Rockin' Rio Nido, May, 2011

Rockin’ Rio Nido -- a monthly column for the Sonoma County Gazette
By Elisabeth Parker and Elena Chronis.

RNHOA Memorial Day BBQ kicks off summer season

We love the Rio Nido Home Owners Association (RNHOA)’s summer events in their picnic area. The Memorial Day BBQ on Sunday, May 29^th from 4-9 p.m. offers fun to kids and grown-ups alike. Enjoy a delicious chicken dinner, adult & kids’ beverages, bake sale desserts, kids’ talent show, mini-golf, music, dancing, marshmallow roast, and more! Also, look for the July 4^th & Labor Day BBQs, pancake breakfasts, and Art Festival!

Friends of Rio Nido (FRN) elects bored members.

Oops, we meant to say BOARD members. Neighbors elected Kim Holliday, John Uniack, Jennifer Ostrom, Matt Malik, and Marsee Henon for FRN’s board of directors. Congratulations! No mud-slinging occurred because only five neighbors ran for the five available openings, which greatly reduced this election’s entertainment value.

Support the RNHOA’s Proposal for Rio Nido’s Canyon 2 Entrance!

Following Rio Nido’s flat rejection of Dennis Judd’s development plans for “downtown Rio Nido,” the RNHOA and local business owners presented an alternative proposal at the Russian River Redevelopment Oversight Committee (RRROC) meeting on April 21^st. It requests funds for landscaping, public recreation areas, walkways, pocket parks, parking space, and legal protection from development,

Help jazz up our dingy fire hydrants!

The Friends of Rio Nido (FRN) Beautification Committee needs volunteers to paint our fire hydrants and stanchions (boundary poles) to enhance their appearance and visibility. If you’d like to help, drop by the Rio Nido Roadhouse’s parking lot on Saturday, May 21^st at 9:00 a.m. with sloppy clothes and a paintbrush. First-comers get to wear those fabulous day-glow yellow and orange safety vests (until supplies run out)! Special thanks to Matt Malik for organizing, and Sweetwater Springs for supplying the paint.

Pet of the month.

Elena created this new monthly feature, because she KNOWS how we Rio Nidans totally LOVE our dogs, cats, and other critters. Please contact us about YOUR pet. For now, here’s Jesse James, Elena’s adorable, playful, and rambunctious rottweiller pup. LOVES: Nice people, play-mates, bones, rolls of toilet paper. HATES: Mean people and cages.

Rumor has it …

A filmmaker has contacted Kim Link and Brad Metzger about shooting scenes for a movie at the Roadhouse. Celebrity chef, “slow food”movement pioneer, and advocate for ecologically sustainable gardening and culinary education plans a visit to the Guerneville School in honor of its innovative garden, environmental education, and nutrition curriculum.

Elisabeth Parker Bids Rio Nido a fond farewell.

After six-and-a-half years in this magically beautiful enclave beneath the redwoods and whimsical gaze of the RNHOA Pee Wee Minigolf’s “Winky Moon,” Elisabeth and her family are packing up for San Jose, where her husband now works. Alas, paying a 2004 mortgage in a 2011 economy, and only seeing her husband on weekends, makes no sense. She has enjoyed working with her neighbors to improve this already wonderful community, and is proud of the progress we’ve made together. If you’re interested in running her Russian River Rattina blog and the Rio Nido Neighbors community email list, please email her before she leaves on June 1^st.

Got kids? Summer programs offered at Monte Rio School

Excitement mounts in local classrooms as kids eagerly anticipate the last day of school & the beginning of summer. No school! No homework! Just long, carefree, sun-drenched days of splashing along the shores of our river & ocean inlets, toasting marshmallows late into dusk, & watching 4th of July fireworks ... Fast forward 2 weeks later when the novelty wears off & the kids get bored & start whining. & whining. & whining. There's nothing to do. There's no one to play with. Telling them that if they're so bored, then surely they have time to help with some odious household chore only goes so far.

Here's where summer day camp comes in. There are three programs available, which will all be held at the Monte Rio School:

• West County Community Services' Monte Rio Summer Program: A new summer day camp program for children entering Kindergarten-7th grades at the Monte Rio School, which runs from July 9th-August 17th. Morning (9am-noon) & Afternoon (1-4:30pm) sessions at $50 per week each (morning session free to Monte Rio School students). For more information: Pick up an application at your local school or contact Nora Lomax 887.2226 x1006.
  
  
• Monte Rio School Age Center's (MRSAC) interim program: for children entering Kindergarten-7th grades at the Monte Rio School, which runs from June 18th-June 30th, not including the July 4th holiday. 8:30am-5:30pm. Cost $35 per day -- sliding scale offered to qualifying families.The interim program will be a continuation of last year's summer camp program & this year's vacation camps. For more information: contact Jynx Lopez at 865.0223.
  
  
• MRSAC's Preschool summer program: for children aged 33 months (2 years & 9 months) to 5 years at the Monte Rio School, which runs throughout the summer, beginning June 18th. $20.00 per morning session (8:30am-noon), $6.00 additional for extended care until 2:00pm & 6.00 additional for extended care until 5:00 pm (for a total of $32 for a full day). These are the same rate for the year-round preschool program. For more information: contact Jynx Lopez at 865.0223.

Costs for all of the above include meals, snacks, materials & field trips.

The folks at West County Services are excited about their new summer day camp, & several of the staff members currently work at the Guerneville School's highly-regarded after-school program. The morning sessions will take a fun, creative & hands-on approach to academic subjects like literacy, math, science, & art (in part, because funding for the morning session is geared to bringing up the Monte Rio School's test scores). The afternoon sessions emphazize more traditional summer activities, like swimming, sports, crafts & field trips.

The interim summer program will be run by MRSAC (which has been running the Monte Rio after-school & summer programs up till now) until West County Community Services takes over in July.

The summer preschool program is an extension of MRSAC's year-round program & is also a great way for prospective preschool parents to give their kids a head start for the upcoming school year. My daughter currently attends the Monte Rio Preschool, has learned a lot & has a grand ol' time. The staff are experienced, caring & wonderful. The play yard also has a fabulous new play structure.