ROBERT ELMER ‘BOB’ AYRES
Robert Elmer Ayres, aka. Bob, Big Bob or Maestro was born on December 16,1939 and died peacefully in his sleep on August 14, 2024. He was born into a musical family, and he strongly carried on the families love and talent for music. His Grandfather Ayres was a Fiddler and Banjo player, who played for barn dances and events along with his father who played violin. Together they even built violins and banjos.
Bob had a long and varied life starting in Ashland, Oregon. He traveled through the South with his family during WWII, on trains, accompanying his father who was an Officer and Naval Flight Instructor.
At a very young age he helped maternal relatives who ran a livestock auction business, riding horses and loading cattle in Weed and Mt. Shasta.
Eventually he returned to Medford Oregon where his father taught music at the local high school. Bob skipped multiple grades graduating high school at 15. He attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland on a full scholarship. After a year he departed to California to attend San Francisco State College where he joined the vibrant jazz music scene in San Francisco in the sixties. Trumpet was his first love but it was at SF State where he met his wife Dorothy of 55 years in a cello class. After completing his B.A. he studied law at USF. Years later he would finish his law school via correspondence and pass the California State Bar, but never practiced law. He loved mental challenges, and most would agree he had an IQ of a polymath and was always ready to converse deeply on just about any topic.
After having many varied jobs from Merchant Seaman to Golden Gate Park gardener and always a professional musician he decided to become a music teacher. He found a job opening at Mendocino Unified School District and he was hired in 1968. Soon after he bought a beautiful homestead in the burgeoning Albion Nation. Always happiest on his small apple farm located on upper Albion Ridge, he lived out his entire life on this plot aptly named, Fiddle Farm.
From Fiddle Farm he embarked on his 28-year teaching career at Mendocino Unified teaching both Middle and High School Band and Chorus. He briefly taught World History, Debate and English challenging his students to open their minds. He also organized jazz groups and as his students interests were always most important to him, he led German bands, blue grass bands, country western bands, brass choirs, and even string quartets. He also led rousing pep bands that played for football games, regaling fans with a boisterous version of “Hail to the Fighting Cards” on every touchdown scored. A personal highlight as band instructor at Mendocino High was leading marching bands that won many blue ribbons at parades around the state, most famously having the band lay down and play Stars and Stripes in front of the judges stand at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair to win it all. His marching band was even included in an episode of “Murder She Wrote” with Angela Lansbury filmed in downtown Mendocino.
In 1977 Bob was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Being a fighter, he found the best doctors at Stanford who agreed to put him through an experimental regimen of radiation with the expectation that if successful he might live 20 more years. Thankfully he went through the novel treatment and radically changed his diet and was cured. One of the very first to fully recover with this breakthrough technique.
One of his lifetime highlights was starting the Bob Ayres Big Band (Bob Ayres on the left, 2002) which he originally taught as a course through the College of the Redwoods. The band competed in jazz festivals and played around the Mendocino community. The big band still exists to this day, with his namesake still intact. In addition, he formed many small jazz groups, blue grass groups and even a Dixieland band that played every Fourth of July in Mendocino in front of the historic Kelly House. He also started an orchestra that later became the Symphony of the Redwoods. He played in the Music Festival in Mendocino.
After Bob retired from Mendocino Unified School District he decided to take on another challenge, resurrecting the band program in neighboring Anderson Valley. Driving to the Valley each week he built another community, lovingly taught students and brought joy for another ten years before officially retiring for good to Fiddle Farm.
Bob enjoyed playing music with everyone from beginners to professional musicians. He played all the wind and brass instruments and all string instruments including classical guitar and piano. He even had phases where he taught himself the accordion and even the bagpipes. For fun he built his own harpsichord. He loved all types of music and enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge of it with everyone. He had a witty sense of humor and was always quick with a joke, often at his own expense. But through it all he was a showman with his signature beret and the performance was always there waiting to illuminate the skills of his band members of all ages.
Robert was a wonderful husband and father to his two sons, Jedediah (Chelsea) and Joshua (Alanna) and a loving grandfather to Amanda, Adam, Josiah, Emma, Finley and Asher. He leaves his brother Walter Ayres (Rebecca), also a professional musician and sister, Loretta Ayres, plus loving nieces and nephews Billy, Melissa, Rachel, Justin, Warren, Brant, Jonna and Doug. He also had a very close relationship with his two loving brothers in laws, Jimmy and David (Dierke).
A memorial with lots of live music played by his students and friends will be held at the famous Oak Show in Albion CA (28510 Albion Ridge Road, Albion Nation CA) at noon on September 1, 2024. The Community is welcome to attend and celebrate this incredible life so well lived.
IN MEMORY OF EUGENIA ‘GENE’ HERR
Dear Family and Friends,
Our mother, Gene Herr, passed away peacefully early Friday morning in San Anselmo, with Serena by herside. While we are filled with the deepest sadness by her passing, we can take comfort in the knowledge that the final days of our Mom's rich and productive life were spent in her beloved hometown, in a beautiful garden room with her favorite view of Bald Hill, Mount Tamalpais, trees and sky.
Thanks very much to all of you who were able to visit, sing songs, bring flowers, leave phone messages or send emails and cards to our Mom over the past couple of weeks. Your caring well wishes were all very much appreciated by our Mom, and helped greatly to comfortably transition her to her next journey.
Take care,
John Herr & Serena Fox
JOHN LONGDON KNOEBBER
1953 - 2024
To Those Who Love Travel, Adventure, Food And Life
John Knoebber spent his childhood in Florida, one of five children, Steve, Roger, Susan, Sarah and John. At the tender age of 17, he joined Roger’s family in their homemade camper and drove across the country to arrive in Mendocino. His life would take many twists and turns as he traveled the world, but he was to call Mendocino home for much of his life.
John had an enduring love of creating and making things, especially art. As a young newly arrived transplant to Mendocino, he started a leather making shop with a partner. When this endeavor became stressed, John gave the shop's tools and inventory to his partner and moved on. He followed this pattern of moving on as he moved through life.
He became involved with the mosaic artist, Larry Fuente, and they worked together on many remarkable pieces through the decades. During the best of times, they worked and lived together. Their lives ended within days of each other. And Larry’s ashes will join John in the deep sea burial.
John worked and traveled the world with award winning photographer Louie Psihoyos between 1994 and 1999. They created articles for National Geographic, a coffee table book - Hunting for Dinosaurs - and contributed to Material World among other works.
John loved to sail, and he sailed his vessel away to Zihuatanejo looking for some heat to sooth his aching body. He met and fell in love with Ivette Servin and together they created their son Patricio, born in 2002.
In Mexico, as usual, John became involved with building houses. He created an oceanfront community and built several houses for investors and himself. His presence was the impetus for a caravan of people to come down to experience and invest in property around Barra de Potosí. He spent several years enjoying his young son and partner there on the beach.
When it was time to move on, he returned to Mendocino and took up work and residence again with Larry Fuente, until the catastrophic electrical fire that burned down the art collection of a lifetime, the buildings and worst of all, John was badly burned and barely escaped with his life. He was helicoptered to a trauma center.
When he was released, his longtime friend and nephew Cosmo Knoebber invited him home. They built a modest little dwelling suitable for an invalid. There John lived out his remaining years as a valued member of Cosmo’s tribe.
YORKVILLE ICE CREAM SOCIAL!
This Labor Day Monday (September 2nd), the Yorkville Community Benefits Association will hold our 34th Ice Cream Social. We have collected a ton of books for the awesome Book Sale, we will be sellin’ books by the inch. And, we’ll be grilling burgers and dogs, serving up classic homemade salads. We have a fantastic new addition of street tacos, made to order. The kiddos can play and learn cool stuff at the Galbreath Preserve booth. The Silent Auction is already starting to look amazing. It wouldn’t be an Ice Cream Social without the main event- Ice Cream! Root beer floats and delicious cookies, pies and baked goods will round out your fabulous day! Come socialize, meet new friends and neighbors, and enjoy the fabulous community that is Yorkville. Of course, there will be fire engines and hoses to keep us all cool. All proceeds benefit the Yorkville volunteer fire station.
The whole community comes together to help put this event on, and we have many ways for you to get involved. From volunteering for a shift, to baking a luscious cake, or fabulous salad, from hosting a cool and creative event for the Silent Auction, to making a piece of art, we welcome your contributions. Please contact Lisa Bauer for any Silent Auction donations, and Val Hanelt for volunteering and/or food donations.
Please join us on September 2, from 11:00-4:00 at the Yorkville Fire Station/Post Office/Community Center. 25400 Hwy 128, Yorkville CA 95494. Bring the whole family for the Ice Cream and community fun! And remember, all this fun benefits your local volunteer firefighters1
If you’d like to donate or volunteer-
We are looking for unique and creative Silent Auction items. Contact Lisa theYCBA@gmail.com
Baked Goods for the Bake Sale and one-of-a-kind cakes for the Cake Walk. Contact Frosty news@theYCBA.com
If you have books for the Book Sale you may drop them in the box at the Post Office or contact Valerie news@theYCBA.com
And, we really need you to volunteer, it is a great way to meet the neighbors. Contact Valerie news@theYCBA.com
AV UNIFIED NEWS
Dear Anderson Valley Community,
It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know our wonderful AVUSD staff and also many of our parents and students as we gear up for school to start on Monday, August 19! AVES had its orientation last night, and it was so much fun to see the bright and eager faces as students met their new teachers.
We learned that the Jr-Sr High School “orientation” has traditionally been a time to pick up course schedules and complete paperwork. We are hearing feedback that some 7th graders and their parents would like a little more “orienting” before their start. While there was an orientation at the end of the 6th grade year, we also want to assure you that our fabulous Jr High teachers will go over how to read the schedules and will be doing “Expectations Stations” at the very start of school. We appreciate your feedback and will keep it in mind for a more extensive 7th grade orientation at the start of school in the coming years.
Our construction continues to charge ahead! You will be amazed at the progress. We will always be grateful to Louise Simson’s work and the work of the community in getting these projects funded, planned, and underway!
- At the Jr-Sr High School, the main building has been painted and cement learning patios poured. Our science rooms are being plumbed with both cold and hot water and are ready for the installation of large, sliding doors, among other things. There will be continued construction as students return to campus, and these areas will be fenced off for safety. Pardon our dust! While there will be some minor inconveniences, the payoff with our new, beautiful campus will make it all worth it! We are also moving forward with the plans for our new track and, possibly, a new gym on the horizon. Stay tuned!
- At AVES, the traffic pattern was analyzed by our architect and, in order to qualify for additional updates to the school kitchen, we are being required to adjust the student drop-off and pick-up pattern. If you are an AVES parent, please follow the guidance of the adults out front (and review the note about parking in the handbook). The changes will make drop-off smoother and should eliminate the dangerous U-turns some drivers were making in front of the school. Thank you for keeping our precious students safe!
I’d like to give a “shout out” to the FFA team, who made a very impressive showing at the Redwood Empire Fair over the summer. Mrs. Swehla and Mr. Bautista went above and beyond, residing at the fairgrounds for several days! Our students and their animals won multiple awards. Way to represent your school, FFA team!
I’d also like to shout out Mr. Toohey, our athletic director, and our sports teams!
August 12 was the first day of soccer practice
August 20 will be a volleyball game at home, against Lower Lake at 5:00 p.m.
August 23 will be the first soccer away game, at Middletown.
August 23 & 24 will be an away volleyball varsity tournament at Upper Lake.
& more to come!
Our new principals are thrilled to be working with the amazing AVUSD community! Alyson McKay is leading AVES and Heath McNerney is at the helm of the Jr/Sr High School. We are grateful for the support of Cymbre Swett, former AVES principal, and Louise Simson, former Jr/Sr High principal, for their support and wisdom. They are both available for us to reach out to when we have questions about “how things go!” Contact information for the new admin team is below. We are delighted to serve this lovely community!
Alson McKay (AVES), 707-671-3628, amckay@avpanthers.org
Heath McNerney (AV Jr/Sr High), 707-671-3634, hmcnerney@avpanthers.org
Kristin Larson Balliet (Superintendent), 707-671-3620, klarson@avpanthers.org
LOCAL HISTORIAN VALERIE HANELT:
VALERIE HANELT: I got an inquiry about the name of the Shields-Studebaker cemetery. Very briefly: James Shields was the first burial in this cemetery in 1860. He and his family were among the first pioneers in this area; his second wife was Dulcina Nunn (after his first wife died he brought Dulcina out from Missouri). His daughter, Candace Shields married John Gschwend (although all six of those children died of TB in 1900). This family (through the Nunns) was the forebears of Gschwends, Nunns, Maddox, Ward, McGimsey, Letcher, Rector… who, over the next generations, produced or were related to many of the Philo names you are familiar with now: Gowan, Studebaker, Schnider, Guntly, Eastlick, Moore, Moore, Whipple, Gossman, Dutro, Price, Bloyd, Mabery, Salmela, Price, Clow….
James Shields had six children and three of the children might also have been buried there. None of that first family’s headstones exist now — he is in an unmarked grave somewhere — not necessarily in this cemetery’s boundaries. The Shields-Studebaker cemetery is the final resting place for this extended family. I believe all the burials were somehow related to these names until the property became the property of the AV Cemetery District.
Mary A. Studebaker deeded the cemetery to the Cemetery District on March 22, 1939. By then there were about 145 family burials over quite a few generations — probably a lot more as those are just the ones I can document. (Side note: Byron Gowan was the notary public on that document).
So yes, the land was owned by the Studebakers when ceded to the district in 1939. But the first burial was James Shields in 1860 and his children went on to marry into the other families (and produce more generations) in Philo.
If you go to findagrave.com and search “cemeteries” and then type in Shields-Studebaker you will be able to see all the documented burials. If you know of someone who is not listed, or if you know anything about the many unmarked graves, I would love to hear from you. There are many concrete slabs as well as delineated graves that have lost their markers. There are important names I know are there but I don’t know exactly which graves are theirs.
Here is a short list of people who are buried there but I don’t know exactly where:
Andrew Guntly and wife Mary Barbara Scnider Guntly
William Main and grandson
Jules “Let” Moore and family members
Nunn, George Roland
Ridley family (series of graves, but which is which?)
Whipple, Burt, Cyrus, Elisha, Ernest – which empty spots among Whipple graves?
If you are a sleuth and would like to collaborate with me on some mysteries at Shields I would love for you to be in touch with me. Also, if anyone has early photos taken at any of the cemeteries those might contain valuable clues.
Shields Cemetery Coordinates: 39.08780, -123.46940
Traveling west on Highway 128 from Philo to the coast, you will pass the Gowans' Fruit Stand on the left after about four miles. The highway then bends to the right and just as it bends again to the left and at highway marker 20.5, take the dirt driveway on the right. After passing a couple of residences you come to a ‘Y.’ Take the right and you will soon see the cemetery sign. There is a gate (always unlocked) to open and close before you reach the cemetery. There is plenty of parking and a magnificent view over the valley looking towards Philo. As in all the cemeteries there are a multitude of wildflowers in bloom in April and May. There is a large planting of Watsonia (a gladiola-like bulb) which blooms in May.
GRANGE FIRE A WAKE-UP CALL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
by Sara Reith
The Grange Fire, which broke out in Boonville on July 25, highlighted some major infrastructure needs in terms of disaster response: namely, power and water. PG&E was knocked out, telecommunications were spotty, and the local radio station, which was in the evacuation zone, went off the air due to damaged equipment.
Anderson Valley Fire Chief Andres Avila said the 90-acre fire was a stark reminder of local vulnerabilities, as wildfires across the state devour hundreds of thousands of acres. The lack of water, he said, “daylights our Achilles heel to larger fires.”
Firefighters turned to a private landowner and exhausted two sources of public water to douse the short-lived blaze. A proposal for a state-funded municipal water system in Boonville, which includes between 40-50 fire hydrants and two 150,000-gallon water tanks, is not scheduled to be online until the end of 2028.
Though CalFire directed human and animal evacuees to the county fairgrounds in Boonville, the power outage made the site mostly unusable as an evacuation center.
Outbuildings on properties in the heart of the fire were lost, and one family lost their home. Agricultural business losses are unknown at this point. No deaths or injuries were reported. The cause is still under investigation, but it may have been ignited by sparks from a vehicle hauling a badly hitched-up trailer.
Avila said the fire broke out during a “drawdown” situation, as CalFire, which has jurisdiction in the area, was initially battling a blaze in Lake County. That left volunteer firefighters on the scene for hours until CalFire was able to provide heavy equipment and aircraft, which lay down retardant lines.Â
Volunteer fire departments are stretched thin across the state. Avila says they need more of everything: more people, more resources, and an adequate staging ground for the large-scale emergency that’s just about inevitable in rural fire-prone California. He thinks the fairgrounds are a sensible investment, both as an evacuation center and a base camp for the hundreds of firefighters who would descend on the area during a major disaster. “That’s a huge influx,” he noted, adding that, “We’ve been talking about wildfire, but what happens when there’s an earthquake? Are we prepared, as a county, to have this site as staging or for evacuees coming in?”
The Grange Fire was contained by the end of the day, and mop-up operations took another two days. Avila estimates that putting out the 90-acre fire took about 130,000 gallons of water, from the fairgrounds, Hendy Woods State Park, and the privately owned Pennyroyal Farms, which donated water. He said the firefight “basically exhausted our two municipal sources,” one of which is right across the street from the fire station.
The Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show will celebrate its 100th year on September 13-15. Fair CEO Jim Brown estimates that, in a longer-lasting emergency, the fairgrounds, with its large buildings, commercial kitchen, barns, and restrooms with a few showers, could house up to 300 people. “The number thing we would need” to be a viable evacuation site, he said, is four to five generators with switchgears and leads. He’s still waiting for an analysis of the cost and the size of the generators he’d need. The fairgrounds has a backup diesel generator to operate the electric motors for two hydrants, but that infrastructure is only for the fire system. Once the firefighting water was drawn down, there was nothing left for sanitation or cooking.
During the Grange Fire, there was one location that was available for some needs. The Anderson Valley Grange, which has a propane-powered generator, was able to provide bathrooms, battery packs for those with medical needs, and a place for people to rest, charge devices and go online.
Val Hanelt, the chair of the Anderson Valley Community Services District, is looking ahead for a long term solution with the municipal water system. It’s been in the works since 2013, and she says it’s in “a watershed moment” right now, with construction planning expected to be completed next year. Four years ago, the cost estimate for the drinking water portion of the project, which includes the fire suppression component, was $19 million. It would be paid for by state grants, though participants would pay monthly water rates. It’s voluntary, while a state-funded sewer system is compulsory. She shared details about the two 150,000-gallon tanks. If all goes according to plan, they’d be sited on Hutsell Lane, near the intersection of Highways 128 and 253 by the end of the year 2028.
“Those two tanks are kind of critical,” she said, in that they would supply water pressure for a hydrant system that would travel all the way through town, serving the elementary and high schools, the clinic, a housing complex near the airport, the museum, and many of the small streets off of Highway 128, which is the main thoroughfare through the valley. There are about 240 parcels in the area of the proposed water project, which is supposed to go forward, as long as a majority of parcel owners do not object. One supporter is Avila, the fire chief.
“We’ve been doing firefighting in this area without this system for quite a while,” he acknowledged. “We’ve been dodging the bullet. So we either bank on dodging the bullet, which is not a wise idea, or we start planning for the future.”
(Mendocino County is currently updating its Community Wildfire Protection Plan. If you support any of the ideas you read about today, you can share your thoughts with the consultants in charge of the update. If you’d like to see the county fairgrounds in Boonville get an upgrade so it can be used as an evacuation center, or you want water security in Anderson Valley, you can request that support for those improvements is included in the updated plan by emailing jayden.peterson@swca.com.
Keep an eye on our Fire Safe Council website for more information about how to collaborate on updating the plan.)
FIRE SAFE CLARIFICATION
AVA,
Thanks so much for helping us spread the word about Sarah Reith’s great podcast/blog, the call for Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) public input, and Mendocino County Fire Safe Council’s work. Yay Andres Avila for forwarding that to you! However, the CWPP input hyperlink at the end doesn’t work, and it doesn’t say how to access Sarah’s future podcast/blogs.
Sarah Reith’s podcast/blogposts about wildfire safety will appear in upcoming monthly newsletters of the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council. You can subscribe to the free newsletter at https://firesafemendocino.org/subscribe-to-our-newsletter or by emailing admin@firesafemendocino.org.
To submit your project proposal for the update of the County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, you can find CWPP information and the Input Form link at https://firesafemendocino.org/mccwpp/?mc_cid=36606f490d
Thanks,
Mary Buckley
707-621-0339
Mendocino County Fire Safe Council
firesafemendocino.org
REPORT FROM A SMALL FARM IN BOONVILLE
Ok, some of you already know I'm nuts but for those who don't…
I was on my knees (wearing knee pads of course), wielding a pruner and harvesting rhubarb for an hour this afternoon all the while thinking about what I would write for my report, when I had a revelation. I love rhubarb…rhubarb sauce, pie and strawberry rhubarb jam. Which is why I planted it when we first started the farm. But it loves a moist coastal climate and never did well on our hot, dry, inland farm especially since, in my ignorance, I planted it at the top of the main field, in rocky soil, without shade and little water. For fifteen years it struggled but didn't die.
Then, eleven years ago Juan joined us as our main gardener and covered it with shade cloth as a result we had a small harvest each season. But, two years ago when we found the time to look at the rhubarb we said to each other…we need to move them. We had just had dug a million gallon pit pond on flat clay land up the hill on the 501 property and he had installed a plumbing system from it down to our gardens which until then had been watered with our drinking water supply.
Juan moved all the plants down the hill into better soil, covered them with shade cloth and watered them daily. In one year they established themselves and this year exploded. I've harvested nearly 10lbs several times already and once the weather cools and becomes moist they'll keep producing.
The Strawberry Rhubarb and plain Rhubarb jams are a hit at markets and at home. And I now understand exactly what I mean when I say I'm looking for the “real”. Ain't nothing realer than crawling around under huge rhubarb leaves to harvest a good crop of fresh “fruit” to make food for others who love it.
Maybe it's just that the positive vibes and dancing the HarrisWalz lately has gone to my head, but I'm happier and more relaxed now knowing that the country may get to work on the overwhelming numbers of issues confronting our world, starting with the root cause of it all…climate change. We hope you, too, are looking forward and charging ahead to correct our (the world's) direction. It may be late, but there's no other choice.
Take care,
Nikki Auschnitt & Steve Krieg
South of Boonville
PS. Speaking of climate, our front door swallows had 3 chicks this year and left almost immediately after they fledged. There was no interest in having a second or third set as they've done in prior years. They know something about the weather that we don't and we should be taking note.
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