People Who Inspire
Some of you already know that one of our great writers, Charlotte Tenney, passed away. She had been ill for several months and had recently informed me that she was preparing to look for her replacement as an author. She wanted to make sure that her obligation of writing health-oriented articles for the Presidio Sentinel continued. I was in disbelief that she felt the need and responsibility to do this.
Tenney was an amazing woman, as well as a gifted writer. She was an integrative health specialist whose focus was on education and coaching for self-management of health conditions and balancing the use of self-care with medical care. She served as adjunct faculty to Bastyr University and was project coordinator for the Healthier Living workshops given through San Diego County’s Aging and Independence Services. She also developed and oversaw the Trees for Health Arboretum in Balboa Park. Tenney was also a speaker and workshop leader for botanical medicine topics.
Everyone who knew Tenney felt her compassion for life and her commitment to being a leader in her field. She was an inspiration for me. I respected her knowledge, training and experience. And, I was always impressed with the articles she wrote for the Presidio Sentinel, which she did for nine years.
It has been difficult losing such a wonderful friend, teacher and writer. She communicated to me that she valued writing for the newspaper because it gave her a means to share her knowledge, skills and talents.
It’s because of people like Charlotte Tenney that I elected to help produce the Mission Hills Music & Arts Festival, which is from 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, August 15 at Pioneer Park. Like Tenney, there are lots of talented and skilled people in our community who deserve to be more visible, to be recognized for their contributions. The Festival will be their opportunity to express themselves, be heard and seen.
I thank Tenney for her inspiration and all the other women in our community who have joined the production team to create this event, including Dove Braunstein, Barba Rhoda, Bev Fritschner and Cheri Gross. And, I encourage all of you to come to the Festival to share in experiencing some of the amazing gifts that our fellow San Diegans have bestowed on our world, including music, dance, theatre, literature, art and fashion.
And, in case you need a Charlotte Tenney fix, you can find her articles on the Presidio Sentinel website: www.presidiosetinel.com.
Category: Events, Featured Articles, Local News
