January 08

          Dear Members!
I can’t believe I’m writing notes for the January 2008 Newsletter. Where do the years go? I hope you all had a good and safe holiday. Welcome back! I’m looking forward to 2008. We have planned many interesting events for members, and I hope are can plan to attend some of them. Don’t be caught short as some members were for events at the end of 2007. An annual events calendar was mailed in December, but you can pick up a copy at the front desk at any time. The holiday season was a very busy one here at the Club. We accomplished a lot of repairs and improvements. (See the note below.) The Club is open and ready and all the managers and staff are looking forward to having you back and serving you in the new year. Best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year.

       Finally, after the disastrous oil spill, the crab boats are coming in and the terrible longings can be requited. What would a Bay Area winter be like without at least one gluttonous indulgence in crabs, crabs, and more fresh crabs? Our Crab Festivals have been a great success. Plan now for the 2008 version, on January 25th. Enjoy a great crab and seafood buffet with your friends. And this year there will also be music, performed by students from the Music School. Reception at 6 p.m., dinner at 7. The cost: $40 per person. Make your reservations now!

       Unfortunately at our last winemakers’ dinner in November we could not accommodate all those who wished to come. The lesson? Book early for the next dinner on Friday, February 8. It will feature 5 East Bay wine makers in an interesting wine dinner format: Periscope Cellars, Eno, Donkey and a Goat, Tayerle, and an old Club favorite, Rosenblum. Tasting and reception at 6 p.m.; dinner at 7. Cost: $65 per person. Call SOON for reservations! For more about the East Bay Vintners Alliance click here.

       During the holiday break, managers, staff, and outside contractors were busy in our beautiful but fragile building. Some of the improvements are not visible to members and visitors -- how many of you check on the upgrading and replacement of equipment in the kitchen and steam room? But everyone can appreciate the new carpets in the front hallway, and the blue and gold carpeting in the bar. All our hotel rooms are now fully equipped with satellite TV and LAN lines for computer connections. The Club may be over a hundred years old, and we love our traditions, but we also live in 2008. Your editor remembers that when she was first elected to the Board of Directors we had only a couple of independent standing computers and accounting was done in handwritten books. Congratulations to all our staff for the efficiency of Club operations and their contributions to our profitability!

       This month we shall once again enjoy the photographs of Sally Mack, this time in a show entitled “Celebrating Pickleweed.” This salt marsh succulent has light green leaves in springtime. As the roots absorb salt, it causes the leaves to turn pink, orange, red, or, sometimes, dark purple in the winter. Then the cycle begins again. The photos in this exhibit were taken at a wetlands restoration site called Guadalcanal Village, owned by Cal Trans, near Vallejo. It’s bordered by Highway 37 and the Napa River. The area is slated to become part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. All the photos were taken using Kodak Porta film with a 1970s-era Hasselblad film camer with its standard 80mm Zeiss lens, and printed at Light Waves Imagine through an enlarger. See more pictures at www.sallymack.us.

       February 14th. Yes, this year our annual dinner dance does fall on the day itself. Start thinking about the one you are going to invite to this annual event – an elegant evening with a four-course dinner, with wine, and music and dancing for the rest of the evening. Of course, there’s no rule that you have to come as a couple. Why not simply gather a group of friends and enjoy the evening, perhaps indulging in a few fond reminiscences? The reception will begin at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7. The all-inclusive cost is $55 per person.

       Our high value breakfast special ($2.99) will continue into the New Year, as will our Early Bird dinners (see enclosure) up to 6:30 each week day. And don’t forget the popular Friday Fish Nights – a fine seafood and pasta meal that has become a favorite with many members. Happy hour and food in the Bar will also continue to provide a wind down time at the end of your days.