March 2017
Volume 13, Issue 3
Dear Neighbors:
Does this sound like a recent Chronicle headline? “Coldest Weather Still on the Way:
20-degree readings, Showers Expected.” Sounds right, but this one is from The S.F. Examiner,
published on Sunday, February 5, 1989. The story reads, “On the Peninsula, the Highway
Patrol closed much of Skyline Boulevard on the ridge west of Interstate 280. It is just too
mountainous a road to be negotiated without chains, said San Mateo County Sheriff’s Dept.
Sgt. Thomas O’Rourke.” The March 1989 Echo further noted that Kings Mountain Road was
also closed that Sunday and the temperature at 6 am on Monday Feb. 6 was 14 degrees.
Today, white sleet is falling as your editor writes, making Kings Mountain appear to be
snow covered again. High winds and heavy rains have created collateral damage that has
challenged everyone for weeks. As usual, neighbors kept each other informed about driving
conditions, power outages and other needs, while our Volunteer Firefighters put in endless
hours protecting our properties and safety. This issue includes a KMVFB board commendation
to the firefighters for their extraordinary efforts over the past three months.
In spite of the weather, the Kings Mountain Associated
Parents put together a school fund raiser last month that
was terrific fun! Pictures of the Sweetheart Social inside
will brighten your gloomiest day. Kings Mountain kids also
perked up any dismal thoughts with a delightful concert
celebrating love, happiness and friendship. We are
reminded that neither the vital KMVFD nor school enrichment programs (such as music) would be possible without
Art Fair funding. You will be pleased to read the 2016 Art
It takes a hip team to organize a SweetFair business results in this issue.
heart Social! L to R: Jean Newhall, Kelly
An inspiring Woodside Almanac cover story about the Sanderson, Maria Polonchek, Nora Naylor
Martinez-Lusinchi family is a real profile in courage. We do
not have permission to publish it, but we encourage everyone to read it at this site:
http://almanacnews.com/news/2017/02/28/hope-persists-marisa-martinez-wont-stop-fightingfor-her-daughters-life. The strength of the hills is truly in the people.
As we all look forward to spring, plan to join your neighbors at the Annual KMA Spring
Brunch and Egg Hunt on April 9th. The food is always delicious and it is a great family day for
everyone. Also, why not get out in the garden and on hiking trails? See schedules for both
Garden Club activities and free sculpture hikes at the Djerassi Resident Artist Program inside.
Warmest regards,
Eileen & Sam, Editors
Bill Goebner, Echo Photographer
Marty Eisenberg, Echo Columnist
Good News from the Art Fair Board:
Kings Mountain Art Fair Reports on
2016 Results and Funding
To the Community:
We worked hard and it paid off! A big THANKS to everyone who volunteered for
the 2016 Art Fair and especially to our amazing group of Art Fair Chairs who
carry the responsibility on their shoulders to deliver everything that makes our
Art Fair work.
Once again, the community made it a success! In spite of a very cold and wet
Saturday, our results were strong, and the Art Fair Board and Chairs were
pleased to approve in full the grant requests from the Kings Mountain Volunteer
Fire Brigade and the Kings Mountain Associated Parents Organization.
Great job!
By Bev Abbott for the KMAF Board
Thank you
KM Fire Department
Volunteers!
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KM Fire Department Volunteers Responded to
84 Emergency Calls in January and February
This has been a brutal winter on Kings Mountain. The severe weather, with very
high winds and pounding rains, caused a myriad of problems on the mountain. With
trees down, landslides, roads closed, power outages and falling limbs everywhere, the
severe weather wreaked havoc on our properties and disrupted our lives.
The amazing Kings Mountain Volunteer
Firefighters rose to the challenge, responding to more emergency calls this year than
ever before. In the months of January and
February 2017 (a total of 59 days) Kings
Mountain Volunteer Firefighters responded to
84 calls. That’s an average of 1.4 calls per
day! Moreover, between four and five volunteers turned out for every emergency.
By way of comparison, in January and
February 2016, KM volunteers had to respond
to just 36 calls.
The volunteer firefighters are our neighbors – they have busy, hectic lives just as
we all do. They work long hours at their regular jobs and many have families to take
care of. It is truly amazing that these volunteers were able to make the time to come
out at all hours of the day and night to serve their neighbors and the community.
For all their extraordinary efforts, Kings Mountain Volunteer Firefighters deserve
high praise and profound thanks from our community.
These are the active Kings Mountain Volunteer Firefighters – Please thank them for
their dedicated service when you see them!
HONOR ROLE OF KM VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS
Jim Sullivan, Fire Chief
Matt King, Assistant Fire Chief
Hank Stern, Assistant Fire Chief
John P. Curcio
Andrew Dellinger
Sean Fender
Ann Flory
Terry Fotre
Ann Gabrys
Anders Holvick-Thomas
Pat Jones
Nick Kromat
Joe Lopez
Larry Mann
Mario Miu
Kelly Sanderson
Robert Simmons
Gregg Stefancik
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MINUTES OF THE KMVFB MEETING on February 14, 2017
ATTENDANCE: Jon Fredrikson, Darrin Jewell, Valerie Trenter, Joe Rockmore (by phone),
Anna Rosche-Tubbs, Tim Naylor, Jim Sullivan, Matt King, Bill Goebner, Steve Johnson,
Carrie German, Tim German.
Board president Jon Fredrikson called the KMVFB Meeting to order at 7:33 pm.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: There were no minutes to approve as the January
board meeting was cancelled because of a severe storm.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Anna Rosche-Tubbs reported that the books are up-to-date and
that she is working on the 2016 taxes.
BUILDING MANAGER’S REPORT: Cheri Buffa reported that in January 2017 there were the
following uses of the building:
Exercise/Dance Classes
8
Monthly Community Board Meetings
5
KMVFB Training & Maintenance
8
Community Events/Parties
0
Private Events/Parties
1
TOTAL USES FOR THE MONTH
22
FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT: December 2016
Medical aid
5
Vehicle accident
3
Public assist
6
Firefighter standby
0
Vehicle fire
0
Smoke check
0
Structure fire
0
Vegetation fire
0
Hazardous materials
0
Rescue
0
Cover assignment
0
Alarm sounding
3
Water tender group response
1
Trash fire
0
TOTAL # RESPONSES FOR
THE MONTH
18
AVERAGE # OF
RESPONDERS
4
Number of incidents with no
Volunteer response:
0
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FIRE CHIEF’S REPORT: January 2017
Medical aid
4
Vehicle accident
2
Public assist
14
Firefighter standby
15
Vehicle fire
0
Smoke check
0
Structure fire
1
Vegetation fire
0
Hazardous materials
0
Rescue
0
Cover assignment
0
Alarm sounding
2
Water tender group response
0
Trash fire
0
TOTAL # RESPONSES FOR
THE MONTH
38
AVERAGE # OF RESPONDERS
5
Number of incidents with no
Volunteer response:
1
The board discussed the remarkable efforts of the Volunteer Firefighters during the months of
December and January. The Board unanimously passed the following motion:
On behalf of the Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade Board and the Kings Mountain
community, the board would like to congratulate and thank the Fire Department volunteers for
their extraordinary efforts during this very stormy winter season.
During the past two months of December and January, Kings Mountain Volunteers turned
out for a remarkable 55 incidents, nearly one a day. Moreover, an average of 4.5 responders
reported for each emergency. There was only one incident without a volunteer response.
Fire Department volunteers deserve high praise from our community for this fantastic
achievement and for their dedicated efforts to serve Kings Mountain.
OLD BUSINESS:
NEW WEBSITE/WEB MASTER: Joe Rockmore reported that David Morrison is the new Kings
Mountain Online webmaster and that Dave is now working on the site.
RESCUE TRUCK REPLACEMENT: This item is still under review.
VERIZON TOWER LEASE EXTENSION: This item is still under review.
BFE NETWORKS UPDATE: There have been no new developments.
AUDIO VIDEO TRAINING SYSTEM: A projector and a large screen television were generously
donated by Nick Kromat. Tim German is installing a projection screen in the Northwest corner of the
Community Center.
NEW BUSINESS:
Repeater Sites for SF Water Commission: Frank Adams met with a representative of the SFPUC to
discuss the possible installation of a repeater for their Two-Way Radio System on our radio tower.
This item was put off for discussion until the March meeting.
Ardyth and Roger Woodruff Bench: The family of Ardyth Woodruff asked permission to install a
memorial bench in memory of Ardyth and Roger Woodruff. This item is under review.
Meeting adjourned at 8:42 pm.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Respectfully submitted,
itÄxÜ|x gÜxÇàxÜ / Secretary
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KMA Board Meeting Minutes
February 8, 2017
Call to Order: Sybil Plank called the meeting to order at 7:15 pm.
Attendance:
Board members present: Sybil Plank, Kathy Shubin, Sam Penman, Ingrid
Hegerberg
Absent:, Eric Soult, Kate Rouch
Secretary’s Report: The previous minutes were previously approved.
Treasurer’s Report: We urgently need a Treasurer and are looking to fill some vacancies
on the board. Please contact Sybil ([email protected]) with suggestions!
Public Notices Received by KMA: No public notices.
Old Business:
Status of getting a new treasurer: See above and contact Sybil with suggestions!
New Business:
Nomination Committee. The nominating committee for directors was created; if any
member in good standing is interested in a seat on the board, please contact Ingrid or
Sybil.
Spring Brunch. Join us on Sunday, April 9th for the annual KMA Spring Brunch. Hot
breakfast, beverages, and Easter egg hunt! Come meet your neighbors – with kids or
without – there’s something here for everyone!
Annual Member Meeting: Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 6th, to celebrate with
members of the Kings Mountain community. More information coming soon!
Walk Ins: N/A
Next Meeting: March 15, 2017 at 7:00 pm, Community Center. (This is a one-time date
change.) Everyone is welcome!
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.
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Sunday, April 9
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The Sweetheart Social Rocked the Mountain on February 11th
A few landslides, downed trees, and road closures just hours before the party didn’t
stop partygoers from having a fantastic time! Nearly 150 ticketholders enjoyed delicious food, a vibrant photo booth, bar, fireplace, and dancing to great sounds. The
Mountain Terrace generously donated their spectacular venue, staff and supplies,
while Jan Lundberg donated her talents capturing the fun with photo booth memories
guests took home. Enticing raffle prizes and a fast auction of wonderful packages completed the action. We raised $12,705 that will go directly to our school. Thank you to all
the parent helpers and generous donors of prizes and services. Most of all, we appreciate all the community members who supported our fund raising by attending. We
hope you had a great time. If you weren't able to make it this year, we hope you will
plan to make it next!
The Sweetheart Social Team: Jean, Kelly, Maria, and Nora
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Sweetheart Social Photo Booth Memories of Good Fun
Photos by Jan Lundberg
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Kerry Kemling
1955-2017
Kerry Kemling passed away at Stanford Hospital on January 11, 2017 due to
complications during recovery from a hip replacement surgery. She was 62 years
old.
Kerry was born on July 5th in San Diego, California to her parents, Norma
and Charles Ehlers. She grew up in Castro Valley, California, and spent most of
her life living in Northern California. In 1979, she graduated from Cal Polytechnic
University with a degree in Animal Sciences.
Kerry had a successful career working as an IT systems manager for medical
professionals. She retired in 2014. She was active in our community,
volunteering tirelessly to support the Kings Mountain Elementary School and the
Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Department. She also supported numerous
charities, including Children International, which she donated to for over thirty
years.
Kerry is survived by her daughter and son, Chrissy and Connor; her mother,
Norma; and her brothers Jim and Rob. She is preceded in death by her father,
Charles.
A celebration of life was held on January 28th at The Mountain House
Restaurant. Family, friends and neighbors packed the place to celebrate Kerry’s
life.
In lieu of flowers, all are encouraged to make donations to Children
International, a non-profit child sponsorship organization that fights poverty and
helps children in need through programs, community centers and more. Children
International, 2000 E. Red Bridge Road, P.O. Box 219055, Kansas City, MO
64121. https://www.children.org/
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A Music Celebration of Love & Friendship
KMES In Concert, Thursday, February 16, 2017
The program read: “This winter, our children are presenting a fun program of songs
about love, happiness, and friendship. We have worked hard to learn these songs and
present them with joy. We hope you enjoy tonight's music and leave with a smile on
your face, and love in your heart!” Every seat was filled and there was standing room
only in the Lion’s Den.
Beginning with Beetoven’s Ode to Joy with Franz Shiller Poetry, the concert quickly
took a “seriously fun” turn. Vocal music resource teacher Liesl McPherrin took each
class through hip, contemporary music guaranteed to produce happy thoughts. K/1
kicked everything off with "Happiness" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Make
New Friends, and "L-O-V-E" as sung by Nat King Cole. The 2/3 Class took the stage to
sing "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story; "Lean on Me" as sung by Bill Withers
and "A Little Help from my Friends" by the Beatles. The 4/5 created visual effects to illustrate "I Lava You" from Pixar's Lava, finishing with "Seasons of Love" from Rent
As the whole school filed on stage to sing "We Go Together” from Grease, the audience was all smiles…as promised in the program.
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School News
The first week in March, all three KMES classroom teachers and Principal Diane Siegel,
listened together to hear every Kings Mountain School student read. As a group, teachers observed the strategies each child used to decode words and understand the text they were
reading. After reading, each child talked about the story, retelling the events of the text,
inferring ideas about the characters and noticing the author’s craft. Principal Siegel is also the
Intervention teacher for the Reading Workshop curriculum. She says she particularly enjoys
this time to focus on each child individually, assess their reading skills, listen to all they have
learned about reading and celebrate their growth. Her weekly letter to parents happily reported
that our students showed growth in their reading abilities. Each child’s score will be on their
report card as their independent reading level. As conference week begins on Monday, March
13th, classroom teacher can answer any question parents might have about the reading
assessment.
February’s theme of friendship and inclusion was beautifully expressed in an evening’s
musical performance, as well as in holiday themes around Valentine’s Day, Black History
Month and the President’s Week break. Science resource specialist Joan McIntire used winter
storm damage as a teaching tool. Finishing a geology unit, the 2/3 class studied erosion and
landforms. Student groups set up worlds with mountains, some river basins, houses, dams,
etc. They poured water (rain) on their worlds to see and report on the effects. The 4/5 class
took a detour from their “one ocean” unit to study erosion, dams and the California state water
system. Students used stream tables to study the landforms created by varying the slope and
volume of water that flows over the land. They added dams, rock walls, mountains, and
houses, to see how they were affected by the water flow.
Engaging “hands on” science and performance vocal music are just two examples of
program enhancements funded by KMAP.
Garden Club March 2017 Tips & News
The Kings Mountain Garden Club will emerge from it’s seasonal hibernation next
month. Our annual meeting has been set for Saturday, April 22nd at 2 PM at the Community Center. We hope all of you can attend. It will be a quick meeting to vote for officers,
determine when and which gardens we hope to visit during the spring tours, and see who
would like to host the annual summer luncheon. We also hope to get some ideas for additional Garden Club events that the club should consider organizing.
The attendance for this meeting is usually pretty low so we hope that with the nice
weather more of you will attend the meeting this year! Mountain folk who are not part of the
club but are curious, please drop by. We will have some veteran Kings Mountain gardeners who can also answer your gardening questions.
With spring almost here, it will soon be a good time to plant and tend your gardens for
maximum pleasure this summer.
Lance Fung · 13519 Skyline Blvd Woodside CA 94062 ·
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Djerassi Resident Artists Program 2017 ART///SKY Sculpture Hikes
Djerassi Resident Artists Program, located at 2325
Bear Gulch Road West, makes its majestic 583-acre
ranch available to the public through a very limited
number of guided sculpture hikes. The hikes feature
site-inspired sculptures, created and donated by
artists during the programs’ 37-year history. All hikes
are led by trained docents; including several Kings
Mountain residents. They are strenuous, involving
an elevation gain of about 500 feet but are wellworth the effort in the opinion of your Editor. The
sculpture hikes are an opportunity to view engaging
and diverse sculpture pieces while learning more
about a unique art space on Kings Mountain.
Reservations for the 2017 public tours must be made on an assigned date through the Djerassi
web site: http://djerassi.org Spaces go very quickly! Get on the site early and follow the
prompts to reserve. Sign up for the wait list if you miss the opening. There are normally a few
drop outs and Djerassi staff notifies wait listed persons in the order they were received.
FREE HIKES — NEXT RESERVATION DATE IS MONDAY, MAY 16
Registration link opens at 9 AM for the following hikes: (limited to two places per person)
Two-Mile Hike and Station's Loop Hike
Two-Mile Hike is our standard hike led by docents. The hike lasts 2.5 hours, covers 2 miles of
trail with a 500-foot elevation gain and explores more than 25 works of art.
Station's Loop Hike is great for returning visitors. The hike lasts 3.5 hours and covers 4.3
miles with a 750-foot elevation gain. Visitors walk trails rarely open to the public.
Sunday, June 25, 10 AM, Stations Loop hike
Saturday, July 8, 10 AM, Stations Loop hike
Saturday, July 22, 4 PM, Two Mile Hike
Saturday, August 12, 4 PM, Two Mile Hike
Tuesday, August 22, 4 PM, Two Mile Hike
Sunday, September 10, 4 PM, Two Mile Hike
See the Djerassi Web Site for the schedule and registration for two types of fee based guided
hikes. Director's Hike and The Everything Hike
Director's Hike ($50-60 per visitor) is led by Executive Director Margot H. Knight. The hike is
scheduled for mid-day or sunset and covers 3.5 miles over 3.5 - 4 hours. Visitors learn about
more than 35 sculptures and explore artists' studio and living spaces.
The Everything Hike ($50 per visitor) is led by long-time docent Dennis Ruby. The hike is 6
hours and covers 5 miles with a 1,000-foot elevation gain. Dennis provides a deep look at 40+
sculptures with a focus on flora and fauna.
Please Note: A series of free Two Mile and Stations’ Loop hikes begins March 16, but all are fully
booked with long waiting lists. The Echo did not have notification of the first registration date for these
hikes. We’ve included this May 16 notice early because the first series booked out in 30 minutes! If you
want to tour this magnificent property, please put the registration date and time on your calendar now.
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March 2017
by
Marty Eisenberg
Some Contemporary History: Cleaning the strainer beneath the pop-up
stopper in the bathroom sink: So, there’s a bunch of debris stuck in the strainer right
beneath that metal pop-up sink stopper. You unscrew the metal stopper. What then?
Well, I asked a general contractor and a plumbing contractor how to clean that
strainer. Both said the only way you’re going to do it is to disassemble the rod and
stopper assembly from beneath the sink. (What a chore just to remove some debris
from that little strainer!) The problem, they explained, is that once you remove the
strainer from its position on the vertical rod coming up the drain, there is no getting
that strainer back onto the rod because it wobbles around and it needs to sit still right
in the center of the drain hole for the little round strainer to slide back onto it. Well, I
have news for them!! Here’s the solution: Unscrew the stopper off the rod. Pull the
strainer with its debris up out of the drain using a paperclip shaped like a hook or
whatever way you choose. Clean it up. Putting it back onto that wobbling rod is the
trick! If only that rod coming up the drain was a little longer, it would be a snap. And
therein lies the secret! Go get a wooden skewer from the kitchen. Break it so it’s about
4” long. Press the flat end of the skewer against the tip of that rod in the drain as
though the skewer is a prolongation of the rod. You’ll find you can maneuver the rod
around and to the center of the drain. Slip that little strainer over the top of the skewer
and let it slide down to the tip of the rod in the drain. Maneuver a little and it will slip
right onto that rod in the drain!!
If you have a living trust, be sure the real property you own is “in the trust”.
That is done by a deed from yourself to yourself as trustee of your trust. Nearly all
lawyers prepare those as part of the preparation of a trust. However, if you refinance
property in your trust or acquire additional property, lenders and title companies do not
want to loan money to “trustees” or insure title in the name of “trustees”. So, a title
company handling a purchase or refinance transaction commonly prepares a deed
placing title in your name as an individual (not as trustee of your trust) to complete the
transaction. But title companies do not always then transfer title to your name as
trustee of your trust upon completion of the transaction. In years past title companies
would not prepare such a deed. More recently, they will if asked. So, if you have refinanced or purchased real property since preparing your living trust, review the transaction paperwork to confirm title has been transferred to you as trustee. Otherwise,
your successors may be spending a lot of money you intended to save them getting
that property properly transferred after you pass away.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever” [Mahatma Gandhi,
1869-1948; non-violent political activist; “Father” of India as an independent nation]
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March 2017 Kings Mountain Community Calendar
The Kings Mountain Echo is published monthly by the Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade, Inc, a non-profit,
volunteer organization. The Co-Editors are Eileen Fredrikson and Sam Penman. All opinions are those of the
commentator/writer and not those of the publisher.
Echo submissions should be emailed to [email protected] or [email protected]. Please reference “the
Echo” in the subject line. The Echo deadline is the 26th of each month. The editors retain discretion to edit all
submissions for space and content.
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Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade
13889 Skyline Blvd
Woodside, CA 94062
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
REDWOOD CITY, CA
PERMIT NO. 621