Red Emma's fire photos

Last week, in and around Modjeska Canyon

The Gala Dedication of the Irvine Valley College Performing Arts Center

Well, it was a blazing success. I'm very glad I attended.

The music was great. Congratulations to all of the performers and all of the dedicated professionals who helped to fill this new facility with beautiful sounds.



Naturally, I brought the wrong lens, but, the way I operate, that doesn't really matter, I guess.

Here are some pics.

Our hero!

On the 4th of April, 2003, the Irvine Valley College Foundation issued this press release:

...The Board of Governors of the Irvine Valley College Foundation announced today that Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona will be the guest of honor at the annual IVC Foundation Awards Dinner, to be held at the Irvine Marriott Hotel … The theme of this year’s dinner will be “Securing the Future.” “We are proud to announce that Sheriff Carona will receive our Hometown Hero Award and will be acknowledged for his contribution to the community” ….

Proud? How come? Everybody knew by then that Mike Carona is a corrupt rat bastard. He’s part of that awful Fuentes/Schroeder crowd, which includes the county’s corrupt DA, among others. (Former OC GOP chief Tom Fuentes has been a trustee of the South Orange County Community College District—which oversees IVC and Saddleback College—since July of 2000.)

The “Orange County mafia” (see The man who sued his own mother) is a group of right-wing Republicans that spend their time playing political hard-ball, or worse—lots worse. Plus they like to give each other prizes and opportunities to “lead" the moronic Republican masses.

We last saw OC mafioso Carona at IVC during its solemn “9-11” commemoration more than a month ago. (See pics.) At the time, people fell over each other praising this man and his words—which, in truth, were shit.

Especially Tom Fuentes.

Well, as you know, Mike was indicted today (O.C. sheriff indicted on corruption charges will not resign), along with his wife and former mistress.

Our hero!

A happy crew (fire news)

THIS MORNING, with all the clarity of a George W. Bush condemnation of torture, the Orange County Fire Authority issued an announcement that could be interpreted as the end of mandatory evacuations for the residents of Modjeska, Trabuco, Live 0ak, and other canyons in the Santa Ana Mountains (but not Silverado Canyon).

In truth, the new verbiage that appeared on the OCFA website just after 10:00 a.m. was stunningly unclear, and so I called up the OCFA number I'd been using, hoping that I would encounter a real, live, plain-spoken human being.

That number had been "deactivated"—yes, really—but at least I got a new number, which I called. A chirpy woman did then inform me that residents—at least those of my canyon and Reb/Red/Lou's—could finally drive to their homes.


It was excellent news. I called Red Emma, but he had just heard it himself. I interrupted Reb's class just to tell her.

I couldn't get away from school until about 3:30 p.m. Then, I went to collect the Sunny Bear at Jan's. When the Little Beast saw me load up the cat carrier, she immediately became suspicious and darted under a bed. I asked her to come out, but it was no use. Drat! So I sat and watched Mythbusters until she climbed up on me. Gotcha! She loves that show.

The cop at Cook's Corner didn't seem very interested in my ID. He seemed more interested in Sunny Bear, who must have appeared like some sort of weird appendage sprouting from my right arm pit, where she hid her head. She didn't pull it out of there until I rolled up to my place. I let her out of the car and she weaseled around like a lunatic. Then she ran inside and yammered piteously, but not for long.

By then, I could really see what the fire had done to the west part of the Santa Ana Mountains, from the peaks over toward Modjeska. It looked pretty bad, like the moon.

I took a snap of my "evacuation notice." Pretty cool.

Got out the appropriate lens and took a pic of Vulture Crag, a local landmark, which used to be home to the California condor. The condors haven't been seen out here for years.

As you can see, the fire burned everything around Vulture Crag. (Click on the top photo.)

A water-dropping helicopter soon flew over my place. It and another chopper were taking out a flare-up up toward Modjeska Peak (see). The larger chopper actually landed up there. No doubt, it was loading or unloading firefighters. It's seriously rugged up there, I know.


I JUST GOT A CALL from the Reb, who is in LA on her way to a Bruce Springsteen concert. She wanted to know how things were out here. She's looking forward to being back home, but, tonight, she and Red Emma just had to go to see The Boss with their old pal Gary, a bigshot with iTunes. Last time she went to a concert with Gary, they saw the great Billy Bragg, and she actually got to meet him.

Reb seemed happy. "It's like we're on a date," she said.

The "Dissent" crew is a happy crew, I'll tell ya for sure.

"The assessment will begin today," said the jackass (The Santiago fire)

No doubt you’ve read some of the articles in the Times and the Reg about the “Santiago” fire. These articles tend to give out useful phone numbers and weblinks.

Have you noticed that no reference is ever made to any authority who might answer the big question on the minds of thousands of evacuees?

WHEN CAN I GO HOME?

Well, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) is often referred to as some sort of authority, the one entity, if any, that can answer important questions such as that one.

I’m an evacuee. I’d like to know when I may return to my home.

I’m a reasonable guy. I don’t make trouble. After all these days (five of 'em), I’ve never called anybody. I’ve waited. But I’ve got a job, and I’ve got bills to pay. It would be nice to have SOME IDEA when I can go home.

Well, until today, the OCFA has given us NO INFORMATION AT ALL. Really. I’m not exaggerating!

According to today’s OC Register, “Residents will be notified via the Orange County Fire Authority Web site when [their] area is reopened.” OK, that makes sense.

The Reg also explained that “An assessment team will determine when evacuated residents may return to their homes.” Aha! THIS IS GREAT! SOMEBODY IS GONNA MAKE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT WHEN SOME OF US CAN GO BACK HOME!

But when will the AT make this determination?

The answer can be found—in bold red letters—on the Orange County Fire Authority Website. There, we’re told:

This assessment will begin Sunday, 10/28/07 and will continue through at least the peak burning period and into the evening.

The AT’s "assessment" to allow citizens to return to their homes will “begin” today?

What on earth does that mean?

The OCFA continues:

The decision to allow residents to return to their homes will be contingent upon the anticipated fire threat and weather predictions for the affected areas. [Duh.] The Santiago Incident Unified Command will then implement a plan to allow residents to return to their homes. Silverado, Williams, Modjeska, Live Oak, and Trabuco Canyons and Hamilton Truck Trail may be reopened at different times based upon conditions within each respective canyon. [Again: DUH.]

—OK. We’re being told, not that a “determination” or "assessment" has been made, but that we have now entered a period—a period of indeterminate length—in which decisions might be made, and if and when that happens, a plan will be “implemented.”

In other words, we are as much in the dark now—about when we may return to our homes—as we were before the OCFA made its bold red announcement about its assessment team!

PHONE CALL:

So I finally called the OCFA. I nice man answered the phone. I asked him when I would be allowed to return to my home.

“Where do you live?”, he asked.

“Along Live Oak Canyon Road.”

“Let me see. [A few seconds pass.] No, you can’t return home yet.”

“When will I be allowed to return?”

“I don’t know.”

After a little more conversation, the fellow advised me to go to the OCFA website.

“But I’m looking at that now. It doesn’t tell me when I will be allowed to return home. It gives me no information about that at all.”

Clearly, this fellow at the other end of the phone seemed to believe that the OCFA website was chock-full of helpful info.

Like what?

“Well," he said, "it tells you that different canyons will be opened at different times!”

“Yeah, that makes sense."

After a few seconds I said: "But is there no place I can go, no authority I can speak to, to learn anything about when I can go home? ANYTHING?”

“Go to the website,” he said.

OK, I am now officially pissed.

P.S.: My dad just called. He, too, is an evacuee. As it turns out, he was directed to use the same OCFA phone number that I used. According to dad, that number is no longer in service.

Worse than the fire (fire news)

Tonight, we got together for the first time since the fire. The Reb wanted to give her Lake Forest friend, with whom she has been staying, a break for one evening, so she suggested that we all go out to dinner.

Sounds good. But where? Well, anywhere will do. Oddly, this group of vegetarians opted for the Outback, an Aussie steakhouse on Culver.

I like the Brisbane salad, OK?

LIMBER LOU showed up all tuckered out from a long day of B-Day parties and vagabondery. Even the "Bloomin' onion" didn't excite him.

He didn't really come alive until I brought out my Nikon, at which time he stuck big chunks of Aussie bread sidewise in his mouth, all for my benefit.

I obliged by taking pics. Reb frowned. Red smiled a subtle smile.

Something told me not to show those pics here. I'm no fool.

THE REB finally explained to me why she opted not to evacuate (on Monday) to my place in Trabuco Canyon. She went to her friend's house in Lake Forest instead.

What's up with that?

"I just knew," she said, "that your canyon would be next."

"Well, I sure as hell didn't know. How did you know?" I said.

I looked at Red. He shrugged.

"I just knew," said Reb.

We all nodded. Can't argue with that.

It seems likely that I will be allowed to return to my place before Reb and her brood can return to theirs, and so I will provide refuge for them after all! I'm glad.

We had a great time trading tales of smoke and dread and absurdity.

At one point, we observed, with pride, that "ours is the best blog in the land."

"Here here!" Clunk went our glasses of beer.

EVENTUALLY, Red Emma explained that he had to go home to grade some student papers.

He suddenly seemed overcome with consternation.

"What's wrong, Red?" I asked.

"It's those student papers."

"Waddabout them?"

"Oh, it's just that I'm gonna tell those students that their goddam papers are worse than the fire."

AFTERWARD, I visited my brother's home, where the Wheeler elders are staying for now (I'm staying with a friend).

As usual, Adam and Sarah were cute and wonderful. "Uncle Chunk! Uncle Chunk! Read us a story!"

And I did.

Locating the homes of Reb, Red Emma, Limber Lou, and Chunk in the Santiago fire (fire news)

• Reb, Red Emma, and Limber Lou live in a lovely house right above "Arden"—Madame Modjeska's place. On the LA Times graphic at right, their home is located just below the "e" of "Modjeska" and just to the right of the black dots! (I'm sure Red will correct me if I'm wrong. He always does.)

• Chunk's place (and the greater Wheeler Compound) are at the "e" of "Live Oak Canyon."

• (A certain union officer ["Rodeo Boy"] lives just below "day 3" on the map. Not sure whether the evacuation is still in effect for him. RB is not among the Dissent the Blog crew, though he's certainly welcome to join!)

• (A certain former union officer ["Whitewash Willy"] lives at the "o" of "Trabuco Canyon." [Which o? —Take your pick!] WW is no Dissenter, that's for sure—his nose is a deep Mathurian brown—but he does seem to be our most loyal reader! Go figure!)

Right now, things look good for the Dissenters, canyon-domicilewise. It even seems to be sprinkling right now! Yes!

We're still waiting to be allowed to return to our homes. Reb and crew at least got a chance to visit their place earlier today. RE told me that it's kinda "ugly" out there, but that won't last long.

Again, we're mighty grateful to the firefighters.

(Madame Modjeska's "Arden" is only a stone's throw from Reb's place—if, that is, you're tossin' that stone from Reb's place, which is up the side of the canyon. Architecture fans take note: Arden was designed by the great Stanford White.)

The OC fire situation improves

GRAPHIC OF 5 DAYS OF THE SANTIAGO FIRE:

Found this excellent graphic in this morning’s LA Times. (As of Friday, 4:30 p.m.)

THE LATEST:

From the OC Reg “fire central,” as of 12:08 today:

Flames menacing Silverado Canyon have not moved closer and "may not be as threatening as they once were," said Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion. The Santiago fire continues to burn in the Maple Springs road area above the town. Fire officials stressed that the town was still threatened and still under a mandatory evacuation order.

CONTAINMENT IN SIGHT?

In this morning’s OC Register: Firefighters report progress toward containment of Santiago fire:

After a week of fierce battles with unruly flames that raced through 27,521 acres of Orange County land and defied firefighter attempts to contain it past the 35 percent mark, fire officials said the Santiago blaze could be 100 percent contained in the next three days.

“We are cautiously optimistic that we will have the fire fully contained in 72 hours,” said Phil Rawlings, fire captain with CAL Fire.

Rawlings stressed that fire would continue to burn even after firefighters dug a ring around it to prevent it from spreading. And, he said the prognosis could change depending on the weather and the thick and abundant “ancient fuels” – old growth forest – of Cleveland National Forest, where the fire is burning.

…Cooler weather helped fire crews make dramatic progress in fighting the fire overnight.

…Rawlings said that the temperature this morning was 62 degrees, relative humidity was 35 percent and winds were at 3 m.p.h. Last Sunday temperatures were nearing the 90s, Santa Ana winds gusted at up to 65 m.p.h. and humidity was in the single-digits.

…The break in the weather helped firefighters get a handle on the formerly out of control blaze. Fire officials said 18 bulldozers crews dug about five miles of firebreak lines overnight near the Orange County and Riverside lines but had another ten miles still to dig. Air drops of flame retardant reinforced about 2.5 miles of fire lines near the county border.

But fire officials said residents in Orange County’s canyon areas should remain vigilant.

The fire along the ridgeline near Silverado was still burning this morning but had not descended into town.

…To the northeast, the fire was still feasting on acres of parched forest as it moved through the Cleveland National Forest towards the main divide and the Riverside County line.

But as of this morning, the flames had not yet crossed county lines.

…Silverado remains the front line of Orange County’s efforts to combat fire in residential areas.
But fire officials said that they are seeing "up-canyon" winds during the day that tend to push the flames up and away from town….

THE REPUBLICANS DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH, METHINKS

From yesterday’s OC Reg: Pol[itician]s, voters said no to fire funds:

Two of the Orange County politicians now complaining about the lack of air support for the Santiago Fire opposed firefighters' effort to purchase new helicopters and trucks two years ago. ¶ In fact, county officials today are sitting on more than $80 million in excess revenue from a statewide public safety sales tax adopted 13 years ago. ¶ That surplus has been a longstanding sore spot for OC firefighters, who at times this week were so overwhelmed they had to seek refuge inside fire retardant tents. ¶ The firefighter's 2005 ballot initiative would have redirected a small portion of the ½ cent sales tax, providing $8 million for new helicopters and $33 million for new fire trucks.

But the entire Board of Supervisors, the sheriff and district attorney opposed the measure, saying it was an attempt to pick the pocket of county law enforcement. County voters rejected the initiative, with 73 percent voting no. ¶ This week, State Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, R-Orange and Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell joined Orange County Fire Authority Chief Chip Prather in blaming state fire officials for not sending enough air support during the early hours of the fire. ¶ Spitzer called the lack of resources being delivered by the state "unconscionable."

That rankled firefighters, who remember that both Campbell and Spitzer campaigned against their funding measure and signed the ballot arguments against it….

(Above: Campbell with his pals SOCCCD Chancellor Raghu Mathur & Trustee John Williams)

(Campbell and SOCCCD Trustee Dave Lang at the recent opening of ATEP. Spitzer was there, too.)

CREEPS.

Friday Night

I now check all local news services before heading to bed.

The word tonight is that the fire in Silverado Canyon may reach houses by tomorrow afternoon.

(Photo: Santiago Peak, the highest point in the Santa Ana Mountains of Orange County.)

Sketched on a napkin

In today’s OC Register: Irvine Valley College at center stage:

After 18-year wait, community college can boast of its own performing arts center

Stephen Rochford, conductor and director of instrumental music at Irvine Valley College, points like a proud papa to a cushiony chair in the college's new, 388-seat theater.

"Mezzanine, first row, last on the left," he says during a recent walk-through of the building.

That chair is Rochford's; that is, it has his name on it. Dance program coordinator Ted Weatherford joins the tour, and he, too, immediately gestures toward his seat – mezzanine, number 102.

… Tuesday, the college will hold its official opening for the 53,200-square foot building, which sits at the southwest corner of the campus, rising up over strawberry fields next to Jeffrey Road. An invitation-only gala concert that night will kick off with a trumpet fanfare and will feature the college's master chorale and wind symphony.


"Its just means so much," Weatherford said. "It means that we can now expand our program. It's going to attract serious music people, serious dancers. And it gives the students the opportunity to perform on a real stage. It also allows us to have more community events at our school. We are a community college, which means that part of our mission is to serve the community."

…Added Rochford: "The new Performing Arts Center is a significant step forward in the continual maturation of IVC. Everyone on the campus is talking about this building. There is a level of excitement here that we are not used to having at IVC."

…The building was designed by the award-winning Miami firm Arquitectonica, under the leadership of architects Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear (the two are married). The firm has about 100 buildings under construction worldwide this year, according to vice president of marketing Tom Westberg. In Orange County, Arquitectonica designed the Rancho Santiago Community College District Digital Media Center, which opened in 2006, and Santa Ana's Taco Bell Discovery Science Center, known for its 10-story tall tilted cube.


…The concrete and glass center bears Arquitectonica's design trademarks, including bold colors and strong graphic forms. The building has an angular outside wall that juts out from its overall rectangular structure, an example of the firm's signature "surface articulation." The two-story glass lobby looks out on a grass lawn and across to another major building under construction, the $19 million Business, Sciences and Technology Innovation Center, being designed by another prominent, award-winning firm, LPA Inc.

"It was necessary for the building to make a statement about the importance of the arts in the college curriculum," Fort-Brescia said. "The building needed to be expressive, theatrical. The volume of the hall was enveloped by a series of planes that fold around the functional forms. Their planar qualities make them almost like sets."

… Rochford, Weatherford and theater arts chairman Ron Manuel-Ellison said the building has everything they needed.

In addition to the 388-seat multi-purpose main auditorium, the building houses a 170-seat, flexible black box theater; a 135-seat music hall; a green room, where artists wait before going onstage; a scenic construction shop; dressing room; design lab; costume shop; and several storage rooms.


"What's so nice about this is we designed it so it's multifunctional. We could have the audience at 360 degrees" around the actors, Manuel-Ellison said, standing in the black box theater.

"I am proud to say that this was an absolutely faculty-driven process," said Roquemore, the president. "The building was sketched out on a napkin and some of the same faculty are still with us and they have taken the vision to actual building plans."

The money for the project came from the state (about $14 million) and the South Orange County Community College District (about $15 million). The college is now seeking a final $2.5 million from private sources; it is looking, in particular, for an individual or family who would like their name on the building for a donation of $2 million. Roquemore admitted that the fund-raising was going much more slowly than he'd anticipated.

"We're hoping that folks will see a real jewel and be willing to help this along," he said. "On the $2 million naming rights (for the building), it's going surprisingly slow. We have so many folks that are into the performing arts, (yet) it's turning out to be quite a difficult task."


What will not be a difficult task, on the other hand, is attracting patrons, the faculty said, noting it's one of the few benefits of having performed out in the community for so many years. Students are deep into rehearsals for the comedy "A Tuna Christmas," and recitals, concerts and dance performances are already on the schedule for this "gala season," through May 2008.

"We'll fill the hall because we have such a regular following," said Rochford.

Friday; the power of ritual

WE ATTEMPTED to resume Friday rituals today: shopping at the farmer's market; visiting the grandfather/father/father-in-law with an offering of apples; cruising the thrift store for a substitute Halloween costume for the anxious son (Harry Potter was found (score!) as the handmade Puss-in-Boots remains at home). When in the world, I wear one of those face masks which I've noticed frightens young children. I plan to draw a cat nose and whiskers on mine tonight so as to avoid that reaction in the future. It will serve as my Halloween costume, I suppose.

Reports continue to arrive. A neighbor was escorted into our neighborhood and, yes, our house and hers stands. A backfire was started behind our home, at the edge of Hilltop Drive. We don't know what happened yet to the two bee hives. We evacuated our two cats, but not the bees. The sprinklers on the roof were turned off.

In the afternoon, we drove up to Cook's Corner where we we turned away. Escorts start from the other end of the canyon. The CHP officers were cordial. Further up, as we meandered around Portola Hills, I asked another CHP officer how it was going and he said it was fine. Some people had called him some names but he understood. It's hard to lose your house, he said.

As we drove back to our temporary quarters at our lovely friends' lovely home, we heard the news that the fire had moved into Silverado Canyon. By the time we got home, the OC Register had posted a front page picture of my son's teacher evacuating on foot, her arms full, her face, well, her face showing what you feel as you leave your home with the fire moving in behind you.

Tomorrow: in the morning we hope to qualify to be escorted into our canyon and our home. I need to retrieve papers and books so I can resume my classes on Monday. Then there are two birthday parties to attend, count 'em TWO. This will be the first time our son will have seen his schoolmates and friends since the conflagration. Some of the children invited have been, like us, evacuated from their homes all week. Some of them have lost their homes. Some of them don't know what they have lost. The birthday presents have been chosen (microscopes) and the cards have been drawn. We forgot to buy wrapping paper but we will find something. At some point, candles will be lit, wishes will be made, then the tiny fires will be blown out.

Where's your sackcloth, Laughing-Boy?

This morning’s OC Register ScienceDude column:

Outspoken UC Irvine author-historian Mike Davis will give a free public lecture Oct. 31 titled “Katrina in the Suburbs? The Politics of Fire in Southern California.” He will speak at noon in Room 3008 on UCI’s Calit2 Building, next to Bren Hall, on Ring Road.

In an e-mail, Davis told me, “I will discuss the relevant political background (lack of county fire department, failure of rural lands initiative, underfunding of fire departments, etc.) that might help us answer the questions: why are these men smiling (the governor, mayor of San Diego, etc.)?

“Shouldn’t they be wearing sackcloth or seeking exile in Paraguay instead of turning this tragedy into a celebration of conservative values...?”

Davis is a former MacArthur “Genius” Fellow who is well-known for his barbed social commentary, especially that which has appeared in his books “City of Quartz” and “Ecology of Fear.”

(Photo by Chunk)

From Bob Park's WHAT'S NEW:

INTERROGATIONS: BUSH DEFENDS INTERROGATION METHODS.

Earlier this month there was a remarkable reunion at Fort Hunt, VA of surviving members of the group responsible for interrogating Nazi prisoners of war. All in their 80s and 90s, they are shocked at the methods reportedly used today.

Henry Kolm, 90, an MIT physicist, told Petula Dvorak of the Washington Post that he had been assigned to play chess with Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess. They took prisoners out to steak dinners and played ping-pong with them - and got information out of them.

During WWII when the news carried reports of torture by the Nazis, people would shake their heads and say "you couldn’t get American boys to do that." Now we know you could. The President insists "we don’t torture." The only way he could be sure would be to submit to "waterboarding."

In today's INSIDE HIGHER ED:

David Horowitz, the conservative activist, and his allies have been giving speeches denouncing radical Islam on campuses all week as part of “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week” — viewed by many critics as a cover for spreading fear about Muslims. At Emory University, Horowitz was largely unable to give his speech, and police had to escort him from the stage as protesters shouted “Heil Hitler,” among other things, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported (last item). A detailed account and an online discussion of the incident appear in The Emory Wheel. On Horowitz’s Web site, the Emory protesters are being described as “leftist brown shirts.”

From yesterday's IHR:

San Diego area colleges remain closed, as institutions deal with the fires raging in the area. The colleges emphasize that their campuses and students are not in danger, but that they realize people can’t commute to and from campus right now. Several colleges — among them the San Diego Community College District, San Diego State University, the University of California at San Diego and the University of San Diego — have called off classes for the rest of the week.