Got Traffic?

Got Traffic? Geyserville does not have stoplight and we are damn proud of that. It does, however, have a stop sign – and a very special sign it is. Few locals can remember when our stop sign has ever stood tall, straight and upright. It seems to always to either prone or tilting to one side or the other – some might say sorta like Geyserville itself. By Joe Pelanconi

Geyserville High

GEYSERVILLE HIGH’S CLASS OF ‘63 It has been 50 years since the class of ’63 graduated from Geyserville High School. And what a class it was! I am proud to say I was part of that class and I share in its glory. It is a little known fact that the GHS Class of ’63 has done more for the beautification of Geyserville than any class before or since. The absence of trash in our streets and the sparkle of our village can be attributed to that special class of a half century ago. Now there will be nitpickers who will say that all of the beautification was done by one sole member of that class, namely Pete Stone. Nasty nitpickers will say that much of what Pete has cleaned up was created by his very classmates. However, might I ask you to put that pettiness aside and celebrate our beautiful village and the awesome Class of ’63! By Joe P.

This is why we love Geyserville...

The parade of lights last year: a tractor parade. The video is courtesy of Richard Stilwell. Check it out by clicking here!!

Annual Tree Lighting in Geyserville

Join the people of Geyserville for another wonderful Tree lighting and tractor parade event! This year we will have bleachers on the sidelines to make viewing the tractors and Santa easier. Come out and have a great time, have some cocoa and enjoy the lights!

SHARE THE ROAD

You may have noticed those “Share the Road” signs on Geyserville Avenue on both ends of town.  Back in the 50s, what is now Geyserville Avenue was the two lane Highway 101.  It was also a time that local lumber mills were booming.  The 101 through town was a nightmare, lots of traffic and a parade of aggressive 18 wheelers hauling logs and lumber.  There wasn’t much complaining by locals; lumbering was an important part of the local economy. We shared the road and if there had been any signs on each end of town, the truck drivers would have put up “Get Outta the Way” signs, certainly not “Share the Road.”

                More recently, with nary a complaint, we’ve learned to live with slow moving tractors, grape trucks and mechanical harvesters.  Like logs and lumber, grapes and wine are good for the economy.  I also suspect that sharing the road with 18 wheelers and tractors is not really a choice.  No signs needed. So the “Share the Road” signs must be about those healthy folks from somewhere else that ride their expensive bicycles through town in large numbers.  Like lumber trucks and tractors, they’re often a nuisance.  Unlike lumber trucks and tractors, they generate a considerable amount of grumbling from sedentary locals. 

Yep, those bikers can be a bother and a few of them can be downright rude.  However, might I suggest that local businesses have probably noticed most of them have a checkbook tucked into their Spandex shorts. These pedaling tight bodies in gaudy shirts just might be good for the local economy. 

-          Mickey Bitsko

COCKROACHES & COYOTES

A few years ago, we were having coyote problems on our property. We suspected they had a den in a ravine at the back of our property and they were chewing on irrigation lines and coming too close to the house, and our feral cats, for comfort. So we contacted the county trapper--no not Clem. (Be sure to Read Jessie Poshepny Vallery's post "What Would Clem Say?")

Some folks from Geyserville may recognize the name Fred Radtkey. He lived in Geyserville for awhile and has family in the area. And he still collects his mail at our post office, though he is now retired and lives on the family sheep ranch out near Annapolis, I believe. Fred held the the job of county hunter for many years, after Clem, I guess. And he was the one who came to our rescue when we were having problems with the coyotes.

Fred and his dogs made several trips to the ranch and he would stop by the house each time and fill us in on the latest. He was eventually able to alleviate the problem and the coyotes moved on to friendlier territory. But we learned a lot about the critters from Fred. Did you know that they were originally native to the southwest United States, but are now found in every state of the union, all the way up through Canada to Alaska, and throughout Mexico and Central America and into South America. They are quite opportunistic creatures and survival specialists. On one of his visits, Fred summed it up as only he could. In his easy-going, slow and deliberate way he told us, "When the world comes to an end... the only things left... will be... cockroaches and coyotes."

It's hard not to admire the survival instincts and love of the wild that Bryan Tedrick's sculpture of the Coyote symbolizes. Perhaps the residents of Geyserville, like Clem and Fred, identify a bit with that ol' Coyote. And maybe that's why everyone seems to love him.

WHAT WOULD CLEM DO?

               

                                                                     

If you hang around Bosworth’s store and listen closely, you might hear a Geyserville old-timer mutter “What would Clem do?”  A newcomer might ask “Who the hell is Clem and what would Clem do about what?” 

Well, in a bygone era, the foothills around Geyserville were home to a number of sheep ranches. Lamb chops were the favored cuisine of wild, marauding coyotes and not a favored form of wildlife for local sheep ranchers.  Clem Feldmeyer, a member of a longtime Geyserville family and owner of the local water company, had another noteworthy job.  He was the local state trapper, whose job it was to “control” the local predator population, which included hungry coyotes. 

So, while we find the imposing coyote sculpture south of town to be a spectacular work of art, old-timers must wonder what Clem would do if he were alive today.  Although no one who knew Clem Feldmeyer would suspect he was an art lover, our town coyote would certainly have gotten his attention and perhaps induced cardiac arrest.  

An old-timer might suggest that Clem would be fitting name for the artistic gem.