It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Janis Brewer, who will be serving as Acting Executive Director of San Francisco Village during my leave of absence. Transitions like this are difficult, but I have the utmost confidence in Janis’ experience and expertise to help lead us through this period and keep us moving in a positive direction towards growth and opportunity.

Please join us in welcoming Janis Brewer as Acting Executive Director at a reception for SFV members – details to follow shortly.

Mark Your Calendar!

Monday, March 14--We'd love you to attend a March program that will get you ready--physically and mentally for the end of winter and the start of spring.

Glady Thacher will host a special program for March. Her home is at 3979 Washington St. (near Arguello). Sandra Sutton, Alexander Technique instructor, will be leading a discussion on the relationship of movement and "carriage" to health. She will help you to have a healthier spine; learn how to sit and sleep properly and be more balanced and aligned.

This event will start from 1:30-2:00 PM with an information session about San Francisco Village for those who want to know more about the Village and what it offers. Bring your questions!

2:00-3:00PM Sandra will lead an interactive session on the The Alexander Technique that we've described above.

As always, refreshments will follow.

Please RSVP to the Village office at 415-387-1375 or email: gayleu@sfvillage.org.

GREEN YOUR HOME

Villagers:
We are introducing Lori Higa, who has been certified by the City of San Francisco's Dept. of the Environment to be a Green Home Auditor. That means she is qualified to:

• Do FREE home audits
• Help you green your home
• Give you information on lowering your utility bills
• Give tips on weatherizing and earthquake-proofing your home
• Help you prepare for disasters and emergencies
• Help you receive rebates (up to $7,000!)
• Help you save money.

Lunch Bunch - Springs into Action in Noe Valley!

On Wednesday, March 16th you are all invited to join host Eleanor Kent for The Lunch Bunch for March. Eleanor wants you to dine with her at one of her favorite neighborhood places, Regent Thai restaurant at 1700 Church Street by 29th Street.

Lunch starts at noon till 2PM. It is self-pay and there is a daily lunch special menu available.

Please RSVP at the Village office at 415-387-1375 or email: gayleu@sfvillage.org.

"How Green is Your Home?" That's a question posed by an organization called Rebuilding Together San Francisco. This group offers to provide the answer in straightforward, reasonable fashion. Do you worry about whether energy is being efficiently used in the place you live? RTSF can send out volunteers to assess your situation and offer ideas - and practical methods - to ameliorate the situation - if remedy is needed.

The reach of RTSF is wide. It deals not only with individuals, but with organizations and civic institutions such as the Youth Guidance Center and city schools. It is its mission is to assist the individual home-owner, though, that will probably be of primary interest to Villagers. "We want people to age safely and warmly in their own homes," Outreach Manager Valerie Coleman told me during a recent meeting at RTSF offices.

Special Program to Close out March!

Join host Eva Auchincloss on Wednesday, March 30th at 5:30 PM for an interactive, informative session with Financial Advisor, Laura Carmany. Eva lives at 3620 Lyon Street, directly across from the main entrance to the Exploratorium.

5:30-6:00PM will be a session to learn about San Francisco Village and who we are, what we do and why you want to be a part of the Village!

6:00-7:00PM Laura Carmany will discuss important items everyone needs to have organized for their heirs. Laura will provide forms and a valuable check list for you to use.

Refreshments to follow this program.

Please RSVP to the Village office at 415-387-1375 or email: gayleu@sfvillage.org.

The Transition-to-Home Committee has been hard at work meeting with discharge departments ofour local hospitals. The committee is lead by our members, Larry Lurie, Ellie Lurie and Elizabeth Cormier, and supported by our board members, Jo Ann Madigan, Mary Moore Gaines and Gayle Geary.

To date, we have had meetings with St. Francis Hospital, CPMC and Kaiser. We have been greeted with great enthusiasm at all these meetings. The hospitals welcome our participation as they are over-taxed in this area. Importantly, they have all been very generous in giving us input to help make our Village Transition-to-Home program successful.

March is a good time to reinvigorate one's "green" thinking. The winter blahs are fading and the great outdoors beckons. Seems that Punxsutawney Phil, our national groundhog weather oracle, did not see his shadow this February 2nd and so spring should be upon us shortly. Of course, San Francisco is especially blessed with one of the world's best climates. It rarely gets too hot or too cold. No heart attacks due to driveway snow shoveling here. And the fog moving in and out, apart from being a great complexion moisturizer, is our built-in air conditioning.

Yes, our city, our parks, our shores and our weather are quite lovely and our enlightened citizenry take their recycling very seriously. Whoever manufactures the little metal compost pails, which sit on every green thinking San Franciscan's kitchen counter, must be cleaning up big time. We are said to be the number one urban recyclers in the country.