News & Notes
President’s Message
By Candace Bowers
MVHA President
Happy New Year!
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
BOARD MEMBERS & CHAIRS
President: Candace Bowers
Vice-President: Nick Perry
Secretary: Jamil Shaikh
Treasurer: Emily Ramos
Past President: Nick Galiotto
Historical Data: Eugene Sharp
Membership: Lisa Roquero Garcia
Newsletter: John Cortez
Ways & Means: Vacant
Director-at-Large: Alison Hicks
Director-at-Large: Vacant
Hospitality: Vacant. Helen Hughes, Acting
Programs: Vacant
Publicity: Marina Marinovich
Copy-Editor: Cynthia Hanson
I’ve heard so many people say
they’re glad that 2017 is over.
We’ve certainly seen some,
shall we say, “interesting”
developments on the local,
national, and international
levels. Our world can feel
even more divided and
confusing than ever; the
future, even more uncertain.
MVHA President Candace
Bowers at the Adobe Building
during the MVHA’s 2nd annual
Dia de los Muertos event.
Silicon Valley (or as some
of us prefer to call it, the
Valley of Heart’s Delight)
has been called a “bubble.” The Bay Area—and, let’s
face it, California in general—has been accused of
being out of touch with the rest of the country. To me,
that has always meant that we were so fortunate to
live in such a great place that we sometimes failed to
realize that other people… didn’t. But in recent years,
reality has hit us right where we live. We’ve seen
beloved landmarks torn down or paved over; favorite
businesses have disappeared seemingly overnight;
and the neighbors who used to lend us a cup of sugar
have moved away and been replaced by a rotating cast
of Airbnb guests. The change can be both exhilarating
and disorienting. I’ve felt both!
We, the members of the MVHA, have a special role
in this changing landscape. Yes, we love to reminisce
about the good old days. We value our past. But
let’s not get too stuck living there—let’s share it in
a positive way! We love to share our memories, to
spread our knowledge. Let’s make sure that the best
parts of “good old” Mountain View carry over into
great, new Mountain View.
See you at the Adobe!
—Candace
P.S. I hope you all look forward to getting this
newsletter in your mailbox (and I mean your
actual, physical, US mailbox.) I still love to get paper
magazines and catalogs in the mail, even though I live
my life on the computer and have delegated everything
I can think of to my various tech gadgets. But just in
case you’re feeling a bit left behind as technology takes
over the world, please remember that our Library and
Senior Center have free public computers, and people
who can show you how to use them. Curious about the
MVHA’s website or Facebook page, but not sure how/
where to find them? Visit me in the History Center and
I’ll show you.
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