A BI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE KERN-KAWEAH CHAPTER OF SIERRA CLUB MAY -JUNE, 2009 The Roadrunner COURT FORCES ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE Gordon Nipp and Sierra Club attorney Naficy bring about cha"enge to Tulare’ s General Plan Update LOCALS TO CELEBRATE JOHN MUIR’S BIRTHDAY AND EARTH DAY THIS MONTH Global warming, urban sprawl, and farmland conservation were three considerations leading to Sierra Club’s March 19 victory in a lawsuit over development plans in the City of Tulare. Tulare County’s Superior Court in Visalia ordered the city’s planning commission to address such environmental issues in its General Plan Update. Kern Kaweah Chapter vice- chair Gordon Nipp was instrumental in bringing about the lawsuit. Assisted by San Luis Obispo attorney Babak Naficy, Nipp and Sierra Club have worked for several years to pressure cities and counties to direct attention to the environment in plans for development. “Cities and counties ought to be following the law,” Nipp said in a phone interview. He urges citizens to be watching planning departments and city councils for legal violations. “They are used to having no one speak up about environmental issues. The public role of Sierra Club is to watch them.” The Tulare decision represents a growing trend of California cities to include environmental concerns such as global warming in their planning. Attorney General Jerry Brown has called on local governments to address especially the global warming impacts of land use planning and has provided resources to decision makers to identify, quantify, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. "Every city, town and state needs to do its part to fight global warming," said Sierra Club attorney Holly Bressett. "Cities can have vibrant growth without contributing to global warming. We're thrilled that the court has recognized that. We hope to work with Tulare to develop the kind of Climate Action Plan that Stockton has created. The Tulare decision should signal other cities in California. to take global warming seriously. “They need to put together Climate Action Plans, and they should require global warming mitigation for new projects," said Bressett. "We're in a new era. America is turning to a clean energy economy, and smart city planning is a key part of that.” Nipp also hopes that the Tulare decision has an impact throughout California “We’ve been working on these issues for a long time, and we’ll continue to be working on them.” Nipp and Naficy have successfully leveraged many lawsuits into settlements out of court in Sierra Club’s favor, including the 2007 suit against the Rosedale Ranch project. Soon a new effort will involve 600 acres north of Bakersfield, which are planned for 20-acre parcels “Deep thanks and appreciation go to Gordon and Babak for the tremendous amount of work and time spent on these cases,” Kern Kaweah chair Georgette Theotig commented. —Sierra Club Press Secretary Kristina Johnson and Roadrunner Editor Marjorie Bell One of the chapter events celebrating John Muir’s birthday as well as Earth Day is a wine and cheese social from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22 at the SURFACE Gallery, 1703-20th Street (across from the Fox theatre downtown). For details, call Ann Gallon at 661.589.7796. Of possible interest also are CSUB events on and around the official Earth Day celebration. The Charles Kegley Memorial Lecture and Sustainability Summit, of which the local Sierra Club is an official sponsor, includes a Climate Change panel discussion on April 23 at 7 p.m. in the Student Union multipurpose room. The Inaugural CSUB Sustainability Summit key note speaker on April 24 is Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx and an environmental justice advocate. On Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. till 12 noon, at CSUB the chapter will host a table of brochures and other items for a celebration of Earth Day and Green Careers.
Transcript
A BI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE KERN-KAWEAH CHAPTER OF SIERRA CLUB MAY-JUNE, 2009
The RoadrunnerCOURT FORCES ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
Gordon Nipp and Sierra Club attorney Naficy bring about cha"enge to Tulare’s General Plan Update
LOCALS TO CELEBRATE JOHN MUIR’S BIRTHDAY AND EARTH DAY THIS MONTH
Global warming, urban sprawl, and farmland conservation were three considerations leading to Sierra Club’s March 19 victory in a lawsuit over development plans in the City of Tulare. Tulare County’s Superior Court in Visalia ordered the city’s planning commission to address such environmental issues in its General Plan Update. Kern Kaweah Chapter vice-chair Gordon Nipp was instrumental in bringing about the lawsuit. Assisted by San Luis Obispo attorney Babak Naficy, Nipp and Sierra Club have worked for several years to pressure cities and counties to direct attention to the environment in plans for development. “Cities and counties ought to be following the law,” Nipp said in a phone interview. He urges citizens to be watching planning departments and city councils for legal violations. “They are used to having no one speak up about environmental
issues. The public role of Sierra Club is to watch them.” The Tulare decision represents a growing trend of California cities to include environmental concerns such as global warming in their planning. Attorney General Jerry Brown has called on local governments to address especially the global warming impacts of land use planning and has provided resources to decision makers to identify, quantify, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. "Every city, town and state needs to do its part to fight global warming," said Sierra Club attorney Holly Bressett. "Cities can have vibrant growth without contributing to global warming. We're thrilled that the court has recognized that. We hope to work with Tulare to develop the kind of Climate Action Plan that Stockton has created. The Tulare decision should signal other cities in California. to take global warming seriously. “They need to put together Climate Action Plans, and they
should require global warming mitigation for new projects," said Bressett. "We're in a new era. America is turning to a clean energy economy, and smart city planning is a key part of that.” Nipp also hopes that the Tulare decision has an impact throughout California “We’ve been working on these issues for a long time, and we’ll continue to be working on them.” Nipp and Naficy have successfully leveraged many lawsuits into settlements out of court in Sierra Club’s favor, including the 2007 suit against the Rosedale Ranch project. Soon a new effort will involve 600 acres north of Bakersfield, which are planned for 20-acre parcels “Deep thanks and appreciation go to Gordon and Babak for the tremendous amount of work and time spent on these cases,” Kern Kaweah chair Georgette Theotig commented.
—Sierra Club Press Secretary Kristina Johnson and
Roadrunner Editor Marjorie Bell
One of the chapter events celebrating John Muir’s birthday as well as Earth Day is a wine and cheese social from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22 at the SURFACE Gallery, 1703-20th Street (across from the Fox theatre downtown). For details, call Ann Gallon at 661.589.7796. Of possible interest also are CSUB events on and around the official Earth Day celebration. The Charles Kegley Memorial Lecture and Sustainability Summit, of which the local Sierra
Club is an official sponsor, includes a Climate Change panel discussion on April 23 at 7 p.m. in the Student Union multipurpose room. The Inaugural CSUB Sustainability Summit key note speaker on April 24 is Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx and an environmental justice advocate. On Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. till 12 noon, at CSUB the chapter will host a table of brochures and other items for a celebration of Earth Day and Green Careers.
THE ROADRUNNER MAY-JUNE, 2009
Congratulations are in order to our three honorees at the annual banquet on March 28 at Benji's restaurant. Receiving the Ruth Allen/Susan B. Miller Award was Joanne Dudley, from Visalia. The Sierra Club Cup was awarded to Dennis Burge, from Ridgecrest. Last, the Long Trail Award was presented to Brian Newton, of Visalia. The Chapter thanks these honorees for their contributions to the Chapter, and we appreciate all their good work for the environment. I want to again express gratitude to Arthur Unger for his past two years serving as chapter chair. Arthur's persistence and dedication have been much appreciated. In addition, many thanks to all members who gave time for chapter causes in 2008, as committee members, officers, or in other ways. You made a difference. I ask that you re-read the March Appeal letter in the March/April Roadrunner. Did you see the part about volunteering your time instead of your dollars? Volunteering in the Chapter has a ripple effect—what you do spreads out to create a positive change in the
Joanne Dudley and Brian Newton (both from Visalia) won recognition for chapter leadership.
world. The same is true for Earth Day. We all know that Earth Day is every day—what are you doing to make a difference today?
—Georgette TheotigChapter Chair
FROM THE CHAIR
Club honors Dudley, Burge, Newton at annual spring banquet
Since the early 1970’s when first coming to Kern County to teach science at Cal State University Bakersfield, professor emeritus Dr. Ted Murphy has taken on the mission of getting to know Bakersfield’s favorite endangered species, the elusive kit fox. “Very few things I’ve done have been as much fun as working with kit foxes,” Dr. Murphy told Sierra Club members and friends at a breakfast talk at the Camino Real restaurant earlier this month. “They are just so darn sweet.” Dr. Murphy’s interest in the local fox population started in 1972 when he saw his first fox while exploring for toads in a canal near CSUB. Later he began taking pictures and studying them closely. Kit foxes often live in sumps, sometimes in the banks of freeways and even in ice plant and under piles of trash. “A good 10 percent of the sumps in
the southwest have kit foxes in them,” Murphy said. “Look for soft tracks because of the fur between their toes and prey remains.” They often eat pigeons, doves, ground, squirrels and eggs. Some of them have also been known to hoard golf balls from local courses. In the 1980’s very few people paid much attention to the little canines. Murphy recalled instances in which human carelessness caused fatalities. For example, the little foxes have been welded into pipes, caught in soccer nets at CSUB, trapped in chain link fences and even poisoned in dens near the bike path. There remain about 200 to 400 kit foxes within the city and maybe 6000 or a few more totally. “I don’t have a lot of hope for them,” Murphy said. “Not even wild preserves are the best habitat for
them because they easily fall prey to feral dogs and coyotes.” A native of North Carolina, Dr. Murphy received advanced degrees in zoology and botany from Duke University. His work with the kit fox involved many hours of observation, trapping, radio-tracking, rearing and sometimes rehabilitating the animals. He and his wife once even nurtured six orphaned pups in a spare room in their home before releasing them into the wild. His activism has informed many citizens through local public information efforts as well as national media such as TV's "Wild About Animals" and the Smithsonian magazine. Dr. Murphy is founding director of the Facility for Animal Care and Treatment (FACT) at CSUB.
—Marjorie Bell
FOX TALES
Murphy’s work locally benefits endangered kit fox population
THE ROADRUNNER MAY-JUNE, 2009
Sequoia extends management project comment period to April 20 Porterville, CA — The Sequoia National Forest is extending the public comment period for the Motorized Travel Management Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 30, 2009, originally for a 60-day comment period. Forest Supervisor Tina Terrell has received requests for more time to review the documents, so the comment period has been extended for an additional 15-days, from March 31 to April 20, 2009. Comments must be received no later than April 20, 2009, at 4:30 p.m. Federal, state, tribal and local government and other interested parties are requested to comment on the DEIS. Comments will be accepted by email at [email protected], or by mail to Chris Sanders, Travel Management, Sequoia National Forest, 1639 South Newcomb St.,
Porterville, CA 93257, or by facsimile to (559) 781-4744. Following the analysis of public comments, Forest Supervisor Tina Terrell will make a final decision and create a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD). This decision is scheduled to be made in summer, 2009. The DEIS, 10 maps representing the alternatives, and other project
information are available on the Sequoia National Forest website at: www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/projects/ohv or a CD with the Draft EIS and maps can be requested by contacting Chris Sanders, Project Team Leader, at (559) 784.1500.
—Contributed by Ara MardarosianForestkeeper, Sequoia National
Forest
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: Off road vehicles do serious damage to &agile mountain ecosystems causing soil erosion in Sequoia National Forest. The date for public comment has been extended to April 20.
Photo by Ara Mardarosian
Dick Shore, a former Bakersfield resident, will be portraying John Muir through story and song at the CSUB 60+ group on May 14 at 2 p.m. in the Stockdale Room of the Runner cafeteria. The event is being co-sponsored by the Buena Vista group, CSUB History Department, and 60+ Club members. Born in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada, Shore hiked and camped in Yosemite and throughout the West Coast, as well as over half of the remaining states. He received his Ph.D. in zoology at Duke in 1963 and
an MBA from Toledo in 1974, in both ecology and economics. He is a Certified Quality Engineer, and in his parallel career capacity has served in both industrial and government organizations. Shore's enthusiasm for the theater has enhanced his John Muir presentation. For more information about Dick Shore as John Muir, check out: http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/live_presentations/shore.html
Buena Vista group co-sponsoring Muir event at CSUB on May 14
KERN KAWEAH ROUNDUPPLEASE READ CAREFULLY IF YOU PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN SIERRA CLUB HIKES:Everyone is welcome, Sierra Club members and non-members, to join in any of the outdoor activities. Requirements: You must be in condition for the type of hike, equipped appropriately for the activity and prepared to sign a Sierra Club release for liability. You must be willing to follow the leader’s directions. Be sure to bring any personal medicines you might need. Customary appropriate equipment includes good hiking shoes, plenty of water, snack, sunglasses, suntan lotion, and layered clothing. The following might be helpful but definitely is not required: compass, whistle, matches or lighter, and a good first aid kit. Long paints are recommended. Unprepared for the prospective hike? It will be a no-go for you. Participation must be leader approved. Please let the leader know ahead of time that you are intending to participate. Check individual group listings for the desired means of communication.
Since unexpected change of plans may be necessary, it is recommended that YOU contact the hike leader the night before to be assured that the hike is still going to happen.
New California legislation designed to protect the consumer requires us to publish this notice: CST 2087755-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. This legislation is designed to protect the user of outdoor activities that require cash payments of more than $50 for participation.
BUENA VISTA GROUP More info? Call Donnel Lester at 661.831.6784 or e-mail [email protected] or Isabel at 661.246.6195. Tuesday conditioning hikes of four or five miles are at 7 p.m. at the corner of Highways 178 and 184. Trails hiked vary from week to week. Contact Gordon ([email protected]) or Larry (661.873.8107) for more information about .Sierra Club, Buena Vista Group upcoming urograms.
Wednesday, April 22—Sierra Club Wine & Cheese Social 5 to 7 p.m. at SURFACE Gallery, 1703-20th St, Bakersfield (across from the Fox Theatre). This is an informal opportunity for new and old members to get acquainted. RSVP to Ann at 661.589.7796.
Saturday, May 2—Wind Wolves, a Wildlands Conservancy Preserve; presentation at 10 a.m. by Dave Clendenen, staff ecologist, and Sherryl Clendenen, outdoor education director. Wind Wolves, at the foot of the Grapevine, is the largest nonprofit preserve on the West Coast with 97,000 scenic and ecologically diverse acres open for hiking, picnicking and (by permit) camping. Camino Real Restaurant, 3500 Truxtun Avenue at the corner of Truxtun and Westwind, just west of Oak St. Brunch is served for $7.50/person (tip not included). Info: 661.589.7796
Saturday, May 16— Adopt-A-Highway cleanup. Meet at the corner of Old River Road and Highway 119 at 9-11 a.m. Bring water, a hat, and good hiking shoes. We will provide gloves and cleanup gear. For info call 661.319.6996. Saturday, June 6—FACT at CSUB, Tour & Ice Cream Social, 10 a.m. The Facility for Animal Care and Treatment was founded by Dr. Ted Murphy as a wildlife rescue, conservation and education project for California State University, Bakersfield. Tour will include a garden maintained by the Cactus & Succulent Society and the Tortoise Compound. We are capping BV Group's year of programs with a fun site visit and ice cream treat. Bring cameras. Directions to FACT: Enter SE corner of CSUB campus from Camino Media; pass the info booth and turn right through parking lot - pass recycling area and field to dirt road to FACT. HYPERLINK "http://www.csub.edu/FACT/BIGmap.htm” For info call 661.203.2770. Saturday, June 20—Adopt-A-Highway cleanup Meet at the corner of Old River Road and Highway 119 at 9-11 a.m. Bring water, a hat, and good hiking shoes. We will provide gloves and cleanup gear. For info call 661.319.6996.BVG Recycles—Bring your household batteries and unbroken CFL’s to our meetings, and we’ll recycle them for you. Meeting Notices—If you would like to receive Buena Vista Group meeting and activity notices by email, please contact Donnel Lester, at [email protected], with Add me to the email list. You can opt out of the email notices at any time. We try to limit this to once-a-month emails.
CONDOR GROUPMore info? Mary Ann Lockhart (661.242.0432). Hikes? Dale Chitwood (661.242.1076)
Saturday, April 25— Mt. Guillermo. Meet at the PMC tennis courts at 8 a.m. to join the car pool trip to Pine Springs Campground located off of Lockwood Valley Road where the hike begins. This is considered an easy hike of about 4 miles round trip. The elevation gain is only about 600 ft. and is rewarded with a gorgeous view of the Cuyama Badlands to the west. Wildflower displays are expected. Reservations are essential. Call Dale Chitwood 661.242.1076 or Mary Ann Lockhart 661.242.0432.
Saturday, April 25—Nature Fest, noon till 3:30 p,m. Frazier Park Elementary School, Frazier Park. Hands on activities for young and old, displays, story times, and much more. Free to all. More info? call 551.242.0432
May 23/June 27 (fourth Saturday of the months) —Due to Forest Service closures and uncertainty of wildflowers these hikes do not have designated destinations. The hikes will happen but we can not determine where at this time. Please call for information the first of May. 661.242.0432
Saturday, June 6—Ara Marderosian of the Sequoia ForestKeeper and our Sierra Club will be speaking about the Sequoia Monument 's present and past, the lessons learned and future prospects. Potluck is at 6 p.m. and program at 7 p.m. Meeting is held in the Pine Mountain Clubhouse. For directions please call 661.242.0432.
Sunday Strolls. (Sundays, 8 a.m.) —By request, the Sunday Strolls will begin on the first Sunday in May this year and will continue on, weekly, throughout the summer. Children accompanied with parents are welcome. Strolls are one hour and half long, all in the vicinity of Pine Mountain Club. Mainly easy walking. Need to wear good shoes. There is plenty of time for observations as well as chatting along the way. Meeting Place is the Pine Mountain Club's parking lot. No need to register. More info? Call 661.242.0432
KAWEAH GROUPMore info? Call Pam Clark (559.784.4643) or Diane Jetter (559.781.8897).
OWENS PEAK GROUPMore info? Chair Dennis Burge (760.375.7967) or e-mail [email protected]. Jim Nichols, hikes (760.375.8161) or e-mail [email protected].
Saturday, April 18—Flower hike. We will find another good flower display and hike to that, and maybe bag a peak in the process. We want to see how the patterns develop before picking the exact locations. The hike will be announced a week before via email or you can call the numbers below. This will be an easy/moderate hike and a great photo opportunity. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Ridgecrest Cinema parking lot. For more information, call Dennis Burge at 760.375.7967 or Jim Nichols at 760.375.8161.
Saturday, May 16 —Andrews mounain (a peak in the Wacoba complex of the Northern Inyos, 9461 ft max elev, 1030 ft elevation gain, 3 mi RT). This is an easy peak to reach from the high clearance roadhead S of the Eureka Valley access road. With 4x4s, we may explore a bit of Squaw Flat, a bit of Papoose Flat, and maybe also bag Andrew Bench Mark with its great overview of Owens Valley. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Ridgecrest Cinema parking lot. For more information, call Dennis Burge at 760.375.7967 or Jim Nichols at 760.375.8161.
Saturday, June 20—Pine Creek Trail to Pine Lake (first lake reached on the Eastern Lateral Access Trail from the Pine Creek Trailhead, 9942 ft max elevation, 2500 ft elevation gain, 7 mi RT) This hike is part of our program of exploring the major eastern access trails to the Sierra. The Pine Creek Trail leads to Italy Pass and Pine Creek Pass. This will be an moderate hike. Meet Sat, June 20, at 7:30 a.m. at the Ridgecrest Cinema parking lot. For more information, call Dennis Burge at 760.375.7967 or Jim Nichols at 760.375.8161.
MINERAL KING GROUPMore info? Call 559.761.0592. Please also visit mineralking.sierraclub.org for more info.
Saturday, April 18—Middle Fork Trail to Panther Creek Falls (Sequoia National Park - 7 mile round trip, 1400 foot elevation gain) This is a moderate hike. The trail passes through chaparral and grassland above the middle fork of the Kaweah River to Panther Falls. Rain cancels. For more information contact Dave Keller at 559.688.4813 or [email protected]
Wednesday, April 22—6 p.m. Dinner/social. Please join us for a “no host” dinner at Thai Basil Restaurant, 1423 E. Noble Ave., Mary’s Vineyard Shopping Center, Visalia. Contact Beverly Garcia for reservations at [email protected] or 559.624.0199.
Friday, May 1— Film Series: "Blue Vinyl." 7 p.m. program at 210 Cafe, Visalia. With humor, chutzpah and a piece of vinyl siding firmly in hand, Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Judith Helfand and co-director and award-winning cinematographer Daniel B. Gold set out in search of the truth about polyvinyl chloride (PVC), America's most popular plastic. “Blue Vinyl” is an Emmy nominee and
Sundance Film Festival Winner. “Frightening and funny! ‘Blue Vinyl’ has left audiences lingering in the hallways for hours to debate and question.” ~Sharon Waxman, The Washington Post. Free admission. For more info contact [email protected].
Wednesday, June 10—6 p.m. DINNER SOCIAL: Please join us for a “no host” dinner at Panera Bread Restaurant, 4103 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia. Contact Beverly Garcia for reservations at [email protected] or 559.624.0199.
For questions about, or to sign up for a particular outing, please contact the leader listed in the write-up. For questions about Desert Committee outings in general, or to receive the outings list by e-mail, please contact Kate Allen at [email protected] or 661.944.4056..
Saturday-Monday, April 18-20—Furnace Creek Backpack (In the White Mountains): On the east side of the White Mountains near Dyer, Nevada, Furnace Creek is a beautiful stream. We'll backpack up the creek on Saturday, do a day hike beyond the head of the canyon to Tres Plumas Flats on Sunday, and backpack out on Monday. This is an easy to moderate trip. We should be back at our cars by late morning on Monday. Limit 12. Leader: John Wilkinson 408.876.8295 or e-mail [email protected]
Friday-Sunday, May 29-31 —Wilderness Restoration in Death Valley NP: Work project in Middle Park/South Park area of the Panamint Mountains to repair vehicle trespass damage. Also, possibility of clearing up trash and debris from the vicinity of a couple of the old cabins in the area. Requires 4 WD, possibility of carpooling at trail head. Meet Friday afternoon and drive up Pleasant Canyon to campsite. Work Saturday and Sunday. Happy hour/potluck on Saturday night. Contact leader Kate Allen at [email protected], or 661.944,4056. CNRCC Desert Committee
Saturday-Sunday, June 6-14—Gorge Scramble: Tonto Creek, Hellsgate Wilderness, Arizona. Spectacular four-day gorge scramble of Tonto Creek, a seldom visited granite canyon in the Mogollon Rim. It offers a desert riparian habitat, unadulterated wilderness, and varied colors and geology in the canyon walls. Lots of polished granite and many lengthy pools to float thru on your air mattress. Call for participant requirements, available space, itinerary and outing details. Leader; Paul Plathe 209.476.1498. Delta-Sierra Group
Saturday-Sunday, June 13-14—Domeland Wilderness Basecamp: In the very southernmost Sierras, this wilderness includes ponderosa pines, sage meadows, and the flowing South Fork of the Kern River. Elevation is modest and weather should be comfortable. On Saturday we backpack four miles to Rockhouse Basin, set up camp, and explore through the valley and along the river. Sunday will be a leisurely return to our cars. An easy to moderate journey for learning backpackers. Leader: Craig Deutsche at [email protected], (310.477.6670). CNRCC Desert Committee
One of the pleasures of membership in the Sierra Club is in sharing history with special people who made a fine contribution to the life of the organization. One such man was Jim Clark, in whose honor old friends from the Kern-Kaweah chapter joined with his daughter, Pam, for a special memorial on April 4. Their meeting place, Audubon’s Kern River Preserve in Weldon, was appropriate since it represents what he held most dear: advocacy for the preservation of the natural world. Jim died only a few months prior to his 100th birthday, after a long history of adventures backpacking and mountain climbing from Alaska to Mexico. A native of Missouri, he came to California and very soon became enchanted with the Sierra Nevada. In a library he discovered Starr’s Guide to the John Muir Trail and the Sierra Nevada. The book was too large to carry on the trail, so he went to the library several nights after work and copied it into a small notebook that would fit into his shirt pocket. He carried it with him for many years on Sierra trails.Only a very special person could inspire such stories and such laughter as was shared that day at the
preserve. Except for good boots and an all-weather jacket, he wore old street clothes on his mountain adventures, and he always wore the same old felt hat. He slept soundly every night in all weather on a pad barely thicker than a postage stamp. On one hike early in his career, Jim met a family carrying light, comfortable packs made in the man’s garage. His name was Kelty! Jim invested in one of the first commercial Kelty packs and used it for the rest of his hiking days. In Jim’s honor the Kern-Kaweah chapter donated 16 good binoculars to add to the 16 already given to the Audubon Preserve for use by visitors, especially children. Nothing would have pleased him more.
—Ann Williams
Friends honor legendary Jim Clark at April 4 event
Pam Clark, Bugs Fontaine, Theresa Stump (standing) and Ruth Smith and Joe Fontaine are looking at old photos of trips with the late Jim Clark. Photo by Maria Polite
MIDGEBUZZINGS Although I am almost exclusively a patron of public broadcasting, where I can depend upon reasonable discourse, I am nevertheless over my head in the news of the day. I have reached the saturation point and have decided to drop out for a while from grim reports and prognostications. As much as possible I want to concentrate upon what is both beautiful and available to us. The idea for this tiny revolt came to me two Sundays ago on one of the most exquisite days in local weather history. By late morning a strong wind was arranging colossal cloud formations in the lower valley with such an effect of light and shadow as I have rarely seen here. I reached for my camera, my wallet and my car keys, and took off after it, driving eastward. I chose the road to Caliente, and what a fortunate decision! I am looking now at the resulting photographs, and I must say that at least one qualifies for enlargement and framing. Another result of the day was a poem that I took great pleasure in writing. This week I decided to tune in exclusively to natural beauty and began by playing my audio tapes of Vita Sackville-West’s classic, In Your Garden, and listening with deep pleasure, while going about household chores, to the cultivated and lovely voice of an English narrator. Sackville-West wrote a gardening column for the London Observer. The tapes in my library cover the late 40’s, after the Blitz, when England was cleaning up the mess of war and everyone was in mourning and doing without all but the basic necessities. Here is a sentence from that recording: “Agreeable incidents do continue to occur from time to time, even in 1948. And there still seem to be days when things go marvelously right…rarities to be recorded with gratitude before they can be forgotten.” Exactly! Here are the photographs and here is the poem to remind me, when I need cheering up, of a beautiful day. Those of us in our 70’s and older will remember a radio newscaster with a marvelous name who was loved by the listening public, much as Walter Cronkite was venerated years later. Throughout World War II, when the news was grim and when a whole generation was serving in combat in Europe and Asia, Gabriel Heater would begin every evening’s broadcast with the announcement that we had waited for all day: “Ah, there’s good news tonight!” Then, before getting to the worst reports, he would tell us of some hopeful event, such as the advance of a troop line, or a skirmish won by allied forces. Keep in mind that we had not yet come out of the effects of The Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl had devastated the lower Midwest, making masses of people homeless and desperate. All of this was a living reality for me from the time I was seven years old until just before junior high school. Some of my school mates were migrant children, and my mother, who had become a teacher to help with family finances, requested that she be assigned especially to those children, whom she found beautiful. I believe that it is the duty of a good citizen to remain informed. But we must also be wary of becoming hopelessly caught up in grimness, real as it is and necessary to understand. To focus upon beauty is not to deny what is horrific and appalling, but to be better prepared to respond to it effectively. Look for the spirit of Gabriel Heater in the next “Midgebuzzings.”
—Ann Williams
Executive Committee of the Kern-Kaweah ChapterChair: Georgette Theotig (Tehachapi), 661.822.4371. Vice-chair: Gordon Nipp (Bksf), 661.872.2432. Secretary: Arthur Unger (Bksf), 661.323.5569. Treasurer: Lorraine Unger (Bksf), 661.323.5569. Donnel Lester (Bksf), 661.831.6784. Richard Garcia (Min King), 559.624.0199. Ann Williams (Bksf), 661.324.1055. Mary Ann Lockhart (PMC), 661.242.0432. Ara Marderosian (Kernville), 760.378.4574.
Chapter ExCom Meetings: All Sierra Club members are always welcome to attend these meetings. The next meeting is at 10 a.m., April 26, at the home of Arthur and Lorraine Unger.. Call 661.323.822.4371 to confirm all meeting dates as well as location and time.
THE ROADRUNNER MAY-JUNE, 2009
STAYING INFORMED:Join our KERN-NEWS & KERN FORUM e-mail lists at: http://kernkaweah.sierraclub.orgChapter Ex-com meetings: All Sierra Club members are always welcome to attend. Earth friendly socks are available at www.sierraclubsocks.com to benefit both Sierra Club
and the National Coalition for the Homeless.Submit articles to The Roadrunner at [email protected]. To contact Marjorie
Bell, the editor, by phone, call 661.322.4891.The Roadrunner is printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper.
The Roadrunner Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPermit No. 498Bakersfield, CA
ELECTED OFFICIALS
Gov. Arnold Swarzenegger (R)916.445.2841
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916.651.4016Roy Ashburn (R)
916.651.4018
STATE ASSEMBLYDanny Gilmore (R)
916.319.2030Jean Fuller (R)
916.319.2032
U.S. SENATEBarbara Boxer (D)
202.224.3553Dianne Feinstein (D)
202.224.3841
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESJim Costa (D)
202.225.3341Kevin McCarthy (R)
202.225.2915
EARTH DAY
CELEBRATION—FRESNO“Building An Ethical Economy....
One Dollar at a Time”Ellis Jones, UC Davis and author of the
Better World Shopping Guide
Saturday, April 25th, 2009, 2-5:30 p.m.—Dr. Jones speaking a 3 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno2672 E. Alluvial Ave.
