Salton Sea Story

Tag: golden girl of the year

  • He wanted fish but ended up with pelican

    Huge clusters of plump golden dates hang heavy on the palms; patches of bright color are just now making their appearance on the ripening citrus; the vineyards, recently so green, are turning brown — all in their season.

    Flocks of white pelicans riving, cormorant are here too; and Nick Nicholson of Salton City can vouch for that. He had a bout with one the other day. He was fishing when the big black bird swooped down on the tilapia he was using for bait and was hooked. Nick reeled him in and in trying to free him all hell broke loose. Nick has scars to prove it!

    Well, there’s no frost on the pumpkins! Although the nights have turned refreshingly cool, Indian summer lingers.

    Miss Salton Sea and The Golden Girls will ride in the Borrego Springs Festival Parade today. It is scheduled for 11 am. The festival is a three-day affair (Oct. 27-28-29) centering around Christmas Circle, and many from Salton’s West Shores will attend.

    Those craving a real Halloween should follow the trail tonight to Richard Console’s “Spook Buggy Run.” EKerie sounds and sights along those canyon walls might be enough to make you wish you’d stayed home!

    All are 6 invited just follow the signs from the turnoff on $22 at Salton City, about two miles along $22 (Borrego Salton Seaway), then turn left toward the hot ponds. Signs will mark the way. In addition to the Spook Run, there will be a barbecue and entertainment by Shelia!

    Cant help thinking of the stories about the Superstition Mountain’s moaning and writhing, about the skeleton and his rattling chains and green lamp who roams the desert randomly as if in search of something, or the unmanned phantom ship that appears on the Salton Sea All comes to mind this time of year.

    If you’ve ever taken a ride on desert trails by moonlight on a chilly night in that skeleton of a buggy, the rail, you’ll never forget the creeping shadows, the long arms reaching out along the trail, then seeming to follow, the whirl of the wind, and the wildness, the screeching and snarling of that monster. Don’t go!

    The Windjammer at Desert Shores will be the scene of a Halloween Costume Party on Tuesday. Live entertainment and a strangeness Will prevail; and it will be fun!

    Last Sunday was the end of the 15th annual West Shores Howdy Neighbor Days, and there were nine wonderful days and nights. There were open houses at businesses, clubs and organizations throughout the West Shores communities there were dances, barbecues, chicken dinners, breakfasts, happy hours, sing-a-longs, drawings, special church services, and it all terminated with a Chili Cookoff and the presentation of awards.

    Winners in the various categories were as follows: for chili — Marlene St. Clair; pies — Bobbie Morris; cakes — Virginia Clawson, In the best dressed competition, first place winners were: man Mike Groves, woman — Ruth Layman; couple — Ernie and Phyllis Mogales; boy and girl — Marvin and Marlene Rasmussen.

    Madalyn Hill of Desert Shores was named “Old Timer of the Year”.

    Alabama Jim took a first in the beard contest: Wolf Bondzeit a first for his sideburns, and Mike Prince held top honors for his moustache.

    Dick St. Clair of Salton Sea Beach was the genial master of ceremonies who introduced the winners.and those assisting with presentations were: Mr. and Miss Salton Sea, Richard Console and Jan Clemens, Salton’s Junior Queen, Lauren Winters; Frank Farley, the Beach Boy, and Jackie Quinn, Golden Girl of 1989-90.

    On this year’s HND Committee were. Les and Linda Marty of Desert Shores, co-chairmen. Kern Abrams, vice chairman, Marlene St. Clair and Bob Waltz, sharing the office of treasurer, secretary, Bernice Duncan, and Madalyn Hill, counselor to the committee,

    They and their crews are to be congratulated for planning, organizing and carrying out this extremely successful 1989 event, which provided great entertain: meant for Salton residents and visitors and increased acquaintanceship along Salton’s shores.

    Next Saturday, November 4, wedding bells will ring at the West Shores Baptist Church, Salton Sea Beach, for Miss Kristi Taylor of Westminster and Mr. Jeffrey Miller of Vista Del Mar. Kristi is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Taylor of Westminister: and Jeffrey is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Miller of Imperial.

  • Snowbirds back to Salton Sea

    “Howdy Neighbor Days” at Salton Sea’s West Shores (Oct. 14-22) comes just at the right time-folks are happily returning from their vacations, the Snowbirds are arriving, and the homes, roused from their summer lethargy, are geared for action.

    The 10-day event opened last weekend with a carnival at the Desert Shores Park, and it was great. There were games, craft, food, refreshment booths by the various organizations, there was dunk tank and a fortune telling tent, the ambulance was stationed just inside the entrance to the park for emergencies and also added gusto with the intermittent blasting of sirens.

    Jackie Quinn, of Salton City, was named Golden Girl of the Year: and Lauren Winters, 15, of Salton Sea Beach, was crowned Salton’s Junior Queen of 1989-91(in two separate contests which were held at the park gazebo.

    Marlene Bell of Desert Shores was the runner op in the Golden Girls event, and she could have stepped from a page in a country-western thriller, with her boots. 10-gallon hat, chaps. holster, las-so and spurs that jingled.

    The Salton Sea Beach team, of Gloria Lewis and Marylen Waltz took third place and brought thunderous applause. Gloria, was in bib overalls trimmed in lace and had a cow in tow, which was Marylen (with udder) Others, all great and each in unique western attire, were: Dorothy Culpepper, Ginger Dean, Eva Harbaugh, Vi Herzberg. Ruth Layman, Phyllis Nogales. Ann Reyes, Pat Shuberg and Jackie Woodman.

    The Golden Girl of 1988-89, beautiful, petite Dottie Mullins of the beach community, stepped down from her throne that evening to crown Jackie “Golden Girl of the Year.”

    In the Junior Queen’s Court are Michelle Bell and Tonya Read of Salton City, and Elisa Guice and Tonya Peterson of Desert Shores, all lovely young ladies who ex-pressed the desire to give special assistance with community affairs throughout the coming year. They will be appearing in the W.S. Santa Claus Parade at Sal-ton Sea Beach on Dec. 10.

    They are cookin’ at the Desert Shores park today for the Chili Cookoff (the chili has to be prepared at the park). Judging the chili, along with baked goods entries, takes place at 5:30 — after that, we eat it all!

    Tomorrow, the American Legion will treat folks to their famous biscuits and gravy, eggs-sausage-beverage-breakfast from 6-10 a.m. at the POA building in Salton Sea Beach. (Only $2.50!)

    But speaking of haunts, the San Francisco earthquake is haunting us, for we too are situated adjacent to the San Andreas Fault It was about 1953 when 1 experienced my first earthquake at Sal-ton Sea and it was a big one In those days there were just a few trailers on the beach (no campers or motor homes then); it was due ing the week and about dusk

    I had hired a woman to assist me at the Reach House. It had just been moved back out of the water and was sitting on timbers and stilts about five feet above the ground. When the shaking started we were across the road way in my trailer, 1 remember being afraid to look out for fear the Beach !louse had crashed, but it just rolled with the punches!

    We ran over to the Beach House (bar and restaurant) and just as I reached for a glass the after shock came — it too was severe, and we made our way out as fast we could.

    My lady made her way “way out and I never saw her again. She was from San Diego. The few trailers and cars parked there made a complete exit — watched them leave and there wasn’t even a goodbye.

    Glasses, bottles, were all off the shelves — there was break-age everywhere, and the next morning I discovered wide cracks in the earth.