By Count Friedrich von Olsen
Here are a few things I have picked up pertaining to some goings-on from around the largest county in the United States…
One close to home is that Lake Arrowhead Village was on the brink of being sold at a trustee sale that was scheduled for March 6. That was staved off, apparently, when the consortium that owns and operates the village, Roseville-based Pacific Capital Investments, managed to secure a new loan on the property. The loan was for enough, reportedly, to carry out some capital improvement projects which will, supposedly, transform it into a truly-world class resort, generating the income needed to keep this newest set of wolves that will be baying at the door in about 18 months from seizing the property. We shall see…
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Jon Thorp did yeoman’s work in helping to reunite Art Traendley, who had served aboard the USS Wexford County LST-1168 during the Vietnam War, with one of his shipmates, Don Kowalski. Traendley, who lives in New Jersey, was trying to see how many of his roughly 150 fellow sailors on the Wexford County he could find for an upcoming 50-year reunion. His only lead was that Kowalski might be living in Yucaipa. He sent a letter to the sheriff’s department, which serves as the police department in Yucaipa and inquired to see if he could be put in contact with Kowalski. Thorp somehow ended up with the letter and cut through the red tape that disallows the sheriff’s office to get involved in personal information requests. The deputy took it upon himself to get in touch with Kowalski, who owns the Yucaipa Lawn Mower Shop, and let him know Traendley was seeking him out. He passed along Traendley’s contact number and the shipmates of a half century ago have been reunited…
The McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California, you know, the collective of McDonald’s restaurant franchise owners, has stepped up and provided $1 million to enlarge the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House for almost 20 years now has been a great place where families whose seriously ill children are being treated at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital can spend the night so they can be together during such unspeakably difficult times. The expansion will more than double the number of rooms available to families from 21 to 54; increase the size of the kitchen and dining areas; and expand the common areas, such as the playroom and business office. The house is conveniently located near the children’s hospital. It serves more than 1,000 families each year. This is a wonderful thing and really shows the world the good side of San Bernardino County, the community of Loma Linda and McDonald’s. Now, if McDonald’s could just figure out what they did to change their Quarter Pounders several years ago and change it back. Maybe it’s just me, but they just don’t taste as good as they used to…
All the way up here in my mountain redoubt word has reached me that things this week took a turn toward the uncivil in the City of Gracious Living. The Upland City Council on Monday had to choose whether to put an initiative relating to making medical marijuana available for sale there on the ballot this year or next. The initiative’s proponents want it voted on this year. The city attorney had given the council the option of doing it this year or next. Before the decision was even made, one of the proponents, I am told, chose to insult the council by inviting its members to have sexual relations with themselves or something similar. Another initiative proponent threatened to recall the council members from office. It’s been several decades, at least, since I read Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends And Influence People. Despite the elapsing of that much time and the senility that is, alas, creeping over me, I can still say with absolute confidence that insulting people who have the power of decision over you or an issue dear to your heart was not a tactic that Mr. Carnegie recommended. I am still trying to figure out exactly what the pair that came before the council on Monday night had hoped to accomplish. I don’t think it worked, since the city council in the end decided to hold off on the election until next year. My governess taught me when I was a child that I should not make decisions or blurt things out when I am angry. Overall, I think that was a pretty sound lesson. Those involved in public affairs in Upland should heed it…