V.P. / Chief Operating Officer: Lori Carraway Director of Asset Services: Diana Welsh
SPARC Program Coordinator: Ally Sage
October Dates to Remember
Millennium Memo Lifestyle
This month’s fun news: for the 13th year in a row and the 17th time in 18 years--a Leisure student won a SPARC/Millennium College scholarship. Please join me in congratulating Alisa Bowerman & Kevin Yahir-Lopez, your 2025 SPARC Scholars.
Leisure has had 42 SPARC Scholars over the years, tied for the most of all our parks. Alisa & Kevin have 6 awards between them, 14% of Leisure’s total. Thanks to the folks at SPARC, our resident services partner, for this generous program.
Speaking of SPARC
SPARC’s partnership with the Redwood Empire Food Bank resulted in the equivalent of 27,500 meals provided to 151 residents per month, with a value of $79,500. Would you have guessed it was that much?
Did You Know?
Secretary of State, William Seward negotiated the U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million (less than 2cents per acre) in a deal nicknamed Seward’s Folly. The formal transfer took place on October 18, 1867.
This output qualifies us as a “Trusted Hunger Relief Partner.” How’s that for an impressive title?
SPARC is also sponsoring a “Spooktacular” on October 18, in partnership with resident volunteers and Master Gardeners of Sonoma. There will be a costume contest, crafts, prizes, a FREE lunch
According to Kristina, “these gatherings are not just events, they are vibrant celebrations that etch themselves into our memories forever.” You don’t want your kids to miss something like that, do you?
Millennium Memo Cont...
Two More Items
Next Big Expenditure: Tree Work…LOTS of it. They won’t tell me how much it will cost, but I’m guessing it will be expensive. Your Rent Dollars at Work!
Leisure still has one holdout who hasn’t returned the Annual Income Cert. If you are that person, stop what you’re doing, set aside a minute or two, fill out your Cert and bring it to the Office, so I can stop writing about this.
Lock Your Car!
We’ve had reports recently of cars in Leisure being broken into, as well as prowlers late at night trying car door handles, looking for unlocked cars. One resident left a car unlocked with a wallet inside. You know that ended badly.
This has been happening at many of our Parks, so it isn’t just a Leisure thing. With that in mind, we’re reminding all residents to lock their cars, homes & sheds. In fact, just to be safe, maybe you should hit your clicker several times, for extra lockiness. Can’t hurt?
Be careful, however. One resident not at Leisure accidentally locked his keys in his car. It took him 2 hours to get his family out.
Congratulations again to Alisa & Kevin and have fun at the Spooktacular!
George Turk
SEASONAL UPDATES
SPARC’s Haunted Harvest Party - This is going to be a blast! Ally from SPARC will be here as well, so you KNOW it's guaranteed fun! Make sure to sign up in the lobby so we can prepare for your presence let’s make this enchanting season unforgettable together!
Pool Closing Notice – The community swimming pool will close for the season on Thursday, October 31st. We hope you enjoyed a wonderful summer by the water and look forward to welcoming you back in the Spring.
This month, we will begin some cement work, which will include the driveways and the front entrance sidewalk. If your driveway is among those selected, we will provide you with ample notice and detailed instructions on the requirements.
Have you had a chance to visit our food bank lately? We usually go shopping on Monday mornings and then come back to unload and organize everything for our wonderful residents. We’d love to share a few friendly reminders with you!
Each week, the Redwood Empire Food Bank updates the amount of food that Leisure can take home. This allowance may rise or fall in several categories, including bread, dry goods (such as canned items, beans, rice, cereal, chips, and snacks), and a variety of non-food items (like diapers, tissues, napkins, and pet food).
When you participate in using the food bank, it's important that you sign in every time. There is a form on the table & all you need to do is fill it out with your ADDRESS, NAME, & HOUSEHOLD SIZE. This information is crucial as it helps us keep our food bank informed and ensures that we continue to receive an adequate amount of products for our food bank. Thank you for your cooperation!
FOOD BANK: 6TH, 13TH, 20TH, & 27TH
METER READ: 16TH
SPECIAL EVENT DATES
3RD 5TH: 5 PM 8 PM Big Bounce America 2025 located @ Santa Rosa Fairgrounds
4 : 10 AM 3 PM Fall & Holiday Craft Fair @ Oxford Suites in Rohnert Park
4 5 : 5 PM 9 PM Sonoma Con Cards, Comics & Collectibles convention @ Santa Rosa Fairgrounds.
18th: 8 PM Sebastian Maniscalco Comedy show @ Graton Casino
PUMPKIN PATCHES
KIDS HALLOWEEN EVENTS
Petaluma Pumpkin Patch Halloween @ Howarth Park 10/25/25
Santa Rosa Pumpkin Patch Trunk or-Treat 10/29/25 @ 1500 Farmers Lane
Punky s Pumpkin Patch
Mickelson's Pumpkin Patch
OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS
Linda Alander Marlo Hall Marla Manzanares
Juan Alvarez Marla Herro Giselle Mathewson
Diana Anderson Beth King Jorge Palacios
Jorge Calderon Sarah King Judith Park
Martin Campbell Chris Kohler Ginger Ricks
Maddi Davenport
Praxedis Lopez Mabel Thrailkill
Steven Thrasher Ana Velazquez Scott Binando
“Those aren’t strands of gray hair you see. Those are strands of birthday glitter growing out of your head.” - Unknown
Help the trick or treaters find the candy stash.
Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake Tasty
Tidbits
Ingredients
Streusel:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Cake:
1 (15.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (such as Libby’s)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Combine brown sugar, flour and pumpkin spice in a medium bowl. Cut in 4 tablespoons cold butter using a fork or pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set streusel aside.
3. Beat cake mix and 4 tablespoons softened butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add pumpkin puree and cinnamon; mix until well blended, about 3 minutes. Stir in pecans.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle streusel topping over batter.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool cake before serving for about 5 minutes.
Latin Lingo Dutch Brush Master
ALMA MATER
CARPE DIEM
CAVEAT EMPTOR
DE FACTO
E.G.
ET CETERA
ET TU BRUTE
EX NIHILO
IN MEDIAS RES IN VINO VERITAS
IPSO FACTO MAGNUM OPUS
NON SEQUITUR
PER CAPITA
PER SE
POST MORTEM
PRIMA FACIE
PRO BONO
QUID PRO QUO
STATUS QUO
Across
1. Shaggy Scandinavian rug
4. Colgate rival
9. Common Market inits.
10. Sled dog
11. “Casablanca” pianist
12. Ms. Williams in aquamusicals
13. Ancient rival of Athens
15. First word of the Constitution
16. Aleppo’s land
18. Word in a simile
20. Quantum theory pioneer Max
23. Wet lowland
25. “Smoking or ___?”
26. Gauchos’ weapons
27. Big deal
28. Doesn’t ignore
29. Tennis match part
Down
1. Remainder
2. “Awright!”
3. High points
4. Dark
5. “From ___ with Love”
6. “C’___ la vie!”
7. Bias
8. Phoenician trading center
14. Action on the side
17. Kournikova and Karenina
18. Court order against antisocial behaviour
19. Mop up, naut.
21. The “C” in U.P.C.
22. Masseur’s target
24. Bass, e.g.
The headline is a clue to the answer in the diagonal.
October Sudoku
How to solve sudoku puzzles
No math is required to solve a sudoku. You only need logic and patience.
Simply make sure that each 3x3 square region has only one instance of the numbers 1-9. Similarly, each number can only
appear once in a column or row in the larger grid. The difficulty on this puzzle is easy.
TRIVIA TEASER
T Time
1. What company is represented on the New York Stock Exchange ticker by the letter T? a-Target, b-Radio Shack, c-AT&T, d-Kodak.
2. Who played the title character on the TV cop show "T.J. Hooker"? a-Jack Lord, b-William Shatner, c-Erik Estrada, d-Burt Reynolds.
3. In what city could you ride the commuter rail service known as the T? a-San Francisco, b-San Antonio, c-Boston, dMiami.
4. What is the middle name of Captain James T. Kirk on "Star Trek"? a-Taylor, b-Thomas, c-Timothy, d-Tiberius.
5. In what country would you find the headquarters for the T-Mobile telecommunications service? a-Germany, b-Norway, c-Canada, d-South Korea.
6. White blood cells known as T-cells get their name because they mature in what part of the human body? a-Teeth, b-Thalamus, c-Thymus, d-Tegument.
7. One way of investing your money is with the purchase of T-bills. What does the T in T-bill stand for? a-Tax, b-Tangible, c-Transaction, d-Treasury.
8. What 1962 instrumental hit with an edible title was the highest-ranking song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by Booker T. and the MGs? a-"Bread and Butter," b-"Cotton Candy," c-"Green Onions," d-"Sugar and Spice."
9. T-Bag was the nickname of a villain played by Robert Knepper on what Fox TV drama series? a-"Oz," b-"24," c-"Touch," d-"Prison Break."
10. What did the T stand for in the names of T.E. Lawrence and T.S. Eliot? aThomas, b-Theodore, c-Tyler, d-Terrell.
QUOTES
Riches don't make a man rich, they only make him busier. Christopher Columbus, discoverer of America in 1492.
By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination. Christopher Columbus, discovered the new world in 1492
Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear.
George Addair, Founder of the Omega Vector, a self knowledge program
A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.
Francis Bacon: English philosopher, statesman, scientist and author
When you forgive, you in no way change the past -- but you sure do change the future.
Bernard Meltzer, radio host of "What's Your Problem" in Philadelphia
He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty.
Lao Tzu: philosopher of ancient China
You have a clean slate every day you wake up. You have a chance every single morning to make that change and be the person you want to be. You just have to decide to do it. Decide today's the day. Say it: this is going to be my day.
Brendon Burchard, author, of The Millionaire Messenger.
Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, but a thing to be achieved.
William Jennings Bryan: American politician from the 1890s
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.
Edward Everett Hale, editor and author of 60 books
The Lighter Side
Leather
When a woman wears leather clothing, a man's heart beats faster. His throat gets dry. He gets weak in the knees and begins to think irrationally.
Ever wonder why?
She smells like a new truck!
Old man
He was eating lunch at a truck stop when three bikers walked in. The first pushed his cigarette into the old man's pie, then took a seat at the counter.
The second spit in the old man's milk, then took a seat at the counter. The third turned his plate over and then took a seat at the counter.
The old man left without a word. One of the bikers said to the waitress, "Humph, not much of a man is he?"
The waitress replied: "Not much of a truck driver either. He just backed his truck over three motorcycles."
What to do
An elderly couple just bought cellphones and learned how to text. She was the romantic type and one afternoon sent him this message.
"If you are sleeping, send me your dreams.
If you are laughing, send me your smile.
If you are eating, send me a bite.
If you are drinking, send me a sip.
If you are crying, send me your tears. I love you."
The husband texted back to her: "I'm in the bathroom. Please advise."
Answer to 'T Time'
1-c, AT&T
2-b, William Shatner
3-c, Boston
4-d, Tiberius
5-a, Germany
6-c, Thymus
7-d, Treasury
8-c, "Green Onions" 9-d, "Prison Break" 10-a, Thomas
