The Passing of a Good Friend - CLCA San Francisco Bay Area ...

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C a l i f o r n i a L a n d s c a p e C o n t r a c t o r s A s s o c i a t i o n
The Passing of a
Good Friend
Sadly, Klaus Hertzer, Life Member and Past
President of our Chapter in 1978 passed
away quietly in his home on February 14.
His son, CLCA State Events Chairman,
Michael Hertzer of Modern Landscaping
and Klaus’ wife, Gisela, request donations
be made to the Landscape Educational
Advancement Foundation (LEAF), Klaus
Hertzer Memorial, c/o CLCA, 1491 River
Park Drive, Suite 100 Sacramento CA 95815
Rick Camin and Bill Arman of the Harvester
Group, keynote at the February meeting.
MARCH 2011 • Vol. 35, Issue No. 3
w w w. c l c a s f b a . o r g S a n F r a n c i s c o B a y A r e a C h a p t e r
Thursday, March 24:
SF Flower and Garden Show
After Hours Social Mixer
A tradition of excellence.
We are back! After a one year hiatus, CLCA-SFBA and neighboring chapters are cohosting
with APLD an after-show social mixer at the San Francisco Flower and Garden
Show on March 24, beginning at 6:30 p.m., a half hour before the show officially closes
to the public. Please join the fun and view the main floor of garden creations without
the daytime crowds. Docent tours are being planned to make the event even more
intimate and informative. Appetizers and drinks (wine, beer, water and soft drinks)
will be served starting at 7 p.m. Please note: This is NOT a dinner meal event, only
appetizers and drinks will be served.
Cost: $35 includes all-day show ticket and after-show refreshments. We
encourage everyone to come early during regular show hours to tour
the vendor area, visit the CLCA booth, and perhaps get a bite to eat
while saving the main floor garden creation viewing for the event.
Show Ticket upgrade opportunity: You may upgrade your ticket for an
additional $5 (paid at the ticket booth, not to CLCA) and come back to
the show on your own on any other day(s) you choose. You MUST
upgrade your ticket the first day you enter the show even if you decide
to come on Wednesday. If you want to upgrade your ticket on the event
night, you MUST upgrade your ticket before the 'Upgrade Ticket Booth'
closes at 7 p.m.
Where: Expo Hall - Garden Display area
San Mateo Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Dr, San Mateo.
DEADLINE: All checks must be received by Friday, March 18th - NO EXCEPTIONS.
Your tickets will be mailed back to you before the show opens on
Wednesday, March 23rd. Please include your mailing address and
names of people attending. Reservations will NOT be taken by phone,
internet, e-mail or fax.
Send your checks, payable to CLCA SFBA to:
Rick Camin, 855 Sierra Vista Ave, Mt. View, CA 94043
Contact: Any questions, please contact Rick Camin at (650) 222-0398 cell or
rick@caminland.com.

2011 SF Bay Area Chapter Contacts
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
RICK CAMIN (650) 964-1078
Camin Landscaping rick@caminland.com
PRESIDENT
JAMES WALKER (650) 333-2021
Landsculpt landsculpt@earthlink.net
VICE PRESIDENT / MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
NATE CROSBY (408) 417-5137
Crosby Landscaping crosbyyardservices@gmail.com
TREASURER
LARRY SCOTT (408) 687-1104
Integrity Landscape Services integmail@comcast.net
SECRETARY
JOHN VEGA (650) 533-0742
De la Vega Landscaping johnjvega@gmail.com
ASSOCIATE LIAISON
JEFF CALHOUN (888) 711-7124
FX Luminaire Jeff.Calhoun@hunterindustries.com
AUXILIARY PRESIDENT(S)
CINDY SINGLETARY (408) 741-4803
cynsingletary@comcast.net
LESLEY PETERS (650) 941-4093
gpland@sbcglobal.net
VICKY PARROTT (650) 377-1965
victoriala@att.net
AUXILIARY TREASURER
CHARLENE OTT (650) 948-7858
leoott@sbcglobal.net
AUXILIARY SECRETARY
JILL HERTZER (408) 690-8957
Jillsela@sbcglobal.net
STUDENT CLUB PRESIDENT
MELANIE LATELLE-SEAMAN seamanfive@aol.com
BAY BREEZE EDITOR
JERRIE BEARD voice (530) 621-1701
Jerrie Beard & Associates fax (530) 621-2043
jsb@beardassociates.com
CLCA State Headquarters
1491 River Park Drive, Ste. 100
Sacramento CA 95815-8899
(916) 830-2780 • (800) 448-2522
(916) 830-2788 Fax • email: hq@clca.org
CLCA Mission Statement
The California Landscape Contractors Association
serves the interests of its members, promotes
professionalism, and advances public awareness of
the landscape industry.
The CLCA SFBA Chapter newsletter is published monthly.
Copy and advertising deadlines are the 10th of the
month preceding publication. Please send all copy,
black & white photos, line art and ad materials to: Jerrie
Beard & Associates, 1024 Simon Dr., Ste. F, Placerville
CA 95667. Emailed submissions are also welcome at
jsb@beardassociates.com. For information on advertising
and rates, contact Jerrie Beard at (530) 621-1701.
Articles submitted are subject to approval and modification.
Chapter or Editor are not liable for misprints or
errors, and do not necessarily agree with opinions
expressed in byline articles. Articles may be used by
other CLCA chapter newsletters, giving proper credit to
their source.
S Partners for uccess
By: Jeff Calhoun, FX Luminaire
Partners, Partners everywhere! Every time I visit the Menlo Park Post Office to check on
my P.O. Box, I am pleasantly surprised with more Partners for Success Sponsorships. Your
generosity assists our Chapter’s many fun and educational activities as well as increasing
participation in all of our events. We hope to increase interaction between contractors and
suppliers to provide better communication regarding new products and practices within
our industry. Here is a list of our generous Partners who have been enrolled thus far in our
2011 program:
DIAMOND
Ewing Irrigation • Horizon Distributors • Hunter / FX Luminaire
John Deere Landscapes • Lyngso Garden Materials
GOLD
Imperial Sprinkler Supply • Landscape Contractors Insurance Services, Inc.
GARDEN TOUR
Charlene Ott • Leo Ott • Landscapia
STUDENT SPONSORSHIP
Girvin Peters Landscape • EvLand LLC • Landsculpt Gardens
EMERALD
Camin Landscaping • Hayes Rototilling Service • Modern Landscaping, Inc (x2)
The Village Gardener
SAPPHIRE
Hans Biland Landscaping Inc.
A LA CARTE
Girvin Peters Landscape • Ruskin Garden • Samscaping, Inc.
Thank you for all of your support! CLCA SFBA Members, remember to show your
appreciation by supporting those who support your Chapter. If you would like to become
involved with this important program, please contact Jeff Calhoun at (888) 711-7124 or
email jeff@fxl.com.
2 • March 2011 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
A Message from the President
Workunteering:
CLCA Contacts and Friends Abound!
By James Walker, LandSculpt
Gaining through service for others; I call it
‘Workunteering’! Its mid-February and I am
inundated with CLCA business and
contacts, but friends abound through
‘workunteering’. My heart is full.
It’s truly an honor to serve the CLCA
membership through volunteering as your
chapter president. It’s really cool. I give…
and then I receive… it’s another example
that illustrates why it’s better to give than
receive. My job is to support our committee
heads while they volunteer to carry on our
chapter traditions. I know they are
simultaneously looking for opportunities to
improve our chapter’s business method,
systems and processes. ‘Workunteering’!
It’s a good thing.
When I step back to view our San
Francisco Bay Area Chapter, I see four
distinct groups: contractors, designers,
suppliers and students. All of us join CLCA
for various reasons, reasons that can evolve
over time. Generally, though, we join so
that we can improve our businesses. We
want to increase revenue and learn more
about the macro and micro aspects of the
landscape industry. We seek to learn and
improve. For the small business owner,
employee or student, certainly there is
nothing more important than working
diligently in the trenches or over the
drafting table, desk or computer with the
aim of pleasing our clients, bosses or
teachers while simultaneously honing our
skill level towards mastery.
Almost equal in importance to an
impressed client or instructor is the skill of
business networking through event
participation and volunteering or
‘workunteering’.
I see that my greatest role as the
president of our chapter is to offer the best
opportunities for our four distinct, but
symbiotic, groups to gather so that you all
can work to advance your business interests
while having a darn good time.
‘Workunteering’ Abounds!
Kudos to the Foothill College Horticulture
Club for producing a fine contractor forum
for their fellow students. Kudos to our 9
volunteer landscape contractors for giving
their time and valuable information to the
students. May you all find an employee or
employer or perhaps receive a future design
from one of the budding designers.
‘Workunteering’ at its finest.
Larry Scott, our chapter Treasurer and
Chapter Project Chairman, is combining all
four of our groups into a student design
competition/chapter project extravaganza.
Competing students working with
contractor and APLD designer mentors are
going to design an outdoor science
classroom for a very worthy charter school
in East Palo Alto. Meanwhile, Dan Svenson,
will coordinate his Foothill College design
class curriculum to guide the students
towards success. By the time the last plant
is watered at the chapter project installation
(408) 266-1717
f (408) 264-1717
License #472305
J.Arnaz Tree Movers
1593 Koch Lane, San Jose, CA 95125
www.treemovingexperts.com
using the winning student design,
hundreds of our members, students, and
APLD volunteers will have ‘workunteered’
together while having a damn good time.
It’s a very exciting project and a great way
to, once again…. ’WORKUNTEER’. So get
involved and participate! Thanks Larry!
Please contact Larry Scott at
integmail@comcast.net to help out.
Events chairman, Rick Camin and
Maryanne Quincy, our CLCA board level
APLD Liaison, have linked arms to jointly
lead our two associations in organizing a
great event. On Thursday evening, March
24, at the San Francisco Flower and Garden
Show, you’re invited to attend an aftershow-hours
designer/contractor/supplier/
student social mixer. We are inviting our
neighboring chapters as well! It’s not just an
opportunity to ‘workunteer’, it’s a chance
to meet a new friend while having a
BLAST! Watch for the e-mail invitation
coming your way, and make sure you read
about all the detailed opportunities which
are bundled together for this event (see
page 1). Thanks Maryanne and Rick.
Earlier I mentioned that our reasons for
joining and remaining CLCA members
often evolve. Personally, I am experiencing
a shift in the reasons why I benefit from my
CLCA Membership. The more I continue to
attend events and ‘workunteer’, the more
importance I place on seeing my CLCA
friends. I joined CLCA to improve my
business. Now, through ‘workunteering’, I
have found something I consider
invaluable, even transcendent, namely,
friendships and a fuller heart.
Please feel free to contact me with
suggestions and advice that you believe
will benefit our membership.
James Walker
Landsculpt@earthlink.net • 650-333-2021
www.clcasfba.org March 2011 • 3

Above: Sam Whitney and Alice Domine. Above: Richard Singletary and Nate Crosby.
Above: Shelly Stebel and Sylvi Rupilius.
Above: Glenn Hansen and Catherine Greer.
Above: Mary Cohen.
On a cold, gloomy, rainy day, sixty SFBA
chapter members and welcomed guests got
together on Thursday, February 17, for an
enjoyable evening at Michael’s at Shoreline
in Mountain View.
After an hour of socializing and
networking, President James Walker started
the meeting by introducing new attendees
Mario Silva, Mario Silva Jr. and Amando
Diaz from Coyote Valley Nursery and
Dinah Zuckerman from Delta Bluegrass Co.
They each received CLCA baseball caps and
a welcoming applause from the group.
Next up, Catherine Greer (chairman of
chapter and state Underground Economy
Task Force) gave an informative power
point presentation as a follow up to last
month’s dinner meeting topic on the latest
underground economy efforts. The recent
approval of a 3-Year Pilot Program by the
California State Licensing Board to combat
the underground economy was a huge
victory toward the cause. Catherine remains
focused on keeping up the momentum. She
is currently seeking help from chapter
members to implement her plan. Please
contact her at catherine@greergardens.net
for more information on how you can help.
Catherine ended her presentation just as
coffee was being served so I took advantage
of the timing to review and call for a vote
on the proposed changes to our chapter bylaws.
Joking aside, although a rather dull
Above: Fred Hanker and Chris McNairy.
February Dinner Meeting a Success
By Rick Camin
subject to most members, our chapter bylaws
are critical in providing the foundation
on how our chapter operates. Furthermore,
it is imperative, due to legal reasons, that
our chapter’s by-laws do not conflict with
the CLCA state by-laws or face a forfeit of
our membership rebate paid by CLCA state
in 2011. We had two article sections in our
current by-laws that didn’t meet this
requirement. Fortunately, these changes
were approved by our voting members and
only one proposed change needs to be
approved at a future meeting in regards to
committee titles. One member felt there
were too many titles and another member
joked, “I propose we form a new committee
to keep track of all the committees.” On
that note, everyone agreed to table the vote
until after the board had a chance to review
and revise the committee title list.
Up next to the podium was Bill Arman,
our keynote speaker. Head Harvester Bill is
co-founder of The Harvest Group, an
international landscape business
consultancy/coaching firm serving over 50
organizations in 25 states and 3 countries.
Bill shared a wealth of knowledge with our
members and challenged everyone in the
room who viewed themselves as ‘leaders’ if
they were actually leading their company.
To make his point, Bill had the group stand
up and close their eyes as each person stuck
out their right or left hand and slowly
4 • March 2011 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
turned clock-wise then counter clock-wise
as he spoke. When he said, “Stop, point
north and open your eyes,” the room was
full of people pointing in every direction.
“Is this an example of how your company
runs?” Bill challenged everyone. The rest of
his talk focused on leadership being about
leading and making sure everyone is
heading in the same direction. Bill went
through a checklist of business items while
constantly asking us how our respective
companies stacked up. Do you have a
plan? Where is the plan? Is it written down?
Do your employees know your plan?
Bill gave a fantastic presentation. I’m
guessing everyone met Bill’s goal of coming
away with at least one nugget of helpful
information to take back and use to
improve their company’s performance. Bill
invited all members to visit his web site at
www.harvestlandscapeconsulting.com/wp/
and view eighteen free podcasts to help
increase their gross margins.
President Walker closed the meeting
with a touching tribute and moment of
silence to honor the passing of our beloved
Klaus Hertzer, life member
and past chapter president in
1978. The Auxiliary had a
special raffle in honor of
Klaus and all funds raised
will go towards a future
LEAF scholarship in his
name.
At right: Nate Crosby and
Larry Edington.
Below: Rick Camin and
“Harvester” Bill Arman.
Chapter Project Committee
announces Design Contest
By Larry Scott, Chapter Treasurer
The Chapter Project Committee has
plans in the works! This year will be
another exciting design contest, in
cooperation with the Foothill College
Horticulture Club and APLD. The
committee has chosen a worthy site and
will be announcing the location next
month. A site walk will be organized
for interested contestants. Stay tuned for
more information!
www.clcasfba.org March 2011 • 5

WWinter
is almost over and spring is just
around the corner. At least that is what the
calendar says. Being from the Midwest, I
always thought the dates were a little off.
In Wisconsin there is a whole lot of winter
before the official December 22 start date. I
also remember having to wear snow boots
and my winter coat over my new Easter
outfit (even when Easter was in April). In
California, however, the dates seem to
work a bit better. Happy Almost Spring!
The Auxiliary has been busy this
winter. Our first meeting was a great
success. There were fourteen members,
two daughters, one husband and a dog in
attendance. The food was great, the
company convivial, and we got some
work done too. Here are a few dates to put
on your calendar. Details will follow in the
omen’s Auxiliary Report
months to come.
•August 20: Auxiliary Potluck hosted by
Michelle and Ed Ott
•September 11: Chapter Picnic at Coyote
Point
•December 8: Holiday Party at The
Decathlon Club
If you are interested in helping out with
any of our committees, contact any one of
the Auxiliary presidents or just come to
our next meeting scheduled for May 11.
The raffle at the January dinner
meeting raised $235 for college
enrichment. Thank you to Diana Whitney
for creating a wonderful basket of goodies,
and congratulations to Charlene Ott who
was the lucky winner. Thanks also go out
to the chapter for donating SFBA hats and
T-shirts and to FX-Luminaire for shirts,
hats, and the annoying little LED/laser
pointer flashlight that my husband won.
He loves it; the dog and I are not so
enthralled. Congratulations to all the
winners. Thank you Carmen Biland, Alice
Domine and Charlele Ott for selling tickets
and to the membership at large for being
so generous with your support.
With spring comes a new leader. I will
hand off the scepter to Charlene at the end
of March. My reign, although short, has
been very enjoyable. I will still be around,
so don’t hesitate to contact me. I hope to
see old and new friends alike at upcoming
events. I’ll be thinking of you all as I
celebrate Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day and
the Vernal Equinox.
Cheers!
Cindy Singletary
** See page 11 for an article on the history of
the Women’s Auxiliary.
he Board Meets
The SFBA Chapter
board met January 27,
at Peninsula Building
Materials Showroom, 2490 Charleston Rd.,
Mountain View. Meeting Called to Order at
5:48 p.m. by James Walker, chapter
president.
Roll Call
Charlene Ott, Larry Scott, Maryanne
Quincy, Nate Crosby, Barry L. Cohen, Jeff
Calhoun, Earl Boyd, Michael Hertzer, Frank
Niccoli, Sam Whitney, James Walker,
Catherine Greer, Christine Hawkins, Rick
Camin, Melanie Latelle-Seaman, John Vega
New Business
James Walker reported on the January 2011
leadership conference and led a discussion
regarding areas for improvement and
informative seminars.
Minutes
Larry Scott presented the December 2010
Board Meeting Minutes for board review.
Motion made by Frank Nicolli and
seconded by Michael Hertzer to approve
the Minutes. The motion passed.
Treasurer's Report
Nate Crosby presented the December 2010
Treasurer’s Report for board review. The
Board reviewed the Report. Motion made
by Frank Nicolli and seconded by to
approve the Treasurer’s Report. The motion
passed.
2011 Budget
After amendments, Mike Hertzer made a
Juan Gonzalez 12750 Guard Rd.
(209) 810-3992 Lodi CA 95242
jgonzalez@agsod.com (800) 588-6882
www.agsod.com
Growers of Quality Bluegrass, Fescue & Bermuda Sod
motion to approve the budget, seconded by
Frank Niccoli. Motion passed unanimously.
Golf Tournament
Larry Scott announced that the Golf
Tournament will return to its traditional
early October date.
Beautification Awards
Sam Whitney announced that their will
likely be a change in the venue and the
overall theme of the awards this year. The
date will be June 4th or 11th.
Events
Rick Camin, is looking for volunteers for
the home and garden show Thursday night
social mixer with APLD and neighboring
chapters. He also announced plans for the
February Dinner Meeting at Michaels at
Shoreline, Mountain View.
Membership
Membership is progressing toward a
successful membership meeting. The newly
developed membership committee is
contacting new, existing and non-renewal
member.
Partners for Success
Jeff Calhoun introduced Earl Boyd who will
be learning the ropes and will run for AMO
Chair in 2012. Jeff’s commitment with the
board is for 2011 only. Jeff is also working to
get more vendors involved with the chapter
at higher levels of sponsorship. Jeff
suggested board members coordinate with
him when approaching suppliers for
sponsorship so that we can more effectively
receive supplier partner commitment.
Bay Breeze
Christine Hawkins requested all articles be
submitted by the 10th of each month.
Chapter Project
Larry Scott is determining eligibility
through the application process in order to
choose a recipient for our charitable
contribution to their project.
Education
Frank Niccoli is holding a first-aid training:
date to be determined.
APLD – Association of Professional
Landscape Designers
Our new APLD Liaison, Maryann Quincy,
was introduced. She reported on the tasks
APLD will take on for the joint hosting of
the March CLCA/APLD event at the San
Francisco Flower and Garden Show.
SFFGS – San Francisco Flower and
Garden Show
James Walker reported that we have a much
better booth location this year and is
seeking volunteers to man the booth for 3
hour shifts.
Women’s Auxiliary
Charlene Ott reported on updates to the
Women’s Auxiliary events for 2011.
State Events
Mike Hertzer, is promoting CLCA members
to attend the legislative conference date in
Sacramento. He also discussed the
discounts available for the Maui convention
in November.
Underground Economy Committee
Catherine Greer is spear heading the
underground economy task force and she is
working with city, county and state
agencies and officials with the support of
the CSLB.
James Walker adjourned at 9:22 p.m.
6 • March 2011 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter www.clcasfba.org March 2011 • 7
T
By John Vega

Member Spotlight:
Fanny Obadia, Green Thumbs Up
By Nate Crosby, Chapter Membership Chairperson and Vice-President
I recently learned of a new chapter member,
and I am overwhelmed with her ability to
jump in and make business happen.
Fanny Obadia of Green Thumbs Up, Inc.
is a newly licensed landscape contractor
and new member of the CLCA-SFBA
chapter. A Foothill College horticultural
program graduate 7 years ago, she now
incorporates her Moroccan heritage and its
Mediterranean climate into her landscapes.
Greatly inspired by the teachings of Foothill
College professors and others such as wellestablished
landscape designer, Fran
Adams, her designs provide fresh gardens
within the budget.
Hailing from the Kingdom of Morocco,
and spending some time in the slightly
cooler climate of Montreal, Canada, Fanny
is now content in the Mediterranean climate
of Palo Alto. Fanny has a background in
sales and marketing that was finely honed
during her career with a previous family
business located in Canada. Her husband
enjoys his career while she continues to
build her landscape business. Their
daughter just graduated from a local
college and is excited to become part of the
local bay area management team at a large
retail company. Their son is attending a
local high school. Maybe we can meet the
family at the yearly picnic?
Fanny particularly enjoys the building
aspects of creating and transforming
peoples’ landscapes. She spent 4 years
learning everything she could as she
developed the skills to become a licensed
contractor and designer. She has been an
active Foothill student club member serving
as secretary one year.
Her forte is design and negotiation. She
loves working with the client to design a
landscape based on the client’s needs. Often
this involves rearranging existing
landscapes that need some element to help
transform them into a beautiful landscape.
Most of her clients desire modern styles
and/or a Mediterranean theme. She always
asks, “What is your budget?” then works
within those boundaries.
Fanny joined CLCA to be able to
collaborate with other contractors for
incorporating aspects such as driveways
and pools. She is really excited to be able to
collaborate with other professionals and is
focused on reaching the next level in
business with the positive support
provided by membership in CLCA.
CLCA Water Management Certification
CLCA’s Water Management Certification Program trains water
managers to provide good to excellent landscape appearance
using the right amount of water. The program carries the
WaterSense Label from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and is also approved for CEUs by PLANET .
How to Obtain Certification
1. Register for the Performance Program by contacting John
Moore at (775) 225-7346 or h2omanager@charter.net .
2. Download the study guide for the written test at ww.clca.org
3. Test dates, times and locations are provided at www.clca.org.
8 • March 2011 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
SFBA Past President’s Alert:
Volunteers Needed for SFF&G Show
By Jim Everett
Gentlemen and Ladies who have served the
CLCA SFBA Chapter so well, please allow
me to pose a plea. As you have perhaps
been aware of, there has been a slight
downturn in the economy … one such that
very few of our chapter members have
remained unaffected. One by-product of
this is that even a Chapter as robust as ours
is feeling the effect of more limited
involvement and participation by our
membership.
At the Installation Night changing of the
guard, our in-coming President, James
Walker, let it be known that his number one
objective of the year is to increase
participation. Why? Because he knows that
it takes “participation” to provide the most
benefit to our members across a broader
spectrum of services.
“What, you may ask? Are you Crazy,
Mon Ami? Give now, when it’s so hard to
get?” Ask yourself this: how do you feel
when you donate money to the Vets – or —
volunteer in your community or church – or
—- see the look on a child’s face when they
open a gift you’ve given them? Ergo, the
sage wisdom of “it is better to Give than
Receive.”
Your CLCA SFBA Board of Directors has
voted to accept the kind offer of those
managing the 2011 San Francisco Flower
and Garden Show who have offered us a
prominent location on the main floor
exhibition area for a large booth to display
the benefits of hiring the licensed landscape
contractors in our area.
As have all of you, I’ve served as a
President AND as a board member for
many years. With the exception of one
other, however, I was honored to do so this
past year …. and I have absolutely NO
doubt that the upcoming President and his
Board would welcome your involvement in
the Show this year.
Will you not consider reaching out to
James, the Board, and whomever is the
chairperson for this event to step forward.
Perhaps you can help with laying out the
booth and/or manning the booth itself
during the Show for a few hours to answer
the questions of those in attendance, as you
offer the voice of most experience our
Chapter has to offer?
The San Francisco Flower and Garden
Show is March 23 through 27 and now
takes place at the San Mateo Fair Grounds.
We would love to have you with us!
Night at the Show March 24
Join the CLCA SFBA chapter, APLD, and
other CLCA chapters for an after hours
social mixer at the SF Flower and
Garden Show on March 24. See page 1.
www.clcasfba.org March 2011 • 9

Get Ready for the
38th Annual Awards Program!
Hello everyone…it’s that time again! Time
to review those best jobs of yours and
prepare the paperwork necessary to get
them entered….ON TIME! And, that time
would be Friday April 22nd at 8 pm! That
should give you enough time to rush them
out the door after work that day and miss
the rush hour traffic, with no excuses!
First of all, let me introduce myself as
the new Awards Committee chairman this
year, brought out of retirement (just
kidding) and dusted off to help carry on
this most important event of our illustrious
chapter, the most fun, largest attended
event we host each year! My name is Sam
Whitney with Samscaping and I am taking
over for Bob Kirtley, who has done a
marvelous job the last few years running
this event. Thanks , Bob for all your hard
work and keeping this baby going!
So, the place to deliver those entry
packets will be my office at 939 D San
Rafael Ave. in Mountain View. My cell
phone is 650-222-0262 and my email is
sam@samscaping.com. Please feel free to
call or email me with any questions. You
can download the forms from our chapter’s
web site and make sure to review and
follow the instructions to insure your job
will be judged. Please fill out the forms online
and then print them for your
submittals. Follow the instructions for how
many pages for each job, etc, did I mention
to read and follow the instructions if you
want your job to be judged! Thanks!
Judging will take place May 12, 13, and
14, so you have tons of time to freshen them
up for the judges. Dinner will be June 4th,
at a venue to be named later, along with
some party theme, for those of you who
need time to prepare your knockout attire.
Each entry will be $100 and there will
not be a late entry deadline, no kidding, so
please get started on the applications in a
timely manner, and submit them on time!
If you have never entered this
Above: The 2010 Sweepstakes winner installed
by EvLand LLC.
competition before, for whatever reason,
now is the time and here is your chance to
get in on one of the most fun and exciting
events we do every year. This chapter is
best known for its’ camaraderie and helping
each other out. Step up and be noticed, rub
shoulders with your compadres, find out
what our members have to offer each other,
especially in these times of difficulties.
Make new friends and become an active
member of this association, you’ll be glad
you did!
Good luck to all!
10 • March 2011 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
Women!
By Barry Cohen
Women... as in our Women’s Auxiliary. The
Auxiliary began with the SFBA Chapter in
the early 50’s and was originally called “The
Grass Widows.” Their initial purpose was to
provide a gathering place for the wives
while the husbands attended CLCA
meetings. It quickly developed into the
social arm of the Chapter by assisting at and
facilitating Chapter meetings, projects and
social events -- such as picnics and the
holiday parties. Their primary goal was and
still is to this day to promote education,
friendship and support CLCA on the State
and local levels.
The Auxiliary is governed by four
officers on the Chapter level and six on the
State level. There are twelve committees on
the Chapter level and six committees on the
State level. Most chapters have a similar
format. If you look at the chapters around
the State, you will quickly see the most
active chapters have a strong supportive
Auxiliary, which gives the spouses/
significant others an opportunity to be
Hort Club News
By Melanie LaTelle-Seaman, Foothill College Hort Club President
www.foothillhort.com
Our Landscape Contractor Forum was
fantastic! A panel of seven contractors
spoke to forty-five students. Teacher and
Landscape Architect Dave Sauter
moderated the event, sharing his list of the
top ten reasons to be enrolled in Foothill’s
Hort Program. CLCA SFBA Chapter
President James Walker was in the audience
as well as Dan Svenson, Head of the
Horticulture Dept, and Mike Diefenbach,
Hort Facility Manager. CLCA contractors
who participated were Janet Bell, Rick
Camin, Michelle Chu, Nate Crosby, Mike
Hertzer, Frank Niccoli and John Vega.
The Landscape Designer Forum was also
a huge success! We had a diverse panel and
large audience, with standing room only.
The Foothill Hort Department is again
involved with the Chapter activities. With
the influx of female contractors in recent
years, the Auxiliary has enjoyed an increase
in the number of male members as well.
There are 53 past State Presidents, seven
of which have been from the SFBA Chapter.
Additionally, there are 50 Auxiliary Life
Members, 22 of which are from our Chapter.
The greatest honor the Auxiliary can
bestow is The Knight of the Garter. This was
the highest and oldest order of knighthood
of Great Britain founded by King Edward
III of England in 1349. The Women’s
Auxilliary annually awards this honor to a
regular or associate member of CLCA who
exemplifies “a champion.” He is devoted to
the service of a woman or cause; he is
courteous, well mannered, kind and always
willing to help when needed. The garter is
to be worn by all CLCA “Knights” at all
State functions on the left leg below the
knee. At any time, they may be asked to
show their garter in exchange for a kiss.
This tradition was started in 1958. Currently
there are 52 Knights, ten of which are from
the SFBA Chapter.
In 1988, the Landscape Educational
Advancement Foundation (LEAF) was
holding a Landscape
Design Contest. Now
open to students
currently enrolled in the horticulture
program, this year’s design contest will
coincide with Dan Svenson’s Design Theory
class and go hand-in-hand with the CLCA
SFBA Chapter project. The head of the
design competition committee will work
closely with Larry Scott to ensure allaround
success! Additional information will
be posted on our website.
2011 Hort Club Board Members
Melanie LaTelle-Seaman, President
Shelly Strebel, Vice President
Dawn Engel, Secretary
Marilyn Chow, Treasurer
Sylvi Rupilius, Education Chair
established by the State CLCA Women’s
Auxiliary and is governed by a sevenperson
board of trustees. Its purpose is to be
a perpetual endowment for awarding
scholarships to worthy students pursuing
majors in the landscape industry. Today,
there are 42 named funds with a value just
under $800,000. Only the interest is
awarded each year; the principal is never
touched, allowing it to continue to earn
income. Awards are given each year by an
application process based on the students’
goals, extra-curricular activities, work
experience, financial need and GPA in their
major. To date, 607 scholarships have been
awarded to 506 students totaling $392,275!
LEAF also has grants to support programs
within the landscape industry. Presently the
grants total just shy of $150,000! Any
chapter or individual can establish a named
fund or grant with a minimum of $5,000.
I am honored to be a Knight of the
Garter and a Life Member of the Women’s
Auxiliary! If you’d like a representative of
your company to join the Auxiliary, a
simple application and $25 is all it takes.
Note: All details above and more can be found in
the Women’s Auxiliary Roster.
www.clcasfba.org March 2011 • 11

San Francisco
Bay Area Chapter
CLCA
California Landscape Contractors Association
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
1024 Simon Dr., Ste. F
Placerville CA 95667
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
SFBA Chapter
Events
March 2011
23-27 San Francisco Flower and Garden
Show, San Mateo Event Center.
24 Chapter Meeting. San Francisco
Flower and Garden Show after-hour
garden viewing and social mixer -
San Mateo. See page 1.
31 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
April 2011
11-12 CLCA Grassroots Legislative
Training and Construction Industry
Legislative Conference. Sheraton
Hotel, Sacramento. www.clca.org
21 Membership Night. TBA.
28 Chapter Board Meeting.
5 p.m. social, 5:30 p.m. meeting.
Peninsula Building Materials,
Mountain View.
May 2011
19 Chapter Dinner Meeting.
26 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
June 2011
TBA Chapter Awards Program.
23 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
July 2011
13-16 CLCA Summer Family
Extravaganza. Oxnard, CA.
www.clca.org.
28 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
August 2011
20 Women’s Auxiliary Potluck hosted
by Michelle and Ed Ott.
25 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
26 Sign up deadline for October 1
certification field test in Sacramento.
September 2011
11 Chapter Picnic at Coyote Point.
29 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
FIRST CLASS
PRESORTED
PERMIT #14
SHINGLE SPRINGS, CA
95682
October 2011
1 Landscape Industry Certified Field
Test. American River College,
Sacramento, CA. Sign up deadline
date: Aug. 26, 2011
TBA Chapter Golf Tournament
20 Chapter Dinner Meeting.
27 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
November 2011
16-19 CLCA Annual Convention. Maui,
Hawaii. www.clca.org.
17 Chapter Dinner Meeting.
30 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
December 2011
8 Chapter Holiday Party at The
Decathlon Club.
15 Chapter Board Meeting. 5 p.m.
social, 5:30 p.m. meeting. Peninsula
Building Materials, Mountain View.
Visit our website at www.clcasfba.org for
more information on upcoming events.