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April 2012 The Bounty Garden Set to Grow at Hap Magee Ranch Park By Jody Morgan After two years of research and planning, The Bounty Garden (TBG) is in the final stages of preparation to grow organic produce for the 132,000 individuals dependent every month on donations from the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. April work on the smaller barn at the garden’s site at Hap Magee Ranch Park will include re-grading to correct drainage. Raised beds now stacked at the co-founders’Alamo home will be moved into place in May. On a day soon to be determined, park visitors will watch the earth move as wheelbarrow loads of soil parade down paths to fill the beds for planting. Heidi and Amelia Abramson, the Barn at TBG site ready to be renovated for garden tool and journal storage. mother/daughter duo responsible for creating the concept of a space where community members of all ages can come together to learn about sustainable practices while producing food for hungry neighbors, are eager to see their vision bearing vegetables. Heidi has grown vegetables for several years, making the switch to raised beds four years ago. Amelia, used to plucking oranges from a tree in her own yard, was raised with the sense that growing food can be simple. A visit to the Food Bank with her school group made her aware of how many people in her own county did not have access to fresh fruits or vegetables. “During the tour, most of the shelves that were reserved for fresh produce were alarmingly empty,” Amelia recalls. “Seeing the lack of fresh produce that should have gone out to feed the hungry was shocking, and later when I explained the situation to my mom, we discussed it and eventually came up with the idea for The Bounty Garden.” After surveying available spaces, Heidi and Amelia quickly identified Hap Magee Ranch Park, a 17-acre space straddling the Alamo/ Danville border, as the ideal place to locate TBG. From Heidi and Amelia discuss TBG plans. 1911 to 1946, the property known as Camp Swain welcomed orphans from the San Francisco Protestant Orphanage. Hap Magee’s parents bought the spread in 1947. Hap and his bride Ruth moved into the newly built Magee House in 1951. A rancher fascinated by Western memorabilia, Hap is said to have owned a collection of brands numbering anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500 which seems to have vanished after his death in 1985. The Hap Magee location offers four crucial elements required to make The Bounty
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Serving Danville Hippity Hoppity on the Town Green Hop on down to the Danville Community Center, Saturday, April 7th for a fun-filled morning of egg hunts, arts and crafts, face painting, and more. Egg hunts will begin on time and are organized by age so every child has equal opportunity to find treasure-filled eggs. Bring your camera and take a picture with the Spring Bunny and the Spring Duck. There are two sessions during this event. The first session is from 9AM to 11AM with the second session from 11:30AM to 1:30PM. Space is limited! Pre-registration is required, and no walk-ins are allowed. Registration is limited to online or mail-in only. Register online at www. danvillerecguide.com or mail registration forms to the Danville Community Center at 420 Front Street, Danville, CA 94526. If your bunny or chick is too old to participate, consider volunteering during the event. Volunteers are needed to assist with egg hunts, arts and crafts, games, face painting, food, and more. For more information, visit www.danville.ca.gov and search Volunteer, or call (925) 314-3400.
Together We Give - Earth Day Sunday, April 22, 1-4pm Donation Day Benefiting Local Charities See page 2 for more information on how you can help.
Project Second Chance By Fran Miller With nearly 20% of the United States population estimated to be dyslexic, it is almost certain someone you know struggles with reading. Many hide their illiteracy behind excellent coping strategies, and many have managed to get through school and even graduate with high school diplomas. Challenged readers are everywhere, and, according to Laura Seaholm, proProject Second Chance volunteer tutor Helen gram manager at Project Second Chance Byer with her student, Ike. literacy program, it is not due to lack of intelligence. “Many people, particularly those with dyslexia, simply needed to learn to read differently,” says Seaholm, who states that about half of Project Second Chance’s students were born and educated in the United States, but never learned to read and write at the level they wish – probably due to some type of learning disability. Project Second Chance (PSC), the Contra Costa Volume III - Number 6 County Library Adult Literacy Program, offers 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, free, confidential one-on-one basic literacy instrucAlamo, CA 94507 (925) 405-6397 tion to people who are over 16 years of age, out of Fax (925) 406-0547 school, and conversant in English. Most students are between 35 and 55 years of age, and they come Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher from a wide range of economic backgrounds. Since editor@ it began in 1984, the program has helped more than yourmonthlypaper.com 4,000 adults improve their reading, writing, and The opinions expressed herein belong spelling skills. It has even brought out the poet in to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Danville Today News. Ike, a PSC student for the past 18 years. Danville Today News is not “Ike started at PSC when he was 54,” says his responsible for the content of any of tutor for the past four years, Helen Byer of Alamo. the advertising herein, nor does
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publication imply endorsement.