervoir, Mount Diablo, a friend at a stable, to Danville, she found the Guild and credits happier…’” The Lamorinda Arts Council people at Chow Restaurant and four-footed them with keeping her work fresh because, invites you to begin an even “happier” 2016 friends. To stay fresh, she keeps learning “We have a fantastic studio, great teachers with a visit to the Orinda Library Gallery and is enrolled in the Golden Gate Atelier and an eclectic group of members so we to see the work of local artists Hilary Mills School where she studies French Academy end up feeding off each other’s creativity.” Lambert (oil paintings), Mimi Wild (ceram- 19th century painting four days a week. She The Guild’s motto is, “Seize the Clay.” ics), Julia Chen Wen (Chinese brush paint- hopes viewers appreciate her interest in Fans of Gary Larson’s Far Side cartoons ings) and Donna Anderson (photographs) harmonious, colorful and beautiful shapes. will understand Wild’s sense of humor im- from Jan. 3 to 31. Join them on Saturday, Look for Summit Ranch (12” x 12”) and mediately. Get ready for 30 ceramic pieces Jan. 9, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. for an artists’ Lafayette Reservoir (8” x 16”); both are oil such as snakes in a meat grinder, a vulture reception when light refreshments will paintings on canvas. Visit www.millsgal- pitcher, a sea otter casserole, raccoon dip be served, music will be heard, and you lery.com to see more of her work including dishes and a chicken with chicken noodle will be tempted to linger and speak with her murals. soup. Most of her pieces are animal figures CONTRIBUTED PHOTO creative minds. Mimi Wild of Danville has been creat- in different poses and many are caricatures. Donna Anderson's canvas Giclée photograph is entitled Autumn Abstract. Hilary Mills Lambert of Alamo is a ing ceramics for over 35 years at the Clay She hopes viewers find the humor in her fifth-grade teacher at Lafayette Elementary Arts Guild (the Guild) in Walnut Creek. work and come to appreciate her piquant has been absolutely no manipulation of School and has been involved in the art Her introduction to clay occurred when, point of view of the animal, insect and the image; the more you look at it the more world all of her adult life. She earned an as a young mother in Southern California avian worlds. interesting it gets. Yet, Anderson is a pur- MS from the Pratt Institute in New York with two babies, she realized she needed Julia Chen Wen of Walnut Creek has had ist, “I do not manipulate my photographs a passion for Chinese brush painting since in any way, either on the computer or in she was a teenager. She learned the funda- the printing.” Other works include Tulip mentals of this traditional form of painting Tree, Van Ripper Lane, Orinda (10” x 13”) from master teachers Chang Heng and and Autumn Abstract (11” x 14”), both are Chen Jian Chang.