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East KernEast KernVisions

August 2015August 2015

Visions

Inside: Thester in Tehachapi, Page 3

Wine tasting in Kernville, Page 5

Mammothprovidesdifferentscenes,0

Lone Pine Film Festival, Page 6

Inside: Theater in Tehachapi, Page 3

Mammothprovidesdifferentscenes,Page 10

Lone Pine Film Festival, Page 6 Wine tasting in Kernville, Page 5

AUGUST 2015 EAST KERN VISIONS2

PublisherJohn Watkins

EditorAaron Crutchfield

Advertising DirectorPaula McKay

Advertising SalesRodney Preul

Robert Aslanian

WritersJessica WestonDeborah Mills

Christopher Livingston

Inside this issueBeeKay Theatre starts its fall season ............................................................... 3Starlite Lounge offers Kern River wine tasting ................................................ 5Lone Pine Film Festival celebrates the old days ............................................. 6Lone Pine Film Museum has a new name ...................................................... 8Mammoth provides different scenes, just around the corner ...................... 10Randsburg is the Living Ghost Town ............................................................ 13Kern River Preserve a well-kept secret ......................................................... 14Onyx is a little gem in the Kern River Valley ............................................... 15

Cover: Prior year’s BeeKay Theater production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

East KernEast KernVisions

August 2015August 2015

Visions

Cover: Prior year’s BeeKay Theater production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY MAZZOLA

JESSICA WESTONDaily Independent

Tehachapi Landmark The BeeKay Theatre opened in 1936 as a moviehouse, but it's still going strong as the home of the Tehachapi CommunityTheatre.

The Theater in its current form opened its doors in 2008. The Tehachapi Com-munity Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that landed in the BeeKayafter a long history. The group was founded in 1968 and moved through a num-ber of venues before taking on the task of rebuilding and re-purposing the oldtheater.

Eventually, with the help of city government, a massive fundraising campaign,a California Parks grant and redevelopment funds the building was renovatedand updated with new theatrical equipment.

The venue hosts a large number of stage productions and events as well as CityCouncil and Planning Commission meetings.

The upcoming 2015-2016 season offers varied fare. It kicks off Oct. 9, 2015,with DNA directed by Kendric Bertram. The comedy Christmas Belles directedby Gary Mazzola follows in November and December. 2016 is set for a good startwith The Picture of Dorian Gray, adapted from the novel by Oscar Wilde and di-rected by David Reed in January.

Both Your Houses directed by Shanan Harrell will be presented in Februaryand March of 2016, with The Normal heart directed by Annette Kirby followingin April.

Gypsy, directed by Doug Jockinsen, will take the stage in May and June of2016. Next up is the 2016 Playwright's Festival produced by Kenny Chugg in Julyand Treasure Seekers directed by Daniela Hernandez will close out the season inAugust and September.

For Gary Mazzola, it is a labor of love. Mazzola is currently the President of theTCT Board of Directors and is a longtime actor and director. “I have been doingit for years and I love it,” he said.

This year Mazzola is directing Christmas Belles, which he describes as “a funnyTexas comedy. It's not anything serious, its just funny, funny, funny.”

The upcoming season has something for everyone, he said — “serious stuff,lighter stuff.”

One production Mazzola remembers fondly was when he directed Little Shopof Horrors, complete with special effects. “We rented a puppet,” he said. “It costsa lot of money, but it made the show great.”

DNA by Dennis Kelly, directed by Kendric BertramOctober 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18, 2015

Christmas BellesA comedy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, directed by Gary

MazzolaNovember 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 2015 December 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 2015

The Picture of Dorian Gray A drama by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (from the novel by Oscar Wilde)

Directed by David ReedJanuary 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 2016

3AUGUST 2015 EAST KERN VISIONS

Tehachapi’s BeeKay Theatre set tokick off another strong season

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY MAZZOLAA scene from a production of Red Velvet Cake Wars by Tehachapi Community Theatrein a previous season. The new season kicks off Oct. 9.


Saving WaterFor Future Generations

A reminder from the IndianWells Valley Water District

Both Your HousesA satire by Maxwell Anderson directed by Shanan Harrell

February 26, 27, 2016 March 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 2016

The Normal HeartA drama by Larry KramerDirected by Annette Kirby

April, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 2016

GypsyA musical comedy

Book by Arthur LaurentsMusic by Julie Styne

Lyrics by Stephen SondheimDirected by Doug Jockinsen

May 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 2016 June 3, 4, 5, 2016

2016 Playwright's FestivalProduced by Kenny Chugg

July 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 2015

Treasure Seekersby Tanis Galik

Directed by Daniela Hernandez August 26, 27, 2016

September 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 2016❖

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY MAZZOLATehachapi’s BeeKay Theater was extensively renovated and now hosts a number oftheater acts each year.


Starlite Lounge offers wine tastingand tapas in downtown Kernville

DEBORAH MILLSDaily Independent

There is a new tasting room in Kernville: StarliteLounge at 13423 Sierra Way, where two sisters, DawnJordan and Elise Modrovich opened up in May this

year and takes you back to an era of old-time movie stars andthe days of Hollywood.

Modrovich claims the title of Bad Influence and her sistertouts herself as being the Head Wino. Their tongue-in-cheekhumor is apparent and makes for a fun experience. It is theirmission to bring affordable, accessible, amazing wines to theKern River Valley and create a warm inviting place to enjoythem. Their credo is, “Life is too short to drink bad wine.”

The majority of the wines that they serve come from PasoRobles and the Central Coast area. Visitors can partake intheir daily wine Flight of the Day offerings such as, theirWhite/Rose or Red tours of the palette or people can order afull glass of wine or a bottle from their favorite vintner.

They also have a wide offering of tapas, such as a house-made toasty pita and hummus with roasted red pepper chut-ney, stuffed mushrooms with artichoke, spinach, tomato and

goat cheese crumbles, and crispy Brussels sprouts withshaved parmesan, toasted hazelnuts and balsamic glaze.

If you need a “Little More” they have a wide selection ofsalads and sandwiches to choose from. One tempting sand-wich is called “The Ol' Blue Eyes” sandwich which is smokedturkey, bleu cheese, cranberry aioli, Dijon mustard, lettuce,tomato, cucumber and red bell pepper served on a honeywheat bread.

During the week they have evening events, such as onThursday night when they have live music at the lounge.They feature the best of Kern Valley's local bands, includingRiverwind, Kern River Band, Out of the Blue, Pine TreeBand, and the new trio, The Starliters.

Daily in the lounge they have playing classic TV shows, ofcourse many of them being old-time Westerns. On Fridaynights they hold their classic movie screenings, featuring oldtime favorites such as Planet of the Apes, The Great Escape,Dr. No, and Beach Blanket Bingo which were all filmed inthe Kernville area.

On Saturday nights they have karaoke, on Sunday theyhost their “Brunch ‘N’ Bubbly,” and in the afternoon live mu-sic with “Slow Jamz.” ❖

PHOTOS BY DEBORAH MILLS/DAILY INDEPENDENTAt the Starlite lounge they have an extensive wine selection to choose from. A lot oftheir wines come from Paso Robles, Monterey County, Santa Maria Valley and SantaYnez Valley.


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Lone Pine Film Fest celebrates early yearsJESSICA WESTON

Daily Independent

If you have ever wondered about the real relationships between famous Hol-lywood actors and their equine co-stars, now is your chance to find out. Hol-lywood Hoofbeats: the Fascinating Story of Horses in Movies and Television

will be narrated by Petrine Mitchum and will discuss partnerships ranging fromWilliam S. Hart and Fritz and Tom Mix and Tony in the silent era through GeneAutry and Champion and, of course, Roy Rogers and Trigger.

This presentation is just one of many film-related events planned for the 26thannual Lone Pine Film Festival “Celebrating the Early Years,” which is scheduledfor Oct. 9 to 11, 2015, in Lone Pine, California.

The center of events for weekend festivities will be the Museum of WesternFilm History (formerly known as the Lone Pine Film History Museum).

Things will kick off Thursday, Oct. 8, with a welcome reception at the Museumat 4:30 p.m., with a community concert by America's Cowboy Balladeer, DonEdwards at 7 p.m.

Other events start Friday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. (Seewww.lonepinefilmfestival.org for list of events and dates.)

1920 silent film the Round-up starring Fatty Arbuckle will be shown with key-board accompaniment by J. C. Munns. This is believed to be the first moviefilmed in the area.

In a first time event, four of the five films adapted from Zane Grey's Riders ofthe Purple Sage will also be shown.

Other films to be screened include Buffalo Bill, Conagher and Appaloosa. Will-lam Wellman, Jr. and Wyatt McCrea (the grandson of Joel McCrea, who played JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT

This exhibit on the films of Northern Inyo County will run until Dec. 31, 2015.


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Buffalo Bill) will be on hand to discuss script changes to the original film.Barry Corbin will discuss his Western Heritage Award-winning performance

in Conagher. Appaloosa actor Rex Linn and screenwriter Robert Knott will alsobe on hand for a discussion of their film. Both presentations will be moderatedby Western historian Ed Hulse.

In other events, 91-year-old Billy King will discuss appearing as a 12-year-oldin four Hopalong Cassidy films in 1938 and 1939. King will be joined by DonKelsen, Hopalong Cassidy authority Richard Bann and Hulse.

Hollywood stuntwoman Sylvia Durando will discuss her experiences with thehelp of stunt coordinator Diamond Farnsworth.

Also featured will be the restored 1937 Cord Phaeton in which Tom Mix hadhis fatal car accident on October 12, 1940. Car collector and Mix historian BobWhite will discuss Mix's last days with Western film historian Gary Brown.

Twenty-two “on location tours” will also be available.Also planned are celebrity book signings, appearances by Cheryl Rogers Bar-

nett and Peggy Stewart, 30 plus vendors and food suppliers between StathamHall and Lone Pine Park. Other events will include Team Roping Saturday at themuseum rodeo grounds, Cowboy Church Sunday morning on the Anchor Ranchand the famous Sunday Main Street Parade later Sunday.

Finally, Cowboy Larry Maurice will lead a closing campfire Sunday evening atLone Pine Park.

One special event hints at recent changes at the museum. A panel on The Stateof the Western in the 21st Century will feature LA Times critic Kenneth Turanalong with Western author/scriptwriter Robert Knott and Barry Corbin and RexLinn. The larger scope of the discussion is in keeping with the newly expandedmission of the museum.

“We're expanding the collection to include all westerns, not just stuff donehere,” said Museum Associate Indra Bassett.

For more information on the 2015 Lone Pine Film Festival, see www.lonepine-filmfestival.org. ❖

PHOTOS BY JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTLEFT: This Cheyenne American Indian War Bonnet is from the 1920s or the 1930s.ABOVE: A John Wayne exhibit at the Lone Pine Museum of Western Film History.


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New name, same great preservationJESSICA WESTON

Daily Independent

The institution formerly known as the Lone Pine Film History Museum hasa new name. It is now the Museum of Western Film History.

The name change makes sense. “We're the only western film museum inthe world,” said Director Bob Sigman. “We're preserving the history of westernfilm.”

Whatever name it goes by, the museum is chock full of fascinating movie mem-orabilia. Hundreds of movie posters cover the walls commemorating the manyfilms shot in the area, including Tycoon, I Cover the War, Rio Bravo, Riders ofDestiny, Army Girl, Blood on the Moon and many, many more.

Visitors can check out scads of movie props, costumes, vehicles, saddles, vin-tage promotional materials and lots and lots of guns. Not to mention double-take inducing life-size cut outs of many golden age cowboys and spangly cos-tumes worn by the likes of Dale Evans. Vintage vehicles range from a 1941 BuickRoadster used in The Trail of San Antone with Gene Autry and Peggy Stewart toa US Mail Carrier Stage Coach.

Items of more recent vintage include a copy of the Django screenplay signed byQuentin Tarantino, (who also was apparently inspired to sign a wall during a vis-it) and a suit worn by Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man.

And it's not all cowboys and guns. There's the Sci Fi room, in which visitorscan view the actual exploding head graboid puppet which was used in all fourTremors movies and the TV show. So important is this piece of machinery thatUniversal has reserved the right to borrow it back if they ever make Tremors 5.

Other exhibits focus on topics such as Randolph Scott, Post War films, and the“Easterns,” films in which the area substituted for another locale on film. A newexhibit The Films of Northern Inyo County, will run until Dec. 31, 2015.

The museum may honor all western films, but the Lone Pine area does have arich film heritage worth commemorating on its own. According to most ac-counts, the first movie ever filmed in the area was Paramount's The Round-up in1919 starring Fatty Arbuckle.

Universal's 1929 film The Wagon Master was the first “talkie” shot in the area;coincidentally it was the first B western to feature singing cowboys.

Movies influenced the lay of the land, literally. According to material at themuseum, roads were carved through the Alabama Hills originally to allow moviecompanies to transport their equipment to location sites.

A “town”still known as “Red Dog” was constructed for Song of The West, a1930 Warner Brothers musical western.

The area later went on to provide the setting for everything from independentB-movie westerns during the great depression, to classics such as Ginga Din in1939 (Gary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.), and Bad Day at Black Rock

PHOTOS BY JESSICA WESTONThe exterior of the Museum of Western Film History features these equine sculpturesto greet visitors.


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(Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin) in 1955.The list of stars who have filmed in the area is a veritable who's who of early

Hollywood, including Glen Ford, Gregory Peck, Richard Widmark and RandolphScott, Gary Cooper, Glen Ford, Tyrone Power, Jack Palance, Anne Baxter, Mau-reen O'Hara, Barbara Stanwyk, Susan Hayward, Virginia Mayo.

In later years, TV got into the act. The Lone Ranger's opening credits as well asmany episodes of Have Gun Will Travel, Annie Oakley, Gunsmoke, Bonanza,Rawhide and even the Twilight Zone took advantage of the area for its scenic lo-cations.

More recent films have included science fiction such as Star Trek V, Tremorsand Iron Man, although now the area is mainly used for TV commercial andprint ads.

In any case, the cultural historic importance of this little bit of Inyo Countycannot be overstated. To millions of film viewers worldwide, it formed an impor-tant first impression of America, California and the Wild Wild West.

For more information on the Museum of Western Film History, see www.mu-seumofwesternfilmhistory.org. ❖

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTRobert Downey, Jr. wore this suit in Iron Man, which filmed in the Lone Pine area.


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Top of the mountain

Mammoth provides differentscenes, just around the corner

CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTONDaily Independent

Mammoth usually brings up thoughts of winter: snow-covered moun-tains and slopes, freezing weather, Highway 395 closures and so on.Rarely has there ever been talk about the town being a summer vaca-

tion destination.Or so I thought.Summertime in Mammoth is atypical of a ski resort: it isn’t a ghost town, and

tourism doesn’t really stop. It slows down, but doesn’t come to a screeching halt.There are still places to go to and activities to do – especially if one wants to es-cape the searing desert.

This was the first time I’ve ever been to Mammoth. Having been raised in the


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desert for most of my life, I had a feeling of what to expect. It was a matter ofhow much my expectations would turn to reality.

The postcards and online images tell a tale: blissful waterfalls, abundance oftrees and wood-frame construction. But when it all comes to life, it takes adeeper realization to set in: this mountain town is very different than the rest ofCalifornia.

Upon reaching the town of Mammoth Lakes, I met up with a good friend ofmine, Ramon Morales, who was born and raised in the area. (Technically, hewas born in nearby Bishop, but Mammoth Lakes has been his home.) He wentto college at UC Riverside, which he says was a different experience than thecalmness of Mammoth Lakes, and returned to the mountain town after gradua-tion.

Working at The Village, Mammoth Lakes’ large shopping area, he said thattraffic usually slows down around October, coinciding with some of the parks’seasonal closures.

Public transportation in Mammoth Lakes is complimentary, paid for by thetown and resort. The trolley runs 7 a.m.-10 p.m., while seasonal night-servicebuses (winter and spring) run 5:40 p.m.-1:40 a.m.

Twin LakesOur first destination was the Twin Lakes, located four miles from Morales’

doorstep. Going through the winding roads, he pointed out which ones wouldnormally be closed during the winter season, whether it was because of theweather or the heavy tourism.

There is a small parking lot – no more than nine or 10 cars – but what wasfacing south of the lot was something straight out of a postcard.

The trees were abundant, all circling a large lake. In the distance stood a wa-terfall that connects the lakes, with the south side acting as a reservoir for thenorth.

“Usually it has a lot more water than this,” Morales said. “You could see it run-ning from here. But it’s the drought, you know.”

Indeed, the waterfall still ran, but it was a small stream, only visible if reallyclose to it.

The Twin Lakes – as with the other lakes in the area – were created as the re-sult of a contradictory mixture of ice ages and volcanic eruptions. Bear activityis known to be in the area, so it is suggested that all items are “bear-proofed”while in the campground. At the time of the visit, there were no campers, butthere was a family renting bicycles to ride through the area.

Lake MaryFarther south was Lake Mary, which saw more activity on the water than the

Twin Lakes. The area was once its own census-designated place and had its ownpost office, but eventually became a part of Mammoth Lakes.

Fishing, kayaking and boat renting were spread out all over the lake. Over atthe end of the dock, an instructor was showing a gentleman how to control themotorboat he was renting. It was $15 to rent a boat, but we decided to explorethe other key locations at the time.

Much like Twin Lakes, the campground does caution visitors on bear sight-ings.

Mammoth MountainMammoth Lakes’ large resort, which usually is covered with people during the

winter, was sporadic during the summer. In fact, a big attraction at the resort,the gondola ride that summits the mountain, was free at the time of our arrival(around 4 p.m.).

The ride is about 10 minutes as it goes up to the 11,053-foot summit. Thestarting point of the gondola, directly across from the hotel, is over 8,000 feet.Roughly halfway to the top (9,600 feet), there is a stop before the ride contin-ues.

The top of the mountain features a restaurant and “interpretive center,” which

CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTA slow-running fountain feeds water from one Twin Lake to another.


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dives into the history of the mountain with views of the neighboring foothills. Unfortunately, there was a wildfire at Yosemite National Park nearby; much

of the view on the top was hazy. A docent told us that the morning is the besttime to take a look from the summit – the afternoon winds blow in the smokefrom the fires.

But despite that, the view was plentiful from the top.“The view is lot better now than in the winter sometimes,” Morales said. “With

all of the snow around, sunglasses are important. You could be blinded up here.”But on top of the mountain, one feels that he or she is on top of the world.

Bikers begin to go on the downward slope of the mountain into the city duringthe summer, and snowboarding takes over in the winter.

Despite Mammoth being a winter destination, there are various things to doin the summer and fall – especially if there is a need to cool off from the rainshadows of Bishop, Lone Pine and Ridgecrest. ❖

CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTA family begins its journey after renting bicycles at the Twin Lakes Campground.


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Tucked away in the desert landscape about a half-hour south of Ridgecrestis the little town of Randsburg, which is known as “The Living GhostTown.” Eighty residents reside in this living historic Mining Camp.

Coming up on Sept. 19 the little town will come alive with their annual OldWest Days with sights of donkeys, horses, cowboys, live music, food and fun. Thismusic street fair is the biggest day of the year for residents and tourists alike.

The day's events also include cowboy poetry, antiques and collections, pancakebreakfast, car and tractor sow, arts and crafts, and an old-fashioned hay ride.

Usually the summertime is a slow time of the year but this season manytourists still came to visit. This sleepy desert town is a hub of activity on week-ends and in the cooler months for car clubs, dirt bikers, off-roaders and travelersjust passing through.

For more information about Old West Days contact Judy at 760-793-3147. ❖

Randsburg is theLiving Ghost Town

DEBORAH MILLS/DAILY INDEPENDENTWhen you peek in the windows of this old time Barber Shop the interior is reminiscentof the days when men would have their faces shaved with a straight razor. If thesewalls could talk I am sure the town gossip was shared here.

DEBORAH MILLS/DAILY INDEPENDENTThe Rand Desert Museum is the driving force behind retaining the little town's history.They are also the hosts of the upcoming Old West Days.

DEBORAH MILLS/DAILY INDEPENDENTVisitors get the opportunity to step back in time and learn the rich history of Rands-burg by stopping by the Rand Desert Museum, which was established back in 1948.


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One of the best-kept secrets for nature lovers is the Audubon CaliforniaKern River Preserve established by the Nature Conservancy. The area ishome to such birds of prey as turkey vultures, osprey, Cooper's hawk,

red-shoulder hawk, red-tailed hawk, and the golden eagle.Other feathered friends that can be found are the oak titmouse, white-breasted

nuthatch, western meadowlark, blue grosbeak, and the house finch.The classic Anna's hummingbird is also a resident in the area. Anna's have a

dark tail, iridescent red throat, forehead, and crown. Anna's hummingbird wasnamed for Princess Anna de Belle Massena. John James Audubon himself wascharmed by her, but it was actually naturalist Rene Primevere Lesson whonamed the bird in her honor.

The preserve is also home to sycamore canyons, gray pine forests, juniper/oakwoodlands, and annual grasses. The area supports wildlife from desert, montane,and grassland environments and is a vital migration corridor for animals be-tween ecologically distinct regions, according to the Kern River Preserve website.

Andrew Brown bought his Weldon ranch in 1871 from Alexander Forsyth, andthe Weldon Post Office was establishedon his ranch, which is located just right ofthe preserve site. It was not long after that Brown started stocking necessities forthe people in the area. From his humble beginning Brown became the leadingmerchant and rancher in the Kern River Valley.

The Kern River Preserve was established by the Nature Conservancy in 1980in perpetuity by the contributions of thousands of Californians and through theextra ordinary generosity of Chevron, USA Inc, the Getty Oil Company and theW.M. Keck Foundation. ❖

Kern River Preservea well-kept secret

DEBORAH MILLS/DAILY INDEPENDENTThe start of the trail leading visitors to a nature hike they will not forget.

DEBORAH MILLS/DAILY INDEPENDENTAlong Highway 178 on your way to Kernville traveling westbound is a little grove oftrees with a visitors welcome sign beckoning nature lovers to drive down the tiny littleroad.

DEBORAH MILLS/DAILY INDEPENDENTThe little road into the nature conservatory leads you to their trailheads and visitorscenter.



There is a little town of Onyx —with the blink of an eye you canmiss it, just three and a half

miles outside of Weldon off the 178.The history of this little town is that itwas originally called Scodie in honor ofWilliam Scodie who opened a store in1861. The little town is made up of 475residents who love the rural lifestyle.

One stop not to miss is Onyx FamilyFarms tucked away off the 178. Theyhave organic and non-organic seasonalproduce available along with freshfarm eggs. They also offer local honey,jams and jellies.

The historic Onyx store is a stepback in time when you enter throughthe front door. A child's dream with allthe old-fashioned candy displayed likeit would be back in the day. They alsooffer fresh deli sandwiches, which canbe enjoyed outside in their gardenarea. ❖

Onyx is a little gem in Kern River Valley

DEBORAH MILLS/DAILY INDEPENDENTThe old time Onyx store is the ideal stop on the way to Kernville to take a break, get something to eat or just to feast your eyes onthe old-fashioned candy displays.

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