August
20, 2010
MAKIN'
HISTORY:
The riches of Mineral
King
by
John Elliott
The passing of Ora Kay Peterson (1929-2010)
in Visalia On July 31 certainly brought back
some wonderful memories for me. The multitude
of friends and neighbors who gathered for her
memorial service at St. Paul’s Church
in Visalia was evidence of all those lives she
touched in her lengthy career as a dental hygienist
and community activist.
Her greatest passion was for things
historical, and that is how our paths first
crossed nearly 25 years ago. It was in the company
of this great lady that I made my first trip
up the Mineral King Road on September 25, 1986,
to visit the Peterson cabin in East Mineral
King.
The trip was an inspection tour
of the cabin community and its associated historical
sites to see if I might be interested (in my
capacity of public historian) in coming up with
a plan to convince Sequoia National Park officials
of the historical significance of the cabins.
My first impression in driving through the old
rustic cabins was that this place indeed had
the makings of a special historic district.
But there was also an interesting
backstory as to how this memorable life-changing
visit came together. That part of the story
involves the Mineral King District Association,
founded in 1975, of which Ora Kay was a board
member. Ironically, it was another longtime
member of the Mineral King community, Jean Koch,
who I first met in Garden Grove at an Auld Lang
Syne luncheon in 1982.
I was the speaker at that luncheon
with a slide show on historical sites along
the old railroad tracks that hadn’t been
used to haul passengers on the Red Cars since
1940. At the time, the Orange County Transit
District was proposing to bring back a light-rail
passenger service to help mitigate the mess
of the snarled freeway system.
“There is a group of cabin owners up in
Mineral King that could use someone like you,”
said Jean Koch, who came forward when my talk
had ended. “Here’s the address of
Ora Kay Peterson in Visalia who is in charge
of getting us someone to help. Maybe you could
write a letter to tell the board what needs
to be done.”
In truth, I wasn’t even sure
where Mineral King was located. As soon as I
got home that evening, I pulled out a map. I
found the spot east of a little blip called
Three Rivers.
The map read: “Road to Mineral
King is closed in winter.”
To me, that sounded like one of
the most intriguing places on the planet. By
the next afternoon, I had a rather detailed
letter explaining that the Mineral King cabins
should be listed on the National Register of
Historic Places… and I’m the guy
that can get the job rolling. I can start as
soon as possible, I wrote.
All that year, and the next one,
and the next one, and the next one… I
never heard a word. Then, finally, in September
1986 the phone rang at my house in Costa Mesa.
When I first heard the voice on the other end
of the line it took me a moment to get my bearings.
“Hello, this is Ora Kay Peterson and I
am calling on behalf of the Mineral King District
Association. You wrote us a letter a while back
and we were wondering if you might still be
interested in our historical project.”
Of course, I answered.
"Could you come up next weekend to take
a look at Mineral King and see if you might
want to get involved? It’s important we
go up right away because anytime now we could
get snow up there.”
After pondering the possibilities
for a split second I answered: “I can
drive up Friday morning and meet you in Visalia
by lunchtime.”
“That’s just fine,” Ora Kay
replied. “That will give us plenty of
time to drive up to the cabin.”
That was the beginning of something
really incredible for all of us who, in any
way, shape, or form, enjoy the wonders of Mineral
King. Now fast forward to Saturday, Aug.
7, 2010, when there were more than 100 community
members, Sequoia National Park officials including
Superintendent Karen Taylor-Goodrich, and other
mountain folk who gathered at the Barton Cabin
in West Mineral King — as they have for
more than three decades — for the annual
meeting of the Mineral King District Association.
There were folks in attendance
who have been coming to Mineral King for more
than 80 years; most had been there for 40 or
50 of those summers. Jean Koch, my original
Mineral King connection, attended on what was
her 90th birthday.
One beloved Mineral King personality
that was missing was Ora Kay, who has done as
much as anyone to ensure that this unique community
is still extant and will be preserved. But that
is another part of this epic story.
June
18, 2010
The
Kaweah Commonwealth's plea to keep
people
safe from the Kaweah River...
Dear
Three Rivers Visitor:
We would like to talk frankly with you about
our town’s namesake: the three rivers.
Most likely, the Kaweah River is why you are
here. It is certainly the principal reason why
we live here. Read
more...
April
30, 2010
MAKIN'
HISTORY:
There's gold in these
foothills
by
John Elliott
In my role as president of the California
County Planning Commissioners Association, I
attended the Central District Spring Conference
held Friday, April 16, at Jamestown, Tuolumne
County. It was an intensive all-day program
entitled: “Bound for Glory: Promoting
Prosperity in Your County.”
Tuolumne County is situated in
the heart of California’s Gold Country,
a huge magnet for tourists. It’s difficult
to imagine the county’s smallish size
(pop. 60,000) because the typical visitor is
so impressed by all that the area has to offer.
The county’s historic Gold
Rush towns with nearby state parks are alluring,
and Yosemite National Park and Stanislaus National
Forest offer limitless outdoor recreation. The
locals have embraced their mantle as a tourist
region and realize it’s a challenge to
remain viable in today’s economy.
The conference sessions featured
several speakers who looked at the various assets
of Tuolumne County and their relationships with
Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Each session
had a motion picture-inspired title from a movie
that was filmed locally.
Tuolumne County, with its string
of charming gold rush towns and historic parks
has been the setting for many famous flicks
and TV serials. Here, every visitor is reminded
of Hollywood’s immortal stars and Wild
West settings that complement the local interpretation
of California’s Gold Rush.
Some of the richest strikes in
California were made here in 1849 and many of
the biggest nuggets ever found came from Tuolumne
County’s gulches. After an El Nino season
like this one, good paying dirt may still be
found in newly eroded places in the area’s
rivers and creeks.
Learning about gold panning at
Columbia State Park remains one of the area’s
premiere attractions. But more gold today is
found in the pockets of tourists and investors
who come seeking to experience or develop one
of these tourist-related assets.
Shuttle v. trolley—
There are some interesting comparisons to be
drawn between Tuolumne and Tulare counties.
The cluster of Gold Rush-era towns in Tuolumne
County are linked by a new trolley that transports
visitors back and forth with stops also at the
area parks.
Riding on the new trolley from Jamestown to
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park reminded me
of the potential for a similar experience in
Three Rivers. Our Sequoia Shuttle from Visalia
could be so much more, yet Visalia and park
officials cannot see beyond their own self-interest.
The Sequoia Shuttle, now approaching
its fourth season does a great job in Sequoia
National Park. Outside the park, it has failed
at what it was proposed to do in the first place;
get folks out of their cars and improve air
quality.
For an array of reasons, the City
of Visalia cannot cooperate with county transportation
officials to make the shuttle more viable. At
times, they act as if Three Rivers doesn’t
even exist.
Visalia officials claim they never
intended to collect fares and make any more
stops (than Comfort Inn and Memorial Building)
as the main reasons as to why they cannot fill
the hundreds of empty seats that go through
Three Rivers from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Three Rivers and Tulare County could do well
to learn a thing or two from Tuolumne County.
A step in the right direction would be to establish
a town center/transit center in Three Rivers
for busses and shuttles to serve more passengers.
There is no good reason why all
those shuttles should return with empty seats
to Visalia; all that would be needed is for
a few vehicles to return daily and be stored
overnight in Three Rivers. Instead, Visalia
officials view Three Rivers as a rival for tourist
business and not as a partner in this much needed
progress. With no town leadership, Three Rivers
remains without a voice.
The shuttle advertisements even
go so far as to claim that they (Visalia) are
the gateway to Sequoia National Park. Anyone
who has ever visited Visalia/Three Rivers knows
that gateway part is simply not true for Visalia,
nor will it ever be.
Part of the responsibility for
this misinformation must reside with Three Rivers
businesses for not embracing our true gateway
identity and collectively insisting that Visalia
at least include Three Rivers in the tourist
equation.
Steve Frisch, president of the
Sierra Business Council, told the Jamestown
conference that the new generation of visitors
is seeking small communities just like Three
Rivers to spend their tourist dollars.
First, they want to get out of
their vehicles so they prefer those places that
are walkable and have lots of healthy recreational
opportunities.
Second, they want to experience
a place where some remnants of the past have
been preserved and the residents have a sense
of their own history.
And finally, they appreciate a
vibrant local arts scene both of the visual
and performance variety.
There is no doubt that there is
plenty of potential for Three Rivers to cater
to these new tourists and we are headed in the
right direction. All we need is a trolley —
or shuttle — to take us there.
January
29, 2010
MAKIN' HISTORY:
Welcome to the Hotel
California
by
John Elliott
To think just two weeks ago I was exploring
the Los Cabos coastline of Baja California Sur.
After all this recent winter weather, the balmy
80-degree temperatures and the Baja breezes
seem like a fleeting dream.
A couple of years back, I promised
my family that whenever possible we would try
to spend part of each January someplace warm.
As I pondered the options, it became apparent
that warm place would be somewhere in Mexico.
Traveling south of the border makes
sense. It’s relatively easy to get to
(lots of direct flights from California) and
an affordable place to stretch those travel
dollars. If you have time but are on a tighter
budget, it’s a camper’s paradise.
Mexico really is a safe, family
destination as long as you steer clear of those
drug-crazed border towns.
In 2008, we tried Puerto Vallarta
and explored the Pacific Coast of mainland Mexico.
This year we focused on the southernmost part
of the Baja peninsula and were very impressed
by the traditional Mexican culture that still
may be found there in spite of those expatriates
who are encouraging Mexican investors to build
condos, tacky mini-malls, and all-inclusive
resorts.
We opted to stay in San Jose del
Cabo, the quieter of the two Cabos. Both San
Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas are towns of
about 50,000. Cabo San Lucas is a bit more raucous,
is a cruise ship port, and is located where
the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez 20
miles to the west.
About 60 miles east of San Jose
del Cabo is Cabo Pulmo National Park. Cabo Pulmo,
in the Sea of Cortez, is the antithesis of the
all-inclusive resort and is home to the Mexican
equivalent of a U.S. National Park. It is so
remote that the government is finding it extremely
difficult to enforce the laws enacted in the
1990s to protect this unique marine resource.
At Cabo Pulmo there exists the
last living reef of the region with plenty of
excellent diving, snorkeling, and miles of pristine
beaches. The fishing is among the best in the
world so it’s tough barring guides and
local fishermen from the Parque Nacional who
are looking to feed hungry families and make
a few pesos.
It’s the mañana lifestyle,
and recently relaxed immigration laws are appealing
to an increasing number of gringos coming south
of the border in search of “Hotel California.”
Hotel California to some retiring boomers is
wherever they find their extension of the idyllic
California lifestyle; to others it’s simply
a very cool vacation at the property by the
same name that inspired the number-one bestselling
Eagles album in 1977.
This autentico Hotel California
is an inviting, recently remodeled 11-room inn
on Avenue Juarez located adjacent to the old
mission in Todos Santos. Todos Santos is about
an hour’s drive north of Cabo San Lucas
on the Pacific Coast.
The sleepy, old Baja town was discovered
in the 1960s by California surfers, hippies,
and coastal aficionados looking for that perfect
sunset. Among those 1960s visitors was Don Felder,
an accomplished guitarist and studio musician
looking for a little peace and quiet to write
songs and escape life in the L.A. fast lane.
“Don Felder frequented Hotel California
in those days but in truth, the Eagles as a
group never actually stayed here,” said
Debbie Stewart, the owner of the venerable property
for the past eight years. “It was coming
here that inspired Felder to write his part
of those famous lyrics.”
Felder was not an original Eagle
but when he sat in on a 1974 tour he so impressed
Don Henley and Glenn Frey that he was asked
to join the band. Felder is credited with being
a co-writer of the song “Hotel California,”
the title track on the album that has sold more
than 10 million copies, placing it among the
top two or three bestselling albums of all time.
In recent years, it also surpassed
one million digital downloads. Here is an excerpt
from the lyrics of Hotel California that won
the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1977.
On
a dark desert highway,
cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance,
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and
my sight grew dimmer
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
‘This could be Heaven
or this could be Hell’
Then she lit up a candle and
she showed me the way
There were voices
down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say…
Welcome to the
Hotel California
Such a lovely place
(such a lovely face)
Plenty of room at the
Hotel California
Anytime of year
you can find it here...
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
‘Relax,’ said the night man,
‘We are programmed to receive.
You can check out
anytime you like,
but you can never leave.’
—Felder, Henley, Frey
So if you are in need of a break from winter
head south to BCS, Mexico. There are beautiful
beaches, whales to watch, lots of water sports,
and nine missions including San Jose del Cabo
and Todos Santos to explore.
Today, you can check in or out
at Hotel California anytime you like but you
better make a reservation: www.hotelcaliforniabaja.com.
January
1, 2010
TELLING
IT LIKE IT IS:
Y2K decade
by
Sarah Elliott
No matter when you think the
recent millennium began, there is no denying
that there are 10 years of the 2000s that are
now in the past. As of today, we enter 2010
(pronounced twenty-ten, not two-thousand-ten
or two-oh-ten).
But let’s look back over
the decade, which started when gas was $1.25
a gallon, but at least didn’t end with
it eclipsing $4 per gallon, as it did in ‘06.
Way back when, when postage stamps were 29 cents
and lickable, and now are 44 cents and mostly
self-adhesive.
We’ve bid goodbye to floppy
disks, cassettes, yellow pages, and our rolodex,
and embraced iPods, Blackberries, and iPhones.
We are now entertained by reality TV, social
networking, weblogs, and YouTube. CDs have come
and mostly gone; DVDs and downloads have replaced
VHS.
We’ve added new verbs to
our vocabulary: googling, blogging, texting,
friending, and tweeting. We have new “conveniences”
in our lives like automated phones (press 1...)
and online banking. But use those wireless devices
wisely, because we also have identity theft.
We certainly can’t look back
on the decade without knowing that it will forever
be defined by 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
We’ve dealt with SARS and
H1N1, but the worst epidemic is that the majority
of us are fat — and there are categories
for our stages of fatness: overweight, obese,
and morbidly obese — which is also our
nation’s leading cause of death. Our “Western
diet” is infamously known throughout the
world, loved and hated at the same time.
In 2000, it was peacetime. Now
we are fighting two wars in Afghanistan and
Iraq. There are no WMDs, Saddam Hussein has
been hanged, more than 5,000 troops have died,
and airport security lines are the new norm.
The decade began with the presidency
hinging on hanging chads and a ruling by the
Supreme Court that sent George W. Bush to Washington,
D.C., and ended with lots of political scandal
— John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, and Mark
(“hiking the Appalachian Trail”)
Sanford. John Kerry challenged Bush mid-decade,
but “Swift Boat Captains for Truth”
sunk that presidential campaign.
Hillary Clinton almost became the
first female president, Sarah Palin was the
first female Republican vice-presidential candidate,
and Barack Obama was elected the first African-American
president.
Enron, the energy trading giant, collapsed amid
scandal; we watched as the Columbia space shuttle,
with its seven crewmembers, fell apart in the
sky; an Indian Ocean tsunami killed thousands;
and Bernie Madoff “made off” with
millions of dollars of our money.
There was a recent financial collapse, and no
one escaped that global-wide tsunami. While
unemployment climbed into double digits, the
Dow dropped below 10,000.
There are heroes — Captain
Chesley Sullenburger and the Hudson River landing,
Lance Armstrong and his Livestrong campaign
— and ethical and moral duds — Martha
Stewart, Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, Tiger Woods,
Octomom, Balloon Boy, and wardrobe malfunction.
Here at home, The Kaweah Commonwealth
published its first digital photos in 2001,
eliminating the weekly run to the one-hour photo
lab. In 2003, we launched a website, taking
Three Rivers global. In 2004, DSL came to town,
which meant that the newspaper could now be
electronically processed to the printer instead
of hand-delivered, again eliminating a 120-mile-plus
roundtrip.
According to my long-term goals,
John and I won’t still be preparing these
pages at the end of the next decade, but I certainly
hope The Kaweah Commonwealth will be
serving Three Rivers for millennia to come.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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