President ’ s Message
News & Notes
This newsletter is published four times a year by the MOUNTAIN VIEW HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION P . O . Box 252 , Mountain View , CA 94042 www . mountainviewhistorical . org
MVHA Board of Directors
President : Pamela Baird Vice-President : Robert Cox Secretary : Jamil Shaikh Treasurer : Melissa Rusch Past President : Nicholas Perry Historical Data : Gill Lane Membership : Lisa Garcia Newsletter : John Cortez Director-at-Large : Carol Donahue Director-at-Large : IdaRose Sylvester Director-at-Large : Vacant
Newsletter Design & Layout by Nicholas Perry
MVHA Board of Directors Email : info @ mountainviewhistorical . org
President ’ s Message
By Pamela Baird MVHA President
The Delight of Spring
The end of the rainy season sometimes makes me a bit melancholy . I enjoy the months of rain — the
Pamela Baird verdant green hills bring great pleasure . I like the cool
weather — I get to wear wool , my favorite fabric . The exuberant blooming trees in white , yellow and pink make me wish that the trees would look like that all year round . Flowering beds of tulips , hyacinths , crocus and iris provide delight to my walks and runs in the community . The succulents in my garden are fat and happy as they store moisture for future use . The sweet fragrance of jasmine and the exuberant chirping of birds looking for love remind me that life is good .
After the dry months of the summer and fall I look forward to the arrival of the rain and seeing the cycle of greening and blooming start again . For most of us living in Silicon Valley , our livelihoods are not dependent on the seasons or the weather .
But for over eight decades , the prosperity of the Valley depended on crops — first wheat and hay and later stone fruit , wine grapes , berries and vegetables . Farmers , orchardists and ranchers relied on a mild climate with little chance of damaging frost . The “ Valley of Hearts Delight ” is ideally situated in an area with abundant artesian water , which provided the necessary moisture for growing crops and fruit in a Mediterranean climate , and less reliant on seasonal rain .
We are fortunate to have residents who can recall this agricultural past . To learn more about the stories of one of the most prolific areas of fruit production , the MVHA will be conducting a community outreach program to find the “ Oldest Resident .” See the short article on page 8 containing more information .
Enjoy the last days of the rainy season ! — Pamela
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