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WELCOME TO OUR WEB SITECOPPER MOUNTAIN MESA**CMMCA** |
 Chewy |
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WELCOME TO OUR WEB SITECOPPER MOUNTAIN MESA**CMMCA** |
Chewy |
We leave the Winter behind with sadness, because we lost a number of Neighbors this year. Donna Myers, Lee Hines, Bob Seeley and Robert ‘Stoney’ Stonebraker all died in the last several months and our Hearts go out to their Loved Ones. Marcie Hines (Lee’s Widow) and Bill Treas have kindly joined us on the Board, but we will miss those who have gone before.
Spring 2010 has sprung and the Wildflowers are beginning to show their pretty faces. Snakes are also coming out; we had our first Red Racer on the porch a few days ago. It looks like we’ll have a short Spring and then on to a long, hot Summer! I hope the Coyotes find lots of critters to eat and move away from our Homes and Pets: they were menacingly bold this Winter. A few well-intentioned people on the Mesa continue to feed the Coyotes, even though they must know that it removes the Coyotes’ natural fear of people, upsets Nature’s balance and is expressly forbidden by Law. So, if you’re still feeding the Coyotes: your Neighbors and their Pets beg you to stop.
On a side note, we may see strange vehicles driving around our dirt roads in the next 8 weeks, as the U.S. Census gets under way. I would encourage everyone to participate, as it helps establish federal funding for local communities. Information is not released to any other agency and is kept private for 70 years, when it is revealed for historical interests only. Some people wonder about the focused, repeated questions about racial and ethnic background; finding this invasive. While this may be so, it also provides us with great insight into where this Melting Pot of races, cultures, religions and traditions that make up America; is headed in the future.
Anyway, enough chatter! Our fabulous Saturday Breakfast continues on the first Saturday of every month, from 8-11a.m. The breakfast on Saturday April 3rd will be especially festive this year as it falls on Easter weekend and we will be holding our 2nd Annual Easter Egg-Coloring Contest, during the Breakfast. While some hard-boiled eggs will be available, please bring extra if you’re bringing a whole herd of Kids! Dyes, stickers etc. will be provided by the Center. The story will be published in Bob DeLoyd’s Saturday column in the Hi-Desert Star. We hope to see you here: there’ll be great food and fun for all!
Recycle your Tires inside the fenced compound, behind the Fire Station, on the first two Saturday mornings of every month. Please, no rims and no dumping after hours.
Tuesday night Bingo is still held every Tuesday from 6.30-9p.m. Neighbors get together around 5:30, for a delicious Supper - usually hosted by Steve Tuttle and Earl Wilbert - after which a good game of Bingo is enjoyed by all. We hope you’ll be tempted to join us soon! The Pot gets pretty full some nights; so come and try your luck, meet some Neighbors and have a good time.
The Community Board Meeting will now be held on the second Monday of every month, starting at 7p.m. More Neighbors have been joining us for these meetings and it’s always interesting to hear new ideas and suggestions on how to make our Neighborhood an even better Place for all of us to live.
Our USDA Food Give-away is on the 3rd Monday of every month from 9-11a.m. and supplies good staple foods to the Needy.
The Pot-Luck Party - held from 4p.m. on the last Saturday of every month, continues to be a culinary adventure. Please join us and bring your own food creations to share. The Thrift Room is open during all events, or by appointment. Please call the Center at (760)362-5212 for more information.
Most Memberships have now been renewed: Thank You! 2010 Membership cards have been sent out, but if I have been remiss and you have not received your card, please let me know at cmmcanewsletter@gmail.com or call (760)362-5248, between 8a.m. and 6p.m. Also, the Membership Committee is putting together a ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’ package for new residents in the area. We would like to include any good tips we’ve learned in our years in the Desert. So, if there’s anything you’ve learned about Desert-living that you wish someone had told you when you first moved here, let us know. We’ll share it with our new Neighbors. Well, that’s it for me. Happy Spring and I’ll see you bumping down the dirt roads! Enjoy this beautiful weather; it’s gonna get HOT all too soon!
Stay well, Annelies Kuiper
Our October 17th “End-of-Summer-Blast B-B-Q” was a great success and we had a good turnout. I autographed a few copies of my book and thoroughly enjoyed seeing old Friends and meeting new ones. The food was fabulous, as Steve Tuttle and Ray Foyil barbecued the delicious hamburgers and hotdogs to perfection. Kathy Quinn and Mary Helen Tuttle teased each other mercilessly about whose dish was more delicious: Kathy’s potato salad or Mary Helen’s bean salad! Bob DeLoyd brought his camera and took photos of all of us having fun in the Sun: they’re on the website if you want to check it out: www.coppermountainmesa.com.
The next Community gathering was the Annual Member Recognition Thanksgiving Pot Luck Party. Steve and Ray were in the Community Center kitchen by 4a.m. and had four Turkeys roasted to perfection. They left the smallest turkey unstuffed just for little old me and my gluten intolerance: I was so touched by their kindness and consideration. Sixty people showed up for the Party and everyone brought the most delicious dishes to enhance the superbly juicy Turkeys. I got to hang out with Earl Wilbert and Marie Morrison, as we shared stories of “Life on the Mesa”. He shared his bottle of wine with us and we got a little tipsy, giggling like teenagers. It was a lovely party and we gained some new Members.
Our beloved Marcie Hines, who has done such a great job running the Thrift Room all these years, lost her husband Lee over the Thanksgiving holiday. Lee Hines was a Board Member and a regular at all Community Center events. Marcie: we’re so sorry for your loss and heartache. We love you and we’re here for you. Our condolences and very best wishes to You and your Family.
This is a difficult and painful season for many of us and for those living alone, it can be a time of great depression and loneliness. May we all be enveloped in warmth and love this Holiday Season: each and every one of us. And may 2010 be kinder to us than 2009 has been: Phew!
So…on to Business: Our Fabulous Saturday Breakfast continues on the first Saturday of every month, from 8-11a.m.
Recycle your Tires inside the fenced compound, behind the Fire Station, on the first two Saturday mornings of every month. Please, no rims and no dumping after hours.
Tuesday night Bingo is still held every Tuesday from 6.30-9p.m. and Neighbors get together for a delicious Supper and a good game of Bingo. For a $10/= buy-in, with U-Pik-Em and Blackout pots for the winning, we hope you’ll join us soon.
The Community Board Meeting will now be held on the second Monday of every month, starting at 7p.m. We changed the day and time, because we are hoping more Community Residents will be able to attend our meetings, after work, during the week. Meetings are fun and becoming more lively as more Folks attend.
Our USDA Food Give-away is always on the 3rd Monday of every month from 9-11a.m. and supplies good staple foods to the Needy. Chris Jonas and his Crew always do a great job organizing this and they help a lot of hungry People.
Some of the dishes at the Pot-Luck Party - held from 4p.m. on the last Saturday of every month – are quite simply D-licious! Please join us and bring your own culinary creations to share.
The Thrift Room is open during all events, or by appointment. Please call the Center at (760)362-5212 for more information.
We are still taking applications for our Christmas dinner give-away for the truly needy in our Community; but we only have a few more days to sign up. Call Board Member Rob Reese at (760)362-4546 or e-mail us at: cmmcanewsletter@gmail.com. Most of you have already renewed your 2010 Annual Membership in C.M.M.C.A. and your updated Membership cards have either already been sent to you, or are attached to this Newsletter. However, if you still need to re-up, please find a Membership Renewal form on the back of this page, for your convenience.
Looking back, I feel encouraged and grateful. We’ve known tough times on the Mesa before, but 2009 was really hard for a lot of us. However, tough times make us rise to the occasion, reach out and try harder. I’ve seen a more closely-knit Community this year and more kindness in Neighbors’ eyes. As always, thanks to all of You who continue to keep this little Desert Ship afloat! I wish you Happy Holidays and a Marvellous New Year. Until next time…
Stay well, Annelies Kuiper
I do hope your Summer was pleasant and full of fun. July was a very challenging month, with high heat and lots of humidity. My little cooler worked its heart out, but could not keep up with 113 degrees on my shaded porch and a dew point in the high sixties! We had a plague of ground squirrels this year (or chichimocos, as my Kids used to call them!) who decimated any and all flowers and leaves on my shrubs. When the hot weather hit, they all went underground to escape the heat and no doubt, to feast on the flowers they'd harvested! We had a lot of snakes around this year too; including multiple sightings of the Southern Pacific rattlesnake, which has been expanding its territory rapidly in recent years and breeding with the green Mojave to produce a 'super-species' of rattlesnake with neuro- and hematoxic venom. The coyotes have been very bold as well and sightings are common at sunrise and sunset. As we pass the Autumnal Equinox on September 22nd, we go into the Fall; that glorious time of the year, when days are delightful, nights are cool and our Mountains are splendid with their long, deep, purple shadows.
After being closed for the Summer months, the Community Center held its September Saturday breakfast on the 5th, as always on the first Saturday of the month. We had a great turnout and our Chefs, Steve Tuttle and Ray Foyil rose to the challenge, when most of the Guests arrived for the 9.15 rush! Remember, for $4.50 you get eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, pancakes, bicuits and gravy, juice and fresh coffee or tea. With great food and a chance to meet some interesting People, our Breakfasts are fun.
Recycle your unwanted Tires inside the fenced compound, behind the Fire Station, on the first two Saturday mornings of every month. Please, no rims and no dumping after hours. Tuesday night Bingo is back in full swing too and the 'U-Pik-Em' and 'Blackout' pots are full for the winning! Every Tuesday from 6.30-9p.m. Neighbors get together for a delicious Supper and a good game of Bingo. For a $10/= buy-in, we hope you'll join us soon.
On the 2nd Saturday of every month, the Community Board Meeting is held at the Center and starts at 10a.m. On Saturday November 14th, however, the Annual Community Board Meeting will be held from noon until 1p.m., followed by a light lunch. At 2p.m., during the General Membership meeting, the old Year will be closed and the new Board Members voted in. As always, You are encouraged to join us and participate.
Our USDA Food Distribution is always on the 3rd Monday of every month from 9-11a.m. and supplies good staple foods to the Needy.
Some of the dishes at the Pot-Luck Party - held from 4p.m. on the last Saturday of every month - are quite simply D-licious! Please join us and bring your own culinary creations to share.
The Membership Committee will host an "End-of-Summer-Blast B-B-Q" on Saturday October 17th, 2009; with $1.00 Hotdogs, $2.00 Hamburgers, $2.50 Cheeseburgers plus all the yummy Fixin's. We'll also have coffee, water and our trusty soda machine; or…bring a cooler. Gather your Friends and Family and come on down. The Party - which also commemorates the 40th anniversary of Phone service on the Mesa - starts at 2p.m. and we'd love to see you there. The Thrift Room is having a special Yard Sale from 2-4p.m. on that day and is open during all events, or by appointment. Please call the Center at (760)362-5212 for more information.
The Holiday Season is just around the corner again and we are planning our Annual Member Recognition Thanksgiving Pot Luck Party on Thursday November 26th, from 1p.m. Turkey, Stuffing and Mashed potatoes will be provided. Please join us: Membership and a food-dish to share are required for this event. We are taking applications for our Christmas dinner give-away for the truly needy in our Community. To sign up, write to Mary Helen Tuttle at the above P.O. Box, or e-mail us at: cmmcanewsletter@gmail.com. Also, it may be time for your Annual Membership renewal in the Copper Mountain Mesa Community Association: please find a Membership Renewal form on the back of this page. Some of you recently brought your dues up to date: if so, thank you very much indeed and please find your updated Membership card attached. As always, thanks to all of You who continue to keep this little Desert Ship afloat!
Until next time… Stay well, Annelies Kuiper
A new Membership Committee has been formed: Kathy Quinn, Bob Deloyd, Rob Reese and I. Rob has taken over for Brenda Zimmer (who moved out of the area), on the Board and the M'ship committee; while Bob kindly offered to join us. We are communicating with CMMCA Members and updating our various Lists. One of our cost-saving efforts, is to send the Newsletter to as many Members as possible, via e-mail. If you have an e-mail address, please let me know at: cmmcanewsletter@gmail.com and we will add you to our e-mail recipients list. The Spring and Summer 2009 Newsletters have been on our website: (www. coppermountainmesa.com, run by Bob Deloyd) for months, but were not mailed, or e-mailed, out, as we were updating our Member information. I have combined the two Newsletters to send out, as follows:
March 21st, 2009 - Well, Spring has sprung! Our Desert Mesa has turned into an ocean of Wildflowers. The flamboyant, fuchsia Beavertail Cacti, are opening their blooms to the sun, while baby Jackrabbits are abundant this year. We've had 70m.p.h. wind gusts, but it's all part of the wild Beauty we call home. Hopefully, you are all weathering the storm in our Nation's financial crisis. Our Community may be ahead of most Americans, in how to survive tough times! We know all about recycling and bartering; while many of us already use alternative sources of energy. Our Community Center is there for us in tough times and doubles as our Red Cross Shelter in case of disaster. Our USDA Food Give-away on the 3rd Monday of every month supplies good staple foods to the Needy. Our Saturday Breakfast, from 8-11a.m. on the 1st Saturday of every month, is great value for your money. For $4.50 you get eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, pancakes, bicuits and gravy, juice and fresh coffee or tea. That's a feast for a pittance, I say! On the 2nd Saturday of every month, the Community Board Meeting is held at the Center and starts at 10a.m. You are encouraged to attend and your questions and suggestions concerning the Community, are welcome. Learn what's hot and what's not at these lively meetings.
Hot- dogs are now being served during Tuesday Night Bingo and often, someone will bring baked goodies: another reason to join us every Tuesday from 6.30-9p.m. It's $10 to buy in and the winnings can be substantial. Please join us and bring your friends. Some of the delicious dishes at the Pot-Luck Party - held from 4p.m. on the last Saturday of every month - are mouth-wateringly, mmm-mmm good. Please join us and bring your own culinary creations to share. The Thrift Room is always open during these events and otherwise, by appointment. Please call the Center at (760)362-5212 for more information. Recycle your unwanted Tires inside the fenced compound, behind the Fire Station, on the first two Saturday mornings of every month. Please, no rims and no dumping after hours. Speaking of the Fire Station, 2nd vice-president Ray Foyil, has set up a dialogue with the Fire Department and negotiations are ongoing. Get those coolers ready, because Summer is on the way. Large gopher snakes have been spotted along Coyote Valley and a green mojave was squashed along Winters road. Colorful Orioles and Tanagers are passing through and Ocotillos and Palo verdes are now all in brilliant bloom. I love the Desert in the Spring!
June 21st, 2009: Summer is definitely here and the swamp cooler is much-appreciated! I was recently reminded how wild our Desert is, when our beloved, aging cat Oreo, was killed by coyotes, under my bedroom window. Growing up in Kenya, I was exposed to the cruelties of nature from an early age, but I was devastated by this primal savagery on my poor Kitten.
However, Life must go on, so here's some Summer business. There will be No Breakfast or Bingo in July and August. Other events and services will continue through the Summer, as described above. The M'ship Committee will host an "End-of-Summer-Blast B-B-Q" on Saturday October 17th, 2009; with $1.00 Hotdogs, $2.00 Hamburgers, $2.50 Cheeseburgers plus all the yummy Fixin's. We'll also have coffee, water and our trusty soda machine; or, bring a cooler. Gather your Friends and Family and come on down. The Party starts at 2p.m. and we'd love to see you there. Until the Fall: keep cool and watch out for Rattlers - they're out in force this Year. Hope to see you bumping down the dirt roads!
Stay well, Annelies Kuiper
Summer is definitely here and the swamp cooler is a much-appreciated appliance right now! After dark, it cools off and I sleep with doors and windows open: except on those nights when the wind is gusting and the roof sounds like it's about to be ripped off! I find those howling winds so unsettling. Our beautiful Desert recently reminded me how wild it is out here. Our beloved 13-year-old cat Oreo, was killed by coyotes, right under my bedroom window. I grew up in Kenya and was exposed to the cruelties of nature from a very early age, but I was completely devastated by the primal savagery I heard under my window that night. Oreo killed many helpless birds, reptiles and rodents during her Life, so her death does seem just in the natural order of things. I try to comfort myself that some Coyote babies ate well that night and Nature is the ultimate recycler, but it doesn't help me: I miss her achingly. With her presence, personality and incredible vocal talents; she was the last of a herd of cats that have lived here over the years and she was truly amazing. A home without a cat is less joyful to me and wow, those rodents have wasted no time moving in to chew on my flowers!
Well, Life goes on, so I'll get down to business. There will be No Breakfast or Bingo for the months of July and August.
The Board Meetings will still be held on the second Saturday of the month at 10a.m. (July 11th, August 8th and September 12th.) Please join us, discussions get pretty lively at times and we value your input. By the way, there has been a change on the Board. Our friendly, longtime neighbor Brenda Zimmer has resigned from the Board, as well as the Membership Committee and moved off the Mesa. My dear friend, Rob Reese, (who has lived up here, off and on, since 2006 and is a fellow writer), has agreed to take her place.
Our very own Hi-Desert Star columnist, Bob DeLoyd will be joining Rob, Kathy Quinn and I on the Membership Committee. We will be meeting and planning events during the Summer and I will let you know about future get-togethers in the Fall Newsletter. The first event hosted by the Membership Committee, will be an "End of Summer Blast" on Saturday October 17th, 2009 @ 2p.m: a master B-B-Q event, with $1.00 hot-dogs, $2.00 hamburgers, $2.50 cheeseburgers and all the Fixin's. This neighborhood Family get-together starts at 2p.m.: coffee and water will be served and we have a soda machine. We would love to see you there and bring your Friends and Family.
The Potluck Parties will continue on the last Saturday of the month. These are a lot of fun and the food is delicious, so if you find yourself free on July 25th and August 29th at around 4p.m., please join the party and bring a culinary masterpiece of your own to share.
The U.S.D.A. Food-Distribution will still be held and the Thrift Room may be visited during the previously mentioned events, or by appointment during the Summer months. Please call the Center at (760)362-5212 for more information. Leave a message and your call will be returned a.s.a.p.
Please remember, you can Recycle your unwanted Tires inside the fenced compound, behind the Fire Station, on the first two Saturday mornings of every month, through the Summer. Please, no rims and no dumping after hours.
Speaking of the Fire Station, 2nd vice-president on the Board - Ray Foyil, has now set up a dialogue with the Fire Department. Negotiations are continuing, to find solutions around Fire Station 44 and how to use it for the benefit of our Community. I will keep you posted.
Keep in touch with the Neighborhood, by logging on to: www.coppermountainmesa.com and check out all the News and important dates. The website is run by Bob DeLoyd: don't forget to check out his "Copper Mountain Mesa" column in the Hi-Desert Star every Saturday.
In the interests of saving money on postage stamps, we are trying to send our quarterly Newsletter to as many Members as possible, via e-mail. Please contact me at: cmmcanewsletter@gmail.com and I will e-mail you the next Newsletter. This is the official Newsletter e-mail address, so please be sure to use it from now on: I'd love to hear from you. Suggestions on how to make the Community Center more welcoming and accessible to our Neighbors, would be most appreciated.
I hope you have a pleasant Summer and look forward to seeing you bumping down the dirt roads!
Stay well, Annelies Kuiper
Well, Spring has sprung! Our Desert Mesa has turned into an ocean of Wildflowers. As always, the white and yellow ones seem to bloom first. The Beavertail Cacti with their flamboyance of fuchsia, are opening their blooms to the sun, while baby Jackrabbits are in abundance this year. The winds have been horrendous, with gusts up to 70mph, but fortunately, the roof held up and the Sparrows' nests made it through. Somehow it's all part of the wild Beauty we call home. Hopefully, you are all weathering the storm in our Nation's financial crisis. As our Neighborhood has always been economically challenged, I feel we are ahead of most Americans, in how to survive in tough times! We know all about recycling, composting and bartering; while many of us already use alternative sources of energy. Trading work-skills and necessary items are great ways to get what you need and it's a win-win situation. Sharing is also a way of Life for us out here: gasoline, pet food, firewood and commodities are just a few things we share and help each other out with.
Our Community Center is there for us in tough times as well and doubles as our Red Cross Shelter in case of disaster. Our USDA Food Give-away on the 3rd Monday of every month supplies good staple foods to the Needy. Our Saturday Breakfast, from 8-11a.m. on the 1st Saturday of every month, is another good opportunity to get great value for your money. For $4.50 you get eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, pancakes, bicuits and gravy, juice and fresh coffee or tea. That's a feast for a pittance, I say! On the 2nd Saturday of every month, the Community Board Meeting is held at the Center and starts at 10a.m. You are encouraged to attend and your questions and suggestions concerning the Community, are always welcome.
Come and meet the Board Members who volunteer to help you and the Community. Up-to-date information is provided at the meetings, regarding the running of the Center and our ongoing efforts to pay the bills and keep the doors open. Learn first-hand what's hot and what's not at these lively meetings. Hot- dogs are now being served during Tuesday Night Bingo and often, somebody will bring baked goodies: another reason to join us every Tuesday from 6.30-9p.m. It's $10 to buy in and the winnings can be substantial. Please join us and bring your friends.
We all like to eat and some of the delicious dishes at the Pot-Luck Party - held from 4p.m. on the last Saturday of every month - are mouth-wateringly, mmm-mmm good. April 25th, May 30th and June 27th are the Pot-luck Saturdays coming up. Please join us and bring your own culinary creations to share with your Neighbors.
The Thrift Room is always open during these events and otherwise, by appointment. Please call the Center at (760)362-5212 for more information. Please remember, you can Recycle your unwanted Tires inside the fenced compound, behind the Fire Station, on the first two Saturday mornings of every month. Please, no rims and no dumping after hours.
Speaking of the Fire Station, 2nd vice-president on the Board Ray Foyil, has now set up a dialogue with the Fire Department and negotiations are underway to better the situation.
Your Community Center is here to serve you and your Community. We run solely on membership dues, the Thrift Room, money collected at our Events and donations from our Community. The Center and its members have had their ups and downs over the years. I would ask that we all leave the past behind and focus on how we can best serve our Neighborhood today. If we all participate and donate a little time and/or money to the Community Center, we can look forward to many more years of community service, disaster-preparedness and joyful Neighborhood get-togethers. Remember that all Community events and updated news can be found on our website at: www.coppermountainmesa.com. Send your e-mail address to tuttls42@gmail.com and we'll add you to our list of eNewsletter recipients.
I hope you're enjoying this gorgeous Spring weather, but we'd better get those coolers ready, because Summer is on the way. Be warned; the snakes are out. Large gopher snakes have been spotted along Coyote Valley, warming themselves in the sun and a green mojave was squashed along Winters road. Orioles and Tanagers grace our trees, while sparrows and mourning doves teach their babies how to fly. Ocotillos and Palo verdes are now all in brilliant bloom. I love the Desert in the Spring!
'Til next time, stay well, Annelies Kuiper