7/01 Green-shirted Volunteers and a Redman Clean-up
BY STEVE BANKHEAD
Dancing in the street: The annual St. Patrick’s International Festival in the Plaza is a must for me, so I mingled with the crowd near George Washington’s bust last weekend listening to a salsa band, watching members of the large crowd dancing around musicians on Peck Street and breathing in the diverse aromas from nearby food booths. Dozens of green-shirted volunteers from various ethnic communities were everywhere helping in operate the fundraiser. I ate my fair share of pozole, lumpias, barbecued meats, a hot dog and a great pico de gallo fruit cup — then got more to go. If you missed it this year, be sure to come in 2006. I can only eat so much unassisted. Our faces were red, man!: Though the June 25th cleanup of the Redman House promised a peak inside the grand lady, a heavy padlock and missing key kept the responding press unimpressed.Roger Sideman of the Pajaronian took a nice photo of me dragging a soiled chair from an outbuilding to the dumpster, then graciously helped me lift it in. In comparison, Bill Lovejoy of the “other county daily” stood by as I strained to toss in a box of mouse-tainted debris, then ran a photo of me with my tongue hanging out from the effort. Newspaper competitions can be vicious games.Despite the obstructive lock, cleaning and clearing did proceed. Project director Dale Skillicorn was ably assisted by Carol Kent, Phil & Karell Reader and Barbara Powell. Among the articles tossed were mounds of old files compiled by developer Ryland Kelley, with many relating to his ill-fated Wingspread Project. Locals might still recall the contentious 1988 battle over his efforts to build a hotel and performing arts center in the Aptos area. All those lost dreams went to the city yard paper recycle bin, a final victory for environmental opponents of the project.The Redman House interests me on a personal level, since it’s related to my residence. It was built in 1897 by a contractor named Joseph Uren, who happened to be the builder and first resident of my home. In fact, I think my house is the older of the two since Joseph built it for his wife Laura Radcliff, who married him in 1888 and I once found a newspaper layered above the original linoleum announcing the death of Pancho Villa. After Laura’s 1945 death it passed to retired farmer Marie Wyman and then Lucy Pusich, a tall woman nicknamed “Big Lou” and famed for her strudel. My mother-in-law, Rosie Perry, was Lucy’s friend and neighbor back then. Lucy became ill in the 1960s, and knowing my wife Alice loved the structure, sold it to our family the day before she died.It appears every owner of my home has stayed with it to the end, and I have no immediate plans of moving either. I owe that much loyalty to Laura, Jane, Lucy, Rosie and even Pancho Villa.A Frank discussion: I saw Dennis Osmer recently, and we discussed items from past columns about his dad, former police chief Frank Osmer. Dennis shared a revealing tale of Frank when his dad mentioned confronting a knife-wielding hooligan. When Dennis asked what he’d done, Frank said “Ah, nothing. He dropped the knife and ran.”After Frank’s passing many years later, Dennis spoke with an eyewitness of the confrontation, and the story grew in stature. The knife wielder had gone loco in a downtown bar and police officers were called, but they were uncertain what to do. Then Frank entered, got in the man’s face and began shouting orders with his ex-MP voice. THAT was when the guy dropped the knife and ran. It was a telling detail, and Frank’s modest omission of it was telling of his character.Jill at the wheel: One of the nicer sights at the Green Valley Grill has been waitress Jill Pepper. She always added extra dimension to the question “Would you like some pepper with your salad?” But she decided to take a job as a UPS driver. “Prettiest waitress” would be a tough competition locally, but I’ll go way out on a limb and suspect Jill will be the prettiest UPS driver around.Going south: Alice and I will be at a family reunion through 4th of July week, so this column will take a break with us. However, I leave the readers this pledge: Not one dime of city funds will be expended on my trip, unless the city manager wants to help me with those zoo tickets. I hear they’re pricey. Have a great holiday, and wave a flag. It’s a very healthy exercise.•••
Dancing in the street: The annual St. Patrick’s International Festival in the Plaza is a must for me, so I mingled with the crowd near George Washington’s bust last weekend listening to a salsa band, watching members of the large crowd dancing around musicians on Peck Street and breathing in the diverse aromas from nearby food booths. Dozens of green-shirted volunteers from various ethnic communities were everywhere helping in operate the fundraiser. I ate my fair share of pozole, lumpias, barbecued meats, a hot dog and a great pico de gallo fruit cup — then got more to go. If you missed it this year, be sure to come in 2006. I can only eat so much unassisted. Our faces were red, man!: Though the June 25th cleanup of the Redman House promised a peak inside the grand lady, a heavy padlock and missing key kept the responding press unimpressed.Roger Sideman of the Pajaronian took a nice photo of me dragging a soiled chair from an outbuilding to the dumpster, then graciously helped me lift it in. In comparison, Bill Lovejoy of the “other county daily” stood by as I strained to toss in a box of mouse-tainted debris, then ran a photo of me with my tongue hanging out from the effort. Newspaper competitions can be vicious games.Despite the obstructive lock, cleaning and clearing did proceed. Project director Dale Skillicorn was ably assisted by Carol Kent, Phil & Karell Reader and Barbara Powell. Among the articles tossed were mounds of old files compiled by developer Ryland Kelley, with many relating to his ill-fated Wingspread Project. Locals might still recall the contentious 1988 battle over his efforts to build a hotel and performing arts center in the Aptos area. All those lost dreams went to the city yard paper recycle bin, a final victory for environmental opponents of the project.The Redman House interests me on a personal level, since it’s related to my residence. It was built in 1897 by a contractor named Joseph Uren, who happened to be the builder and first resident of my home. In fact, I think my house is the older of the two since Joseph built it for his wife Laura Radcliff, who married him in 1888 and I once found a newspaper layered above the original linoleum announcing the death of Pancho Villa. After Laura’s 1945 death it passed to retired farmer Marie Wyman and then Lucy Pusich, a tall woman nicknamed “Big Lou” and famed for her strudel. My mother-in-law, Rosie Perry, was Lucy’s friend and neighbor back then. Lucy became ill in the 1960s, and knowing my wife Alice loved the structure, sold it to our family the day before she died.It appears every owner of my home has stayed with it to the end, and I have no immediate plans of moving either. I owe that much loyalty to Laura, Jane, Lucy, Rosie and even Pancho Villa.A Frank discussion: I saw Dennis Osmer recently, and we discussed items from past columns about his dad, former police chief Frank Osmer. Dennis shared a revealing tale of Frank when his dad mentioned confronting a knife-wielding hooligan. When Dennis asked what he’d done, Frank said “Ah, nothing. He dropped the knife and ran.”After Frank’s passing many years later, Dennis spoke with an eyewitness of the confrontation, and the story grew in stature. The knife wielder had gone loco in a downtown bar and police officers were called, but they were uncertain what to do. Then Frank entered, got in the man’s face and began shouting orders with his ex-MP voice. THAT was when the guy dropped the knife and ran. It was a telling detail, and Frank’s modest omission of it was telling of his character.Jill at the wheel: One of the nicer sights at the Green Valley Grill has been waitress Jill Pepper. She always added extra dimension to the question “Would you like some pepper with your salad?” But she decided to take a job as a UPS driver. “Prettiest waitress” would be a tough competition locally, but I’ll go way out on a limb and suspect Jill will be the prettiest UPS driver around.Going south: Alice and I will be at a family reunion through 4th of July week, so this column will take a break with us. However, I leave the readers this pledge: Not one dime of city funds will be expended on my trip, unless the city manager wants to help me with those zoo tickets. I hear they’re pricey. Have a great holiday, and wave a flag. It’s a very healthy exercise.•••
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