WBL April 2016

W oodbridge Volume 6 ▪ Issue 4 ▪ Number 55

LIFE

Your Life. Your Community. Your News.

April ▪ 2016

April

Once a year we legitimately get to play practical jokes and humorous hoaxes on our family and friends. Did you ever put salt in the sugar bowl and watch your dad spit out his morning coffee? (I did!) Or strategically place a whoopee cushion under an unsuspecting person’s seat?

Certainly you remember playing a trick on someone!

The Woodbridge LIFE team invites you to enjoy our first ever April Fool’s Day insert, found at the center of this month’s paper. Intended to entertain and with all due respect to anyone mentioned, directly or indirectly, we welcome you to take a light-hearted look at life in Woodbridge as portrayed by our team of imaginative writers.

Enjoy!

Inside

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Events and Tours . . . . . . . 8 Garden Tasks . . . . . . . . 19 Groups and Clubs . . . . . . 6 Household Hints . . . . . . 16 Triker's Travels . . . . . . . 24 Where in the World . . . . . 34 Wine 101 . . . . . . . . . . 28

READ WBL ONLINE : http://issuu.com/ woodbridgelife

Contact us:

WBLIFE2012@gmail.com

WBL photo by Volker Moerbitz.

The theme of the 2016 Women of Woodbridge Tea was "Pastimes." Proceeds of this popular annual event benefit Manteca Unified School District's homeless student program. See page 11 for Terri Heath's story and page 14 for more photographs of the tea.

See

WOW pages 11 & 14

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Woodbridge LIFE

T

We are proud to share the talents and achievements of two Woodbridge women: Elizabeth Cunning and Sandi Larson.

Elizabeth received five awards for her creative and colorful quilting (see photos on page 22), and Sandi was inducted into the Remax Hall of Fame (see article and photo on page 27).

Tomorrow is opening day of Woodbridge softball season. Judy McNamara’s “Triker’s Travels” column includes a schedule of the planned events and entertainment.

Meet your friends and neighbors at Del Webb field tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. to savor a sweet doughnut and witness the first

Page 3 • April 2016

By Dodie Miller, Activities Director

By Carol Jo Hargreaves, WBL Editor

In addition, we look back at the Women of Woodbridge’s annual fundraising tea. The popular event, held two times, was highly successful in raising money for Manteca Unified School District’s homeless student program. See Terri Heath’s cover article and the many photos of creatively decorated tables representing “Pastimes” on pages 11 and 14.

From Dodie's Desk

From the Editor he Woodbridge LIFE Editorial Team enjoyed assembling a special April Fool’s Day insert for your reading pleasure this month (see pages 1 4 in center truck.). The laughter generated by brainstorming goofy ideas helped strengthen our team and relieve our monthly planning session of some of its seriousness.

We hope the amusing fiction tickles your funny bone and you get a hoot out of the hoaxes and practical jokes the team prepared for you. Remember not to take it too seriously!

T Carol Jo Hargreaves, WBL Editor pitch of the season. See Judy’s article on page 24.

April marks the celebration of two days particularly important to the environment: Earth Day and Arbor Day. Talented writers Mike Spence and Jean Kavale share the history and meaning of these special days on pages 26 and 32, respectively. Sandi Larson enumerates garden tasks you might want to do this month (page 19).

We are pleased to reprise “Through the Lens” with two photographs of “Manteca Snow,” the beautiful almond blossoms of February, as interpreted by Woodbridge gentlemen Rommel Parseh and Volker Moerbitz.

See page 11. All residents are invited to submit digital photos to Woodbridge LIFE for inclusion in this feature segment of the paper.

Thanks for reading. When you stop laughing over the April Fool’s Day stories, get outdoors and enjoy the beautiful spring weather! ~ Carol Jo and the Woodbridge LIFE team

The deadline for submission of articles and photographs for the May 2016 edition of Woodbridge LIFE is Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Please email your materials to wblife2012@gmail.com

he beautiful springtime is here.

Everything is blossoming with many vivid colors, which brings us to our first happy hour on the patio as we approach May. We’ll be hoping for a beautiful May evening for the start of our happy hour series this summer.

I have been asked by many of our residents to have the Rhythm Riders back for their tribute to Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. That’s coming up this month. And the other big entertainer so many of you have asked to have back is “Elvis,” who is coming in May with his live band. We are Dodie Miller, WOA Activities Director in for another fabulous show! You’ll want to plan for the Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline tribute in April, followed by “Elvis” in May. I know some of you remember a very vivacious disc jockey by the name of Jason Carmel, who wore cowboy boots and had us all doing the hokey pokey and participating in sing-alongs. He even got right in with us on the dance floor. He was a very energetic personality and what a fun night everyone had.

It’s been three years since his last visit so I highly recommend you come out and take part in the music.

In keeping with the month of April, which starts with April Fool’s Day, midway through the month brings us that five letter word, TAXES. The Lifestyle Committee is planning a “Down-n’-Out” after-tax day lunch. Not

See

DODIE page 4

Page 4 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

WOA Update

From the Bridge

By Ramon Rivera

WOA Communication

By Ramon Rivera

M

any ideas run wildly in my mind as I prepare to write these articles for Woodbridge LIFE. As I sorted through some of the ideas and suggestions, I came across National Honesty Day. This intrigued me. I hadn’t heard of this day before and I am a firm believer in the old saying, “Honesty is the best policy.” It sounds easy but being honest is one of the hardest things to do in life. I can think of many situations where being honest would have saved me so much trouble, time and energy. Yet, in those moments, I had lacked the courage to be honest. Honesty is courage, accountability and understanding.

Of all the situations I have been in before, the one that comes to mind is when I was stopped on the highway for speeding. The three things that I believe honesty entails came into play. As soon as I noticed the flashing lights behind me, I began thinking of the most elaborate story to justify why I was speeding. The CHP officer approached my window and asked, “Do you know why I pulled you over?” This time I came clean. I admitted I was speeding and apologized. The officer told me he appreciated my honesty and thanked me for not giving him some makebelieve story, which is usually the norm. The officer then went on to tell me how he felt in other situations and was venting to me. He still gave me the ticket, but in a weird way, I felt good about the lesson I’d learned. I was honest with him and he was honest with me. Most would think the reward would have been his not giving me the ticket. The true reward, though, was the honesty between two strangers and how he had let his guard down,

Ramon Rivera, Operations Manager though it was brief, I felt I had provided him a service.

I won’t sit here and say it took a huge amount of courage for me to come clean about speeding, but it did take some. Once I had made the decision to do so, I was holding myself accountable for my actions. Lastly, I put myself in the shoes (or boots you might say) of the officer, who has a tough job enforcing the law. I now have an understanding of how many times they go through this same situation. Most of the time, they receive attitude and lies and are treated like they did something wrong.

Being honest with others begins with being honest with oneself. I think everyone would agree we all have this battle within ourselves and it is constant. I have tried to justify my wrongs in the past only to lie in bed and have the voice in my head speak the truth to me.

I put my best efforts forward to hold myself accountable for my actions, put myself in other people’s shoes to gain understanding and continue to fortify the courage to be honest with my family, friends, coworkers and the residents of Woodbridge.

�

The WOA staff is here to handle any questions, concerns or maintenance/repair items residents report. We pride ourselves in handling your situation as quickly as possible. In order for the WOA staff to do so, your concern needs to be reported in the correct manner. You can do this by contacting us through the front desk and/or the Ourwoodbridge.net website portal to address your need. Through the portal, under the Resident Services tab, there is a link called Management Office & Forms. There you will find three forms: Ask a Manager, Complaint or CC&R Violation and WOA Repair & Maintenance. These forms are easy to use and once completed will be delivered via email to the WOA staff. The front desk and the Woodbridge portal are the means for WOA users to gather and address all issues for our residents.

Welcoming Committee The Welcoming Committee is happy to present a new method to welcome new residents to the community. With the increasing number of new residents, the committee will now host a quarterly Welcoming Social, which will include delicious desserts, a Meet and Greet with fellow neighbors and distribution of informational pamphlets and flyers to help you get acclimated to the Woodbridge community. Jeannie Tebbutt and Diana Clements will host the Welcoming Social along with other committee members. It will be a fun evening for you to enjoy. A raffle will also take place and all you will need to enter is your name badge! The first Welcoming Social will take place at the Clubhouse, April 21, at 7 p.m. Please RSVP by April 15 to 824-7581.

Water Conservation The city of Manteca has received numerous reports of residents watering on the wrong days. The Water Division will begin to issue fines set in the Conservation Guidelines for the city of Manteca.

The guidelines are available through the city of Manteca website and copies are available at the Clubhouse. If you need assistance with programming your sprinkler system, please contact the Water Division at 456-8466 or email water@ci.manteca.ca.us for a technician to assist you.

From

DODIE page 3

sure at this writing what the lunch will be, but it’s going to be very affordable!

Toward the end of the month, there will be some new entertainment, the team of “Duo Gadjo.” I have been told they excel at everything from the Blues to French and American love songs of the ‘30s and ‘40s. They are “Jazz with a French Twist.” Their professional yet personal touch has been said to never disappoint.

Like Duo Gadjo, the coming of spring never disappoints either!

A VERY, VERY BIG THANK YOU TO RESIDENT WAYNE WARD, WHO BRINGS US THE MOST DECADENT VARIETY OF CHOCOLATES. WE SOOOO APPRECIATE YOU, WAYNE!

~ WOODBRIDGE STAFF

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Woodbridge LIFE

Page 5 • April 2016

From the Boardroom

By Roger Cunning, Vice President of the Woodbridge Owners Association Board of Directors

A

s reported last month, Pulte Homes continues Liberty Park construction activities. Much has occurred during the past month. The most visible construction item is the cluster of cabanas located behind the amphitheater, and they look outstanding as you walk or drive by. More work continues, but early March rains slowed down some of the progress.

Liberty Park is still a construction zone and is the private property of Pulte. The park contractor accomplishing this work has retrieved more than a dozen golf balls that have been found around the chipping green course of Liberty Park. Again, please be patient and do not be the cause of contractor delays on this beautiful park. We look forward to a grand, celebratory opening of Liberty Park soon.

The board of directors approved that homeowners should vote on a proposed amendment to our bylaws that would significantly clarify our existing board member election process. The official balloting process ended at 5 p.m., March 28. All cast ballots have been received and are secured until our April 6 board meeting.

One of the first items on the agenda for the April board meeting will be to validate all cast ballots and determine if a quorum was established by the submitted envelopes. The number required for a quorum is 371. That is more than one-third of all

“closed” and “in construction” homes. As a reminder, the developer, Pulte, may cast a single vote per lot that is in construction.

Once the quorum is established, all the validated envelopes will be opened and the ballots will be counted while the remainder of the board meeting continues.

The counting of the ballots will take place inside the Multipurpose Room so there will be some amount of noise during this part of the board meeting.

The Inspector of Elections will receive the results from a team counting the ballots and will announce the results during the April 6 board meeting.

Similar to this process for our bylaws, other governing documents will likewise be reviewed and be subject to change by a future vote(s) of the community.

Examples include the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) document and our bylaws again.

We will eventually remove “declarant” language from all governing documents, when appropriate.

Please plan to attend our next board meeting, Wednesday, April 6, 2016, beginning at 4 p.m.

April 2016 Association Meetings Meeting

Day

Date

Time

New Resident Orientation ARC Inspections Listening Post Policy & Procedures Committee ARC Review Property & Grounds Committee ARC Inspections Finance Committee ARC Review

Monday Tuesday Friday Monday Tuesday Monday Tuesday Thursday Tuesday

4/4/16 4/5/16 4/8/16 4/11/16 4/12/16 4/14/16 4/19/16 4/21/16 4/26/16

10 a.m.

9 a.m.

1 p.m.

2 p.m.

9 a.m.

2:15 p.m.

9 a.m.

1 p.m.

9 a.m.

Page 6 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

Bocce Ball Bridge Bunco Bunco-also contact Canasta Chair Volleyball Cooking 401 Crochet/Knitting Cribbage Drama Game Night Game Night-also contact Hand & Foot Hula Dance Line Dancing Line Dancing (Evening) Men of Woodbridge Neighborhood Watch Oil Painters Open Painting Paddle Tennis Pickleball Pinochle

Contact Nedra Ball Patti Barnhart

Phone Meeting Day And Time 815-9309 M-F. Time & Workshops vary 629-8838 Friday @ 4:15 p.m.

SU @ 6 p.m., TH @ 8 a.m.

- Effective Oct 11, SU @ 2 p.m. and effective Oct 15, Rick Hyden 824-9257 TH 10 a.m.

Don St. Lawrence 825-7137 Mondays @ 10 a.m.

Mary Braun 239-0409 3rd Monday @ 6:30 p.m.

Susan Russitano 275-5817 3rd Monday @ 6:30 p.m.

2nd and 4th Friday @ 10 Judy Simpson 647-2901 a.m.

5 - 6:30 p.m. Days vary.

Dave and Jacquie Steffy 825-4805 Check schedule.

Jan Spence 924-8032 3rd Tuesday @ 2 p.m.

Geri Rogers 824-5310 Thursdays @ 10 a.m.

Dave Steffy 825-4805 Tuesdays @ 7 p.m.

Suzanne Mauck 418-9045 Thursdays @ 1 p.m.

Fridays & Saturdays @ 6:30 Pat Buxton 239-8663 p.m.

Rick Hyden Ruth Field Suzanne Mauck Patti Barnhart Bill Goodwin Bill Goodwin Bob Hall Patti Barnhart Patti Barnhart Stan Sutfin Barbara Shapiro

Robert Philis Al Sanchez Poker Joe Victoria Radio Controlled Flyers Bob Umberger Readers’ Group Patty DeRoos Senior Golf John Armstrong Strummin’ Wonders Carla Marquardt Tennis Mel Topping Trivia Eileen Hill Veterans Bill Buffington Walking Indoors Jacque Reynolds Wheels of Woodbridge Bill Barnhart Wine 101 Jon Ford Women of Woodbridge Birdie Nieri Woodbridge Senior Softball Club Vern Mendes Woodbridge Singers

824-9257 229-6977 665-5169 629-8838 823-9767 823-9767 239-5712 629-8838 629-8838 815-9735 823-3343 510-9098997 239-8235 815-9343 239-2983 239-2833 624-3549 624-3754 239-8718 624-3945 815-9476 629-8508 629-8838 815-9803

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Interest Groups:

WOA Groups and Clubs: Groups & Clubs Artists & Crafters Ballroom Dance

Wednesdays @ 6:30 p.m.

W-SA-SU @ 1 p.m.

Fridays @ 1 p.m.

M-W-F @ 9:15 a.m.

Fridays @ 6 p.m.

2nd Monday @ 10 a.m.

Patrols Tuesday @ 10 a.m.

Wednesdays @ 1 p.m.

Tuesdays @ 2 p.m.

M-F. Time varies M @ 2:15 p.m. & TH @ 1 p.m.

Wed @ 1:30 p.m. & Fri @ 5:30 p.m.

Days and times vary 1st Wed @ 10:30 a.m.

Various golf courses Mondays @ 2 p.m.

SU - TU - TH @ 9 a.m.

3rd Tuesday @ 7 p.m.

2nd Monday @ 4 p.m.

M-W-F @ 8:30 a.m.

1st Tuesday @ 10:45 a.m.

Days vary

624-3779 3rd Wed @ 11 a.m.

823-4760 Seasonal Every other Monday @ 6:30 Elizabeth Cunning 647-4380 p.m.

Please refer to www.ourwoodbridge.net for more detailed information.

Club Christian Men's Fellowship 55er's RV Group "Just Fore Fun" Ladies' Golf Senior Bowling Women's Bible Study

Contact Dave Basehore Sue Edmiston Betty Buff Barbara Silva Carolyn Johnson

Phone 923-4905 601-9210 479-3568 824-0262 239-0936

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Reaching Out Lakeview Clubhouse: 824-7581

Board of Directors

John Johnson, President Roger Cunning, Vice President Christine Carlson, Treasurer Carl Hansen, Secretary Mike Spence, Director-at-Large

www.ourwoodbridge.net PUBLISHER

WOA

ADVERTISING

495-6803

Activities Director

Dodie Miller:

824-7927

Office Coordinator

Leilani Rodriguez:

824-7581

Management

Riverside Management PO BOX 697 Roseville, CA 9566 916-740-2462

The opinions expressed in Woodbridge LIFE’s feature articles, paid advertisements and editorial content do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper or the Woodbridge Owners Association.

WOODBRIDGE LIFE MISSION STATEMENT: “Woodbridge LIFE is a celebration of the diversified residents of Woodbridge by Del Webb in Manteca – a look at their accomplishments, an exploration of their hopes and dreams, a place to share joy, announce activities and bring neighbors together.

Woodbridge LIFE strives to enhance the lives of all residents and exceed expectations with informative articles, lively features, a calendar of events and more.”

Page 7 • April 2016

209-824-7581

Operations Manager

2401 Morning Brook Drive Manteca, CA 95336

EDITOR

Ramon Rivera:

Woodbridge LIFE

Homeowner Directors

Roger: 647-4380 / Mike: 924-8032

Woodbridge LIFE

Carol Jo Hargreaves

824-7581

823-3538

Leilani Rodriguez

WBL EDITORIAL TEAM Sharyl Burgeson, asst. editor Carol Jo Hargreaves, chair Jean Kavale Ann King Judy McNamara Dodie Miller Volker Moerbitz Pepper Noble Ramon Rivera Leilani Rodriguez Mike Spence Shelley Tate

824-7581 239-1492 823-3538 629-8571 650-464-0151 923-4718 824-7927 239-7965 239-1933 495-6803 824-7581 924-8032 479-4249

Woodbridge LIFE is a free monthly publication of the Woodbridge Owners Association, a nonprofit organization serving the residents of the Woodbridge by Del Webb community in Manteca, CA. Woodbridge LIFE invites stories, photographs, comments, cartoons, jokes and any other information that would be of interest to residents. We reserve the right to accept or refuse submissions and edit for content and length. We also reserve the right to refuse advertising or articles that in our opinion do not reflect the standards of the newspaper. The opinions expressed, whether by paid advertisement or editorial content, do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper or the Woodbridge Owners Association. Content submitted may be edited, reprinted and acknowledged without consent unless specifically requested. Woodbridge LIFE proofreaders use the Associated Press Stylebook, “the journalist’s bible,” as a writing and editing reference. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Materials submitted with a self-addressed, stamped envelope will be returned. Contents copyright © 2015 by Woodbridge Owners Association.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

Contact us:

WBLIFE2012@gmail.com

In Memoriam In tribute to a loved one who has died, Woodbridge LIFE welcomes residents to submit up to 100 words and a 2-inch x 2-inch photo (optional) for publication. Send submissions by email to wblife2012@gmail.com.

Page 8 • April 2016

Woodbridge Owners Association Committees ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW • Carl Hansen, Chair carl.hansen@pultegroup.com 925-249-3213 FINANCE • April Oakland, Chair april@riversidemgmt.com LIFESTYLE • Dodie Miller, Chair millerdodie@gmail.com 824-7927 POLICY & PROCEDURES • Chuck Gary, Chair

cgaryjr@sbcglobal.net 834-6795 PROPERTY & GROUNDS • Ramon Rivera, Chair rrivera@ourwoodbridge.net 495-6803 COMMUNICATION • Carol Jo Hargreaves, Chair, Woodbridge LIFE Editor and Directory Chair cjohargreaves@gmail.com

823-3538 WELCOMING COMMITTEE • Diana Clements, Co-Chair tenor4@comcast.net 665-4353 •

Jeanne Tebbutt, Co-Chair jltebbutt@gmail.com 923-4356 NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

• Bill Barnhart bill.barnhart@mrbconsulting.us 629-8838

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Coming to Woodbridge EVENTS and TOURS - April 2016

By Dodie Miller, Activities Director JASON CARMEL – THE DJ WHO ENTERTAINS – Saturday, April 2 @ 6 p.m. – This will be an evening of fun with the DJ who loves to get involved with the audience in line dancing, the hokey pokey, the chicken dance and playing your favorite dance music. Jason leads everyone in a group sing-along and for those who have asked to have him back, you know what involvement Jason adds to the evening. You may bring your beverage of choice and snacks. Tickets are $5 per person at the front desk.

STEVE’S MOBILE SUNSCREENS PIZZA DINNER – Tuesday, April 5 @ 5 p.m. – Salad, pizza, New York cheesecake and Corona beer. Lots of door prizes and information on discounts, security doors, retractable doors, sun control products and information on installation of Christmas lights. Sign up at the front desk.

FREE SHRED DAY – Saturday, April 9 @ 9 a.m. – Remove all paper clips, rubber bands and folders with clips or fasteners. Shred documents with sensitive information ONLY. Shredding will last until 1 p.m. in the Clubhouse parking lot. Thanks to resident Lyle Bennett for supplying the truck.

RHYTHM RIDERS “BACK IN BLACK” – Saturday, April 9 @ 6:30 p.m. – This is a Johnny Cash/Patsy Cline tribute – a world-class Las Vegas/Branson style show.

Johnny Cash’s drummer of 37 years has played with The Rhythm Riders and has said, “The Rhythm Riders are the best Cash tribute band ever heard.” So, by popular demand, we are having the Rhythm Riders back for another performance. Johnny & Dee Price do a masterful re-creation of the legendary country music artists, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. Bring your beverage of choice and snacks if you wish. Tickets are $18 per person, available at the front desk.

LADIES’ LUNCHEON – Wednesday, April 13 @ 12 p.m. – Midgley’s Public House, 296 Lincoln Center, Stockton. Menu includes Midgley’s Public House Salad, fish, shrimp & fries or cheeseburger. Make your choice and call either Jacqueline Andrews @ 8239241 or Jacque Reynolds @ 629-8508 to make your reservation. Cash ONLY and no refunds.

CASINO BUS TRIP - Thursday, April 14 @ 8:15 a.m. to Jackson Rancheria. $10 per person. Cash only.

Check in at the front desk before getting on the bus.

DOCTORS HOSPITAL HEALTHCARE FORUM – Thursday, April 14 @ 9:30 a.m. – This is an open forum to ask any questions or request updates you may have/need for Doctors Hospital. Sign up at the front desk.

WINE 101 – Thursday, April 14 @ 6 p.m. – "The Middleman” – Chad Londry, District Director for Northern California Southern Wine and Spirits, will talk about the ins and outs of the wholesale distribution between wineries and sellers. Participants are asked to bring their own wine glasses, a bottle of wine to share with your table and an appetizer. Sign up at the front desk.

JAMESTOWN’S WILDFLOWER TRAIN – Saturday, April 16 @ 10 a.m. – April is wildflower season in the Sierra foothills, when green hillsides bloom with orange poppies, purple lupine and white popcorn flowers near the tracks during your steam train ride from Jamestown’s Railtown 1897 State Historic Park. The trip includes a steam train ride, tour of Railtown 1897, luncheon and transportation. Reservations through Setness Tours @ 209-476-8486.

SENIOR DRIVER TRAINING COURSE - Friday, April 15 @ 11 a.m. - You will receive a certificate of completion. No charge. Limited to 40 participants.

Sign up at the front desk.

GOLF PUTTING TOURNAMENT – Saturday, April 16 @ 1:30 p.m. – This putting tournament is limited to 72 players. If you have someone you wish to play with, please provide that information at the front desk when signing up. Sign-in on Saturday is at 1:30 p.m. and play will start at 2 p.m. Bring an appetizer to share.

Results and social will follow. Entry fee is $5 per person. Cash only.

FILOLI MANSION & GARDENS – Wednesday, April 20 @ 7:30 a.m. – A docent tour of the mansion and gardens, lunch and transportation. Springtime at Filoli is spectacular. The beautiful mansion and gardens were used as the setting for the TV series “Dynasty.” Reservations are through Setness Tours @ 209-476-8486.

DAY AFTER TAXES “DOWN-n’-OUT” LUNCH – Wednesday, April 20 @ 1 p.m. – We’ll serve you a “lite” lunch but it will help fill that empty feeling you had

See

Important Notice About Cancellations

COMING page 21

When you have signed up for an event, activity or tour and you find you are unable to attend, please, as a courtesy to others, call the Clubhouse front desk (824-7581) to cancel. If the event has a waiting list, the front desk can fill the vacancy from the list. Thank you.

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Woodbridge LIFE

April Activities Sunday

3

Page 9 • April 2016

Winter Clubhouse Hours (9/1 through 4/30) Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday

Tuesday

4

5

2:15 p.m. – Property &

9 a.m. – ARC Inspection

Grounds Committee

Wednesday

6

Thursday

7

Friday

Saturday

1

2

APRIL FOOL’S DAY

6 p.m. – Jason Carmel - DJ

8

9

1 p.m. – Listening Post

9 a.m. – Free Shred Day

5 p.m. – Steve’s Mobile

6:30 p.m. – Rhythm Riders

Sunscreens Pizza Dinner

“Back in Black” – Johnny Cash & Patsy Cline Tribute

10

11

12

13

14

2 p.m. – Policy &

9 a.m. – ARC Review

12 p.m. – Ladies’ Luncheon

9:30 a.m. – Doctors

10 a.m. – Jamestown’s

@ Midgley's Public House

Hospital Healthcare Forum

Wildflower Train (Setness

Procedures Committee Meeting

15

16

Tours)

1 p.m. – New Resident Orientation

1:30 p.m. – Golf Putting

2 p.m. – Property &

Tournament

Grounds Committee Meeting 6 p.m. – Wine 101

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

LAST DAY TO FILE TAXES

9 a.m. – ARC Inspection

7:30 a.m. – Filoli Mansion &

7 p.m. – Welcoming

6:30 p.m. – Duo Gadjo –

Gardens (Setness Tours)

Committee Social

Jazz with a French Twist

1 p.m. – Day After Taxes “Down-n’-Out” Lunch

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

9 a.m. – ARC Review

► Events and activities are listed on page 8.

More information about these as well as Woodbridge Clubs and Groups may be found on the Woodbridge portal and at the Lakeview Clubhouse.

This calendar was last updated 3/28/16. Refer to flyers or the Woodbridge portal for additional information.

Comin

s t n e v gE

As a courtesy to Woodbridge residents, we are providing the following event information to assist in planning and obtaining tickets. Please note: This information is subject to change. Contact the Clubhouse front desk if you have questions.

See

EVENTS page 12

Woodbridge LIFE

Page 10 • April 2016

www.ourwoodbridge.net

 STRUMMIN' WONDERS Concert takes residents on an island vacation Article by Carla Marquardt and photo by Jerry Cox.

T

he Strummin' Wonders of Woodbridge performs four concerts a year. This was the fourth annual love song concert performed as a Valentine’s Day sing-along.

The leis, flowers and costumes of the players, the line dancers and the hula dancers made everything so colorful. The music took you to the Mississippi Bayou, the Florida Keys, Catalina Island, Jamaica, Costa Rica, the Barrier Reef of Australia and, of course, the Hawaiian Islands. Special hula dancers joined the ukuleles from the Lokes Looks Dance Studio in Tracy.

If you missed the concert, you can view the colorful pictures and find the YouTube video link on the Woodbridge Portal under “Photo Gallery." The next ukulele concert will be on Memorial Day at 6:30 p.m. to honor and remember our veterans. You don't want to miss it!

Front row, L to R: Kirby Brown, Paul Hanz, Carolyn Johnson, Marybeth Saari, Janet Webster, Carla Marquardt Back row, L To R: Wes Dunn, Bob Webster, Dick Salzmann, Joyce Salzmann, Jan Cox, Suzanne Mauck

 WOODBRIDGE SINGERS Singers present "The Lullaby of Broadway!"

By Elizabeth Cunning

P

ut together Broadway show tunes, choreographed dancers and tap dancers, a concert pianist, harmonica and guitar players, actors, soloists, a big choral group and Woodbridge neighbors singing along, and what do you have? Why, the Woodbridge Singers & Dancers Spring Concert, of course!

This year’s concert will showcase some of our amazingly talented residents. Here’s a sampling of things to come: “There’s No Business Like Show Business” – Jon Ford, soloist “Camelot” – Al Lingenfelter, soloist “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top” – Rich Ferreira, soloist “They Call the Wind Maria” – Frank Perez, guitarist and soloist “The Lullaby of Broadway”– Tap dancers: Chuck Baker, Joyce Graham, Larry Hellikson, Sandy Jimenez, Marilyn Nunes, Phyllis Rose “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame”– Soloists: Kirby Brown, Jack Dauler, Jon Ford, Roger Goodnow, Richard Lanzon, Dave Steffy

“I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” - Dancers: Cres Anton, Eileen Hill, Irma Lewis, Suzanne Mauck, Linda Medler Tickets for $2 each will go on sale the first part of April.

Save these dates with your choice of three performances: May 2 at 6:30 p.m., May 3 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Roger Cunning.

Our own South Pacific "nurses" are gearing up for their song and dance "I'm Gonna Wash That Man RIght Outta My Hair," to be shared at the Woodbridge Singers & Dancers Concert, May 2 and May 3. Shown L to R: Cres Anton, Eileen Hill, Linda Medler, Suzanne Mauck and Irma Lewis

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Woodbridge LIFE

 WOMEN OF WOODBRIDGE It's Mardi Gras...Let the Good Times Roll

By Linda Little

I

f you enjoy drinking wine, eating and listening to good music, you won’t want to miss the Women of Woodbridge’s sixth annual Take a Sip for Scholarship, May 12, 5 to 7 p.m., in the Lakeview Clubhouse. This year’s theme will celebrate Mardi Gras; New Orleans fun and flavors will abound.

Cost is $25 per person and includes tastings from several wineries. Hot and cold appetizers will be prepared by Chefs Bryan, Andrew and Jarvis and the students in Manteca Unified B-Tech Academy’s culinary program.

Entertainment will feature the Woodbridge Singers Quartet and the Main Street Music Jazz Ensemble from Tracy. A raffle will also

 WOMEN OF WOODBRIDGE High Tea Benefits Area Homeless Children

By Terri Heath

T

he Women of Woodbridge held another beautiful tea in February. The two-day event was a sellout and proceeds will benefit the Health Services Department of the Manteca Unified School District for its homeless student program.

When the doors opened to our guests, they were greeted by the creatively decorated tables, thanks to our hostesses. The theme of the tea was “Pastimes” and the hostesses let their imaginations run wild.

Page 11 • April 2016

be held; tickets will be sold the day of the event and at the event.

Highlighting the evening is a Grand Prize drawing for a San Francisco get-away that includes three nights at a timeshare in Union Square and two tickets to the Giants' Fan Appreciation Day, October 2, against the Dodgers, both donated by Fran and Mike Hutchings. Limo rides both ways from Del Webb to the City and a dinner in San Francisco are also included. Tickets will be sold beginning May 2 and are $20. 150 tickets will be sold.

Proceeds from the event will benefit student scholarships at Calla, East Union, Manteca and Sierra high schools as well as at the Manteca Unified School District’s B-Tech academies.

Tickets for the event may be purchased at the Lakeview Clubhouse front desk beginning today, April 1. There are no refunds.

Table themes included: "Picnic in the Park" by Kathy Dezotte; "Splendors of Old Russia" by Carole Pfoutz and Eileen Hill; "The Artist's Table" by Connie Reed; "Entertaining Grandkids" by Terri Heath and Debbie Klug; "Around the World in 18 Years" by Linda Checchi and Terri McArthur; "Birds of a Feather" by Birdie Nieri; "Therapy Dogs" by Marilyn Ornellas and Bev Barber; "Golfing"

by Rosemary Hein and Vickie Mitchell; "Wanderlust" by Debbie Brassfield and Kay Kion; "Traveling" by Carol Edgren and Jan Spence; "Baseball Rivals" by Mo Price and Judy Whitlock; "A See

WOW page 31

Through the Lens

Photo by Rommel Parseh.

Rommel Parseh captured this picture of "Manteca Snow" which has a diagonal line emphasis ending in a vanishing point. He used a Nikon D3200 set on manual for the late afternoon shot of the almond trees on North Union Road.

WBL photo by Volker Moerbitz.

Volker Moerbitz framed the early evening sunset with almond blossoms.

The picture was taken on North Airport Road with a Nikon digital camera set on automatic.

Woodbridge LIFE

Page 12 • April 2016

At the Clubhouse

Arts

 BRIDGE

 ARTISTS & CRAFTERS Come on Down!

By Don St. Lawrence

The Bridge group meets Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Oxford Room.

Bridge Scores FEBRUARY 29:

Marilyn Larson Don Harris Grace Pasion Betty Buff Don St. Lawrence Jon Crowley Cherie Ford Inger Hammer Barbara Kreps Letha Watson Robi Cornelius Phyllis Tindell Kathy Comden

MARCH 7:

Phyllis Tindell Robi Cornelius Betty Buff Don Harris Kathy Comden Marilyn Larson Grace Pasion

MARCH 14:

Robi Cornelius Phyllis Tindell Jon Crowley

4530 4330 4290 3870 3750 3600 3160 3140 2930 2830 2780 2700 2170 4710 3780 3750 3460 2760 2590 1910

5680 5160 4980

Kathy Comden Shirley Lopes Don Harris Grace Pasion Barbara Kreps Cherie Ford Inger Hammer Betty Buff

MARCH 21:

Cherie Ford Kathy Comden Betty Buff Letha Watson Robi Cornelius Phyllis Tindell Don St. Lawrence Shirley Lopes Don Harris

MARCH 28:

Don Harris Don St. Lawrence Jon Crowley Robi Cornelius Marilyn Larson Betty Buff Cherie Ford Kathy Comden Phyllis Tindell

Coming Events From

By Penny Dauler

4930 4380 4280 4230 3210 2810 2350 2200 4360 3790 3730 3610 3390 3260 3200 2970 2540 5890 4110 3940 2980 2750 2540 2360 2020 1880

EVENTS page 9

Event Date

Purchase Tickets Starting:

Woodbridge Singers Spring Concert

5/2/16

4/4/16

Woodbridge Singers Spring Concert

5/3/16

4/4/16

Murphy's Wine Walk

5/4/16

4/4/16

Murphy's Wine Walk

5/5/16

4/4/16

Elvis w/his Live Band

5/7/16

4/7/16

Doc Dixon Comedy Show

5/14/16

4/11/16

Drama Group Play "Trouble at Manteca Junction"

5/19/16

4/18/16

Golf Putting Tournament

5/21/16

Entry Fee

Drama Group

5/22/16

4/18/16

Drama Group

5/25/16

4/18/16

Happy Hour

5/27/16

Now

Name of Event

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I

heard a prediction that April and May are going to be wet months.

Great for the flowers, vegetables and reservoirs – not so good for those who want the sunshine. Hard to play baseball, golf, or work in the garden with all that rain.

The upside of the rain is that it keeps us indoors so we get “rainy day” projects done, catch up on our reading and clean out the cupboards. The downside is “cabin fever.”

So put on your galoshes and raincoat, unfold your umbrella and head to the Clubhouse for activities like swimming, working out in the Fitness Studio, playing cards, reading in the library or, of course, getting creative in arts and crafts activities.

In April we are offering several new classes. First up is a cake decorating class, Thursday, April 7, at 12:30 p.m. This class has limited space, so if it is full, turn the sign-up sheet over and add your name to those who missed out on the first class. Martha Harman says she will teach the class again, and again and again. For only $6, you leave with a fully decorated layer cake. Margo Flanagan’s Water Color class, Friday, April 8, will be painting “Pansies on a Card.” Talk to Margo for details.

On Thursday, April 14, Kathy Dezotte will teach a painted tie-dye T-shirt class. The cost is $1 and you bring your own T-shirt. This is a really fun class. The month finishes with Doodle Bugs/Adult Coloring, April 29 at 10 a.m., also costing only $2.

Regular classes and workshops will also be held this month. China painting, oil painting, paper crafting, knitting and crocheting and UFO Friday are all on the calendar. Please read the calendar posted on the yellow communication board in front of the Westport Room, as it is the most accurate and current.

Our monthly general meeting is today, April 1, at 10:15 a.m. Come a little early for treats and chitchat.

No reason to hole up in your house. Join the fun in the Clubhouse. We are looking forward to seeing you.

 WOODBRIDGE READERS GROUP

By Marie Evans

W

oodbridge Readers' group met as usual, the first Wednesday of the month at the Clubhouse.

Every resident of Woodbridge is welcome to attend the group; we don't require that you lead a discussion or even suggest a book, just that you like to get together with other readers to read and discuss books. Usually the person who suggests a book leads the discussion but it is not

&

required. A list of the books we plan to read is posted on the Woodbridge portal and flyers listing future books are available at the Clubhouse.

I suggested “Giants in the Earth,” written by Ole Rölvaag for discussion this month. We all read the book last month and met to discuss it. Some did not finish the book, as it was long, but most of us did. In general, it was well received. The See

READERS page 13

www.ourwoodbridge.net From

READERS page 12

Woodbridge LIFE

book is about Norwegian pioneers who came to America for a new life and opportunity to acquire land to farm, as did all of my grandparents. It was an opportunity that at that time was not available to everyone in Norway. They settled on the vast prairies of South Dakota, so different from the land where they had spent their lives. Mr. Rölvaag's life was every bit as interesting as his characters' lives, as he was also an emigrant from a small Norwegian fishing town near the Arctic Circle.

As pointed out in the book’s introduction, this book is distinctly European as it is primarily interested in psychology and in the unfolding of character whereas American writers are primarily interested in plot and incident. Many of us said they found the story very interesting (it is the first book of a trilogy) and would like to read the sequels, "Peder Victorious" and "Their Fathers' God."

HULA LESSONS UPDATE

By Carla Marquardt

Yeah! Hula lessons will be offered every Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room.

Mary Saunders from the Lokes Looks Dance Studio in Tracy will teach Woodbridge residents beginning hula movements and steps for $6 a lesson.

Hula practice is still being held every Friday at 1 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room.

For more information, call Suzanne Mauck at 209-6655169.

Photo by Jerry Cox.

Hula teacher Mary Saunders danced to the song "Beyond the Reef" in the Strummin' Wonders Ukulele Island Love Song Concert.

Page 13 • April 2016

Page 14 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

WOMEN OF WOODBRIDGE ANNUAL AFTERNOON TEA, FROM WOW page 1 WBL photos by Volker Moerbitz.

Mo Price (SF Giants) and Judy Whitlock (LA Dodgers) stand behind their table, "Baseball Rivals."

Connie Reed's colorful "The Artist's Table" showcased her talents.

Sharon Borstad and Susan Nako's table highlighted "Quilting" in red, white and blue.

Carol Edgren and Jan Spence show off snow globes and other memorabilia at their "Traveling" table.

Birdie Nieri used turquoise and white to accent her "Birds of a Feather" setting.

Ants crawled all over Kathy Dezotte's clever "Picnic in the Park" table setting.

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Woodbridge LIFE

Page 15 • April 2016

Page 16 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

Household Hints Outdoor Lighting All Night Long Article and photos by Bill Barnhart

A

couple years ago, our Neighborhood Watch Commander circulated a video showing how easy it was to break into a roll-up garage door like Bill Barnhart the ones we have. Our doors have a release lever and rope to be used when the unit isn’t working and we need to open the door. This release feature is also what makes it easy to break into the garage.

By slipping a hanger through the top of the door and catching the rope, you can pull it to activate the release. The solution at that time was to remove the rope. Thieves have gotten smarter and learned they can just use a longer hanger, slip the hook around the release lever and pull it down, thereby making it possible to manually raise the door. Check out this short video showing just how easy it is: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CMz1tXBVT1s Ah, but we are smarter than the thieves, right?

There is a low-tech solution to this problem. The release lever has a little spring and the spring needs two holes to attach to. These holes are the perfect size to run a 1/8” zip tie through and zip it together. Check out the picture. You can cut off the excess, or not – it depends whether you want to leave any loose ends (pun intended). I tried a 3/32” zip tie first and it broke too easily when I tested it by pulling down on the rope. The 5/32” zip tie is too large to fit through the holes and would probably be too hard to break if/when you actually need to release the door for some reason. The 1/8” zip tie was just perfect. It does take a few very strong yanks on the rope to break the zip tie and release the door if you need to, but it would be way too hard to break it from outside the door with a hanger or even a metal rod because of the angle.

The thing about zip ties is that you can’t just buy one or two. You get a whole package, which is way more than you need. Of course, they have a lot of other uses around the house, but they can also be shared with neighbors up and down the street. I would also bet that many neighbors already have some, so don’t be afraid to ask if they have one to spare.

I tried three sizes of zip ties – 5/32", 1/8" and 3/32". The 1/8" fit through the hole.

Garage door release can be secured with 1/8" zip tie.

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Woodbridge LIFE

Page 17 • April 2016

 WOODBRIDGE SENIOR GOLF CLUB Tournament Schedule Date

Location

March 21 Manteca Park April 26

Manteca La Contenta

June 20

Valley Springs Lockeford Springs Lockeford Elkhorn

Aug 29

Stockton Micki Grove

May 23 July 25

Sept 26 Oct 24

Stockton Reserve at Spanos Park Lodi Diablo Grande Patterson Swenson Park Stockton

Time

Fee *

Date Due W/C

9 a.m.

$39

March 1

9 a.m.

$30*

May 2

10 a.m.

9 a.m.

$41 $40

9 a.m.

$40*

9 a.m.

$35*

9 a.m.

9 a.m.

$25* $34

April 5 June 1 July 5

August 8

X 200 Points 100 Points

 WOMEN OF WOODBRIDGE SPEAKER SERIES Household Hints

By Linda Little

H

ave you always wanted to be a DIY person when it comes to regular household maintenance but don’t have the experience or the confidence? Bill Barnhart, Woodbridge resident and “go-to guy” for household repairs, will share some household hints when he speaks to Woodbridge residents, May 26 at 2 p.m., as part of the continuing Speaker Series sponsored by the Women of Woodbridge.

Bill’s presentation will include how-to’s on basic household tasks such as changing out batteries throughout your house, cleaning faucet filters and refrigerator coils, proper drying of showers and shower doors after use, landscape watering times and more.

Hand-outs with photos and step-by-step instructions will be provided. The session will close with a question and answer period.

Those wishing to attend this presentation must sign up at the front desk in the Lakeview Clubhouse. There is no fee; however, a count is needed for set-up and preparation of materials.

X

W/C = Woodbridge Cup F/T = Fun Tournament *Please include $2 for W/C tournaments if you want to participate in Closest to the Pin contest.

Fun Tournament fees listed include a $5 prize fund.

X

Make all checks payable to WSGC and

list the golf course in the memo section.

Leave checks at the front desk to be given to Dodie Miller.

For tournament questions, call John

100 Points

September 5 200 Points October 3

F/T

Armstrong: (209) 200-7302

X

Page 18 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

W oodbridge Volume 1 ▪ Issue 1 ▪ Number 1

Fun Fiction. Humorous Hoaxes.

LIE

April Fool's Day 2016

MANTECA TO EMPLOY NEW WATER DAYS! Woodbridge tackles mandate unconditionally

I

n a further effort to conserve water, the city of Manteca is proposing to limit legal watering days to once a week in midOctober. Currently, Manteca residents may water, in a restricted period, three times a week.

Because California might be heading into a fifth straight year of drought, Manteca must reduce its annual water consumption by 32 percent.

Del Webb by Woodbridge, led by a forwardthinking board of directors, has “upped the ante.” Beginning April 15, a date easy to remember due to federal government requirements, Woodbridge residents will lead the city in reducing water consumption. Each residence will be allotted a 20-minute time frame one day a week to water all vegetation.

“We are taking this matter seriously,” said a board member who requested to remain anonymous. The Property and Grounds and Neighborhood Watch committees have formed a water conservation posse to oversee and enforce the new mandate.

“First time offenders will receive a written notice which will be entered into their personnel files in the front office. A $250 fine will be imposed for a second offense. A third offense would warrant a $500 fine. Any subsequent infraction would result in expulsion from the community.

“We know we won’t have to do more than issue a first warning,” said the anonymous board member. “Most Woodbridge residents are retired, are living on a retirement income and do not have room for extra expenses such as hefty fines,” he continued.

The new motto for Woodbridge might very well be “Go green to save your green!”

WBL photo and artwork by Volker Moerbitz.

The guardhouse on Del Webb Boulevard is storage for spare parts (hips, knees, rotator cuffs, teeth, titanium overstock, etc.) for residents to borrow. Availability and check-outs will be coordinated at the Clubhouse front desk.

TATTOO ARTIST TO CAMOUFLAGE AGING IMPERFECTIONS

By J. Ghoul

K

nowledgeable artists from the Arts and Crafts group are training a tattoo artist to cover imperfections and are in need of volunteers to offer their bodies as blank canvases. For those who are apprehensive about tattoos, the group is also offering a one-time class called “Connect the Dots.” This is a chance for all who have spots on arms and legs to be creative.

The pool room will be turned into a body piercing studio once a week. Many have requested this opportunity, due to an excess of skin on their bodies, in the hope of camouflaging any imperfections. This will also cut down on the purchase cost of bling for those residents on retirement incomes.

Page 2 • April Fool's Day 2016

Woodbridge LIE

“Der spring is sprung Der grass is riz I wonder where dem boidies is?” ~ Anonymous

Special Insert

PEPPER REPORTS WOA Board works to eliminate WOA dues

1.

2.

3.

Always strive to write good.

Studies have shown the indoor pool to be an underutilized amenity.

Thus, plans are nearly finalized to turn the pool into a profit-making venture. You may have noticed the absence of our two resident board members. The HOA management company recently used developer funds to send the two on a fact-finding mission to Peru to investigate and to acquire seeds from the Qantu vine. The Incas found essences and properties in this rare plant to make water remain pure longer and to curb diarrhea. Stateside, there is a market demand for this elusive plant, which will be an outstanding investment. Soon the pool will be drained and filled with high-quality plant growing material. Before long, the Lifestyle Committee will be called on to manage the growth and care of the Qantu on a 24-hour basis. We anticipate at harvest, the profits will eliminate all monthly dues.

Avoid clichés like the plague. They’re old hat.

Mandate: All dogs and cats are to be diapered

Remember that prepositions are words you should not end sentences with.

4.

5.

6.

Do not use commas, where they are not needed.

7.

8.

9.

Reread your writing to see if you any words out.

Beginning immediately, all homeowner’s dogs and cats must wear diapers. To help ease this transition, the Arts and Crafts group has designed, and will offer for sale, their beautiful creations. The French Dog Sailor outfit (pictured below) and the Bedazzle “Regal” (pictured page 3) are only two examples shown, but many more will be on display at 3 p.m. today at the Clubhouse. We advise you walk or bike, as we anticipate the parking lot will be full due to news media satellite trucks. There will be no wine or cheese offered, and, of course, do not forget to wear your badge.

A DOZEN RULES FOR NEW WRITERS

By Jean "Golden Girl" Kavale

10.

11.

12.

Be more or less specific.

Good writing skills is important, so make sure your sentences contain subjects and verbs that agree with each other in number.

Avoid run-on sentences they are very bad.

Just between you and I, you should never misuse “I” and “me.”

Use apostrophe’s correctly. Plurals don’t need them.

“Do not” use quotation marks for emphasis.

Avoid redundancy. It is excessive, unnecessary, not needed, inessential and needlessly wordy.

A BRIDGE DIVIDED

By Doodles, Activities Director

A

fter in-depth meetings with the engineers who constructed and installed the bridge over Lake Rockwell, it has come to the attention of the board that the bridge can no longer support the weight of so many cars coming to the Clubhouse. For this reason, effective today, April 1, a control arm is being installed to regulate the flow of cars.

Only cars and trucks weighing less than 3,000 pounds may use the bridge at all.

For those residents who are not able to use the bridge because of the weight limit or have heavy items needing to be brought into the Clubhouse, there will be a bell at the control arm that will ring into the Clubhouse alerting the monitor on duty to come and assist you.

It was decided to approach the issue of the bridge in this way instead of having to build another bridge, which would increase monthly HOA dues.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Your Body is an Abacus, a refresher course in Chisanbop.

Remember counting on your fingers? This math system was introduced to the United States in 1977 and right here at Del Webb, we will reprise our skill. We anticipate large interest, so sign up early.

• Food 401 will once again meet at the demonstration kitchen

to teach and prepare San Joaquin’s latest craze in exotic food: gopher sausages. Samples will be provided.

• Sponsored by the Women of Woodbridge: “Where have all the

Eraser Crumbs Gone?” Join us for a lecture. You will be given See

PEPPER page 3

Special Insert

Woodbridge LIE

ROMMEL RECOMMENDS: Avoid Bar & Grill

By Rommel Parseh

I

was driving around a few nights ago and the Avoid Bar & Grill sign caught my attention. What a weird name for a restaurant, I thought, and decided to go there on Saturday night to try their food and write about them.

When we got there, we waited about 10 minutes before someone came by to seat us. None of the empty tables was entirely clean and we waited for another 10 minutes before they cleaned up one for us. The server came by right away to take our beverage order. We ordered just water until we had a chance to review the menu (the server frowned at that request).

We didn’t see her for a while, so when I got up to find her, I noticed she had just picked up two bowls of soup from the kitchen and was in the process of adding a large helping of saliva to both bowls. I approached another server and asked if I could see the manager to report this distasteful act. He went to get the manager but came back right away and told me the manager didn’t have time to see customers. I reported what I’d seen. He smiled and walked away without saying a word.

I returned to our table and told my wife what had happened. We left immediately.

I decided to write about the restaurant for sure – I DO NOT recommend it!

The name says it all!

From

PEPPER page 2

Page 3 • April Fool's Day 2016

WATERLESS TOILETS TO KEEP WOODBRIDGE AFLOAT

T

he Woodbridge Owners Association (WOA) has made many efforts to conserve water and energy. The WOA is converting a majority of the lighting components within the Clubhouse and amenities to LED lighting. LED will help in the conservation of energy as well as the labor that goes into switching bulbs. The most important measure to date, however, is to conserve water.

A few measures already in place began with taking the entry fountains on Union and Del Webb Boulevard off city water and connecting them to the same well that supplies non-potable water to Lake Rockwell. The WOA has approval from the board of directors to move forward with a water conservation idea that I believe will change the way we look at saving water.

We met with a company that has worked with big corporations in southern California. They will introduce waterless toilets for the Clubhouse, concession building and Liberty Park area. These new waterless toilets are the future of water conservation and I believe they will take us over the top and keep Woodbridge afloat for years to come.

WOODBRIDGE, BITS AND PIECES OF NEWS Flowering Plum Trees The response to having the flowering plum trees cut down was greatly enthusiastic. Many residents have commented that because the trees are down, the view is much improved when they are turning onto Daisywood. To further enhance safety and convenience, it has been decided that all the trees along Daisywood will be removed. Low, flowering plants will replace the trees. Suggestions of varieties of flowers will be welcomed by the Property and Grounds Committee.

Speed Bumps Well, the speed bumps near the Clubhouse haven’t been as effective as first hoped. Therefore, the speed bumps will be painted red.

Drivers will come to a FULL STOP at each bump. There will be either monitors or cameras situated at each bump to be certain the new rule is obeyed/enforced. For EACH failed stop, the driver will receive one (1) demerit. If a driver accumulates 72 demerits, he/she will serve time assisting the snack bar people in charging and reporting sales tax on all food, drink and souvenir items.

Irrigation

a history lesson about erasers from around the world, see examples of left-handed erasers and be introduced to the newest, “Electrical Erasers for Blondes.”

• Plan for performances in the new amphitheater. The Drama

Club, consisting of 386 members, will showcase excerpts from “Blazing Saddles,” “King Lear” and “Fifty Shades of Grey.” An original comedy called “The Board,” written by one of our own board members, will also be featured. Plan to put your lawn chairs out a week in advance as this will be a well-attended event.

The city of Manteca has withdrawn its offer to assist in paying for wells for Woodbridge parks. Instead, they are going to put in small, packaged treatment plants in our ponds. These pumps will send the slightly processed effluent into the irrigation lines. Excess sludge would then be used to irrigate the surrounding landscapes and each of our parks. As good citizens of Manteca, we look forward to being part of the city’s plan to assist in keeping our community green (or in this case, slightly brown). The city has assured us unpleasant odors will be minimal and most residents will get to where they barely notice the difference in air quality. In fact, some believe it will be reminiscent of “the good old days” when Spreckles Sugar’s processing plant and cattle feedlot were prominent in Manteca. Signs will be posted that one should not drink this water.

Page 4 • April Fool's Day 2016

Woodbridge LIE

Special Insert

WOODBRIDGE GOES HIGH TECH HOUSEHOLD HORRORS Maintenance tips you never want to do!

• Cut tabs off CFL bulb to make it fit a lower wattage receptacle

• Use a gas burner when the igniter is continuously clicking

• Get out of the car if a fallen electrical line is in contact with your car

• Fail to have your front house lights turn on at night in Woodbridge

• Sweep the dust under the carpet or the couch • Forget to obtain ARC approval to display LED yard lights in front of your home

W

oodbridge is proud to announce the long-awaited transition from our current badges used for identification to the new high-tech microprocessor chips inserted beneath the skin. This is wonderful technology borrowed from the pet identification systems and Q from James Bond 007. This is the next generation of those systems and has extra modules that can be activated. The best part about this system is that it is free to members and the association.

The entire system is being donated to us by the high-tech Silicon Valley start-up firm LTT (Let’s Try That) and is closely monitored by their in-house quality control team, HTH (How’d That Happen).

LTT draws from the very best talent emerging from our junior high schools and prisons. The firm’s IPO scheduled for this summer is expected to raise $3 billion in capital.

The base system, once injected into your arm or other body part, will automatically handle check-in and open all entry and interior doors at the Clubhouse. The financial module allows for payment of dues and fees for events with a mere wave of your arm. The calendar voice alert system will offer integration of your personal computer calendar and the association’s calendar with “voices in your head” alerts. It will also integrate with the new bridge security system and high-tech toilets explained elsewhere in this edition of Woodbridge LIE. The most exciting module is integration with self-driving cars. This would allow your car to drive you to the Clubhouse and park in a space closest to the entrance.

You may have noticed this system in “beta” testing around the Clubhouse these past few months. The basic door-opening feature was nearly flawless. They now have installed a fix for the pesky opening of restroom stall doors while occupied. The financial module was perfectly integrated with our billing system; however, the tardy payment encourager subroutine that only opens the doors halfway if you’re late on payments may need some adjusting. It has been decided to have a different voice-over actor replace James Earl Jones in the “voices in your head” alert system and to turn down the volume. During the first test of the self-driving feature, a “smart car” did drive up to the Clubhouse promenade, through the open entry doors and through the open Multipurpose Room hall doors and park in the front row of the audience. No one was injured and the location of the parking spots has been more clearly defined for the module.

The injection clinics at the Clubhouse will begin the first week of May. Unlike the “beta” injections, actual medically-trained personnel will be involved.

If you actually believe the above is true, you’ve never experienced “April Fool’s Day.”

Happy April Fool’s Day! We hope you enjoyed this spoof as much as we did. ~The Woodbridge LIFE Editorial Team

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Woodbridge LIFE

Page 19 • April 2016

Garden Tasks for April Article and photos by Sandi Larson, Master Gardener

N

ow that spring is finally here, we are loving our gardens. As I look into my Sandi Larson front yard, my lilac is just opening, two of my Japanese maples are starting to leaf out, my camellias are getting new growth, my Clematis montana is blooming, my peonies have buds (from ground to bud in two weeks!), my hellebore still has flowers on it and most other plants in the yard are getting new growth. I have to admit that with all the rain we’ve been having lately, it’s just beautiful in our gardens.

A bee grabs some pollen in the Clemantis montana. flourish.

I love changing out my patio pots this time of year and planting petunias, both trailing and bush, zinnias and bedding dahlias for sunny locations. Fuchsias, impatiens, regular and New Guinea impatiens, lobelia, tuberous begonias, geraniums and sweet potato vine, either lime green or purple, grow well in shady areas.

Mandevilla is typically a summer heat-loving plant but I planted one last fall in a container and, amazingly, it survived.

Many of our lavenders are starting to bloom now. Spanish lavender with its dark purple flowers and gray foliage is usually the first one. Be careful when you choose lavender plants because here with our Manteca soil, they grow very large. I finally decided to only plant the smaller varieties of lavender.

Bush peony has lots of buds.

See

GARDEN page 29

Now is a good time to go to your garden center and choose spring flowering shrubs like azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias. Perennials you can plant now for bloom are geraniums, marguerites, yarrow, Shasta daisies, cineraria, gazania, primrose and violets. I love Shasta daisies because they’re reliable and they’re easy to divide. Spring flowering trees are acacia, hawthorn, tulip, magnolia, crabapple, dogwood and western and eastern redbud trees. Bulbs are also available in nurseries and garden centers this month. Bulb-like plants would be tuberous begonia, callas and gladiolus.

Evaluate how much rain your plants are getting and decide if now would be a good time to adjust your sprinklers. I turned mine on in February but off through mid-March. You will need to start fertilizing your roses this month and spray for aphids if you see them. Also, this month is a good month to fertilize your lawns.

Start planting your vegetable garden this month because, for the most part, our frost period is over. In nurseries, you will see tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Remember that your vegetable garden needs at least six full hours of daylight to

Geraniums love the morning sun in our area.

Page 20 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

Softball This Month WOODBRIDGE SOFTBALL THANKS ITS 2016 SPONSORS Softball Sponsors (in alphabetical order): Alhambra Water Antique Avenue Arvin Home Systems Center Appliance Cruisers (Boyett Petroleum) Delicato Family Vineyards Denise's Farmers’ Market Environmental Creations Fagundes Meats & Catering Farmington Fresh Manteca Lighting

Manteca Optical Old McGowan's Feed Store Precision Auto of Manteca Sandi Larson, Realtor (Remax) Second Chance Band Svenhard's Swedish Bakery The Lori's (PMZ Real Estate) Ultimate Furniture Uncle Frank's (Chez Shari) Walgreens

www.ourwoodbridge.net

APRIL SOFTBALL SCHEDULE

Date

Time

Game

Saturday

9:30 a.m.

D-Gals

April 2 Opening Ceremonies begin at 8:45 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

5 vs. 6

11:30 p.m.

3 vs. 4

12:30 p.m.

2 vs. 1

Wednesday

9 a.m.

1 vs. 2

10:30 a.m.

4 vs. 5

12 p.m.

3 vs. 6

9 a.m.

D-Gals

10:30 a.m.

3 vs. 4

12 p.m.

6 vs. 5

Byes

Teams 1 and 2

9 a.m.

4 vs. 3

10:30 a.m.

6 vs. 1

April 6

Saturday April 9

Wednesday April 13

Saturday April 16

Wednesday April 20

Saturday April 23

Wednesday April 27

Saturday April 30

12 p.m.

5 vs. 2

9 a.m.

D-Gals

10:30 a.m.

2 vs. 6

12 p.m.

1 vs. 5

Byes

Teams 3 and 4

9 a.m.

6 vs. 4

10:30 a.m.

2 vs. 3

12 p.m.

5 vs. 1

9 a.m.

D-Gals

10:30 a.m.

2 vs. 4

12 p.m.

1 vs. 3

Byes

Teams 5 and 6

9 a.m.

1 vs. 4

10:30 a.m.

5 vs. 3

12 p.m.

6 vs. 2

9 a.m.

D-Gals

10:30 a.m.

4 vs. 5

12 p.m.

3 vs. 6

Byes

Teams 1 and 2

www.ourwoodbridge.net From

Woodbridge LIFE

COMING page 8

after leaving the accountant’s office. Tickets will only be $5 per person and are available at the front desk.

DUO GADJO – JAZZ WITH A FRENCH TWIST – Saturday, April 23 @ 6:30 p.m. - From French café music to the French Quarter, Isabelle Fontaine listened to Piaf, Montand and Tenet. Jeff Jagidson listened to Louis Armstrong and Muddy Waters. Together they are known as Duo Gadjo.

She was born in France and he in San Francisco. Their music celebrates the union of two cultures, largely inspired by the sounds of the ‘20s and ‘30s, when jazz was the thing and Paris was the place to be. They are jazz with a French twist and the blues to French and American love

POTLUCK NIGHTS MAY 31 – MEXICAN THEME JULY 26 – PASTA & PIZZA

 WOODBRIDGE SENIOR GOLF CLUB

By John Armstrong

W

e had a great turnout for our first tournament of the year, February 22, at Spring Creek Golf and Country Club in Ripon. We had 56 golfers and perfect weather for this event, which included a great lunch in the clubhouse afterward.

Winners for Closest to the Pin were: Hole #7 1. Jim Norcup, 7’2” 2. Dick Turner, 23’8” Hole #12 1. Rich Chandler, 10’2” 2. David Raxter, 10’3”

Tournament winners were: Palmer Flight: John Armstrong, Net 68 David Raxter, Net 70 Dick Turner, Net 71 Nicklaus Flight Mark Gattuso, Net 77 Bob Gotelli, Net 77 Frank Gigilotta, Net 79 Bill Goodwin, Net 79 Everyone agreed it was a wonderful day of golf and we look forward to our next tournament.

If you are interested in joining the golf group, please contact John Armstrong at 209-200-7302.

Page 21 • April 2016

songs of the ‘30s and ‘40s. You may bring your beverage of choice and snacks. Tickets are $5 per person and are available at the front desk.

COMMUNITY-WIDE GARAGE SALE OUR POPULAR COMMUNITY-WIDE GARAGE SALE IS SATURDAY, MAY 7.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Page 22 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

QUILT SHOW AWARDS

Photo by Joanne Dyer.

Elizabeth Cunning stands in front of her king size, handquilted Butterfly Quilt, the Viewers' Choice for Best Hand Quilting and Viewers' Choice for Bed Size Quilt.

Photo by Joanne Dyer.

Elizabeth shows her award-winning, hand-quilted Flower Garden Quilt, the President's Choice for Best Needlework, Viewers' Choice for Best Appliqué, and Viewers' Choice for Best Use of Color.

 WOODBRIDGE CHAIR VOLLEYBALL All games are from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Days vary – check the date on your calendar.

April

7, 12 and 27

May

5, 10 and 24

June

1, 14 and 27

July

7, 13 and 25

August

1, 9 and 23

September 1, 13 and 28 October

3, 11 and 26

November 3, 8 and 22 December 1, 14 and 27

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Woodbridge LIFE

MEN OF WOODBRIDGE DINNER DANCE

Photo submitted by Carla Marquardt.

Elsie Pegis, George Moffatt and Patti Barnhart dance together at the Men of Woodbridge Dinner Dance.

VETERANS HAPPY HOUR PLUS

WBL photo by Volker Moerbitz.

The Veterans Happy Hour Plus event drew a large crowd.

Page 23 • April 2016

Page 24 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Triker's Travels Who's on first? What's on second?

By Judy McNamara

I

t's that time again to “play ball!” Saturday, April 2, is opening day for the wonderful game of softball. More and more players are coming out to play. There are so many that a sixth men’s team has been formed. Del Webb would be proud if he knew how popular this game was in his retirement communities, particularly Woodbridge.

As some of you might know, Del Webb was an avid baseball fan and part owner of the New York Yankees at one time.

The opening ceremonies are Saturday, April 2, beginning at 8:30 a.m. with coffee, doughnuts, pastries and fruit. Songs will be playing, which include Bill Kistner's cleverly written “Silver Sluggers” and “Diamond Gals” to get the ceremony going and the Strummin' Wonders will add to the opening ceremonies. There will also be a car show in the parking lot adjacent to the field.

Since this is a family day, we expect lots of family members and grandkids to attend. At 9 a.m. all players and umpires will line up on the bases,

veterans with flags will line up on the bases and the East Union High School JROTC will post the colors. At 9:10, the Woodbridge Singers will sing the national anthem and some fun songs after which announcer Caroline Gibson will introduce the coaches, assistant coaches, umpires and council members for both the Silver Sluggers and Diamond Gals. Ramon Rivera, operations manager, will throw out the first pitch to a very special resident of our community who has played many years of softball at Woodbridge. The catcher will be a Diamond Gals player. A member of the Manteca Fire Department will throw out the second pitch and the catcher will be a Silver Sluggers player. At 9:30 a.m., the Diamond Gals will take to the field for the first game of the day.

Regretfully, Splash, the Stockton Ports mascot, is unable to attend to provide comic relief at opening day, but perhaps we will be surprised by another special guest.

Let's get out to Del Webb field, Saturday, April 2, to support the guys and gals who love and play this great sport of softball.

Judy McNamara

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Woodbridge LIFE

Page 25 • April 2016

ROMMEL RECOMMENDS: Ripon Roadhouse Restaurant Article and photos by Rommel Parseh

I

went to the Ripon Roadhouse Restaurant last year and decided to go there again to write this review. Yelp shows 78 reviews of the restaurant with a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5, including 41 photos. Marcus and Shelly, the owners, opened the Roadhouse in 2009 after selling their Togo’s in Manteca.

The couple’s passion had always been to open a family-oriented restaurant with a variety of good food, a good atmosphere and a fun, full bar where customers could hang out, chat and watch major sports events.

Ripon Roadhouse is a fun-filled and semi-casual restaurant.

There is a separate dining area that can be used without charge for banquets, large parties or rehearsal dinners. Restaurant staff will work with you to design a menu with a per-person price.

A corkage fee of $10 is charged if you decide to bring your own wine, but I felt that beer or mixed drinks from the bar are more suitable for the type of food they serve.

For starters, we had the Skins that consist of potato skins covered with bacon, green onions and melted cheese with a side of guacamole and sour cream. We also had the green salad, which was very fresh and nicely chilled. A variety of appetizers is available and the selection of salads also includes Caesar (with/ without chicken breast or tiger prawns), Cobb, Asian, Southwest, etc. They serve a soup of the day and chili as well.

Ripon Roadhouse Restaurant is a fun, semi-casual family-oriented restaurant.

See

ROMMEL page 33

Page 26 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

ARBOR DAY

By Mike Spence using online sources including Almanac.com, Arborday.org, Wikipedia.com and The Arbor Day Foundation

A

rbor Day (from the Latin arbor, meaning “tree”) is an observed holiday in all 50 states and elsewhere. On Arbor Day, many individuals and groups plant trees appropriate to their area. Why trees? Why not bushes or food crops? Perhaps the answer can be found in Nordic mythology that depicts the world being supported in the branches of a majestic oak tree.

Perhaps it was a realization in Europe that their infinite forests were disappearing, being consumed for construction and fuel. Or could it be the growing realization of the significance of trees to our biosphere? Nope, it was the work of one guy and his bride in Nebraska.

Julius Sterling Morton was the original tree hugger. Morton was born in New York in 1832 and migrated westward with his family, first into the Ohio valley and then into Michigan. At the time, it was just one continuing forest from the Eastern Seaboard to the Great Lakes.

Morton married in 1854 and set out to begin his life in the wilds of Nebraska Territory. Nebraska had fertile soil but few trees. Morton wanted to “fix” the tree problem. Morton was an energetic man and planted several thousand trees, mostly fruit trees, on his 160-acre homestead he called The Morton Ranche. He also made time to be a journalist and politician. At 26, Morton became the acting governor of Nebraska Territory, a post he held for three years. As governor, Morton was able to champion his desire to populate Nebraska with trees.

In 1872, in Nebraska City, Nebraska, at what is believed to be the first celebration of Arbor Day in the United States, Morton is quoted as saying: “If I had the power, I would compel every man in the State who had a home of his own to plant out and cultivate fruit trees.”

Morton continued to be politically active. In 1885, Arbor Day became a legal holiday in Nebraska. Morton served on his state

WBL photo by Volker Moerbitz.

Trees make a world of difference. Celebrate Arbor Day. See

ARBOR page 29

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Woodbridge LIFE

Page 27 • April 2016

SANDI LARSON EARNS REMAX HALL OF FAME HONORS

By Sandi Larson

A

t the age of 55, I was working as a Payroll and Receivables/Payables Manager at Remax in Castro Valley, California. My mom had been diagnosed with uterine cancer and I was needed to take her to doctor appointments, surgery, follow up and to help care for her while she recuperated. I found myself missing a lot of work and wondering how I would be able to take care of Mom in the future. I had looked into real estate sales about 15 years earlier but with two teenagers didn’t find the time to start a new career.

During this rather hectic time, it occurred to me that I could combine my love of people, houses and gardening into a career in real estate, which would allow me to better control my daily schedule and the potential to increase my income. Studying for the agents’ exam was challenging but I put in my time and passed the test on my first try. I had encouragement from my husband Butch, my brother who was a broker and fellow agents.

Three years after obtaining my license and working as a real estate agent full time in the East Bay, we decided to move into Del Webb, Woodbridge. I continued to work in Castro Valley

while living in Manteca. About two years into the process, it no longer made sense to continue to work in the Bay Area and put up with all the commuting.

I started the transition by working with Bay Area clients who were interested in moving to the Central Valley. I stayed on that course for another couple of years and then eventually realized I wanted to primarily work in the Central Valley.

In 2011 I joined Remax Executive in Manteca.

A year after that, in 2012, I received the Central Valley Association of Realtors’ (CVAR) Masters Club Award. I have now received that award, which is the highest award you can receive in the CVAR for the last four years running.

Late last year I was notified by Remax that I was going to be the recipient of the Remax Hall of Fame Award. This is an award from Remax based on a certain level of commissions earned throughout your career. The award ceremony was to take place at the 2016 International Remax Convention held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at the end of February and beginning of March.

See

SANDI page 33

Photo contributed.

Sandi Larson receives the Remax Hall of Fame award.

Page 28 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

 WINE 101

By Jon Ford

F

or those of you new to the community or unaware of our class, Wine 101 is open to all residents of Del Webb, Woodbridge.

The purpose of the class is two-fold: 1) to educate participants about various aspects of wine. For example, we have had classes with a grower, winery owners, winemakers, small boutique winery presentations, large wine company presentations, explored the art of blending, blind tastings of a varietal, focusing on one varietal, becoming a sommelier, etc., and 2) to get to know our neighbors better through a very social, party atmosphere.

Generally, the format of the class is a 20-30 minute presentation followed by a two-hour get-together. We ask that participants bring their own glasses, an appetizer to share with the class and a bottle of wine to share with their table and neighboring tables. We used to have a community table, but too much wine was being brought so we are trying this new concept of only bringing a bottle to share at your table. You may bring any bottle you wish but at times we’re going to ask you to bring a bottle that keys into the presentation for that evening.

Wine 101 classes run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and generally are held on a Wednesday or Thursday evening. I advertise the events with flyers in the Clubhouse, on the portal and with an email list I have compiled. If you would like to get a heads-up for events and other interesting articles, be sure to contact me at jluvswine@aol.com and request to be added to this list.

The only class that begins earlier is our Christmas Potluck Dinner that starts at 5:30 and runs to 8:45 p.m. We do a very fun bottle exchange on that evening.

The majority of the classes fill up quickly and registration always begins the day after an event. The March class was March 9, so the sign-ups for the April class began on March 10.

You may call in your reservation or sign up in person at the front desk at the Clubhouse.

Our March class was a full house with 120 participants.

We were thrilled to have Mark Luchessi of Lucca Winery in Ripon visit us. Mark told us of his family history, his winemaking training, how he went from peach farmer to family winemaker and then into a commercial wine business. He also discussed what the future holds for Lucca Winery. Mark brought four of his wines and we did a side-by-side tasting of his Vita Vecchia (Old Vine Zinfandel) and Michael David's Seven Deadly Zins.

We were fortunate to meet Mark through the efforts of Don Vehrs, a Del Webb resident and class participant. Don is a sommelier and is working with Mark on various aspects of his business. He also was our initial contact for Mark and Lucca Winery. Don also agreed to speak to the group about what it takes to become a sommelier.

Coming up April 14 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. will be a visit from Chad Londry, Key Account Specialist for American Wines, a Division of Southern Wine and Spirits. Chad will teach the class the aspects of being a middleman, the wholesaler for wines. We've met with winemakers/owners before so now it's time to check out the "person in the middle.”

In the works: • A bus trip to Amador in May • A large wine retailer's story • A visit with Stephanie Gallo • A visit with a wine breeder • Classes on specific wine varietals • A class on the art of wine tasting • A class on reading a wine label (foreign and domestic) • Other surprises If you have questions, you may contact me at jluvswine@aol.com or call me at 815-9803.

I hope to see you at one of our events in the future.

SO MANY WINES, SO LITTLE TIME!

www.ourwoodbridge.net From

Woodbridge LIFE

GARDEN page 19

The snowball bush has bright green leaves and tiny white buds.

April is a great month to visit area gardens such as Filoli, San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco Botanical Garden and Ruth Bancroft Garden.

I just read that when a freeze killed all the historic roses in Empress Josephine’s garden at Malmaison outside Paris, the French government went to Roses of Yesterday and Today in Northern California’s Watsonville to replace their lost roses. I thought that was an amazing story. If you’ve ever taken a trip to Roses of Yesterday and Today, you know what a special place it is. The best time to visit, of course, is when the roses are blooming around Mother’s Day. It’s a wonderful place to take your mother or daughter on Mother’s Day.

Happy gardening!

From

ARBOR page 26

board of Agriculture and Horticultural Society. In 1893, President Grover Cleveland appointed him U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. A statue of Morton is in the National Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C. Arbor Day is celebrated by nearly every nation. With few exceptions, Arbor Day falls on the last Friday in April in the United States.

Elsewhere, it is celebrated during the local version of “spring.” It’s interesting to note that Arbor Day is more than just international; it is global. Arbor Day transcends all religions, political boundaries and geography.

“Arbor Day” was not the title the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture wanted for the holiday. They wanted “Sylvan Day,” referencing the Latin word for wooded. Morton argued that “wooded” excluded his beloved fruit trees; he won.

We residents of Woodbridge have at least two trees planted in our front yards. Those trees were planted courtesy of Pulte, the city of Manteca and, by extension, J. Sterling Morton.

Page 29 • April 2016

Page 30 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

DID YOU KNOW...

MONOPOLY

Compiled by Mike Spence from sources including Wikipedia (try to act surprised), Mary Pinion, "Monopoly's Inventor" & "The Monopolist,” Wall Street Journal "How to fight over a board game,” worldofmonopoly.com, LA Times.com and Hasbrow.com

•

In 1903, Lizze Philips created the game of Monopoly as an educational tool to degrade the economic concept of monopoly. She called it “The Landlord’s Game.”

•

The original game had cardboard houses and later wooden houses and hotels.

•

During WW II, the British Secret Service distributed Monopoly games to allied prisoners of war. Most of the games contained escape route maps printed on silk beneath the playing surface.

•

Monopoly has been printed in 37 different languages.

•

Lizze Philips patented Monopoly in 1924.

•

The original game was based on streets in Atlantic City, NJ.

•

Hasbro, the owner of the Phillips’ patent, has licensed several variations of the game: ∘∘ San Diego ∘∘ Las Vegas ∘∘ Wall Street (all the properties are businesses)

•

Marvin Gardens, one of the yellow cards, is misspelled. The correct spelling is Marven Garden.

•

In 1995, Hasbro formally apologized to the New Jersey community for the slight.

•

The space labeled “Water Works” refers to Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority.

•

In 2006, the monetary values for Monopoly were increased by 10,000. It’s now $2M to Pass Go.

•

The older U.S. versions of Monopoly had a “bank” of $15,140.

•

The original version of the game had eight pewter tokens: wheelbarrow, battleship, racecar, iron, thimble, boot, Scottie dog and top hat. A cat was added to the tokens in 2013.

•

In recent editions, “luxury tax” has been renamed “interest on credit card debt.”

•

The mascot character pictured on the playing board is “Rich Uncle Pennybags.”

From

Woodbridge LIFE

WOW page 11

Garden Tea Party" by Gail Pace; "Scrapbooking" by Sue Price; "Quilting" by Sharon Borstad and Susan Nako; "Bicycling" by Pat Gentile and Paula Beck; "Phantom of the Opera" by Connie Barclay, "Bird Watching at Woodbridge"

by Melinda Fiorio and Vicki Bauer and "Gardening" by Anita Pangilinan.

After enjoying delicious tea fare prepared by caterer “Fresh,” guests were treated to entertainment. On Saturday we had a delightful and educational fashion show, “Have Bag Will Travel,” presented by Goodwill Industries. We saw a tour of fashion through the ages featuring a museum collection of antique gowns and accessories. On Sunday, guests were entertained by the beautiful violin music of Karen Tom, a student at the University of the Pacific who is

studying music therapy and music performance.

Raffle chair Fran Hutchings did an outstanding job collecting and organizing prizes, including a gift card tree for each day.

Thanks to everyone's hard work and cooperation, including the generous donations of our sponsors to help offset expenses, our local businesses and residents for donating raffle prizes and gift cards, and our wonderful guests who attended and supported the raffle, we netted over $5,000 for the event. We are once again happy to have raised funds to donate to the worthwhile cause of homeless children.

Flyer developed and distributed by the Woodbridge Lifestyle Committee.

www.ourwoodbridge.net

Page 31 • April 2016

Page 32 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

www.ourwoodbridge.net

PROTECTING OUR EARTH Compiled by Jean Kavale from the following sources: http://greenliving.about.com/od/greenlivingbasics/a/Gaylord-Nelson-Earth-Day.htm http://www.earthday.org/about/the-history-of-earth-day/ http://www.calepa.ca.gov/About/ Manteca Bulletin, dated April 15, 2015 (for information about last year's events)

O

n the mild spring day of April 22, 1970, an event was born in the United States to protect the earth. Its founder was Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, a longtime environmentalist, and it was appropriately called Earth Day. It is now observed every April 22 in the United States and in several other countries with conferences, outdoor events, rallies and public service activities.

In his speech that memorable day in April, the senator said, “Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures.” Senator Nelson, who died in 2005, had been deeply affected by the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, which took the lives of many birds, seals and other animals.

The first Earth Day forced politicians to admit that the public had good reasons for worrying about the dangers of air, water and soil pollution. As a result, congress finally passed important environmental legislation. This included the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and many other pieces of legislation. It also led to the birth in 1970 of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Californians have always been interested in protecting our state’s great resources. In 1991 the California Environmental Protection Agency was formally established, and Earth Day has become popular in many of our cities. For example, Stockton has been doing its part to educate citizens of San Joaquin County about taking care of the earth. For the past 27 years, the celebration of Earth Day has been an annual event in that city.

Last year its Earth Day festival attracted hundreds of people from throughout the county.

An article in the Manteca Bulletin, dated April 15, 2015, announced the festival’s arrival with these words: “As always, some of the local schools will be on hand to provide information on taking care of the earth … Environmental organizations will do likewise, delving into important issues while encouraging folks to step in and do their part to make a difference. As for community agencies, they’ll give tips on healthier, more positive life and green business options for home and the workplace.”

Within the next few weeks, the Bulletin will announce this year’s Stockton events. Other cities in San Joaquin County have also participated in Earth Day. Last year Manteca accepted electronic waste from city residents and gave free compost to people who brought their own shovels and containers. Lathrop

concentrated on city beautification by asking its residents to help plant new shrubs, and Ripon obtained volunteers to clean up Caswell Memorial State Park.

The maintenance of a clean environment is ongoing in the United States, and many Americans are taking steps to increase the preservation of our valuable resources. New trees are being planted in areas that have been deforested, and we are gradually reducing the use and distribution of plastic bags. Additionally, we are more diligent about recycling old materials so they can be reused. Our efforts to conserve energy are also increasing.

When Earth Day became international in 1990, governments of many countries began taking steps to protect the earth and its resources. Rules in those countries are being enforced, and groups of environmental leaders worldwide have been getting together to solve environmental issues. Unfortunately, the effects of pollution are still appalling in many third-world countries.

A clean environment is not intended just for people living on earth today. It is also for the benefit of future generations, so that they may be welcomed by a healthy world. This thought is expressed well in the following Native-American proverb: Treat the earth well.

It was not given to you by your parents.

It was loaned to you by your children.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors.

We borrow it from our children.

www.ourwoodbridge.net From

Woodbridge LIFE

Page 33 • April 2016

SANDI page 27

Butch and I were able to spend five days at the conference attended by 6,000 Remax agents and brokers representing 62 countries including South America, Europe and Asia. This was the first Remax convention I’d attended so I was very excited and curious about what happens at these conventions.

It was great to be honored by Remax and I’ll never forget the thrill of achieving that pinnacle in my 12-year real estate career. I enjoy working with people to help them find a home in our beautiful Central Valley and particularly in Woodbridge where they become my neighbors.

Butch and I were joined by my daughter Kim and her husband Mike who flew in from the Bay Area to attend the “formal dress” awards dinner.

From

ROMMEL page 25

For the main course, we chose fish and chips with a side of coleslaw and a hot pastrami sandwich. They both come with french fries. The fish tasted very fresh and tender. Their pastrami sandwich was great and reminded me of the ones I had at Tommy’s Joynt in San Francisco.

The Roadhouse’s vast selection of burgers is made with certified angus beef. The dinner selections also include home-style comfort foods such as meatloaf, chicken, steaks and fish. They serve tacos, taco salad and a few hofbrau-style sandwiches. They have a kids’ menu, too.

The full-service bar at Ripon Roadhouse serves its own share of special beverages. There are always six ice-cold beers on tap and over 15 bottled beers.

Ripon Roadhouse features a down home fun-loving atmosphere and menu. You'll find people wearing blue jeans or being dressed up for a nice evening out on the town.

Finally, they have delectable dessert items to complete your dining experience.

Overall, we had a great dining experience at the Ripon Roadhouse Restaurant.

Happy hours are 3 to 6 p.m. every day. On Sundays the restaurant opens at 12 p.m. and other days at 11 a.m. Please call for closing times and optional reservations at 209-599-3444. They are located at 125 E. Main Street in Ripon with ample parking spaces behind the restaurant. More information may be found on their website is www.ripon-roadhouse.com.

Page 34 • April 2016

Woodbridge LIFE

Where in the world ?

Wow! Woodbridge LIFE has been circling the globe with our wandering residents!

We will do our best to include ALL travel photographs, but space and clarity will dictate. Preference will go to those not featured in previous editions and, yes, to those in exotic locales and interesting photo ops! Send images electronically to wblife2012@gmail.com using high resolution or actual size. Thank you for your contributions. We're happy that you continue to enjoy Woodbridge LIFE. If your picture isn't here, look for it in the coming months and keep sending them in! Sorry, we can no longer accept print photos.

www.ourwoodbridge.net

1. David and Julie Ford took a Windstar cruise and visited the island of Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean.

2. Patti Dowling and Dennis Atwell (left) and Rick and Joanne Dyer (right)

met at the Waipio Lookout on the big island of Hawaii. The couples are next door neighbors and were on separate vacations but got together for a scenic drive and lunch while in Hawaii in January.

1

2

Send travel photos to WBLIFE2012@gmail.com

Please use highest resolution and type WB TRAVEL in the subject line. All travel photos MUST be submitted electronically.