Calaveras Enterprise Reporter Krissi Krob visited us last week and wrote up a story about the project that made the front page of today's paper. Have a look and add your 2 cents by clicking on the comment button below ("share your views").
http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/articles/2008/05/27/news/anews01.prt
NOTE: the article states that our big project presentation and celebration is this Saturday but the event is SUNDAY JUNE 1 from 5-8:00 (5-6 is a community potluck dinner, bring a dish!)
Here is a pic of Krissi and a shot she took of us on break from our digital story editing!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
We made today's front page!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Presentation Events are Almost Here!!!
The plans for the big events: June 1st in West Point and June 4th in Davis are falling into place! At UC Davis we were able to secure a large bus- video monitors, bathrooms, and comfy seats- to drive to West Point to pick up the Up from the UnderStory documentary team and their families. This was made possible, because of the help from Myra Llamas at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center on campus. Thank you Myra!
In addition to a great bus, we have received a donation from the Davis Food Co-op to provide a picnic lunch for the documentary team and UC Davis faculty on June 4th. The Davis Food Co-op is a community based grocery/health food store here in Davis. The store started in a Davis living room in 1972, but has now grown into a full-service grocery store that is owned and operated by local Davis households. The Davis Food Co-op is a great example of how a community came together through the use of resources (lots of organic food) to create a positive experience.
Just over 15 years ago community members, including families with kids, would help out at the store for a few hours a week. As a young child I remember being pulled by my mom in a radio flyer wagon with my siblings to the Co-op to help wrap cheese in individually packaging that could be sold. Now the store has gotten so large (they are completing a new renovation this year) that they have member cards and shares to help with the costs. Even with the growth and expansion the Davis Food Co-op still stays very involved in the community by offering community classes and donations for community events like the Up from the UnderStory presentation at UC Davis!
Here is a picture of an organic tomato statue in front of the Davis Food Co-op:
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Alan Willard
I came across this image last night of Alan in action on this project. And while it's not the sharpest and most compelling image, I just had to toss it up here to give a shout out to Alan for all the attention he has given Up from the UnderStory.
Alan is on the project's community advisory group and hasn't missed one meeting. Plus he's on the blog all the time, sharing info and giving supportive comments to the youth media makers. He's also worked with the UCD students who are working up a video on the project. And he takes on and does just about anything you ask--as long as it's about community improvement.
Thanks Alan!
In this picture he's sharing images of the Maskmaking workshop that took place last March in the Blue Mountain Area and some images from the Earth Day event in April he organized. In addition, he came in and scanned some amazing shots of the old mills and mines (stay tuned--i'll be posting them!)
Again, gratitude to Alan.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thank you Gary Noy!
Up for the UnderStory would like to thank Gary Noy for all of his guidance and project support these past few months. Gary Noy has been a behind the scenes adviser for the Up from the UnderStory project. Gary is the author of the best-selling Distant Horizon: Documents from the 19th century American West (University of Nebraska Press, 1999). He was named Sierra College Part-Time Instructor of the Year for 2004 - 2005. In 2006, the Oregon-California Trails Association, a national historical organization, named Gary the “Outstanding Educator of the Year.”
Gary’s advice and guidance has been of great assistance to our project. He works at the Sierra College Center for Sierra Nevada Studies that was founded in 2002. The Sierra College Center utilizes resources, unites the insights of the arts, the humanities, the sciences, and historical scholarship, and informs the community about public policy and events to assist in understanding the unique culture, environment, and character of the Sierra Nevada region. The Sierra College Center focuses on the Sierra Nevada region and its resources, just like the Up from the UnderStory community project.
Sierra College is a fully accredited, two-year community college located in north central California. The college serves Placer, Nevada and portions of El Dorado and Sacramento counties. The college district encompasses more than 3200 square miles of terrain ranging from the flatlands of California’s Central Valley to the majestic mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The 300-acre main campus is located on Interstate 80, the main Trans-Sierra roadway, in Rocklin. Sierra College is just twenty-five miles northeast of Sacramento, California’s State Capitol. Other facilities include a 105-acre Nevada County Campus in Grass Valley (a major mining center during the California Gold Rush), a campus center in Truckee (just a dozen miles from Lake Tahoe), and a satellite center in Roseville (the primary population center within the district).
Like the Up from the UnderStory project blog, the Sierra College Center has a virtual museum that has similar goals to our project blog:
The Sierra Nevada Virtual Museum is a multimedia, interactive online museum presenting the rich history, culture and natural history of the Sierra Nevada. Sierra Nevada Virtual Museum is a project of Sierra College students, faculty, and staff; The Center for Sierra Nevada Studies; and the Sierra Nevada regional community. Sierra Nevada Virtual Museum is a nonprofit, educational website maintained for the education and enlightenment of the public. Debuting in 2005, SNVM has had more than a million visitors from 158 countries. Check out the virtual museum at: www.sierranevadavirutalmuseum.com
Thank you Gary, for all the helpful advice and information about the Sierra College Center.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Project Benefits
I've been having a lot of interaction with Holly Mines lately, as she's one of the adults working with Blue Mountain Youth (her story partner is Tina Miller) on this project. I asked Holly recently her opinion on the benefits of participating in this project.
She said: "A project like this gives us older folks a wonderful opportunity to interact with young people we wouldn't otherwise know. Acting as friends and guides, we can help them to see the rich resources we have in Blue Mountain and perhaps encourage them to join us in activities that improve the quality of life for all of us here."
If you've been involved with the project, what do you see as the benefits of having UC Davis faculty, staff, and students join up with community leaders in Blue Mountain to involve young people in making community media on local revitalization efforts? Do tell.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Angie Owensby sat down with Velma Whitebear recently to hear about her life and work. Here is an excerpt:
Velma works with Mother Lode Job Connection, which provides employment training for American Indians Alaskan natives, Hawaiian natives. She advocates freedom of religion for indians and is a board member of CHIPS (Calaveras Healthy Impact Products Solutions). She's lived here in Sheep Ranch, Valicido, and Angels Camp. She's been with the community for about 25 years. Positives about Blue Mountain are that it's a friendly small community. The negatives are bad business, logging, hard to make ends meet.
Mystery Info
I came across this bit of information while going through some of the images and notes collected during our Story Day (I think perhaps it came via Chris Wright from the Foothill Conservancy).
****
Early in 1999, a group of local citizens in the Calaveras County, California communities of Glencoe, Rail Road Flat, West Point, and Wilseyville coordinated a local citizen based, sustainable community development project using the “Economic Renewal” model developed by the Rocky Mountain Institute. The project was sponsored by the Foothill Conservancy (Conservancy), a local conservation and community organization, and the Sierra Nevada Alliance (Alliance), a regional coalition of 65 local and regional conservation organizations.
Through this process, more than 200 local residents analyzed their social, environmental, and economic assets and considered what kinds of actions they should take to make their local economy more sustainable. After considering a long list of project ideas, community members selected four projects for initial development. In addition, local residents have created a permanent organization to continue the work begun in 1999: the Mokelumne Alliance for Community Renewal Council.
The greatest success of the project, however, is not any single project or organization, or new individual skills, but the creation of an optimistic, can-do environment conducive to positive change. We look forward to seeing the ongoing efforts transform the recent community dynamic of defeat, depression, and conflict to one of hope, cooperation,and success.
****
I've heard some of this and think that the organization named below has been reorganized into the Blue Mountain Community Renewal Council. Am I right? Folks in Blue Mountain--what would you add? Were you involved?
John Peletti & The Blue Mountain Players
Ayriel Frye has been working with John Peletti over the past month to create a digital story on the work he and others have been doing to bring the Blue Mountain Players (a theatre company) to life. 
Here is an excerpt from her interview:
What are you doing for the community?
I volunteer for the Blue Mountain Players which includes keeping the building clean and maintaining the construction. The lights and the sound are also a very important part. I also help the fire dept. by making food and donating the money from selling it. I've been involved in the general plan update to shape the future of our area in terms of services and jobs being available. I've got involved in volunteer rescue in 1986. If people don't become involved the community doesnt get any better.
Why did you start working with the Blue Mountain Players?
My wife got me involved in it I wanted to support it. Been involved for 14 years now.
We do two shows a year and fund raisers. We work for four months to put a show on. We take down old sets and construct new ones.
Tell me about yourself?
I live a half a mil from the town of West Point with my wife Vicki.
How long have you been here?
Since 1979, almost 30 years.
What do you like about like about living here?
My favorite thing is just living in the mountains, in a rural environment where I knows my neighbors, the trees and animals. the people.
How long will your project last?
It will keepsgoing as long as people support it. The talent show makes money to keep the electric and water and bills paid. The arts keep the community together. I brings them together in a common goal and thats what makes the town thrive.
What are some positives and negatives about Blue Mountain?
The positives- fresh air, I can be by myself, and be where its quiet
The negatives- it's hard to make a living. Its always a struggle between doing the things that you like and being able to afford them.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
Doing theatre is a gift to the town and it takes a lot of people to put on a play. It's really a special thing.
Read More......
Planning the Project Presentation
The Up from the UnderStory youth media team came together last week to start planning their project presentation to the Blue Mountain communities. Here's what they hope the event will be like:
-Always something going on
-Contagious
-Smooth
-Fantastic
-Fun
-Fluid
- Flooded with people
The group will be working together over the next couple of weeks to plan out what they'll be doing to make the event match their goals.
In the meantime, pencil in the date for the event
Sunday June 1
5-8:00 pm
West Point Elementary School
54 Bald Mountain Rd
Multipurpose Room
5-6:00 is a community potluck (bring a dish if you can, but if you can't still come!) with music and a display of photos taken throughout the project
6-8:00 is a screening and discusssion of media created through the project (digital stories produced by the youth team about several revitalization efforts underway in the area along with a short introductory video created by UC Davis students)
See you there! And let us know if you have any questions or if you plan to join us by posting a comment below!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
DEE MIDDLETON♥
What are you doing for the community?
DEE: bringing some literature to adults and children in the blue mountain area by establishing a classics library in the historic lumber camp in Wilseyville.
Why did you start?
DEE: several years ago some little children came to my cottage and they wanted me to read stories to them and they came many times on weekends and i thought it would be important to them to have a library in there community.
When did you start?
DEE: in 2002 i rented a cottage and opened the library but had to close it in 04 cause of financial hardship but in 06 my husband past and i used the life insurance to buy the cottage and opened the library in June of 06.
How long have you been here?
DEE: Wilseyville since 1998
What do you like about living here?
DEE: i love the children and the seniors and the beautiful country side and i love the history of the gold country.
How long will your project hopefully last?
DEE: beyond my lifetime!
Negatives-
DEE: running out of space in the library.
Not enough volunteers to keep the library open during the week.
far for people to travel..
EXTRA INFORMATION:
Located in Wilseyville camp off Railroad Flat road the first cottage on the right when you enter the camp.
The library is open when the American flag is flying no regular hours.
Call the library to volunteer time to keep it open more hours.
209 293 3333
Dees Library Contains:
Childrens classics and adult classics
Bios
history
Geography
Gardening books
Special collection... pamplets and booklets
the Anne Gregorian Gravitt collection
Contact Dee at:
dsm@berkley.edu
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Riverdancing
I received this via email and thought it would be great to share with the wider community. The author, Joseph Mitchener, said he'd be happy to have this on the blog. If you like his ideas, let us know in the comments!
Dear Jesikah Ross,
May 4th, I read the article "Up from the Understory" (in the Upcountry News) about your work in the Blue Mtn region of Calaveras County. Thought you might be interested in the sport of "River Dancing" which I introduced to West Point youth a year or two ago. For a dozen years or so I practiced this sport with others at Arroyo Seco River west of Greenfield, CA (in the Salinas Valley). One of the reasons I moved up here was that I saw a number of mountain rivers on the map. I expected at least some would be good fro River Dancing (running mtn rivers for time). Actually, I've been disapointed. Perhaps I've not explored them enough, but I've found few regions of the North, South, and Middle Forks of the Mokolome River deep enough to do much swimming. I feel any good River Dance should feature lots of swimming.
I live on the north crest of the canyon of the North Fork of the Mokolome. I'm just west of Defender Grade Road. Have a great view of Blue Mtn to the southeast. During June, July and August I frequently drive down Hwy 26 to the bridge over the Mokolome (N. Fork). There's swimming and diving in a hole just up from the bridge. Last year I started doing a River Dance from the bridge downstream to the old PG&E power station. When I started, it took a half hour. After quite a number of runs, my best time is now 14min 15sec. (My finish point is the cable that supports the warning signs not far before the station's dam.)
I've seen a few kids running the river. But only twice. As I told the West Point youth, seems like an elegant, classic exercise. If this region could get a reputation as a good place to do River Dancing . . . it would do wonders for our image. It would also attract a fair number of athletes who'd be spending money on food, drink, lodging, etc..
I propose that West Point should sponsor a yearly contest (in June, with a $1000 cash prize) for the fastest man and fastest woman River Dancers diving into the Mokolome (from the rock at the hole just above the Hwy. 26 bridge) and running and swimming (Riverdancing) to the power station and back. Every official adult entrant would pay a $30 entry fee.
At first the town (&/or county) might end up a little in the red. But after word gets out, I believe the entry fees will more than pay for the $2000 purse. I'm 62, and I guarantee I'll be there!
I also guarantee that if some such widly advertized Riverdancing event is put on . . . I will contribute $300, and help with the seting up.
At the University of Colorado I studied economics and finance. About a decade ago I went on a cruise to various Carribean islands. While the climate and vegetation were beautiful, I saw way too much poverty. I imagined what I might do to aleviate that poverty if I were to move to one of those islands. I really couldn't think of anything. That annoyed me. Back home, above the Mokolome, it occurs to me that a yearly Riverdancing Festival might be a partial solution for this region's lackluster economy.
If you have any further interest, please email me. I'll be happy to mail you a copy of the 94 page booklet I wrote, "RiverDance Rhyme". To read the rhymes you'll have to learn a different form of written English. But from the way you spell your first name, I think you'll like it.
Thanks for your attention Jesikah,
Joseph Mitchener
Friday, May 2, 2008
Meet Rick Torgerson
Hi everybody my name is Melissa. I am one of the UC Davis graduate students working on the Up from the UnderStory project. I have been helping with our awesome blog, with event organization, and I have already had tons of fun meeting and working with many of you during my visit to West Point. Every week I look forward to the awesome pictures and meeting new people through the blog. I have had such a great time learning about the Blue Mountain community through the blog and different stories.
Today I want to share with you a little bit about community member Rick Torgerson:
My name is Rick Torgerson. I live in West Point and own a small publishing company that produces two monthly community newspapers, the Upcountry News, circulated in Amador County, and the West Point News, circulated in the Blue Mountain region of Calaveras County. These newspapers do not focus on hard news or late-breaking developments. I leave that to the dailies and weeklies. We focus on the people, places and events of the area in a way that the other newspapers can't.
I bought the West Point News 10 years ago and started the Upcountry News two years later. While these tiny newspapers sustain themselves, there isn't much profit, so it's not sustainable for someone trying to make a living wage. Producing these newspapers takes an enormous amount of time and effort each month and pulls me away from other things I should be doing to produce income for myself, but I have continued publishing them because I feel they are an important communication vehicle for the local communities. I donate volumes of ad space for local community organizations and non-profit groups, which helps them reach out to residents. These newspapers pull the community together in a way that would otherwise not exist.
Today the newspaper industry is collapsing from steeply declining readership and revenue due to the digital age, evolving demographics and changing reader habits. The industry is struggling for survival. There is little hope the newspaper industry as we know it today will survive much longer.
When I look back at the past 10 years, I realize my life would have been a lot easier and I would be in a much better financial position had I not poured so much time, energy and sacrifice into these little publications, but something inside told me this is what I needed to do. When I look back at all the people I've met and community projects I've witnessed along the way, I see how these little newspapers have played a beneficial role in bringing people and projects together, and that makes all the work and sacrifice worthwhile.
Here is a picture of Rail Road Flat residents who organized a clean-up committee
Here is a picture that shows the reaction of Rail Road Flat residents about school closures
Here is a picture of West Point and Wilseyville residents who helped preserve the Rebekah Hall, June 2005
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