MAY 2017

Ride in Peace Submitted by Hilltop Horsemen

Sadly, we lost neighbor, teacher and fellow horseman when Don Kleckner passed away in early April. He was a feisty 89 years old. Don was born in 1927 and was raised on a farm in Indiana. Don left a lasting impression on the mountain and influenced the lives of many.

A CHA certified Master Horseman, Don’s passion for teaching others about horses started in the 50’s. He developed a program to understand the horse’s physical and mental abilities and wrote a book entitled “Horses are Good Students. Are You a Good Teacher?” in 2010. It is available on Amazon.

He was passionate about sharing the love and knowledge of horses and was a co-founder of the Hilltop Horsemen group, a fellowship of horsemen which still meets monthly in the tradition that Don envisioned nearly 15 years ago. He will always be remembered for the joys and blessings he brought into our lives. Below are some of the lives that were changed by meeting Don.

“A man of immense patience. He was a mentor, not only in horsemanship but in life, and will be greatly missed.”

“He had a sensible approach and a good sense of humor about dealing with horses, which I appreciated!”

“I never got the chance to know him. I am sorry I didn’t know him better. I remember at last year’s Western Day, the lady that won one of the championships stood up and attributed all she had learned about riding to Don.”

“He was a fine man who will be greatly missed.”

“Don's passion was for horses, and for introducing people to the joys of interacting with horses. A kind and gentle man, Don had a gift for inspiring people with confidence, even though they were anxious, timid, or flat out scared of riding. Don understood those people, and helped them find a confidence they did not know was possible. My Thoroughbred and I had a fall in 2009, in which we were both hurt. So, I went to Don, and asked for help. At the end, he said, "Well, anyone can see you are a rider." Ever since then, every time I get on horse, and start to feel nervous, I remember what Don said, and then I feel better. Thanks, Don, for reminding me that I am, and will always be, a RIDER.”

“Don was like a Grandpa to me and has influenced me in an incredible way, not only as a horsewoman, but as a person. He saw me at my best and at my worst and I will always treasure what he taught me. I will miss him very much. “

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Tributes to Don Kleckner 2

GV Equestrian Alliance BBQ 3

Equestrian Clinic Flyer 4

Who Knew? 5

CPR/AED Clinic Held 6

Best Burger on the Hill? 6

Now and Then 7

It’s Rattlesnake Season 8

How Mother’s Day Began 9

Mark Your Calendars 10

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Ride in Peace, Continued

If you would like to learn more about Don or share your memories, please feel free to join us at a Celebration of His Life on May 12 at the Common. A horse Honor Guard will ride from Don’s house to the Common at 3:30 p.m. The Memorial at the Common begins at 4:00 p.m. In keeping with the tradition that Don started with the Hilltop Horsemen, it will be a potluck so please bring a dish to be shared.

Don’s home on Penrod Canyon is currently on the market through Hilltop Realty. Larry’s property description couldn’t be more fitting: “A horseman's dream come true.” Yes, you were, Don. Ride in Peace.

Tributes to Don Kleckner When I first heard the name Don Kleckner around Garner Valley, people spoke of him with such reverence that I was almost afraid to meet him.

I found myself with a horse that I could not control. He had been dropped off to us by an old neighbor from Palm Desert who could not care for him any longer because of financial issues. I could tell that this horse was going to need A LOT of training! I called Don and asked him if he thought he might be able to help. He told me to bring the horse over and he'd take a look. I, of course, walked the horse (Cowboy) over on a lead, scared to death he'd take off on me...

We took Cowboy in Don's round pen and Don lunged him for about 20 seconds and with a twinkle in his eye he started to chuckle. I asked him what was so funny. He said, still chuckling, "This horse knows SO much more than you do!" Turns out I was the one who needed all the training. This is where Don first became my trainer, then my mentor, then my friend, and finally MY HERO! Don Kleckner gave me the gift of understanding and appreciating the joy of having a relationship with my horse. He truly changed my life.

Catherine Powers

What can I say about the special man who forever changed my life? I've always had a love for horses and riding (well, I thought I was riding). Being introduced to Don was the best thing that ever happened to me. Don asked what my background and experience with riding was, and I replied, "I would like to begin as if I don't know a thing.” It was the best decision I ever made!

Don gave me a copy of his book, Horses Are Good Students, a little book that turned out to become my training bible. How could such a small book pack so much useful information? But trust me, it does. Don was a gentle and thorough teacher, and I found myself being an eager and enthusiastic student.

Don had quite a sense of humor and proved to be a bit mischievous, messing with a piece of tack that I would have to sort out. When I would (finally) figure it out, I was rewarded with a twinkle in his eye and his famous thumbs up. We quickly became friends and we spent hours together talking horses and life. Don had a very diverse and interesting life and loved telling stories, but he was also a good listener and took an interest in my life. He taught me to respect the beauty of horses, bonding, and gaining trust using his gentle disciplines. Most importantly he taught me how to whisper and to become one with my horse. Don gave me a part of himself sharing his knowledge and lifelong love of horses. Today, because of Don, I can truly say, "I AM A RIDER instead of a passenger." (WOW!) It would take me several lifetimes to touch on what he accomplished in his one. I will miss my friend, and my go-to cowboy, as I already have dozens of questions that I know he would easily answer for me, as he always did. I will carry the gift of everything he taught me for the rest of my life. I'm grateful for every bit of knowledge and for every minute we shared together. Thank you, my sweet friend, my sweet Don. I'll miss you!

Patricia Petersen

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Equestrian Alliance BBQ The new Garner Valley Equestrian Alliance held its first meeting and BBQ on a sunny April afternoon at the Common. The shade cloth installed last year over the picnic tables provided the perfect amount of shade … thank you, Common Committee! We also enjoyed music provided by Walt Kuchler all afternoon.

Tom Bellamore showed off his BBQ skills making delicious hamburger sliders and hot dogs, complemented with potato salad, beans, chili, fruit salad, chips and cookies.

After lunch, Club Chairperson Melanie Bellamore welcomed the group and spoke about upcoming activities and events that are already being planned:

A trailer loading clinic, date to be determined

An intermediate group riding/obstacle clinic with Hope Adams on June 3 (see flyer on page 4)

Group riding lessons and practices twice a month at the arena, alternating week days and weekends

A round penning clinic at our new round pen A vet clinic in October/November

Ron Lawson then presented a lot of valuable information about taking care of our tack, geared towards making us safer in the saddle – how to check each piece for wear, especially the cinch and the off billet which hold the saddle in place; different kinds of rigging, how to clean and condition leather, and the pro’s and con’s of an array of products currently on the market. Ron showed us how easily an old, dry piece of cinch leather can break!

If you were not able to attend the meeting and want more information about any of the events, or if you would just like to be placed on the email list, please contact Melanie:

MBellamore3@gmail.com or call 714-349-9800 It was great to reconnect with other horse owners and horse lovers we hadn’t seen in a long time! We also welcomed several new neighbors and made new friends and riding buddies. We hope to see you at one of our events real soon!

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Who Knew? So many artists exist in Garner Valley! A night of laughter and fun was had by all at The Common where talented artist, Deborah Irish, taught a group of us women to actually paint a lovely scene, using acrylic paint. This fun event was sponsored by the Garner Valley Women’s Group. It was relaxing and satisfying albeit a bit nerve racking at times, making sure we were keeping up and following directions. The paintings, although each one a little different, all looked great! And this is coming from a stick figure artist! I figured if Deborah could even remotely get me to create a semblance of something artistic she must be amazing, and she is!

Throughout the evening when we were waiting for a portion of our paintings to dry, guests shared delicious appetizers and desserts while walking around and viewing others' paintings. It was fun to see the variations of the same scene. For many of us, this was a first experience with painting, and it was a good experience. We would definitely do it again. So, if you missed out on this event, look for information on a future Paint and Pour, and join us for a great time!

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CPR/AED Clinic Held at The Common The day started with a yummy breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and fresh berries! Such a deal for $5.00! And the day ended with a marvelous spread of Mexican food! In between, we learned how to save a life!!

Firefighters and paramedics from Cal Fire demonstrated and shared the correct techniques of CPR and taught us how to use an AED, which is basically a defibrillator that talks the rescuer through the procedure and continues until professional help arrives. Many of us had not had a class in many years, and things have definitely changed. If you haven't taken a course lately, it would be a good idea to take a one, especially because we live in such a rural area and every minute counts when someone's heart stops. We learned the rescue techniques for adults, children, and babies, by practicing on mannequins. This was a very worthwhile and useful clinic, sponsored by the Garner Valley Women’s Group. It was definitely worth our time.

Best Burger on the Hill? We’ve all seen the sign on our way up to Idyllwild. When we learned that the Good Times Bar & Grill had new owners and had changed its name to the Crazy Train Pub & Grill, we had to take a look and see for ourselves!

The interior of the Crazy Train is small and cozy. The menu offers “Goodies to Start”, including Chicken Wings, Popcorn Shrimp, Sauteed Mushrooms, Shrimp Cocktail, Jalapeno Poppers and more. Soups include Homemade Onion Soup, a soup of the day, and hot and spicy chili. There are eight different salads to choose from, but we skipped the preliminaries and went straight to the burgers and sandwich section. There are eight different burgers to try: Classic, Good Times, Western Cheeseburger, Bleu Max, Pastrami, Bacon Cheddar Avocado, Patty Melt, and Jalapeno! Each comes with your choice of French fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, cole slaw or potato salad. The burgers are all half pound fresh charbroiled ground beef except for the Good Times burger which is a 5-ounce size of the classic burger. We could not resist the onion rings which were fat, hot and crispy! Highly recommended!

There are also homestyle dinners like meatloaf, corned beef and cabbage, fettucini alfredo, fish and chips, baby back ribs, chicken, fried shrimp and steaks … as well as homemade desserts.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and look forward to going back to try a few more of those burgers!

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Now and Then Submitted by Sandy Brunet

Every conversation with Margaret Wellman is a treasure trove of historical insights that lead to the most unexpected places. I had no idea of the connection between the Wellmans and the Hamiltons (another founding family) until our last conversation. So I will share with you another area of Garner Valley that bears the

footprints of the Wellmans.

The story begins with the arrival of James Hamilton. James was born in Ohio and was biracial. He traveled west via a Mormon wagon train and was quite successful in California, building a hotel in San Diego before becoming one of the first homesteaders to settle in the Cahuilla Plateau (or Anza as we know it today) to pursue his passion for the cattle business.

James had 4 children with his wife who was a Native American Indian from the Julian area: Mary, Joe, Henry and Frank. He was a widower when he finally settled in the Anza area. Frank, the youngest, was a Riverside County Constable that was killed in San Jacinto in 1895. Eyewitness accounts bear an eerie similarity of today’s struggles with race and law enforcement. In an interesting twist, his murderer had a death sentence overturned on a technicality, and he was ultimately paroled to the Garner Ranch and worked the rest of his life as a ranch hand … literally just miles from the Hamilton family’s homestead in Kenworthy.

Joe, the eldest son, married Margaret’s grandmother, Claire Arnaz Wellman. This was his 2nd marriage and they had 4 children plus 2 children from Claire’s first marriage.

In time, Hamilton cattle ranged from Anza, over Thomas Mountain to Garner Valley. To manage the herd, a 2nd home was built in Kenworthy (Garner Valley). Descriptions place that home between Butterfly Peak and Devil’s Ladder off Toolbox Spring Road. The mountain range topography in the picture indicates the home was likely near Pathfinder Ranch’s horse area. Carrying on the family’s cattle tradition, Joe and Claire called the Garner Valley ranch their home. Later, Claire’s son, Jim Wellman (of Garner Valley wagon wheel fame from volume 1) lived in this house with his family until the 1920’s.

Despite a lifetime of prejudice, James Hamilton and his family were well thought of and respected members of the community. 17 years after his death, the Hamilton School was named in his honor.

To learn more about of valley’s history, please visit the Hamilton Museum and Ranch Foundation, 39991 Contreras Road in Anza. It is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Telephone 951.763.1350.

NOTE: If you would like to experience Southern California history – LIVE – don’t miss the Ramona Pageant. This is the country’s longest continuously running outdoor drama based on Helen Hunt Jackson’s book from 1884 which drew attention to Indian Rights amidst a romantic epic that played out against the back drop of historic Southern California. Final performances for the season are May 6 and 7 at the Ramona Bowl in Hemet. More information and tickets can be found at www.ramonabowl.com.

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It’s Rattlesnake Season Submitted by Sandy Brunet

With the arrival of warmer temperatures, we head outdoors to explore the natural beauty of our mountain home. Amidst the beauty, however, there is also danger…. rattlesnakes. A wet winter and warmer than normal spring temperatures means the snakes will be out in abundance in their endless search for food.

Here on the mountain, our local snake, the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake has a powerful presynaptic neurotoxin that is not found in the venom of the same snake at the base of the mountains. That’s right, a simple drive from the desert floor to the top of the San Jacinto Mountains and the venom goes from

destroying the blood to frying the nerves instead. The venom is designed to first, immobilize prey, and then kill it; venom is primarily a way of getting food—defense is secondary.

So avoiding snake bites for us and our animal friends is the topic of discussion at this month’s Hilltop Horsemen meeting. Our guest speaker, Carl Person, has worked with venomous snakes since 1976 and is a graduate student at Loma Linda University, Department of Earth and Biological Sciences. His doctoral work is on the molecular genetics of rattlesnake speciation. He became involved in rattlesnake avoidance training several years ago and as a biologist and a geneticist; he wanted to understand how dogs learn and remember. Dogs depend on their noses for almost everything. Why? Because it is their number one information system. This was the critical flaw in most avoidance training systems which are primarily based on sight and sound….rattlesnakes avoid detection by not being seen so it is imperative to engage the dog’s gift of the vomeronasal system to detect rattlesnakes. As a result, Carl has developed an optimized training course built specifically to engage the canine vomeronasal system.

If you would like to learn more about rattlesnakes and how to avoid them, please join us on Tuesday, May 2nd at Pam and Dave Potter’s, 59512 Hop Patch Spring Road. Potluck is at 6 pm (bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert and $1 host donation). Carl’s talk begins at 7 pm. Yes, you’ll have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the snakes.

If you can’t join us, here are some tips on reducing your risk of a rattlesnake bite:

If you see a snake, take two steps back, and you will be out of striking range and safe.

If you hear a rattlesnake, stop, locate the animal, then back away.

Stay on the open trails. If crossing over a rock or log, step on top of it first, and check on the other side.

Avoid putting your hands into areas where you cannot see what’s there.

A good set of hiking boots and long pants are also a help. Rattlesnake fangs can penetrate both, but it will help reduce the amount of venom delivered.

Use your dog as a detection device. Have your dog trained to avoid the snakes in the first place!

There is a Rattlesnake Avoidance Training class planned on the mountain on Saturday, May 6 by Carl Person, Animalia Herpetofauna, Inc. Go to www.animaliaherp.com. Class will be held at Mountain Feed and Hay, 29470 Highway 243 from 9 am – 5pm. Please register in advance, appointments fill up quickly. 951.719.6990. The cost is $99 per dog or $90 per dog if you are bringing 2 dogs.

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How Mother's Day Began Countries around the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year. Several countries, including the United States, Italy, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and Turkey celebrate on the second Sunday in May.

In the United States, the origins of the official holiday go back to 1870, when Julia Ward Howe, an abolitionist best remembered as the poet who wrote "Battle Hymn of the Republic,” worked to establish a Mother's Peace Day. Howe dedicated the celebration to the eradication of war, and organized festivities in Boston for years.

In 1907, Anne Jarvis, of Philadelphia, began the campaign to have Mother's Day officially recognized, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson did this, proclaiming it a national holiday and a "public expression of our love and reverence for all mothers."

Today's commercialized celebration of candy, flowers, gifts and lavish meals at restaurants bears little resemblance to Howe's original idea. However, the premise is the same, that of letting mothers know how much they are appreciated and loved.

As I Look Back...

As I look back on my life I find myself wondering... Did I remember to thank you for all that you have done for me? For all of the times you were by my side to help me celebrate my successes and accept my defeats? Or for teaching me the value of hard work, good judgment, courage, and honesty? I wonder if I ever thanked you for the simple things... The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared? If I have forgotten to express my gratitude For any of these things, I am thanking you now... and I am hoping that you've known all along, how very much you are loved and appreciated. Author Unknown

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Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Events! May 2, 2017

Hilltop Horsemen monthly meeting at Pam and Dave Potter’s, 59512 Hop Patch Spring Road. Potluck is at 6:00 p.m. (bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert and $1 host donation). Carl’s rattlesnake avoidance talk begins at 7:00 p.m. See article on Page 8.

May 12, 2017

Don Kleckner’s Celebration of Life. 4:00 p.m. at the Common. Bring a potluck dish to be shared. See article on Pages 1-2.

May 15, 2017

Debra Winger from Anza Electric/ConnectAnza will give an update about internet service after the Board Meeting General Session, at approximately 7:30 p.m.

May 22, 2017

GVPOA Election. The Inspectors of Election and Management will count the ballots on Monday, May 22, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. and the Annual Meeting of the Members portion will start at 5:45 p.m. at the Common. If quorum is not reached (not enough ballots received), an announcement of the reconvened date will be made, no less than 5 days, no more than 30 days, in accordance with Civil Code.

The ballot is to be returned to Management's office at 25240 Hancock Ave., Suite 400, Murrieta, CA 92562 on or before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 19, 2017.

June 3, 2017

Equestrian Clinic with Hope Adams at the GV Arena from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. “Teamwork and Leadership”. See flyer on Page 4.

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