4:00 pm – sorry, I am SOO busy!
This is luna’rion
Dan Singer/Jud Davidson played some great music! Some of my faves.
3:00 pm – had some technical difficulties downloading photos onto my computer. I think I’ve resolved it.
The band, Almazul.
1:30 am the main SCCLT information booth
and Rose’s Roses:
Noon –It has started … drumming circle saged!!
Updates throughout the day!
And so, tomorrow it begins … love, friends, good food, great music … and the JADE.
I stopped by the school late this afternoon, to check on things. You know, see what was happening. Plaskett Creek Campground is full, not surprisingly. Vendors are there, setting up. The sound stage is going up, lots of activity going on.
It’s a happenin’…
Did I say there was going to be music, or what?? Look at all that equipment!!
That’s Kirk Brock setting up Rock Solid Jade. He’s put together over 50 vendors who come almost every year. There is always a waiting list.
Can you tell I’m getting excited?
Received this from Kirk Gafill today asking me to spread the word. This is the last non-Jade posting until after the Festival, though, goddess willing. Tomorrow, posting live from the Festival, if all goes well! See you there. Stop by the Main Information Booth and say “hi.” BigSurKate
What: Critical Meeting of Monterey County Board of Supervisors to hear presentation of Countywide Ambulance Contract Request For Proposal
When: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Where: Board of Supervisors Chambers at 168 West Alisal Street in Salinas
At this meeting, the Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMS) will be recommending to the Board of Supervisors a tentative winner of the contract to provide countywide ambulance service and the EMS Agency will then be requesting authority from the Board of Supervisors to negotiate the details of the contract with this ambulance provider.
This is the critical moment when we need to have the Board of Supervisors give the EMS Agency the authority to negotiate for a continuation of current service levels, if not then Big Sur’s service levels will be split out into a variety of options to be bid upon separately. Should this occur, our community, uniquely in the entire County, will be required to lobby the Board to provide ambulance service to our area at a cost of many hundreds of thousands of dollars. A most daunting task, which would pit our community’s interests against those of other communities and county departments requesting funding for their own agendas and needs.
The EMS Agency is on record as considering it acceptable to have ambulances dispatched from the Monterey Peninsula, adding one to two hours to response time to future ambulance calls. This is simply unacceptable and would take us back to service levels last seen 50 years ago.
It is of the utmost importance that our community show up at this Board of Supervisors meeting in person. Martha Karstens, Chief of the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade, will coordinate several speakers to address the key concerns. It is not necessary, nor desirable to have most people speak to the issue due to limited time available on the agenda, but it is of the utmost value to have a show of community support by residents being present and showing their hands in support of this issue.
Personal participation is needed and now! Please make every effort to attend this meeting and support our community’s efforts to ensure that we continue to have a 24 hour a day/7 day a week, Advanced Life Support Ambulance, located in Big Sur.
Only 40 residents showed up at the community meeting at the Big Sur Lodge last month, our community can and must do better than that if we wish to impress upon the Board of Supervisors the value we attach to a locally based ambulance.
Please pass the word.
Thank you,
Kirk Gafill
President – Big Sur Chamber of Commerce
10:30 am – Quite a bit of smoke, north east from Cone Peak. Also being reported from north east of the Big Sur Gorge Will see what I can find out.
Looks like it may be a continuation of the controlled burn from yesterday, which was shut down to prevent the smoke drifting due to onshore winds into the Monterey area. Unless I can determine otherwise, it appears this smoke may be the Ft. Ord prescribed burn which they lit off again today.
Videos, maps, and other information available at ksbw.com
From the Salinas Californian: “The U.S. Army may pick up today where it left off Tuesday morning after unexpected shifting winds halted controlled burns on former Fort Ord lands.
The Army is burning off brush that is helping to conceal old munitions from the fort’s days as a military training base. Tuesday’s fire lasted about an hour and a half before Army officials called it off at 11:15 a.m.
The U.S. Army Fort Ord Base Realignment and Closure Office said Monday it planned to burn two areas, one of 257 acres and the other of 196 acres, near Eucalyptus and Orion roads, about two miles east of Seaside.”
Lots to do ‘twix now and then … so, unless there is a fire or other emergency, the next post you will read will be Friday around noon from the Jade Festival, hopefully, with a photo of the opening of the Drum Circle, led this year by Tracy Morgan. Dick Horan has retired from leading the drum circle which he has done for most of the last 17 years. Thanks Dick!!
Oh, well. Things came up, and I put up THREE posts on 10/8. It happens!
from a local webcam.
Only 3 days until the 18th Annual Jade Festival begins, as so many of you already know. Woohoo! Are we getting excited? Last minute details being worked out, the gang is pulling together, as usual, everyone is working hard, and according to the weather report, we should have clear skies all 3 days!! One vendor had to pull out at the last minute, but was immediately filled from the waiting list.
I am going to try something new this year, and see how it goes. I am going to try a few real time posts to my blog throughout the days of the festival. Unfortunately, I cannot upload video, although I would like to. Maybe next year, when I have to pay for my blog anyway. Video capabilities come with the “paid” version. So, I’ll see how this works. I’ll be reporting it sort of like I did the Chalk Fire, but throughout the day. Wish me luck!
Guadalupe Quilt Raffle
at the Big Sur Health Center Health Fair
Tuesday, October 6th
12-noon – 5 pm
Raffle Tickets on sale at the Health Fair
$3.00 each or 2 for $5.00
Need not be present to WIN!!!
The beautiful Guadalupe Quilt was made by Nadine Clark
All proceeds go to the Big Sur Health Center
The Guadalupe Quilt will be on display at the Health Fair!
As those of you who regularly attend our Festival every year know, most of our vendors come back year after year. There are a few changes from last year, but most of the vendors you have all learned to appreciate will be here. Here is this year’s vendor map:
Copies of the map will be available at the Main Information Booth, staffed this year by Rose Welch, Mollie Field, and bigsurkate.
