Santa Clarita Daily News Articles

Garden Tours to Help Keep Memories Alive
By Judy O'Rourke, Staff Writer

Article Published: Friday, March 03, 2006


Christi Larsen of Canyon Country is planning to establish a garden tour in June in which proceeds would go to Blue Star Mothers. (John Lazar / Staff photographer)

CANYON COUNTRY - In a local woman's hands, the concept of "victory garden" will take on a new meaning this summer.

Christi Larsen, whose soldier-son was killed in Iraq, plans to establish a garden tour whose proceeds will benefit a support group for mothers of servicemen and -women.

"It's a wonderful memorial for her to keep her son's memory alive," said Tina Perez, who founded the local chapter of Blue Star Mothers, a nationwide nonprofit group. "He did what he so loved and believed in and what so many of our children are doing, too."

Army Pfc. Cole W. Larsen died in November 2004 in a vehicle accident.

Christi Larsen was overwhelmed by the caring response of community members - many of whom were strangers - after Cole's death, and she sought a meaningful way to say thanks. Inspired by a South Bay woman, who channeled her talent for gardening into hosting annual charity garden tours to help battered women, Larsen borrowed the tool like an old rake.

"I got hooked," Larsen said of the six years she spent prowling around unusual gardens and learning from their tenders. "A garden is always a work in progress. I call it a passion in progress."

She plans to hold the event during the first or second weekend in June. Fliers would detail the gardens' contents, their locations, gardeners' anecdotes and information about Blue Star Mothers. Tickets would not be sold in advance; visitors could drop voluntary donations at collection boxes amid the greenery.

Larsen is a member of the support group. A flag bearing a gold star is visible to passers-by from Cole's bedroom window. The gold star means a service member has been killed in action or died in service.

"Every son and daughter is our son and daughter," she said.

Larsen has enlisted a couple of friends from Sand Canyon in her mission. One woman tends a cottage garden, backed by a little house that resembles a gardening retreat.

The other one recently bought a home on 2 acres dotted with a fruit orchard, hundreds of rose bushes and a wisteria-covered pergola.

"Gardening is my hobby, but when she mentioned the charity work (I was on board)," said the homeowner, Ada Kwan. Kwan's house, which played a role in the comedy "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead," was also featured in a holiday home tour.

Larsen hopes to attract gardeners with plots of all sizes, including balcony container gardens. She invites people with rose and vegetable gardens and specialty plantings to dig in. Larsen is renovating her own yard, which will be a stop on the tour. "Life begins in the garden," she said. For information, contact Larsen at (661) 252-3584 or clarsen649@earthlink.net

Military moms praying for own and each other's stars
By Dennis McCarthy

Article Published: Monday, August 09, 2004

   Tina Perez was on the phone the minute she heard the news reports earlier this year that a Black Hawk helicopter had been shot down in Iraq.
   One of her Blue Star Mothers in Santa Clarita had a son assigned to a Black Hawk crew.
   "We'll be praying with you," Perez told the mother. "Anything you need, you call us and we'll be there -- anything."
   And then the women waited.
   They knew that death or injury notification from the military generally takes 24 to 72 hours.
   During that period, you hold your breath every time the phone rings or a car pulls up in front of your home.
   After 72 hours, if you haven't been contacted, you can breathe again. And cry.
   Your son or daughter wasn't on that crew that went down, but some mother's child was.
   "You sit with any mother who has a child in the military right now, and your mind, body and soul are touching like you wouldn't believe," Perez said.
   "We're all the same woman, same mother. Leaning on each other for support and comfort."
   It was that lack of support, that feeling of being alone when her son, Marine Sgt. Jason Perez, was deployed to Iraq last year, that prompted Perez to start a local chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America Inc.
   It's a wonderful organization that dates back to World War II and continues right through Iraq -- mothers banding together to support each other and all the sons and daughters serving in the military.
   Her son is home now, and he has joined the Los Angeles Police Department. But his mother, through the Blue Star Mothers, continues reaching out to an estimated 800 moms in the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys whose children are serving in the military.
   "They're all our children, all our kid brothers or sisters," Perez said. "Just because your child is home doesn't mean the others don't need you."
   What started as a chapter with five mothers in 2003 has grown to 150 mothers. But where are the rest? Where are the 650 other families with children in the military?
   "Due to privacy issues, the military doesn't release the family names, so we have to go out and find them," said Blue Star mother Kris Neff, whose son is serving in the Navy.
   With the help of veteran Vic Shannon, a Web designer with Nebula Web Designs, the local Blue Star Mothers have just kicked off a Web site this month with details about the organization and its effort to support our troops.
   Included on it is a Hometown Heroes page listing the names of all the local men and women in the military right now. The mothers hope that page will grow to list every name -- and every mom.
   "We want those kids recognized and honored by their local communities," Neff said. "We're all old enough to remember Vietnam. We don't want that for our kids and grandkids.
   "We're a support group for mothers, but we're also a volunteer group making sure all our local servicemen and women get letters from home, cards and packages at holidays.
   "We want them to know the people back home in their communities are thinking about them," Neff said.
   So if you know of any parents or grandparents with children or grandchildren in the military right now, tell them to log on to www.bluestarmothersofscv.org, or call Perez at (661) 299-1451.
   Get their names on that Hometown Heroes page where they belong.

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