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.
AUGUST 7th 1PM
The CZU Fire In Their Own Words – Fighting Fires, Losing Homes, and Rebuilding Community is a new powerful and moving 90-minute film produced by Mountain Community Theater, created by Peter Gelblum.
In the spring of 2021, in response to the August 2020 CZU Fires, we interviewed people who fought the fires and people who lost their homes about their experiences, which many of us shared – evacuating, losing homes and possessions to the fire, and getting support from the community. Using only the words from those interviews, we created a script, cast actors to play the interviewees, and used both the characters’ family photographs and images donated by several generous local photographers to create this film. The film is a document of that extraordinary time and a gift from MCT to the community.
We hope you’ll join us and other community members at an upcoming screening. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds will go to the local volunteer fire departments and the Community Foundation’s Fire Recovery Fund. The director and others associated with the film will be there to answer questions. Masks are highly recommended at all screenings.
AUGUST 7th 5PM
Santa Cruz Raks – a quarterly community dance event!!! $10 suggested donation at the door.
We officially have a new Park Hall Manager, the Janitor position is filled and we are still in search of a part-time Facilities Maintenance Technician. Please submit resumes or inquiries to parkhall.communitycenter@gmail.com
Park Hall is open for rentals – Contact us for the most up to date availability!
We are so excited for MCT that their run of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was such a huge, SOLD OUT success! Their next production “Calendar Girls” opens this Friday, May 20th! Tickets and more information can be found HERE
Update November 10th 2021: After this post due to covid spread increasing a few things changed… we went dark again. But this optimism will return!
Great news, San Lorenzo Valley! Park Hall is reopening! Here is our hopefully almost post pandemic update:
Shopfront Changes
Beth at Where the Fur Flys worked through the Pandemic, and continues to be open to attend to your pet grooming needs. You can reach her shop at (831) 336-8747 to book an appointment.
Long term Park Hall renter, Buttons of Mill Street Hairquarters, has sold her business. We will miss her friendly presence, but look forward to introducing you to our new renters soon.
Community Theater Returns to downtown Ben Lomond
We are excited to welcome back first Little People’s Repertory Theatre and then Mountain Community Theater this summer.
Community Rentals Resume
Our online calendar is up to date. While weekend rentals are limited due to use by the theater companies, we always have openings around the holiday season. You’ll also see that the weekends of August 7th and October 16th are completely free, and there will be plenty of midweek daytime availability once LPRT finishes their summer run. You can find more info on using the hall here.
Staffing Updates
During the pandemic we closed the hall completely. Park Hall is a community owned gathering space that relies on rental revenue to pay staff, and could not have survived without our volunteers. Our seven trustees continued to meet virtually monthly and attend to any building and tenant needs that could not wait. Ann Scott, Cathy Smith, Dick Mills, Lyle Troxell, Gil Sanchez, Denise Gorham, and Steve Edmonds each did their part to help Park Hall survive the closure. Thank you to our trustees for serving through fire, evacuations and pandemic.
Park Hall’s pre-pandemic team has been invited back, but due to changes in their lives over the last year they have each chosen to move on. Before we recruit replacements we’d like to celebrate their contributions:
Joel Bahu, Facilities Director
Joel was exactly who Park Hall needed to help us catch up on long deferred maintenance and spruce up the hall in time for our upcoming (2023!) 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Park Hall Trust, which left Park Hall to the people of Ben Lomond in 1923. In addition to facilities management expertise Joel brought a love for the original workmanship, the building itself, and the community it holds. During his tenure Joel fixed things as needed, but more importantly he also worked with our manager and trustees to establish, prioritize and begin work on a list of facilities maintenance and improvements. He approached every task with attention to and respect for the building’s history and was a true advocate for investing in, maintaining, and improving Park Hall. We were so grateful to have him on our team.
Wyatt Troxell, Janitor
Wyatt may have been the most efficient janitor ever, and having grown up around Park Hall as part of the LPRT and MCT communities he knows the building better than most of us ever will. We were lucky to have him help with not only cleaning, but also building walk throughs. We wish him well is all his future endeavors.
Miguel Reyna, Janitor
Miguel knows the hall well due to his roles as an MCT performer and director. While his regular work was closed due to the pandemic Miguel stepped in as our temporary janitor. His willingness to help allowed us to safely host LPRT’s modified summer 2020 program.
Jessica Bukowinski, Manager
Former Park Hall Manager, Jessica Bukowinski, has returned temporarily as our Interim Manager to help the trustees reopen and restaff the hall.
Can you or someone you know fill any of their shoes? We are seeking folks to fill the following part-time contract positions ASAP:
Park Hall Manager
Facilities Maintenance Technician
Janitor
Applicants should email resumes and cover letters to: parkhall.communitycenter@gmail.com
Please help us to spread the word about Park Hall’s reopening and these work opportunities. THANK YOU!
Park Hall has been in a state of off-line since the March 2020 shelter in place orders. It has been a difficult year for many, and for Park Hall, a building that has served the public of Ben Lomond and the San Lorenzo Valley for 97 years, the hall has been mostly quiet.
Currently we have no paid staff nor janitorial service. We have three regular tenets which provide some income: Where the Fir Flies (dog grooming), Mill Street Hairquarters (hair salon), and Mountain Community Theater’s office.
Traditionally the majority of our income is the rental of the large room/performance space, but since March 2020 there has been no use of this space.
What we keep spending on: Gas/Electric/Water Utilities and Insurance. And the biggest regular expenses during the winter is keeping the building warm enough not to damage equipment and the water which services hair salon and dog groomers.
Last night (2021-01-12) we held our monthly Trustee meeting to go over any outstanding issues and review our current financials. We have an open governance policy so our Meeting Minutes and Budget are public, feel free to have a gander 2021 January Agenda & Notes.
We look forward to hosting events and the wonderful theater work coming back to Park Hall this year.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out.
=Lyle
Lyle Troxell, Park Hall Trustee
My email is the preferred way to reach me, but you can text or call my mobile 831-419-9659
Park Hall Community Center Part-Time/ Occasional Janitor Position
7/2020 Update – this position has been filled.
Responsible for cleaning and sanitization of all areas of the building on an as-needed basis. Tasks include trash removal, dusting, cleaning and restocking supplies in restrooms, dry and wet mopping wood floors, sanitizing, vacuuming, pest management, and other related duties as required and assigned.
The ideal candidate for this position is a great communicator who is detail- oriented and willing to take on non-routine cleaning and special projects as needed.
REQUIRED SKILLS & ABILITIES
PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
SHIFTS AVAILABLE TO WORK
Hours will vary and will be scheduled around use of the hall and your availability. There will be regular part time work (4-8 hours per week) 6/20-7/31/20, and after that we will likely need 1-2 hours per week with additional hours offered on an as needed/ as available basis. Hours may increase when gatherings at the hall are permitted.
PAY is $15/hr. If hired you will become an Employee of Park Hall Trust and taxes will be taken out of your pay. If you have janitorial skills and are ready to work, please contact parkhall.communitycenter@gmail.com or 831-246-6374 to apply ASAP.
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!
On October 23rd the Park Hall Trustees met with Sheila to handle some business: