Hidden Valley House Auxiliary

Lots of activities are in progress at the shelter. The National Charity League girls/moms for the class of 2004 painted the bedrooms at the shelter in October, and the Auxiliary helped by supplying extra needed supplies. Susan Howe and Marcia Martin did an October dinner for the residents at the shelter as part of an effort to give the residents a monthly "night off." Menoula Stanitsas will provide a dance class each month this year at the shelter.

We have lots of organizations to thank for their support of the shelter and the Auxiliary. Many thanks to the Scripps Ranch Women's Club members who collected $900 in school supplies and $70 in cash donated to the Hidden Valley House (HVH) for future school supply needs. Many thanks also to the Child Abuse Prevention Council for donating school backpacks for the kids. This greatly eases the transition for affected kids. And, a big thank you to Wednesday's Inc. for their generous donation of $500 to the HVH Auxiliary.

The needs at the shelter are so great. We often get requests from the Scripps Ranch community as to how it can help. The Auxiliary responds by publishing a list of needs in the form of an "item of the month." The items for November are new or gently used twin sheets and standard pillowcases, new towels of all sizes, new or gently used bathrobes, shower shoes, warm pajamas for kids and moms, new or gently used sweat suits, and kids' jackets and coats.

Remember, the Scripps Ranch Library provides a drop-off box for always needed items such as diapers and canned and boxed foods. Please do not place clothing or unusual food items in the library box. The Hidden Valley House Auxiliary welcomes our new members, Jan Rasmussen and Nikki Butera.

In October the County of San Diego established a new coordinated domestic violence hotline that links callers to an array of services, including emergency shelter, legal aid, and counseling. The domestic violence hotline number is 888-DV-LINKS or 385-4657. The SRCA Newsletter will now include the domestic violence hotline number in the emergency services section of the Directory in the back of the Newsletter.

Scripps Ranch Women's Club

The Scripps Ranch Women's Club (SRWC) was organized in 1990 as a nonprofit community organization. Our goal is to promote community service for Scripps Ranch and to serve as a social outlet for our members. The SRWC is an energetic organization that has been recognized for its fundraising abilities. Our November outing will be held on Saturday, Nov. 15, and will include a ferry trip to Coronado for lunch and shopping.

The SRWC welcomes new members Nancy Seidel, Dorothy Contreras, and Corine Rolland. If you would like to come to a meeting or learn more about our club, contact membership co-chair Donna Coff at [ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ] or at 578-7763. Also, check out our website at [http://www.srwomensclub.org]. Won't you please join us!

Scripps Ranch Theatre

Greetings!--a comedy by Tom Dudzick--starts Friday, Nov. 14, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Scripps Ranch Theatre.

It's Christmas Eve and all is not well. Phil Gorski is railing against the world, as always, and his long-suffering wife, Emily, responds in kind. Their son Andy returns home with a Jewish atheist fiancée in tow, a red flag waving in Phil's Catholic face. Only Mickey, their mentally disabled son, is able to find joy in the bubble of his existence. That is, until a miraculous spirit emerges in the most unexpected place and challenges their beliefs and values.

Greetings! is thoughtful, funny, and moving--sometimes all at once. With its holiday message, it will bring warmth to your heart, a tear to your eye, and joy to your soul.

Phil is played by Duane R. Leake. His wife, Emily, is played by Darlene Cleary, and their son Andy is played by Patrick Rardin. Andy's fiancée, Randi, is played by Maureen Collins, and Hans Gieseker portrays Mickey, the couple's other son. Greetings! is directed by Jim Caputo and produced by Kym Cree.

All performances are held in the theater on the campus of Alliant International University. Season ticket seats for all four shows is $50 for general admission, $40 for seniors and students. Individual show prices are $15, $12.50 for seniors and students. For more information and reservations, check the website at [www.scrippsranchtheatre.org] or call 578-7728. Scripps Ranch Theatre encourages patrons to make reservations early as performances sell out quickly.

In order to accommodate our growing audience, we have extended our runs and added new 4 pm Saturday matinees on the next to last weekend of each performance. This is in addition to our Friday and Saturday night 8 pm performances and our Sunday 2 pm matinees.

Scripps Ranch Swim and Racquet Club

We know how busy the holidays can be, but see what The Club has for you!

• Adult bridge--First Friday of each month;
• Men's poker--Second Friday of each month;
• "Duplicate" bridge--Third Friday of each month;
• Board of directors meeting--Second Tuesday of each month;
• Chargers tailgate--Sunday, Nov. 9 and 30;
• Mini camp--Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 10 and 11;
• Swim and Movie Night--Friday, Nov. 21;
• Mini camp--Friday, Nov. 28;
• Parent shopping night--Friday, Dec. 12;
• Pictures with Santa--Friday, Dec. 19;
• Winter Teen Dance--Saturday, Dec. 20; and,
• Winter camps--Monday, Dec. 22, through Monday, Jan. 19.

Scripps Ranch Friends of the Library

Scripps Ranch Unit of Children's Hospital Auxiliary

Our unit got off to a fun start with a "Welcome Back" dinner at Chevy's in September. Several new members attended, so now we have about eight new members! We had our monthly October meeting, followed by "Kids News Day" later in the month. We always have so much fun with this event, and this time was no exception.

Scripps Ranch always has huge participation with this one. Thanks, everyone, for buying newspapers that day! We will now focus our energy on our annual fundraiser, which will be "Casino Night" on Saturday, Apr. 24.

Chinese American Club

About 20 families turned out for the Mooncake Festival at the Community Park in September. We had delicious mooncakes and other desserts! When it got dark, the children lit their lanterns.

Parents and grandparents had a lovely time visiting. Please join us for a Chinese New Year celebration in January 2004! Call Ruth Lim at 693-1962 or Linda Wu at 689-8191 for more information. Also join us for Dim Sum or potluck lunches.

Pomerado Nation Indian Princesses and Guides

The September event for the Rancho YMCA Princess and Guide program was a camping trip to Catalina Island attended by three of San Diego's YMCA Nations--the Pomerado, Black Mountain, and Carmel Mountain Nations. The group stayed at Camp Fox, a Glendale-run YMCA camp just north of Avalon.

Great weather and water temperatures ensured a fun-filled weekend of Southern California activities. The fun included the boat ride over, kayaking, boating, swimming, snorkeling, pier diving, and the camaraderie of the group. It was climaxed with a campfire on Saturday night attended by all three Nations. There was quality entertainment--skits, songs, and music provided by the guitar of Tom "Big Foot" Brockley of the Ancient Anasazis. October featured an official Induction Ceremony at the Community Park to welcome new members into the Pomerado Nation.

It's never too late to sign up for this unique father and child bonding experience, available to all Scripps Ranch 5- to 10-year-olds and their dads. Scripps Ranch dads should contact the Rancho Y via either [http://rancho.ymca.org] or Y-agent Aria Almanzar at 484-8788.

The program helps set a foundation for lifelong positive dad and child relationships in conjunction with the slogan "Friends Always." The program also provides another vehicle for children to interact with fellow Scripps Ranch children in a noncompetitive environment.

Blaine "Dancing Dog" Sample, Former Nation Chief

Scripps Ranch Amnesty International

The Scripps Ranch area Amnesty International Group will meet Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 7 to 9 pm. We will have international desserts to accompany our cards of holiday cheer and support for select prisoners of conscience worldwide. Blank, generic, seasonal, nonreligious cards will be provided.

The meeting will be at the home of group leader, Kathy Smith, at 10208 Avenida Magnifica--up from Jerabek Park. For more information, contact Kathy at 578-9207.

Scripps Teasers Toastmasters

Would you like a better job, or do you want to improve your speaking or leadership skills? Then, check out Scripps Ranch's own Toastmasters Club, Scripps Teasers. Our group provides a great opportunity to improve your skills, as well as master the ability to quickly think on your feet and talk.

"You don't need to be an experienced speaker to visit Scripps Teasers," said Uma Palepu, club president. "For the last 20 years, we have been here in Scripps Ranch--helping residents become better speakers and leaders in the community."

Scripps Teasers meets Thursday mornings at 7 am at the Scripps Ranch Information Center located at 11885 Cypress Canyon Road, near the corner of Cypress Canyon Road and Scripps Poway Parkway. For more information, contact Greg Seckington at 780-0979 or [ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ].

A Toastmasters Club is a "learn-by-doing" workshop in which men and women hone their skills in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. Our meetings last approximately one hour.

You will meet people with a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities. Countries such as India, Laos, Kenya, Canada, Argentina, and the Netherlands are represented. In addition, there is a nice split between men and women, and the careers and age ranges are wide. Members include executives, students, retirees, and even politicians.

Upon joining a Toastmasters Club, members progress through a series of 10 speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking. When finished with the basic speech manual, members can select from among 15 advanced programs to develop speaking skills for specific career needs.

Computer Users Group

The clock is ticking. The holiday season is just around the corner. Looking for that perfect gift or stocking stuffer for your computer guru? Stop by your friendly Computer Users Group.

We provide a forum for discussing the latest in home computing--from software bugs to hardware incompatibilities to the latest toy, and so much more. The November meeting is on Saturday, Nov. 15. For more information, call Dave Bechtel, from 7 to 9 pm, at 549-2077.