The following articles from the "Yosemite Sentinel" appeared in the 1960's. We thought that former TMLers would get a kick out of reading these memories from the past. If you know the dates of the undated articles please let us know. If anyone has beginnings or endings of ones that are not complete or you have articles that can be included, send copies to Gene.
Friday, July 9, 1965
HAPPINESS AND MISERY ARE...
The crew at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge has compiled two books entitled Tuolumne Meadows Misery Book and Tuolumne Meadows Happiness Book. The statements in the books apply to life as seen through the eyes of Tuolumneites. Some of these we feel apply to park life in general and might be enjoyed by other employees. The following are a few of them from our books.
Happiness is lots of milk
Happiness is receiving a letter
Happiness is a day off
Happiness is music in the kitchen
Happiness is the manager taking a day off
Happiness is Alex, the chef, not telling you to eat your vegetables
Happiness is friendly dishwashers
Happiness is steak for the sidehall
Happiness is finding the right flower at the right time in the right place
Happiness is being able to sit in the lobby at night without being thrown out
Happiness is having the deskeys (desk clerks) eat in the sidehall like the rest of us
Happiness is my day off
Happiness is a warm fire and a warm sleeping bag
Happiness is dropping a shatterproof cup on the floor without having it break
Happiness is finding a fresh piece of parsley for a dinner plate
Happiness is balancing the books
Happiness is no checkouts
Happiness is getting our ration of cake once a month
Happiness is a rainbow hat
Happiness is washing the last dish for the day
Happiness is an uncensored Sentinel article
Happiness is Gene Field with his mouth shut
Happiness is a full house (for the manager) and an empty house (for the staff)
Happiness is a wood pile next to your tent
Happiness is having your roommate make the fire in the morning
Happiness is the Bordens man
Happiness is payday
Happiness is people at your table for breakfast that only want coffee
Happiness is an afternoon nap
Happiness is looking at a class 4 peak after you have climbed itMisery is working overtime
Misery is nine for dinner at 8:05
Misery is a hairnet
Misery is serving jello on a hot dish
Misery is Sunday morning after Saturday night at Hawthorne
Misery is two maids on Sunday morning
Misery is prunes or prune juice
Misery is wearing a name tag
Misery is a family of ten with lots of suitcases and no tip
Misery is a green uniform ten inches too long
Misery is being caught stealing from the kitchen
Misery is getting up early
Misery is losing at poker
Misery is the Valley
Misery is a checkout
Misery is trying to finish a tent while the people start moving in
Misery is having to take guests for a walk on horses
Misery is wet wood
Misery is eating ham out front and finding they had sirloin steak in sidehall
Misery is hiking in the rain
Misery is taking a shower with no water pressure
Misery is having your boss point out 4 pieces of paper under the steam table
Misery is putting on your contacts in the morning
Misery is doing dishes with a hole in the rubber glove
Misery is pumpin 36 Coleman lantern with a cut on your thumb
Misery is hard-boiled eggs in the chicken pen
Misery is having your grades read by everyone before you get up there
Misery is setting this piece on the linotype and proofreading it!!!
OBITUARIES: We would like to sympathize with Gene Field on the loss of his chicken, Wilhelmina, who lost her head when she stuck her neck out too far.
No date (1965?)
HARMONIOUS TUOLUMNE MEADOWS
Captain Bolt, UFO [John Buckley], is back safely after his midnight trip to Vogelsang on which he took "provisions" which he thought would ensure a warm welcome. However, his warm welcome turned cold with the temporary disappearance of his magic boots.
Congratulations to Fred Mandell on his promotion to front desk clerk. We were hoping he would learn to seat guests correctly in the dining room, but the other deskeys got hold of him first.
We would like to congratulate the mountaineers—Steve Berrey, Bruce Kinnison, Bob Watson, Chuck Kollerer, and Alan Zetterberg—on a recent expedition to Dog Lake, as well as Mts. Ritter and Banner. We are disappointed that one of them was not more thrilled over the naming of a peak for him—Mt. H.B.Kinnison, III. We suppose it was because he was too tired to climb it. HBK, however, met with disappointment when, upon reaching the summit of a similar high, rugged peak, he could not find a pencil to sign the register.
Despite Fred Pierson's sanitary precautions, we believe that there should be harmony in the kitchen. We will submit to wearing face masks and rubber gloves, but after all—whistling ensures a harmonious crew.
Dana Dee Ponte is almost ready to receive her pilot wings. She and her passengers are having a high time flying down the road in her brother's canary yellow jaguar. All agree that takeoffs are most exciting.
We welcome Bert Watkins and Milton Rogers, our new cooks, to our harmonious group. TMLers regret losing our popular breakfast cook, Norman Ford, who was felled by a heart attack. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Norm. The majority of our kitchen crew made a quick trip between lunch and dinner to visit him in the hospital. We were glad to see him looking better and the manager, Martha Miller, was glad to see her waitrii arrive back in time for dinner.
Captain Bolt warns any unwary soul who might contemplate stealing his photographs which hang in the dining room that they will be greeted by the explosion of magic blasting caps cleverly installed by Bolt himself.
We are glad to announce that Dennis Schutt has got a haircut. We thought we could tell him from Roger (Samson) Heath until he too succumbed to the barbershop in tent 52. However, Yul Buckley still gets the prize for the shortest hairdo. Contributions would be appreciated for the Annie Kinsella fund. Besides running a barbershop she mends the seats of men's pants in her spare time.
Waitress Alana Green, after a hard summer, has been awarded the title of Miss Mishap of TML. Any girl who can outdo Alana's colds, hurt back, and burned leg is eligible to enter next month's competition. We hope the leg is better. [author's note... original, precensored version read: That will teach you to keep out of hot water.]
Sabotage was the word applied to the act of the culprits who mixed red and blue food coloring into the chocolate chip cookie batter prepared by Ann Healy, Margie Horowitz, and Gene Field. In spite of the odd appearance of the cookies and the many complaints, hungry mouths quickly devoured the mistaken masterpieces.
Although fatigue is a common condition at TML, the droopy eyes and sleepwalking state of several male employees can be attributed directly to the poker games in the sidehall which lasts until the wee hours. The smart ones quit early such as Annie Kinsella, who manages quite often to outdo her male adversaries.
It seems that various campaigns against veal stew and shortribs have been successful. We would like to thank the management for the Skippy peanut butter (chunky style), baked potatoes, cantaloup, and ice cream, not to mention fruit cocktail and pie (non-Ahwahnee). Thanks to Alana Green, for having her twenty-second birthday, so we could have more ice cream.
No date (1965?)
FROM THE MEADOWS
Films taken by manager Martha Miller of the Innsbruck Winter Olympics were shown the other night for employees and a few fortunate guests. The films, narrated by Martha, were not only beautiful but also instructive-some of them showing various stages of skiing skills.
Also in the entertainment department will be the "Drama behind Tent D" being rehearsed by leading actor, actress and ham, Ann Healy, Margie Horowitz and Tom DeCenso. The villain, John Buckley, hasn't rehearsed, and won't need to, being diabolical by nature.
Alana Green and Dick Shields are planning on leaving late in August, then comes Labor Day and no one will be here but the picket pens in tents 56 and 57 (just a hole in the ground, but it's home) and the family of baby mice in Gene Field's chest of drawers-wish we could all stay longer because the meadows become even more wonderful as fall comes closer-crisp in the morning and warm and clear during the day-the guests are either particularly happy this year or particularly vocal about it-makes having a full house every night a pleasure.
Two fierce desk clerks ran out with brooms to help a couple of screaming maids who claimed there was a bear in tent 13-they shall remain anonymous but the maids (Mary Maughn and Margie Horowitz) won't-they're quite proud. [Of course, there was no tent 13!]
Friday, August 7, 1964
FROM THE T.M.L.
Three of our desk clerks came home one night to what has been called "Fairyland - -"; their tent had wall-to-wall-and-floor-to-ceiling carpeting of pink meal tickets; and their were tickets in every book, shirt pocket, pant cuff; tickets pasted on the clocks, flashlights, owls, dark glasses and fish bowls. Merry Christmas from the waitri, who avoided decorating Gene's high sierra hens and their coop only because of rain. The chickens enjoy it here and manage to lay an egg a day. We're thinking of adding a mountain goat to our livestock collection-if Sunrise can have a cow, which is a persistent rumor.
Dr. Jan Popper of the U.C.L.A. opera workshop gave a program of opera and light opera that sounded wonderful-in spite of the introduction ("Ladies and gentlemen. Dr. Yom Kippur-uh Pooper uh, Popper...") and in spite of a piano missing many keys. The number of favorable comments from guests indicated that they agree with us, that there is something fine about the combination of two beautiful, if different, things-opera and the High Sierra.
T. Meds' desk clerks turned maintenance men recently-Tim Berrey laid seven bridges across several streams; Dana Dee Ponte hemmed new shower curtains. Male guests have been surprised to meet manager Martha Miller in the men's room in a frenzy of cleanliness.
Non-working time has been filled-what with Ron Viale frightening bears, John Buckley's photography, Cathy Carr's bugs, and Annie Kinsella's kite flying. Even organization man, Bill Taylor... [article stops here. Does anyone have the rest of this article?]
A piece of an article, with no beginning:
...female half of the couple she'd gone to eat dinner with said "Oh, by the way, Marty, who's managing Tuolumne this year?"
Staying in the anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better contest between Bob Watson and Bruce Kinnison gets rougher all the time-Bob went to the Valley the other day by way of Clouds Rest and Half Dome. Bruce probably has in mind the entire John Muir Trail in a lunch off.
The honey taffy made by Ann Healy and Jansy Wessenberg was a great success. We sold it at the front desk as petrified wood for $2.50 apiece.
Friday, June 25, 1965
FROM TUOLUMNE MEADOWS LODGE
The weather at TML is finally warming up after three days of rain and snow, but apparently not enough to keep Bill McCracken's car going. However, frozen employees are beginning to defrost. We recommend afternoons at Tenaya Lake—if you can stand the mosquitoes.
The kitchen is brightened this year by several new additions. TML welcomes its new chef, Alex Martel, and his culinary delights. The new dishwashers, Jim Carragher, Alan Zetterberg, and Roger Heath add a cheerful note with their jokes (?), singing (?), and smiles, in spite of the holes in their rubber gloves. But we will wait for hot weather and large crowds when their true colors will come out. Bruce Kinnison, cooks helper, gets the award for being the best dressed; he looks well in everything he eats—especially butter and boysenberry pie.
Captain Bolt, UFO [John Buckley], is coming! Guests have been warned to look out for stray lightning bolts.
We would like to repay the kindness of all concerned on the morning of Friday, the 18th of June. Taking full advantage of a rare day off, two ingenious employees, Ann Healy and Margie Horowitz, managed to have their fires started by Alan Zetterberg and Chuck Kollerer and then were served breakfast in bed by Bill McCracken. It was a delightful experience until the lucky girls were nailed in their tent. Fortunately Ginger Shannon soon came to their rescue.
Two of the best hikers can be found at TML-Cathy Carr and Margie Horowitz-only they do their hiking on the meadows, our new football field [Eugene Memorial Field]. Numerous chuckholes add to the excitement and danger of the game. The girls have been elected captains of the team which extends a challenge to anyone so bold as to venture to oppose it. NFL take note!
The White Tent, inhabited by assistant manager Gene Field and Fred Mandell has been christened "the Palace" by other jealous employees; it is fully equipped, even possessing a study desk.
Memories are short but exciting up here at TML. Annie Kinsella has already managed to blow up the Coleman lantern, but thanks to the marvelous assistance of Cathy Carr the tent was not consumed in flames.
Friday, August 9, 1963
FROM THE MEADOWS
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge employees are back again and all seem happier than ever that they are in the High Country rather than in the Valley. Several employees gathered together all their nerve the first part of July to go to the Valley to see just what the place is like. They returned with stories of a human glacier that is expanding so rapidly the walls of the Valley are slowly being pushed back. ("Tisn't true. Ed.)
Trips to the Valley are becoming quite frequent-but not by road. In fact, there is a tally being kept on how many employees can hike to the Valley in one day. Carol Ruedy, Gene Field, and Robin Freeman were the first to go. They took the Sunrise Trail and took time out to climb up Half Dome along the way. Ron Brandt, Ron Viale, and Robin Freeman followed a few days after down the Tenaya Switchbacks. A program is being considered whereby no one will be hired to work at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge next season unless he proves he is physically fit enough to hike to the Valley in one day. It is felt that this will be a great step forward in President Kennedy's physical fitness program.
The Tuolumne Meadows Lodge annual dance and general blast took place on July 26th in the recreation tent. John Buckley and Dennis Serbousek acted as producer and director of the affair, but the star of the show was Houshang Rafinia and his rendition of the twist. Houshang's agility has been attributed to his Middle Eastern background. His muscles have been kept loose by plenty of camel riding. The party served as an opportunity for all Tuolumne Meadows employees, who usually never associate with each other, to meet socially. Lodge, Store, Grill, Standard Oil, Stables, and Government employees all attended along with several party crashers from the Valley and one fellow in a Beta Theta Phi sweatshirt who baffled lodge employees. They are still trying to identify him.
When Company officials decided that Tuolumne Meadows Lodge camp helpers should wear brown uniforms such as those worn at Yosemite Lodge and Camp Curry, irate camp helpers organized themselves into a subversive organization of protest and called themselves Brown Shirts. Their first act of protest was to be the dynamiting of the New Tioga Road (which all old Tuolumneites hate) but manager Mel Najarian got wind of the plot who reported it to the Rangers who put an end to it.
In the same issue...
THE LODGE FRONT DESK CREW
Peggy Proctor is a new addition to the front desk staff but not new to most Valley residents. She attended the University of Colorado and graduated last year, after which she spent some time as a "peasant" in Europe. This fall she will be teaching the third grade in a San Jose School. (This article goes on about the Curry front desk where Peggy worked in 1963.)
[Peggy was also a desk clerk at TML]
Friday, June 29, 1962
WHO'S WHERE UP THERE?
At Tuolumne Meadows Lodge there is a new manager-Mel Najarian, a law student from the University of California. He was a cafeteria supervisor and front desk assistant at Glacier Point last summer.Martha Miller, who is again Chief Clerk, tells about a number of employees who have returned for another summer:
Old-timer Bob Rohweder is cook and kitchen boss. Gene Field, a biology major from Fresno State College, is on the desk for this third summer. He is a very popular hiking companion because of his knowledge of things to be seen along the trails. Cindy Merry is also back at the desk.
And there's John Buckley, Audrey Jung, Garey Crelland [Clelland] and Diana Struck, who shared responsibility for the notable musical activities of last summer; Freda Haas, Sue Arbuckle, Elliot Smith, Fred Rentschler; Janet Morris, who is in charge of studios in lodge and store; Anne Whiteside, ski instructor last winter, and Steve Ronfeldt from Sunrise Camp.
A returnee with three summers to her credit is Carol Ruedy who missed last summer because she was a student at the University of Madrid. She went there on a program from Middlebury College in Vermont to secure a Master's degree in Spanish. One international-type group shares a tent-Carol, fresh from a year in Spain; a Mississippi girl; and Suki, an exchange student from Japan. [Was the Mississippi girl Lynn Wolfe ?? Does anybody know her whereabouts?]
Barbara Whiteman and tiny daughter are living at the lodge while Wayne spends his time on the trails supervising the high camps.
At the stables Bud Shannon is corral boss for the second summer. Robert Deverick returned to manage the store. Marilyn Cook, of Auberry, a student at San Jose State College, is supervisor of the refreshment stand. She worked at the stand last summer.
Cordelia and Howard Layne opened Glen Aulin on June 21. As of last Saturday it was reportedly necessary to swim the river in order to reach Glen Aulin via the regular trail, unless one was on horseback. The Laynes will return to their former position as a managing couple at May Lake when it opens in mid-July.
Gladys and Stanley Smith began their second summer as managers at Merced Lake Camp when it opened June 22.
Chester and Hazel Patterson are again at White Wolf.
Dolly and Clarence Miller expect to be here for the Sunrise opening, tentatively scheduled for July 17.