Rancho San Miguel Association

Thank you, local photographer, Phil Toy for these great images!

RSMHA presented the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 12th at San Miguel Park. Have a look at our happy egg hunters!  We were also lucky when the Easter Bunny herself showed up to hand out treats to the kids. Check out the video and pics!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZLsGyfK2Zo&feature=youtu.be

Thanks to those who have sent in their membership dues for the year! Your support helps fund year round activities for our neighborhood.

Our next neighborhood open house meeting is scheduled for March 12th at 7:30 pm (location to be announced soon). The last neighborhood gathering featured City Manager Ken Nordhoff presenting on City finance issues was attended by over 70 residents! This time we have City Councilperson Justin Wedel.

Mr. Wedel has a different perspective on City issues than most of the other Council. It will be an interesting evening hearing his views on how to balance the City budget, manage growth, etc. After the presentation, we will have a regular Board meeting, all attendees are invited to stay and participate.

So if you have not done so already… Please send in your annual dues! In April we will host the annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt at RSM Park. Plans are in process for a summer barbecue and car show.

Thanks for your support!

David German
President, Rancho San Miguel Association

Happy New Year RSM Neighbors! Big Announcement!

Did I say something about a raffle for an Ipad Mini?  See below…

The RSM Board has a number of exciting announcements!  First off, let me say thanks for the support in the past year. We had exciting events like the Easter Egg Hunt and local Art Show.  We forged a better relationship with Berean School, they withdrew their plans for expansion and promised to work with us in the future. Last, we convinced the City to put a fence around El Divisadero Park, clearly establishing it as a resource for the neighborhood, not a part of the school.

We have lots of plans for this year! Annual membership is only $20.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE – January 18 2-6pm – RSM Swim Club

Please come to our membership drive meeting on January 18^th from 2 to 6pm. Meet the Board! But also, come and meet the City Manager Ken Nordhoff. He and his staff are going to make a presentation about the Walnut Creek budget at 4pm. Find out about the fiscal situation in the Walnut Creek and what our City plans to do about balancing the budget.

The raffle? Oh yes! All RSM neighbors who come and either enroll or renew their memberships on the 18th are eligible for the raffle. You must be present to win, and we will draw after the budget presentation. Please come early.

What can you win? So far the prizes include:

• 2 tickets to the Ruth Bancroft Gardens!
• 2 tickets to Disneyland!
• And yes… An Ipad Mini
• and maybe some more!

Remember you must be present to win!

We have much more planned this year:

• Quarterly Membership Meetings, featuring a different City Council member to speak on issues in Walnut Creek and answer your questions.
• Events including the Easter Egg Hunt, Car Show, Halloween event, and more.

If you are on our neighborhood Nextdoor site, you can RSVP for the event here.  If not, we’ll see you there!

See you on the 18^th!

David German

RSM President

Rancho San Miguel Association – Art Show 2013

I want to “THANK” the 24 artists who showed their creations and everybody who participated
in the 2013 Rancho San Miguel Art Show. In these last 5 days of count down prep to
September 21 / Saturday Art show gave us all a opportunity to get to know each better,
work together, gain respect, enjoy each other’s company, see peoples talents and skills shine
in creating something special for the enjoyment of the community. To see and experience
the swim center turned into an art gallery was truly magical.

Summary:
Wednesday 9-18: It took an 11 hour day to hang 9 artists’ work on the walls.
When faced with figuring out how to custom hang each piece of art so as not to harm those precious original
Philippine mahogany veneer walls at the swim club; my hat goes off to Peter Padan,
Gene Farley, Dan Simoes, Jim & J.M. Golding and Pete Hackett.
I really appreciated seeing their talents and skills shine.
I want to also thank Grant Reiling for making all the art show artist placards and name tags.
Ximena Borquez and Bea Guttman for cutting them out.

To add a last minute additional wrench to the show, Micheal Pattinson emails me 24 hours
before hanging; to see if he can also get into the show; he has the large pieces that I was looking
for, and he shows up at 8:30pm with two large 30″x40″ paintings.
Under the gun and with the added new tasks, our two professional artistic minds (Micheal: architect & my architectural
+ design training) come together as one.
We feel the paintings, the space, figure out the best placement that will go with other large paintings,
come up with a new hanging solution, and had it done in less then 35 minutes…brilliant !!!

Thursday 9-19: We spend a 5 1/2 hour evening to hang lights on the beams and dressing cables by
zip tie-ing to beams. I want to THANK Dan Simoes, Ana, Bob & Pat Wolfe for spending their evening helping with lighting.
If you can imagine 28 – 30 lights hanging on C-clamps on the beams, with wires dangling down like spaghetti.
After lights are set & positioned, next task is to dress cables.
Dan & Pat starts f/ one end and Bob and I start f/ the other.
Next thing I know, Dan’s completed 3 beams, as I am getting to the 2nd beam.
Maybe I need to get a faster ladder like the one Dan has.
All this set up is working around dance and yoga classes that happen the next morning.

Friday 9-20: After morning Zumba class, Dan and I set up tables.
Its going to big day as 15 artists will be bringing in art; tables are arranged to create an interesting traffic flow,
using a tabletop easel system to maximize space for art.
With months of planning coming together on show day, all art pieces finally arrive, so we can see what really works.
Nikko comes in and hangs the art from beams, and has to leave.
Its like orchestrating a symphony of musicians coming together for the 1st time.
Arranging, conducting, writing and rewriting the score, until it is right.
It’s all flowing into place as planned, with minor adjustments the symphony-Art show is ready and up goes
the planned name tag art show cards that Grant has made.
A call to Kelly Ng for help clear all art, set up tools on tables for food tables….done.
I appreciate Dan’s kids Emma and Lucas for their conscientious assistance.
I give 7 yr. old Lucas this task of removing all the left over tape under tables f/ other events.
Lucas is the perfect size to wiz in and out under tables, in no time, its done.
In the mean time, Dan & Ana pick up and bring in ice and beverages.
I adjusted pre-hung lights, plus add two more, and at 4:45 pm the show is ready.

Let the Art Show begin. At 6:00pm guests arrive for the artist reception and all are thrilled with the space, light,
art, food, wine, drink and music through-out the evening.
To add an extra bit of texture, Scott Satterla rumbles up, and displays the 1926 Hudson Hot Rod
that he and Ben McCloy built, “Art Guerrilla Style” in his driveway on Los Cerros.
People are delighted to see 24 artists living in the neighborhood sharing
their art creations: water colors by Charles Dorsett, mixed media paintings on computer prints by Marius Johnson;
bronze nudes by Jonathon Wolf, aqueous photography by Phil Toy & Kelly Ng,
black & white photography by J.M. Golding, Gene Farley, David German,
paintings by Pete Hackett, Nikko Miladinovich, Bea Guttman, Chrissie Fabian, Micheal Pattinson,
sculptures by Ximena Borquez and Peter Padan, Illustrations by Antonia Kittredge
and Beatrice Osborne. Robert Hall and Ana Barretto showed ceramics, collages and hand made books.
To represent our kids in RSM; Dan Simoes’ children Aine, and Lucas, enlightened us with their photography;
and their mom, Siobhan, and Emma Simoes showed paintings.
In addition, Caryll Farrer from Jordan Reed, showed her whimsical sculptures…fun.

Saturday 9-21: ‘Rain Drops Are Falling On My Head’ is literally happening.
When I arrive that morning under the pouring rain, trooper Dan Simoes is sweeping the streets of the weeds he
has cut starting at 8:00am in front of the Swim Center. I commend Dan for his conscientiousness, dedication,
remodeling his house and beautifying the neighborhood even in the full rain storm.
To Dan I dedicate “Rain drops Keep Falling On My Head” by Burt Bacharach, which I happen to
have the L.P. record at the gallery, and drop the needle for him.

At 11:00 am we have Ruth & Ted Durst, 41 year residents of RSM arrive, to enjoy the art and gallery.
While the unexpected rain is falling, the doors are open, while its pouring at its peak,
I have the gallery, lighting and beautiful art to myself, I play at full blast, and dance to waltzes, arias,
topped off w/ Frank Sinatra in the falling rain…its magical !!

After the rains, the sun comes out and the gallery fills up.
Some of the most charming exchanges happen when our most senior artist,
Antonia Kittredge, 89 yrs. of age arrives and is greeted by our 2nd most senior artist, Chuck Dorsett, who’s 86.
Both are like school kids enjoying each others’ company and sharing each others’ art…..charming.
Then, at the other end we have 7 year old Lucas Simoes dressed is his shirt and tie,
he wrote “Exciting Photography Thiss is my first show”…cute.
I want to “THANK” everybody who ventured out in the weather to attend our event.
The show was a huge success with so many neighbors enlightened by all
the artistic talent living in Rancho San Miguel.
Everybody who came loved the art said it is a great thing to have this RSM Art Show,
and are proud to live in a neighborhood with so much vibrance.

I also want to Thank Mellisa Sunberry, Gerald Turetzky for the use of RSM Swim Club community room;
and RSM Association’s dedication to building our community.
RSMA Board, Joe Bunik, David German, Mason Wodhams, Ana Barretto , Dan Simoes, Phil Toy,
Dean Lundstrom, Grant Reiling, Kameron Leal, Pat Wolfe.

Sincerely Yours,
Phil Toy – Curator – Rancho San Miguel Association – Community Outreach