foghorn
noun fog·horn \ˈfȯg-ˌhȯrn, ˈfäg-\
1: a horn (as on a ship) sounded in a fog to give warning
My name is Reinette Senum and I am a Human Foghorn. I have given into it. I can't fight it.... it's in my blood. My Great Great Grandfather Edward Funston's Congressional campaign was "Foghorn Funston, the Farmer's Friend." His son, Frederick Funston, a major general, would find himself getting yanked off the US Presidential ticket as the VP running mate of Theodore Roosevelt -- because Frederick could not stop being a human foghorn; touting a new foreign-policy known as American imperialism expansionism.
Like my ancestors, I can stand in one place, do nothing, and still sound like a foghorn. After coming to this conclusion many years ago, I have relegated myself to the fact that it is my job to alert the general public of the hidden stories around us as well as beyond and shine a path to a safe shore. That is why you will not only hear and read about modern tales but how tales of yesteryear continue to influence us today.
I feel a responsibility to use my voice for the voiceless and the meek. Because I know how and when to make a stand, get in the ring, or work towards common ground and solutions. I have been doing this for nearly 20 years and plan on continuing my good work for the rest of my life.
This website is for historical reflection and course correction, something I have been set on for nearly my entire life.
Articles, Awards & More
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco-born Reinette Senum is the kind of woman you read about in heroes' journeys and classic Jack London stories about survival and peril in the wilderness. Senum, whose expeditions have ranged from Mount Kilimanjaro to the Alaskan Gulf, retells her tale of life at the final frontier in "Alaska Revisited," a one-woman show that chronicles her experience of becoming the first woman to cross Alaska solo while filming the entire journey for National Geographic.
by Sheila Sherman
The first time I visited Nevada City, CA, the proprietor of the Outside Inn — in which we were staying— told me that I was not to leave town without first talking to Reinette Senum — then the mayor. Unfortunately, I was not able to pull it off during that visit, but Reinette was on my radar and I started to dig up ...
Betty Louise, Co-Project Director, A Place To Call Home
She has been called a Wonder Woman and a Fruitcake, but nothing like that phases Reinette. She persists on issues she believes in, and goes above and beyond for community.
We invited Reinette to join our project after hearing her at a Nevada City Council Meeting, where she said “We can not just put a roof over the heads of homeless people, we have to give them a purpose.” She did not disappoint with her amazing stories.
The Union
Former mayor and community leader Reinette Senum has been named recipient of the 2014 Elza Kilroy Award for outstanding community service. The Nevada City Chamber of Commerce presents the Kilroy award, established in 1969, annually to a citizen whose efforts help make Nevada City a better community.
The chamber's board of directors selected Senum for the award to honor her dedication and support of Nevada City.
Former mayor and longtime Nevada City community leader Reinette Senum has been selected as the 2014 recipient of the 25th Annual Col. William H. “Bill” Lambert Award.
Beth Ruyak
Former mayor and longtime Nevada City community leader Reinette Senum has been selected as the 2014 recipient of the 25th Annual Col. William H. "Bill" Lambert Award. Senum was the first woman to cross Alaska alone and has also starred in a one-woman show about the adventure, "Alaska Revisited." The community activist, former Nevada City mayor, filmmaker and world traveler spoke with Beth Ruyak in October of 2012 about her many ventures. In recognition of Senum receiving the Col. William H. “Bill” Lambert Award we’re rebroadcasting that interview.