Concert and Potluck by Sol Rudnick
My Hesperia Hall Heritage Concert Series continues with the appearance of Janet Dove at the Friday, June 15th potluck. This is an opportunity to experience American folk music performed in the traditional manner—strictly acoustic! Janet Dove comes to the Hall from Sonoma where she has been performing for many years. Her repertoire includes classic folk tunes of the 60s and 70s, old familiar sing-alongs, and the music of Kate Wolf. The opening act will be a group of aspiring young musicians, the Taylor Trio, who play violins and cello. Pass-the-hat contributions for the musician and Hall improvements such as cushioned chairs will be gratefully accepted. Potluck begins at 7 PM and is followed by the concert around 8 PM.
News from the Board by Carla Martinez
A massive thank you goes out to all the volunteers that made the Chicken Barbecue/White Elephant such a huge success this year! Lettuce, beans, white elephants, homemade desserts, fire wood, Martin's special chicken flavoring and uncountable hours of effort went into the event, and it paid off handsomely for the Hall and community.
The IRS has granted Hesperia Hall Foundation permanent tax-exempt 501 c 3 status. A big thank you goes out to Lois Lindley for her meticulous record keeping, requirements research, and successful submission on behalf of the Hall.
Great news for the Hall, David Villegas has volunteered to be maintenance chairman. David will oversee projects, but the board will be responsible for establishing priorities, approving expenditure of funds, and assisting David in gathering appropriate volunteer or contractor assistance.
Thank you to Rosa Struthers for repairing the flagpole and recognition rock plates at the entrance to the Hall. Rosadonated thehigh quality materials and hours required to engrave all the inscriptionsin time for the chicken barbecue and white elephant sale. The plates are beautiful, all names and descriptions are easily read, and they should hold up for a very long time. Great job, Rosa!
Please call me at 391-3185 if you are interested in dog obedience training. Bill McGadden has offered to hold weekly classes starting in June if there are enough participants.
Wildflower Report
Those of us who followed Jack Lindley’s advice to leave before or after the race had a pleasant, hassle free weekend. There were quite a few Bryson residents enjoying the St. Luke’s barbecue, and no one complained about too many bikes on the road.
From Cherie Landon: My kids and I helped 4-H hand out water bottles to the Wildflower participants this year. Even though I am in the group that "cringes" when April not only brings showers, but BIKES, I had a surprisingly good time. It was fun to see them race, and most of the participants were appreciative yelling thanks to all of the volunteers.
April Potluck by Beth Winters
After the usual wonderful food and camaraderie of our monthly gatherings, we were treated to a program by the community’s children hosting a Talent Show. This was followed by the awarding of prizes to the winners of the recent Essay Contest. First place winner, Michaela Steele, read her story to the audience with great composure and stage presence. Second and third place winners Megan Landon and Gloria Wilson joined Michaela in receiving gift certificates from Chelsea Bookstore in Paso Robles.
The exuberance and enthusiasm of all the evening’s participants was a pleasure to behold. Thank you as well to their supportive parents and friends.
Scholarship Report by Ed Buntz
The Scholarship Committee would like to thank to Bill and Ann Jones for yet another donation to the scholarship fund. It was great to see them at the Chicken Barbecue/White Elephant sale and to receive additional installments of their generosity. Our first set of scholarships for academic year 2007 - 2008 will be presented at the King City High School banquet on May 29th. There will be several presentations made at the Hall potluck on June 15th, so come out to support and visit with our special awardees.
If you would like to join the team and make a tax deductible donation in any amount to the scholarship fund, simply make out a check to Hesperia Hall, put Scholarship Fund on the memo line, and mail to: Hesperia Hall, 51602 Bryson-Hesperia Road, Bradley, CA 93426. You may also give your check to any board member at a potluck or Hall event. If you have any questions about the Hesperia Hall scholarship program or how to establish a 529 college savings account, please contact Ed Buntz at 472-2070 or Lois Lindley at 472-9556.
Kids Corner by Cherie Landon
Bryson residents would have been proud of all the local kids who received awards during the May Assembly at San Antonio School. MVPs for basketball, several students of the month awards, and about half of the Mathlete awards from the competition at a Monterey college were from Bryson. What a great bunch of kids we have here!
The Fair will be over by the time you read this, but many children have worked hard on their projects. Thanks again to everyone for buying that candy, pizza, and everything else my kids sell to you! Just to let you know where some on that money goes, this year the Sheep Project bought new shears ($600), so the kids could shear their own sheep. Shears wouldn't have been affordable without the fundraising.
The upper graders (4th - 8th) are going to use the pool and gym at Fort Hunter Liggett for their end of the year party and picnic. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful facility available.
On June 6th, the San Antonio School 2007 8th grade class will hold their graduation ceremony. It will be at the Fort Hunter Liggett Theatre at 7 PM (please call the school or me to verify time and place). It's a wonderful occasion; because of the size of our school each child gets a chance to shine. Let’s all watch our kids as they head off to High School. I even attend when no one in my immediate family is graduating!
King City High School Graduation is Friday, June 15th at 9 AM at War Memorial Stadium (KCHS). Then summer and summer JOBS!
Heroes All by Gene and Dorothy Turley
We’re grateful for all the friends, neighbors, and drive-bys who helped fight the fire. Your efforts diverted the fire from our neighbors, slowed it down, and kept it from spreading. Heroes all. Neighbors are the world’s greatest treasure. We have the best!
Thank you all.
Fire Precautions
The May 12th 60 acre Bryson fire reminded us all of the danger of wildfires. According to Cal Fire (CDF) Battalion Chief Steve Spinharney, about 60 acres were burned. The full response included 2 helicopters, 2 air tankers, the Air Attack spotter/control plane, 1 dozer, 4 hand crews, 1water tender, 7 CDF engines, and an engine and a patrol from the Lockwood Volunteers. This year, because of our lack of rain, the moisture in the fuel (brush, etc.) around us is very low making it ready to burn. Steve provided some general "tips" for people who live in rural areas. Have a clear address so CDF can find you, mow before 10 AM, and have 100' clearance around your home. This 100' clearance means you should have 30' of bare earth (nothing combustible) around the structure followed by 70' of earth cleared of low branches, dead fuels, snags, etc. The Lockwood CDF station is currently conducting LE100 inspections of clearances in our area.
Fiesta! by Dustin Miller
Mission San Antonio de Padua’s Fiesta takes place on Sunday, June 10th. The oak barbecue features a choice of top sirloin or chicken with Adult tickets: $9 and Children 12-and-under: $5.50. Hot dogs and snow cones will also be available for the kids. Our family-oriented event has something for everyone: two dance bands (bluegrass and norteño), with a covered, shaded dance pavilion, games for the kids, quilt raffle (hand made by local Bryson resident Georgiana Selfridge), homemade desserts, and crafts booths. Sodas, bottled water, beer, and local wines will be on sale. Come in optional Old California costume and visit with friends and neighbors. Fiesta mass is at 11 AM. For the 30th year the Salinas liturgical music group, Circle of Song, will provide the mass music. Fort Hunter Liggett surrounds the mission, so drivers must present a current vehicle operator’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of auto insurance to enter the post.
A Naturalist’s Notebook by Charles Ewing
Two incidents prompted this piece. First, I was watching a gray squirrel strip a pinecone like an ear of sweet corn. It was impressive to see how deftly its front paws held and rotated the cone, while its incredible rodent-incisors made the scales fly. Second, trying to quell a squeak in our evaporative cooler with WD40, I stuck my right thumb in the moving fan. The fan instantly sheared off the nail and left a big gash. Ouch! Stupid! Aaah! I will be playing guitar at the Hall next month. For the next week, I walked around with a large bandage on my thumb. You probably know the experience. Without the full use of your thumb, it’s hard to button a shirt or tie a bow or do anything that requires precise manipulation. Our thumb is very important.
Humans are the only animals that have fully opposable thumbs. This means we can easily and precisely touch the tips of our other fingers. Our closest non-human relatives, the chimpanzees, have hands similar to ours, but their thumbs can’t touch their fingertips. Squirrels and raccoons can hold and manipulate objects with their paws, but compared to humans are very clumsy. Our special hands and upright posture evolved together and complimented each other. Standing upright freed our hands with their incredible opposable thumbs to make and use tools with precision. This in turn stimulated the evolution of our big brains. We even evolved a proportionately large area of the brain devoted to the thumb. Our thumbs are controlled by a complex of five muscles that flex, extend and rotate. The Opponens Pollicis, the big muscle at the base, palm-side of the thumb flexes and rotates the thumb inward and gives us the very strong pinch needed to precisely hold and manipulate objects. So take care of your thumbs and don’t take them for granted.
Correction
There was an editor’s error in the May issue of News from the Hall. The last paragraph in Charles Ewing’s A Naturalist’s Notebook should have read: “Here’s how a pig feud started up near the Pinnacles area. Rancher B supplemented his income by charging well-heeled city folks $250 to shoot a pig on his land. Rancher B increased his pig population by trapping and raising them in pens for release and also by having feeding stations about his land to encourage them to stay and bring their friends from surrounding lands. Rancher A’s land was next to B’s land. Rancher A had 50 acres of barley ready to cut and bale. One morning Rancher A went out and found half his barley trampled and turned up by wild pigs…” Editor’s apology to Charles.
More Contest Essays
Megan Landon, age 13 2nd Place Winner’s:
The country is a great place to be! Every day you get to see God’s creations and miracles. I love living in the country because it is quiet, it isn’t crowded, and everybody knows each other.
I prefer not to have a cat screeching outside my window while I am trying to sleep. This is what happens when you live in the city. You either have the cat, the screaming people, the amusement parks, or the sounds of the stores’ objects such as televisions or radios. It is easier to hear yourself think when the only sound for three hundred yards is you and your family.
In fact, you and your family are probably the only people within a three hundred yard radius! The country is definitely not crowded! You have your own large space when you live in the country. This is really good for pets, playing, and just running around.
Since it is not crowded you can get to know all of your neighbors and your community. You can see them at potlucks, 4-H, or any other social activities. Most people wouldn’t know their mail carrier. Here, you can say that you are the daughter of Cherie Landon and they’ll know who you are.
I would never want to move to the city! Why would I want to go when I live in a quiet, non-crowded, and friendly community already? Who would ever prefer the city over the country?
Gloria Wilson, age 13, 3rd Place Winner’s:
On a day my family was out searching for the land that had captivated my imagination for over 5 years we had decided to take a drive over to Hesperia Hall. In the picture there was usually only the beautiful solitude of nature I had figured ahead of time that if we moved then I would have to rely on town for social needs. Although at the time no one was there the hall itself seemed alive with the spirit of community. As my eyes eagerly traced the bulletin board laden with posts and messages, I was beginning to believe that perhaps country and community could go hand in hand.
Although, I had envisioned frequent participation at the hall taking part in classes and activities, once we actually moved in the summer and started building our home things were not so easy. The first weeks seemed to stretch on hot, invigorating, tiresome, exciting and lonely all at once but pretty soon the lack of fun was getting to us. As we were on our way into town an announcement came over the radio about a concert at the hall it called to us like an invitation for involvement. Our calendar was readily marked and all of us were excited to get a taste of the community thriving in the hidden rural hamlet of Hesperia where we now resided.
When the evening arrived and we pulled up the winding road to the hall aglow with the sounds of friendly chatter and conversation, I was quick to realize this was indeed a treasure of the area, a very special community. After hall announcements and lively music everyone was dancing. I will admit, being an introvert, the idea of joining hands with strangers and dancing would have seemed very uncomfortable in any other group of people but instead I left feeling enriched and willing to participate in anything the hall had to offer.
Signing up for membership came without questioning. Each newsletter followed and each event I attended or participated in made me feel all the more at home in Bryson-Hesperia.
Although I am new to the community it is evident that a community out in the middle of nowhere can not only turn the nowhere into somewhere but because of its much needed presence makes it much stronger than any urban community could be. A rural community acts as water in a desert cultivating friendship bonds and memories that will light your heart in the years to come.
Reading Rewards
This summer is the time for students from elementary to high school to read and win prizes. Once again the Monterey County Bookmobile is offering their Summer Reading Program from June 4th through July 21st. Each reader will receive a reading log to record pages read and grade level books completed. Prizes will be awarded during Bookmobile visits and will be age appropriate. Every Wednesday (except July 4th) and beginning on June 14th, a performer will appear at the King City Library at 4 PM to read selections and entertain the children. Check Hesperia Hall Happenings for Bookmobiledates.
Dining Around by Carol Mahon
We recently had the opportunity to try the new Matthew’s restaurant in Paso Robles that replaced Muddy Spring on Spring Street. It is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. We breakfasted at their restaurant by the airport a few months ago, and it was great.
A complimentary appetizer was served. This was followed by the salmon special which was salmon and asparagus wrapped in eggplant and served over basmati rice with julienne fresh vegetables. The other main course of salmon was topped with sautéed mushrooms on spinach and basmati rice with a Pinot noir reduction sauce. Both were wonderful! The atmosphere is elegant, classy and comfortable. Meals are gourmet and a bit pricey if you include appetizers, salads, and desserts.
Brain Teaser
Last month’s teaser did not have a winner. It was: If a cork is put in a glass of water, the cork will almost always drift to the side of the glass. How can you get the cork to float in the center of the glass? Water, the glass and the cork are all that is needed. The answer is: Fill the glass to the brim with water. We tried it, and it’s true.