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March 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 1
& MARCH 2019
WHERE HONEY BEES THRIVE SWEET CONNECTIONS COME NATURALLY
IMPACT DIABLO VALLEY ENCOURAGES FAMILY PHILANTHROPY By Fran Miller
By Jody Morgan
Now celebrating 40 years of connecting people fascinated by the social lifestyle of honey bees, Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association (MDBA) provides information essential to suc- Bee on Cosmos: Planting for bees is one of the best cessful backyard beekeeping things you can do. Photo by Judy Weatherly. at monthly meetings January-October and hands-on workshops. MDBA volunteers relocate swarms from infelicitous locations to appropriate homes. Community Education volunteers present programs on the importance of bees to groups of all ages. While harvested honey is a sweet reward, MDBA members rate lessons learned from bees as an even greater benefit. Judy Weatherly, MDBA Past-President, remarks, “Bees have Colleen & Gary: MDBA volunteers prepare the observation box given me a whole for a classroom visit by finding and marking the queen. Photo new appreciation courtesy of Judy Weatherly. for the cycle of life.
See Bees continued on page 16
SHEEP SHEARING DAY WITH SRHF
APRIL 27TH, 11AM – 3PM
Sheep shearing is one of the San Ramon Historic Foundations (SRHF) largest annual events drawing over 1,000 people to Forest Home Farms Historic Park located at 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd, in San Ramon. The event is an opportunity for community members of all ages to come together and enjoy a day on the farm while learning and having fun. Sheep will receive their annual haircut and provide an opportunity for SRHF to demonstrate how sheep are sheared. You will see how
See Sheep continued on page 14
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Approaching its one-year anniversary, Impact Diablo Valley and its founders Gina Halow and Mindy Longo appear to have created a recipe for philanthropic success. The recipe’s secret ingredient? Children. “Unique to our non-profit organization is that we are getting kids involved,” says Halow, an Alamo resident who was raised in the area. “Philanthropy is about giving of time, talent, and treasure, and we are
Impact Diablo Valley founders Mindy Longo, Gina Halow, and young members.
teaching the importance of giving back from an early age. Impact Diablo Valley is about bringing philanthropy to the dinner table and starting conversations about the important work going on to help others in our local community.” The premise is simple. Participating families donate $1,000 annually. A grants committee reviews and vets grant applicants, six of which receive site visits. (26 applications were received this past year.) A final three are selected to make two presentations: one in October, specifically for Impact Diablo Valley’s participating children, and another in November, for the parents. A vote of both groups decides the final recipient – each participating family receives one vote, further encouraging family discussion and interaction. Families can be involved as much or as little as they wish with Impact Diablo Valley and its varied committees. The minimum requirement is attendance at these grant applicant presentations.
See Impact continued on page 17
The Editors Serving the communities of Alamo, Diablo, and Danville
Volume XIX Number 3
Volume X Number 3
3000F Danville Blvd. #117 Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-6397 Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of The Editors. The Editors is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.