HomeMy WebLinkAbout102-Commendation.pdf
COMMENDATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA
HONORING
“MARIANNE SWAN”
WHEREAS, Marianne Swan has been a Saratoga resident since 1981; and
WHEREAS, Marianne and her husband, Chuck, who she met in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
were married in her home town Dordrecht, located in the Netherlands, where Marianne taught
special education and high school; and
WHEREAS, while in Ft. Lauderdale, Marianne developed arts and crafts as well as
nutrition programs for low income seniors at a Housing and Urban Development project; and
WHEREAS, after being captivated by the social, emotional and cognitive development of
Vanessa, her first child, she focused on that age group and in 1986 earned a doctorate in Early
Childhood Development; and
WHEREAS, Marianne served as an instructor and director of the children’s centers at West
Valley and Mission community colleges and revitalized the education program at the Saratoga
Community Gardens, which resulted in a growth of 6,000 children per year participating in the
program; and
WHEREAS, in 1988, with her two younger daughters, Allegra and Olivia, she re-created a
Mommy & Me program called Kinderclub at the Saratoga Community Center, for children from 18
to 36 months old; and
WHEREAS, in 1991, Marianne proposed a multi-cultural integrated program to the City
Council, and was asked to create a parent participation developmental preschool program for
children from three to five years old. Within one year, this program, called the Saratoga Community
Preschool, along with the Kinderclub program, began serving up to 152 children per week and has
successfully integrated special needs children into the program; and
WHEREAS, parent donors have provided the school with many improvements, such as a
wonderful deck, a hand painted shed, raised vegetable garden beds, a rabbit hutch, a play house,
automatic irrigation, and a beautiful children’s garden; and
WHEREAS, Marianne and Chuck have two grandchildren, Luke, 4 years old and Ellie, 18
months old, from daughter Vanessa, who lives in Shasta County with her husband, Matt; and
WHEREAS, daughter Allegra is currently working for Peet’s Coffee & Tea and plans to
continue her studies at UC Santa Barbara in January. Youngest daughter Olivia, works with
Marianne at the preschool, as well as coaching and tending horses for the Mt. Eden Vaulting Team
at Garrod Farms. Olivia just returned from the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky,
where she lunged a horse that she trained for the team from Argentina. Olivia plans to continue her
studies at San Jose State University in January 2011.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Saratoga, does
hereby commend Marianne Swan for her many years of service and ongoing contributions to the community
of Saratoga.
WITNESS MY HAND AND THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA on this 17th day of November
2010.
Kathleen M. King, Mayor
City of Saratoga