July/August - Maturango Museum

Death Valley Tourist Center • Northern Mojave Visitor Center
Maturango Museum • 100 E. Las Flores Ave. • Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Phone: 760.375.6900 • Fax: 760.375.0479 • e-mail: [email protected] • Web:www.maturango.org
Volume 48, No. 7
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Proudly serving the community for 50 years • 1962 - 2012
July, August 2012
Message from the Executive Director
By: Harris Brokke
The Maturango Museum calendar of events for the period of June 1 – December 31 has recently been posted
on the museum website at www.maturango.org. I hope that many of you will be able to participate in these
museum events.
On October 5th – 7th there will be a celebration of the 50th
anniversary of the Maturango Museum. Please block this weekend so that
you can join us for this celebration. It promises to be a great event! Go to
the museum website at www.maturango.org to see what events have
already been scheduled for the weekend. I hope that you can join us for
this celebration.
A building fundraising letter was sent to all of the museum members
in early June to help raise funds for the completion of the building
expansion project. Thanks to everyone who has made a donation or is
planning to make a donation.
To monitor progress of the building construction go to the museum
website at www.maturango.org, click on “New Building” on the home page
and enjoy the slide show which is updated regularly.
Museum Store Summer Blow Out!
Sunday, July 1 thru Saturday, July 7
for MEMBERS ONLY
ALL Scarves, 50% OFF
T-Shirt & Hat Combo 50% OFF
Selected Stoneware 50% OFF
Fabric Purses 50% OFF
Wildflower Pins 50% OFF
Chocolates 50% OFF
ALL Socks 25% OFF
Clearance Items 60% OFF
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Popping Good Deal for the Maturango Museum
Photo by Liz Babcock
Artist Betty Spindler and Mike McGee, a partner in Ridgecrest Cinemas, show off a massive ceramic
popcorn box in its natural habitat. In a popping good deal for the Maturango Museum. Spindler gave
the colorful work of art to McGee, who in turn presented the museum with $2,020 worth of advertising,
thus ensuring that moviegoers can enjoy slides showcasing museum services as they settle into their
seats at the local cinema. Spindler, a nationally known ceramic sculptor, lives in Ridgecrest and
participates each year in the museum's Open Studio Tour.
Come Explore the Life of Pancho Barnes
Summer Lecture
Come join Carol Lair in exploring the life of aviation pioneer Pancho Barnes. The informal
lecture will be held at the museum at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 12. Pancho Barnes was a pioneer
aviatrix. She was involved in aviation from its earliest days and lived to see a man walk on the moon.
She was a Hollywood stunt pilot and helped found a stunt pilots’ union. She broke Amelia Earhart’s
world women’s speed record. In the mid-thirties she moved to the Mojave Desert near what would
become Edwards Air Force Base. She built and ran the Happy Bottom Riding Club a very popular
hangout for test pilots from Edwards Air Force Base. She resided for many years in Kern County and
was a genuine character.
Carol Lair has been a member of the Maturango Museum for many years. Although retired and
living in Bakersfield, she enjoys coming to the Ridgecrest area. She is an active artist pursuing an
interest in making pine needle and horsehair baskets and has exhibited in the Sylvia Winslow Art
Gallery. Carol recently became interested in the life of Pancho Barnes and began reading about her.
We invite anyone interested to come spend an informal evening exploring the life of the infamous
Pancho Barnes with Carol Lair.
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Field Trip Saturday July 14 to the Kern Plateau Meadows
With Naturalist Janet Westbrook
Meet at the Museum at 8 a.m. and we'll head uphill ASAP. We'll search for trees and flowers in
cool high places. Things are happening early this year, so we'll be seeing "late summer" flowers rather
than the snow plants we've seen before. Every year is different - come see what this July brings!! Think
COOL!
Summer time in the Sierra - meadows full of flowers, trees bright green, creeks babbling - we'll
head up 9 Mile Canyon to the Kennedy Meadows area and then go to the higher meadows; exactly
where depends upon where the best flowers are, but probably Troy, Powell, Paloma, Bonita, and maybe
Osa. In doing so, we'll be passing both the 2000 Manter fire area and the 2002 McNally fire area and
can observe regeneration going on. We'll be able to learn about maybe a dozen types of trees and
bushes, and see hundreds of pretty flowers, catch frogs, and just enjoy being where it's green and cool.
We’ll wind up on Sherman Pass early afternoon. It’s a different trip every year; that's the fun of it.
Bring a picnic lunch and a folding chair. We'll find a pretty place for lunch. Bring water, drinks
and snacks for the day as there are no eating facilities once we pass the Kennedy Meadows General
Store. We'll be back to Ridgecrest in time for dinner, or you could go "over the top" and down to
Kernville for dinner.
Concert Series
by Fran Rogers
The Maturango Museum concert series will begin with a bang with two outstanding concerts in
September and another in October. Dr. Tom Foggia, guitar, will perform a variety of musical styles in
the concert entitled, “An Evening of Guitar: From Renaissance to Jazz”, on Friday & Saturday,
September 7 & 8, at 7:30 pm. Dr. Foggia will perform on three different guitars: Takamine-Hirade
Classical Guitar, Gibson ES335 Electric Guitar, and Starr Labs Z6 Digital Guitar.
The concert will be performed in the Sylvia Winslow Exhibit Gallery at 7:30 p.m. Seats are
limited to 60, so avoid disappointment and buy your tickets now in the museum store. The price is $10
per adult and $5 per child 12 and younger.
Amber Farris-Petersen, mezzo-soprano, will perform on Friday & Saturday, September 21 & 22.
Amber, being a versatile vocalist, will perform selections from opera, musical theater, light-opera and
jazz in her recital entitled “Songs from the Stage”. Amber and David Hodgson presented Verdi’s opera
Rigoletto this past spring as well as had major roles in Love’s Wild Desire. Tickets for this concert will
be available at the museum store in early September.
Erica MacArthur, violin, will present a chamber music recital, entitled “Fantasy”, on Sunday,
October 7 at 3 pm as part of the Maturango Museum’s 50th anniversary celebration weekend.
Be sure to mark your calendars for these great concerts. More information on the concert
programs and artists will be in the September and October newsletters.
3
Art Gallery Exhibitions
On display until August 7th is the collaborative work of four local artists
known as The Desert Muses. Laura Arns’ glass sculptures, Marcy
Holbrooks’ ceramic sculptures, Christina Anderson’s assemblage
creations, and Jenni Summers’ baskets.
Reception for Hamil Ma Exhibit on August 10th
The reception for Hamil Ma’s exhibit will be on Friday,
August 10th at 7 p.m. The reception is FREE and open to
the public. Hamil will speak about his exhibit at 7:30 p.m.
Hamil visits us from Ann Arbor Michigan; he was a desert
dweller years ago and paints local and Sierra scenery in
watercolors and now pastels. His exhibit “Land of Bats”
will be scenery painted while on trips with Dr. Pat BrownBerry. This show runs through October 9th.
New Members and Donations
Donations
Helen Baker - gallery exhibit
Lloyd and Sherry Brubaker
Felice S. Plain
In memory of Flo Green
Elizabeth Babcock
Rod and Judy Ditzler
Eduardo and Victoria Romero
In memory of Barbara Meggers
Anne Alpers
Bob and Kim Riha
Nancy Bass
Ray and Anita Smedul
Rod and Judy Ditzler
In memory of Ken Miller
Elaine Miller
Pat Brown-Berry in memory of Martha Shoaf
Building Fund
Esther Inouye
Gino La Marca
Thom Boggs in memory of Flo Green
Thom Boggs in memory of Don Peterson
Mr. & Mrs. Howard Auld in memory of Flo Green
New Members
Carolyne J. Lynch
Sylvia and Brett Pierson
Jodi Ostrom
Richard and Rose Stone
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Patricia Petersen
SOUTHWESTERN DESERT BATS
Class on October 5 – 7, 2012
Patricia Brown-Berry, Ph.D. will offer a class on Southwestern Desert Bats sponsored by the Maturango
Museum to be held at the Desert Studies Center (DSC) at Soda Springs (Zzyzx) south of Baker, California from
the evening of October 5 until noon on October 7. She has taught this class (or variations) at the DSC for the
past 29 years.
Dr. Brown-Berry has conducted research on bats for the past 44 years, is a Research Associate at UCLA,
and former Director of the Maturango Museum (1982-92). She currently consults with state and federal agencies
on bat surveys and conservation issues, in particular with regard to abandoned mine closures.
Bats are important components of the desert ecosystem, yet because of their nocturnal nature they are
usually difficult to observe. This course will introduce the participants to the world of bats and to some of the
techniques used by scientists to study these amazing mammals. Nightly field work will allow participants to use
ultrasonic bat detectors and night vision equipment and to observe the mist-netting of wild bats (unless it’s windy).
Diurnal lectures and videos will supplement the field experiences. Bring a field notebook, camp chair and
flashlight (headlight preferred). A camera and binoculars are desirable.
Soda Springs (a.k.a. Zzyzx) has a rich history, with Native American petroglyphs in the vicinity.
Subsequently, it served at times as a fort along the Mojave Road, railroad stop, and health spa under Dr. Curtis
Springer before becoming part of the California State University Preserve system. The Desert Studies Center lies
within the Mojave National Preserve. Throughout the year, the DSC hosts a variety of desert-oriented courses in
several disciplines as well as scientific research. Students will stay in dormitory rooms with desks and bunk beds
(students bring their own bedding and towel). If available, couples will be accommodated in bungalows with
double beds. Other facilities include classrooms, library, laboratory, kitchen and restroom facilities, and a pool.
The DSC is “off the grid” and power is by solar, wind and a back-up generator. The meals are provided by Eric, a
gourmet chef. If you have special dietary needs, let us know in advance. You will enjoy your stay at this
fascinating facility.
Cost: $225/person includes instruction, two nights’ lodging at the Center, a snack Friday evening and five meals
beginning with breakfast on Saturday. A detailed itinerary will be sent upon registration. You can register by
calling the Maturango Museum (760 375-6900) or through the website www.maturango.org. Enrollment is limited
to 25 students.
Cancellation policy
 Cancellation by September 4: $15 processing fee
 Cancellation after September 4: $40 processing fee
 Cancellation after September 17: no refund unless medical or family emergency (if we sell your space,
we will refund all except the $40 fee)
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Notes on Four Lives Well-Lived
By Liz Babcock, History Curator
Four people significant to the Maturango Museum and to our community have recently passed from our
lives. Three of those folks — Martha Shoaf, Don Peterson, and Larry Fox — died within four days of one another.
All contributed directly to our museum, Martha as a docent, Don as a donor and participant in many programs,
and Larry as a contributor of many photographs and memories of early Ridgecrest.
Martha Shoaf, who left this earth on June 3 just short of her 93rd birthday, had the status of a rock star
at the Manzanar National Historic Site, where she taught for two wartime years. She’s just as famed among
generations of students in Trona, where she instilled a love of reading and a bent for adventure. The third place
where numerous people learned from Martha’s zest for life and learning was of course our museum.
Don Peterson also died on June 3, but at 77, far too young an age in my opinion. Don, who quietly
enjoyed adventures fully as much as Martha did, was in Okinawa, Japan, when he died. He was on the roster to
participate in a museum trip to Little Petroglyph Canyon only a few days later. Just before he left on his trip to
Japan, Don had given a presentation to the China Lake Photo Society about one of his previous adventures. He
was an avid hiker, an excellent photographer, a lover of the natural world around us — and a generous donor to
several of our Museum auctions.
Larry Fox, who died on May 30 at the age of 92, wore his locally famous name with grace, devoting
many of his retirement years to sharing the history of our valley in presentations and in field trips around our
town, with Larry pointing out the places where he spent his boyhood as the son of community pioneers Joe and
Bessie Fox. We have many of Larry’s pictures in our collection, including a priceless 1945 aerial view shot from a
Navy plane directly over Ridgecrest Boulevard. What was Larry doing in the plane? During WWII he was a Navy
photographer assigned to the Naval Ordnance Test Station.
Clyde Weekley, the fourth person I’m thinking of this month, is still very much alive at the age of 91, will
no longer be seen around Ridgecrest. He has had to leave his hard-scrabble camp in the El Pasos to live with his
son and daughter-in-law in Chatsworth. Fran and Bill Weekley finally managed to convince him that he might
like to have running water and electricity in his declining years!
Although Clyde lived in our valley only since 1969, his mining camp was very much in the style of the
Depression-era mines, whose owners eked out a living in the hills around here. Clyde remembered some of
these earlier miners and described their lives for us as a participant in “Somewhere on the Edge of Nowhere,”
the Maturango Museum DVD available in the Museum Store. As he left here, Clyde also donated a variety of
mining memorabilia that I hope to include in a future exhibit.
The lesson I think we can learn from all four of these accomplished people is to enjoy each moment of
the grand adventure that life offers us.
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This newsletter is published monthly by
Maturango Museum of the IWV
100 E. Las Flores Ave., Ridgecrest, CA 93555
The Museum is open every day (except
major holidays) from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Staff
Harris Brokke, Executive Director
Mary Lattig, Store Manager/Buyer
Sandy Rogers, Curator, Archaeology
Elizabeth Babcock, Curator, History
Camille Anderson, Curator, Natural
History
Julie Stephens, Bookkeeper
Fran Van Valkenburgh, Membership,
Petroglyphs
Andrea Pelch, Art Gallery Coordinator
Joann Barbee, Bookkeeping Assistant
Nora Nuckles, Education Coordinator
Steve Benson, Museum Assistant
Sue Gilbert, Museum Assistant
Nora Nuckles, Museum Assistant
Duane Rice, Museum Assistant
Andrea Pelch, Newsletter Editor
Committee Chairpersons
Thom Boggs, Building
Fran Rogers, Concerts
Terry Ratcliff, Docent League
Sherry Brubaker, Finance
Kathy La Shure, Dan Burnett, Garden
Sandy Rogers, Lectures
Terry Ratcliff, Operational Fundraising
Liz Babcock, Publications
Bob Westbrook, Strategic Planning
Janet Westbrook, Webmistress
Board of Trustees
Steven F. Boster, President
Joleigh S. Rafalski, Vice President
Ronald L. Atkins, Secretary
Sherry L. Brubaker, Treasurer
Deborah J. Benson
Michael A. Brown
Nancy E. Crawford
Leslie T. Layfield
Robert E. Westbrook
Businesses and Organizations
Supporters • Contributors • Sponsors
Please support the businesses and organizations that support the Maturango
Museum
AltaOne Federal Credit
Union
American Association of
University Women
Ashley Furniture HomeStore
Best Western China Lake Inn
BevLen Haus Bed &
Breakfast
Boulder Creek RV Resort
Carriage Inn
Center Pharmacy
Coldwell Banker Best Realty
Comfort Inn
Daily Independent
Desert Area Teachers
Association
Desert Artist League
Earth Industries, Inc.
EconoLodge of Ridgecrest
Epsilon Systems Solutions,
Inc.
Friends of Jawbone
Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch
Resorts
Hampton Inn & Suites
Heritage Inn & Suites
High Desert Haven
High Sierra Auto/Truck
Repair
Historical Society of the
Upper Mojave Desert
Inland Adventurer
Jacobs Naval System Group,
Inc.
KPartners Hospitality Group
Kristy’s Restaurant
KZIQ/KWDJ - Sunset Media
Law Offices of Phyllis M. Hix
Liberty Self Storage
Lugo’s Grill
Maddy’s Cottage
McDonald’s
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Mercury Transfer & Warehouse/
Allied Van Lines
New Directions Technologies,
Inc.
News Review
Oasis Garden Club
Owens Peak Group, Sierra Club
PackWrap Business Center
The Pizza Factory
Ridgecrest Area Convention and
Visitors Bureau
Ridgecrest Automotive
Ridgecrest Moving &
Storage/Atlas Van Lines
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
St. Ann Catholic School
Sand Canyon Environmental
Education Program
SASS
Searles Valley Minerals
ServiceMaster of the IWV
Sierra Odyssey Custom Tours
Sierra Sands Unified School
District
SOI Motorhome Club
Southern Sierra Medical Clinic
SpringHill Suites by Marriott
State Farm Insurance – Gary
Charlon
The Swap Sheet
Tax Time Services - Barbara
Agerton
TJ Frisbee Bicycles, Inc.
Tokyo House
TOSS
Union Bank
WACOM
Calendar of Events
July 2012
August 2012
Sat. July 14 – Trip to Kennedy Meadows & Kern Plateau
Fri. Aug 10 – Reception for Hamil Ma exhibit – 7 pm
Sat. July 14 – FREE day at the museum
Sat. Aug 11 – FREE day at the museum
Mon. July 16 – Board of Trustees meeting – 7 pm
Mon. Aug 20 – Board of Trustees meeting – 7 pm
Fri. July 27 – Pizza Factory fundraiser
Fri. Aug 24 – Pizza Factory fundraiser
Petroglyph Tours and other Museum events
Petroglyph tour information and an application as well as a slide show on the Petroglyph tours are available on our
website at www.maturango.org. The fall schedule of Petroglyph tours will be posted on our website on August 15 th.

China Lake Astronomical Society meetings generally 7:30 pm on 1st Monday
 China Lake Photographic Society meetings generally 7 pm on 1st Thursday
 Owens Peak Group of the Sierra Club meetings generally 7:30 pm on 4th Monday
 Kerncrest Audubon Society meetings generally 7 pm on 3rd Thursdays bi-monthly [next meeting will be in September]
 California Native Plant Society, Creosote Ring Subchapter of Bristlecone Chapter, on 1st Wednesday
 Docent League presentations - brochure of topics available.
Scan this QR code to go directly to
our website at www.maturango.org
Maturango Museum of the IWV
100 E. Las Flores Ave.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555-3654
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