Newsletter – July 2025
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| Dear Friend, Welcome to the July 2025 edition of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance newsletter! Summer is in full swing, and Ben Lomond is buzzing with energy. The Fourth of July festivities in the valley are just around the corner, neighbors are gathering for music nights and farmers markets, and the redwoods are offering their cool shade for afternoon strolls. We’re thrilled to share that the Yeshe Jackson mural is now complete—and it’s stunning. Thank you to everyone who donated toward the mural and those who joined us for the unveiling celebration. If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure to swing by the Ben Lomond County Park soon. It’s a beautiful reminder of the creativity and heart that make this community so special. Meanwhile, beautification efforts continue throughout the Village, with lots of plans ahead and plenty of ways to get involved. Whether you’re volunteering, shopping local, or simply saying hello to a neighbor, you’re helping make Ben Lomond a better place. Let’s keep the momentum going—happy July! ~The Team at the BLVA |
UPCOMING BLVA EVENTS 🗓
| WEE KIRK MARKET Sunday, July 6, 2025, 9 AM – 1 PM FREE Wee Kirk Church, 9500 Central Ave, Ben Lomond Have you heard about how great the first Wee Kirk Market was and are disappointed you didn’t go? Well, your next chance is this Sunday, July 6! The market will be held at the historic Wee Kirk Church on the first Sundays of the month through October. The weather this Sunday will be perfect for a stroll around the market and you may choose to shop at the various vendors and get some breakfast or lunch! You can expect to see Wildstone Bakery, Tacos el Jesse Food Truck, J and M Bagels, Honey-Do Gardens, Real Good Fish + Flowers, Solorios Organic Farm, Mahanahula Creations, Alison Parham Watercolors, Sicilian Mama Pottery, Love Cultivated, Sew Rose, and La Selva Lavender. There will also be live music, yoga (see below) and many of your neighbors there. Bring your family, tell your friends, and come support local businesses! For more information, visit the Wee Kirk Market webpage HERE.Volunteers are needed at the Wee Kirk Market. Sign up HERE. Heartwood Yoga – FREE Yoga Session Sunday, July 6, 2025, 10 am – 11 am Wee Kirk Church, 9500 Central Ave, Ben Lomond Britt of Heartwood Yoga is teaching a class inside the Wee Kirk Church during the Wee Kirk Market. Donations welcome. Sign up for this special experience HERE. |
| SUPPER CLUB The Supper Club is off to a great start this year having had two community pot lucks and two fabulous suppers – Grilled Fare and a Traditional Tea Ceremony – at your neighbors’ homes in Ben Lomond. Are you interested in being a host? Email Secretary@BenLomondVillage.org for more information and to sign up! |
| Sunday, July 20 1 PM – 3 PM Afternoon Garden Party – Come enjoy host-provided drinks and appetizers and guests’ potluck other items in Katrina’s beautiful garden. Seating is limited to 8 guests. Click HERE for more information and to reserve your seat today! If all the seats are spoken for, we strongly recommend signing up for the wait list – peoples’ plans change, and Ariel will make every effort to fill all the seats at each event. To be added to the waiting list, email Ariel at Secretary@BenLomondVillage.org |
OTHER LOCAL EVENTS 🗓
| Alba Schoolhouse 130th Independence Day Celebration July 4, 11AM – 4PM Sequoia Retreat Center, 1.5 miles up Alba Road from Highway 9. Please carpool if you can. For more than a century, our mountain community has gathered at the historic Alba Schoolhouse to celebrate Independence Day. Enjoy a day filled with classic American BBQ, live music, local history, and family fun, all set among the stunning redwoods of Ben Lomond Mountain. Celebrants are encouraged to bring along a side dish of their choice for our potluck-style community event. Burgers, hot dogs, and sausages will be available with a donation. Vegetarian options are available too! The Alba Schoolhouse was lost in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire. Local volunteers, supported by generous community donations, are leading the effort to rebuild. This year, we are working toward the creation of Alba Schoolhouse Park, which will feature a beautiful picnic area for all to enjoy. Click HERE for more information. Exhibit – “Black & White + One” July 10 – August 16 Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center Click HERE to find out more about the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center’s latest exhibit. Pancake Breakfast Sunday, July 20 Highlands Park Senior & Community Center All ages are welcome at the monthly pancake breakfast. Come support the Community Center and enjoy the best breakfast deal in town! Click HERE for more information. |
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT 🔦
| Plant WorksOpen every day Noon – 5pmThe Plant Works in Ben Lomond is stocked with beautiful, colorful plants! Stop in and say hi to Tom, the owner. He is very knowledgeable about everything gardening. Located on Highway 9 directly across from Ben Lomond Tire and Masoods, you can’t miss it! If you’ve never ventured in, you’ll be pleasantly surprised! Beeline BloomsFlower season is upon us, and it doesn’t get any better than the gorgeous dahlias and other flowers up at Beeline Blooms. Get info about volunteer days and you-pick-it flower arrangement hours HERE. AromaLocated on the north end of town is a local treasure of a restaurant. We would like to specifically recognize Mario for his support of all the local non-profits and schools with his frequent fundraising days. We also appreciated him showing up personally at the Meet Your Mural party at the park. Find out more about Aroma HERE. |
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GET INVOLVED 💪
| Back in May, the BLVA asked for submissions to the Summer Art Contest, and we are thrilled to announce the winner! Summer Kaemmerling’s beautiful watercolor will be featured on BLVA’s tote bags—available at the Wee Kirk Market! You can see more of Summer’s art HERE. Shoutout also to Alan Luckow for skillfully evolving our logo and making it shine. Tote bags will debut this Sunday at the July 6 Wee Kirk Market! Grab yours for just $20. |
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| Improving our community is a team effort! Ben Lomond Village Alliance has so many opportunities for you to get involved, meet new friends and make a huge difference in our town. If are interested one of the following volunteer leadership positions or have any questions about involvement, please email Ariel at secretary@BenLomondVillage.org. LEADERSHIP OPPORUNITIES Fundraising Committee Chairperson – We are looking for a person with a passion for fundraising and a love of Ben Lomond to take on leadership of this committee. Treasurer – We are seeking nominations to fill this board position. The ideal candidate would have a background in finance and leadership experience with nonprofits. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Volunteer at the Wee Kirk Farmers Market – helpers are needed for various roles at the market every month. Sign up HERE. Committee Members – All of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance committees always welcome more participation. Visit our Get Involved page for more information about these opportunities! UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS Better Streets and Beautification Committee Thursday, July 24, 6:00 PM Wee Kirk Church, 9500 Central Avenue The Better Streets Committee is planning for a very important meeting on July 24. Brianna Goodman, Transportation Planner for the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) will be attending to make a presentation on crash patterns and risk factors on Highway 9 in Ben Lomond as part of the Rural Highway Safety Plan (RHSP). She is seeking our input and feedback in order to develop safety strategies and projects. Several Committee members attended the RTC’s public meeting on the RHSP in Felton in May and voiced their concerns about the lack of safe pedestrian crossings at Willowbrook, Hillside and Fillmore in Ben Lomond as well as a lack of a dedicated walkway between the traffic signal and Fire Department. We are encouraging all interested in traffic safety on Highway in Ben Lomond as well as Glen Lomond and Brook Lomond to attend and provide input. If you cannot make the meeting follow this link https://www.sccrtc.org/rhsp and take the quick survey by July 31st. Additionally, Better Streets Committee members are awaiting feedback from the County Public Works Department on a decision to install a crosswalk with push-button flashing beacons across Glen Arbor and Madrone-Newell intersection. A decision is expected later this summer. BLVA’s Executive Director Blake Holiday and the Committee are communicating with the RTC, County, Caltrans and SC METRO about the need for safety and transit stop improvements on Highway 9 and Glen Arbor Road. Committee members are also working to invite guest speakers to the August meeting to learn more about the County, State and Land Trust trails in and around Ben Lomond and Loch Lomond with a vision of promoting hiking from Ben Lomond Village to hillside peaks. Events Committee July 2 6:00 PM Location varies The Events Committee is meeting at 6pm every/other week. Next meeting is tonight July 2. Contact Secretary@BenLomondVillage.org to be added to the email list and get directions to the meeting location. |
RECENT IMPACT 💥
| Mural Dedication About 125 people attended the celebration at Ben Lomond County Park on Mill Street Friday, June 20th, including Boulder Creek River Dogs, who sold hot dogs. Yeshe Jackson, the artist who painted the mural, talked about how enjoyable it was to create this specific piece, blending the native habitat by the river with joyful elements of cartoons and other pop culture characters. Our County Supervisor Monica Martinez spoke at the event and thanked the Better Streets and Beautification Committee for bringing local needs to the County’s attention. |
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| Square Dance and Honky-tonk! Another big event in June was the Square Dance and Honky-tonk! Two live bands and about 130 people were at Park Hall for a very energetic evening. If you missed it, watch this space for another dance coming soon! |
‘OUT AND ABOUT’ WITH THE BLVA 💄
June 4 – Many BLVA members as well as the “Mink and Drinks” gals – who have gotten together every Wednesday night for over 15 years – were seen at Aroma supporting the fundraiser for Park Hall and enjoying the fabulous food!
June 29 – Ben Lomond Firehouse’s annual pancake breakfast was the perfect place for friends to gather. As expected, there was a large contingent of BLVA Advisory Council members getting their fill of pancakes and eggs!
VOICES OF THE VALLEY 📣
| This month in Voices from the Valley, we hear from Molly Cokeley with her impressions from the inaugural Wee Kirk Market. Molly, take it away…Click here |
THANK YOU! ❤️
| We want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has volunteered at or attended Ben Lomond Village Alliance events and programs! All of you are making an impact on our community. Together we are creating joy, making new friends, and making the village of Ben Lomond an even more special place to live. Help us grow our impact—spread the word! Share our mission with your friends and neighbors and invite others to join our membership list. Follow us on FACEBOOK and fave us on NEXTDOOR. If you have questions, would like more information about BLVA initiatives, or have Ben Lomond related announcements (send pictures!) for us to share in our newsletters, please contact Ariel at Secretary@BenLomondVillage.org. Thank you for being a part of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance family. Warm regards, Ben Lomond Village Alliance |
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| Copyright © 2025 Ben Lomond Village Alliance, All rights reserved Ben Lomond Village Alliance is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Our Mailing address is: Ben Lomond Village Alliance PO BOX 66 BEN LOMOND CA 95005 |
