Community Guide 2017

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clear understanding of the 3 T’s I would never have saved the old school building from being destroyed, or leased the building that became the Community Center, or formed the Planning Group, or been successful in participating in the acquisition of the Valley’s open space preserves, or acquired the Wilderness Way building. PAUL: Here’s an interesting aside . . . I could always tell when things didn’t go quite right. Jean would come home and take out her journal and check the lost column and make a note. The note might say, “poor timing” or “use different tactic.” She never thought of a “loss” as a defeat. It just needed the 3 T’s treatment. And Jean is very, very patient. JEAN: Now you know my three secrets, Dave. But I’m not going to tell you about the four others—The lecture by Fritz Perls; the star that follows me around; “Dide Mind,” or my lie about being nearsighted. Paul will have to tell those stories sometime in the future. Valley kids came to learn the truth. Santa was, in fact, Fred Berensmeier and he lived in Lagunitas. He wore a short- sleeved shirt and shorts in the summer and drove a VW bug. (Of course, true to Marin form, it was a Mercedes after he and his lady friend Fran became an item.) Then at Christ- mas he went up to the North Pole, got his toys together and made his rounds. Our kids knew the truth. — Chuck Ford

making coaching comments. But I had a tough time. I just didn’t get it. None of the fencers did. For weeks I stayed late and watched him give other fencers lessons trying to figure it out. I noticed the Hungarian he spoke was limited to simple words and very short, repetitive, phrases. One night I asked a Hungarian friend to interpret what Pilar was saying while I lis- tened and watched. He did. Pilar just said to the fencer, “Your technique is good, but unless you move at the right time and choose the right strategy, you will not win a point—let alone the bout.” The penny dropped! Suddenly, I got it. I substituted the word “tactics” for “strategy” and ended up with—the 3 T’s. Technique, Timing and Tactics. I began to improve—rap- idly. My technique was always good but my timing needed lots of work. Was I too soon, too late, patient enough? And Tactics—what do I choose to do in this particular situation with this opponent? The alternatives? I got it! I really got it! And the 3 T’s changed my life. Without a

Santa’s House by Paul Berensmeier

I fondly remember Grandpa Berensmeier being Santa for almost two decades at the Community Center’s Holiday Art Festival. An especially fond memory . . . Thirty years ago sev- eral young children in classes at the Community Center discovered that Santa lived in a cabin on the slopes of Mt. Barnabe. They wanted to visit, so the teacher and parents planned an outing. One bright, windless, starlit night we gathered at the bottom of the fire road that led to Santa’s cabin. Each child received a lighted candle. In single file we silently hiked up the old road. Everyone walked slowly and carefully to keep their candles burn- ing. I’ll never forget looking back and seeing the beauti- ful sight of a long line of faces illuminated by flickering candlelight meandering up toward me. As we neared the cabin, we all quietly blew out our candles in order to sneak up on Santa. We tiptoed onto the cabin deck and peeped into a large paneled window. Mrs. Santa was giving Santa a steaming mug of Christ- mas cheer and gingerbread cookies—his favorite. Santa was smiling while wrapping presents and talking to Mrs. Claus. I glanced at the children. I’d never before seen little faces glowing with such wonder and excitement. I glanced at a parent . . . then the other adults. Their faces too, glowed with equal wonder and excitement. Only then did I realize the magnitude of this can- dlelit journey in the dark to Santa’s House. I looked back in the window with equal wonder and was struck with the realization that Santa Claus, the “real’ Santa Claus, was right before my eyes. Santa never knew we were there. At the right time we silently slipped away.

Terry Garthwaite and Fred Berensmeier, Sr., 11th Annual Holiday Arts Festival poster (Photo by Chuck Ford)

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