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Greenwood/Elk columns March 11,~ April 29, 1987 March 11th. My eyes popped open last Saturday morning. Early morning. I had dreamt the newspaper was looking for someone to write the Elk/Greenwood column. I lay there thinking about it and then I realized that it wasn't a dream, I had read it in the Mendocino Beacon. Whew! Roll over and go back to sleep, but I didn't. I got to thinking about the word processor I had bought a year ago and the fact that I work at the Elk Store and I have my finger "right on the pulse", so to speak, of our little town. I thought about having a suggestion box at the store and people contributing what they want to be in the column the following week. All I would have to do is collect it at the end of the week, type it up, proof it, recycle it through the word processor one more time and then, the hard part, get it to Mendocino by 9:30 Monday morning. What a great thought! Later that day I had to go to Fort Bragg and thought, why not stop by the Beacon and find out how many people were lined up for the job. To make a long story short... If you have anything you want in the Beacon call Ron Bloomquist at 877-3216 or stop by the Elk Store and drop it in the suggestion box. I whipped out my yellow pad and sharp pencil and called Jane Matson for my first news report. Jane is the official rain keeper and I wanted to know how much rain we got from the first major storm of the year, night of March 4th. Jane told me that she and her Granddaughter, Liza were celebrating "High Tea". It seems they do this quite often around four o'clock on a Saturday afternoon. Not only that but Liza had turned seven March 5th. Jane and Mel's son David had his birthday March 6th. Liza and Dave were born one hour apart though there are years between them. Oh, the rain? We got and inch and three quarters. Then I called Del Wilcox to find out how the new Community Center Board had positioned themselves for this coming year. The President is Del Wilcox, Vice President is Reeby Arndt, Treasure is Linda Aubry, Secretary is Kendrick Petty. Polly Girvin, Chris Curl, and Prue Wilcox will do all the work! March 8th. A baby girl was born in Elk. Ayla Rain Boone. Mother Lori Graham, Father Earl Boone, and son Jason, pleased as punch. March 14th. The Elk Altar Society's 94th Annual Saint Patrick's Party. Dinner 4 to 8 PM. Live music 9 to 1:30. March 15th. Open Poetry Reading at the Greenwood pier, 7 PM. March 21-22. Rummage sale at the Oasis, 10-4 PM. Bring your donations March 20th, 10-4 PM. Benefits the Post Office Centennial. March 25th. At 1:00 PM a meeting will be held at Leah Almenrode's for the purpose of forming Docents for the Post Office Historical Visitors Center. Elections for Chairperson, Secretary and Treasure will be held. Men are encouraged to attend as this is not the Greenwood Civic Club but rather, a whole new organization. April 18-19. Art Show for all local artists with the theme of "Resurrection", at the Greenwood Pier Country Store. Call 877-9997 for details. March 18th Francis Fashaur called me Friday morning and said, "You want some news? I got some news. My son Tim shot a two hundred pound, wild, barren sow. He had a heck of a time getting it three hundred yards up the hill and into the Jeep". Well, that is news, but to me, the real news is that Francis could share the excitement with his son. Francis was in real bad shape last fall. It now sounds like he is doing a lot better and enjoying life more. Congratulations to both of them. The Saint Patrick's Day Corned Beef and Cabbage Feed, Raffle and Dance happened in Elk for the 94th year in a row. Attendance was good and the food was fantastic. About one hundred and thirty dinners were served, about the same as last year. The Community Center was really dressed up with lots of decorations and smiling people wearing the Green. The eight new portable tables are a real blessing; no more strained backs and slivers under the skin. The raffle winners were announced just before the dance commenced. First prize, a cedar chest full of goodies went to Flora Stewart. Second prize, a Webber barbecue, went to Eve Small. Third prize, a toaster oven, went to Marlene Miller. I talked to the clean up crew the next morning to find out how the dance went. One fight. One broken window. One roll of toilet paper in the toilet. After talking about how it is a crying shame, the discussion turned to the memories of the good old days when it was a real ruckus, carrying on for several days! Things just aren't like they use to be. I talked to Fire Chief Bob Matson to see if anything had happened this past week. He said all was quiet, but that they did have two seminars presented by Force Ten on ocean surf-line rescue. A representative of the Coast Guard came down from Fort Bragg to see Force Ten do its stuff also. Steve Sinclair, Charlie Acker, Steve Acker, and Tim Taylor demonstrated the use of the rescue tube. One of them would swim out into the heavy surf and play the victim. One of the other guys would then swim out with the rescue tube and save him. Later they demonstrated the use of the Odyssea Ski and its ability to negotiate through surf and around wash rocks, enabling the rescuer to get to the scene. Bob said the plan is to install some racks on the rescue truck for the Odyssea Ski. Then, in the future, when a rescue call comes in having to do with the ocean, Force Ten will be one of their options. Del Wilcox has been appointed to the Mendocino County Mental Health Advisory Board. Andy Warhol was right! Everyone gets their fifteen minutes! March 20,21, and 22. This is it. The Rummage Sale. You have Friday to get your stuff over to the Oasis, then, Saturday and Sunday to buy it back! The Oasis will be open 10-4, all three days. The Greenwood Civic Club is putting this one on and the proceeds go to the publishing of the centennial book of our Post Office. March 25th. Wednesday, the meeting at Leah Almanrode's at 1:00 for the election of docents for the Greenwood Historical Center. Mike Curry, Chief Ranger for this area, will be there to advise and answer questions. March 25th. Last week I wrote about Elk's Fire and Rescue Department and how Force Ten would be a part of the option for ocean rescue. The following Wednesday, around noon, a call came in about a boat in trouble north of town. Elk's rescue van rushed up the road while the Elk Navy hit the beach. The urchin boat, Gray Ghost, out of Albion, had lost power and was drifting towards the wash rocks, just off the cemetery bluff. The diver had managed to get the boat anchor to snag the bottom just short of destruction. Within half an hour Steve Sinclair had paddled the Odyssea Ski along side the boat. Firemen Bob Matson, Bill Baker, Doug Johnson, Roger Barton, Dave Neilsen, and Lee McKnight were on the bluff, ready with the ropes. Charlie Acker was in his wet suit ready to swim out if necessary. After a bit, Steve Sinclair paddled into shore and hollered to the men on the bluff that the urchin diver wanted to stay with the boat and wait for a tow from the Coast Guard. If the anchor line broke he was prepared to swim in. Meanwhile, a Coast Guardsman drove down from Fort Bragg and radioed back information while the Rescue Boat motored down from Noyo. Around 3:00 PM, the Coast Guard helicopter from Eureka arrived and put on quite a show. At 4:00 the Coast Guard boat arrived and the urchin diver got the long tow back to Noyo. Everyone felt good about Elk's quick response but it was real apparent that a waterproof radio of some kind is needed for contact with the Odyssea Ski to send directions and receive reports. Chevy parts are made in Japan. Apple Pie has #2 red dye in it and Mothers Day is "sexist"! I promised Dick Mitchell this would not be a political column but... It all started when I was asked to check around and see if there was any interest in doing another Mother's Day Pancake Breakfast. Last year had such a small turnout that it was hardly worth doing. Well, I started asking around and that is when I found out that Mother's Day is now politically incorrect!!! Give me a break! I think social gatherings are good for us as a community. A sunny morning, sitting next to some 'mother' you haven't seen in a while, flowers on the table, a great breakfast before you and you don't even have to wash the dishes. Hey, is that so bad? Give yourself and your family a treat. All kidding aside, please let me know if you're in favor of continuing this long time annual event. I will relay the information to the cooks in waiting. The Greenwood Civic Club wants to thank everyone for the wonderful response to the rummage sale. I stopped by to see how it was going and was amazed at the amount of stuff that had been donated to the cause. The Oasis was full! The Civic Club crew had done a great job of sorting and pricing everything. I'm told over $1200.00 was made. The swallows arrived in Elk the morning of March 7th. Mary and Curtis Berry always bet to see who spies one first. This year Curtis won. I don't know what he won. Have you looked at Greenwood Beach lately? Has the creek done that before? If so, how long ago. Let me know. April 1st. Kristi Matson and Isa Pederson want to see their names in the paper. If I have room in this column, I will try to fit them in. Several people have commented on the unusual behavior of Greenwood Creek, down at our beach. Usually Greenwood Creek drains straight out from the lagoon but now it has decided to turn and run parallel to the ocean and now runs all the way to the south end of the beach. The old-timers I have talked to say they have never seen that phenomenon before and they have lived here, off and on, for seventy six years. Go for a nice walk and see for yourself. The Greenwood/Elk Visitor Center Docents Council met last Wednesday at the home of Leah Almonrode. Conversation with Chief Ranger Mike Curry focused on upcoming activities. The restoration of the building is scheduled to begin May 1st. The Centennial Celebration for the Post Office is scheduled for August 22nd. Elections were held with the following results; Jane Matson, Chairperson, Leah Almanrode, secretary, and Barbara McKnight treasurer. As members of MAPA; Mendocino Area Parks Association, the Docents Council is open to anyone in the community who wishes to participate in the activities of the Center. The Centennial celebration will be an all day festivity featuring music, speeches, picnic lunches, and historical walks guided by long time residents of this area. Digging into the suggestion box for this column at the Elk Store, I find this Historical note from Anne Daniels; "The Cuffey's Cove Methodist and Community Cemetery has been cleaned up and the graves plotted. Last year a drive for funds was spearheaded by Eleanor Sverko, a former Greenwood resident. With help of many volunteers and donated use of heavy equipment, those funds went towards getting the heavy growth of blue blossom, ice plant, and brush removed. Work is still going on to replace fences and clear out the weeds. In August of last year the Mendocino Genealogical Society listed and charted the names of loved ones who are buried in this old time cemetery. Some have lavish headstones, others undistinguished wooden crosses. Anne Daniels has a copy of this very comprehensive list. Unusual finds: Phillips, infant. Died February 30th, 1883. Age three days. Volgerson, August. Second officer. Age 33. Drowned May 1897 . Captain August Volgerson and two seamen drowned in Greenwood harbor, the 3rd of May, 1897. More on this tragedy at a later date." I'm really not "into" cemeteries yet, but I have to admit that the one we have North of town is beautiful and interesting. I have walked up there several times and looked around. Standing there with storm blasted Cypress to the East, the endless Pacific to the North, South, and West and headstones at my feet, well, it is hard to think just of firewood and fishing. Sorry Kristi and Isa, out of room. Maybe next time. April 8th. Attention! Attention! This coming Wednesday, April 15, there will be a town meeting concerning the formation of a Community Services District. The realities of increasing costs and rising liability insurance has hit home. Voluntary contributions, local fund raisers and hard to get government dollars no longer do the job. We must do something else. Wednesday night is the time to find out what and when. You should have received a mailing concerning this by now. Go dig it back out of the garbage can, shake off the coffee grounds and take another look. This will affect you, one way or another. The Community Center Board met last week. They voted to have the "Great Day in Elk" Saturday, September 12th. The UC Davis Maverick Marching Band will be with us again. You all remember what an addition they were last year. The Highway Patrol may never give us a parade permit again, but what a time it was. Smoky the Bear and the Maverick Marching Band heading South, a fully loaded logging truck heading North and, presto, gridlock, right in front of Mel's gas station. The truck driver just shut it off, while the band marched round and round and the tourists went nuts trying to get to Mendocino. The whole day was special in so many ways, just like every Great Day in Elk. If you can, grab one of the jobs involved with putting this great event on. It is a whole lot more fun than just watching. By the way, the Community Center Board is under-staffed right now and could use two more bodies. They would even accept teenagers! Call Del Wilcox at 877-3204 and say, "Take me". The results are in. A survey found that well over fifty percent of us have, or had, a mother. So, once again, back by popular demand, Elk's very own Mother's Day Sourdough-Blueberry Pancakes, Barbecued Sausage, Fruit Cup, Tequila Sunrise, Get Together. Tofu and mineral water will be on hand for those who rather be politically correct, so grab your calendar and a pencil and write across May 10 -- MDSBPBSFCTSGT. In last week's column, about the Elk Cemetery, remember one of the "finds" was a marker for a baby that died February 30th, 1883? There isn't any February 30th. That is what is so unusual. I missed it too. The high surf from the offshore storm last week pretty much straightened out our beach. The creek outlet is back where it usually is and it is easier to get to the ocean. The Elk Volunteer Fire Department had two calls. A chimney fire at Lori and Earl Boone's in Ruth Orchards house and, last Saturday night, at two in the morning, an ambulance call. An Iranian student from Berkeley launched his car off the cliff, into the poison oak, just South of the Elk Cove Inn. Fortunately, though his back was injured, he was able to crawl back up to the road and attract attention. The car was totaled. Hey, how about a weenie roast on the beach this Saturday, late afternoon, say around six. Kristi Matson and I had our birthdays this week and I'm sure a bunch of other Aries did too. Birthday or not, everyone is invited. Bring something to roast or drink and come on down. April 15th. 911 works in Elk, but be sure to say you are calling from the ELK AREA. The first operator you talk to deals with police and sheriff. If you need the fire department or ambulance, a second operator will take your information and call out the proper response. For instance; Last week Dean Turner, owner of the Harbor House, was doing two things at once, as usual. One of the things he was trying to do was eat. He swallowed the wrong way and started choking. Seriously choking. While the usual attempts were tried, 911 was called. Terry Garner applied the Heimlich maneuver and got him partially breathing but something was still lodged. Within five minutes the Elk Ambulance arrived and took Dean to the hospital where the rest of the problem was finally cleared up and he spent the night. Congratulations to Terry Garner, the Elk Volunteers and the 911 system. In Elk, it works. Speaking of the Garners, Steve has four works of art at the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah, through May, and three pieces at the Mendocino Art Center's miniature show until the 19th of this month. Steve's been busy. Check it out. The Mendocino Unified School District Board of Education will meet in the Greenwood School Thursday, April 16th at 7:30 PM. This is their once a year meeting in Elk. The purpose is to give Elk folks a shot at saying what is on their minds, currently known as "imput". Set aside Saturday evening, May 9th for a Folk Dance Party at the Community Center. There will be live music from Canada, France, Bulgaria and the US. Easy dances will be introduced. Some of the dances have already been learned by the Greenwood School children. The party is a fund-raiser for the Student Peace Ambassador Contest which will be sending three High School Essay winners to the Soviet Union. If you would like to help with this event call Jane Corey at 877-3330. If you would like to contribute baked goodies please contact Jane or Barbara Connelly at 877-3721. Mimosa Montag received third prize at the County Science Fair in Laytonville, April 8th. Her project determined the best depth for planting radish seeds. She tried seven different depths. Half an inch turned out to be the best for germination and quality. Here is an historical note from Anne Daniels; Darwin Christiansen tells of the time that the Greenwood Company Store was burning down late at night in the year 1928. The company store was located on the lot adjacent to the current post office, North side, and attached to it. His father, Martin, "ran a fire hose" and saved the post office. The charred shingles on the north side were visible for many years. Much of the store's contents were saved and moved into the Civic Club Building across the street. When Jack Ross, son of John S. Ross, Superintendent of Goodyear Redwood Lumber Company saw Martin's scorched clothing and "coat falling apart", he told Martin to go over to the store and get a complete set of clothing. The Company store did have everything needed in the line of general merchandise." Over five percent of the town turned out for the weenie roast on the beach. All ten of us had a good time. April 22nd. Something I like about Elk is the fact that it is a small town that tries to take care of itself. Most of us try to "make do". Our clothes are not in fashion and our cars are not brand new but we are glad to see each other; the friend within the clothes, the person driving the car. We are not too taken with externals. I have lived in large cities and small towns and the personableness of the little town appeals to me, but, there is a cost to rural life. You not only know your neighbor but you are sometimes asked to help him or her. If something big needs to be done, you have to get a group together to do it. In the "good old days" barns were raised this way. People worked together and amazing things were accomplished. Are the good old days gone? Do we need outside help to accomplish things for us. Has the outside influence of liability insurance and equipment costs finally forced us into a corner where we must drop our rural ways and adopt a more "business-like" manner? The Fire Department and the Ambulance need money to continue to operate. That's a fact. In the past, fund raisers and donations took care of it. Some folks put out a lot of time and money, some folks just shined it on. Now we are considering forming something called a Community Services District. Some folks think this would be more equitable, but other friends and neighbors see it as inviting more government into our lives, putting us another step closer to less self sufficiency and more taxation and, as I ask around, I find there is a lot more to it than just that. I find that we are more than just friends and neighbors. Scratch the surface and I find that we are old timers and old hippies, ridgies and town dwellers, rich absentee land owners and folks just barely able to live here through the generosity of some friend. Some of us see a "benefit assessment" as a new beginning. Some see it as the end. What is fair and equitable? How do you solve the problem that needs to be solved with out picking the scab off old wounds? Last Wednesday a possible solution was presented at the Community Center that has been worked on for over a year and a half. About fifty people showed up. More meetings are planned. Nothing is cast in concrete yet. The Fire Department invites your thoughts and asks that you write them down in a note and mail it to them. PO. Box 151. The Abalone Cafe Poetry Society and Feather Club; Homage to the Ocean, a special video taping of eleven Mendocino area poets, including Elk's own Kate Dougherty, Bill Baker, Kiva, Mary Pjerrou, and our State Park Aid, Sarah Cain Flowers, will be aired on TV cable channel 6, April 30th at 7 PM. Speaking of cable TV. Rumor has it that Elk will have cable by Super Bowl Sunday. Eight year old Meghan Pedersen was one of twenty five, picked from a field of twelve thousand, to be a model of Fall Fashions for ESPRIT in San Francisco. Congratulations to Dean and Claudia. You too Meghan. April 29th. My dog and I took a walk and inspected the new asphalt shoulder and storm drain recently added to the town. It starts at the telephone sub station and dumps into Lil Foo Gulch. It is amazing how things get scheduled like this; right at the start of Abalone season and the beginning of the migration of motor homes, plus the noise, dust, and constant ringing of bells and buzzers as the equipment moves around. I am sure the folks living along that stretch of road are greatly relieved to have it finally completed. The crew from Modesto were decent folks and seem to have done a pretty good job, though the results won't really be in until next winter when the storms arrive. Hopefully it will all have been worth it. Here's a note from Bill Baker: "Just when you thought it was safe to walk around town again without getting beaned by a pop-up, Elk softball had returned. Every Sunday afternoon at 2 PM, adults and kids turn out for a pick up game, in the true spirit of the town with two names. There are no strike-outs, the score is the subject of continual wrangling, and any resemblance to the real world of athletic competition is purely fanciful. The first game of the season featured the creative umpiring of ex-commissioner Bill Edison, who was banned from active play after the 'pine tar' incident of the 1985 Pepper Martin game. Edison, who suffers from an advanced case of fulminating Cardinalitis, confounded everyone by actually making several correct calls, to go along with his usual bizarre meandering. The Easter Day game featured an attack by an enraged gopher, disturbed by the mess the players were making of his tunnel system.. Fangs fared, he charged the high tops of the entire infield, and sent them racing for cover into the tall weeds. Later, the former Doctor of Pop-ups, Rob Curl, tried to complete his one man mission to break all the windows in Elk with a softball. He bounced one off Carol Pierazzi's house, which brought her bouncing out in protest. Rob promises to repeat, if she will. Everyone is welcome in these games, kids and adults alike. So bring your glove and come on out!" The town 'fast' is coming to a close. We have been on a diet since last fall but, we will soon be able to fatten up again. The Roadhouse Cafe is rumored to be on the verge of opening. Possibly May first. I hear Sue Matson is looking for help and that is always a good sign. Remember Saturday evening, May 3rd, there will be a folk dance party at the Community Center. This is a fund raiser for the Student Peace Ambassador Contest which will be sending three high school students to the Soviet Union; one from Point Arena, one from Mendocino and one from Fort Bragg. There will be a two day CPR training session in the evening at the Community Center, May 11th and 12th, from seven until ten. David Marks and Roger and Sally Barton will be teaching the class.
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