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AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY
Mountain Views News Saturday, February 9, 2013
MEET PAUL CAMPBELL, AUTHOR
OF SURVIVOR SKILLS OF NATIVE
CALIFORNIA By Christopher Nyerges
[Nyerges is the author of “How to Survive Anywhere,” “Self-Sufficient Home,” and other
books. He leads self-sufficiency classes, and does a weekly podcast at Preparedness Radio
Network. He can be reached at School of Self-reliance, Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041 or
www.ChristopherNyerges.com]
“What’s Going On?”
News and Views from Joan Schmidt
HOW THE 2010 CALIFORNIA STATE
HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT
WILL BENEFIT LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS
At the February 5th Monrovia City Council Meeting, the Council approved the
purchase of Urban Search and Rescue Equipment from Allstar Fire Equipment,
Inc. in the amount of $29,282.94, and from LN Curtis and Sons in the amount of
$28,819.60 for a total expenditure of $58.103.54.
Monrovia Fire Chief Christopher Donovan shared his report submitted to the
City Council prior to the meeting. The objective of this appropriation is to
“utilize Homeland Security grant funds to replace needed Urban Search and Rescue equipment that
will enhance the Fire Department’s ability to perform search and rescue operations during fire and life
safety emergencies.”
Chief Donovan said the equipment purchase is in support of the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs’
project to maintain regional Urban Search and Rescue Teams in which Monrovia Fire Department
is included. The equipment purchase will be used for local, area and regional natural and man-made
disaster responses, inclusive of earthquakes, mud-slides, building collapse and terrorism events. He
feels “coupled with the training that fire department receives, the equipment will enhance the ability to
provide fire and life safety services.”
Since the grant has no match, there will be no funds required from the City. The entire purchase is
part of the California State Homeland Security Grant Program and is completely reimbursable to the
City.
As the Monrovia City Council approved this purchase of the Urban Search and Rescue Equipment
for its Fire Department, its neighboring Arcadia City Council was doing the same! The Arcadia City
Council approved a supplemental appropriation not to exceed $29,100 for the upfront purchase of
Urban Search and Rescue equipment for the Arcadia Fire Department that will be reimbursed through
the 2010 State Homeland Security Grant Program.
This is great news for both Cities, their Fire Departments and ultimately the residents who will greatly
benefit when an emergency arises and the best equipment is available!
Do you all know
Paul Campbell?
Paul Campbell,
local resident, is the
author of “Survival
Skills of Native California.” He has a lifelong
interest in the outdoors, and a particular interest
in the American Indians who lived here in
Southern California.
Paul has also authored “Earth Pigments and
Paint of the California Indians.”
What a fantastic book! Here is a treasure
trove of original research whose scope goes far
beyond the seemingly-limited title. Campbell
begins with his quest for a blood-red ochre. He
shares where all the colors used by Southwestern
tribes came from, the binders they used to make
pigments into paint, and the storage containers of
these pigments. With color photos throughout,
Campbell gives examples of pigments in rock
art, body paint, face decorations, bow and
arrow paint, and more. The book also includes a
portfolio of late 1880s photos of mostly Mohave
Indians showing face and body paint.
A must-have addition to any library focused on
anthropology, native skills, and art.
“The local Indians were so in tuned with
nature,” says Campbell, as he shows me the simple
bird trap he made based on local native designs.
“They lived here for at least 10,000 years, and it
seemed to me that after they lived here that long
using simple technologies, they figured out the
best ways to live in this environment. If I wanted
to be in tune with this environment,” he adds, “I
realized that I should at least begin where they
left off.”
So, about 10 years ago, Campbell decided to
begin actually practicing some of the skills and
making the tools that were used by aboriginal
peoples here for millenia.
“What I read in most books was insufficient,”
explains Campbell, and he began his quest with
extensive research that included trips to Mexico
where he studied with the Indians who still lived
and practiced many of the old skills.
“When my research reached what I call a
critical mass, I’d go out and make these tools, like
bows, and traps, and rabbit sticks, and I found
that they worked well. The more I practiced
under difficult conditions, the better I got. I
improved by experience and I was able to refine
certain subtleties in these skills and tools.”
Campbell showed me a lightweight willow bow
he made using stone tools. The stones were first
collected within a few yards of where the willows
grew. He’d whack
the stones together
to create sharp edges
and he used those
sharpened rocks
to cut the willow,
split the willow, and
shape the willow
into a bow. He used
smooth rocks to
sand and smooth
the bow.
“Each rock tool
is slightly different,
designed to perform
a separate function,”
says Campbell. “My
purpose in dong this
was to demonstrate
the usefulness of
the universal tool
kit composed of shattered rocks,” he explained as
he showed me a river rock with an edge that was
nearly as sharp as a metal knife.
Campbell explained that a simple bow became
the universal weapon, though the bow probably
did not come into California until the 3rd or 4th
Century A.D. “The bow was one of the most
important weapons of all the primitive weapons.
It was used to hunt game at a short distance,” says
Campbell.
Campbell showed me both a small boy’s bow,
about 4 ½ feet long, which he made in about eight
hours with stone rasps and stone scrapers. Large
game bows would be about 6 feet long and take a
bit longer to make. Campbell explained that the
bow was and is a fairly accurate weapon in the
hands of even a novice. Hunting in the old days
involved stalking, and then calling-in the game so
that they could be hunted at close range.
Campbell also showed me some simple arrows
that he made from the shafts of the mulefat stems.
There was no arrowhead, but just a sharpened,
fire-hardened point. And there were no feathers,
just a nock cut into the end where it met the
bowstring. Campbell explained that these simple
arrows were used for short distance hunting.
Campbell continues to pursue his research
for both the historical and survival value, and he
teaches at such annual events as RabbitStick and
Dirttime.
Campbell’s books can be obtained at the Store at
www.ChristopherNyerges.com, Amazon, and
quality bookstores.
paper
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
7:00pm – 8:30pm
The Monrovia Arcadia Duarte Town Council cordially
invites you to attend our upcoming meetings scheduled
on the 3rd Wednesday of every month.
Please join us and meet your Town Council members
and learn more about the resources and information available in our community.
Representatives from the following offices will be available to provide reports and
answer your questions:
. Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich
. Temple Sheriff’s Station
. Live Oak Public Library
. Monrovia Unified School District Board Members & Superintendent
We look forward to seeing you!
Wednesday February 20th 7:00pm
All Nations SDA Church
1948 Peck Road
Monrovia, at spanner
Please join us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/MADTownCouncil
P.O. Box 893 / Monrovia, CA 91017
ENJOY AN AFTERNOON OF MUSIC, WINE, AND HORS
D’OEUVRES IN AN HISTORIC ALTADENA HOME
Chamber Music Fundraiser
Benefits Pasadena
Community Orchestra
PASADENA, CA – January
28, 2013 -- On Sunday,
February 24th, from 2:00
to 5:00 p.m., the Pasadena
Community Orchestra presents
an afternoon of music, wine
and hors d’oeuvres for its
2nd Annual Chamber Music
Benefit and 30th Anniversary
Gala Celebration. Los Angeles
Philharmonic violinist Paul
Stein, cellist Christopher Ahn,
and pianist Mark Robson
will perform Beethoven’s
“Archuke” Trio in B Flat Major
in an historic Altadena home.
Admission is $50 per person; all
proceeds benefit the Pasadena
Community Orchestra.
The “Archduke” Trio is regarded
as the greatest of all works
for piano trio. The crowning
masterpiece of Beethoven’s cycle
of piano trios, it is the most
expansive, lyrical, and deeply
felt of all his works for this
combination of instruments.
The Archduke Rudolph of
Austria was one of Beethoven’s
truest friends (and benefactor
and also, for a time, his pupil),
and Beethoven dedicated not
only this trio but also nine other
major works to him.
A member of the Los Angeles
Philharmonic for over 30 years,
Paul Stein is also an active
performer and supporter of
chamber music. He created
the Chamber Music Express
ensemble in 1985 to introduce
classical music to audiences
at schools and libraries. Stein
is also the director of the
chamber music series at the
Arcadia Public Library and at
the Pasadena Jewish Temple
and Center. In addition to
being a soloist with Pasadena
Community Orchestra in two
concerts, he has performed
solos with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, the Glendale
College Community Orchestra,
and the Rio Hondo Symphony.
Stein teaches violin and viola
privately, and is on the faculties
of Pasadena City College and
Glendale College.
Mark Robson has been hailed
by the Los Angeles Times as a
pianist with great technique and
“an inquiring mind,” and his
multi-faceted career includes
work as a soloist, chamber
artist, composer, conductor, and
teacher. Mr. Robson is equally
comfortable in styles ranging
from early music played on
the harpsichord to Romantic
and contemporary works for
the piano and organ. One of
his most formidable musical
projects was the performance
of the complete piano sonatas
of Beethoven. After obtaining
degrees from USC and Oberlin
College, Robson studied
extensively in Paris. He has
been on the music staff of the
Los Angeles Opera since 1991
(as an assistant conductor and
coach), and has taught at USC,
Chapman University, and
CalArts.
Paul Stein personally selected
cellist Christopher Anh for this
performance. Ahn, a native
of Los Angeles, maintains an
extremely active performance
schedule while pursuing
his Doctor of Musical Arts
degree at UCLA. He most
recently appeared as soloist
with Pasadena Community
Orchestra, performing the
Schumann Cello Concerto
in A Minor on January 25th.
He has appeared in solo,
chamber music, and orchestral
performances across the U.S.
and on four other continents.
He has also studied and
performed with some of the
world’s finest string quartets
and cello soloists.
Seating for this event is
limited: RSVP by Wednesday,
February 20th. For additional
details, and to RSVP, please
contact pcopublicity@gmail.
com, pcoemails@gmail.com,
or 626.445.6708. This event is
sponsored in part by Old Town
Music, Julienne Fine Foods,
Green Street Restaurant, Whole
Foods & other local businesses.
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