Th The Roadrunner

Bimonthly Publication of the Kern-Kaweah Chapter of the Sierra Club — Sept./Oct 2005

SOLAR CONFERENCE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20.

It’s Free And Close To Everyone’s Doorstep.
Kern Kaweah Chapter is the primary sponsor of solar energy conference and you are invited. You
will have the opportunity to speak to solar panel dealers, both local and from around the state, to find out
the basics involved and compare products and services as a preface to solarizing your own home.
The Solar Conference will take place on Tuesday, September 20, at the Norris Veterans Hall, 400 Norris
Road (same location as our spring banquet). Between 1 and 3 PM is the best time for you to come to get
the individual attention you will wish to have to discuss the possible outfitting of your home. If you do it
and do it right, you can really save on your electric bill as well as feel good about yourself because you
are not adding to the cry for more oil and more gas.
This conference came into being because of the work of Gordon Nipp and Harry Love in regards to
future housing developments in Bakersfield. As you have read before in this newsletter, it was through
their efforts that future housing developers will be required to pay over $1000 a house to finance offsets
to the predicted negative air impacts of each dwelling they construct. In addition the developers are
required to build a demonstration solar house in each development to show future buyers the solar
possibilities. The morning session of this conference will help developers learn and understand how to
best install the solar equipment on housing, so the afternoon is the best time for interested individuals to
attend. Harry Love
ANNUAL FALL GATHERING OF THE KERN KAWEAH CHAPTER
Time Again To Catch Up On Old Friends And New, Nov. 5th.
Fall is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to make plans to attend our annual Chapter Dinner
Gathering. This year we will again enjoy a 6-course Chinese dinner at Bill Lee’s Chinese Chopsticks
Restaurant, 1203 18th Street, in Bakersfield (661.324.9441). Our lively Social Hour begins at 6 PM,
with a no-host cocktail hour. Dinner will begin at 7 PM. A mere $14.50 reserves your complete dinner,
including tax and tip.
During dinner we will be given special updates by our hardworking Chapter activists on local and
national issues of importance. This is your chance to learn first-hand about the conservation efforts our
Chapter works so hard on. After dinner, we will have a special short presentation by Allison Sheehy,
manager of the newly acquired Audubon Sprague Ranch, on the Geographical and Biological
Significance of the Southern Sierra. We all know what a very unique region we live in, and Allison will
further enlighten us with photos.
A very special part of the evening will be our celebration of Jim Clark’s 99th (yes, 99TH!!) Birthday on
November 20! We will honor Jim with song and a special dessert.
Reservations are a must, to be received no later than Wednesday, November 2. Questions? Call
Georgette Theotig, 661.822.4371, in Tehachapi. Please send a check (no cash, please) for $14.50 per
person, written out to: Kern-Kaweah Chapter, Sierra Club, and mail it to: Georgette Theotig, PO Box
38, Tehachapi, CA. 93581. We hope to see our friends for an evening of fun and celebration!
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GOOD NEWS FOR DEER CREEK
Threat on hold at this time
In a surprising change of course, Deer Creek may be getting the respect it should have received at the
start. A 23-acre stretch of Deer Creek near Terra Bella was given the brush-off by county officials in
early June when the Tulare Co. Board of Supervisors tentatively approved a sand and gravel mine based
on a MND (mitigated negative declaration.) A Negative Declaration (ND ) or MND is issued for a
project instead of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) when the lead agency determines the project
will have no significant effect on the environment. An EIR involves a much more scientific and
intensive survey of potential impacts of a project on the land.
The Kaweah Group, Mineral King Group, and Committee to Save Deer Creek presented testimony to
counter the MND during hearings. A wetlands review paid for by the Kern Kaweah Chapter presented
strong evidence that 25 acres of wetlands may be adversely affected by the mine. The consensus was
that the county should have required an EIR for the project.
Fearing a lawsuit that most likely would have spelled defeat for the county, the B of S required the mine
applicants to submit indemnification as a condition of the tentative approval. Upon receipt of indem-
nification, the project would receive final approval. Indemnification means the mine applicants would
become liable for all legal expenses in the event of a lawsuit.
Apparently the same fear spilled onto the applicants. Instead of indemnification, the lawyer for Jaxon
Enterprises, operator of the mine, sent a letter to the county asking that further action be suspended
while they contemplate the feasibility of preparing an EIR. Consequently, the B of S voted on Aug 9 to
grant the applicants 60 days to make a decision on preparing an EIR, otherwise the project would be
dead.
Sand and gravel mines are having a tough time in the Valley. Jaxon Enterprises is wrestling with legal
challenges on a proposed mine in Madera county, as well as one in Merced county. In Tulare county,
CRPE has filed a lawsuit on a Kaweah River Rock mine recently approved by the B of S.
Mary Moy, Mineral King

IT'S TELEPHONE TIME, EMAIL TIME, LETTER TIME

WE NEED TO SPEAK OUR MINDS
or feel forever guilty for not trying. Read on!

Sequoia National Monument Being Commercially Logged Today!

Forest Service backroom shenanigans led to outrage. SC is taking action.
The Sequoia Task Force of the Sierra Club is protesting the Forest Service’s decision to allow
commercial logging to go forward in a logging project that is TODAY bulldozing huge swaths and
removing ancient trees, many several centuries old, on ridgetops adjacent to five giant sequoia groves in
the Giant Sequoia National Monument. This timber sale is called the Saddle Fuels Reduction Project and
is all about removing big trees, not about fire control. This project will take more than 5 Million Board
Feet of big timber! We have asked for an immediate halt to this project!
Background. The Giant Sequoia National Monument was created in April of 2000. The Proclamation’s
provisions was supposed to stop bulldozing, logging and exploitation of Monument lands. It called for
restoration from a century of logging. However, the Proclamation did allow a few timber sales that had
been approved prior to the creation of the Monument to be completed as a short-term transition for the
timber industry. The Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, whose department included the Forest
Service, announced that this logging was estimated to be completed within about two and a half years of
THE ROADRUNNER 3
the signing of the Proclamation.At the time of the signing of the Proclamation, the Saddle Project
contract termination date was March, 2004. That meant logging should have been completed by
November of 2003 because of seasonal closure of the forest for winter.
BUT, quietly in the backroom of the Forest Service, the contract deadline was changed, giving the
industry until 2005. Then the deadline was changed yet again so the industry now can log until 2006.
Why did this happen? A Forest Service press release implies that the timber industry had some hazard
trees to remove, but no documentation confirms any legal justification for these extensions. We note that
our local McNally fire occurred long after the contract extensions were given.
Local activists have been investigating the logging site where trees have been falling this week and have
found stumps well over 30 inches in diameter. Such trees here in the arid southern Sierra can be
extremely old, since there can be 10 or more annual growth rings to an inch on some sites. Logging
these ancient trees means that it will be centuries before these areas will recover old growth
characteristics and, meanwhile, species that depend on ancient unlogged forests will have no refuge. The
Pacific fisher is making its last stand here in the southern Sierra; projects such as the Saddle could mean
losing this valiant little creature forever.
We are outraged that the Forest Service did not take seriously its responsibility to protect this
wondrous forest. We have found no compelling reasons for the Forest Service to have extended the
contracts so that damage could continue in this new Monument. The Sierra Club has already taken the
Forest Service to court for approving a Sequoia Monument Management Plan that perpetuates logging
instead of restoration from logging; now we find the Forest Service helping the industry to continue and
extend the old damaging pre-Monument logging projects. The only reasonable explanation is that the
Forest Service is just as addicted to logging as the timber industry itself. The Forest Service cannot be
allowed to continue to manage this National Monument with its emerald meadows, sparkling
streams and over half the earth’s groves of giant sequoia! We must turn over management of the
Giant Sequoia National Monument to Sequoia National Park!!! They have a proven record of
nurturing the resources in their care.
The Sierra Club cheered the creation of this Monument as the realization of John Muir’s dream to
have all Sequoias protected throughout their range. The Sierra Club will do its best to protect this
magnificent National Monument. We will keep you posted on our next step!
We urge you to protest the implementation of the Saddle Project by writing letters to your
Congressional representatives and to the Supervisor of Sequoia National Forest, 1500 West Grand
Avenue, Porterville CA 93257. Please visit the Sierra Club website for the latest updates on the
Sequoia National Monument. by Carla Cloer
POMBO HAS INTRODUCED HIS VERSION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES BILL.
If passed, the results will be devastating—and the human race will be one step further to becoming
endangered also. Protecting ALL life includes us too.
According to reports, the bill would: * Terminate the Endangered Species Act in the year 2015 *
Change the definition of conservation, to abandon the nation’s commitment to recovering species on the
brink of extinction * Redefine the definition of endangered species so that the species must be
endangered throughout its entire range. (If this provision was law when the ESA was first enacted, it
would have been impossible to list the bald eagle, the grizzly bear, the gray wolf and many other species
who are endangered in the lower 48, but not endangered in Alaska or Canada.) * Weaken protections for
species listed as “threatened” under the law * Weaken habitat protection, by requiring only occupied,
and not unoccupied, habitat be protected * Exempt federal agencies from the requirement to consult with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on actions that might impact endangered species * Require the
federal government to pay landowners for the cost of complying with the law, under an onerous
“takings” provision
The Endangered Species Act is a safety net that protects wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of
4 THE ROADRUNNER
extinction. It is indepensable in preventing the extinction of hundreds of species, including bald eagles,
gray wolves and Pacific salmon. We must not diminish protections for these magnificent animals, or for
the places they call home. For more information, visit http://www.stopextinction.org/ CONTACT
YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES NOW
THE ARCTIC WILDLIFE REFUGE UP AGAIN FOR DRILLING
The Refuge was not included in the Energy bill, and that is one of the reasons that bill passed, as
dreadful as it is, with no fuel conservation directives for autos, and allowing the Department of the
Interior to lease the entire coastline of the United States for oil and gas drilling. As Sierra Club
Executive Director Carl Pope wrote in his blog: “This isn't democracy—it’s a mugging.” The relatively
small amount of oil that can be gained by drilling is not worth destroying one of the world’s most
pristine and unique ecosystems.
SIERRA CLUB CALIFORNIA OPPOSES THE FOLLOWING PROPOSITIONS.
Oppose Proposition 75, THE “PAYCHECK DECEPTION ACT.” Support the ability of membership
organizations to use members’ dues and contributions for public advocacy purposes, particularly for
state and local ballot measures. Corporations are not required to get stockholder permissions to give
money to candidates they favor; why should unions be required to do so?
Oppose Proposition 76, “LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS” ACT. Provides too many opportunities for
Governor to direct spending to areas not legislatively approved. One result might be undermining of
legislative efforts to protect the environment. Many fee-based environmental programs would be
vulnerable to cuts, even when fees generated would pay for them.

MIDGEBUZZINGS
“It is the story of all life that is holy and is good to tell, and of us two-leggeds sharing in
it with the four-leggeds and the wings of the air and all green things; for these things are
the children of one mother and their father is one spirit.” Black Elk
Years ago, when I was a young high school English teacher, I started a tradition of requiring my students
to make oral presentations to their classes. They began with short personal stories, usually humorous,
and, in the case of able students, progressed to sharing their research on the lives and works of great
English writers.
I learned very soon to set limits on certain topics. The first lesson for me came from the boy who told
what he assumed was a funny story about going out with a couple of friends, catching a pregnant
raccoon, cutting her open, tossing her and the fetuses into the river and watching them float away. I did
not interrupt that appalling tale because it wasn’t my job to humiliate the boy, but to teach him. The
reaction of the students was predictable: forced laughter from the boys and exclamations of disgust from
the girls.
On subjects. Among them was a caveat against any story which included cruelty to animals or people.
They were warned that if they should start such a tale, they would be stopped, and given a failing grade
for the assignment until they could make it up with something acceptable. Nor were they ever to suggest
humor in any story involving fear, helplessness or suffering unless they checked with me first. Once the
rule was established, the kids seemed relieved, especially those boys for whom such stories were among
their rites of passage. Forced to be sensitive by an uncompromising teacher, they were saved from being
so accused by their peers.
In the language of the Sioux, spoken so eloquently by Black Elk, all created things are relatives. He did
not mean this in any sentimental way, but only in the sense that all things on earth are generated by the
same force, and are equally worthy of respect. Buffalo hunts were fast and skillful, with arrows aimed to
pierce the heart. Buffalo meat and hides were essential to the survival and continuance of the Sioux
THE ROADRUNNER 5
nation, and the animal was sacred. The Sioux creation story is woven around the appearance of the
White Buffalo Woman, who gave the nation its identity, its religion and its sustenance.
Contrast that way of thinking with the current factory farming of livestock, which involves practices so
hideously cruel to animals that most of us can’t bear to think about it. A few people have become
vegetarians by force of conscience, but most of us put the source of that meat out of our minds, and go
on enjoying it. With so many political and environmental injustices to fight, not to mention the
complications of our own lives, what else can we do? The Iranian writer, Azar Nafisi, believes that
empathy is the greatest human asset, and that it is made possible by our capacity for imagination. We
can imagine ourselves experiencing what other sentient beings do, and through this empathy we can
refrain from causing suffering, and work to relieve pain and misery, both for people and for animals.
Perhaps it stretches possibility to suggest that conscious turning from animal suffering may be connected
to tuning out the agonies of the most wretched people of the earth. Still, it is certainly worth thinking
about. As for what we can do, that is a subject for next time. Ann Williams

CEQA Faces Opposition. Be Alert For Calls To Call.

Early this session there was a huge threat coming from the Schwarzenegger administration and the special interest
lobbyists representing the building industry. Taking advantage of the concern over the huge run-up in housing
prices, they were unfairly blaming our most important law, the California Environmental Quality Act, for causing
a housing “crisis.”
After reviewing drafts of legislation proposed by the Governor’s high-ranking appointed authorities, our staff at
Sierra Club California went into action, informing them of their strong concerns. The administration has wisely
pulled back their proposals and has instead convened stakeholder meetings to hash out legislation that address
comprehensive growth issues. We can hope to look for new legislation next year that all parties can support. Keep
alert for requests for you to express your opinions on this issue, dependent on what comes out of the meetings. –
Notes from Bill Allayud, Sierra Club’s lead lobbyist in the California Legislature.

GENERAL CALENDAR ITEMS FOR ALL SIERRA CLUB MEMBERS

Last call for Sierra Club Summit Sept 8–11, San Francisco. Explore the Sierra Summit Exhibition
Hall and Film Festival for just $15! No pre-registration needed, just pay at the door. To participate in
the full programs and plenary sessions—for all three days, or just choose one—you can save by
registering early. Check the Sierra Club website. Call 415.977.5653.
Sept 24–25 (sat-sun) FALL ALL-STATE MEETING, SAN LUIS OBISPO Discussion and
ratification of new governing rules for CNCC, consideration of casino policy. More info? Contact Alan
Eberhart at [email protected]; reservations: Lori Ives at [email protected]
Sept 30–Oct 2 (fri-sun) Hug a Sequoia. All are invited by the Sierra Club’s Sequoia Task Force to a
Fall Outing in the magnificent Giant Sequoia National Monument. You can arrive anytime after 2:00
PM Friday, September 30. Wonderful hikes. Opportunity to talk with the activists who worked to protect
these forests and groves for a quarter of a century. Hug a Sequoia that may well have been a seedling
when Cleopatra was crossing the Nile. If enough of us make the trip, we just might be able to stretch all
our arms around one single tree. Complete details about this popular annual outing are available by
emailing Carla at <[email protected]> or by calling 559.781.8445. Be sure to leave your name and contact
information. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED BY SEPTEMBER 25th. This year we are asking for
$10.00 from each participant to defray the costs of the campground.
Oct 15–16 (sat-sun) Wilderness Committee Mtg. The next meeting of the Sierra Club
California/Nevada Wilderness Committee will take place at the Kern River Preserve, between
Bakersfield and Lake Isabella, weekend of October 15–16, 2005. Meals provided. Topics covered by
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the bi-state wilderness committee include new wilderness legislation for both California and Nevada,
protection of roadless areas from threats like off-road vehicles, fighting the trend to charge fees and thus
commercialize public lands, and managing established wilderness most protectively. We welcome as
many interested members of the Kern-Kaweah Chapter as possible who'd like to join the weekend. For
details contact [email protected] or 415.977.5527.

KERN KAWEAH ROUND-UP

PLEASE READ IF YOU PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN SIERRA CLUB HIKES: Everyone is welcome, Sierra Club
members and non-members, to join in any of the outdoor activities. Requirements: You must be in condition for type of hike,
equipped appropriately for the activity, and prepared to sign a Sierra Club release from liability. You must be willing to
follow leader’s directions. Unprepared for the prospective hike? It will be a no-go for you. Please let the leader know ahead
of time that you are intending to participate. Customary appropriate equipment includes good hiking shoes, plenty of water,
snack, sunglasses, sun tan lotion, layered clothing. Long pants recommended. Change of plans may be necessary. It is always
wise to call before coming to a listed activity.

Buena Vista Group For further information call Glenn Shellcross, Chair 661.832.3382.
email: [email protected]
Sept 3rd (sat) 8:30 AM. Buena Vista (Bakersfield) Group’s monthly breakfast presentation will be
given by UCLA Professor Jan de Leeuw, who will discuss the history of development in the Tejon area,
current development plans, and action we can take to modify the proposed large-scale development.
This topic should be of great interest to those of us living in the Bakersfield area. The meeting starts at
8:30 at the Jungle Cafe, 700 Truxtun Ave. (across the street from Beale Library). The meeting is free;
the breakfast buffet costs $6.00. We look forward to meeting you there.
Sept 24th (sat), and Oct 22nd (sat), 9 AM. Help keep our city clean! We have “adopted a highway”.
We will be picking up trash on Hwy 119. Bring gloves and a hat. Meet at the Monte Carlo Club parking
lot at 9:00 AM. at Old River Road located between Gosford and Buena Vista Roads on Hwy 119.
Oct 1st (sat) 8:30 AM. Our monthly breakfast presentation will feature another local environmental
issue: either the protection of bluffs overlooking Kern River around Hart Park, the protection of
humming birds and other wildlife in the Kern Valley-Lake Isabella area, or the need for a light-rail
transportation system in the Bakersfield area serving a downtown environment of residential occupancy,
pedestrian friendliness, and business resurgence. The meeting starts at 8:30 at the Jungle Cafe, 700
Truxtun Ave. (across the street from Beale Library). Meeting is free; the breakfast buffet costs $6.00.

Condor Group For further information call Ches Arthur, Chair, 661.242.0423. email:
[email protected] Meets Pine Mountain Club. Call Dale Chitwood, 661.242.1076 or Ches for hike
info.
Sept 22 (thur) Day of the Fall Equinox. Celebrate with us on the top of Cerro Noroeste. At the proper
moments we will walk out to the far points and watch the sun go down. Meet at the far campground for
a 6PM potluck. Please bring a dish to share and your own tableware.Call Ches, 661.242.0423 if you
need a ride.
Sept 24 (sat) 8 AM. Mt. Pinos To Boy Scout Camp Road. We will began the hike at the Chula Vista
parking lot on Mt. Pinos and hike to the summit. From there we will take the peak to peak trail past
Sawmill Mt., from there down to Sheep Camp, Lilley Meadows, and the Three Falls. The hike is
approximately 11 miles in length; however, it is mostly downhill. Because of its length it is
recommended only for experienced hikers. Bring ample snacks and lots of water. Because transportation
both to Chula Vista and at the pickup point will need to be arranged, we must ask that you sign up at
least three days before the hike. PMC residents should meet at the parking lot at 8 AM, hikers coming
from the east can arrange to meet us at the Y at about 8:15.
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Oct 1st (sat) Three Bowls (Or Could It Be Five?) It’s about H2O, and Jan de Leeuw is going to do the
talking. Pine Mountain Clubhouse. 6 PM Potluck, 7 PM Program. Bring a dish to share and your own
dinner service. See you there.
Oct 22 (sat) 8 AM. Our Annual Hike To Wind Wolves. This is our annual hike from PMC down the
old Camino Viejo, along the San Emigdio Creek bed. The hike is approximately 12 miles in length, and
for most of the hike there is no trail. Although the hike is entirely downhill, it can be quite difficult
because of its length and its lack of trail. It is recommended only for experienced hikers. There is an
altitude drop of over 4000 feet, with some spectacular views and plenty of bushwhacking. The hike will
end at the Crossings, a beautiful campground in Wind Wolves Preserve. Bring plenty of water and lunch
and plan on wearing long pants. The brush can be quite a challenge. Be sure to sign up for the hike at
least 3 days in advance because transportation to the trail head and back from Wind Wolves must be
arranged.
Nov 26 (sat) 8 AM. Thorn Peak Lookout. For our last hike of the season, we will drive down
Lockwood Valley, thru Grade Valley to Thorn Meadow. From Thorn Meadow campground we will
climb Thorn Peak to an old Forestry Service Lookout. It is approximately 7 miles round trip, with an
elevation gain of about 2500 feet. There are spectacular views on the climb to the peak, and even more
spectacular views to the south on a clear day. On such a day the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands
are readily visible. No guarantees on this, but hope for a good visibility. Bring plenty of water and
lunch.

Kaweah Group for further info call Pam, 559.784.4643 or Diane, 559.781.8897.
Sept 11 (sun) 3 PM. Planning ahead. All Sierra Club members welcome to help plan the activities for
the coming FWS (that’s fall, winter, spring) season. Bring your ideas and questions to this pleasant
afternoon of catching up and looking ahead! Call Pam for directions to the Clark Residence.
Proposed Deer Creek Sand and Gravel Proposal is on hold while the company mulls over what they
should do next. We all know what is hoped for. See p. 1 for more detail.

Mineral King Group. Serving Tulare and Kings County. Meets in Visalia. Chair Kim
Loeb. 559.798.1764 email: [email protected]. Ex-com: 4th Mon / Socials: 2nd Wed. Events subject
to change. Call to confirm.
Sept 14 (wed) 6:00 PM. Dinner Social. At Joy Luck Restaurant, Akers & Walnut, Visalia. To RSVP,
contact Bev at [email protected].
Sept 17 (sat) Farewell Gap Hike to Franklin Creek (and possibly further if weather and group permits).
This hike is in the beautiful Mineral King Valley. It begins at 7850 ft. elevation and reaching Franklin
Creek will take us to 8450 ft. elevation. That is only 11/2 miles one way. We will have lunch at Franklin
Creek, and it is hopeful the group will continue further for another half hour hike. Going up higher
provides one of the most spectacular views of the Mineral King Valley. Bring your cameras! Hiking
boots are required. Bring warm clothing, a hat, and gloves in the event it is cold in the valley. A walking
stick might also be helpful. Bring your own water to drink and a lunch and snack. Sunscreen might be
needed as well. This high up it is unpredictable what might be required so come prepared. For more
information, contact Sharon Meckenstock 559.732.8458 or [email protected]
Oct 15 (sat) Trip to Yosemite National Park. A day trip only, leaving early in the morning about 7:30
and having breakfast together on the way. We plan to hike the Valley Floor and enjoy the fall colors.
Car pooling will be necessary, but please be aware this is at the rider’s discretion. The Sierra Club does
not make arrangements regarding ridership. For more information, contact Sharon Meckenstock
559.732. 8458 or [email protected].
E-MAIL LIST. Please join our e-mail mailing list for news, outings, and updates about the Mineral King Group, This
8 THE ROADRUNNER
mailing list is available to any member or potential member of the Sierra Club, so feel free to share this information with others.You
can join the list and read current postings to the Mineral King Group News at: http://lists. sierraclub.org/archives/kern-mineral-king-
news.html Use our Web interface at the above address to join the list. You can also see postings of our upcoming outings, events,
and programs on our website at: http://kernkaweah.sierraclub.org/mineralking/ upcoming.html

Owens Peak Group For further information call Dennis Burge, Chair 760.375.7967 Jim
Nichols, Hikes 760.375.8161 email: [email protected] Ridgecrest, Maturango Museum
Sept 17 (sat) WAUCOBA SOUTH. (Fourth highest point in the Inyo Range, east of Independence)
10961 ft, 1830 ft gain in, 300 ft gain out, 8.8 mi RT) We will drive up Mazourka Canyon and have a
nice 4WD approach to the closure gate of the Wilderness Area. Gaining the ridge using the old Sidehill
Springs road, we will turn S and climb four high points in the Pinion-Juniper forest. These peaks
overlook the Owens Valley, the Sierra, and the Inyos, and will be a good fall cross-country route-finding
workout. There are historical treasures to be found here also. Moderate hike due to distance and altitude.
Meet at 7:00 AM (NOTE TIME!) at the Ridgecrest Cinema parking lot.
Sep. 26 (mon) Death Valley National Park Speaker. Stan Haye is arranging this 7:30 PM program on
a DVNP topic of interest. Maturango Museum. Call Stan for more info. 760.375.8973.
Oct 22 (sat) MONACHE MOUNTAIN (9418 ft elevation; 1500 ft gain; 2.0 mi RT) Monache
Mountain, a 3 million year old symmetrical volcano, rises out of Monache Meadows. We have not
visited this area since the McNally fire, and need to check it out. This is a good aspen area and the right
time of year for aspen color. This will be an easier hike, so maybe some of you who have been holding
back can join us. We will need 4x4s to reach the area, so bring yours. We can probably find room for
those who need rides. Time permitting, we can fill out the day visiting the S Fork of the Kern, the
aspens, the ranger station, the Soda Springs, and other interesting points in Monache Meadow.
Easy/moderate hike. Meet at 7:30 AM at the Ridgecrest Cinema parking lot.
Oct. 24 (mon) GRAND CANYON RAFT TRIP. Steve Smith will present slides and tell us about his
Feb. trip through the Canyon. 7:30 PM Maturango Museum. More info? call Steve at 760.375.9715.
From the Chair Lorraine Unger
I’d like to tell you about local efforts to educate all of us on pesticide drift. It is illegal to apply
pesticides in a way that contaminates or is likely to contaminate other people, damage property, or
animals.With rapid growth in housing some folks find themselves living next to a field where a farmer
might be spraying his crop. In Kern County farmers are required to have a buffer between their fields
and residences, but not in Tulare County. Regardless of where you, live pesticides are dispersed into the
air.
The Sierra Club has a statewide coalition with CPR, Californians Against Pesticides. I’ve been working
with allies in the Safe Air For Everyone (SAFE) campaign in our Chapter areas. The SAFE group is
attempting to inform everyone of the dangers from chemical spraying. We suggest that everyone try to
purchase organic produce. In the smaller rural communities it is extremely difficult to buy organic, but
Farmers’ Markets, even though you might not find organics on sale, permit you to talk to the person who
raised the fruit or vegetable. Vendors are pleased to tell you their growing methodology. Also the SAFE
folks are in contact with the Agricultural Commissioners in Kern and Tulare Counties and want
everyone to be sure to report any drift that they witness. We are concerned about pesticides in our air
and the build up in everyone’s bodies which is referred to as “body burden.” Please don’t use petro-
chemical products on your yards and in your home. Even cosmetics you use may have dangerous
products in them. Interesting web-sites: www.panna.org for information on specific chemicals;
www.ewg.org/reports/ skindeep/report/cancer.php lists some of our hair and skin products and which
chemicals they contain.
IT’S CALENDAR TIME AGAIN! Conservation efforts. The beautiful 2006 Wilder-
ness and Engagement Sierra Club calendars are
Make your holiday shopping easier, support SC
THE ROADRUNNER 9

now available for purchase. Just $10 each. Both

calendars available at the Chapter Dinner The Roadrunner
Gathering (See p. 1) To purchase your calendars Return Service Requested
in your locale, members to contact are: Send to PO Box 3357
Bakersfield/ Tehachapi: Georgette Theotig,
661.822.4371; Porterville: Pam Clark, Bakersfield, CA 93385
559.784.4643; Frazier Park: Mary Ann Lockhart,
661.242.0432.

Want to contact Roadrunner editor?

Mary Ann Lockhart,
[email protected] or 661.242.0432

You can read the Roadrunner and

more—on the web!
Just put Sierra Club Home Page into your search
engine and follow the directions from there. Easy
as pie, really it is!

Pass it on!
Yes, we know that it is very likely that you are al-
Want to change your address for Sierra Club pub- ready a member of the Sierra Club if you receive
lications? Call 415.977.5653 and listen to menu. the Roadrunner. So why do we put an application
We are not able to do it locally. Good luck! blank in the newsletter? So you can pass it on to a
friend or a relative with a bit of urging on your
part to sign up too.
The Kern Kaweah Chapter Ex-com
Please call the Chair for time and place of Yes, I want to join the Sierra Club. Check
meetings. enclosed.
Lorraine Unger, Chair, 661.323.5569; Harry Name
Love, Vice-chair; Ara Marderosian, Secretary. City State Zip
Marisa Albridge, Ches Arthur, Richard Garcia, Check 1:
Mary Ann Lockhart, Gordon Nipp, Arthur Unger. Intro $25 Sing $39 Joint $47 Send to
(Janet Wood, Treas.) Sierra Club, PO 52968, Boulder, CO 80322
F94Q W 6000-1

Want to be sure that listed events are really going

to happen? Call and check with numbers listed.