Cast of Characters, Chapter Seven: In Four Parts

Part One:

The Pine Tree Tavern

     In the Village, on the south side of Pine Valley Lane, is the commercial building now occupied by thr Pine Mountain Pizza Company. That space has always been a restaurant/bar since it was built in the late ‘70’s, but it was not conceived as a Pizza parlor, and it was considerably smaller when it first opened for business.

     Joe and Marsha Sparks, newly retired from the LA area, moved to PMC and decided buy a lot and build a tavern-style restaurant on the street behind the only other restaurant in Pine Mountain Club: The Apache Saddle. Whereas the Saddle was a Bar/restaurant, was open late most nights, and could get rowdy sometimes, especially on weekends, the Tavern was laid back, served just beer and wine, and Marsha made great, un-fancy food. AND, she didn’t put up with any foolishness, either. Bad language would get you a swift invitation to leave the premises!😁

 

          It was a mellow place: family-friendly and unpretentious. Joe loved to talk, and we had many great conversations, only often interrupted by Marsha from the kitchen: “Pick up, Joe!!” Loved that place! 

Part Two:
Dago's Dugout 

          After a few years of long hours, and few (if any) day's off, Marsh and Joe were persuaded by John Fallavollita to sell the business to him. John had a successful cabinet business that he ran with his son, Johnny. John thought the restaurant would be a great fit for his wife, Rachel, to run. The Tavern same came down, to be replaced with "Dago's Dugout." Now, if you're Italian, the word "Dago" may or may not be offensive to you, but, again if you're Italian, the word should not be used by someone who is not of Italian heritage without offense being taken. But, also, different times then.

     Anyway, Rachel's Italian dishes were delicious, and it seemed like most everyone put on a few pounds eating pasta. The same beer/wine format continued. Within a short time, however, controversy began to brew. Roland (Rollie) Furlano, who spent weekends in PMC and had a home there, didn't like the restaurant name one bit, and told John Fallavollita just that. After a time, Rollie came up with a solution: He would buy the restaurant, and he and his new wife Louanne would run it -- after they changed the name to "Furlano's". Done!

John Fallavollita, Jr. (Johnny) 1961-2021

          Johnny left his Dad's business, got married, and had a bunch of kids. He went to work for the Dept. of Corrections in Calipatria, California. We saw him almost every year, when he would come to Kern County with a son or two, to go fishing. He succumbed to ALS in 2021.

Part Three:

Furlano's

        Rollie and Louanne owned their eponymous restaurant for a long time (at least in restaurant years). Rollie enlarged the kitchen, and bought a pizza oven. The food was excellent. He added a large deck to the front of the building that took advantage of the views, that also had a side stairs that weren't as imposing as the many steep stairs to the front door! (Secret: most of us who knew used the back door, off the alley! -- no steps!) Louanne was sweet and soft-spoken, while Rollie had a temper - but, hey! whattaya gonna do! Great garlic pizza and antipasto salad! Miss it!

     Later, the Furlanos turned over the operation of the restaurant to Lana Ramsey and Vicki Weaver, who both were employees, and with backing from Lana's Mom and Dad, Dan and Millie Dutra, bought the business, while retaining the Fulano's name. About this time, the building was enlarged to add a bar area next to the dining room, and the liquor license modified to include hard liquor. Party time!

      Around this time, the Apache Saddle had made its progression through several reincarnations: Iribarren’s, Whisper’s Lounge, The Chalet, and now Madd Bailey’s. Thus was born the PMC equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle. On weekends (sometimes, long weekends): Start at the Clubhouse Lounge, after golf, or whatever, then on to Furlano’s Bar, maybe a pizza or something, and since Furlano’s kept restaurant hours, not bar hours, finish up ‘til close at Madd Bailey’s at 2 AM. It could be exhausting!

                                                            Rollie and Louanne Furlano

 Vicki Weaver (never liked her picture taken!

Kris and Lana (Dutra, Ramsey) Staidle

Part Four:

The Pine Mountain Pizza Company 

     Vicki Weaver ran Furlano’s for several years, until Bob and Suzy Hopp bought the business and the building. The name was changed to Pine Mountain Pizza Company, and the bar room turned into a gift shop, and the room above became a flower shop. The Pine Mountain Pizza Company remains in the family, and has returned to its roots as a family restaurant.

                                                                 

SNOW!

SNOW! The copious amount of snowfall this winter is impressive (and, with a little perspective, welcome!) The snow is still falling, and while this series of storms is already probably top-five, time will tell if it’s a record-setter.

     Dionne Bolton has asked me to reminisce a bit about past snowy winters in PMC. Over the 40+ years we lived there, many memorable snow events come to mind. **Please understand that there is no intent to compare anything from the past with what many are currently dealing with: isolation, damage, power outages, etc.**

     The most impressive snowfall event, in my opinion, took place in January, 1976. It was just six months after we had become full-time residents, and were still commuting to the San Fernando Valley and West LA. On our way down the hill, it was snowing hard in Cuddy Valley, and still snowing when we reached Castaic. Snow fell in many areas in the LA Basin, and accumulated over a foot in Castaic. I-5, and many other highways were closed - the Grapevine for three consecutive days. We stayed with family until the highway opened. Mike Schmidt, with a similar commute as ours, started early, avoided the closure by taking The Old Road to Templin Hwy, and made his way towards PMC, through the deeping snow on the empty freeway.

       Meanwhile, up on the mountain, the blizzard raged: heavy snow, with mostly whiteout conditions. Mike later told us his experience:

     ***Kern Co. plows had attempted to keep Frazier Mt. Pkwy clear for most of the day, but the snow was falling faster than they could clear the road. The snow on the road got deeper through Frazier Park and Lake of the Woods, but the 4x4 pickup was making good headway, until just past Ivins Drive. There, the plows had been unable to deal with the depth of the snow, and turned around, leaving a wall of compacted snow several feet high. Mike left the truck a few yards back, and waded through the snow to Marge and Cecil Chambers’ house, a short distance away. By the time he got there, and was welcomed inside to good food and drink,the conditions worsened to a total whiteout. Sometime later that night, two jacked-up 4x4’s drove past Ivins Drive, and tried to push through the wall of snow. In short order, they became stuck. Unaware that there were homes nearby, they elected to stay in their trucks through the night, and came dangerously close to freezing to death. Luckily, the snow stopped before dawn, and they were found the next morning by the plow crew, VERY cold, but alive.***

       Overnight, Kern County had arranged to borrow a snow blower from the east side of the county. It arrived, and began making its way through Cuddy Valley. It cleared the road to the intersection at Mil Potrero Hwy, and turned around. Through most of Cuddy Valley the snowblower left a vertical wall on both sides as tall as the roof of some cars. (Didn’t have a cell phone then, so no photos!☹️) When we reached the turn on Mil Potrero, it wasn’t plowed, but, as luck would have it, the snowfall was less at the west end of the Valley, and a few vehicles had been up and down the road ahead of us. Our 4x4 struggled mightily (loved that ‘73 K5 Blazer!) , but finally made it down the canyon to Yellowstone Drive, and home.

The accompanying snow photo is from the March 2011 storm, courtesy of Mike DeAngelis.

Cast of Characters, Chapter Six: Rick Young

      For many people, their first experience in Pine Mountain Club was at one of the festivals—- the Lilac Festival, the Wine Festival, or Oktoberfest aka Fall Festival. It would be impossible to tell the full story of the Oktoberfest without a lengthy section about Rick Young.

     Never a permanent resident, Rick and his family  (five beautiful daughters) made the trip from Orange County to PMC on most weekends, and the family (daughters and then-wife Barbara) would also stay for extended periods during the Summer. In the early ‘70’s, they built a cozy second home on Grizzly Drive, about a block from the PMC Stables.

     It was at that house that we met Rick—— early one Fall morning, on our very first visit to PMC. We traveled from the San Fernando Valley with Mike Schmidt in his Jeep CJ-5, struggling to keep warm in the cold wind that leaked around the canvas top. After a brief stop at Pine Mountain General Store where we met Floyd Bolton, and enjoyed a cup of hot coffee, we drove around the Golf Course and Clubhouse to Rick’s house. He couldn’t have been more welcoming to us! He too had coffee, but he asked if we’d rather join him in something a little stronger—— in this case, a Bloody Mary, although actually it was vodka, ice, and just enough mix to give it a pink tinge. That’ll warm you up!

     From that very first encounter, we became good friends. Rick would always stop by the weekends he was in PMC and say “Hello”, and many times he would drop off a garden hose or two. (He was in the wholesale industrial hose business, and if a length of hose had a small defect, they couldn’t sell it, so he would bring it to us. I don’t think I bought a garden or air hose for the service station in almost forty years!) 

     Rick was active on the Recreation Committee from it’s very beginnings, many years as Chairman. The fledgling Oktoberfest, founded by Fred Westlund, had been moved to Labor Day weekend in the late ‘70’s to take advantage of the milder weather. With the large crowds that always came to enjoy the last long

summer weekend, it quickly became a hit with PMC Members, guests, and visitors from all over Central and Southern California. Rick was not only MC of the Festivities, but he, with many others, worked tirelessly to put on a great, fun, show for everyone.. He was easily recognizable in his alpine hat and droopy Bermuda shorts, making sure that the beer truck was properly set up as early as possible, and regularly did taste tests to ensure that it was chilled properly!

     Rick’s stamina at the Oktoberfest was legendary. He was there with the first work crews in the morning, oversaw the set-up, and then worked all day and into the night: running contests and raffles, meeting and greeting, dealing with the inevitable snafu’s, and always managed to join the crowd after the Festival closed at the Apache Saddle (Madd Bailey’s) or Furlano’s  until closing time.  The bartenders at the Apache Saddle loved to tell the story of one night Rick appeared to be in a condition that made it unwise to drive himself, so they left his car and drove him home. By the time they got back to the bar, Rick had walked across the golf course, and was waiting for them to pour him another! That’s what friends are for!

       Pine Mountain Club has enjoyed a collection of nice people over the years. Truly a good guy—- funny, caring, interesting, and hard-working—- Rick is one of the best, and I’m proud to call him my friend.

 

Cast of Characters, Chapter 5: The Kellers

      PMC is listed by the State of California as a CDP — a “Census Designated Place”. Not a city,  or even a township, bur certainly more than just a wide spot in the road. A “Community “ for sure. Begun in the very early ‘70’s, that nascent community began with the arrival of just a handful of people: some single, some couples, and a few with their families. Among this earliest group were a couple in their thirties, hired by the developers to run the new PMC Stables. (Equestrian Center would come much later.)

     They weren’t “horse people “ per se— Jerry Keller had been a driver for specialty hauler Bigge Trucking— those huge, long trucks with a jillion wheels that haul cranes, and bridge girders. Jerry and Judy were “people people”: knowledgeable, patient (sometimes to a fault), and easy going. They complemented each other— Jerry was a good listener, and Judy was a talker.

     The Kellers were among the first people we met when we first visited PMC, about 1973. There weren’t as many choices for activities then: the General Store, Clubhouse, Pool, Golf Course, and the Stables. That was it —- no shops, bars, or restaurants. When we bought a lot for a possible future second home, and became weekenders, we often stayed with Jerry and Judy in their boxcar cabin on Freeman Drive — the three of us, a cowhand or two, and Jerry and Judy. Two small bedrooms, one bathroom— all in about 400 square feet. Some of the best times of our lives!

     We weren’t treated as guests— more like family. You were very welcome, but expected to help out with chores, cooking, etc. We were young, and luckily, we learned a lot: about mountain living, about animals, about PMC’s internal workings. And of couse, Judy was willing to share what she knew about everybody that lived in, or visited, Pine Mountain Club. 

     I couldn’t say how many of us had the privilege of having Jerry and Judy as surrogate “parents” over the years they spent at PMC and Mil Potrero Park west of the Community. It would definitely be in the dozens, or more! No one could ever repay the favors that they did for all of us, especially Jerry. Firewood when you ran low, a can if gas, a jump start, a tow, a pull out of a ditch. He really was indispensable. And he never asked for anything in return— although a bottle of George Dickel went a long way in repaying a favor!

     When PMC management and the Kellers were unable to agree on a contract after several years a as managers of the PMC Stables, a new chapter opened up in their lives. Mil Potrero Park, owned by the Westside Recreation District out of Taft, just west of the boundary of Pine Mountain Club at Cedarwood Drive, had an opening for live-in manager/caretaker/maintenance person, camp host (you name it) and Jerry and Judy moved to the park into the onsite mobile home there. With the able assistance of Assistant Gary Morin, the Park became one of the best campgrounds in the area. Many, many parties: weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, barbecues, etc. took place in the Lodge at the park, with its full kitchen, pool tables, and huge fireplace. And lots of shenanigans! Jerry was a master of shenanigans- he once rode his horse through the General Store- to the chagrin of proprietor Floyd Bolton, and to the delight of the rest of us!

5

Cast of Characters, Chapter 4: 

The Tidwells.

     Pine Mountain Club would likely be a very different place if the Tidwells had not arrived in the early’70’s—- almost at the very beginning. Chuck and Marge Tidwell had two children: Pat, with then -husband Ray Shirley, and Tom (Tommy), who met and married his wife Barbara while living in PMC. Chuck, Marge, and Tom were the first permanent residents of the community, and Pat and Ray moved there a few years later. All of the family, including spouses, were Realtors. Chuck and Marge were members of the sales team Tenneco hired to sell property in PMC before a single house was built. All of the family eventually worked for Broker Dave Peters at Pine Mountain Real Estate, in the building that now is Jennings Realty, facing Mil Potrero Hwy. (Pine Mt. Realty is a different business). Most of the homes sold in the early years of PMC were sold by the Tidwells. Commissions were generally 10% then, with a portion of it going to the Broker on every sale. They sold a lot of lots and houses, many more than once. They worked hard, made good money when business was booming, scraped by when business took a down-turn (as it inevitably does) and earned every dime they made.

     Chuck, Marge and Tom first lived in a small cabin on Sandalwood Drive, across Mil Potrero Hwy from where the Clubhouse is now. Tom bought a cabin (boxcar-style) on Birchwood, and his Mom and Dad sold the cabin and bought what was then the largest home in PMC -- a six-bedroom single-story home, with a huge living room, a fabulous view of the golf course and mountains, and a full-size walk-in Jacuzzi spa/pool in the master bedroom. It was right next to the Clubhouse, on Beechwood Way. They lived there for several years, then sold it when declining health forced them to move off the mountain. Not long after the new owners moved into the house, on a Thanksgiving night, the big house burned to the ground. The double lot remained bare for a couple of years or so, until a new owner built the large home that stands there today. Chuck told me, and many others, that a compelling reason to sell the original big house was because PMC-POA built the two-story pavilion/pro-shop next to the then-existing pool, and the pavilion blocked a large portion of their view!

     Chuck and Marge did not drink-- Chuck was a recovering alcoholic (no secret), but it was also no secret that they did enjoy smoking pot from time to time (NOT at work). When I worked in Brentwood, they would show up unannounced after stopping at the ice cream store next door, with a bucket (each) of Pralines & Cream, munching away in the front seat of their big Lincoln. Although they didn't drink, the PMC house had a large fully-stocked bar that was always open to friends and clients. They also had a tradition of an annual Texas-style barbeque, with free food and drink for everyone. At those barbeques we met PMC residents that we didn't even know existed, and wouldn't see again until the next year's party! Chuck also kept several jerry-cans of gas in his garage (before the gas station was built) to help out anyone who forgot to fill up before heading up the mountain.

     From the beginning, PMC did not have a restaurant or a bar. (there was a small snack bar at the Clubhouse - hamburgers, sandwiches, etc. //  Events at the Clubhouse utilized a small portable bar for BYOB). In 1975, Chuck decided that the time was ripe to build a restaurant/bar in the Village Center.(A lot next to the General Store was designated on the development plan as a restaurant.) With financial backing from Dave Peters, and a design from Fred Westlund, The Apache Saddle Restaurant was built (where The Perch is now)

 https://thenearbyfarawayplace.blogspot.com/2013/03/apache-saddle-part-1.html   

 https://thenearbyfarawayplace.blogspot.com/2013/07/apache-saddle-part-ii-seasonal-license.html

     There are many more stories to be told about the Tidwells and Pine Mountain Club. Many members of this group undoubtedly will share some of those stories. They were very generous to us, and treated us like Family. Many, many of the good things about PMC as a community are due to people like the Tidwells, who came at the very beginning, and left a legacy that endures. Chuck, Marge, and Tom are all gone now. Hopefully, some will continue to remember.

The View from the original Tidwell house, before the pool pavilion was built.

Chuck and Marge Tidwell

Pat and Ray Shirley, Dave Peters

Chuck and Tom Tidwell

Tom, Marge, Dave Peters, Chuck

     

      

 Cast of Characters, Part 3:

Frank Sanchez

     Pine Mountain Club is not incorporated as a city— no city council, etc., although it does have a quasi-government of sorts in the POA. But it DID have a Mayor (honorary, at least) for a time. Although he never sought the title, once it was bestowed on him, kiddingly of course, he reveled in it! 

     Frank (Frankie to those who knew him) was a Master Plumber by trade, and came with wife Kathy, daughter Marisa, and mother-in-law Barbara  French, to PMC in the early ‘70’s. Barbara moved in permanently, and Frank built her a house, big enough for the whole family, on Mil Potrero Frontage Rd., a block from the Village Center. The house had six bedrooms. We always teased them that the house was actually designed as a brothel, with Barbara as the Madam. If you knew Barbara, you understood why she loved to be kidded about that! She could take it, and boy, could she dish it out!

     About the time the big house was complete, Timberland Development (Mike Stone and Mike Steele), built a large commercial building on Pine Valley Lane, behind the Auto Center. Frank and Kathy opened Country Hardware on the lower level, that fronted on the lane between the two buildings. Kathy ran the store, and Frank began doing plumbing work locally. Frank loved being involved in local goings-on, and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, even if his ideas were contrary to the status quo. The animosity between the Commercial Association and the PMCPOA had increased during his time as President of the PMC-CPOA ( see “Tale of Two CID’s previously published) and he jumped into the fray with both feet. Things ultimately worked out for the better. For some years, Frank chaired the Lilac Festival Committee, and organized the first of many Christmas Parades and Winter Festivals in the Village. Frankie was always around, it seemed. He was always willing to tell anyone and everyone about Pine Mountain Club, the golf course, and the happenings in the Village Center. Inevitably, his gregariousness earned him the honorary title of “Mayor.”

    Frank was an avid golfer, playing 18 or mores holes of golf on the PMC course almost every day, even when the fairways were covered in snow. When he was still a weekender, he dressed for golf to the max (for the ‘70’s) : tailored qiana shirt, polyester bell-bottom slacks, with white golf shoes. And the hair— a true Latino coif that Desi Arnaz would have envied, but salt and pepper, like Fernando Lamas. At some point after he became a permanent resident, the outfit changed to Levis and  Garth Brooks-style snap-buttoned shirt, cowboy boots and black cowboy hat. And the hair grew long, ultimately to shoulder length, and over the ensuing years, to snow white. Frank was not a tall man—-the white mane plus the outfit plus his short stature made him unmistakable even from a distance! 

     Frank could be persistent to a fault, but his passion about things that bothered him, and about how things could be, or should be, ultimately helped make Pine Mountain Club a better place, even though a few POA Board directors and several General Managers didn’t always see it that way! The term “PITA” comes to mind…

     Frank left his mark in other ways in PMC, too. Along with then-wife Kathy, he oversaw the construction of the large two-story commercial building on Pine Valley Lane that became the new larger home of Country Hardware, and several other businesses, and the triplex on Askin Drive across the street from Lampkin Park.

     Frank was a veteran, serving during the Korean War, and as such was very active in veterans affairs. His work truck and his golf cart always had a US flag attached, flapping in the breeze as he drove around. He personally installed a big flag pole in the Village, lighted at night, so the Star Spangled Banner could be seen there night and day. He organized Flag Day and Armed Forces celebrations every year, and almost single-handedly built a Veterans Memorial at the County Park in Frazier Park, and a smaller version in PMC by the Village Gazebo. Both installations included a special memorial dedicated to Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser, of Frazier Park, one of the first casualties of the War on terror, who was killed in Afghanistan in December, 2001. With some irony, Frank was born in 1938, on September 11. Frank lost his battle with cancer on January 7, 2013.

     There was much more to the man than I have the space to detail here. We didn’t always get along. We were often on opposite sides of local issues, but we always remained friends, and loved each other’s families. Many, many people knew him, and I’m sure this story will prompt a lot of them to add to the saga of Frankie Sanchez. 

     

 

 Cast of Characters: Chapter Two

Mike Schmidt

      Were it not for Mike, we may never have found out about Pine Mountain Club, or certainly not as early as we did.  I met him at my work in Brentwood in 1973–he was in the TBA (Tires, Batteries and Accessories) business, and supplied those items to (mostly) Texaco stations throughout Southern California. We became instant friends, and spent a lot of time together, especially on weekends, around the pool at our home in Canoga Park. He told us about PMC, and invited Ro and me to drive up from the San Fernando Valley with him.(Hint of things to come: it was March, and had snowed recently. We had to drive on dirt roads at the “Y” to get around the snow bunnies that blocked all the roads around the Mt. Pinos parking lot!) Mike had bought a lot on upper Lassen in the very early ‘70’s, with the plan of building a house and possibly moving to the mountain full-time. We made many more trips to Pine Mountain after that; for the day, then overnight, then the weekend, then long weekends, until it became obvious that that is where we would like to live, too. Mike abandoned plans to build a house on his lot when a very nice house much like the one he had planned to build came up for sale, on a better lot than the one he owned. We helped him move in on Thanksgiving Day, 1975. We awoke to a foot of snow the next morning. 

      Mike was blessed with a “radio” voice, and mixed with a natural charm and a gift of gab, that made him an obvious choice to MC whatever was happening at various PMC events. A raffle, Christmas Party, New Years Eve, he got stuck with the microphone. When the Lilac Festival Parade began around 1980, he announced the entire lineup, and when the Village Gazebo was built a few years later, he MC’d the entire program all weekend there, too. He generously donated lots of raffle prizes along with his time. All he ever asked in return was a reserved parking space at the Auto Center for his car! Mike showed up every year for at least 25 years or so, (I lost count!) through sun, cold, wind, even snow.

     Mike, wife Janis (Janis’ School of Dance) and sons Rikki and Brett lived at the PMC house for many years. Mike owned and ran the Carquest Auto Parts Plus store in Lebec for some years, and now splits his time between Pismo Beach and Pine Mountain. Among other endeavors, he and Janis own Brucher Golden Bear Winery on the Central Coast where Janis is the winemaker.

       Among all the other things, many many families had their first PMC experience at the Lilac Festival, and Mike, for so many years, was an integral part of that. Thank you, Mr. B! (Inside joke!) 😎