Ronnie Trubek and Lyle Troxell set up a booth for Park Hall at the May 13th, 2023 Santa Cruz County History Fair.
Since Ronnie became our newest Trust member she has dove head first into the history of our beloved community center and written The Exciting Story of How Park Hall Came to Be.
The booth consists of a wonderful collection of early photos of Ben Lomond and a detailed narrative of how the building came to be what it is now.
Anyone living within 1.5 miles may join us at 5pm as a candidate or as a voter to select our next trustee! Come tell us why you would be a great asset to the board. Park Hall needs you! Simply bring your drivers license showing your park hall address in order to vote. See you at the hall!
Steve Edmonds has been a supporter of Park Hall both as a Trustee since December of 2013 and as a volunteer for Mountain Community Theater in which Steve has designed, purchased, installed, and maintained the sound system at Park Hall for over two decades. We will very much miss Steve’s calming and collected participation on the Trust. And for those of us that call Steve a friend we will miss his smiling face and his many “Arrrs” as a Pirate at any SLV event.
If you have ever owned a home or cared for a property, especially an old one, you know that upkeep can be expensive. Park Hall in downtown Ben Lomond is co-owned by everyone who lives within a mile and a half radius and managed by a board of elected trustees. We raise the funds needed to care for the hall by renting it out, but meet our directive that the hall is here for the benefit of the community by keeping rental costs as low as possible, especially for local residents. Park Hall is known as the home of Mountain Community Theater, and during the summer we host Little People’s Repertory Theatre. Over the years we have also rented the hall out for memorials, birthdays, weddings, sock exchanges, podcast recordings, folk dance events, history talks, parties and more.
Park Hall is managed by Park Hall Trust, and is not a 501c3 nonprofit organization, but we are a community resource that occasionally reaches out and asks the community to give back. You can support Park Hall by:
* Mailing a donation to Park Hall Trust PO Box 1027 Ben Lomond, CA 95005
*Attending our benefit concert (or even just telling others about it)
* Using the hall for your next event
In the past year we have taken care of a lot of deferred maintenance and are proud of the wonderful state the hall is in. Additional improvements will be needed in the future. Your gifts help with the continued care and upkeep on the hall. The building is old and we want it to last. We need to be vigilant in caring for it proactively so it will be here for future generations to enjoy. You can help by partying with us and enjoying two great bands.
Heathen Hill is a San Lorenzo Valley group that has supported many local causes, and has connections to Park Hall. Singer-songwriter Mark Becker’s wife is a member of the cast of MCT’s current production, Mamma Mia. According to their website, “Heathen Hill plays a mix of original and cover songs in the Americana style of music, with a progressive bluegrass edge. Heathen Hill the band, originated at Heathen Hill, the place – our camp at the Strawberry Music Festival. We live and play in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Performing is our way of generating and sharing festival energy all year long. Heathen Hill features singer-songwriter Rick Ednie, the smoking hot guitar picker of Bluegrass Roundup; Ti Lamb on dobro; singer-songwriter Mark Becker on guitar, and Jeff Hayes on Bass and vocals.” We are grateful for their willingness to kick off this concert by sharing their music with us.
Andre Thierry hails from Richmond, CA and his music makes even a non-dancers want to get up and move. “Masterful on all accordion types, playing with a force few can match, Andre Thierry is a phenomenal talent who has been capturing the attention of music lovers all over the world. The award winning musician and his band effortlessly deliver energetic performances, blending his own electrifying sounds with stirring dance beats, exhibiting elite accordion style. Whether it’s your first time attending a show or a fan for longtime, it’s feel good music that captivates the audience everytime!” We are lucky to have him returning to Park Hall for this special event.
Tickets will be sold at the door for a suggested donation of $15-20. Additional donations are welcome, and refreshments will be available. We are very excited about this special event and hope you will join us to celebrate and support the historic hall that was left in a trust for the use of and in the care of our local community.
Park Hall is a community resource and we are really lucky to be part of a community willing to help us take care of it. On August 10th SLV Rotary Club members joined Park Hall staff and Park Hall Trustees in spiffing the place up.
THANK YOU to all who participated!
Redwoods, Resorts and Real Estate
Sunday, October 4th, 2016 at 7:00 PM – FREE Event
Ben Lomond, CA: The Trustees of Park Hall in Ben Lomond, invite one and all to join us for a look at how the San Lorenzo Valley became what it is today. A community filled with riches—in the form of Redwoods, Resorts, and Real Estate. Our speaker for the evening is Ronnie Trubeck. This community-wide event is open to everyone and sponsored by the Park Hall Trust.
The event is FREE and takes place at 7:00 PM at Park Hall, 9400 Mill Street, Ben Lomond. Doors will open at 6:30 PM. Concessions will include desserts, coffee, and wine.
Park Hall has a rich history; it was established by the Brooks family as a public trust in 1923, for the residents of Ben Lomond. All residents that live within 1.5 miles of Park Hall are part owners of the hall. It is also home to Little People’s Repertory Theater and Mountain Community Theater.
About Ronnie Trubeck
Ronnie has been a prominent Realtor in the San Lorenzo Valley for 25 years. Ronnie has always been passionate about history and after moving to the valley of the Redwoods she became enchanted with the dynamic and evolving San Lorenzo Valley history. Ronnie has served on the Board of Directors for the San Lorenzo Valley Museum for three years.
In 1923 the Park Hall Trust was formed – on December 10th 2013 we will hold an election. If you live in Ben Lomond, join us.
“The above described property is conveyed to the parties of the second part to be held in trust for the citizens of Ben Lomond, California, and is to be used for the benefit of the community of Ben Lomond, California.”
The Park Hall Trustees currently are: Ann Scott, Richard Mills, Cathy Smith, Karen Scarborough, and Lyle Troxell. Karen Scarborough is resigning. And the Trust clearly states….
“The Said Trustees above named, and their successors, receive and accept this conveyance with the understanding that the said above described property shall be used for the best interests and benefit of the community of Ben Lomond, and with the further covenant upon their part that in the matter of the use or the sale, or other disposition of said property, they will be controlled by a majority vote of the citizens of said Ben Lomond, present and voting at a town meeting duly called by posting notices in three prominent places in said Town, ten days before the holding of any such meeting. At any such meeting said citizens of Ben Lomond may, by a majority vote, name a successor to any Trustee who may have died or resigned, and may also authorize, direct and compel the sale or other disposition of said property, or any part thereof. By “citizens of Ben Lomond” is meant any and all persons residing or owning property within a radius of 1-1/2 miles of the herein above described property.”
On December 10th at 6:30pm we will gather at Park Hall in Ben Lomond (right next to the market) and vote a new Trustee to help run and take care of the Park Hall Community Center. Do you know of a good candidate? Do you have some input? Please participate.
Your feedback is welcomed,
-Lyle Troxell
lyle@tr…ll.com
BTW: The full Trust can be found at: http://parkhall.benlomond.org/media/2012/07/ParkHall_Deed_and_Trust.pdf
It went very well! Over 100 people!
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Meet your Ben Lomond neighbors at a day at the park. Ben Lomond celebrates it’s 125th year this year, and it’s time to come and enjoy our wonderful Park.
Sharon Fishel from St Andrews and Annette Marcum, founder of the Valley Churches United Missions, will show photos and some video on the San Lorenzo Flood of 1982, the founding of the VCUM, and a bit about the 1989 earthquake. Annette and Sharon will project photos to highlight the impact of both the flood and the earthquake.
Come to this historic look at Ben Lomond and the San Lorenzo Valley.
For more information please contact Karen Scarborough – (831) 336-2944