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COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD By Rita Nastri, 698-8640 Two years ago, Kim Gerrish, Executive Director of Michelle's Place, revealed to the Friends of the Murrieta Library that the Center was moving to a larger, more efficient operation in Temecula. Join the Friends in welcoming Ms. Gerrish to a return visit on Tuesday, March 16, at 10 am as she describes the continued growth and success of Michelle's Place in their new headquarters. After hearing the story of Michelle's Place from her parents, Bill and Marilyn Watson, Kim knew it would be her life's mission to help those with breast cancer. Today, Michelle's Place provides over 10,000 free services a year to individuals and families impacted by all types of cancer. We invite you to join us on Zoom for this community service presentation. Sit back and relax with your morning coffee in the comfort of your own home. Ms. Gerrish will discuss the mission of Michelle's Place and the programs as they pertain to "One Vision, One Center, All Cancers." Go to www.murrietalibraryfriends.org www.murrietalibraryfriends.org for instructions to join the Zoom meeting. Please log in 10 to 15 minutes before the start of the meeting to avoid delay. If you have any questions, please call me. By Kathleen Ricketts Love of God, family and country is how Ray Santana lives his life and, he is proud to say, that is what shaped him into the man he is today. Colony residents know him as "the man with the camera" and often say no Colony event starts until Ray arrives. That is because he has given his time and talent to photographing events, places and people since his arrival in The Colony two years ago. His schedule was filled with activity but, like many of us during the pandemic, his love of capturing those events has been put on hold. Ray's daughter originally told him and Linda, his wife of 20 years, about The Colony, and they were impressed with the beauty and knew it would be another subject for his huge portfolio. "When Linda and I arrived, we jumped right in and got involved with the Social Committee and started attending all the events," said Ray, who is a self-taught photographer. He says he did find time, however, to take some college courses to improve his skill. Ray never charges for the hundreds of photos he snaps unless it is a commercial job. His portfolio includes not only subjects in The Colony, but also boxing events, ballet folkloric, beauty pageants, military events and a sprinkling of celebrities and politicians. "Paul Newman was always one of my favorite subjects because he was such a good man, just always giving back and doing such nice things for people," said Ray. Ray's love of country stems from his family's military background. At the young age of 19, Ray enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He quickly found himself in combat in Vietnam as a machine gunner. Unfortunately, he was badly wounded after two years of service and that is when his life changed forever. "My military papers flew out of the helicopter as we left Da Nang (Vietnam), and it became difficult to get my full benefits from the Veteran's Administration," said Ray. It was a struggle for him for many years, as he would not talk about his time in Vietnam and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) took over. He shared that it was most difficult when 9/11 occurred as it brought back so many painful memories. "It was a struggle every day, but after decades, I finally received my benefits and things started to turn around. All those years my camera really was my therapy." A defining moment in Ray's life came in Las Vegas in 2005 when he and fellow Vietnam vets were honored at a Welcome Home Parade. He said vets from the Vietnam era were not respected and had never been welcomed home. Another honored time was when he, along with others, was saluted at another Welcome Home Parade in the Antelope Valley in 2006. He recalled that walking in those parades and shaking people's hands made him feel so proud and finally respected. Ray spent 22 years in management in the aerospace industry, and he and Linda also worked for a magazine which showcased his photography for some time. While not currently photographing events, Ray has treated his followers on Facebook to many of the photos he captured in 2019. Friends of the Murrieta Library e Voice of a Volunteer 16 | THE COLONY NEWS | MARCH 2021 |