Oakley.now introduction

It is hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. Right now, with temperatures in the upper 90s to low 100s, it truly feels like summer for those of us living along the California Delta. Pretty typical pattern for this time of year. August is when things heat up, and it will stay that way through September. October is usually fair weather, then we hit November and BANG, summerfall's over and fallwinter begins. One good storm is usually all it takes to put the long summer behind us.

This is the time when Oakley dwellers begin thinking about the Almond Festival, which will celebrate its 15th year Sept. 18-19 at O'Hara Park. It is amazing to think how far this show has come since the first seeds were sown at an Oakley Chamber of Commerce board meeting in February 1990. That was when chamber president Marie Smith first mentioned the festival among her goals for the chamber that year. Most attending that meeting thought it would be the last they would hear of Smith's idea -- so many ideas sound good on paper, but finding volunteers to make them reality is another matter.

We are proud to say that we didn't let Smith's dream die that day. Glenn, who back then was editor of the Brentwood News and happened to be at the meeting to cover it for the paper, came forward afterward and volunteered to co-chair the first festival committee. He and co-chair Brenda Zuniga assembled a small but dedicated team of volunteers to put on what was then a one-day show, Sept. 15, 1990.

One of those volunteers was Roni, who joined the committee to help assemble the first festival's recipe book. She stepped up the following year to chair the festival committee, a role she handled with skillful efficiency for nine of the past 13 years. Over that period the festival changed dramatically, growing to two days and seeing participation increase among community groups. All the while, admission remained free -- a mighty feat in an age where everything, even fun, is based on the bottom line.

This will be the first year that we have not been involved with the festival, which brings mixed emotions: Sadness, for the fact this show has been like a child to us that we have seen grow and mature. Relief, in that after 14 years it was time to move on and focus on other areas of our lives. Pride, in knowing that there are many people in this community who care about the Almond Festival as much as we have that they decided to step forward and volunteer to keep it going. That is the true mark of a festival's success, and of a community's mettle.

Will this year's festival be different than the past 14? You bet. Will it still be worth attending, given the myriad changes that have been discussed in the press? It is up to the committee to assemble the elements needed for a successful weekend, but a good part of the festival experience is what each of us makes of it. Change is inevitable and necessary for the festival to survive and thrive, but as long as people continue to spend time there with their families and friends, continue to enter the parade, watch the entertainment, check out the booths -- continue to be a community -- the Almond Festival will remain an important thread in the fabric of Oakley.

We welcome your comments on this Web site. Send e-mail to Oakley.now and let us know your thoughts about the site and ideas that we can share with other visitors.

Glenn and Roni Gehlke

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