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Corte Madera and Larkspur: People You Should Know!

Here are some of the most positively influential people in the Twin Cities, in no particular order. Many of these people don’t happen to live in Corte Madera or Larkspur, making them ineligible to be “citizens of the year”, but they are nevertheless involved and deserving of recognition. I know that we (I did consult others on this!) are leaving some wonderful people out, so please don’t think of this as an all-inclusive list, but as a starting point. If you know of an omission,please e-mail me now and I’ll add them!

Bob Bundy -- This retired emergency room physician is now busy rescuing Corte Madera from anything and everything it needs rescued from.  He's been instrumental in breathing new life into the Lions Club.  He supports virtually ever event and special effort in town, and he helps guide the Town Council, especially on matters related to emergency paramedic services.  You'll find him at the Recreation Center on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, hosting Lion Club meetings.

Robin Moller -- Robin is a landscape designer, and has donated hundreds of hours to local projects, including the design of the outdoor lunch plaza at Redwood High School, and the new patio at the recreation center.

Larry Chu -- No public official in recent memory has taken the time, or had the talent, to reach out as Larry has to communicate with the town. Larry’s thoughtful and clear explanations about everything from streets and sewers to why the town didn’t support the proposed rail system made us all a little wiser. Keep up the good work, Larry, we still have so much to learn!

Becky Reed, Robin Moller, Dena Van Derveer & Kathy Hartzel -- Becky, Robin, Dena and Kathy have been hosting the monthly “First Tuesday” lunches of the Corte Madera Women’s Improvement Club, and have brought new life to this 100 year old organization. The longevity of this group seems assured now that these bright new members have stepped up.

Bernice Baeza & Vicki Creath Demenno -- Bernice is the one-woman army whose commitment and ingenuity is keeping the Lark Theatre afloat in difficult times for single screen theatres. Vicki is once again rallying young filmmakers to create the second annual Youth Film Festival hosted by the Lark. She also oversees the weekly contributions to KidPix, the youth film reviews in our local paper. These two win our local Academy Award for their contributions to film.

Dana & Jackie Hanley -- Former president of the Lions Club and his wife, this dedicated couple has been supportive of many community events over the years. Dana, a long-time leader in the Boy Scouts, would have been named Citizen of the Year many years ago, if not for the fact that he is not a Corte Madera resident.

The Corte Madera “A” Team -- You know who you are: Kitty Prosser, Beth Benz, Jana Haehl, Clyde and Lucy Marquarte, Joanne Vaughan, Jan Shaw, Carolyn Larson,  Spring Krager,  Suzanne Oberlin, and more! You always show up to support Corte Madera, especially in its efforts to stay beautiful. I write about your deeds so often, I’m sure people think you have incriminating photos of me. There are others who do so much: Liz Krakow, Sue Bigall, Nancy Davis, Joyce Hebbard, Jan Strittmatter, as well as Bob and Linda Bundy. (Saluting those two would take a book!)

Bill & Elaine Petrocelli -- Despite the difficult turn of events, when the Town Center decided to welcome a big box competitor in the very spot that the Book Passage was negotiating for, these owners of the Book Passage have rallied to create new energy and vitality to their threatened flagship store on Tamal Vista Avenue. If you’re one of the people who say, “Noooo, they’re not threatened. People are loyal to them,” think again. People move and people die, and if you look at the long-term, the odds are decidedly against our keeping a viable independent book seller in this small town. But Bill & Elaine are doing everything possible to give their store a fighting chance. Support them.

Bob Sinnott and Jim Clark -- Larkspur’s own “homeland security” public safety force, these two are always reaching out to help those in need. Bob takes a little ribbing for his fire-prevention enthusiasm, including the way he blows out candles at holiday parties in an effort to save lives. Jim has traveled across the globe to help rescue people in need and many of us will never forget his racing to the scene of a car that had tumbled off the cliff at Stinson Beach a few years ago at a friend’s birthday party.

Send me suggestions for who else should be on this list of local heros!
pravasio@fhallen.com