Come enjoy an evening of nostalgia on Tuesday, June 17, at 7 p.m. at the Historic USO Building, 230 W.

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1 Upper Mojave Desert 230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. P. O. Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA To see our schedule of events, visit us at or on Facebook at hsumd Bring Photos, Share Stories on June 17 Don Snyder is the little blonde boy astride a pony, circa In the background you can see B Mountain, complete with B. Don Snyder collection Come enjoy an evening of nostalgia on Tuesday, June 17, at 7 p.m. at the Historic USO Building, 230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. The meeting will feature an ice cream social and viewing of historic local pictures. HSUMD members and the public are invited to bring their own pictures to share. We last had a similar social in 2010, and it brought forth many interesting pictures, including those shown here from Don Snyder Volunteers help at the opening of and Gene Schneider. So please look Ridgecrest, the new Maturango Museum in in your collection of Gene Schneider colllection photos and bring those showing interesting people, events and buildings of the local area. See p. 3 Field Trip to Cerro Gordo June 14 Photo by Liz For the last field trip before summer, we ll return to Cerro Gordo on June 14. Lots of exciting things have been happening up on Fat Hill, and it s time to get caught up. The Hoist House has been rebuilt and is functional again! we ve been promised a tour. Robert, the caretaker, has been busy restoring other buildings and the Crapo House is now open as a small gift shop, visitors center, and antique shop, which has both of Cecile Vargo s books for sale if you don t already have them. We will be at approximately 8,500 feet in altitude, so plan accordingly. Bring lunch, layered clothing for the weather, sturdy shoes and a hat, camera and other usual stuff. IMPORTANT! Bring all your own WATER, as the mountain is still dry and has no water available! We ll meet at 7:45 a.m., leaving promptly at 8:00 am from the parking lot on the east side of the Historic USO Building. You won t need 4-wheel drive, but the road is steep and rocky, so a little clearance and good tires are necessary. Contact me if you have any questions; No limit on how many can go. Jim Kenney

2 President s Message Thank you, SEEP volunteers Our army of volunteers has contributed so much to the success of our operations and events. I used the opportunity at our Annual Dinner Meeting to recognize many of these volunteers. But I must admit that I missed mentioning one active group. We have a small group of volunteers who represent HSUMD and give their time to the Sand Canyon Environmental Educational Program (SEEP). Our part of that program entails going to Sand Canyon and teaching groups of elementary-school students the human history of the canyon. Our volunteers include Dr. Craig Porter, Dr. Lloyd Smith, archaeologist Melody Hollinger, and myself. Thanks! Also at our Annual Dinner Meeting we announced three new life memberships to our Historical Society. In HSUMD we do not sell life memberships; they are bestowed by our Board of Directors only to the volunteers who have served our Society in significant and unique ways. The three recipients of new Society life memberships were Fred Weals, Roger McEntee, and Liz Babcock. Congratulations to three exemplary members of our Society! And keep an eye out for publicity notes on our many events. We have lots of evening activities coming up, and you d be amazed at the fun people have when they come in on a summer evening and join us in listening to music groups and concerts, or watching classic movies while eating popcorn, or The Historic USO Building is, indeed, a community center for cultural and educational and recreational events! Tex Hoppus Genealogical Committee The Genealogical Committee will not have a meeting this month of June. Instead, I encourage all committee members to join in an Ice Cream Social on Tuesday, June 10, at Tex s house! Call Tex for directions. And thanks to all who expressed sympathy for one of our members whose whole left side was cut off. He s all right now. Tex Hoppus Open Mic Night is still going strong on non-flex Fridays. Admission is a mere $2 per adult, with children younger than 12 free. Premium beers and wines are available along with the usual candies, sodas, pop corn and jumbo Crumville hot dogs. The show starts a 7 sharp a perfect summer activity! Kudos for Our Fabulous Building Carolyn Riise, historian of the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, presents DAR s Historic Preservation Recognition Award to Tex Hoppus, our president. The Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert received the honor because of the successful work our volunteers did to renovate our Historic USO Building. Thanks, Laura Austin, for letting us publish your photo! 2

3 Bring Photos From p. 1 Multiple scanners will be available to copy pictures to be projected for the audience and to preserve in the HSUMD archives as appropriate. All photos will be returned, unless you choose to donate them to us. We d also like to hear people s stories of their early days on our desert and of other significant local events. Ice cream and cookies will be provided by HSUMD. Please come and enjoy the evening. HSUMD meets on the third Tuesday of the month. All are welcome to attend. To learn more about this or future meetings, call us at Andrew Sound At the Chief Petty Officers Annual Ball Feb. 19, 1972, retired CPOs George Schneider (right) and T. L. Terrebonne (left) are called to the microphone by Emcee ADCS A. J. Gus Getusky to comment on what it was like to be the oldest retired CPOs at the ball. This is a great example of a significant historic photo, since local ties still exist for all three of these guys. Gene Schneider colllection 3 Report on Collections Lots Going on in May! I want to start off with a non-collections message a big thank you to Michelle Andreoli and Claudia Sound for their help in setup and decorations for our May Business Meeting. The colorful flowers were made by Michelle for our Cinco De Mayo event. Of course Chuck Cordell and crew did a great (and delicious) job as did our servers and the dessert crew. Thanks for making this a special night. Being able to enjoy a glass of wine was a nice addition. I mentioned receiving a PTA scrapbook last month. Lo and behold, I now have two. This second one was from while Felice Plain Mueller was president. These scrapbooks, which were for all the schools in the IWV PTA, have lots of news articles and reports of their many activities in the community. Here is something I never knew existed, I would like to say it was before my time but no, I was just very young. We now have a USO Scrapbook, unused. It seems that during WWII these blank books were available for folks to fill with news articles (no war or death notices) and photos from US newspapers and hometown papers. Road openings, new bridges, movie and play reviews etc. were suggested. When a scrapbook was filled, it would be sent to the USO national organization, which would send it off to the troops for a touch of home. We had our big move-stuff-around day on May 5, and I should be able to sort and reorder our stored items. No complaint here, but we are receiving so many collectables lately that there is no way to stay on top of the incoming and sort the existing. Carol Porter As usual, the HSUMD newsletter won t be published in July and August so have a great summer, and I ll communicate with you again in September! ed.

4 I ve been friends with Alan Alpers for over 40 years, and I ve probably spent too much of that time taking him for granted, as someone who would always be there. But of course the loss of a loved one concentrates the mind, so I ve done a lot of thinking lately about Alan and what he meant to me and what one word best describes him. The word I came up with is Grace. It s probably a surprising choice to many, who might choose Strong or Smart or Determined. But Grace is a rich word, with layers of meanings. Just like Alan. It s the root of Graceful, for example, perhaps another surprising word. But the masculine form of Graceful is, That boy can climb like a monkey! One of my fondest memories actually several of my fondest memories, over the years will always be Alan deciding he needed to be on a roof for some reason and clambering up a block wall and from there getting onto the roof in just a few swift moves. In his 50s yet! As long as I ve known him he s been physically strong and graceful. But he s also graceful in the sense of becoming expert at anything he decides to pursue and making it look easy. And one of the things I think Alan became an expert at is the art of graceful living. I ve watched Alan these last four years since he moved back to Ridgecrest climb in just a few swift moves from being a relative stranger returning, to being a force on the Historical Society to becoming involved on the Chamber of Commerce and in Old Town planning and the 50th Anniversary Celebration to being a community leader, according to the Daily Independent. The graceful part is that he achieved this not by fussing and fighting and making enemies, but by quietly acting on no authority but the force of his personality, his good ideas, a willingness to work hard and an ability to work well, and the confidence to do the right thing at the right time rather than wait for permission. I realize now that I saw the same Alan in action when he was at China Lake and Point Mugu. I spent many a pleasant evening listening to Alan talking about squirreling old missiles away into storage and strategizing how to make a missile museum at each site an inevitable reality, despite what those with authority might want. And now Grace Alan Alpers, Hat hung onstage at the Historic USO in Alan s memory. Photo by Liz the Navy has two fine museums, due in no small part to Alan s early behind-the-scenes efforts. We also have a rather nice Historical Society in Ridgecrest, due in great part to Alan s more recent and more public efforts. Another word that has its roots in Grace is Gracious. And Alan was an expert at living graciously as well. The art of living graciously is knowing how to relax. Many hectic afternoons, Alan would text me the question, Smoke? and we d end up in his back yard or mine, smoking cigars, watching the sunset or looking for satellites. Sometimes we d talk about his latest researches into local history. It was always fascinating listening to him compare various sources and try to puzzle out the exact truth of some familiar tale of Crumville past, or speculate about whether the Monkton family in this part of the state was related to the Monkton named on a gold mining certificate from that part of the state. And of course he took those researches and turned them into visually rich and popular displays at the Historic USO Building. But for me, the defining characteristic of those times was that being around Alan just made me feel good. Talking to Alan s other friends lately, I realize I m not alone in that feeling Alan had that effect on everybody. The word Gracious itself suits Alan well. He s my personal standard for gracious manners, by which I mean not just not slurping the soup or knowing the proper protocol for a dinner with the Israeli Foreign Minister although Alan certainly had gracious manners in that sense. But really, the essence of gracious manners is making people feel like they matter to you. Alan had an almost courtly way of opening the door for a lady or letting someone go by first. He was always willing to lend a hand to a friend or even a stranger in need. He made it a point to go by the Historical Society Gift Shop every day to thank the volunteers and see if they needed anything. And while he was there, if someone came in with a bit of local history to share, he was always eager to listen. Alan added a grace note to the Society, and to so many people s lives, including mine. And there s a final layer of meaning to the word Grace: the central tenet of Alan s Lutheran faith, that Salvation comes through Grace and Faith alone. If anyone I know deserves God s Grace, it s Alan. And Alan, I hope someday that I may be worthy of meeting you again. Andrew Sound

5 If It s Wednesday, It s Classic Movie Night All Summer Long! In addition to arranging our fabulous Movie Nights, Nick Rogers does many other things for HSUMD. Matt Zubia s lens captures Nick in just one of those activities. Photo by Matthew Zubia Field Trip to Ryan That s right! Starting June 11 and continuing through Aug. 27, HSUMD is proud to present its Summer of Movie Magic, featuring silent classic films and Walt Disney family favorites. Last summer s reception of silent films and Disney fare on different nights of the week proved so popular that we decided to present an expanded program every Wednesday this summer. Silent film legends Buster Keaton, John Gilbert, Joan Crawford, John Barrymore, Marion Davies, William Haines, Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino will grace the Historic USO s big screen this summer. You ll also see some of Disney s brightest stars: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Peter Lorre, Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire, Haley Mills, Dean Jones, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, and Jiminy Cricket. While our contract with the Motion Picture Association prohibits us from publishing film titles here or online, you can drop by the Historic USO Building at 230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd., or call for information. We also pleased to announce that 11 local businesses are participating in the sponsorship of this summer s program, enabling us to purchase more films for future programs to entertain our loyal audiences. You will read about these generous community sponsors each week on our movie screen prior to the feature: Ashton Dunn, Esq./Estate Planning & Bankruptcy Law, Cordell Construction Company, IT Computer Solutions, Lone Pine Film History Museum, Red Rock Books, Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ridge Writers, S&M Coins and Collectibles, Sav-on Pharmacy/ Joe Furtado, Pharm.D., Hungry River Theatre Group and the Ridgecrest Opera Guild. Films will screen at 7 p.m. every Wednesday from June 11 through Aug. 27. Be sure to come early (doors open at 6:30) to enjoy all the tasty edibles at our Famous Snack Bar and browse our fabulous Gift Shop. See you at the movies all summer long! Nick Rogers Lloyd and Bea Smith, enjoying the recent HSUMD field trip to Ryan, look at old ore carts with Poison Rock in the background so called because one drop will kill you. Here s what our intrepid photographer, Andrew, had to say about the trip: About a dozen members of the Society enjoyed a fun visit to Ryan in Death Valley on May 7. 5 Ryan was donated to the Death Valley Conservancy by Rio Tinto Corporation, along with funds to restore it to the condition it was in during its period as a resort hotel, starting around Our host Scott Smith toured us around the former borax mining camp and gave us fascinating information about its history and the current efforts to restore and preserve it. Photo by Andrew Sound

6 Wilderness Photo Contest Here s a photo opportunity for you! HSUMD has been asked by our local BLM office to host and direct a wilderness photo contest and display in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. This event will be held on Nov , the same dates as the Petroglyph Festival, and will be our contribution to activities in town during the festival. Liz Babcock and I will be coordinating this event. The contest will have four categories; see details below. You may enter a maximum of eight photos in the competition (a maximum of two for each category). All your entries must have been taken within the stipulated wilderness areas (see accompanying map), and you will need to stipulate on your entry form exactly where you took your photo, as well as information on why you took it. (Hint: you can use Google Earth GPS coordinates to identify the area your photo is showing. You can then include those numbers on the photo entry form.) You will also be asked to identify yourself as a professional photographer, an amateur, or a student (age 18 or younger). We still need to hammer out details about the competition, but we do know that it will be judged by three top photographers (not us and not participating BLM personnel). The top winners in each category, plus selected honorable mentions, will be displayed in the Historic USO Building during the Petroglyph Festival. We don t yet know the deadline date, but it will be in early November. So why are we telling you now? We hope you will use some of the dog days of summer to take photos on your summertime wilderness trips and/or dig out some of your best hiking, mountaineering or desert exploring photos from previous trips. This contest will seek entries from a wide area, not just our local photographers. Let s see some HSUMD entrants I know we have great local photographers. Here are the categories: d Scenic Landscape dramatic scenes of protected wilderness land, storms sunsets and other natural views, including flowers, trees, and other flora in natural habitat. See p. 7 6

7 Photo Contest From p. 6 d Wildlife mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects. (No captive animals allowed in this category.) d People in Wilderness adventurers, backpackers, hikers, all wilderness-appropriate activities; may include artistic compositions (silhouettes, motion shots, creative lighting). d Inspirational Moments illustrations of special stories and personal meaning. Please provide a story about your entry within the allotted caption space on the entry form. And be sure to remember that every photo you enter must have been taken within the designated wilderness areas; no exceptions. Photos where the locations are not stipulated will be disqualified. Any questions? Call Liz or me; contact info on the last page of this newsletter. Carol Porter Our Member Categories HSUMD has three membership categories all very important to us. Our regular memberships are $25 per individual or family. Our business memberships are $35 each. We also have a special category: life member, which is something the board bestows only on members who have supported HSUMD in sustained and special ways. 7 Business Members please patronize them! Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Department Anna Marie Bergens, Realtor Best Western China Lake Inn Cal-Sun Pools Clarion Inn Comfort Inn Cordell Construction DeathValley.com Desert Empire Fair Earth Landscaping Econo-Lodge Life Members Kathy Armstrong Elizabeth Babcock John and Delores Di Pol Cliff and Susanne Fountain E. Norman George Lyle Gregory Ron Hise Patricia Grundy New Members Explore Historic California The Flower Shoppe Heritage Inn Phyllis M. Hix, Attorney Hockett s Building Supply IWV Insurance JRP Historical Consulting, LLC Dick Lewis Domestic Water Systems The Library Press Jack & Dana Lyons, Realtors Maturango Museum Gift Shop News Coming soon! We are expanding our gift shop so we can better display our merchandise and, of course, add new items. If you ve been into the gift shop, you know our decorating style. We are looking for a couple of dressers that would complement what we already have. If you have something that might be appropriate, please leave a message for Michelle in the gift shop, Thank you! Michelle Andreoli Douglas A. Johnson Roger McEntee Bill Nevins Gerry Pracchia James E. Simmons Fred Weals Netzer-Russell Consulting, LLC Nevins Tech. Consultants The News Review (Farris) Pleistocene Foundation Red Rock Books Ridgecrest Moving & Storage S&M Coins & Collectibles Sierra Wave Tank Sales Southern Sierra Medical Clinic Gary P. Staab & Assoc., Inc. The Swap Sheet Warren s Automotive

8 Tex Hoppus, President & Genealogical Committee , Doug Lueck, Vice President , Melody Hollinger, Recording Secretary Andrew Sound, Secretary/Treasurer & Programs , John Abbott, Building Mgr., Bldg. Rental , Chuck Cordell, Building Scott McEntee, Audiovisuals, Stage Mgr , Carol Porter, Accessions & Exhibits , DIRECTORS Nick Rogers, Movie Nite, Publicity or call for info Matthew Zubia, Fundraising , COMMITTEE LEADERS Liz Babcock, Newsletter Editor , John Di Pol, Historian , Jim Kenney, Field Trips Coordinator , Craig Porter, SEEP Coordinator , Donna McCrohan Rosenthal, PR Coordinator , Important Reminders Annual dues are $25 (family) and $35 (business). Please remember the Historical Society in your wills, trusts and other gift giving. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Here s an easy way to see this newsletter in color! Just send an to our newsletter editor, Liz Babcock, lizbab2@gmail. com, and ask her to put you on the list to get a PDF copy ed to you each month. We don t plan to stop sending paper copies, since we know most of you prefer that, but we thought you might also like to see the color version online. Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert P. O. Box 2001 Ridgecrest, CA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 9 RIDGECREST, CA MEETING OF JUNE 2014 Tuesday, June 17, 7 p.m., Historic USO Building