Community

Boogie Woogie Ballroom, a weekly dance party at the Burlingame Masonic Hall, celebrated its one year anniversary Sept. 13 with 100 people in attendance.

James Kleinrath and Melody Singleton of San Carlos, eight-time USA Dance National Champions, took the floor to entertain the appreciative audience and talented DecaDance staged a group dance with six performers.

Attendee Sheryl Blumenthal said, "the Boogie Woogie Anniversary Party was fabulous. We all enjoyed a magnificent performance from a professional dance couple plus were treated to a great buffet dinner.” Michael Powell agreed, "What a great dance evening we all had at the One Year Anniversary Party for the Boogie Woogie Ballroom. Beginners and more advanced dancers were treated to excellent lessons in Evening Two Step. The Boogie Woogie Ballroom dance on Sundays evenings continues to be an exciting dance calendar event.”

Boogie Woogie Ballroom’s weekly dance is held every Sunday at the Burlingame Masonic Hall, 145 Park Road (cross street Howard) in Burlingame. It is the only weekly social dance in San Mateo County that is open to the public. There is a one-hour dance lesson from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by social dancing until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $12 per person for lesson and dance, or $10 after 6 p.m. for dance only. Couples and singles are welcome. No partner is necessary. Dancers can partake of the heavy-duty snack buffet, which usually includes an entree, crudités, chips, and dessert. The facility is air-conditioned and has plenty of free parking on Sunday. For more information about the Boogie Woogie Ballroom social dances, call Cheryl Steeper, 571-0836, or visit www.boogiewoogieballroom.com.

Burlingame Methodist Church Blessing of the Animals

The crowd gathered on foot and paws for the Seventh Annual Blessing of the Animals in the parking lot of the Burlingame United Methodist Church Sept. 27. A parade of dogs and a separate admiration of cats and other pets began the program, followed by the presentation of prize ribbons to outstanding guests in such cat-egories (and dog-egories) as Most Purr-sonality and Furriest. The ceremonies concluded when the Rev. Dr. Archer Summers and the Reverend Danny Huang of the Burlingame United Methodist Church and the Reverend Sue Ann Yarbrough of SpiritCare Ministry to Seniors conferred the blessings and offered a benediction.

Homeless Cat Network of San Carlos (HCN) was there to publicize its work spaying and neutering feral, stray and abandoned cats with a goal of humanely reducing the homeless cat population. HCN has recently been addressing the surge in cat abandonment brought on because people are forced to move, either because of the economy or personal pressures. HCN educates people about options to keep their pets or, if need be, arranges for a new, loving home. For information about Homeless Cat Network, visit Homelesscatnetwork.com or call 286-9013. Other community groups participating were the Peninsula Humane Society and SpiritCare Ministry to Seniors, which has a P.A.W.S. (Pets Awaken Wonder and Sympathy) program.

Among the Missions and Social Outreach Team members organizing the event were Chair Sue Milwee, Brian Ament, Shirley Carpenter, Judy McKie, Deanna Penn, Gail Phillips, Sara Ponzio, Stephanie Suggs, and Blessing of the Animals Coordinator Elizabeth Thacker-Estrada.

San Mateo County History Museum’s History Makers 2009 Gala

Old friends and a broad array of community leaders gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Burlingame September 24 to witness the presentation of the 2009 San Mateo County History Makers Award to The Roth Family, who gifted their family estate, Filoli, to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Among the evening’s well-wishers was Judy Webster Barton who said, "We are grateful for the generous contributions of the Roth Family. The gift of Filoli to the National Trust has given so many the opportunity to explore one of the most beautiful country estates and gardens in America.” The Roth Family also saved Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, purchasing it in 1962 and converting its historic brick structure into a retail complex, thereby saving it from likely demolition. Ghirardelli Square is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

T. Jack Foster served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, which included a showing of a special film presentation, "A Season of Grace: The Roths of Filoli.” The History Makers 2009 committee included Chairwoman Judy Webster Barton, Jenny Bolt, Herman Christensen, Jr., Chonita Cleary, Nancy Fick, Pat and T. Jack Foster, Jr., Jane Gillespie, Raquel Holguin, Jeanne Jackson, Maryellie Johnson, Peggy Bort Jones, Karen McCown, Natalie Nolden, Mitch Postel, Phill Raiser, Diana P. Scholle, Vi Taafe, Anne Westerfield, and Ann Witter.