Thirty Years Ago in the MNN

Here’s what was making news in the Santa Cruz Mountains 30 years ago, at least according to the September/October 1995 issue of Mountain Network News. The county had just approved the pedestrian overpass on Summit Road, near Loma Prieta and C.T. English. Some residents shared that they thought the $600,000 project was a waste of money, but I think most of us would agree it has improved safety.

A proposed golf course and country club, to be located in what is now the Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, prompted residents to form the Save Lexington Hillsides public-interest group. The golf course would have used approximately 25 million gallons of water to establish the golf turf, and 400,000 gallons of water a day to maintain it. Concerns about the environmental impact of the golf course in the Los Gatos Creek watershed eventually ended the development.

The Loma Prieta Recreation Department reported that 35 parents attended a meeting to support the creation of Building Blocks Preschool, which started holding classes in October 1995. Building Blocks has grown and evolved, and continues to serve mountain families today.

We had a well-organized recreation department in the mountains 30 years ago. They offered classes and open gym times for aerobics, volleyball, country line dancing, basketball, art, belly dancing, tutoring, soccer, and more.

One article discussed the options for getting television in the mountains. (When we moved here in 1991, we had a rooftop antenna that picked up two very grainy channels when the weather cooperated.) Cable television was being laid in the Villa Del Monte neighborhood and Summit Road, from Old Santa Cruz Highway to Loma Prieta Avenue. The other option was satellite. (There are still a few old satellite dishes standing unused on mountain properties today.) Another article shared how two loggers from Washington state demonstrated horse logging in the Soquel Demonstration State Forest. In five weeks, they pulled about 70,000 board feet of lumber using 2,000-pound Belgian and Percheron draft horses. Thom Sutfin, who will be sharing the history of the SDSF at a Loma Prieta Museum event this month (see page 7 for more information), organized tours for the media, neighbors, and students to see the advantages and disadvantages of different logging techniques. Neil Wiley, who attended one of the tours, shared that a highlight was watching a three-horse team pull a giant log at a full gallop.

Many of our loyal MNN advertisers were represented in the magazine 30 years ago. They include Dr. Brent Lay, Silver Mountain Vineyards, Summit Veterinary Hospital, Rick Dentoni with Automatic Gate Installations, realtor Nancy Cole, Summit Store, Deb Arneson, and Triple O Systems.

We thank them for their continued support of the Mountain Network News throughout the years. • Mudslide cleanup • Standing & fallen tree removal & cleanup • Culvert & ditch cleaning • Dumpster service – debris cleanup & hauling • Weed cutting/mowing/discing • Defensible space clearing • Tractor work – loader/excavator & scraper for road grading & repair • Community road & neighborhood brush chipping • Land clearing – large & small properties • Onsite backyard burning We also have dry and seasoned firewood (oak, madrone & fir) available.

Phone: 408.353.2867 Cell: 408.761.2092 Email: scottgreen315@gmail.com Serving the Santa Cruz Mountains since 1985 Mountain Resident for 57 years

Last month, Marina took a sunset whale- watching tour with a small group of people, led by Monterey-based photographer Joe Platko. They set off from the Moss Landing Harbor and saw a lot of whales, colonies of sea lions chasing fish, and sea birds, sometimes all of them feeding in one place.

She described it as a cacophony of sea Steelhead Trout in Zayante Creek I live close to Zayante Creek, and my closest neighbors are steelhead trout. When my wife and I were hunting for property to build a house, I came across a house for sale.

I took a 3/4 mile walk past a gate to check out the property. When I got home I told my wife I had found our new home. She asked me about the house and I told her that I stopped walking when I saw the steelhead trout in the stream. Turns out that we liked I am amazed by the tenacity of this fish swimming from the ocean up the San Lorenzo River into Zayante Creek. This photo of a steelhead trout surfacing took a fair bit of patience on my part.