My Close Encounter At The Grand Canyon National Park

By: Serena Lee

You can see lots of different types of birds and animals at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park in Escondido. Seeing and learning about endangered species or super-cool looking birds, such as the California Condor, is really interesting, but seeing them in their natural habitat is even a greater thrill.

Recently, I went on a trip to the famous Grand Canyon in Arizona, and all I expected to see was the mile-deep colorful valley, but I was pleasantly surprised. On the first day, I spotted the once-critically endangered California Condor. They stand about three feet tall and have about a nine-foot wingspan. There are now only 300 of their species in existence, and I not only saw one, but three of them, on the same rocky ledge! I learned from a bird scientist, who was standing next to me, with an antenna in one hand and a powerful telescope in the other, that scientists believe there are six Condors living in the entire Canyon. He was one of those scientists, monitoring their location. Each condor has a number and a radio device on both of it’s wings. It was amazing because not only was I viewing one of the wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon, but also three prehistoric-looking California Condors!

The next day, my dad and I went hiking down the canyon, about a mile round trip. On the way down, we saw the tagged condor number twenty swooping and flying overhead, and what it seemed like, showing off, while people took pictures. He glided over the trail, just a few feet above some hikers, then landed on a rock, on a ledge just three feet from the trail. All the nearby hikers crowded around, trying to get a picture with it. The bird just calmly looked on, as if it was enjoying the attention. It was huge, and it’s long sharp talons looked like they could easily snatch a small baby and fly away. The brave onlookers went as close to it as possible, without disturbing it, and I was one of those people. The way it acted, all calm and never startled, it occurred to me that maybe it was raised in captivity and was used to many people taking pictures.

When I returned home I boasted to my friends about my close encounter with the Condor. That special experience is one I’ll always hold on to.

So, the next time you have a chance to visit the Grand Canyon, look up into the warm, blue summer sky, and you may very well receive a double treat as I did, and encounter the great California Condor.

Help out the Condors!

Recently, in Big Sur, there was a terrible wildfire that destroyed equipment for the Ventena Wildlife Society, which takes part in breeding and releasing the critically endangered Condor. Specialized equipment, field pens, supplies, and the field biologist’s cabin were destroyed by the wildfire.

Seven young Condors and their “adult mentor” were waiting for their release when the fire went through. They were enclosed and trapped in a field pen by themselves. It was fortunate that all of the Condors and staff evacuated the area just as the fire grew near.

After many weeks the fire was finally extinguished. Recently, the San Diego Zoo has made a donation to replace some lost supplies and equipment. You, too, can help their effort by making a donation to the San Diego Zoo’s California Condor Relief Effort to help protect the California Condor. Please visit the Zoo’s California Condor Conservation site at www.cacondorconservation.org.

LOCAL YOUTHS PRODUCE HOLOCAUST FILM

By: Paula Berg

If you’re among those who think that teenagers are good for nothing other than to drive their parents and teachers crazy, here’s a story about a group of kids from Carlsbad High School who are sterling examples of what our kids are capable of achieving. If this doesn’t make you change your mind about the people who will be taking charge of the future, then I don’t know what will.

“The Making of a Documentary” is a project of Doug Green’s Broadcasting class in Carlsbad High School. It is narrated by senior Tyler Nielson, one of sixteen students who traveled twice over a four month period to Munich, Germany. They took three high definition cameras with them to film a documentary about the Holocaust. Like most American teenagers, when they embarked on their journey, they knew little about the Holocaust.

To prepare for their trip they learned some basic German phrases. When they reached their destination, they walked through the gas chambers and crematoriums of Dachau Concentration Camp and the surrounding neighborhood. They spoke to German teenagers like themselves and shuddered to realize that the beautiful woods they were walking through had been the site where millions had perished over 60 years ago at the hands of the Nazis.

They interviewed Holocaust survivors living in San Diego County. One survivor, Yaja Boren, told them how she breathed deeply in the gas chamber so as to ensure that she would be dead before being tossed into the ovens. Walter Maurer, a WWII veteran, described what he saw when he was among the first American soldiers to enter the camp at the end of the war.

You can see a very moving trailer about their film at www.chstvfilms.com. In it, Tyler narrates how difficult it was to choose a title for this extraordinary film; nothing seemed to capture the profound horror of what they learned. He says, “If we didn’t fully understand it four months ago, we understand it now. The Holocaust was a living hell.” John, one of the sixteen student filmmakers, says after seeing the crematoriums and gas chambers, “How can someone be so brutal and so mean to do this to other human beings?”

Student, Daren Scortt, says, “I was amazed about how big Aushwitz-Birkenau was. It reaches over one square mile, but I can’t imagine how they fit so many Abductees in such a small area... There were over 100,000 people living in that one square mile.”

There is no doubt that the lives of these sixteen young people were forever changed in the production of this remarkable documentary. Be sure to see it when it makes it public appearance this fall. For additional information phone Doug Green at (760) 583-8911 or visit his website www.chstv.com.

Red White and Blue Flower Arrangements

By: Evelyn Weidner

The air is full of election talk, and although flowers certainly aren’t political, they can be patriotic. In fact, red white and blue is very ‘in’ this fall. It’s a perfect opportunity to show your love of country through your garden arrangements. For example, hang some baskets by the front door, or place some pots by the mailbox or anywhere in your front garden where they’ll be visible. A display of red Begonias, white Bacopa and blue Lobelia would be spectacular, whether you choose a single pot or a whole flower bed.

Here’s an easy recipe for a patriotic pot or basket. Pansies are one of our best and easiest cool weather bloomers. Take any wide and not too deep pot. Put three dark wine red pansies in the center; surround them with white plain face pansies; and then make the final edges in blue violas. For shady areas, use red and white Cyclamen and blue Lobelia.

If you’re doing your part to save water, hang a basket of the new hanging violas right above a pot of pansies. One watering takes care of both.

New this year is a frilled pansy called Moulin Rouge. It has extra long stems and a wonderfully ruffled flower with colors that go from lavender blues to soft pastels. You’ll find Moulin Rouge and Fizzy Lemonberry for ruffles, hanging small violas for baskets, and every pansy in between after November 1 at the Annual Pansy Dig at Weidner’s Gardens.

When your pansies begin to look a little tired, simply give them a medium haircut, feed them well and watch them perk up. Whichever pansies you choose, if you give them good care they will reward you with months and months of happy color.

We have easy, inexpensive and water-saving ideas for hanging baskets, one-sided combinations, round, textured, tall, and frilly arrangements, and many more. Go to www.weidners.com and look at the combo pages. And remember these are only guidelines. You can be as creative as you like.

Local Author is Book Award Finalist

The 2008 Indie Book Awards, a nationwide contest for the thousands of new independent publications printed each year, just announced that Mike Ryan’s first novel, The Old Guys - Back to Baghdad, is a national top ten “Finalist.” The book wraps major problems facing America today (Islam versus Christianity, baby boomers forced into early retirement due to age discrimination and disappearing traditions that define our culture and heritage as a nation) into an action-packed, heartwarming novel. It explores the lives of three disenfranchised baby boomers and a retired Marine Sergeant as they regain their self-esteem attempting to rescue younger truck drivers kidnapped by terrorists from their trucker camp in Iraq and taken across the border into Iran.

The three baby boomers reflect the growing problem of older age employees being replaced by the younger ones and put out to pasture before they have saved enough money to retire. Like it or not, age discrimination is alive and well. The three characters went to extremes to solve their problem by accepting the risk of driving trucks in Iraq to again earn a six-figure income. The novel is fact-filled, but the story itself is entirely fictitious.

According to Ryan, “It’s exciting to know that literary critics like my work in addition to the favorable feedback from friends.” Positive comments include: “Best book I have read in years.” “Excitement and suspense from beginning to end.” “Great story. I learned a lot about the Middle East.” “The ending choked me up.”

Ryan spent his entire career in the financial community as a stockbroker, founding officer of a life insurance company, and president of a marketing firm. He is a graduate of Long Beach State and the Naval Officer Candidate School, serving aboard a carrier during Vietnam. Like several of his characters, Ryan’s company forced him out before he wanted to retire. Part of this novel is his story.

The Earthsong Bookstore in the heart of Del Mar at 1440 Camino Del Mar, will be featuring Ryan on Saturday, June 28th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. It should prove to be an enjoyable outing and they urge you to stop by with a friend to meet this new local author and pick up a signed copy of his award-winning book.