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!) 😎

Cast of Characters

      The lovely Dionne (Bolton) has asked (cajoled?, persuaded?, conned?) me to share some thoughts and memories on some of the early denizens of Pine Mountain Club. Some were there from the beginning, before we got to PMC, and some came shortly thereafter. Some endured; some came and went. In all cases, they, in their own unique way, contributed in some part to the community that it was a few decades ago, and to what PMC has become today. These recollections, some apocryphal in all or part, are neither meant to be historically accurate nor biographically accurate. They're just part of a greater picture that illustrates in some way how things came to be in Pine Mountain Club and the surrounding area. Some of these memories are almost 50 years old. I'll try to relate them to you as best I can, with a little levity and/or sarcasm thrown in from time to time. Please understand that all was not just fun and games, so to speak: there was sadness and tragedy along the way. But I'm choosing to keep things on the lighter side for now, at least.  Rest assured that all these people are/were human, with the inherent good and bad that comes with that, and all were good people, through and through.

Chapter One: Fred Westlund

     Fred Westlund built houses, or more properly "homes". Homes built to be lived in -- not architectural showpieces, or flimsy cabins in the forest, but strong, solid, practical homes--perfect for raising a family while keeping them safe from harsh mountain weather, or for spending weekends in an attractive, affordable home-away-from-home. Fred and his crew were all part of Westlund Construction. I'm not sure the total number of homes they built, from the early '70's into the 90's, but it's well over 100 (maybe more) I'm pretty sure. I know they built over 50 homes in one year -- not tract homes that were all alike, but individual custom homes, built to suit the needs of individual buyers. Some large, in some cases on more than one lot, and some small, near the PMC mandated minimum size of 400 square feet. To my knowledge, all are still standing. Fred also designed and built the Apache Saddle Inn, now the Perch, the Jennings Realty building next door, and the Pine Mountain Auto Center (now Pine Mt. Fuel). He also built the 2-story building where the laundromat is, and the Pine Mountain Community Church. 

     Fred, his wife Pat (who taught for many years at El Tejon School), son Brian, and daughter Lynn were among the very first families to move permanently to PMC. When they arrived, the golf course, and the surrounding area: the Clubhouse, park, and streets on the flat part of the valley were almost devoid of trees, except for a few piñon pines. Fred took it upon himself to plant trees there -- mostly cottonwoods and poplars, and a few firs and cedars as well. Almost all the large trees you see there today were planted by Fred or his crew. Fred, with Floyd Bolton's assistance, started the "Sap Race" on labor day weekend, as a fundraiser to buy more trees. The Sap Race over the years became the Oktoberfest, and ultimately the Fall Festival.

     Fred had a unique sense of humor. He loved corny jokes involving either a pun, or a play-on-words, or both. We used to call them "Fred jokes" or "Westlund jokes." Today, you may hear them called 'Dad Jokes".// Example "Sundays are always a little sad, but the day before is a sadder day!" (Groan!) Westlund Construction had a big blue Chevy dump truck, that the crew called "Big Blue". Fred called it the "Lone Ranger" , because, he said "It only goes 'To the Dump, To the Dump, To the Dump, Dump, Dump!'" Knowing we were Jewish, Fred told us about the first time he built a house for a Jewish family. He said that was when he learned the meaning of "Oy vey!" He said it means "Change it!"

      Fred like to innovate, but often with mixed results. I'm sure some of his "experiments" were successful, but I don't recall which ones. I do remember few that were less than successful. When he completed the PM Auto Center, he gave us a banana (!) tree to plant in the front landscape area. He said he always wanted a banana tree. OK.... It was dead in two days. DEAD! When the Apache Saddle Restaurant / Bar was built, it was just the center gambrel-style structure. It was small, so the kitchen was located downstairs, with eating areas downstairs, as well as upstairs in the bar. Everyone liked to eat upstairs because of the great view, but it necessitated carrying trays of food up the steep, narrow stairs from the kitchen. Anticipating this, Fred designed a "dumbwaiter", with motorized cables and pulleys, to transfer the trays up to and down from the upper floor. Fred's design had a few flaws, and after numerous dinners and trays of dirty dishes crashed to the kitchen level, the "experiment" was abandoned. When the Auto Center was built, the original design called for two steel roll-up doors, with pull-chains to raise and lower them. The doors were pricey; so to save money, Fred opted to install flat aluminum garage doors that ran on tracks (kind of like todays home garage doors, but not in sections -- the whole flat door would pivot as it rose up and into the horizontal position. Unfortunately, no one bothered to check to ensure the tracks the door rode upon were parallel, so when the door was lifted, the wheels on the track pulled out of the bracket on the door, and the door came crashing down. No one was hurt, but there WAS a Jeep Wagoneer parked in that stall, and the SUV's roof took the full impact. (Yikes!) The Jeep Wagoneer was Fred's. 

      When we first moved permanently to PMC in May of 1976, Fred, Pat, and a few other friends introduced us to the Mid-western custom of "Shivaree". Basically, it's like a Welcome Wagon, but they show up late at night, when you're dead-tired after moving all day, and ready to collapse in bed. They show up on your front porch with booze and food, and keep you up all night.

     Our first Thanksgiving in our new home in Pine Mountain Club, we were going to spend with just the three of us, because the weather prevented any of our friends and relatives from the San Fernando Valley from driving up. Fred and Pat invited us into their home, to give Thanks with them and their friends and Family, and enjoy a fantastic meal. That day, Ro and I had our first taste of Aquavit, a Scandinavian 90 proof liqueur, served ice-cold, straight, in a shot glass -- like Russian vodka. I really believe they keep it freezer-cold because if it gets above about 10F it spontaneously combusts! We met Fred's mother that day, and meeting her explained a lot about Fred!

     Fred died a few years ago; his wife Pat a few years later. Miss them both!

Alice's Restaurant

I'm sure many of you have seen this, and wondered. It's just north of the intersection of Hwy 33 and Cerro Noroeste Rd. (Hudson Ranch Rd.) Forty-some years ago, and for many years prior to that, it was a working gas station, with a little food counter and a cold case for beer and soda. It was owned (and run) by Alice Reyes and her sister. Alice's late husband was a truck driver who was killed driving on Hwy 33 (many years before any of us met her). She had a sign behind the counter that said "Pray for Me-- I drive 33".
Alice's was a sort-of halfway stop between PMC and Maricopa, or Taft. It took a while to drive the 37 miles from PMC to Buck's Steak House in Maricopa, or The White Elephant in Taft-- the back road was not as "good" as it is now, and the 3 miles from Cedarwood Dr. to Mt. Abel Road (Cerro Noroeste Rd.) was "unpaved" -- meaning a one-lane, dirt, pot-hole filled, rock-strewn, mountain road, that turned to deep mud in anything wetter than a heavy dew.
We would all pile into one or two (or 3) vehicles (no seatbelts) and head down the hill. Alice's was in an ideal spot: we were usually getting low on beer, and some had to get rid of the beer they had already consumed. Alice sold beer--perfect! If anybody was low on gas, they could tank-up, too. (The nearest gas station to PMC was in Lake of the Woods.)
Alice (and her sister) were "interesting characters." Her last name : "Reyes" was the same family that gave its name to Reyes Peak, and Reyes Creek. They were around a long time. Some people (not any of us) nick-named her "Dirty Alice", mostly due to the fact that the inside of the "store" was less than clean, and she and her sister kept company with who-knows-how-many cats. The place had a certain distinctive "fragrance" -- something like "Eau de Cat Box" that clung to you after you left.
Alice was plain-spoken, and did not take crap from anyone. She loved to take the average smart-ass down a notch or two. One time, noticing a rifle mounted on a rack on the wall, a guy (not me) asked her if she could shoot. She replied "I can shoot the balls off a piss-ant at 50 yards! Tell ya what, sonny, walk across the highway there, drop yer drawers and bend over, and I'll show ya!"

Once Upon a Time...

This photo was taken in February, 1976, from the parking area at the PMC Stables (now Equestrian Center). If you check the photo closely, you'll be surprised how much ISN'T in it.

Your Taxes at Work

     Visitors and newcomer residents of PMC and the surrounding communities are mostly unaware that many of the "amenities" in the National Forest and in Kern County recreational areas are not in very good shape, to say the least. Many would (wrongly) assume that the way things are now is the way they've always been, which couldn't be further from the truth.

     With few exceptions, (Lampkin Park in PMC, the drought effects notwithstanding, McGill Campground on Mt Pinos, and most of Frazier County Park are well-maintained), the majority of parks and campgrounds in this area are in very sad shape. This was not always so.

     Just west of the intersection of Cuddy Valley Road and Mil Potrero Highway is the remnants of what was once commonly referred to as the "Y Camp", for "YMCA". The youth organization leased the property from the USFS (probably on a 99-year lease--common in the latter part of the 19th century, and well into the 20th.) When we first came to Pine Mountain, the Y Camp was thriving: well-kept cabins with fireplaces, and a main lodge with a commercial-quality kitchen and a huge stone fireplace. There was a sparkling swimming pool (now empty, but still there), and throngs of city kids who had a chance to spend a week or two each summer "in the woods." For whatever reasons, undisclosed by the Forest Service or the YMCA to anyone I know, the lease was not renewed when it expired in the 80's. A non-profit organization tried (unsuccessfully) to re-open the camp as a summer retreat for troubled youth, and after a few years, let their lease go unused. The camp, now off limits to anyone, fell more and more into disrepair. Today, most, or all, of the windows are broken, trees have fallen on a couple of the cabins, and the whole facility is oh-so-slowly succumbing to the forces of nature (and vandalism), so that some day soon the only thing recognizable remaining may be the buildings' foundations (and that fireplace).

     Like sad bookends, the campground just to the west of Pine Mountain Club could tell a very similar story of boom and bust. Mil Potrero Park, along with next-door neighbor Camp Condor, and the Mt. Abel Ski Lodge on top of Cerro Noroeste, has seen much better days. Also a long-term USFS lease, Mil Potrero Park was (is?) part of the Westside Recreation District, based in the City of Taft. Also built in the earth 20th century, the Park had a beautiful, well-kept campground, a playground, and a swimming pool. Until the Pine Mountain Club clubhouse was enlarged, the lodge at Mil Potrero Park was the largest gathering place around. It boasted a huge fireplace, a nice kitchen, and good restrooms. (important for those big parties, and wedding receptions.) What was Mil Potrero Park like in its heyday? Imagine any of the nicer campgrounds in the national parks---with well-kept camping spots, picnic tables and clean fire-pits; with large well-lit bathrooms (flush toilets and hot showers) and a well-furnished log-style lodge room with pool tables, ping-pong, and other games, and a roaring fire on cool evenings.
     
     For many of those good years, the Park was maintained with love by Jerry & Judy Keller. They lived in a mobile home on the grounds, with two or three or more Australian Shepherd dogs, at cat or three, and hundreds of humming birds. More about the Kellers when I get to telling stories about "pioneers".

     In the late 80's and early nineties, Taft, largely dependent on oil revenues for a big part of their budget, was going through a difficult time as Kern River crude oil plunged to around $8.00 a barrel (!). Outlying recreation facilities, and their need for full-time upkeep, became an expensive luxury. The Forest Service, at about the same time, required expensive repairs and clean-up of the fuel tanks on the property, as well as upgrades to the water system. Over a few years, the District cut back funds to run the Park, until it abandoned its claim to the property. A few years later, the Boy Scouts tried to utilize the Park for their programs, and (reportedly) spent a lot of time, effort, and money trying to make the Park facilities usable, all the while (again, reportedly) having to jump through a number of USFS hoops. It seems the Boy Scouts have thrown in the towel as well. The rounds of broken windows and other vandalism, as well as weather related damage, have begun.

      From the time they were developed, until the late 90's, virtually all of the campgrounds in the area, both federal and county, had running water, and regular trash pickup. The state water resources control board (SWRCB) decided that ALL water available for drinking, cooking, etc. in any public facility HAD to be treated, even if the source of the water was a pristine mountain spring (as most of the local ones were). Subsequently, ALL of the water supplies for the campgrounds and parks were shut off, unless they were connected to a treated water system (almost none could be). Due to Forest Service cutbacks, trash service in the campground has been significantly reduced as well. (In most cases, trash cans have been replaced with a few "centrally located" dumpsters. ---Progress...

Grandpa, tell me about the rain!

    In the middle of a lingering drought, when it seems it may never rain again, I thought I'd tell a few stories about the times we had more rain and snow than we could handle.
     When we first started coming to PMC 40+ years ago, California (at least the southern half of California) was in the middle of a "dry spell" -- not really a drought, but significantly less rainfall than average. The overall precipitation for the whole region had been below average for a time, but the greater Frazier Park/Pine Mountain Club area got enough snow and rainfall to keep the lakes and ponds near full year-round, and the creeks and streams running all year as well. The small lake in Cuddy Valley always had plenty of water in it; Cuddy Creek ran all year from Lake of the Woods through Frazier Park and Lebec, all the way to Castac (now Tejon) Lake, which rarely ran dry, even in late summer--without supplements from the California Water Project. Bernina and Woodland Creeks ran full enough to make a white-water waterfall at the bottom of Woodland Drive at Mil Potrero Highway. The pinion pines from the top of the S-curves all the way to the "Y' had long strands of Spanish moss on their north-facing sides. Water flowed on the west side of Lampkin Park, and the area where the new Fire Station is was a swamp. The creek flowed under Mil Potrero Highway into the upper pond on the golf course, out to the second pond, and into Fern's Lake. The creek flowed over the dam, and then spread out into the lower pasture, much of which was like a grassy bog. By the time the creek passed the gate at the entrance to the canyon trail, it was usually too big (wide) to jump across without getting wet (except in the latest months of summer.) The area to the north of Mil Potrero Highway at the turnout past Yellowstone that is now a grassy area used to be a swamp, as well.
     But the winters even then were far from "wet". Most of the precipitation came in the form of snow, and usually in one or two big storms. In March, 1974, we got 4-5 feet of snow in 36 hours (at the Clubhouse elevation), and in January 1976, we got 6+ feet in 48 hours. It snowed all the way down to Castaic and Wheeler Ridge on I-5. The Interstate was closed for four days. Cuddy Valley Road was snowed over at Lake of the Woods (by Mike's Pizza), with drifts higher than a jacked-up 4x4. Three guys in their trucks almost froze to death when they ran into the wall of snow and got stuck. It was a white-out, and they tried to keep warm in their stalled trucks, not being able to see the occupied homes just a few yards away.
     County Roads Department was able to make Cuddy Valley Rd. passable after 4 days by requisitioning a snow-blower from eastern Kern County. After that storm, the weather got extremely dry for several months, well into 1977. The climatologists predicted a long-lasting, cold, period of drought, that could last as long as twenty years or more. (!) The "New Ice-Age" they called it. (!)
     This is why so many of us old-timers ☺ scoff at "climate-change" or whatever. After the weather gurus had predicted an extended period of drought, in October, 1977, a new weather phenomenon reared it's infantile head: :EL NIÑO !!!  It rained, and RAINED, and R-A-I-N-E-D. Over 12 inches in two and a half days (at 5500 feet), then a few days with showers, then more storms--for weeks. The creeks flooded, the highways had mud slides and rock slides. San Emigdio Creek flooded the canyon almost wall-to-wall, and the ensuing rush of water washed out Highway 166 west of Interstate 5- miles and miles to the north. By Spring, the water (mostly from the Kern River) had flooded all the fields east of Highway 99 almost to Mettler. At that time, you could have taken a small boat from Sandrini Road north and sailed through to the remains of Tulare Lake, and on to the San Joaquin River out to the San Francisco Bay!
     In the middle of this first El Niño, in December, 1977, a terrible windstorm struck Kern County. A cold, dry East wind blew down off the desert, trying to fill a huge low-pressure cell off the western coast. Gathering speed and tons of dust as it headed west, in places it topped 200 miles-per-hour as it crossed the hills at the base of the Grapevine, stripping the topsoil from the northeast faces of the hills. (If you look at the hillsides near the top of the hills on both sides of the highway just before you get to Grapevine going south, you can still see the lateral streaks on the land where the soil was stripped away). The choking dust trapped many drivers in their vehicles on the Interstate, and on the highways to the west towards Maricopa--some for almost two days. The dust choked the engines and stopped the cars and trucks in their tracks. To my knowledge, no one died, but in the aftermath of the windstorm, more El Niño rain caused the barren hillsides to turn to mudflows, and a woman driving on the freeway was swept to her death as her car was trapped in a huge mudflow and crammed into a huge drainpipe. (The vertical gullies from those flows are also still visible today on those same hillsides, and in the lower parts of Grapevine Canyon.)
      The rainy weather had another effect that winter-- it didn't snow--or at least it didn't stick-- in and around PMC. What snow fell was so wet that it melted right away. There was a small accumulation of snow on the very highest streets, but hardly enough to require a snowplow. On top of the mountain was a different story: more than 26 FEET of snow accumulated on the upper slopes of Mount Pinos, Sawmill Mountain, and Cerro Noroeste.
      El Niño-type weather patterns occurred in the early eighties and again in the early nineties, with similar results--flooding, mud/rock slides, downed trees, etc. Frazier Park and Lake of the Woods had to shore up the banks of Cuddy Creek through those communities with the use of "gabions" --large rocks enclosed in heavy wire cages that held them in place against the flowing water. Otherwise, the rushing water would so undermine the creek banks causing their collapse, and the structures above would end up in the creek. (some did). The remaining gabions can be seen at the edge of the creek, on the north side, just after crossing the most western bridge in Frazier Park. Cuddy Creek has been dry for so long, it's hard to believe that that much water ever flowed there. For a perspective on extreme rainfall and streamflows: Piru Creek, which drains some of the area directly to the south of PMC, on the south side of  Mt. Pinos (primarily Lockwood Valley), has some historical streamflow data available (1938 to 1969). In 1969, which was a wet year, but not near as wet as 1977-78, the peak stream flow of Piru Creek was over 35,000 cubic feet per second. That's about 262 thousand gallons per second.
     When will the next wet period happen? If I knew, I'd say so. The climatologists were predicting an El Niño for this winter-- In May, they gave it better than a 70% chance. The last I looked, the chance was under 50 % (a weak bet at best), so time will tell. Historically, 20- and even 50-year droughts were not unheard-of in this region. (Let's hope not.)
     We could always ask the Chumash to do a traditional rain dance. I've been told it was always 100% effective--- they didn't stop dancing until it rained.☺
     

Famous? or Infamous?

    Having lived in PMC for almost 40 years, and having been in business here for almost that long, you meet an awful lot of people. All of them are unique in their own way, and most (but not all, unfortunately) are interesting characters for a whole encyclopedia of reasons. That said, the one question about people that I get asked the most by other people is something like:
"I've heard there are a lot of "celebrities" (my quotes) who come up here--do you know of any??"
     Short answer: Well, yes.
     This area has been known to Hollywood/show business types for many years--many years before PMC was even a gleam in Tenneco's jaundiced eye.
The Lebec Hotel was a notorious hangout just after the turn of the last century for the likes of Rudolf Valentino and other silent film stars, and Frazier Park and Lockwood Valley were chosen as "getaway" places to stay for many people in the movie industry (both in-front-of and behind the camera). The Palm Springs area enjoyed the same popularity--for a time, the studios required their stars under contract to stay within a couple of hours' travel time of their workplace so they could start work on very short notice. The open spaces of this area made excellent locations for movies, and later TV shows (still do), and many people in the "industry" visited here on location, and then came back to vacation, and ultimately buy a piece of property (cheap!). Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Spartacus, Roman Holiday) owned a beautiful large ranch in Lockwood Valley for many, many years, until he was forced to sell it to pay his legal bills when he was investigated by Senator Joe McCarthy as one of the "Hollywood Ten". John Schneider (Dukes of Hazard), Lance LeGault (a ton of westerns), and John Doe (Roadhouse) were long-time residents of the Frazier Park/Lake of the Woods area.
      But for PMC it was a whole other story. For a time it seemed like most of the people here were involved with movies/TV/entertainment. We affectionately referred to them as "ST's" (Studio Trash). From grips and electricians, props people, costumers, directors, producers, film and video editors, stunt people, agents, publicists, business managers, singers, musicians, dancers, and many well-known stars --they were here--some as permanent residents, most when their work-schedules allowed.
     From about 1980 until 2004, we had a video store inside the Auto Center. (People in the entertainment industry are the BEST video and DVD customers!)
It seemed they ALL came by to rent movies when they had time off to spend in PMC. And some just came in for repairs, or to buy gas, and catch up on local happenings. I'll never remember them all-- but I'll take a shot at it.
    If some of the names are unfamiliar, just check www.imdb.com . This is in no particular order, but just one memory prompting yet another. Many of these people have their own story for me to tell, but that will have to wait for another time, when I have more time, and space to write.
     Dom DeLuise (& Carol, Michael, Peter, and David), Ray Wise, Rod & Charlene Amateau, Gino Vannelli, Mel Brooks & Anne Bancroft, Janis Paige, Talia Shire, Belinda Montgomery, Diane McBain, Parker Stevenson, Gene LeBell, Sia and Shane Barbi & Ken Wahl, Perry King, Heather Locklear & Scott Baio, Nina Simone, Spencer Milligan, Britt Leach, Roy Dotrice, Patrick Macnee, Frankie Valli, William Lucking, Dennis Howard, John R. Moore, Julianna (McCarthy) Constantine, Larry David, Richard Lewis, Lindsay Frost, Warren Frost, Perry Barndt, Kurt Bryant, Val McCallum, Christopher Walken, Rick Dees, Wink Martindale, Dave (the Hullabalooer) Hull, Julie Newmar, June Lockhart, Clayton (the Lone Ranger) Moore, Wally (NHRA) Parks, Thomas Ian Nicholas, John Behring, Joe Higgins, Jamie Farr, Nora Ephron, Delia Ephron, Dylan (Charlie) Walsh, Ritch Brinkley, Chuck McCann, Red Buttons, Georgia Holt, Kathleen Lloyd, Charles Martin Smith, Molly Hagan, Burt Reynolds & Loni Anderson, and I'm sure many more I'll remember after I post this!




     

The 800-Pound Gorilla (Part II)

     Some of the grandest mistakes made by past Boards and management were funny (maybe not at the time, but in hindsight), and some were almost tragic.
      A former manager made a deal to sell a quantity of decomposed granite from what was a small quarry behind the Maintenance Yard (past where the transfer station (trash) is now). The contractor re-engineering, re-aligning, and paving the section of Mil Potrero Highway from Cedarwood Drive west to the intersection of Cerro Noroeste (Mt. Abel) Road needed the decomposed granite (DG) as a suitable base for the roadway. PMCPOA was paid a reasonable sum for the material, but no one in management seemed to realize HOW MUCH DG they (the road contractors) really needed. The result was the huge pit behind the Maintenance Yard (past the #4 green on the golf course). Many homes on the south slope of PMC have a spectacular view of that pit (scar). PMCPOA has spent thousands and thousands of dollars (much more than they were paid for the DG) to try to get something to grow in that steep slope, even Hydro-seeding it at least twice, but to no avail. It's just dirt.
     Over the years, the Clubhouse has been "remodeled" and expanded several times. (The original structure was just the Condor Room space, plus about 40% of the Lounge space; downstairs was just a small snack bar and a storage room). During one of the more extensive expansions, it was decided to use "in-house talent" instead of licensed tradesmen to do the plumbing and electrical work (ostensibly to save money). Consequently, one night the Clubhouse caught fire, and only because it was discovered soon enough, it didn't burn to the ground. Luckily, insurance paid for the damages, and no one was hurt. Faulty electrical work was the reported cause.
      I got a call one New Year's Eve afternoon from the then-GM, Mike Duffy. He said the electrical outlets behind the bar in the Lounge had stopped working, all the maintenance guys had gone home (holiday) and they needed the bar working 100% for the New Year's Eve party that night. (Note: I am neither an electrician nor a plumber). Under the bar, I found the sink drain was cobbled together with a piece of radiator hose and a coat-hanger, and it was leaking into an open electrical junction box. I asked where the electrical panel was to shut off the power, went to it (down stairs), and shut off all the breakers. A couple of circuits behind the bar were still on. I found another panel a couple of rooms away, and shut all those breakers off, too. Now, all the circuits were dead. I went back to the first panel to turn it back on, so the rest of the building would have power back, and the circuits were live again (!!) The bar outlets and lights were being powered by two sources. A real electrician was called, and as far as I know, that mess was fixed. Don't even ask about the plumbing problems in that building!
     ****
     Anyone who has been to the Transfer Site (trash dump) can see that it's neat, well-kept, and rarely smells bad. That hasn't always been the case. That same area used to have 15 or 20 regular "dumpsters" -- the dirty, smelly, banged-up boxes with the  metal lids that banged--that would smash your fingers if you weren't careful. Each business in the Village had its own dumpster or two, as well. Southside Disposal Company would come once (or twice) a week, and dump each bin individually. The PMC Board of Directors at that time decided that Southside was charging too much for their services, and also decided that PMC could collect and haul its own trash for "much less". (file under "Best-Laid Plans). A used trash-hauling truck was purchased (thousands $$$), and two or three "roll-off" bins (big huge bins) were also purchased (more thousands $$$). Southside was notified by PMC management that their services were no longer needed. Southside promptly came up and hauled all their dumpsters away---including the dozen or so that were being used by the Pine Mountain General Store, 3 restaurants, and a few other businesses. Immediately, the Kern County Health Department notified the General Store and the restaurants that they were in violation of their Health Permits which required those types of business to have a dumpster (trash bin) immediately adjacent to their business (food waste, which couldn't be stored inside the business, also couldn't be placed in small cans or bags--it had to be in a proper trash bin -- on the premises.) Southside was contacted, asking why they removed ALL the dumpsters, not just those being used by Pine Mountain Club. Their reply was that the remaining number was too few to make a trip with the big truck that had the equipment necessary to dump the bins into itself. They WOULD bring up two of the BIG roll-off bins and put them at two locations in the Village. One was placed in the alley behind what is now La Lena Mexican Restaurant, and on was placed in the open area across from what is now Pine Mountain Realty. (where the cut-out figures are). The Health Department was persuaded to consider those locations as "on premises" for the General Store and the other restaurants. BUT (BIG BUT), the roll-offs cost $120 each to dump (they had to be loaded, hauled to the Lebec dump, emptied, and hauled back to PMC). Southside had only charged $7.00 a month (each) to empty the dumpsters. Because they were so big and obvious (and ugly), many people decided to skip the trip to the PMC dump, and dumped their household trash (and construction waste) in the Village bins. Then, warm weather brought the flies---and the smell...
     The situation seemed to be getting worse (and exceedingly more expen$ive) by the week, but an ultimate solution soon appeared seemingly out of nowhere. In their rush to "save the Association money", the Board (and management) had neglected to check the county regulations regarding franchises. In Kern County, and most other counties in California, certian businesses (like utilities) are granted franchises for certain areas, and they are the only ones allowed to conduct that business in a particular area. In Kern County, examples of this are cable companies, ambulance service, and trash hauling. Southside had an exclusive franchise to haul the trash ("garbage") in this part of Kern County. Pine Mountain Club didn't, and was violating the franchise rule, and so Southside sued. After lenghthy negotiations (lawyer$$), a plan was hammered out whereby PMC would provide a "Transfer Site", where the trash would be collected, and a portion of it recycled. Trash compactors were installed to compact the trash into special bins which Southside --now becoming "Mountainside Disposal"-- would haul to the Lebec dump to be emptied. Recycling of cardboard, glass, and plastic was required.  Kern County Health Department would allow the restaurants in the Village to take their trash to the Transfer Site, as long as it was not allowed to accumulate at the business, and they would be in compliance with the Health regulations. The PMCPOA trash truck and roll-off bins were sold (at a loss). I'm proud to admit that I helped to bring this particular happy ending to yet another "big, bad idea".

The 800-Pound Gorilla

     As mentioned before, the original developer of PMC was Tenneco. Once a particular number of properties were sold, Tenneco exited and turned the project over to the Pine Mountain Club Property Owners Association (PMCPOA). This process was all guided by the original Codes, Covenants and Restrictions (CC&R's) that Tenneco recorded when the project was begun. 
     Unfortunately, the new Association didn't come with an Owner's Manual.  (The Davis-Stirling Act, which laid down the rules and regulations for Common Interest Developments like Pine Mountain Club, didn't exist until 1985.). So, the foundations for the fledgling community were put in place by generally well-intentioned (not always!) but woefully uninformed and unprepared amateurs. The original CC&R's and Bylaws were lifted from State of California statutes and had no editing to make them fit the current or future needs of a year-round community. (Documents produced like this are often referred to as "boilerplate".) Governing documents prepared this way are always ambiguous because the regulations are designed to cover many different situations throughout the State. This ambiguity would prove to be very troublesome (and expensive) for Pine Mountain Club in the comimg years. 
     The first few years of the Association (PMCPOA) weren't too difficult-- the Board of Directors and General Managers hired by them basically winged it. Problems were small because there weren't a lot of people to deal with. Very few homes, hardly any permanent residents, (when we moved here permanently in 1976, there were 79 permanent residents!) the streets and signs, the stables, golf course and clubhouse were all brand new. The position of General Manager was a fairly low-responsibility, low-paying job--one of the main qualifications was a willingness to move yourself (and accompanying family usually) to 60 miles from nowhere. Realistically, it takes a while to really learn the ropes of a million-dollar-plus organization, certainly a year or more. During the first 3 decades of PMC's existence, the average tenure of a General Manager was about 18 months! So much for long-range planning.
     One early GM went around to all the PMC facilities and put padlocks on all the cabinets and storage areas. Everything had locks, and he had the only keys. Turned out he was stealing the Association blind---he just wanted to make sure nobody stole anything but him! Another managed to build a new house and let the Association foot a large portion of the bill for the materials, AND used Association employees to do some of the construction work. Another GM took it upon himself to enforce the Environmental rules himself: a property owner painted his house an "unapproved" color, and balked at changing it. The GM suspended his "Member" privileges (and those of his family) as a "penalty" for violating the CC&R's. When the member's little daughter wanted to go to the Brownie meeting at the Clubhouse, the GM refused to let her go in, because they (her family) were members "not-in-good-standing".
The settlement of THAT lawsuit cost us over 100,000 dollars. (to be continued)

What's In a Name?

     Many places and streets in PMC bear personal, as opposed to generic, names. You may ask "where did those names come from?" or "who were those people that these places were named for, or after?" I don't think I know ALL the sources for ALL the names, but here's what I know (or at least remember).
      The street names throughout PMC were chosen by the developer, Tenneco. Most of the names reflect the alpine or resort flavor that Tenneco was trying to sell. Obviously, they didn't have spell-check then, so there were (and are) some glaring errors: the signs for "Arctic Drive" were spelled "Artic" for many years. And of course "San Moritz" was spelled phonetically, instead of the correct "St. Moritz" (it's still that way!)
     Some main streets were given personal names, after Tenneco CEO's, or other VIP at the company. Thus we have Freeman Drive, Symonds Drive, and Askin Drive. Some of the lanes and access roads were given personal names, too, like Schroeder Place, (after Warren Schroeder, an early perennial Chairman of the POA Board), and Gotthard Place----I don't know WHERE this name came from, but knowing some of the antics that went on near there, it may not refer to a person.;--).
      Fern's Lake was named for Fern (Fernan) Olivier, who championed the cause of cleaning up what was known as the Lower Lake prior to his death. Lampkin Park was named for Larry Lampkin, one of the first team of salespeople who worked selling PMC property for Tenneco. Larry carried a longtime Pine Mountain tradition of serious partying a little too far, and expired at a young age at the Caravan Inn in Gorman.
      The streets in the Village all have names, too. Originally, the buildings in the Village all had addresses of either Mil Potrero Highway, or Askin Drive, but years ago, the KC Fire Department required that all streets and lanes and access roads in PMC had to have individual and distinctive names, so names were chosen. (If you don't like them, blame me). However, some building and business owners never got that memo, so some businesses still have Askin Drive or Mil Potrero addresses listed, even though the building is on Pine Valley Lane, etc.
     Prior to this change, many of the lanes and access roads throughout PMC had names that referred back to the street they connected to-- so you had Woodland Lane, Woodland Place, Woodland Court, etc. You can't blame the Fire Department for requiring a change.
      Symonds Drive had similar related names. Two of those were changed to "Ebony" and "Ivory". "Why such an odd choice?" you may ask. Someday I'll tell you. (I guess, in retrospect, it's not a lot "odder" than "Sand" and "Gravel" !
Part II    
  Then there's "Mil Potrero" Highway. I don't what's more difficult: spelling it, pronouncing it correctly, or trying to get someone on the phone to spell it correctly so you'll get your delivery on time (maybe!).
        I've seen many places that "Mil Potrero" translates to "thousand meadows (or pastures)" or whatever. It doesn't "translate" to anything, because it's not real Spanish. Correct Spanish would be "Mil Potreros" (plural) not "Potrero" (singular). But the "Mil" was really "Mill" from the "Mill Potrero"-- so named by the Sneddens-- early settlers of this area, who had a cattle ranch in Lockwood Valley, and used the meadow where PMC Golf Course is now to feed their stock in the summer, because it was cooler than the lower elevations. "Mill" referred to the sawmill that existed at the time (Sawmill Mountain took the name as well), and "Potrero" was taken from the Mexican vaqueros who used the word referring to a pasture-like meadow or field.
      Mount Pinos is from the Spanish for pine (pino), prounounced "pee-no", the plural being "pee-nos". There is no tilde above the "n" in Pinos. because there's none in pino. However, if pronounced correctly, it comes out "Mount Penis", so most people say "Mount Pie-nos" to avoid embarrassing explanations! To locals, using the words "Mount Piños" is always wrong.
     Mount Abel is also called "Cerro Noroeste" (another of those almost unpronounceable Spanish names). Abel is a lot easier to say, but like so many things around here, there's an underlying set of facts:

 "Cerro Noroeste, which means northwest hill in Spanish, lies several miles west of Mt. Pinos. It is far more than a hill, since it is nearly as high as Mt. Pinos. Contrary to its official name, it is often referred to as Mt. Abel after Stanley Abel, who was a Kern County supervisor instrumental in having the first road built to the top of Cerro Noroeste in the 1930 and also construction of Highway 33 between Ventura and Maricopa. As a consequence many locals began calling the peak Mt. Abel, maybe because it was easier to pronounce. Among other things Abel is remembered as a member of the Ku Klux Klan and also as the county official who attempted unsuccessfully to have John Steinbeck’s book The Grapes of Wrath banned from county libraries. The controversy over what Cerro Noroeste should be named was resolved in 1990 when the Board of Geographical Names decided in favor of Cerro Noroeste."

Harry Nelson

Apache Saddle Part II

     Once the seasonal license issues were overcome, the Apache Saddle (or just "The Saddle") became a full-fledged bar. Food in the restaurant was good or it wasn't, but the bar kept on. 
      Over the years, like many similar establishments, it acquired its cast of characters. The Tidwells, Chuck & Marge, the original owners, and their children Tommy and Patty Tidwell Shirley, ran the restaurant for the first few years, hiring staff to do all the work, and then hiring managers to manage the staff. Some of those managers were as colorful as their customers.
      One such manager was a guy named Bill Marsh. He started in the middle of summer one year, and his first big weekend was Labor Day (Oktoberfest). I warned him prior to the weekend that he was going to be really busy -- "human car wash" busy. I saw him on Labor Day Monday afternoon, and asked him how it went. "Man, this place is half-full of a$$holes", he declared. "Yeah, and it's only half-full," was my (tongue-in-cheek) answer.
     Since PMC was growing at a rapid pace in those early years, many of The Saddle's "characters" were in the construction business. Jerry Kiger, Bullet ('cause he moves so fast! ;-)  
Pee-Wee the Roofer, Cecil Chambers, Chuck Hartley, Lance Hartley, Dick Murphy, to name but a few, all helped build Pine Mountain Club from a resort into a community. Del Archer Construction started in Malibu building mansions, and then Del and his crew came to Pine Mountain Club and built some "mountain mansions". Del's crew all hung out at The Saddle after work and on weekends, and some are part of legend. Some of those stories I'll tell later, but I'll just list a few names now: Norm Jessel, Buck & BJ Sawyer, Black Bart (who won a Silver Medal at the Olympics), and of course, Del & Barb. 
       One of the best stories is as much legend as truth. I can't vouch for the story because I wasn't ever there (how'd that happen??). Her name shall be kept confidential, but she came to be known as "Bootsie". The name came from her occasional habit of (when well-inebriated, and in the company of an equally inebriated crowd of onlookers) dancing on the top of the bar in go-go boots... That's all --- just boots. If those wall could talk! -- and a lot of us old-timers are relieved they can't. (It wasn't really me and JW that used all the disco records as Frisbees off the upper deck that night, when most of them made it all the way over the golf course fence---those guys just looked like us!)

Apache Saddle, Part 1

     The third oldest building in the Village is the gambrel-shaped center portion of what is now Madd Bailey's Pub. In 1975, Dave Peters and Chuck Tidwell, both of Pine Mountain Real Estate, and Fred Westlund of Westlund Construction, decided to build a bar/restaurant an the commercial lot next to the Pine Mountain General Store. Who owned what or what portion I don't know, but ultimately full ownership of the property belonged to Dave Peters. 
    The viability of such a venture was unknown at the time, so to hedge their bets, the building was constructed in a gambrel shape, with a large ridge beam that could be attached to a crane, allowing the whole structure to be lifted up, and moved to a residential lot. That was Fred Westlund's theory, anyway. Luckily, it never had to be tested. 
     The business was give the name "Apache Saddle"-- a nice Western-sounding name. The name was taken from the area just west of Pine Mountain Club, where Mil Potrero Highway meets Cerro Noroeste Road. 

     A saddle is a dip or low point between two areas of higher ground. A saddle is not necessarily the lower ground between two hilltops; it may be simply a dip or break along a level ridge crest. If you are in a saddle, there is high ground in two opposite directions and lower ground in the other two directions. A saddle is normally represented as an hourglass.

     The original layout of the building was similar to the way it is now, except the addition on the east side wasn't there yet, nor the deck above. The dining room was upstairs along with the windowed bar, and downstairs was a sort of coffee-shop area with booths. In order to facilitate delivery of food to the dining room above, a dumb-waiter was installed in the kitchen that opened in the wall above. The kitchen staff would load the food on trays, and then, like an elevator, they would push a button and the food would rise to the floor above. Similarly, the dirty dishes could be sent below, descending magically to the kitchen below. In theory...
    In reality, if the load was too heavy, the dumb-waiter would just sit there, or if at the top, drop like a stone, crashing into the sink at the bottom. At least you don't have to wash broken dishes and glassware!
    Once opened, the Apache Saddle became the only place west of Lebec that sold hard liquor. The PMC Clubhouse had no bar at all at the time (more about that later), and the General Store only sold beer and wine. In fact, at first the Saddle only had a "seasonal" liquor license. If I recall correctly, 3 months a year they couldn't serve alcohol. After two or three years, it was upgraded to year round. During those "dry" months, we would drive on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday nights to Gorman, to the restaurant/bar at the Caravan Inn, to get a proper cocktail.
     Originally, the business was owned by the Tidwell family, and managed first by Tommy Tidwell, and then by his sister, Pat (Tidwell) Shirley. They (the Tidwells) didn't work there, their source of income was local real estate, but rather they employed local residents to cook, serve, bar-tend, etc. Later, they advertised for managers to run the entire place. Some of the most colorful characters ever to inhabit Pine Mountain Club first came here to work at the Apache Saddle. For a long time it seemed that the qualifications for working in the Apache Saddle kitchen were (among others): a pulse, mostly-sober (at least before noon), can find the stove/oven, knows the difference between raw chicken and frozen hamburger, etc. You didn't need to know how to order supplies--when an order came into the kitchen from the dining room, you just walked next door to the Pine Mt. General Store, got what you needed, and put it on the Saddle's account. Some very "interesting" dishes came out of that kitchen. 
     The original "ventilation" system for the kitchen consisted of a little exhaust fan like you would put in a normal home kitchen-- not nearly adequate for a commercial cook-top and a flat-top grille. Consequently, even in the cold months, the kitchen would get unbearably hot, even with the back door wide open to the cold. One day I walked by the open kitchen door and the "cook" was standing at the stove in his boxer shorts!
     All that aside, some very good food did emerge from the kitchen on occasion. Uly Paz,  a crazy, hot-tempered Filipino, made chicken adobo and duck a l'orange that were truly memorable. George Crane, who originally came from New York and New Jersey, cooked smoked pork chops, sauteed pasta, and prime rib to die for. But in reality, for those early years, neither the food nor the cocktails had to be that good, because there was virtually no competetion.
(to be continued...)