Many Thanks to Karen Burman as She Leaves the Board

Board Member, and Secretary, Karen Burman, left the VWC Board this summer, and we all miss her! Karen’s ideas and input were counted on — always thoughtful and helpful — and she is a lot of fun to work with. She remains active on the Environmental Committee, and will staff a sign-in table at the 26th River & Road Clean-up, as she has for years. She readily took on many tasks, helping at events from the Annual Meeting to the Yard Sale, and offered her wonderful deck over the River for meetings. A great organizer, her skills will be missed!

Many thanks to Karen for her years of service on the Board – and our gratitude for her ongoing involvement!

Recycling Transition Moves Along
Nancy Macy Celebrated and Dave Wright Takes the Helm

July 1st was a great day for a party, and the VWC knows how to celebrate! Recycling Director, Nancy Macy, was honored at a retirement party at the Highlands Park Senior Center with kind words, great food, a trip down memory lane, a beautiful song, honors from our local government representatives, a bagpipe-led procession, and a bench placed at Highlands Park in her honor. Everything had a recycling theme – delightful decorations were made from recycled materials and the bench is made from recycled plastic “wood.” VWC Treasurer, Sheila DeLany, with Recycling Manager, Danya Leopold, and the support of the VWC Board and many others, brought together the unique celebration.

“I’m still floating two months later,” Nancy related. “It was so amazing and wonderful. People I hadn’t seen in years came! So many memories, and the kind and affectionate comments were deeply moving. What an incredible experience. I cannot express how honored and fantastic I feel.”

Among those sharing memories were former County recycling coordinator, Dan DeGrassi, who was working with Ecology Action in 1978 when the VWC started the first recycling opportunity in the SLV (once a month in Boulder Creek), reminded everyone of the early days and how things have changed in more than 30 years under Nancy’s leadership. Also speaking was Matt Harris, Site Manager of the Ben Lomond Transfer Station recycling center. Matt’s heartfelt comments demonstrated his respect and depth of feeling for Nancy after working 15 years with her. Along with co-workers, good friends came up to speak, like Connie DeNault who remembered Nancy as a young mother and their shared love of dance.

Representatives from Congress Member, Anna Eshoo, State Senator Joe Simitian and Assembly Member Bill Monning brought thoughtful proclamations honoring Nancy, mentioning her years of commitment, her leadership (starting with her role as founding President of the VWC), and the legacy of a successful recycling program. Then, 5th District Supervisor, Mark Stone, presented Nancy with a proclamation declaring July 1st as “Nancy Macy Day” in the County of Santa Cruz!

Michal Lauren, talented local singer and songwriter, had written a song in Nancy’s honor, speaking of angels, and she performed it to the delight of everyone.

Then Sheila invited everyone outside where bagpiper, Jay Salter, led a joyful procession out to the main lawn by the big house at Highlands, where the great surprise of a bench in Nancy’s honor was revealed! The plaque reads, “The Valley Women’s Club honors environmentalist Nancy Macy. “It’s just one big garden we all should be tending.”

After kind words by Mary Hammer, the procession returned, amid laughter and piping, back to the Senior Center where a beautiful cake from Dessert First (Boulder Creek) was shared and the piping and celebration continued.

For the next two weeks, new Recycling Managing Director, Dave Wright, worked with Nancy and Danya to get a too-fast introduction to the operations and began his leadership role. Since then, Dave and Danya, working from the new modular office at the Felton recycling center site, are tackling the pressing tasks. This is where Dave’s skills in using the new computers and his ideas for new procedures are beginning to shape and improve things.

Big issues of a tight budget and the importance of providing good wages and benefits to SLV RR employees, while improving income and maintaining the high standards of community service, will challenge Dave and his team as they work together to meet the mission and goals of the centers. With the support and counsel of the expanded Recycling Advisory Committee, made up of six VWC Board Members (Nancy Gerdt, Michele Mosher, Sheila DeLany, Donna Ziel, Jim Coffis and Lynn McKibben), the recycling centers should be even more successful in the future.

Lost and Found – at the General Meeting and at the Faire

Only two items were left at the General Meeting this year. This is unusual since there are often several casserole dishes or platters left behind. One of the items has been returned to its owner, but there is still a white-handled serving spoon awaiting its owner.

The Redwood Mountan Faire’s Lost & Found is another story! The huge pile of lost and found items (camera, jewelry, clothing, hats, comforter, sweaters, shoes, purse and more) is awaiting a call from their owners. Folks with missing items are urged to call Nancy at 338-6578 to find them! And please let folks know their missing item may have been rescued at the Faire. (More than a dozen items had one form of identification on them and have been returned, making a small dent in the pile.)