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.