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Greenwood/Elk columns July 6 ~ September 7, 1995 July 6th. Thoughts on a fourth of July weekend. I went to the post office this morning to send a birthday present off to my number one son in Seattle. The woman with a package in line ahead of me was informed that the Elk post office can not mail any first class package that weighs more than 12 ounces. What? Yup. The unabomber! I find it hard to believe that one person can tie things up like this. Not only the postal department but I guess the airline arrival and departure schedules are all tied up in knots too. Now let me see if I have this right. Because there might or might not be an airplane blown up, all kinds of restrictions must be imposed? Why do we allow this to happen? We are now safer somehow? We know for a fact that everyday a lot of folks are killed driving on the highway? Don't we still drive cars? Every day lightening strikes somewhere and people are killed and yet people still go out doors in bad weather. Ships sink for all kinds of reasons but people still go to sea. Why don't we ban cars, ships and going outdoors in bad weather? Isn't that the only way we can be really safe and not die? A few months ago some nut, or nuts, blew up a building in Oklahoma City and 167 people die. There is massive public outrage and all of a sudden, laws are passed by congress in a remarkably short time with massive public approval to keep something like that from ever happening again. Ha ha. Yet the equivalent of three 747 airliners crash and burn every day in this country, killing all on board, and nothing is done about it. No public outrage, no protective laws passed. Nothing. Big ho hum. Three 747 airliners a day equal 400,000 people per year and that is how many folks die from smoking and smoking related disease. Yet, Congress subsidizes tobacco. And we citizens allow the subsidization to continue. Why is there public outrage and the tightening of all kinds of rules and regulations because of a few random nuts and nothing said or done about death dispensing mega-businesses? Well, we all know why. We are a nation that reacts to the latest "hot button", the ten second sound bite. We are engrossed and consumed by trivia while the real machine continues to grind away at freedom. I hope you all had a wonderful independence day. I'm afraid our national craziness is going to get a lot worse. July 13th I see by the sign in front of the Catholic Church, here in town, there is going to be a "Colossal Yard Sale", this weekend. July 15th and 16th between 10 and 4. Come on down. Speaking of churches, the Greenwood Community Church now has its fresh coat of exterior paint on and if you stop by and take a peek you will find the interior has been painted too and is absolutely beautiful. Tawny MacMillian at the Elk store gave me "what for" the other day for not beating the drum about all the local commercial activity that has been going on in Elk now that summer is here and the tourist season is upon us. So, starting at the top. Bridget Dolan's now has a gas fired barbecue and they are doing some amazing things with fish. Things like fresh Halibut and Salmon. "Cioppino" which is a tomato based fish stew. They have "Steamers" which are green lip-ed clams, at the bar. And the Fisherman's Platter which contains a bit of everything from the sea. Stop in and check it out. The Greenwood Pier gardens and grounds are looking very nice and the Country Store and Garden shops are loaded with interesting things to buy. The Greenwood Pier Cafe interior is something to see. There is always something interesting going on at the Pier. I have often been struck with an awareness of how, entering Elk is like leaving the rest of the world behind and that entering the Greenwood Pier is like leaving the rest of Elk behind. It is a magical place. The Roadhouse Cafe is serving Breakfast and Lunch six days a week and they are as good as always but do you also know that the Roadhouse Cafe is also serving dinners Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings? Karen Mathes is doing the cooking and putting out excellent dinners. Stop in for a wonderful evening. By the way. The Breakfast and Lunch core staff consists of Kristy, Becky and Liza Matson who are holding it all together while mom (Sue) is away in Ireland, with her mother and sister, for a brief vacation. The Elk Store has new fresh salads, local organic vegetables and is now open until seven PM on Friday and Saturday evenings. Their Deli bar and sandwiches to order are very popular with folks who want to grab something to eat on their way down to the beach across the street. Erna's Enchanted Cottage has a surprising array of items to browse amongst and coffee and a cookie or two might appear before you while you're at it. The model airplane weather vanes built by Dick Daniels, Donny's brother, who lives in Ukiah, are really great and something to see. The used book room has quite a collection of books now. Erna told me she now has the new video of the botanical gardens that recently came out called, "Sharing the dream". Eijler Westh has been awarded third place in the annual woodworking contest sponsored by the American Woodworkers magazine. This was a nation wide contest and is a prestigious award for our local woodworker. Eijler entered the captain's chair he designed and built for that dinning room set he completed earlier this year. That was the set that had the 10 foot by 4 foot dinning table and twelve chairs, two of which were captain chairs. Eijler build a couple extra captain's chairs, while he was in the chair building mood, and if you want to see one, there is one on display at the Highlight Gallery in Mendocino. And as long as we are finally shamelessly beating the drum... I have now completed and self published a set of books containing all my Greenwood/Elk Columns. There are eight individual books, one for each year, starting with 1987. Each book is Readers Digest size, has a color cover and averages around 100 pages in length. The title of the series is... "...and it looks like such a nice little town." Erna's Enchanted Cottage carries them as does the State Park Visitors Center. Or write to me at P.O. Box 2, Elk, 95432 and I will send you a information sheet and price list. Attention! Undergrounding Meeting. There will be a meeting at the Elk Community Center July 17th at 6:30 PM concerning the potential loss of Cable TV service in Elk when the power and telephone lines go underground. Come to the meeting to find out what the current options for cable service are. July 20th, Have you ever just gone about your way of doing business on the coast and never gave it a thought until, for some reason, you had to try to explain it to some bureaucrat? The Greenwood Computer Club plans to host another end of the month dance this coming 28th of July, which will be combined with Carol Powers Farewell Party. For this dance we also want to have the bar available. Having a bar requires a license from the ABC Board in Santa Rosa. Usually Bill Edison takes care of getting the license but thankfully, we are enjoying a Bill-less summer, so Kay Curtis volunteered to get the permit. Kay sent off to the Liquor Control Board for the paperwork that explains how to go about getting a liquor license and when the documents arrived, she started making up an application form that answered all the ABC board's questions. One question on the form was "who owns the building"? Well, generally we refer to the building as the Greenwood Community Center and it is also the home of the Elk Volunteer Fire Department but the actual "owner", truth be known, is the water district, so, as manager of the Water District, Charlie Acker would have to sign the form. Kay goes over to Charlie to have him sign it. Charlie looks the application over and points out that the name isn't the Greenwood Water District. The name is the "Elk County Water District". Kay takes the document home, changes the letterhead of the application to "Elk County Water District", encloses a $25.00 check from the Greenwood Computer Lab. Takes the whole works up to Fort Bragg to have the Sheriff sign it, as required, and slips it into the mail. Off it goes to Santa Rosa. A few days later the phone rings, Steve Acker answers and it is the ABC in Santa Rosa wanting to know if the Greenwood Computer Club has non profit status? Steve says, well, yes, we have it under the umbrella of the Community Center. The person at ABC then wants a letter stating the non profit status of the Community Center. Steve asks, "From the Community Center Board?" "No. From the IRS." Steve say's well, hey, we're just a small origination and we never had to do all this before, etc. Then the ABC person said, "My Boss will call you". Later the Boss called and, since no one was home at the time, left this message on the answering machine: "This is Estevezydon at the ABC Board in Santa Rosa. I am calling to speak to John Frankel. No. Wait. No, this is not right. I want to speak to Steve Acker?" (Note: The application stated that the bar is located in the John Frankel Memorial room.) Later, Kay Curtis, Steve's "significant other", returns the call left on the answering machine. Some lady answers. Kay says, "Can I speak to Estevezydon??" "Who? You must have the wrong number!" "Is this the ABC?" "Yes." "Is there anyone there with a name that sounds like Estevezydon?" "Yes, Mike. But he is out of the office. What is this all about?" Kay explains. "Oh! You want to speak to Estevezydon. Let me transfer you." Estevezydon turns out to not be a very happy camper. He is very official and demands to know what is this Elk County Water District stuff? He points out that there is no county named Elk in the State of California and what kind of rouse does the Greenwood Computer Club think they are putting over on the ABC Board? and on and on. Kay explains how we are just a small town community trying to raise money for the children. That it is all for the Chill-drun. (Just like Bill Edison always says). Finally Estevezydon begins to see the light, relents, says he will sign the form, and hangs up. Whew. Several days later Kay receives the license in the mail. It actually arrives. The party is on. Lea Almonrode called me and wants you all to know that the Greenwood Community Church is having an open house this Sunday, the 23rd of July from 11 until 4 and that there is also a Christian Service preceding the open house from 10 to 11. This will be a great opportunity to see the beautiful interior of the church, now that the painting is done. Stop by. Louis Martin wants to remind everyone that the Computer Lab is open from 10:00 till 1 Tuesday through Friday for children and adults. Stop in and check out the Internet. Anne Liljengren, head of the summer children's program reminds me that every Monday from 10 until 2, this summer, they are doing crafts, readings, having guest artists, field trips, visiting tide pools and so on. Local children in kindergarten through third grade are more than welcome. The Roadhouse Cafe will no longer be presenting dinners on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. My beating the drum for Karen and her dinners last week in this column must have been the kiss of death. Karen is throwing in the towel. Way too much work for not enough return. The Roadhouse is still open for Breakfast and Lunch every day except Monday and still hosting Brunch on Sunday, "Through the Summer", says Sue Matson with an edge to her voice. It sounds like even that might come to a halt when fall arrives. It has not been a good year for businesses in this area, and I hear, elsewhere up and down the coast. July 27th. Lolli and I attended the Musical Festival in Mendocino one evening last week and got to hear the Mendocino Women's Chorus. Of the 38 or so women singing I was surprised to discover that five of them were from Elk! Andrea Marks, Carolyn Carleton, Jane Corey, Cheri Langlois and Sari Miles. Great job one and all. Andy Taylor is someone I have known since I first passed through Elk fourteen/fifteen years ago. In fact he helped me move to Elk in 1984. He has been a guide for Force 10 kayaking, here in Elk, and he formed his own tree trimming service. Lately his outdoor skills and climbing knowledge have put him in demand for a new kind of job. He has become "the rigger" for a professional photographer and has been traveling around the country "setting up shots". These consists of a couple of weeks of interesting and intense work and then some time off, but then he got called to be "the mechanic" for a National Geographic Expedition covering the search for dinosaur remains. He protested that he wasn't a mechanic, but they "had to have him"! Here is his first letter back to Elk: 6-24-95 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Greetings from Mongolia! Yes, indeed, I'm actually here and it still feels a bit unreal. Somehow I'd had this feeling that I wasn't really going; it was just a story I'd made up. Surprise! So let's see...well, the first thing is the weather. Very humorous. I'd had visions of Mongolia being hot and dry, but no - when I stepped off the plane in Ulaanbaatar I found myself plunged into a typical Mendocino winter; forty degrees and rain, and blowing like hell. I'm glad I packed some warm stuff (too bad I left the rain gear). One of the paleontologists was wearing only shorts, sandals and a T-shirt when we arrived (we had just come from Beijing where it was 85 degrees). He was cold. Ulaanbaatar is the capitol city of Mongolia with a population of about 600,000. It's pretty much the only "big" city in Mongolia, and it's in the north. The winters here are very, very cold. I'm with the "advance team" sent over a week early to get everything prepared so that the expedition can get right out into the field. There are four of us; two paleontologists from the Museum in New York and the film director from National Geographic. And the "mechanic" from Northern California (that's me). Yes, learn while doing, I always say. Yes, indeed. I am reminded of Tony Curtis in 'The Great Impostor'. So I've been working on the two Mitsubishi's for the last three days. One is nearly finished - all that remains is replacing the power steering lines, sway bar bushings and repack the wheel bearings. The other vehicle needs those things too, but also a new gas tank, cracked frame welded and window replaced, plus a few odds and ends. Am I having fun yet? My diet is undergoing some changes. Pretty much impossible to be vegetarian here. I found that if you order "mixed salad" on the dinner menu, you get an assortment of cold sliced meat. You can get tomato, and sometimes cucumber - that's it. The Mongolians themselves live mostly on boiled mutton and mare's milk. And vodka. Lots of vodka. We went to the bar the other night. The beer and wine are terrible, really bad, so I ordered scotch. The bartender put a lot of ice in a glass and then, eyes squinting, carefully dribbled a tiny ration of the stuff into it and charged me $4.50 (US. dollars). Hmmm....Next time I said to him "VODKA" in a loud voice. He smiled and nodded, set a wine glass on the counter, pulled an ice-cold bottle of Ghengis Khan Vodka out of the freezer and filled the glass. Two dollars. The bar itself was amazing. Think of a combination of the bar scene in Star Wars, a casting call for a porn film, and an old issue of "Captain Pissgums" comics. Unbelievably small, dark, lighted with red and blue lights, rap music blaring, smoky. Drunken expatriate Russians, German sausage wholesalers and Mongol businessman dance and cavort with the prostitutes, who, decked out in high heels, heavy makeup and outrageous skin - tight dresses outnumber the men in the room 2 or 3 to one. Outside, groups of drunken men gather, looking sullen and hostile. There are fights nearly everynight, I'm told. I have a couple of drinks and go to bed early. True to their heritage, the Mongols are tough people. They look that way, and they are. Wrestling is the national sport. If you are male, you wrestle, period. Boxing is also very popular. Most of the Mongols I've met, though, have been very friendly and have great smiles. There is a big national festival here in the beginning of July (which unfortunately I'll miss - we'll be in the Gobi dessert). The main events are the national wrestling, archery and horsemanship contests. I guess it's pretty wild. I'd love to see it. Next week Andys letter continues with news of the German Gerbil Expedition on the steppes of Mongolia Don't forget. Computer Club Dance and Carol Powers Bye Bye. July 28th. Dance begins at 9:00. Proceeds benefit the Elk Computer Club. August 3 Andy Taylor's letter from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia continues; "Monday 6-26 We worked half a day yesterday, then took one of the Mitsubishi's on a trip out to an old Buddhist monastery about an hour away. It was incredibly beautiful country - huge expanses of low mountains covered with green grass; granite buttresses and patches of pine and spruce forests laced throughout. Small rivers and streams here and there and all against an enormous deep blue sky. Reminded me of Montana. The monastery was mostly rubble - it had been destroyed in the Stalinist purges of the 40's when Russia occupied Mongolia. We had a Mongol with us named Pagua who was very funny and endlessly talkative and interesting. He was a Judo champion and had studied for years in Moscow. He spoke fluent Russian and Czech and reasonable English (not much English spoken in Mongolia). He thought our vehicle was very amusing. He liked all the amenities - the cushy seats, stereo (he likes heavy metal), power windows. But he kept asking, "why so bouncy?" when the Mitsu would bottom out on a pothole, then rock up and down, up and down. I told him it was all worn out. He asked me how many miles it had. I said about 10 thousand and he shook his head sadly saying "I think this car not good for Mongolia". There aren't many (any?) lone tourists here. There are some largish tour groups occasionally, but most foreigners are here doing something. There are sales reps from companies trying to sell stuff here (like the German sausage fellow). There are politicians (and spies) who have been banished to this lonely outpost from their respective countries; the other night I saw some preppy young Ivy Leaguers from DC. drinking in a restaurant bar. There are missionaries of several flavors here to convince the heathen of their version of reality, there is a construction firm from Texas here to build a new hangar at the airport. There are several other scientific expeditions. But my favorite so far was the German Gerbil Expedition. We talked with their leader, a very funny fellow, who was staying at our hotel. Their plan was to capture one hundred gerbils from the steppes in the north and take them back to Germany to...let's see..."enrich the gene pool of laboratory gerbils in the west", or something like that. So these guys rode around the steppes on mountain bikes, hunting and trapping gerbils. Then they took their catch (all live, as I said) back to their hotel room. They bribed the maid to not clean or enter their room. It seems the gerbils required a lot of care, and someone had to be with them, feeding or whatever, all the time, day and night. Their room didn't smell very nice. Now they had to get their rodent harvest out of the country. This proved problematic. They ran into every sort of red tape, corruption and narrow bureaucratic thinking. Some agency claimed that the animals were an important part of the Mongolian ecosystem and their removal might be environmentally damaging (you must remember that this the very same government that allows, no invites, hunters from around the world to come and shoot the last remaining snow leopards). Finally they managed to get all their gerbils out and back to Germany but they had to buy seats for them on the plane. Friday 30th. Everybody's here now. I think we are seventeen in all. With our Mongolian colleagues it will be 25 or more. We'll have twelve vehicles heading into the Gobi, our two Mitsubishi, six Russian Uaz jeeps, three Gaz trucks, and a gas tanker with thirteen thousand liters of gasoline. What a scene. We leave tomorrow. Tonight we're all going out to some very wild bar (!) at the other end of town to see their floor show, which is contortionists and throat singers. Well, I've got to get to the compound and help pack gear (and make sure my tools get on the trucks - I'll need them). I'm going to be amazed if the Mitsu's make it through the trip. I saw the third Mitsu - the one we're not taking. It has broken power steering lines, a broken axle, both differential housings broken, broken frame, and a trashed transmission. And only 8 thousand miles on the odometer! And did I tell you they average thirty flat tires per trip - just for the Mitsu's? Jeez...) In any case I'll have some stories when I get back. I hope you are all happy and well and I will see you in August. Andy Taylor. Signing off from Ulaanbaatar." What a great story and experience. I hope to get "the rest of the story" when Andy returns. Just for kicks I entered "Ulan Bator" in my computer's Internet World Wide Web Crawler "search engine" (my dictionary spells it Ulan Bator). World Wide Web search brought up "Ulaanbaatar", which is how Andy wrote it in his letter. Now I have about twenty pages of Mongolian stuff, a lot of information about Tuva and even photos of Yaks, lakes, and Mongolian warriors. There is the Tuvan Hillbilly's Homepage with a bunch of stuff and also a five page print out of information about Mongolia; Geography (slightly larger than Alaska), People, Government, Economy, Communications (Highways: total 46,700 km, total paved 1,000 km. Telecommunications; broadcast stations - 12 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV. I even have a one minute thirteen second sound clip of Tuvan throat singing. All off the Internet Amazing. Kay Curtis has a showing of 10 watercolor paintings at Northcoast Artists in Fort Bragg, August 4-29th.. The Opening party is August 4th 6-8 PM. Check it out. August 24,
I'm back. I was gone for two and a half weeks on a trip up to the Seattle area. Enjoyed the camping and the wilderness and shocked by the cities and traffic jambs. It is a distrubing scene out there. Such a dual world. On the one had there are expansive vistas and mountains and rivers that are wonderful and seemingly timeless. On the other hand there are cities and freeways with people inhabiting them that seemed crazed with no time for anything at all. The human rush is on. Faster and faster and bigger and bigger. The glut of bedroom community look alike condos spreading out further and further into the farm land, dairy land, forest land, country edges. All the while I am rattling around in the wilderness and city I am thinking about the latest residence proposed to be built out on the headland just south of the Greenwood Beach. I am thinking about the pros and cons about developments like that in our "Quiet Village of Elk". Now I have listened to the "old timers" around here, the folks who have lived here all their lives say that anyone coming here and willing to spend money to build a house here is more than welcome and a boon to the local economy and it seems these old timers would embrace a K-mart, a Home Shopping Club and a McDonalds restaurant too. Condos, high rises, whatever as long as it adds convenience and money to the local economy. On the other had I identify with the "new comers" around here, the city folk who recently moved here from L.A. or New York or Seattle, where-ever and don't want to see anybody build anything around here. These folks just want it to stay sleepy ol' Elk, and why not. We used to live in the smoking cities, drove the daily gridlocked highways, have lived through what happened to San Jose, Santa Rosa, San Diego, Seattle. We know the value of clean air, real water and starry nights. I've noticed the old timers didn't have much use for the hippies twenty years ago either when Elk was a depressed area, property values were bottomed out and only hippies could afford to move here but when it came to community service, volundeering for work parties, building a community center, health center, the despised ol' hippies provided the muscle and spirit. Now you may have noticed, those days are gone and with them, the community spirit has pretty much drained out of Elk. Property value is through the ceiling and the "retirement fortresses" are starting to move in. To my mind the problem is money. Only major rich folks can buy the land and afford the lawyers and hire the architects to build anything along the coast these days. If you haven't got a million or two handy, you needn't apply. And somehow there is always this notion that "if they got a lot of money they must be great people". Well, they probably are great people to somebody but they generally are not the type of folks who will show up for work parties and help with community events. No, rich folks usually build their fortress, "maybe donate a few bucks to the fire department and soon discover that the sleepy Elk lifestyle is boring as all get out; that after you have seen five hundred sunsets you have seen them all. They then turn around, put their fortress on the market or convert it into a rental to try and recoup their losses and move to Aspen or Telluride. Meanwhile we all get to look at their artistic statement for years afterwards. Big whoopie. Believe me, the retirement boom is coming. The push for retirement fortresses is growing. The biggist fortress, closest to the ocean, wins. Community Spirit is on the ropes. The end is in sight! In spite of it all, I still say, the best things in life are free and you can't buy community. Like Joe Bob says. Eternal Vigilance. "Free Ramone" Birthday party this Saturday evening. If you kow what I mean, you know what I mean. Greenwood Community Center. Pot luck. 7 PM. Dance starts at 8:30 PM. Hoo-Ha! Learn the Lindy Hop. Free dance ckasses every Thursday evening from 7:30 until 9:00 during the month of August at the Greenwood Community Center. Frankie Manning The Lindy Hopper from New York City will be here for a major dance event, September 24th, to help rais funds for the Del Wilcox Memorial Stage Project. News Release from the Elk Community Services District: Bob was nominated for this award by a unanimous resolution of the Board of Directors of the Elk Community Services District. This award recognizes Bob's long service as Fire Chief of the Elk Volunteer Fire Department and his many other community services. The award will be presented in Huntington Beach on September 21, 1995. Open Memorial Celebration of the life and times of Del Wilcox, Sundy August 27th, starting with a pot luck at the Greenwood/Elk Community Center. Later in the afternoon the party will move to the beach and Del's ashes will be scattered out by Gunderson Rock by Force 10. Ellen Sax is looking for a few excellent cake bakers who will make fancy cakes for the upcoming Cake Auction during Great Day in Elk. Call Ellen at 877-3475 Letters to the Editor Embarrassed Editor - In Ron Bloomquist's column 8/24/95 he refers to the old-timers and the newcomers to Elk. His article on this subject has little truth and embarrasses both old-timers and new-timers as well. It seem obvious to me he would like Elk to revert to the hippy days and for the people that support Elk to leave. Dean R Wisdom Albion Community Form Check Your Facts By Lee and Barbara McKnight In response to the column written by Ron Bloomquist in the Greenwood/Elk column of Aug. 24. As one of the retirees who moved to Elk permanently 11 years ago, we are greatly outraged by the statements he made regarding the retirees who are living here. He claims only the hippies who moved here 20 years ago are the only ones who "do community work, volunteer for work parties, build a community center and health center". If you'll just remember Ron, the Elk Fire Department is made up of many retirees. It was we retirees who helped secure the land and build the new firehouse on Greenwood Ridge. We are the ones who are always there for a medical call and drive the ambulance, even at 3 AM in the morning. It was Rusty Gates, a retiree, who supervised building the addition to the Community Center and Del Wilcox, a retiree, who did the planning. They did hours and hours of work and then had to hire boys ton do the actual work because not enough volunteers were available. Del Wilcox also spent innumerable hours getting a grant for the basketball court and a grant for the new stage. We've been the treasure of the fire department for 10 years and know every penny that has been contributed. Your statement the "rich folks... maybe donate a few bucks to the fire department" is so erroneous it's laughable! For years the fire department existed on donations and it was only through the "rich folks" coud it have functioned. The same 20 or 25 people donated every year but we never saw a check from you or your hippy friends. One anonymous donor (a retiree) paid for the entire new roof on the firehouse. Because the fire department needed more funds for equipment the fire district was formed through the efforts of the "rich folks and retirees." They taxed themselves for the benefit of ALL in Elk. Are you paying any taxes, Ron, for the benefit of the fire department? Whether you are or not, if your travel trailer/house burned you know the retirees would be out there fighting as hard to save it as if it were their own. As for the health center - who was the driving force? Dr. John Frankel. anpther retiree. If it wasn't for him and his building, it never would have existed. The ladies of the Greenwood Civic Club, another group of retirees and old timers, have worked hard and long to have rummage sales to contribute to the community. The purchased the defibrillator for the ambulance, provided the scholarships to deserving seniros of Elk, purchased and trimmed the community Charistmas tree, sponsored a community Christmas party for the children of Elk, and who gave a considerable sum to keep your precious computer center going this summer for the children of Elk. Where would the Visitor Center be if it wasn't for the hard work and devotion of Ann Daniels, another "old timer?" Where would the Greenwood Community Church be today if it wasn't for all the hard work of Dean and Rae Wisdom, Dorothy Nielson, Lea Almanrode and Dave Brotherton, all retirees? We wouldn't even have the church! And wonderful Mary Berry, Sharon Mitchell and other "old timers" have kept the Catholic Church alive and beautiful for 47 years putting on the wonderful St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Dance. Where would this town be if it wasn't for the Matson family who for years and years have contributed time, and money and hard work to provide a garage that's always willing to pull you out of a ditch or fix and old clunker. In fact, Ron, you wouldn't have had a job for several winters if it wasn't for "old timer" Bob Matson who's the hardest worker in all of Elk. As for the new house on the bluff which you and your buddies have stopped (temporarily, we hope), we don't see how you had the gall to start up the petition you did and then conveniently leave town. Did you bother to find out that a lot of statements you made about it were incorrect? It was only one story, not two. It didn't have a maid's quarters, it only had a two car garage, not a three car, etc, etc. You got a lot of people riled up who had no business getting involved. It's great to say everyone is entitled to a beautiful view at the beach but this man has owned this property for 14 years and has paid over $80,000.00 in taxes alone. Do you own any property? Do you pay any taxes? What's the matter Ron? Are you just mad because we all worked hard for 40 or 50 years and "made it" but you didn't? Would all the land owners on the ridge who came 20 years ago want us coming and saying we want to walk in their woods and experience the forest so they can't build but they still have to pay taxes? This couple have had the dream of living on the ocean for years just as we did. We bought our property in 1969 and every other weekend for 15 yerars drove up from the Bay Area to build our house. And during the week we worked hard at jobs to pay for it and to make our dream of living by the ocean come true. You didn't even have the guts to appear at the hearing and see Mrs. Berlincourt, with tears streaming down her face, tell how hurt she was by the insults and condemnation they received from people they didn't even know and how it had been their dream to live by the ocean and become a part of the Elk community. What's your dream Ron? To make everyone go away and leave you to the "starry nights?" We're so disappointed in you Ron. We've always known you're on the opposite political side than we are but we've always respected your right to believe as you do. We always felt we had such a great community because "hippies, retirees and old-timers" could work side by side and what a great example for the whole world. It's diversity that makes this such a great country if everyone will contribute what they can and not divide comnmunities into the "haves" and "have nots." We just wanted it known that you and your views are not accepted by everyone in Elk. August 31, There was a small but enthusiastic turn-out for Ramone's Birthday party at the Community Center last Saturday night. Local band, "Word of Mouth' and their high energy music kept the dancers on the floor as children on roller skates swerved and zoomed around and one cocker spaniel wandered in and out the door. A very typical good time Elk Boogie. Happy Birthday Ramone. Sunday afternoon found the Community Center full of friends and relatives for the Celebration of the Life and Times of Del Wilcox. Tables were full of food and flower arrangements, a photo collection of images of Prue and Del from over the years was set up. There were speeches by friends and families and then around three thirty in the afternoon, our local kayaking tour guides loaded up Prue, her daughters and son (with the urn of Del's ashes), into two man kayaks and paddled them all out into the soft ocean fog to circle Gunderson Rock, pass through several of its caves and then to come together, to stop and throw out a raft of cut flowers and then release Del's ashes into the sea. The flotilla of kayaks then continued on up the coast for an hour long visit to the marvels of sea caves, wash rocks and ocean life. Prue said she and Del had always intended to take a kayak trip along the coast and kept putting it off. Now they finally did it. Soon they returned to Greenwood Beach and the waiting crowd of friends and relatives to return home and continue the remembrances and celebration. August 24th the Planning Department in Fort Bragg denied the current set of plans for the house to be built on the headlands just south of the Greenwood beach. The property owners can come back with new plans for a downsized dwelling in a less obvious location on their eleven acre parcel or appeal to the Supervisors and, or, the Coastal Commission. Well, I'm sorry to relate that my column of last week was misinterpreted by some of my friends and neighbors. I am very surprised that after eight years of writing about Greenwood/Elk and expressing again and again my love for this community and its citizens that I could be misread and taken any other way. I admit my mistake was using "sweeping generalities" in that column while I was trying to express the need for constant vigilance against the loss of two of the major strengths of Greenwood/Elk; (1) The scenic splendor we enjoy and, (2) Our wonderful community spirit. Most of my readers got my message but some took it an entirely different way and incredibly, the very folks, who felt most insulted by my column, are the ones who have been a major part and driving force behind the strong community spirit we do have and have had over the years. I am sorry they read themselves into my story as part of the problem. It was not my intent at all. Kay Curtis is looking for Artists and Crafts persons for the upcoming Great Day in Elk. A full size booth space, 8 feet by 8 feet costs $30.00 Half size booths are also available, 4X8 for $15.00. Call Kay at 877-3564 as soon as possible because there is limited space available. Faxed to both Beacon office and Advocate office: PULLING PLUG ON TV Labor Day. September 4, 1995 Town gets the big picture. Elk trades cable for wireless views. by Tobias Young. Staff Writer for the Press Democrat Elk - An ocean-bluff community on the Mendocino Coast has chosen scenery over cable TV service, and will gain pristine views unspoiled by wires. It's something people definitely will miss, "Postmaster Erna Smith said. "But most of us think the view is very important. I could look outside the post office and see the beautiful scenery, instead of all these wires." The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has approved a proposal to terminate cable service to Elk, a quiet village of 200 with only 23 subscribers. All of the overhead power and telephone lines in town are being buried to clear the skyline, but Wander Cable Co. of Gualala said it would be too costly to bury its wires. Rather than try to force the issue, the town's residents and inn-keepers gave up cable, and Wander will shut down its service within 14 months. "When we clip the cable, there isn't any television available for Elk," retired supervisor Norman deVall said. "We're doing all of this so we can look out the window and enjoy our views. It's the town that said, 'No'" At two public meetings, only one person objected. The move leaves the town without any TV service, except by satellite dish, because it is nestled on a scenic coastal bluff in an area beyond the reach of broadcast signals. Several residents said they will buy satellite dishes, which cost about $700.00 to install and then $15 to $65 a month depending on the number of channels received. Many others, however, said they will skip TV entirely. "Nobody seems to mind," resident Mary Pjerrou said. "We had cable for a while, but we gave it up and don't miss it at all." At the public meetings, a few people were worried losing cable could hinder access to the information superhighway, but they were assured they would connect to the Internet via telephone service. deVall attributes the success of the rural Mendocino Unified School District - which includes Elk - largely to the lack of TV in the area. "One of the reasons we have low dropout, high grade-point average and high entry into college is because only about 50 percent of the students have access to television," deVall said. Still, more than one household objects to losing cable. Jane Matson, 80, said she and her disabled husband, Mel, will miss the entertainment. They are considering a satellite disk. "We hate to see it go," she said. "We were hoping they'd just forget about undergrounding." Gerhard Hanneman, a general partner of Wander Cable, said he didn't want to terminate service to Elk after investing $300,000 in the area, but that his company's share of the undergrounding project would have cost $200,000, or $8,700 per subscriber. "Is it fair to make our 800 customers in Gualala subsidize an Elk beautification project?" Hanneman said. "Hell no, it isn't." Workers will start digging trenches in October. The $2.5 million undergrounding job should take 12 months to complete, said Davida Menta, a country administrative analyst. Residents will have to pay the cost of upgrading their outside utility hookups and installing new electrical boxes, estimated at $300 to $500 for most residents. Undergrounding projects are paid for by the state's utility companies. A small charge is included in Pacific Gas & Electric and Pacific Bell rates, and the money is distributed to counties and cities statewide for undergrounding projects. Faxed to both Beacon office and Advocate office September 7, THIS Saturday, the 21st annual Great Day in Elk happens once again. Official kick-off time is HIGH NOON with the parade weaving its way through downtown Elk and up Lousia Street to the Greenwood/Elk Community Center. Leading the way will be the Cal Aggie Alumni Maverick Marching Band, followed by, in no particular order, the Elk Volunteer Fire Department, floats, kids on bikes, the Elk Navy, Smokey the Bear and all the usual suspects. Once you arrive at the Greenwood/Elk Community Center you will find non-stop fun, food and entertainment throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Children games, Arts and Crafts sales and displays, greased pole, cake auction, adobe oven bread from the crouching beaver, margaritas, watermelon eating contest, hot dogs and sausages, ice cream sundaes topped with hand picked local black berries, on and on. The main evening sit down dinner offering will be either barbecued pork or barbecued chicken with Greek pasta, green salad and poppy seed cake, local wines, beers and soft drinks. Capping the evening will be the Mighty T-bones providing the most danceable music you could want for a great time for one and all. The proceeds from this annual event benefit the Greenwood/Elk Community Center's year - round activities such as the children's program and the new computer lab. Ellen Saxe called me to let me know that the Great Day in Elk Cake Auction is still in need of cakes. She wants you all to know that "They don't have to be heart breaking fancy, like I implied in my last column. They just have to taste good". Call 877-3475 I briefly saw Jim and Mary Muto in the Elk Store last week. They have completed their swing around America, seeing the sights and visiting family. Now they are looking to settle down, current thinking of either Philo, California or Prescott, Arizona, not sure yet which. Depends on the job situation. Anyway, it was really good to see them again. I hope they pick Philo. Judy Pritchett will be starting a second class of beginners who would like to learn how to dance the "Lindy Hop". She is teaching these classes at the Greenwood/Elk Community Center. Classes are Thursday evenings from 7:30 until 9:00 and they are free and fun. No partner necessary. Judy will also be showing Lindy Hop videos during Great Day in Elk. Check it out. My friend Eddie called me to report that he has fallen from Fort Bragg to Seattle. Yep. Ol Sky Diving Ed McKinley has been keeping a log book (spread sheet) in his computer and with the 360th jump he did last week he has now amassed a total vertical drop distance equivalent to driving from his front door in Fort Bragg to his dad's front door in Richmond Beach, just north of Seattle, Washington. A total distance of 770 miles! The spread sheet also points out that his total "free fall" time while traveling this distance was 5 hours, 32 minutes and 39 sec. To speed up his rate of fall during these 360 jumps he has hauled 733 pounds of steel pellets back to earth. Don't ask me why. I guess, without the gravitational encouragement of that extra weight he might still be floating around up there. The just when I think I have troubles, department. My sister in law, Alice, called labor day weekend, from Seattle, to inform me that my brother, Ken, had the ladder slip out from under him while he was working on replacing the deck on the back of their house. (Two story house. Deck up there.) Anyway... He fell fifteen feet and then got to go for a ride to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. After three hours of surgery he woke up with the shattered ball in his right shoulder socket replaced with a stainless steel ball. As if that isn't enough he also has a cast on his broke left wrist! He won't be driving a car for a while. He'll probably be sitting around, surfing TV channels, pressing the TV "clicker" with his nose. |