ON THE ROAD
WITH THE
ROSSMOOR ROADRUNNERS
Vol.11, NO. 4 July 2019
Editor: Carl Pischke
President Message: Linda Towson.
Solar panel installation in the MOD RV parking lot in advancing and we have been advised it should be finished by the end of September.
Here we are on the last day of the Roadrunner Fortuna rally. Surrounded by sunny skies, mostly gentle breezes, towering redwoods, dairy farms, and the Eel River running to the nearby ocean, we anticipate our farewell dinner at the turn-of-the-century Victorian Inn in the village of Ferndale. Especially appreciated are wagon masters Terry and Bob Hayes and Dolores Cleary, plus helpers, Vicki and Tom Roberts. They planned this rally’s dinners, fun luncheons/outings, and breakfast. Heh, our cleanup of the club room earned compliments from Riverview RV staff. Way to go! Although this is the Haye’s third time with the Roadrunners at this park, it was the first time for some of us. It was especially nice to get acquainted with new members, Cynthia Parnell and Lynda and Ed Phelps. We missed Gail Soldavini. Hope you are on the mend.
Another big thank you goes to Carol Colligan and Joyce & Brent Atkins for organizing our annual Patio Party. I was away, but Wayne said that the food from Back Forty Restaurant and club camaraderie were outstanding.
In May I submitted to Ann Peterson, new editor of the Rossmoor News, our Roadrunner information to be published on GRF Web site. Unfortunately, I just received word we will need to develop our own Web site before any information can be included on GRF’s Web club site. Peterson doesn’t have staff to continue to organize & post the info. So, that’s our next task: develop a club Web site with an introduction to our club, photos, a calendar of events, and our officer and board names. The membership list will remain private. Until we make a Web site, I will email to each of our club members the previous information. We also have an online copy of the by-laws. Hopefully this will be helpful to you as publishing a hard copy club membership booklet became too expensive. Tom Roberts did that for us for many years.
Keep an eye out for our Roadrunner table at the Rossmoor Farmers’ Market. It will be July 12 - Waiting for confirmation.
It is time to think about next year’s slate of officers and board members. A nominating committee will be formed and meet next month. Please let me know if you would like to PARTICIPATE on the committee and/or the BOARD. To stay viable club needs members to step up to its board. If you haven’t helped out, please do. We want our club to continue.
Sunshine News: Nancy Ferrara.
None.
New Members: Carol Colligan / Linda T.
Meet Cynthia Parnell: In January, Cynthia moved to Rossmoor after living for many years in San Diego. She went to undergraduate college at U.S.F. and received her masters of science at Stanford. Later she taught genetics, biological and physical sciences in a prep school and also did outside research in her field. She is happy in nature - as a birder, a diver, a photographer. Sadly, she left her scuba diving equipment behind in San Diego but was more than compensated with the arrival of a granddaughter in the Bay Area. Her son and daughter-in-law convinced her to move closer. With her new Mercedes van, she starts another interesting pursuit. We wish her many happy travels with her Roadrunner RV Club friends!
Cynthia
Meet Lynda and Ed Phelps: The Fortuna Rally was the Phelps’ second rally after joining the Roadrunners. Although they have been RVing in a big rig for many years, they recently downsized. In retirement, the smaller rig suits them “just fine”. Ed grew up in Arcadia in Southern California; Lynda came from Oregon. They both worked for many years for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. An opportunity arose for them to work in the Bay Area and they moved to Moraga. After retiring, from PacTel, Lynda loved working for fifteen years as an independent college consultant. After his buy-out, Ed helped raise their daughter, now grown, married, and working at Genentech. A grandchild keeps the Phelps busy. They enjoy returning to a second home in Oregon. Lynda and Ed have lived in Rossmoor for ten years, but only recently joined our group. Welcome!
The Phelps
*********
Fortuna Rally Pictures.
Listing of Club Leaders for 2019 with contact information.
President: Linda Towson, lftowson@gmail.com, 925-222-1129
Vice-President: Jack Melvin. 925-954-1123, jacvig@aol.com
Co Vice President: Stefford Veltema, stefford42@gmail.com, 925-457-0692
Secretary: Jean Veltema, luyktoread2@gmail.com, 925-352-4321
Back up Secretary: Carol Scott. carollscott@comcast.net, 925-934-9998
Ladies Lunch: Joan Frasco, frascojoan@yahoo.com, 378-7011
Event Coordinator: Joni Bombardier, jonijrb@gmail.com, 325-1118
Newsletter editor: Carl Pischke. c4Ldanced@Comcast.net, 925-286-9211
Publicity: Mike Casey, michaelcasey552@gmail.com, 210-1273
Treasurer: Frank A. Colligan. airstreamfrank@gmail.com, 530-491-1782
Membership: Carol Colligan, carolcolligan@yahoo.com, 530-370-0082
Sunshine: Nancy Ferrara, nancycferrara@gmail.com, 925-944-9566
1 Year trustees: Dmitri and Marilyn DeDenko.
2 Year Trustees: Joni and Jim Bombardier.
RV Locker Break-in. By Earl Ansley.
My RV locker was discovered broken into by cutting off the combination lock and the thru lid securing tab. It was locked in the lower RV parking lot where the solar panels are being erected when I left for a cruise on Chesapeake Bay May 29th.
Following earlier directions from Marie Grey and later her successor, Ralph Dennis, Field and Compliance Supervisor, I had left the locked shed in place as all RV owners were directed when we were required to vacate these leased parking spaces.
I returned from a ten-day trip, two of which were spent in the hospital, on June 9th. I discovered my shed had been broken into and moved 25’ off the wooden pallet and asphalt onto the hillside dirt. The severed lid was found upside down on the ground, exposing all the locker contents to the recent rain. Fresh tire tracks from heavy equipment led up to where the shed had been
parked.
Phoning me at any time would have allowed me to provide the combination to the lock, thereby avoiding destroying the locking ability of this $300 storage shed.
Because of the theft of the lock and mechanism and the fact this was a break-in, and theft and therefore classed as a crime, (484 Calif. Penal Code) I reported my loss to Securitas. The Guard concurred with my opinion that the break-in was apparently done by the Solar Installation workers to facilitate their construction project, and not primarily to steal the contents.
Ralph Dennis has agreed to contact the Administration and to get back to me with their answer. Thus far I’ve not heard their response, but will notify our membership when they respond.
Calendar of Events for 2019
July - No events
August 19 – Roadrunner Bocce & Picnic. Sportsman’s Park at Hillside. The second “annual” Bocce/BBQ/Pot luck event has been scheduled for August 19th. The format will be the same as last year. We will play Bocce in the mid-afternoon followed by a BBQ and Pot Luck around 5 PM. Bocce is open to all, new players as well as those with experience. Instruction and some practice will be available for those that are new. After some Bocce the BBQ and social time will commence. Charcoal will be provided for the grill, Attendees will bring whatever they want for food, meat, beverage, utensils and a small dish to share.
Last year’s event was a big success, so mark your calendar. This event is open to all members and guests. If you don’t care to play Bocce, come to cheer the players on or just for the BBQ and Social time.
Additional details and sign up will follow as we get closer to August. This event is open to all members and guests.
September 9 – Regular Club Meeting at Creekside Fairway Rm. A/B
October 10. Potluck at Hillside Club House.
October 16 -23. Rally at Pismo Sands RV Resort in Oceano. See information below.
November 11. Regular Club Meeting at Creekside, Fairway Rm. A/B
December 10. Holiday Party in the Fireside Room at Gateway. Earl Ansley and Larry Larson Coordinators.
Calendar of Events for 2020
March: First Rally of the year: March 22 thru 29 in Red Bluff, CA, at the Durango RV Resort
You can help:
Coordinators / Wagon-masters are listed where someone has volunteered. If there is no name listed for an event call Joni Bombardier or Linda Towson and volunteer. Where there is a name, call that person and ask what you can do to help.
Ladies Lunch: Joan Frasco:
The next Rossmoor Roadrunners ladies’ lunch will take place on Thursday, July 11th at The Great Wall Chinese restaurant, 3500 Golden Gate Way in Lafayette. We will meet at the Gateway parking lot and carpools will leave promptly at 11:30 a.m. Please call Joan at (925) 378-7011 if you plan to attend. Call even if you plan to meet the group at the restaurant so we will have the correct number of tables to accommodate everyone. Thank you.
Weekender News: Jack Melvin
Earl Ansley is working on a weekender to be scheduled in September at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. Please make your reservations as soon as you can.
As of this writing no one has come forward to sponsor another weekender, so this may be the last of the year.
Thanks go to the Scott's, Bombardiers, and Earl for providing outings.
Stef Veltema is working on securing the sites for our week long rallies for next year.
Weekender September 10 .
Earl Ansley has arranged a Weekender in September at the Grass Valley, Nevada County Fairgrounds. Arrival date Tuesday September 10 with departure Friday Sept 13. Location: 11228 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley. Grass Valley is 2,500 feet in elevation, only 126 miles via Hwy 80 and Hwy 49 to Historic Grass Valley from Rossmoor. Nearby Nevada City, is only 5 miles away. Both have interesting Historic Districts with two nearby State Parks, plus hotels, restaurants and stores from the 1800s with lots of quaint and unique shops and antique stores. Bed and breakfasts abound in historically restored nearby private residences. Truly a plethora of things to see and do.
I have eleven sites temporarily reserved with full or partial hook-ups at the Fairgrounds; each a pull-thru site. For information, contact Earl Ansley on my cell phone (925) 324 3850. Visit
http://nevadacountyfair.com/rv-park regarding reservations.
Members need to lock-in their reservation site as this park is very popular with all the fairgrounds and nearby activities.
We will visit the near-by Empire Gold Mine State Park where Yelp visitors have rated it with five (5) stars. The park is listed as one of the top attractions to check out in California's Gold Country (visitcalifornia.com) I found it fascinating.
Mine yard: A 45-minute tour filled with fascinating facts about how the gold was mined and processed. You’ll learn eye-opening statistics as well as how the equipment, mules and miners made Empire Mine so prosperous.
Visitors can see over 367 miles of underground tunnels, covering five square miles. Most people are amazed when they see how vast the mine’s operations were, including activity beneath downtown Grass Valley. Later on, in your visit, you’ll have the chance to walk down the mind shaft and that represents less than one inch on the model. Anything beyond two inches on the model has been under water since the pumps were turned off in 1956.
Guided Tours: Included in your admission, (except for the Cottage Living History Experience). The Tour Guide docents share their knowledge, and take you back in time, so you can discover Empire’s lasting legacy.
Cottage Grounds: A 45-minute tour through Empire Mine’s colorful history, including information on the owners and the experts in the mine’s development. You will see Empire Cottage, the Clubhouse, and the ruins of mine manager George Starr’s family home.
Gardens and Grounds: A 1-hour tour that’s a delight for gardening enthusiasts. Empire Cottage’s famous gardens feature many varieties of roses and other plants. Most of the roses are from original plantings around 1897 – well over a century ago!
Only 8.3 miles up Hwy 49 is the Malakof Diggings State Park, where during the 1800’s the miners used hydraulic water hoses to wash down thousands of cubic yards of earth seeking precious gold. In doing so, they deposited tons of earth and silt into the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay with silt, mud and mercury waste before being outlawed. See:
http://malakoffdigginsstatepark.org
2019 Rally Information:
Third Rally: The rally will be held at Pismo Sands RV Resort in Oceano, arriving Wednesday October 16 and leaving Wednesday October 23. The current group rate per day is $54.00 (although that may change) and we have asked for the use of the clubhouse. Wagon Master for the rally will be Dolores Cleary, with assistance from Jack Melvin and Tony Rorie. Local activities and places of interest include: several nearby wineries with tasting rooms, Two golf courses within 10-minute drive, beach walking (with possible whale sightings) and the Dunes Center in nearby Guadalupe, CA. The Dunes Center has art exhibits, local animal specimen exhibits, and artifacts from the local filming of "The Ten Commandments" (directed by Cecil DeMille) in 1923.
RV Club Member’s Travel.
If you travel with your rig and would like to tell the members about the parks you stayed at, Send Carl an email. Pictures are welcome.
Club members birthday’s and Anniversary’s.
For July:
Happy Birthday: Carl Pischke, Larry Larson, Mike Casey, Judy Nixon, Gail Soldavini.
Happy Anniversary: None.
For August:
Happy Birthday: Judy Kahn, Lee Pischke, Vicki Roberts, Jean Veltema.
Happy Anniversary: Stan and Carol Scott, Ron and Joanne Dennis, Stef and Jean Veltema, Wayne and Linda Towson.
RV Cleaners
Coach Cleaning: Works out of Vacaville. Don Stewart. (707) 330-6831
Baker’s Detailing: (cleaning and tops): Corry Baker, (925) 435-4255
Mobile Detailing. 500-376-9699
Camper repairs
Concord Coach, RV repair shop. Concord Coach is now owned by Cuzins and is open for business. The new contact telephone number is the same as for Cuzins. (925) 687-8054
Randy’s Mobile Mechanical Services: (Reviews on Randy’s are great but Randy’s is expensive $$). Complete shop for auto, RV, and fleet services. It is located at 2750 Cloverdale Ave, Concord, CA. (925) 288-0766.
Timmons Auto & Truck Repair: It is located at 2855 Contra Costa Blvd., Suite D, Pleasant Hill, (925) 938-9665.
Road Runner RV Repair: 415 Beatrice Ct. Brentwood, CA. 94513. (925) 240-6773. Plus, the East county’s most complete parts store.
Just Joe’s Automotive: 1130 Detroit Ave. Concord. 94520. 925-676-6700. Joe’s performs all types of Mechanic work on RVs and other vehicles. Bob Wright and Mike Casey have both had good experiences under the new ownership. Joe’s also does alignments on RVs.
Propane Gas Tank Fill-up.
Propane supplier: 76 station/convenience store/car wash located at the corner of Monument Blvd and Marcia Dr. very close to Hwy 680.
When driving from Walnut Creek on Hwy 680, take the Monument Blvd exit and turn right onto Monument Blvd, and the 76 station is located on the right-hand side, in 100 yards or less.
Suburban Propane. 1765 Arnold Industrial Way, Concord. 686-58-11. Open M – F, 7am to 4 pm. Closed from 12 to 1 PM for lunch.
