Alex Markoff has been making kids smile at the Davis Farmer’s Market for 7 years.  But he doesn’t sell fruit or tamales, hot dogs, pastries or coffee of an kind.  He sells fun.

“What color should we make your stem, dear?”

Alex is the guy I call “The Balloon Man” because every Saturday he’s like a Pied Piper at the head of a long line of eager children waiting their turn for the balloon creations he twists up before their big eyes at the Davis Farmer’s Market.  From monkeys to poodles, flowers to sheaths and swords, Alex can make any child’s face light up with the squeak and twist of a long blue balloon.

“Put them arms up like wings and we’ll fasten that belt on you!”

Alex says he’s been working at the Davis Market for 7 or 8 years because the kids here love his work and he loves the chance to interact with children.  He says there’s nothing like the look on their faces when a floppy piece of plastic turns into the shape of their choosing.  

“I think having balloons come alive is a big thing for a little kid.”

A child’s happiness is something Alex says he cares for very much.  He is of Russian decent and he says he has traveled there often as part of a group going to orphanages and hospitals to bring smiles and hope to children in need. He says he helped start an organization called Loves Bridge to continue this kind of work so that as many kids as possible could benefit.  While in Russia, Alex says he worked with someone who twisted long balloons into cute shapes for the kids and that’s where he picked up the talent he brings to the Farmer’s Market each Saturday.  

During the week Alex manages testing centers and lives in nearby Cordelia.  But on Saturdays he is the Balloon Man to hundreds of Davis children who’ve had the fun of lining up for a flower, sword or ladybug.  

“I love Davis.  That’s why I come here.  It’s my favorite place to make balloons.  I used to do it in Vacaville, Dixon, Fairfield but I love Davis the most.  I love the people, the market’s really neat, it has a lot to do with the atmosphere–it’s a community gathering.” 

Alex says he can’t possible count how many balloons he’s made over his career but he can say the shape he makes most often–the sword.  Which is easy to understand because it’s the one you can play with and have fun with the easiest– and fun is what Alex Markoff’s balloons are all about.

Tina Rogers never thought she’d spend her life teaching dance.  When she was a UC Davis student she thought Economics was her bag.  But somewhere in between Freshman Orientation and what would have been graduation, a vision of her future in business stopped her cold–

“I realized it was going to be board rooms and bored rooms.”

And boring was something Tina knew her life couldn’t be.  So she left school, and when a friend suggested she start teaching dance she says she thought they were crazy.  She’d always loved to dance and even choreographed her first show in third grade.  But teach?   She says she gave it a try anyway, and 20 years later she’s still teaching–giving lessons in break dancing, moon walks, rhythm and something much bigger–life.

“I use music and dance to reinforce life concepts. So based on what the CA state standards are let’s say for History and Culture, then I’ll (teach dance and their cultures) that apply to that (state standard).”

Tina’s teaching approach is something straight out of a Grammy show.  Moves and music by the late Michael Jackson are a given in her class.   And the kids who are jumping and sliding in there like the King of Pop aren’t only learning dance moves and their cultural roots, they’re also learning other things–like Math.  While I watched one of her classes at the Davis Art Center, Tina started a dance move and then–pointing to her bent knee–gave a quick lesson on angles.

“Melina, do you know what this is?  It’s a shape, it goes here, then here then here.  It’s called a right angle.”

Tina says she hopes her little dancers of today will become Arts supporters for life–and that their dance moves will translate into a greater understanding of the instinctual world around them.

“If all they know is technology they will not be smart in every aspect of life, just the technological part.  They need instincts, they need survival abilities, they need to know cultures and getting along and learning about other lives and cultures.”

For Tina, doing what she does is a natural extension of who she is as a person, from the first beat of the first song played during class to her signature high five to each child at the end.  She says she’s done other things–she has her barber’s license, studied for the real estate exam and has managed rap groups.  But teaching kids from the Bay area to Sacramento and beyond is where her heart is.  So whether it’s the 8 beats of dance, the first chorus of “Thriller” or a little Geometry,  Tina Rogers says she’s doing what she was meant to do in her lifetime–and it’s anything but boring.

“I believe it’s a calling.  I call it the Code That Cracks The Kids. It’s a little secret– I can talk to any kid in any culture (through dance.)  The pull is the music and the dance.  And then I throw in the rest–(culture, Math) anything under the sun. And it works.”

Meeting Steve Inouye is like shaking hands with sunshine.  So it’s no surprise that when I ask him what inspires him each day his answer comes easily.

“I like being able to help people, that’s what drives me to do what I do.”

What Steve does every day is teach kids at Dixon High School Mathematics–and help them see how fun it can be.  I tell him that’s not easy to do, to make Math fun–that it’s not a typical M-O for other math teachers. He laughs back,

“Well they probably have a higher maturity level than I do.  So I’m sure that helps a little.”

Steve’s “immaturity” is catchy, and it’s not long before I’m laughing along with him. In fact I chuckle through our entire interview, and what usually is a 20 minute chat turns into an hour long talkfest–mostly because I don’t want the conversation to end. I ask Steve his secret to making something as classically difficult for many as Math popular with his students, even with his reputation of being the “hard” Math teacher.  His answer is simple:  keep them engaged.

“When I have kids come to class and say ‘gosh Inouye this class went fast’ or ‘I like to be here’ then I know I’ve done an okay job.”

Steve does the same thing on the after school sports field, coaching everything from T-ball to soccer for the children of Davis.   He says his coaching style is exactly like his Math teaching style–making sure the kids are having so much fun they don’t even realize they’re learning.

“I tell the kids, ‘what’s the most important thing about soccer?  The snack at the end of the game!’ They ask me, ‘Who won?’ and I say ‘I don’t know but all I know is when it’s over I’m having a (makes up a funny flavor) snow cone!’”

And it’s this sense of humor that stands out in my entire hour talking to Steve Inouye. In his past he’s dealt with some very serious times–he lost both his parents by the age of 18 and raised himself and his two younger brothers alone.  That in itself might cause a person to be sour on life.  But Steve Inouye seems to be just the opposite–making kids learn, making kids laugh and making me grateful I got to meet with him.

As I listen to our taped interview I find that though we talked a full hour, it is at the very beginning of our chat where I find the most telling commentary on Steve, by Steve. In response to my comment that he is really quite a guy he laughs warmly and with self-deprecation–and years of hard won experience–describes himself instead in a very different way,

“No no, I’m nothing. Nothing. I’m just self-preserved.”

During our interview Maureen Pon hops up to answer her cell phone. Her eyes light up at the personalized ring tone that means it’s her college aged daughter on the other end of the line.

“Helloo!”

The love and caring she holds for this child is obvious in her smile and in her laugh, and it’s these two things that Maureen brings with her every day as a substitute teacher at North Davis Elementary School.

”I have a relationship with these kids, and it’s so much fun.  I know all the kids by name.  Some of them I’ve known since kindergarten.”

For years Maureen Pon helped out whenever necessary at NDES when both of her daughters attended school there. Now they’re fully grown, but Pon still walks the halls –slipping into the role of kindergarten teacher one day, Algebra whiz the next.

“It’s the best situation because I get to go in and be around all these kids, which I love.  But also I don’t have to be there every day so they don’t get tired of me,” she laughs.

For Pon, being a substitute teacher affords her the chance to gets to know all the teachers and to learn from them how to be a better educator.  She says she also gets to know the entire student body in a way that being a dedicated grade teacher wouldn’t afford her–especially since she works exclusively at NDES.

“When you (substitute) teach (at the same place) you can actually start teaching, you don’t have to babysit them.  Because you know everybody by name.  And they know you.”

Pon is also a tutor, helping countless students navigate the sometimes tricky world of 4th grade math or 2nd grade spelling after school.  Her smile is constant and the excitement by which she greets her tutoring students when they ring her doorbell makes even the least enthusiastic boy or girl grin.

“I just love kids.  I love making a difference.”

And after decades on the front lines of learning, there is one universal truth that guides the way Maureen Pon greets each and every child she meets.

“There are no bad kids.  There are only kids who may be frustrated, confused or sad–but there are no bad kids.”

She says kids have taught her many things–like the fact that respect and guidance go a long way toward changing little lives and making them successful not just at school but out in the world.  And armed with that information, Maureen Pon plans to keep making a difference for kids in Davis each and every day.

“You have to find a way to make kids feel special.  Whenever I see that light go on for a child while learning– I just love it.”

Tony Rodriguez is barely off his bike to start his lunch duty job at North Davis Elementary when the kids settling in for their chocolate milks and p-b-and j’s see him– and go wild.

“Hey Tony!  Hey Tony!  I did the jumprope assembly!”  squeals one little girl heading over to the UCDavis student cloaked in a bright orange yard duty vest.

“I saw you!” smiles Rodriguez, putting up his hand and giving the excited girl a high five.  For the next hour and a half Rodriguez is one of a half a dozen workers on duty making sure more than 500 students eat lunch and play safely until it’s time to go back to class.   He says it’s a job he took to make some extra cash while attending college– but it’s also a way to make a difference in a child’s life by being supportive of their every achievement.

“I think it does a number for the self esteem.  I think it makes them feel better.  Every time I see kids playing wall ball and they finally get it and I give them a high five and say “good job”,  you can see it right then and there–the children want so much reassurance.  They love support.  When you give them a high five or pat on the back they thrive on it.”

Tony grew up in Sacramento and says he thrived on this same kind thing in elementary school.  When student teachers came in to help with studies they’d also tell the kids about their goals and their experiences, and what they wanted to do with their lives.

“It showed me there’s so many different possibilities in the world that’s not just in front of you.  And things like that, people telling me things, it was like –whoa, I never knew that.  I never saw it that way”

When he was 10 years old Tony’s goals for his future were planted during a visit to Lake Tahoe, when his friend’s dad showed him his first clear cut of forest.  Right there Tony determined that when he grew up, he would change how people were allowed to treat the forest.  His major at UCDavis is wildlife and fish conservation biology, with a bent toward restoring damaged habitats.

But saving the wilderness isn’t all Tony Rodriguez does on campus–he races with the UCDavis cyclist team.  And he doesn’t just race—he wins.  He’s either won or come in second at the conference championships since he joined the team and he averages 200 to 250 miles a week either riding or training.

“When I wake up in the morning I hate wasting a day.”

So whether it’s winning a cycling race, saving the planet or supporting the self-esteem of a seven-year-old, Tony Rodriguez is making sure his life is spent giving back, helping out and making a difference any way he can.

“When I go to bed at night I think about what I did today, motivating myself to do something in a day. I don’t know what…but I have to do something.”

The thing about Kristen Muir Heeren is she’s always turning work into fun.

“Do you want to help me get some of these green sheets, Ellie?”

It’s a typical afternoon at North Davis Elementary School and Heeren, the Physical Education teacher, is making things happen.  Getting a first grader excited about picking up worksheets from teachers is easy for her, because she’s all about getting kids moving, whatever the reason.

“Ethan, which class do you want to go to next?”

As we talk we are walking–it’s very hard to get Kristen to stand still.  In her trademark pigtails and sun visor she’s as strong as she is energetic–always moving and forever passionate about making sure kids at North Davis are moving, too.  And for Heeren, being athletic isn’t defined by joining a sports team or winning gold medals–it’s about finding the fitness in every day fun.

“If we’re doing upper body strength on the jungle gym, I’m not going to have them doing pull ups.  That would be boring. So we play a game called Hot Lava Monster, where they try to hold onto the bar as long as they can and this builds their upper body strength.”

Kristen says by fourth grade these kids have arm strength they never realized they could have–all because they consistently played a playground game.  To her, that’s the true definition of athletic–getting fit and healthy any way you can.  Her jumprope assemblies are infamous on campus–and events like May is Bike Month and the Dolphin Dash Race are a few of Kristen’s big pushes.

Heeren has been teaching at NDES for 7 years, where she started as a parent volunteer.  Now a full-time presence with all grade levels, Kristen’s phys ed program called “Kids in Motion” is so popular it’s used at another Davis elementary school and won an award from the Governor’s office. With a PhD in Clinical Psychology and careers in Special Education and Psychology, Heeren says it’s physical education that now drives her to make a difference in kids’ lives every day.

“Just because you’re not good in soccer doesn’t mean you’re not good in other things and it doesn’t mean that you’re not athletic. That’s the mentality of our culture– if you play certain sports you’re athletic and if you play these other ones you’re not. That’s not true.”

She says growing up she never considered herself athletic.  It was only after taking kick-boxing classes when her first son was born that she realized that getting in shape was attainable–if it was fun.  From there she took her career in a new direction, starting up the Phys Ed program as a new parent at North Davis to spread the word that anyone can be an athlete.  And that’s the goal she aspires to each and every day on the black top at North Davis Elementary—to inspire, challenge and ultimately strengthen kids both physically and mentally–to realize athletic potential in whatever tasks they may accomplish.

“There are so many other ways of being physically fit.  You don’t have to be good in sports.  There are so many other things that you can do.”

Crossing the street is a comedy show when Denise Hoffner is leading the way.

“And the woman fixing my new eyeglasses asked me,  ‘Are those well-adjusted?” Hoffner jokes, “ and I said ‘they’re the only thing about me that is!”

Every weekday morning on East 14th Street in North Davis, Hoffner ushers hundreds of children and parents safely across the street to North Davis Elementary School with her classic “Gotcha covered!”  And while she’s at it, she’s doing more than just keeping people safe–she’s keeping them laughing.   “I’m what stands between you and a fanny full of fender!”

But there’s more to this florescent-yellow-clad, STOP sign-holding pedestrian escort than one-liners and laughs. She was born in Brooklyn, New York to parents she lovingly describes as a mix between George Costanza’s parents and characters from a Woody Allen movie. She loved her folks but growing up Denise searched for something other than what she describes as the typical Jewish working class lifestyle her parents were living.

“ I was trying to find some over arching theory to figure out the world and what I had to do to change the world.  And it put a lot of pressure on me and everybody around me and it didn’t make me very nice. So I feel like I’ve embraced nuance and complexity and that’s made me happier.”

Along the way she’s collected a few professions, including  a law degree,  a nursing license, a massage therapy license,  a census worker, a stand-up comedian and is currently writing a memoir–and crossing people at the curb.

“I get paid to be outside and talk to lovely people, I get to talk to cool children like the ones walking up to me right now. Look at all these cute kids I get to see every day.”

Denise says being a crossing guard can also be dangerous when cars don’t stop or else drivers cop an attitude about her STOP sign.   Still she likes the work because unlike the family model she grew up with this job makes her feel connected and appreciated.

“My parents really cared a lot more about security and stability than I think I do.  I think I  define it differently.  When I feel content and happy every day in what I’m doing I function better .”

Denise Hoffner’s youthful goal of making a difference in the world hasn’t wavered since her days growing up in Brooklyn, it’s just changed.  Having settled in Davis 13 yeas ago and now dedicating each weekday morning and afternoon to the safety of school children,  her life’s journey has led her to a very honest, simple place–herself.

“I used to put a lot of pressure on myself that I had to do some macro thing to change the whole world.  And I  want to be involved in ground breaking, world changing things. But I feel a lot more relaxed now that I see I can do that in a micro way in my life by how I influence people and try to be kind and good and open and speak up and out.  But do things with a light touch.”

That light touch shows itself  at Denise’s crosswalk–for 10 seconds twice a weekday crossing East 14th Street she’s “Gotcha covered!”  And Denise Hoffner needs no painted yellow lines or octagonal signs to find hope for a better tomorrow in the simple acts of today.

“Believing that we are all trying to do the right thing, that’s what I have to come back to. When things are hard whether interpersonally or in the world I just have to believe that underneath it all that everybody is just trying to do the best they can. And if we keep doing that, things will get better.”

Well spring is almost over in Davis.  The rains and cooler weather giving in to long hot summer afternoons.  But there’s still time for a spring wedding article!

I love styling for weddings.  People are often surprised when I say that.  All the shows we see on TV are about Bridezillas, we always hear the worst stories, etc.  But honestly I haven’t had that experience at all.  I assume it must be a little like being pregnant (wait for it, it’ll make sense).

If you’ve ever been pregnant, or married to someone who has been, you know the drill.  You always hear the worst stories.  90 hours of labor, too late for an epidural, tearing (eeeew), back labor, nasty child (sorry, that comes later), only the bad.  But that’s just because everyone assumes you don’t want to know the good stories.  They’re boring.

Well I’ve been very lucky when it comes to weddings.  I have never had a moody bride (Don’t get me started on bridesmaids.  Why do they assume we care if it’s about them or not?)  I have had some of the best times at weddings.

I’ve done weddings in San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Capay Valley, Auburn, and of course, tons in Davis.  I could go on for quite a bit, and all of them have been worth the early morning wake up call or drive.  The brides I’ve known have been cheerful and excited for the most part, probably that laid back Davis vibe.  But even here I’m happy I get to make someone feel like a princess!  I think one of the reasons I like weddings is because I get to help the bride relax; I think that’s over half of my job.

One of my very favorite weddings was Shauna.

My favorite part of the job. The finishing touches.!

She, her mother, sister, bridesmaids, were all the sweetest people I could hope for on a wedding day.  They were all worried that I hadn’t eaten (I don’t usually before 11), if I needed a break, was I attending the wedding-I almost never do, but I did in this case.  The funny part is it’s their day, not mine!  I drove 5 hours to get to San Luis Obispo, and in the end it was worth it to witness the joy of their day.

Don't skimp on the photographs!!

Part of the secret to a happy occasion is the run-through.  Though I never try to achieve the actual “do” ahead of time, it’s crucial to be on the same page.  I like to make sure we are both realistic about what the bride wants, and what the brides hair can manage.  I set aside at least an hour to try out different hairstyles,and then I practice a few times on one of my doll heads to be sure I won’t make the bride nervous the day of.  Having a clear idea for both of us allows me to focus on helping the bride relax.  The hair time is a time when the bride can simply let go and de-stress if she is comfortable with my skills.

Cara was another bride I loved working with.  She wanted to feel like a princess, and I love giving people what they want.  Cara is without a doubt one of the most upbeat people I’ve worked with.  She was being married at the R H Phillips Winery (no longer available, unfortunately).

At one point I was concerned by a somewhat unrealistic schedule she sent me.  But though I worried of offending her (you never know!) she was totally sweet about revisions.  Cara’s hair was just past her chin, she was trying to grow it as long as possible.  To make the day even more special we decided to add temporary extensions.  I think we achieved what she wanted.  And reports tell of a joyous occasion!

The most fun I ever had doing the hair for a wedding was for my ex-wife Laurie, and her new Husband Bill.  It was a family event for both of us and our son was the only attendant (well except for Buddha).

The best dog!

The day was like a family reunion.  It was a great honor to have my ex-wife ask me to do her hair for the wedding.  You can’t top that!

Of Course, they very best wedding I was ever part of was my own.

We used a lot of local businesses from Davis.  Our caterer was the Hotdogger.  The fabulous tropical spread was perfect, and the amazing plants that transformed our patio room into the lovely Hawaiian cabana were from Strelitzia Flower Company.

I’ve done enough weddings through the years that I can honestly say that the bridezillas must be pretty rare.  I’ve never met one (and hope I never do!).  I assume it has to do with the laid back attitude Davis is famous for.

As a consumer, if you’re planning a wedding, be sure and interview stylists at least 6 months in advance.  Don’t let anybody tell you you don’t need a run-through, and most importantly, make sure you are comfortable that they share your vision, and have your best interest at heart!!

Still the best dog!