The Committee to Celebrate Dear Mad’m Day is honored and delighted to have Rod Diridon, Sr. come and speak to us for this occassion.

Rod said in his reply, “I’d be glad to share thoughts about Stella, the Clear Creek Claim and our even earlier times at the Classic Hill placer mine about 12 miles up Indian Creek near the state line.

“Grandfather John Covert filed three mining claims at Clear Creek with Fred Crook around 1910 and Fred, an authentic mountain man, stayed there to do the annual “claim improvements” to hold title. Grandpa wondered off to earned and loose a couple of fortunes. Seems he was a brilliant builder but imbibed a bit too much.

“After quite a time in set design and construction in Hollywood, Grandpa helped to build the Hurst’s Wintoon “Castle” from the mid 1930s to the late 1940s.

“After an altercation with a couple of loggers in a Dunsmuir bar, Grandpa resettled (was resettled) on the Classic Hill Mine that was purchased by Grandma Allie’s Redding-based logging family (Middleton, Cocherine, and Notley) for timber rights. In the late 1940s and early 1950s Grandpa worked the claim illegally in the winter when the streams were muddy so his tailings weren’t discernible. It was a massive old systems with miles of ditches and high flooms, hydrolic “giants” and piping, a small town (blacksmith shop, stables, hay shed, machine repair shop, large orchard, etc.) at the main HQ bunk house and superintendents home dating to the late 1800s….

( After )”Grandma Allie moved to the Classic Hill and they then moved to the Clear Creek claims with Fred. Grandpa built a very nice home, later cut in two and moved to Happy Camp after Caltrans condemned and bought the the claim in the early 1960s to straighten and widen the road…..”

Rod Diridon, Sr. the son of an immigrant Italian railroad brakeman, is called the “father” of modern transit service in California’s Silicon Valley. Raised in Dunsmuir, California, he worked his way through college as a railroad brakeman and fireman receiving a BS in accounting in 1961 and MSBA in statistics in 1963 from San Jose State University. Rod served four years as a naval officer with two Vietnam combat tours.

He is especially proud of son Rod, Jr. (a two-term Santa Clara City Council member and vice mayor recently reelected city clerk/auditor) and daughter Mary Margaret (director of counseling for the Silicon Valley YWCAs). His wife, Dr. Gloria Duffy, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense directing nuclear disarmament negotiations, is now the president/CEO of the Commonwealth Club of California

Happy Camp is celebrating a literary celebrity of our community. The book “Dear Mad’m” by Stella Patterson has brought many visitors to our community and encouraged many “senior citizens” to lead an adventurous life despite advancing years.

Stella Walthall Patterson celebrated her 80th birthday on a remote mining claim in the mountains near Happy Camp, CA when she launched an experiment. She began living alone in a cabin by the Klamath River in the Siskiyou Mountains with her dog, Vickie, for a year, This tale of her adventure has won the hearts of Happy Campers and many others!

Dear Mad’m Day will be Saturday, August 13th and the Picnic Luncheon (for $5 donation) will be at 11:00 o’clock. Sandwiches, ribs, salads and specialty breads are planned, as well as Dolly’s Strawberry Lemonade and dessert. The Luncheon will be held in the shade of the sycamore trees on the lawn of the Klamath River Resort Inn on the Klamath River east of Happy Camp, a beautiful setting for a picnic!!

We are so pleased that guests who have known our Dear Mad’m from their time on the River, Peter and Elizabeth Walthall Lismer, whose book (Dear Mad’m, Who Was She?} will be published by Naturegraph 2012, Hazel Davis Gendron who used her artistic talents for a drawing of Stella Patterson and numerous other “Friends of “Stella” from near and far will be coming to the Picnic Luncheon.

There will also be the presentation of Dear Mad’m and Dear Sir awards, Books will be available for purchase as we honor our local neighbors who use their writing and artistic talents to enrich our lives. The Writers Group of the Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce (that meets every Sunday afternoon at Frontier Café) is planning the luncheon picnic to celebrate Stella Patterson and those who still maintain the spirit she exemplifies today!.

Reservations are requested, info@happycampchamber.org or Call Judy Bushy 493-5248 or Linda Martin 493-2099 to reserve your place for Dear Mad’m Day Picnic Lunch. Seating is limited so please bring chairs or blanket for picnic.

Just talked with Linda Zink at the BIGFOOT STORES on Highway 96. Linda is leading the Coordinating Council for the Bigfoot Jamboree which is coming Labor Day Weekend. Sammi Offield is at her side helping as Vice President at their Tuesday meetings each week.

Everyone always loves the Bigfoot Jamboree! It brings many Happy Campers back who have moved away so we all get to enjoy seeing them again!

Friday’s Queen Coronation will have plenty of beautiful girls as we have 6 candidates for Bigfoot Queen this year. They are all out selling their raffle tickets now, so hurry and get yours for some great prizes as the deadline is coming. I’d hoped to have a photo of all the girls but we will have to get that yet. They’re all out selling tickets, no doubt. After the Queen’s Coronation is the dance for the young people.

Friday and Saturday will be the big days for vendors down at the River Park. There’s everything from toys to fashions, with great food also! I hope the Happy Seniors have a bake sale as it is the best home baked treats fo be found anywhere! Dolly’s Deli has the best strawberry lemonade too!! The Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce will be having the traditional Country Store again this year with things from members that you won’t want to miss.

Sunday at 11:00 is the parade from Davis Road staging area, down Highway 96 to Second Avenue down to the Bridge over Indian Creek. The theme this year is “Wonderland/” so put on your thinking caps and come up with fantastic floats entries to join the procession! Other plans for Sunday will be the big changes in this years Bigfoot Jamboree. Booths will be open longer. We have Monday to rest, so the park will be open until 6 o’clock instead of closing earlier as in past years. Even later, at 7 pm there will be the Lawn Mower Races over at the old Go Kart Track.

JavaBob Schmalzbach and Linda Martin will be sharing their research into Bigfoot sightings on Saturday. JavaBob has been traveling the country from coast to coast whenever a Bigfoot sighting is reported since he left Happy Camp five years ago. Linda will be sharing more local sightings. Reminds me of when we had Dr. Matthew Johnson from Grants Pass come to speak after his experience at Oregon Caves.

Good things are planned for Bigfoot Jamboree. We hope to have the schedule of ALL the fun things to do soon. Then you can plan all the great things you won’t want to miss!!