WELCOME TO OUR WEB SITE Our Little Community COPPER MOUNTAIN MESA **CMMCA**   THE COPPER MOUNTAIN MESA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

Chewy

Hi Everyone: Due to lack of postage funds, we were forced to combine the Spring and Summer Newsletters this year. The first months of the year are always the most expensive, as Mary Helen Tuttle, our Treasurer, pays all the big bills for our Community Center, leaving little left over for stamps. We did consider sending a Newsletter out to all our e-Newsletter recipients, but that didn’t seem fair.

Last week, I had a chance to chat with Chris Jonas: long-time Mesa Resident and Volunteer Extraordinaire. Chris was born on a 450-acre ranch in North Dakota, on February 26th, 1942. In 1949, his parents moved Chris, his 4 brothers and one sister to apple country: by the Yakima River in Washington state. The family moved to Monterey Park, California, in 1955. Chris met his lovely Wife, Violet – a registered nurse from Ohio - in 1959, at Duffy’s Drive-Inn restaurant and they were married in December 1960. He worked for an electronics company in Temple City for 20 years; before becoming a home delivery Milkman. He says the stories you hear about ladies wanting to pay the milkman in creative ways, are true! Quickly, he added that he never accepted anything but cash! Chris, Violet and their two sons and two daughters, moved up to Copper Mountain Mesa in 1979. They camped out on their property, until they moved a mobile home out here. He ran a second-hand store, called ‘Chris’ Treasures’ for a number of years, until he grew tired of code enforcement restrictions from the City of 29 Palms, in the late eighties. Chris worked as a Cook in the Kontiki Restaurant at the Bowling Alley and as a dog groomer for ‘Head to Tail’, before retiring in 2004. Chris and Violet have 12 Grandchildren and 13 Great-Grandchildren. Both enjoy the Desert Silence and watching the Stars.

And on to Business…Saturday Breakfast will be on June 4th, from 8-11am; the Board meeting will be on June 13th at 7pm and Bingo will be played every Tuesday evening in June, from 5.30-9pm. However, there will be No Breakfast, Bingo or Board Meetings for the months of July and August.

The Potluck Parties will continue on the last Saturday of every month. These are a lot of fun and the food is delicious, so if you find yourself free on June 25th, July 30th and August 27th at around 4p.m., please join the party and bring a culinary masterpiece of your own to share. The U.S.D.A. Food-Giveaway will still be held on the third Monday of the month, through the Summer 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.

Sadly, due to lack of County funds, the tire recycling pen has been closed down. We are not sure what will happen with the load of dumped tires still in the pen. I sure hope this doesn’t mean that people will start dumping their unwanted tires out in the Desert again; like they used to before the recycling pen was introduced.

In September, the Saturday Breakfast will be on Sept. 3rd; Tuesday Night Bingo will start up again on Sept. 6th and the Board Meeting will be on Sept. 12th at 7p.m.

The Membership Committee is hoping to host our annual October Community B-B-Q again this year. We will let you know the date and specifics as we go along. We would love to see you all there and bring your Friends and Family too.

Keep in touch with the Neighborhood, by logging on to: www.coppermountainmesa.com and check out all the News and important dates; along with photos of past events. The website is run by Bob DeLoyd. Since early February, I have been writing the “Copper Mountain Mesa” columns in the ‘Hi-Desert Star’ newspaper every Saturday. Bob posts these, as well as his columns from five and ten years ago, on the website.

After a cool, windy Spring; Summer is just around the corner. Judging by the crazy storms across the country, we may be in for some interesting weather in the next few months! We’ll probably see a lot of snakes too, as there is a veritable explosion in the rodent population, after record-breaking rains last Winter.

I look forward to seeing you bumping down the dirt roads! I will do my very best to get the next Newsletter out by September 21st ; containing all the News for upcoming events in the Fall and Winter months.
Have a great Summer and Stay well, Annelies

Season’s Greetings!
I went over to interview Ruth Tuttle, as she is definitely one of the “Characters on the Mesa”! Her house smelled like Christmas and was charmingly decorated. She showed me to her room and proudly pointed out the Family photos on her wall: her late husband, their four daughters and son and all her Grandchildren. Ruth told me she was born in Bakersfield, CA, on August 2nd, 1924. She was 4 when her parents divorced and she and her mother moved to Duarte, where they lived with Ruth’s paternal grandfather Chappelow. She graduated from Duarte High School in 1942 and married in 1944. Her husband was a Navy man, stationed in Los Angeles and they lived in Monrovia. Sadly, he died in 1965. Ruth was introduced to the Copper Mountain Mesa area by brothers Earl and Leon Wilbert and she bought the house their late mother, Mrs. Wilbert, had lived in. After working at Avery Labels for 25 years, Ruth retired to the Desert permanently in 1986. She soon became involved in the Community Center and was part of the famous Copperettes. She also wrote the Newsletter and the weekly Newspaper column in the Hi-Desert Star for many years. Before city water was piped up to the Mesa around 1997, I remember seeing ‘Pioneer Woman’ Ruth driving to and from Surprise Valley water well, in a huge, yellow, water-hauling truck, which proudly displayed the license plate: “Queen Tut”! Nowadays, Ruth still attends Bingo evenings, the board meetings and the monthly Breakfasts; but she mostly enjoys crocheting in the Desert Quiet at home. She loves feeding the Birds and they entertain her for hours everyday. She likes to go to her church, United Methodist and says Christmas is her favorite holiday; while Spring is her favorite season. Ruth is a delightful Lady, with a naughty twinkle in her eyes; while a ready smile displays all her own, beautiful teeth! We love You Ruth; the Mesa wouldn’t be the same without you.

On to the rest of the News: The Annual BBQ was held on October 16th and a good time was had by all. As always, the food was delicious and we even had a band: Billy and the Good Guys, who were really good and had quite a few toes tapping! Steve Tuttle, Ruth’s son, played the drums to the surfer song “Wipe Out” and he nailed it! It was a really fun get-together; hope to see you there next year. At the Annual General Meeting on November 13th, the New Board was elected in: Kathy Quinn – President; Steve Tuttle and Ray Foyil – 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents; Tim Atzei – Secretary (appointed); Mary Helen Tuttle – Treasurer; with Marcie Hines, Bill Treas, Daniel Gray and I completing the Board.

Our first 2011 Saturday Breakfast will be on January 8th, the 2nd Saturday in January; as none of the volunteers wanted to work on New Year’s Day! Otherwise, the Breakfasts continue to be on the 1st 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 or dumping after hours.
Tuesday night Bingo is still held every week from 6.30-9p.m. and Neighbors get together at 5:30 for a delicious Supper, followed by a good game of Bingo. The Community Board Meeting is held on the second Monday of every month, starting at 7p.m. Our USDA Food Give-away, is usually on the 3rd Monday of every month from 9-11a.m. However, in January and February 2011, it will take place on the 2nd Mondays: January 10th and February 14th, as the third Mondays are holidays in both those months.
The Pot-Luck Parties will start up again in January and are held from 4p.m. on the last Saturday of every month. 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. Board member Daniel Gray wants to start up a Quilting group at the Center. Call the above number or e-mail us at cmmcanewsletter @gmail.com, if you would like to participate, or need more information Some of you have already renewed your 2011 Annual Membership in C.M.M.C.A. Thank You, Thank You! However, our Membership renewal has been alarmingly slow this year and we urge and beg you to remain a loyal member and send us your $7/= per person, annual membership dues. Please find a Membership Renewal form on the back of this page. I hope your Holiday Season is full of warmth and Love.

Stay well, Annelies

I hope you had a splendid Summer and sailed through the Weather’s ups and downs with no problems. We certainly had many days and nights with high humidity and thanks to the overly abundant rains in January, the Desert was crawling with rodents and snakes this Summer. Thankfully, the cooler Fall temperatures will soon send them all underground.
Apparently, the “Interview with Earl” last Newsletter was much enjoyed and I hope to do an interview with another ‘Character on the Mesa’ for the Winter Newsletter coming out in December. If you would like to suggest ‘Characters’ to be interviewed, please let me know.

After being closed for the Summer months, the Community Center held its September Saturday breakfast on the 4th: 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 8:15 rush! Remember, $4.50 for Adults and $2.50 for Children, gets you: eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, toast, juice and fresh coffee or tea. With great food and a chance to meet your Neighbors: come on down to your Community Center on Saturdays, October 2nd , November 6th and December 4th 2010, to enjoy this fun Community event.

The Membership Committee will host our 3rd Annual “End of Summer Community B-B-Q” on Saturday October 16th, 2010; with $1.00 Hotdogs, $2.00 Hamburgers, $2.50 Cheeseburgers plus all the yummy Fixin’s and Desserts. We’ll also have coffee, water and the soda machine; or…bring a cooler. Gather your Friends and Family and come on down. This year, we’ll have a LIVE BAND, with excellent Local Musicians, who are sure to get your feet tappin’ and those hips swingin’! The Party starts at 2p.m. and we’d love to see you there.
The Thrift Room will have 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.

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 6.00-9p.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 Monday of every month, the Community Board Meeting is held at the Center and starts at 7p.m. On Saturday November 13th 2010, 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 on the 3rd Monday of every month from 9-11a.m. and supplies good staple foods to the less fortunate.

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 Holiday Season is just around the corner again and we are planning our Annual Member Recognition Thanksgiving Pot Luck Party on Thursday November 25th, 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, call Mary Helen Tuttle at the Center: (760)362-5212 , or e-mail us at: cmmcanewsletter@gmail.com. Also, it is time for your Annual Membership renewal in C.M.M.C.A.: please find your Membership Renewal form on the back of this page. We ask all our Members to renew their Memberships in the Fall. When we receive all our Membership renewals around the same time, we can send all our renewed Member cards out in the same mailing; which helps us cut down on administration mix-ups! We’re all volunteers at the Center, doing the best we can to keep the Community Center going, so we can all continue to enjoy our Neighborhood Get-togethers. We’re always Happy to Welcome new Volunteers!! Until next time, hope to see you at the Center soon!

Stay well, Annelies

Newsletter: Summer 2010

For the last year or so, I have been wanting to interview some of our long-time Community Residents and write their story in the Newsletter. This year, we lost several of our senior Neighbors, so I got my act together and went to visit Earl Wilbert. Earl has been coming up to Copper Mountain Mesa since 1962, when his brother bought a cabin and they started bringing their bikes up here. Earl was born near Watts in Los Angeles, in 1924. He was a Marine during WW2 and was stationed in the Far East. His first marriage produced a Daughter and after the War, he attended Teacher’s College in Santa Barbara. With his second wife, Earl had four sons. He taught in El Monte until his retirement. In 1975, Earl did a solo Bike trip around the United States; an unforgettable Life experience. Recently divorced, Earl moved up to the Mesa in 1982; renting a home close to his 5 acres on Sunkist road. He built his own Cabin; taking two years to complete his “little slice of paradise”. In those days, the Community Center had not yet been built, so the Neighbors held potlucks and deep-pit Barbecues at the Firehouse. Earl was a Volunteer Firefighter and later served on the Board at the Center; taking care of the Treasurer’s many responsibilities, as well as writing the Newsletter for years. Most Tuesdays, Earl still helps with the supper preceding Tuesday Night Bingo. Earl loves our Desert weather and moved up here for the Quiet and the Panoramic views. His Cabin is shaded by mature trees and he has plants growing all around his home. He designed a system of raised, protected beds and grows his own vegetables and strawberries; safely out of reach for those pesky rabbits. Earl says he never gets lonely and spends most of his days tinkering in his enormous, well-equipped workshop. At 86, Earl is full of life, with a naughty twinkle in his blue eyes. The Ladies still love him, but he says he’s set in his ways and enjoys living alone. None of his Children or Grandchildren live close by and he doesn’t see them very often; but he seems happy in the knowledge that his Offspring are living their lives with contentment and purpose. Earl continues to love his life out here on the Mesa and has plenty of Friends and Neighbors to keep an eye on him! We love you, Earl!

And on to Business…There will be No Breakfast, Bingo or Board Meetings for the months of July and August.

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 31st and August 28th at around 4p.m., please join the party and bring a culinary masterpiece of your own to share. The U.S.D.A. Food-Giveaway will still be held on the third Monday of the month, through the Summer 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.

In September, the Saturday Breakfast will be on Sept. 4th; Tuesday Night Bingo will start up again on Sept. 7th and the Board Meeting will be on Sept. 13th at 7p.m.

The Membership Committee, will be hosting our annual Community B-B-Q on Saturday October 30th, 2010: a master B-B-Q event, with $1.00 hot-dogs, $2.00 hamburgers, cheese $0.50, plus all the yummy Fixin’s and dessert. This fun-filled neighborhood Family get-together starts at 2p.m.: coffee and water will be served: we have a soda machine, or bring your own cooler. We would love to see you all there and bring your Friends and Family too.

Keep in touch with the Neighborhood, by logging on to: www.coppermountainmesa.com and check out all the News and important dates; along with photos of past events. 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.

After an incredibly long and cool Spring; Summer has finally arrived. Love those Sunsets and watch out for Snakes! I look forward to seeing you bumping down the dirt roads! The next Newsletter will be out by September 21st.

FEATURED LOCAL BUSINESS: MOJAVEWIFI.COM. Submitted by Amanda Villareal.
“Michael and Stevie Villarreal, distinguished members of the Copper Mountain Mesa community for more than 40 years, have recently unveiled their new business enterprise, Mojavewifi.com! Mojavewifi.com is an Internet Service Provider based here in our very own Morongo Basin. This business offers Dial-up, DSL, and Wireless Internet services throughout most of the Basin, covering Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twenty-nine Palms, Landers, and even Wonder Valley is coming online soon! Being as Mojavewifi.com is a locally owned and operated family business, they have a commitment to Morongo Basin. They want to make their customers exceedingly happy. In fact, it's part of their motto: "We Strive to Exceed Expectations!" Some of the benefits you'll see with Mojavewifi.com include: There are no term-lengths or contracts for service. They won't bind you in for a year or two, and so there won't be any of those awful Early Termination Fees, either. Also, they don't put "caps" on your service like some other ISP's do. "It's your internet, you are welcome to use it as you like," they say. Call Mojavewifi.com today and see how they can exceed your expectations! (760) 362-1373.”

** If you would like to submit information about your local Business, to be included on the back of a C.M.M.C.A. Newsletter, please e-mail me at: cmmcanewsletter@gmail.com or write to us at P.O. Box 1231, Joshua Tree, CA 92252. Your $40.00 donation for this service is very much appreciated and pays for the U.S. Postage on the Newsletters we mail out. Copper Mountain Mesa Community Association does not necessarily endorse any businesses featured on this page and reserves the right to refuse any business considered unfriendly to our Family-oriented Neighborhood.**

Stay well, Annelies Kuiper

Newsletter: Spring 2010

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

Newsletter: Winter 2009

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

Newsletter: Fall 2009

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

Newsletter: Spring/Summer 2009

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

Newsletter: Spring 2009

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