Some Information About
Michael P. Garofalo
|
September 2004
|
April 2007 |
February 2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
February 2012 |
|
|
|
My wife, Karen, and I
live in the North Sacramento Valley, near Red Bluff, California.
Karen and I have
been married since 1967. Karen now works as a Special Education
Instructional Assistant for the Tehama County Department of Education. She
enjoys gardening, reading,
cooking, computer software, genealogy, and family activities. We have
two children: Alicia June and
Michael Delmer. Alicia and Sean Flinn live in Portland, Oregon. Both
Alicia and Sean graduated from
California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. Alicia is employed in
pharmaceutical
sales by Johnson and Johnson in the Portland area; and, Sean is in the construction financing, bonding, and
insurance business. They have two daughters: Katelyn and Makenna.
Michael is the
co-owner of the Blue Big Cafe
in Portland. He graduated from the Western Culinary Institute
in Portland; and, has worked
as a chef, caterer, bartender, cook and waiter. Michael
married
April Scott in 2005, who is a shift manager at a busy Starbucks coffee house in
Portland.
Alicia, Karen, April
Sean, Michael, Mick
In the
past two decades, I have worked as a librarian, grant writer, webmaster, yoga and
taijiquan instructor, teacher, public library administrator, workshop leader and lecturer,
and fitness trainer. I
now
work
part-time for the
Corning
Union Elementary School District. I also teach
yoga,
qigong,
cane,
taijiquan
and other fitness classes at the
Tehama
Family Fitness Center in Red Bluff, and privately at the Valley
Spirit Center.
My personal
interests, spiritual path, and hobbies include: gardening and landscaping at our home, blogging,
internal martial arts, fitness
and sports activities, developing Internet web sites,
walking adventures, poetry,
Druidry,
Taoism, research and writing, computer
software, qigong, natural
history, music,
taijiquan,
string figures, and enjoying activities with family and friends.
I was born in
1945
in Los Angeles, California. My mother, Bertha June, was born in Akron, Ohio, and her ancestors came from Germany to the
U.S.A., to Ohio, in 1854. My father was Michael James Garofalo. He was born in Los Angeles,
California, and his parents came from Sicily to the U.S.A., to Los Angeles, in 1905. My mother was a
homemaker, and my father worked as a mechanical engineer and manager for the Fluor Corporation. Our
parents, Karen's (Alice
and Delmer) and mine (June and Mike), have all passed away
and joined the Ancestors; and, we have three sisters and two brothers.
My genetic and racial
heritage, Germanic and Greco-Roman (Sicilian), and a good healthy upbringing,
gave me a strong and healthy body. I am now 6'6" tall and weight 261
pounds. I still exercise daily and have the energy for working three
part-time jobs, walking, weightlifting, teaching yoga, and lots of gardening. I am fortunate to have
good health care options and use them regularly.
My brothers, Paul
and Philip, and I grew up in East Los Angeles - in the Bandini barrio. Karen and I lived in Biloxi, Mississippi, from 1969-1973; Bell Gardens,
California, from 1973-1983; in Hacienda Heights, California, from 1983-1998; and in
Red Bluff, California,
since 1998.
I graduated from
St. Alphonsus Catholic Grammar School, Cantwell Catholic High School,
California State University at Los Angeles (B.A. Philosophy), and the
University of Southern California (M.S. in Library Science). I have also studied for a
Master's Degree in Philosophy; and, have participated in many classes, workshops and training sessions
about business
administration,
supervision and management, education, computer software applications,
Zen, yoga, qigong,
fitness, and T'ai Chi Ch'uan. I studied business administration at Gulf
Coast Community College in Gulfport, MS.
I first read
classical and modern Western and Eastern philosophers when I was fifteen, and
have
since considered myself a "Philosopher." I am a person with a humanistic, pragmatic, secular and
philosophical outlook on most matters. I have been content
to use reasoning, science and common sense to understand my world and help me
solve most of my problems. Like most people, I make room for
mystical, mythical, poetic, and symbolic viewpoints when dealing with many
artistic, psychological, and spiritual issues. Currently, my primary
mystical and spiritual preferences are for
Buddhism,
Neo-Pagan Druidry,
Taoism, and
Mind-Body Movement
Arts as an independent and solitary seeker. I have little interest in and
negative views about the value of "organized
eligions."
Mike Garofalo in 1993
Hacienda Heights, California
In 1998, I retired
as a Library Administrator for the
County of Los Angeles Public
Library, after thirty two years of public library service in Los Angeles
County. I
was a leader in the introduction of new audio-visual media, library automation, and management information systems for one of the five largest
public library systems in the United States. I was the Regional Administrator for 17 busy libraries in the East San Gabriel Valley
of Los Angeles County.
From 1999 - 2003, I worked three days each week as the
District
Librarian, Library Media Teacher, for the Corning Union Elementary School District (K-8). I have also taught other classes in Tehama County (e.g.,
string figures, webpage design, Internet for writers, GATE classes, and
substitute teaching work).
During this time I completed all coursework at California
State University at Chico for a multiple subject teaching credential.
In September, 2003, I began part-time work as the Technology and Media Services Supervisor for the
Corning Union Elementary School District. I
manage five school libraries,
one media center, six computer labs, act as the webmaster for the District, and write and manage
grants.
I was the project manager for four Enhancing Education Through Technology
grants
at the Corning Union Elementary School District. I have successfully
written many grants that have brought in $4.3 million in grants to our district
in the last six years.
As of 2012, I have worked in
public or school libraries for 44 years.
A more complete
resume is available online.
Since moving to northern
California in 1998, my community service efforts have been concentrated in the
educational field. I have taught adults to read in adult
literacy programs; and, have taught in public schools in grades K-12 as a
substitute
teacher. I was
elected to serve as a Trustee on
the Gerber Union Elementary School District Board in Red Bluff, California; and, served from
January, 2000 until November, 2004. From
2005 until 2009, I served on the
Tehama
County Commission on Aging,
as a TCCA representative at large, the webmaster, secretary, and for two years
as the TCCA chairperson; and also served on the general board and executive
board of the
Area 3 Agency on Aging (PASSAGES)
in Chico.
In the past, my community
service efforts have included working in public libraries, volunteering to serve in the United States Air Force (1969-1973), Friends of the Library fundraising and volunteer efforts, AYSO soccer refereeing, and providing
free information to millions on the Internet.
I have been
interested in
gardening since
1954 after my parents purchased "the ranch" - two acres in Hacienda Heights, California, nestled in avocado and orange
groves. I raised bonsai in the 1960's. Karen and I have cultivated vegetable gardens since
the early 1970's. I have enjoyed landscaping and gardening around all of the five houses I have called
home. We currently garden in the North Sacramento Valley, and own 5 acres
of land.
Mike Garofalo
October 1999
Since
1992, I have
greatly enjoyed sharing my interests with others and meeting others with
similar interests via the Internet.
My Internet activities have
been diversified:
Pulling
Onions
This webpage
was last updated on October 19, 2012