January 2006, Volume 8 Issue 1
BALBOA ISLAND CALENDAR
FRI. FEB3 FRIDAY NIGHT STROLL 5pm—9pm
SAT., SUN. MAY 6, 7 ALL ISLAND GARAGE SALE—7:30 am—4:30 pm Application inside Island Breeze. $10.00 Sign-up Fee.
More Information Call 949.422.8570.
SUNDAY MAY 7 3rd ANNUAL HISTORY HOME TOUR—11am—4pm. For Further Information call Craig Page at 949.675.1348.
SUNDAY MAY 21 BALBOA ISLAND ART WALK—9 am—5 pm South Bayfront Boardwalk. Deadline for Juried Entries March 17, 2006
http://www.balboaislandartwalk.com
SHOOTING THE BREEZE. . .Carolyn Carr
First I would like to thank everyone who donated to our SOS Christmas family. The children really appreciated the games and school supplies from Sandpiper. Clothes for everyone in the family came from Persimmon Tree, Balboa Lifestyles, Let’s Go Shopping and Melange. And finally a copy of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe—in Spanish—from Martha’s Bookstore. I could never have survived the day without my lunch from Hershey’s Market and a ride back to my car on Hershey’s golf cart with all the bags of loot. The merchants of Balboa Island showed me once again how generous the human spirit is.
My main mission this month is to remind everyone that the dates for the BALBOA ISLAND ART WALK and the BALBOA ISLAND GARAGE SALE HAVE CHANGED. Check the calendar above and mark them down.
Hopefully this will let everyone clean out their closets earlier in the spring—and will avoid the traffic crush around Mother’s Day. We hope everyone will like the new dates!!
Balboa Island has now donated five boxes of used cell phones to Phones4Life. If I sound like a stuck record (if you know what a record is?) it is because I believe in this. Keep those cell phones coming. Thanks again. And a HAPPY VALENTINES EVERYONE!!
JIM’s STORIES
This month I have a couple of short stories about Jim Jennings—Author of Old Balboa Island Stories. Both of them are by women and both of them are about flowers.
The first story comes from Jane Cormier.
Jane’s family rented a house on Marine Avenue next door to Jim’s house for a year and a half prior to buying one on Balboa Island. Jane’s mom had had lots of shamrock plants which thrived under her care and which, unfortunately, were not doing so on Jane’s watch.
On one visit to the house she wondered what happened to the plants—they had disappeared. Soon she discovered that Jim had taken them, replanted them and resurrected them. Jane was so grateful because the plants reminded her of her mom and her love. She still has one of those Shamrock plants today.
Marty Watson bought a house on Balboa Island in 1998. One of the first people she met was Jim Jennings. She was walking by his house and commented on his unique “cannies” - canna lilies. “They look like they are from Hawaii,” she said. “They are,” Jim replied.
A short time later Jim appeared at her house with three containers of Canna lilies and two containers of roses.
Jim also came by periodically to fertilize and to make sure Mary was taking care of the flowers. He was one of the friendliest people she ever met. “I will miss him greatly,” Mary told me.
(Please send any stories about Jim to The Island Breeze, 118 Agate Avenue, Balboa Island, CA 92662. We will print them in future issues).
HOW BALBOA ISLAND HAS TOUCHED OUR LIVES . . . FAITH BOWLUS
June 13, 1992
Today Don and I concluded our 44th Wedding Anniversary by walking to the South Bayfront. Here the beam of a full moon streamed from the far side of the bay to where we sat on the seawall. We remained there a while listening to the lapping of the tide against the wall and the creaking of a nearby pier.
I felt a heightened awareness of the special place in which I have had the good fortune to live all these years.
Luring us frequently outdoors throughout the year are wonders like fleeting soft mauves of dawn’s luminescence; masts silhouetted against the fiery splendor of autumn’s sunsets; winter’s wet fog immersing all but the shadowy resemblances of moored yachts and sailboats; and rainbows that arch across the bay, heralding the end of wet and gusty winter storm.
Any time we choose, we can go to the water’s edge and, in spite of the busyness and fullness of life’s comings and goings, lose ourselves momentarily in our setting of perennial vacations.
Photo Credit http://www.garphoto.com
Our Island Neighbors . ..TACEY CLAUSON
Tacey Clauson is a very special woman. She has overcome more adversity than most of us with an attitude that radiates optimism and love. Now she can help your children do the same.
Tacey is a California girl. Born and raised in La Crescenta with her two younger brothers, she had a wonderful childhood. La Cresenta was a rural “Hobbitville” - 25 miles to the nearest freeway. Isolated from Los Angeles—a “great place to grow up.” After high school Tacey graduated from USC with a Masters Degree in Special Education.
Tacey started teaching and moved to the beach. She suffered from Grave’s disease and one morning she woke up to find the fog had rolled into her bedroom—no—she had lost her sight. Her doctor was out of the country, but she remembered the specialists name—Tacey was on a plane to an operation which restored her vision.
In 1978 Tacey moved to Balboa Island and from then until 1988 drove the freeways and taught at La Habra Community Hospital in the Adolescent Psych. Unit. Then, in 1988, Tacey moved to Washington, D.C., where she received a political appointment to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services in the first Bush Administration.
Tacey returned to Balboa Island in 1992 and has since been involved in several projects including a consignment clothing store (where I first met her) and in fundraising for projects like the Griffiths Park Observatory Renovation.
Now Tacey is returning to her teaching roots with “Segue to Success” . Her target group is teens with special needs or “teens in crisis”. Everything from teens with drug problems to teens with ADD/ADHD. Tacey is once again using her Masters degree and she is “Excited because this is hands on—for the first time in my career I get to see the outcome of my work—it is extremely rewarding.”
Please see her flyer for a detailed description of “Segue to Success” or call Tacey at 949.673.1947
TIPS OF THE MONTH . . .
CELL PHONE TELEMARKETING
I got it in an e-mail and I didn’t believe it until I went to http://www.donotcall.gov There it said “Register Your Home or Mobile Phone Number”. The E-Mail had said telemarketing using Cell Phone Numbers was going to start in February. Believe it. Register on the web or at 1.888.382.1222. And then do it again in 2010—registration only blocks usage for 5 years.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS WEEK BEGINS FEBRUARY 13
Here are a few fun things to brighten a stranger’s day—from Real Simple Magazine.
Leave your extra change in the soda machine for someone else to find. Better yet, leave enough change for a soda.
Stop your car and let someone merge—give up a parking spot you were eyeing.
Pay for the drive-thru order of the car behind you.
Carry change in your pockets and put it in parking meters that are running out.
If someone looks lost—ask them if they need directions.
Trade in your low number at the deli to someone who seems to be in a hurry.
USC TROJAN MEETING
The first meeting of the Balboa Trojan Family was held December 9, 2005 at the home of Arnie Blakely. The group would love new members. We have much to offer as we are all followers of SC activities and are happy to cheer on their athletic events. We offer friendship for all ages and hope we will hear from all you Trojan fans. Our next meeting will be Thursday, March 9, 2006 at 7:00 pm. It will be at Arnie’s at 122 Pearl Avenue 949.673.1304. Or contact Sally Parnkopf at 949.675.2557 for further information.