In This Issue
Auxiliary Report
Summer greetings! I hope the summer is passing smoothly and it isn’t too hot. Kids will be going back to school soon. The days of summer do seem to go by very quickly.
The Awards Banquet has come and gone. Thank you to everyone who was instrumental in putting together this event. The evening was lovely and a lot of excitement around the award winners. The Auxiliary had our raffle, which benefits LEAF, The Landscape Educational Advancement Foundation. LEAF was founded by the Auxiliary in the 1980’s in order to provide scholarships to students in horticulture programs throughout California. Today, there are 65 funds in LEAF totaling over $1.4 million. The Auxiliary through LEAF has awarded 1200 scholarships to 630 students totaling over $750,000. With everyone’s support, the Auxiliary raised $720 for LEAF at the Awards Banquet. Thank you and the future scholarship recipients thank you. Our raffle winners were:
- Alec Emery of Robinson Oil won the “have a happy summer” basket by Vicky and Simon Parrott.
- Tanya Singley of Blue Spruce Landscape won the picnic basket with everything you could want for outdoor dining by Alice Domine.
- Mark Sebben of Bayscape Landscape Management won the Italian-themed basket by Girvin and Lesley Peters.
- And last but not least Dominic Bryan of Paradise Garden and Landscape won the basket donated by the SFBA Chapter board, which contained two tickets to a San Francisco Giants game, two blankets in case it is cold at the game, two Giants hats and plenty of snacks to keep you happy in case the game is not so great!
Congratulations to all the winners, thank you to our donors and thank you again to everyone who bought raffle tickets for supporting LEAF and the Auxiliary.
The Auxiliary potluck is upon us! If you have not RSVP’d yet, it’s not too late. Contact me ASAP to let us know you are coming. I’ve heard a rumor that this may be the last potluck at the Cohen’s as they may be moving to parts unknown…well known but not officially announced. Come join your friends and CLCA family to wish the Cohen’s bon voyage! We will miss seeing them on a monthly basis and hope they will return often for a few CLCA events. I look forward to seeing everyone there.
The Chapter Picnic comes quickly on the heels of the potluck on Sunday, September 13 at Cuesta Park in Mountain View. A Constant Contact invitation will be going out soon if it hasn’t gone out already. Get your horseshoe team together, break out your favorite family recipes and come join us for fun, friends and food. The day begins at 11 a.m., with the horseshoe tournament starting soon thereafter, as soon as all of the teams are assembled. Barbecue lunch will be around 12:30 p.m., with the chili cook-off judging slightly before lunch is served. If you are interested in judging the chili competition, I would welcome you to that job and I hope you like it spicy! Judging for the dessert competition will be around 1:30 p.m. shortly after lunch and is usually a treat for everyone, entrants and judges alike!
Don’t hesitate to be in touch if you have questions, want to help or just chat. Hope to see you at an event in the second half of the year. It will be Christmas before you know it!
Lesley Peters
Garden Designer (retired now!)
650-444-4580
gpland@sbcglobal.net
San Jose Giants Game Recap
While it may have been a smaller crowd this year, the fun was definitely in full swing at our CLCA SFBA San Jose Giants Night! Members enjoyed a beautiful summer evening at Excite Ballpark, complete with exciting pre-game entertainment from Pro Wrestling Revolution, whose high-energy lucha libre matches got everyone ready for the game. Early-arriving fans scored complimentary luchador masks, and many of our members joined in the fun by wearing them throughout the evening. The private patio was filled with great conversation, plenty of laughs, delicious BBQ, and some of the best churros around! To top it all off, the San Jose Giants sealed the night with an exciting grand slam home run and a Giants victory. Thank you to everyone who joined us!
Chapter Picnic
The Chapter Picnic is right around the corner! Come join your CLCA family at the Chapter Picnic at Cuesta Park in Mountain View on Sunday, September 13, starting at 11 a.m. The horseshoe tournament starts the day as soon as all of the teams are assembled, with a barbecue lunch around 12:30 p.m. Thank you to our picnic committee (Chair Rick Camin, Alice Domine, Vicky Parrott, Michelle Ott, Cindy Singletary, Girvin and Lesley Peters, and Charlene Ott) for putting this event together.
Games for all ages will be available throughout the day. Start practicing your horseshoe skills. The team to beat is Joesph Domine and son Alex, capturing the title again in 2025. There was fierce competition until the final horseshoe was thrown! Come on out and join the tournament.
Dust off your recipe’s! The dessert competition is back, as well as the chili cook-off. We have some awesome bakers and cooks in this group, young and old, and it is refreshing to see old family recipes being passed down to the next generation. A reservation form is available below and a Constant Contact invitation will also go out soon. Pricing is the same as last year, $10 for adults and kids 12 and over, $5 for children under 12.
A day filled with great food, great fun, and great friends. How could you go wrong with this combination? I look forward to seeing you there.
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Upcoming Events
SFBA Chapter Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, August 27th @ 5pm
Peninsula Building Materials – Mountain View
CLCA Members are welcome to attend
Contact Jackie Marsey jackie@paradiselg.com
Annual Chapter Picnic
Cuesta Park in Mountain View
Sunday, September 13th @ 11am
Partner Spotlight
The Month’s Partner Spotlight is Peninsula Building Materials
For more than 100 years, Peninsula Building Materials has been a trusted partner for builders, contractors, designers, architects, and homeowners throughout Northern California. Since opening our doors in 1923, we’ve remained committed to the values that built our company—family, service, and tradition. What began as a single supply yard has grown into multiple locations serving the Bay Area, including Redwood City, Santa Clara, San Martin, Livermore, and our design showrooms in Mountain View, Walnut Creek and Pacific Grove. While we’ve grown over the last century, our commitment to providing exceptional products, expert knowledge, and outstanding customer service has remained the same.
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