The legitimate medical marijuana dispensary, located at 44518 Florida Avenue (across from the Shell Station at Lincoln Avenue) in Hemet/Valle Vista, has a tremendous amount of activity at all hours of the day and night.

Cars drive up and park and within 30 seconds, they take off again. It happens at 6 a.m. as well as 8 p.m. Is all this activity legal? Are all of them sick with legitimate green cards so they can buy marijuana? We hardly think so, but an officer from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said tonight (Nov. 28) there’s little that can be done about it.

“The police are aware of the medical marijuana dispensaries in the area, and they monitor them all of the time,” said the officer answering the non-emergency line. “But they can’t see everyone’s green cards, so there’s little that can be done about it.”

We voiced our concerns about the dispensary’s close proximity to teens and children in that neighborhood. The Shell Station also has lots of local traffic. What if students were able to walk in to the Valle Vista Medical Marijuana dispensary and purchase bags and get back on the bus? (Conveniently, a RTA bus stop is located just outside the premises!)

“The police cannot do anything about potential situations,” explained the officer. “They cannot bust a business on ‘what ifs.”

She suggested that perhaps everyone we’ve seen frequenting the place had legitimate green cards (which are cards prescribed by their doctors).

“They’re really easy to get,” she said. “It could be that everyone you’ve seen come and go over there legitimately has them.”

So there’s nothing that can be done about a medical marijuana dispensary gone bad? During any given day, when you fill up at the Shell Station, look across the street to see how many cars pull up and leave from there. If our 5-minute projection is correct, they may have more than 500 customers a day!

What if that dispensary wasn’t reporting that much business on its books? Is that enough reason for the police to raid them?

“The only way an officer could investigate that medical marijuana dispensary is if someone said they were able to buy marijuana there without a green card,” the officer said. “We would need actual information.”

But who would admit to that? The person buying marijuana without a green card would be arrested on the spot! They’d be in just as much trouble as the dispensary! (Unless they brokered a plea bargain, but that only happens on TV crime dramas!)

Our tip came from a teenager who lives in Idyllwild. He casually pointed to the dispensary as we drove by in the car.

“You can buy marijuana there,” he said.

We wish he would have added, “Without a green card.”

If this marijuana dispensary is legitimate and popular as all get-out, then why not put a sign out front? There’s a large blank white sign in the parking lot left over from when it was called a tire shop six months ago. Why not put the business name in bold letters: Valle Vista Medical Marijuana Dispensary? Underneath they could brag about their popularity like McDonald’s does: “Over 1 billion customers served.” That way, everything would be above board. Parents in the neighborhood and church goers would all know, as well as the junkies, and then let the chips fall where they may.

The officer suggested that anyone concerned about illegal drug activity at the Valle Vista Medical Marijuana Dispensary contact the Riverside County Drug Activity Tip Line at (951) 955-6384. All tips can be anonymous, but if you leave your name and phone number, then an officer will contact you for followup information.

We left the tip line information about the Valle Vista dispensary, along with the editor’s name and phone number on their answering machine. We’ll see if we get a return call.

In the meantime, there’s a dispensary at the bottom of the Hill (about 15 miles from Idyllwild) where almost anyone can buy marijuana. Unless there’s proof of illegal activity, it will continue to service the area well.

To contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s 24-hour non-emergency line, (800) 950-2444.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

 

The address to this popular building in Valle Vista is clearly marked on the front.

 

 

 

 

By Marcia E. Gawecki

The brown building with white trim looked just like any other doctor’s or dentist’s office in Hemet/Valle Vista. Only that this one, across from the Shell Station on the corner of Florida and Lincoln Avenues, had a lot of activity.

In fact, in the five minutes it took to fill up my car, four cars had come and gone. And one heavy set guy, who gassed up at the Shell Station, had walked over there and returned within those few minutes.

What was going on here? Was this a crack house?

I’ve lived down the street from drug houses in Chicago and Idyllwild. The drug dealers in Chicago had it down to an art. Cars would stop in the street and honk, and they would run out in their neon green shirts to serve them. At any drug house, there’s always a lot of activity and no one sticks around for long for fear of getting caught. I also used to cover crime for the Idyllwild Town Crier, and had once interviewed a potential drug dealer in Garner Valley. So I’m naturally suspicious.

Several months back, this brown building used to be a tire shop. But it wasn’t open for long. Now, there is only a blank white sign, but the address, 44518, is clearly marked on the front of the building in 12-inch letters. A crack house wouldn’t be so obvious.

“That’s where you can buy marijuana,” said a teenage boy from Idyllwild who was riding in my car as we passed the place one afternoon.

I didn’t think much about it then, but wondered how he could be so casual about those things with an adult. But each time that I filled up my car at the Shell Station, it nagged at me. There was way too  much activity going on over there for my comfort level.

This time, I decided to take pictures as proof. Except on my camera, there’s no time marker. In one of my pictures, a guy in a blue hoodie, looked up and saw me. I pretended to be messing around with my camera, just taking odd shots to get it to work again. Always take a picture of your foot. (That’s an old street photographer’s trick).

On the way up the hill, I called 911. After all, that hoodie guy could be a drug dealer who had already memorized my plates and told his friends. I could be dead by morning and no one would know why!

The CHP operator transferred me to the Hemet Sherrifs’ Department, saying that I was “reporting suspicious activity.”

I told the dispatch operator what I knew, including the remark from the Idyllwild teen whose mother lives in Hemet. They took my phone number and said that they would send someone out to investigate.

‘Better take your guns,’ I prayed silently. ‘There’s going to be a shootout. No one gives up their drugs that easily.’

Within a few minutes, a Hemet police officer called me back.

“That’s a marijuana dispensary,” she said. “It’s legal.”

She said it had been operating for about a year now, and fellow officers have checked them all out for validity.

“That’s where people can go when a doctor prescribes them marijuana,” she said.

I thanked her and hung up. It must be like the medical marijuana places in Venice Beach that attract so much attention with tourists. That explains why this nondescript building in Valle Vista, with a huge address, has so much activity.

I ran a quick check for “marijuana dispensaries” on Google, but the 44518 Florida address didn’t show up. However, another one in Hemet and more in Palm Springs, Beaumont, Perris, Murrieta and Riverside, appeared.

Yet, I remain on guard. Could a medical marijuana place go bad?

“Yes, they closed the one in Menifee,” said Peggy, who lives in Menifee. “They were dispensing medical marijuana, but also selling it illegally on the side. Some citizen’s group shut them down.”

Could that be what’s happening in Valle Vista? Are they legally and illegally selling marijuana at the same time?

If everything was above board, then why do their customers only stay for two seconds? That’s the behavior of someone who doesn’t want to get caught, not a cancer patient who wants to feel a little better.

This marijuana dispensary is too close to my favorite Shell Station for comfort. If there’s a police shootout and one of the bullets hits a gas truck or tank, then everything could blow sky high!  Yep, I’ve seen it on TV! With my luck, I would be gassing up on pump number 7.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

 

By Marcia E. Gawecki

David Faber was only 13 years old when he promised his mother, who had just been shot and killed by the Nazis, that he would tell the world about what they had done.

At age 85, a Polish Jew, Faber has spent the greater part of his lifetime giving lectures to audiences, such as the 2-hour one at the Mt. San Jacinto College held on Thursday, Oct. 13.

The event, sponsored by the Phi Theta Kappa, an academic honor society, was open to the public, although the audience was comprised mostly high school and college students. Some were getting extra credit for writing a report. Tickets were $5 each, and hours before, the show was sold out.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Mary Lehman, an Idyllwild resident whose 14-year-old daughter, Grace, is home-schooled, and wanted to attend the lecture. “We need to hear what these survivors have to say because they’re not going to live forever.”

Grace had already researched the Holocaust for a school project when she attended the Idyllwild School and got an “A.”  And this past summer, the family had visited the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, where Grace had heard a lecture by another concentration camp survivor.

“He said that another prisoner had drown in a puddle of mud because he was too weak to get up,” Grace recalled. “Now I don’t look at mud puddles the same.”

Before the lecture when David Faber was signing books, Grace got her picture taken with him. Faber offered the autographed books for $15 each.

During the next two hours, David, with a single microphone, stood before a panel of family photos and news clippings, and recounted the atrocities that happened to him and his family during the weeks that followed the Nazi invasion of Poland. After that, David told of how he barely survived nine concentration camps.

“Jews who went to the concentration camps don’t have photos,” David began. “They are stripped naked of their clothes and possessions, and sent to the gas chambers. Ninety-five percent of them don’t make it out of those camps alive. I was one of the lucky ones.”

The family photos that Faber referred to came from his eldest sister who escaped to England before WWII began. Rachael Faber was a talented dress designer and was invited to show her work in Paris. When she got a VISA, she ran away and later lived in England. These photos David received from her husband after her death.

In Katowice where the family lived, the Nazis forbade Jews to enter stores and banks following the Nazi invasion. So the family fled to a nearby town where they stayed with cousins. When they were murdered in their home, with David as a witness.

“Let’s get out of here,” David’s father had said upon returning from a job search. “The Nazis will come back.”

When random shootings continued, David’s father found an abandoned warehouse where they slept on potato sacks filled with straw. They would have eventually been found by the Nazis had Romek, David’s brother, a soldier and ex-POW, had not found them.

Romek banged on the warehouse walls and eventually found a crawl space where the family hid from the Nazi shootings. Yet, after days of no food and water, the family gave themselves up and registered at Nazi headquarters. Each received a stamp on their papers.

“The letter ‘K’ in a circle means death,” warned Romek, whom they later found out was working for the British Intelligence.

Since several of the family members had that stamp, Romek advised them to hide again, this time in an abandoned apartment building. He banged on the walls in one apartment and found another crawlspace where the family would hide when the Nazis would raid. Romek had hung pictures over the hole and decorated the area with more pictures and a small couch.

One day, the Nazis came quietly. They shot David’s father first outside, and then his mother and five sisters near the crawl space. During the commotion, David had slid under the narrow couch. When the shooting was over, all of his family was dead. One of the Nazi’s jumped up and down with glee on the couch, unaware of that David was underneath it.

“See? I told you that we would get them all if we came quietly,” the Nazi had said.

After days of no food and water, David turned himself in, but remembered what his brother had told him:

“You speak perfect German. If you are caught, use it to impress them,” he said.

“I stood before the Nazis and clicked my heels, and said that I was a 21-year-old electrician, and could help them,” David said. “They laughed at me, knowing that I was only 13, but were impressed that I knew their language.”

David was sent by rail car to a concentration camp, where several men, women and children died along the way. His job there was to open the cans of poison that would later be used in the gas chambers. After they died, David had to gather up their possessions, including jewelry and gold fillings.

One time, David noticed that a baby was still alive, still attached to his mother’s breast. He and another man tried to give the baby to women in the camp, but they were found out, and the man was tortured and killed. David was ordered to throw the baby into the oven.

He asked the Nazi soldiers if it would be better to give the baby to some of the women instead.

“Dare you defy my orders?” the soldier yelled and threw the baby into the oven himself.

David later was beaten with a hose until he passed out.

“How I survived nine concentration camps, I don’t know,” David said towards the end of his lecture.

The last concentration camp he was at was called Bergen-Belson, made famous by Anne Frank.

“When the British Army liberated Bergen-Belson on April 15, 1945, most of us were dead or sick from typhoid,” David recalled. “The British forced the Nazis to dig 122 open graves in which they put some 5,000 bodies.”

Two women from the British Red Cross were checking out those massive graves before burial, when they spotted David, moving among the dead bodies.

“I was 18 years old, and only weighed 72 pounds,” David recalled.

A picture of him at that time is shown in his book. It’s a haunting image that you will not soon forget. He survived typhoid and polio. In 1957, he immigrated to the U.S. and five years later, became an American citizen.

Over the years, David was sick and in and out of American hospitals.

“But now I am 85 years young, and God is still looking after me,” he said, and thanked the audience for listening, and helping him fulfill the promise that he had made to his mother:“I will tell the world what the Nazis have done.”

Later on, Grace was appalled to hear that some people believe that the Holocaust never really happened.

“How can they face a man like David Faber and say that?” she asked.

Yet, even at a young age, Grace knew of the importance of attending Holocaust lectures and spreading the word so that it will never happen again.

David Faber’s book, (1997), “Because of Romek: a Holocaust survivor’s memoir,” is produced by Granite Hills Press, and is available by Amazon and most major book retailers.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

 

By Marcia E. Gawecki

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, it had been raining all day. In Idyllwild, Hemet, Riverside and Los Angeles. Gray skies were everywhere. There was no escaping it. Cars and trucks drove too fast or too slow on the highways, spraying each other with blankets of rain. Traffic backed up for miles when one car skidded into another.

“It’s good for the trees,” Idyllwild residents always say to each other when it rains. And the trees certainly looked happy, with their limbs outstretched to the skies, as if they were asking for more.

Then I heard the news:

“It’s a sad day for us all,” said the dee jay on 95.5 FM. “Steve Jobs has died.”

I called Jeffrey Taylor, from Green Café, the local internet provider in Idyllwild, to confirm. Yep, the technical visionary who started Apple Computers and Pixar Entertainment had died of cancer at age 56.

Jeffrey’s voice was heavy with sadness, something you can’t disguise.

After college, Jeffrey had worked for Apple for 4 1/2 years.

“They made me go through a month-long interview process, and open up an office in Valencia,” Jeffrey recalled.

He was a computer programmer for Apple, often being part of group emails from Steve Jobs. He didn’t recall ever meeting Steve, but saw him at business meetings.

“I had full access to Apple’s library,” Jeffrey said.

His Apple experience he remembers with fondness, which later lead to jobs at Sony and NASA JPL.

“You should see Apple’s web site right now,” Jeffrey said on Wednesday, but wouldn’t elaborate. (Apple had taken down its last product release and replaced it with a farewell message to Steve Jobs).

“Ten percent of all tweets today are saying, “Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs,’” Jeffrey said.

That means people tweeting not just in the U.S., but from around the world.

Now the intense rain seemed perfectly fitting for a day in which an American icon had died. It rained like this when Princess Diana and Mother Teresa had died, and John Lennon too. It was as if the heavens themselves could not contain their grief.

Months earlier, Jeffrey had forwarded a You Tube video of Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement speech. Steve hadn’t attended Stanford, or even graduated from Reed College, but he certainly had something to say. His words were truer than anyone with high academic honors.

Steve’s mother, a graduate student, didn’t believe that she’d have the time to raise a child, yet was very particular about whomever adopted him must send him to college. The working class couple that adopted Steve had kept that promise. They had saved up their entire lives for his college education at Reeds.

Yet, after six months, Steve didn’t know what he wanted to do, and said he was wasting their money. So that’s when he dropped out of college, but then dropped back in. For years, Steve, the un-college student, slept on friends’ floors, ate at soup kitchens and sat in on classes that had nothing to do with his major, such as calligraphy.

“That’s why Apple Computers were the first to offer different type fonts,” Steve had said in his Stanford speech. He would have never taken that calligraphy class had he not dropped out and tried new classes.

“With all the tributes to Steve Jobs, one thing tends to get forgotten: the man helped us write,” said Simon Garfield, in an article on CNN.com’s web site. “Jobs was the first to give us a real choice of fonts, and thus the ability to express ourselves digitally with emotion, clarity and variety. He made Type Gods of us all.”

Later on, Steve was fired from Apple Computers, the company that he had co-founded in his basement. How could that have happened? Steve said he floundered a bit, and then started another company, which was eventually bought by Apple. So his life came full circle, but he had changed.  One thing that Steve has taught us is that one man can make a difference.

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice,” Steve had told the Stanford graduates in 2005. “And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

Over the years, every time Apple would release a new product, it was more impressive than the last. Only one man was capable of doing that each and every time: Steve Jobs.

Ask any young person today what their life would be like without their Apple laptops, iPhones, and iPods.

Not just computer geeks were sad about his passing, but everyone from heads of state to we as average Joes.

The first time that I heard the name, Steve Jobs, was from a film student at Idyllwild Arts Academy, Jeanne Catmull. Her father, Ed Catmull, worked with Steve at Pixar Entertainment, and she knew him.

On Feb. 7, 2009, Jeanne’s dad was getting the Gorden E. Sawyer Award, a lifetime achievement Oscar from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Jeanne was going to the ceremony with him in a dress designed by another Idyllwild Arts student. Quoi Alexander had come to Idyllwild Arts after Hurricane Katrina had wiped out his high school. He is now studying fashion in England, while Jeanne is at USC.

Quoi’s two-tone felted dress looked great on Jeanne. Tucker McIntyre, who heads up the Transportation Department at Idyllwild Arts, had taken a picture of Jeanne and Ed Catmull the second they appeared on TV.

“The media will pay attention to us if Steve Jobs goes with us,” Jeanne had told me as we were driving down the hill in the school van.

Who was Steve Jobs anyway? I didn’t know who he was back then, yet I had already purchased my third Apple computer.

Steve Jobs started with an idea in his basement, and never gave up on it, against all obstacles. Yep, we can all learn from him, a man who came from humble beginnings, but used his smarts and tenacity to change the world.

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition,” said Steve Jobs.

For inspiration, visit his 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech on You Tube.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

Published on: Oct 7, 2011 @ 15:18 E

 

 

 

 

By Marcia E. Gawecki

What’s next for Casey Abrams, the “American Idol” heartthrob from Idyllwild? Will he be making a jazz record? Performing again with Jack Black? Going on tour with his jazz band? Hosting “Saturday Night Live?”

Never mind all that! First, we’re gonna party! Café Aroma is hosting a “Welcome Home, Casey” block party in Idyllwild this Sunday, Sept. 25, from 3 p.m. t o 7 p.m. in front of the restaurant. They’re serving up Casey-named pasta and drink specials. The stage is set for a Casey jazz jam session and there will be booths promoting his charities.

Casey will be there, of course. Probably all jet lagged from his last “American Idol Live” gig in The Philippines. His ears will still be ringing from performing practically every night for the entire summer. He might be a little giddy about coming home.

Yep, our own “Nature Boy” is finally coming home.

Like most folks in this tiny town, I watched him move through the ranks on Season 10 of “American Idol” every Wednesday and Thursday nights. we’d gather before the TV, with chips, pizza and wine glasses in hand, and talk about his chances, how he did last week, and what we think he should do to win.

But you could hear a pin drop when he’d be performing. Sometimes we’d forgot to breathe. Then we’d all talk at once:

“Didn’t he sound great?”

“I think they trimmed his beard.”

“He’s so much better than the other contestants. He’s a true musician with talent.”

“No one in America knew he could play the bass, but we all knew years ago.”

“What will they make him sing next week?

Then we’d vote 50 or 100 times until our fingers would turn blue, and go home happy. Our local boy was making us proud. We weren’t expecting him to just make the “Top 10,” we wanted him to win the darn thing. Making it to No. 6 was quite the feat, though. It was probably a lot harder than we’ll ever know.

One time while still performing on “American Idol,” Casey paid a visit to the Idyllwild Arts Academy, where he graduated from the jazz department a couple of years ago.

“Casey told us that he could have gone farther in the ‘American Idol’ competition if he would have performed more pop songs,” said several students from Idyllwild Arts after his visit. “But he wanted to stay true to his jazz roots.”

“I heard him sing ‘Nature Boy’ during his senior jazz recital,” said Cheyenne, a dance major at Idyllwild Arts. “The place was packed. He was really a popular guy. It was standing room only.”

Casey had performed “Nature Boy” in Idyllwild first, where Nature reigns supreme. Yep, Casey was singing for America about Idyllwild!

“I came to the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program because I heard it was good,” said one 14-year-old voice major with braces from San Francisco. “But I was also hoping that I could meet Casey.”

Casey left a talented Idyllwild Arts graduate, and is returning on Sunday a famous person. Try Googling his name these days and a million articles turn up! On “American Idol,” he sang a duet with Jack Black and kissed JayLo! He’s met all kinds of famous producers, directors, musicians and artists along the way.

“I saw Casey at Forever 21 (clothing store) in New York this summer,” said Tierra, a musical theater major. “He was buying the zipped-up natural clothes that he always wears.”

But Tierra didn’t say hi because Casey was with a friend and seemed preoccupied. He probably would have welcomed seeing a familiar face though.

“Casey emailed me and asked me to come to his show in New York,” Cheyenne added. “He said that he could even get me free tickets, but I couldn’t go.”

On Sunday, Marshall Hawkins, his Idyllwild Arts jazz teacher and mentor, will get Casey onstage to perform with Seahawk Mojo, his band that’s bringing jazz to area grade schools.

“That’s his bass, I can tell by the markings,” Marshall said while looking at a picture of Casey performing “Nature Boy” on “American Idol.” Of course, Marshall won’t be treating Casey any different now that he’s famous.

“Before I met you, I didn’t even know how to talk to another musician,” Casey wrote in a text message to Marshall during the Town Jazz event in Idyllwild this summer. Now we heard that Casey would often help out the musicians in the “American Idol” band.

On Sunday afternoon, Casey will pose for pictures, answer 1 million questions about his “American Idol” experience, and talk about his future plans. But probably the only thing he’ll want to do is play on the familiar Café Aroma stage with his bass. Just a (now world famous) hometown boy playing the jazz that he loves.

Glad you’re home, Casey. All I’m hoping for is a snapshot of you standing next to my huge, hand-painted Casey banner that’s hanging on Café Aroma’s deck! (Your mom promised to buy it!)  Look for more Casey-inspired art inside Cafe Aroma by local artists.

The “Welcome Home Casey” block party will be held this Sunday, Sept. 25, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. outside Café Aroma, located at 54750 North Circle Drive in Idyllwild. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.cafearoma.org.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

Published on: Sep 22, 2011 @ 11:03

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Marcia E. Gawecki

“I think it’s the best mix of houses we’ve had yet,” said Bob Smith, board member, Idyllwild Area Historical Society (IAHS).

He was speaking about the 11th Annual Idyllwild Home Tour that runs this Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There are five homes on this latest tour, including three modern homes and two cabins built in the 1930s.

“All of the homes are located in Idyllwild and are compacted pretty close together,” Bob said. “In the past, we’ve had homes in Fern Valley to Pine Cove and all points in between.”

The home tour is a self-guided one, in which attendees pick up maps when they purchase their tickets ($20 each) in the center of Idyllwild by the tree monument.

“People tell us our home tour is the best they’ve ever seen,” Bob said. “I think what sets us apart is that we train our docents and spend time with the homeowners beforehand.”

It all starts with their “scout,” Nanci Killingsworth, a board member, who has a way with people, and selects the best lineup of homes, Bob said. Oftentimes, she walks her dogs past homes of interest, and then talks to the homeowners about being on the tour.

Yet, the outside often doesn’t tell the entire story. For example, one of the modern homes on the tour, located on Forest Knoll, is simple on the outside, yet inside, it’s structurally and decoratively impressive.

“It’s also a little quirky,” Bob said, of the home built by the homeowner. (Names are not revealed for privacy, yet most of the homeowners will be around on Saturday.) “One hallway really goes anywhere. It’s basically a gallery showing the work of local artists.”

The same homeowner designed a bathroom around her tub, which looks more like a sculpture, Bob said.

Weeks before the event, volunteers from the Idyllwild Area Historical Society, talked to the homeowners to find out the all of the unique details. Then they train their docents, five stationed at every home, to speak with authority about them.

Some of the things they’ll mention about the 1930s cabin on Cedar Street is that it was the home of former Idyllwild Postmasters George and Sara Hannahs.

The Hannahs came to Idyllwild in 1889 and built “Camp Idyllwilde,” Bob explained. It was around the time of the Sherman lumber barons.

“Idyllwild was spelled a little different back then,” he said.

After awhile, they sold the camp and started a store at the bridge crossing (which is now the opening to the Idyllwild Arts Academy). They sold goods to campers coming up the road from Hemet. George named the area “Renetta,” after his son, and it became the first postmaster. However, when it was clear that a sanitarium and hotel would be forthcoming, George gave up the business.

“Yet, he helped built the road to Idyllwild at Mountain Center that we use now,” Bob said. “It was a more gentle road than Keen Camp Summit.”

Later, in 1901, George opened another post office (near where the Idyllwild Fire Station is now) and renamed it “Idyllwild,” and served as its postmaster off and on until 1937.

The 1930s classic cabin was built when Sara retired. It has two bedrooms and a nice porch.

“I can just see her hobnobbing on the porch,” Bob said. “She knew everybody in town.”

It’s as authentic as it was back then with some tiny remodeling done to the kitchen, Bob said. It also has some pocket windows that slide sideways into the wall, and a river rock fireplace.

The last house on the left on Double View by Inspiration Point, looks like a two-story San Francisco house from the outside, but has incredible views.

“You can see as far as the ocean,” Bob said.

He expects about 400 people to attend the home tour on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The forecast for Idyllwild that day will be mild temperatures in the mid-70s. There will be local musicians playing at every home, with refreshments and artists on the grounds at the historical society.

Shirl Reid is directing the Home Tour this year, assisted by Carolyn Hall and Charlotte Groty.  All are members of the IAHS Board of Directors.

Tickets are $20, and proceeds go to the general fund for the Idyllwild Area Historical Society, to help preserve and share our San Jacinto history. For more information, contact Carolyn Hall at (951) 317-4613.

Copyright 2100 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

 

 

My Chilean ID card

By Marcia E. Gawecki

It’s nearly impossible to watch the news these days without hearing about the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, the day in which Al-Qaeda crashed our planes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Philadelphia.

Some of the stories focus on the brave firefighters, their now-grown children, or near-misses, like the U.S. Navy petty officer from Escondido who left the Pentagon only seconds before the plane crash.

For me, the 10th Anniversary brings back guilt mixed with some joy. You see, 9/11 is my birthday, and I spent it in Santiago, Chile, the first week of a one-year stint as an English instructor.

That morning, I turned on the TV, and started getting ready for work. I had a one-bedroom apartment in Santiago, near the school. Then I saw the Twin Towers burning and my blood ran cold. The Chilean newscaster was standing below the scene, explaining what had just happened. At this point, my Spanish was marginal, but I did my best to translate. Who caused this? No one seemed to know.

Just as she was explaining about the plane crash, the second plane hit. Dear God, I saw it live on Chilean TV! It was such a surreal moment! Then the guy from the news desk asked her about the second plane, and she had no idea what just had happened. They spent a long time trying to figure that out.

I sat on the bed and felt sick. Another teacher called to say there wouldn’t be any classes that day. Then, as the story unfolded, they mentioned the plane crash at the Pentagon, where my sister, Laura, a Marine, was stationed. Again, there was a lot of confusion in the news.

I tried calling home, at $10 dollars a minute, but the lines were busy for hours. Later, I learned that no one could get through, not even online. My sister could have been dead, for all I knew. I cried, talked with other teachers, and waited. Days later, an email came from my mom. Laura had been taking a class in another city, away from the Pentagon. She was OK.

This year, with the death of Osama bin Laden, Laura mentioned the Pentagon. She said that the devastation was inexplicable. The plane had hit the wing where many U.S. Army officers had worked. Hundreds had died, and she knew many of them. Like other survivors, it was difficult for her to talk about it. How could we, who weren’t there, possibly understand? It was like explaining combat to a baby.

Laura added that it took a long time for the Pentagon to become fully functional again. At that time, Laura was writing for some generals, an incredibly stressful job that was just made worse by the crash. She wrote from a remote location for months.

She said that she was lucky, but felt guilty because she wasn’t there when the plane hit.

As for me and the rest of my family, we are thankful that she was spared.

“None of them deserved to die,” Laura said flatly. “I’m glad Osama bin Laden is dead.”

That’s when my old guilt rushed back in. I couldn’t understand her satisfaction. He was an old man who died without a gun in his hand. Yet, my version of 9/11 and hers were worlds apart. Bin Laden’s life replaced all of her fallen camarades who didn’t deserve to die.

I wasn’t there. I didn’t watch the aftermath of that horrific day, how everything unfolded, how the nation healed itself, and became stronger. I missed all the stories of sadness, victory and triumph. I wasn’t there, and even now, the guilt still rises up in my throat.

The other weird part of 9/11, or Sept. 11, is that it’s an unpopular day in Chile too. It was the day that General Pinochet overthrew the Allende government and dictated for 20 years. Even though Chile had a president and been a democracy for 10 years, many student demonstrators protested against Pinochet’s freedom. On the evening of Sept. 11, they set cars on fire and broke store windows. The Chilean government responded with tanks equipped with water cannons.

“I don’t think it’s a good night to go out and celebrate your birthday,” my friend said.

I agreed. It was a dark time to be in Santiago, Chile.

On Sept. 12, I had to teach classes. I remember getting on the subway and feeling like people were looking at me. You see, I have dark hair and eyes, and could easily pass for a Chilean, as long as I didn’t open my mouth. But Chileans were giving up their seats to me on two different trains. Perhaps I had an aura of sadness about me.

In my classes, my Chilean students, mostly businessmen and women, all wanted to know if I knew of anyone who had worked at the Twin Towers. At that time, I didn’t know my sister’s fate, and when I mentioned her, tears welled up in my eyes. Everyone got pretty quiet, and it was hard to teach.

“Come home right away!” my brother Mark wrote to me that week. “It’s not safe there!”

I instinctively knew that anywhere but the United States would be a safe place to be. I didn’t even think about packing up and heading home. I had given up too much to get there. At home, I would be lost.

The Chilean media did their best to recount the events. Yet, weeks later, the U.S. Embassy asked them to quit showing the Twin Towers plane crash. It would make sense if it related to a news story about 9/11, but they would show the crash at every turn.

For example, an upstart Chilean tennis player was supposed to go to a tournament in the United States, but couldn’t because of the crash, so they showed the guy hitting a few balls, and the Twin Towers crash about four times. It was gratuitous and unnecessary and painful to watch.

Now that the 10th Anniversary will arrive in a few days, along with another birthday, I’m headed to Solvang, about two hours from LA. It’s the wine-tasting town made popular in the movie, “Sideways.” I plan to be far away from any TV, newspapers and 9/11 memorials.

I will drink good wine, toast to my sister’s good fortune and hope this horror never happens again.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

 

By Marcia E. Gawecki

The text message from Casey Abrams came while Marshall Hawkins was performing the bass onstage Sunday night during his Town Jazz event in Idyllwild. Casey, the local “American Idol” heart throb, was thousands of miles away performing with “American Idol Live.”

“I got the picture,” Marshall said later. “It was taken a long time ago. Casey was here with us tonight.”

Marshall, who helped start the successful Jazz in the Pines event 18 years ago, brought two nights of jazz music to Idyllwild locals and jazz lovers during his first-ever Town Jazz event Aug. 27-28.

Marshall heads up the Jazz Department at Idyllwild Arts Academy and has played with the likes of Miles Davis. With more than 200 in attendance each night, Marshall plans to host the event next year.

Proceeds went to his charity, Seahawk MOJO, which brings jazz to the grade schools in Idyllwild, Hemet and San Diego.

Marshall didn’t say what Casey’s text message was about, but his mother, Pam Pierce, who lives in Idyllwild, didn’t mind sharing it:

“First of all, I miss you and your crazy classes. And second, you are the reason I got into music on a new and much different level. I would have no idea how to even TALK to another musician–you gave me the language, the knowledge of chord structure, all the possibilities of the bass line, and most importantly, the love I have for jazz.

I needed that cheerleader/friend in my life growing up. You are amazing. We’ll definitely work together in the future.”

Marshall said that Casey would have been performing with him onstage at Town Jazz had he not been committed to “American Idol Live.”

“Casey is part of Seahawk MOJO,” Marshall said. “He’s part of our jazz orchestra. When Casey’s done with his commitment to ‘American Idol,” we’re going to perform together for the kids in the grade schools.”

When Casey was competing on the 10th Season of “American Idol,” he credited Marshall as being his mentor.

“He mentioned it several times on national TV,” said Pam, who was taking tickets Sunday night for Town Jazz.

Sometime in the future, a national magazine will feature a story on Marshall and Casey’s close relationship.

“I’m not going to tell you what’s in the article,” Marshall chided after a Tuesday night jazz set at Cafe Aroma. “I don’t want to spoil it.”

Carl L. Hager, a freelance writer who has written about Casey before, said he plans to show his article to different magazine publishers with jazz listeners in their readership.

“It is possible Down Beat could eventually publish it, or it might end up with Esquire or GQ or Rolling Stone, that hasn’t yet been determined,” Carl wrote in a recent email.

Commemorative Town Jazz T-shirts are still available for $15 each along with full-color posters at The Spruce Moose. All proceeds go to Seahawk MOJO.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

Published on: Sep 5, 2011 @ 18:21

 

Despite the steady rain at showtime, the second evening of the outdoor Town Jazz concert went on without a hitch Sunday night, Aug. 28.

Concertgoers were treated to an evening of jazz under the stars, along with a guest singer, tap dancer and African percussionist.

“We had no battle with the weather,” said bassist Marshall Hawkins, who is spearheading the event. “Right at 5 o’clock, our drummers were playing, but our amps were turned off so we didn’t get shocked. But when the rain stopped, we just took off!”

Many concertgoers had come straight from the Jazz in the Pines concert at the other end of town. The rain wasn’t going to keep them from a steady diet of jazz. They were used to the sudden rainfall because it happened the day before.

Sunday evening’s Town Jazz concert didn’t disappoint the 150 or so who attended. On the bill were the same fine musicians who played the night before, including Daniel Jackson, Gilbert Castellanos, Bob Boss, Brett Sanders, Mikan Zlatkovich. Najite replaced Latin percussionist Roy Gonzales, yet special guests Yve Evans and Roland Esquire Jones remained.

Najite, an African percussionist, dressed in native attire, mellowed the crowd with his bongo rhythms. Singer Yve Evans, who is popular in Palm Springs and Palm Desert, brought the crowd to their knees with her rendition of “Stormy Weather.”

Scott, from Mountain Harvest Market, was among the few who grabbed one of her limited CDs. He had it in hand and was grinning from ear to ear. Yve’s voice had that affect on everyone.

“I have just a few that I brought with me,” Yve announced, and there was a rush from the audience.

Another unexpected highlight in the show was Claudia Gomez, a tap dancer, who did a nice number on a small piece of wood laid onstage.

Marshall said that he had just met Claudia a week earlier, and was glad that she wanted to perform with the band.

Jeffrey Taylor, from Green Cafe Internet, chatted with Claudia afterwards.

“I asked her if she knew about the Nicholas Brothers , and she said yes,” Jeffrey said. “I think she was surprised that I knew about them too.”

The Nicholas Brothers were a tap-dancing team popular in the 1930s. Among their fans was Gregory Hines. Jeffrey had shown a documentary on the Nicholas Brothers two days earlier.

Pam Pierce, a volunteer and the mother of “American Idol” heartthrob, Casey Abrams, said that Casey had sent Marshall a congratulatory text. Casey was currently on the Idol Summer Tour and couldn’t be there to perform. Marshall is Casey’s former teacher from Idyllwild Arts Academy, and the two remain close.

“I got the photo,” Marshall said. “It was taken of the two of us a long time ago. Casey was here with us tonight.”

He said that Town Jazz will definitely return next year, and he’s making plans with more musicians and sponsors. However, the venue will remain the same.

“The owner of  Jo’An’s said that we could come back every month if we wanted,” Marshall said.

Given the fact that he heads up the jazz department at Idyllwild Arts Academy, and performs with his band and other gigs, it may be hard to pull off a monthly jazz show, he said.

“We want to keep the focus on Seahawk MoJo (his charity for jazz in the grade schools), and not just working as musicians,” he said.

Jon Stonitsch, from The Spruce Moose, one of the sponsors, said that he especially liked the jazz on Sunday evening.

“On Saturday night, there were a lot more people eating and drinking at Jo’An’s,” he said. “But on Sunday night, you could tell there were a lot of jazz lovers in the crowd. They were there just for the music.”

Bryan Tallent, also from The Spruce Moose, said that the Idyllwild Business Round Table is already trying to nail down a date for the 2nd Annual Idyllwild Town Jazz concert.

“We have to get a commitment from those musicians before they go somewhere else,” Bryan said.

Most of the musicians were not tied to the Jazz in the Pines event held the same weekend, but came up because of Marshall’s invitation.

“I’m not certain, but I think only one of the guys played at the jazz fest,” Bryan said.

Ticket sales were steady both nights, along with commemorative posters and T-shirts designed by local artist Marcia E. Gawecki. The remaining 35 will be sold for $15 at The Spruce Moose located on the top level of The Fort.

“Those T-shirts will be worth double the price next year because it was the first Town Jazz event ever,” Marshall predicted.

Jeffrey Taylor was one of the first to buy the fuchsia T-shirt at Mountain Harvest Market, and wore it both days.

“The design is nice, but pick another color next year,” he said with a grin.

Many of the male jazz goers didn’t like the hot pink shirt, while others like Tressa, a volunteer, embellished it with tassels, giving it a Mardi Gras look.

“I learned how to do this design in San Tropez,” Tressa explained.

She took the oversized Marshall T-shirt and cut 1-inch tassels into the neck, sleeves and sculpted the bottom edge. Several women asked her how they could do it to theirs.

No final profit/loss count was available, but Doug Yagaloff, from Mountain Harvest Market, said he was pleased with the turnout and ticket sales. The posters and T-shirts added a lot to the event too, he said.

“We didn’t have much time to plan this year’s event, so it turned out pretty well,” he said.

A limited number of Marshall Hawkins fuchsia T-shirts ($15 each), and signed posters ($5 each) are still available at The Spruce Moose, located in the Fort at 54225 North Circle Drive in Idyllwild. For more information, call (951) 659-5556.

Copyright 2011 Idyllwild Me. All rights reserved.

Published on: Aug 30, 2011 @ 14:11