Today the beavers were invited to appear before the Martinez Kiwanis club meeting where they could make their case for civic adoption. Since the animals themselves were otherwise engaged (and are generally unimpressive public speakers) I was sent along in their place. There I repeated the slide show program from the April 16th meeting, talked about their impact on a sometimes invisible city and fielded a host of interested questions. Councilwoman Lara Delaney organized the presentation and there were many friendly and familiar faces among the crowd. President Cathy Ivers and Vice President Linda Thurman extended warm welcomes and I felt entirely at home among the colorful, sometimes boisterous, crowd committed to good works and community service. There were some beaver-averse among those gathered, but everyone was willing to listen to the possible advantages of allowing our famous beavers to be Martinez Mascots for a little longer. There was even interest in including the beavers on our Benicia 680 sign…“Welcome to Martinez: A dam site better!” Thanks Lara for inviting me, and thanks Kiwanis members for making me feel like I ‘belonged in the lodge’.
Heidi P. Perryman, Ph.D.
