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In the fifth season of the Hotel Ben Lomond, G. L. A. Smith became its fourth proprietor/lessee. A sportsman himself, Smith advertised his resort as a happy hunting and fishing ground. “Five deer,” he advised the Sentinel in August, 1893, “have been killed during the past week within a short walk of Ben Lomond station, and yet the woods are full of them.’ During his second season, the landlord and a guest went angling near the hotel and bagged 117 speckled beauties, including a four-pounder. His message to the press—“Trout are plentiful.”Mr. Smith understood the enthusiasm of his audience. “Since the opening of trout season,” observed the local paper, “the trains bring numbers of visitors and tourists, who enjoy catching the tempting beauties — Wells Fargo and Co. is daily carrying baskets of trout, daintily packed in fern leaves.”“What’s the matter with our trout law?” the Sentinel inquired with tongue in cheek, knowing that there was no one enforcing it. “Our fishermen think it’s all right. It never troubles them, although scores of splendid salmon trout have been pulled in the last two weeks.”California had enacted some tough Fish and Game laws. As early as 1886, when Santa Cruz District Attorney W. T. Jeter protested against obstructions on the San Lorenzo, the head of the State Commission had replied that: “The builder who builds a dam without putting in fish ladders should be punished.” The problem was that enforcement was left to local authorities. The economy was depressed, and the county supervisors felt that the hiring of a Fish and Game warden would be an unnecessary expense.The summer of 1895 not only brought yet another keeper to the Hotel Ben Lomond, but also a new owner. The purchaser of J. P. Pierce’s remaining real estate holdings, D. W. Johnston, was an associate of timber-owning millionaires, Timothy Hopkins and F. A. Hihn.The new regime soon faced a challenge when Thomas L. Bell decided to erect a hotel of his own. Regarded by the Santa Cruz press as Ben Lomond’s unofficial mayor, Bell had accumulated acreage on the Felton side of the river, including the site of the original Pacific Mill.Bell’s plan was gradually unveiled. An official of the Southern Pacific Railroad became a silent partner. “Next year,” it was predicted, there is the possibility of our having a grand hotel which will outrival the famous Del Monte.” A feature of the resort would be a body of water the Sentinel dubbed “Bell Lake.”When Bell’s Hotel Rowardennan opened for business in the summer of 1896, its arrival was celebrated by a bright display. The repurposed mill dam that created the artificial lake was also employed to generate electricity for the hotel buildings. “Lights are scattered about the ground,” noticed the Surf, “and over the water of the river — where boating parties are numerous.”Meanwhile, friends of the fishery were becoming worried. A dam, “south of Ben Lomond, which obstructs passage of the fishes” was singled out for criticism. The Sentinel urged the supervisors to appoint a Fish warden. “The game preserves and fishing streams, which have so long been the resort of rod and gun, need protection, or our game will be killed off entirely and our streams emptied of their fish.”A petition, “signed by almost everybody,” insisted that the owners of dams across the San Lorenzo river be required to provide fish ladders. “Our streams,” insisted the Mountain Echo of Boulder Creek, should be kept free from obstruction by dams, and from the deposit of deleterious substances.”While the editor impatiently awaited a response from the Fish Commission, other citizens took action. “Recently,” the Sentinel reported in February, 1897, “dams at Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek have been blown up with dynamite by unknown parties. Some think it was because the Fish Commissioners failed to put fish ladders in the dam, while others say it was for the purpose of giving the fish a way upstream. It was a fishy transaction, anyway.”Less than a week later, Bell’s large house on the Rowardennan grounds burned to the ground. “Nothing was saved,” reported the Mountain Echo, excepting a few things which Mrs. Bell threw out of the window.”Within a matter of days, the train from San Francisco brought a member of the Fish Commission to Ben Lomond. The offending dam in Ben Lomond had only suffered minor damage and, the State official was pleased to find, was now “furnished with a brand new ladder just put in, and satisfactory to the requirements of the law.” To Be ContinuedRandall C. Brown is a local historian and is a member of the SLVWD Board of Directors

The San Lorenzo Valley varsity softball team defeated Live Oak High School of Morgan Hill, 2-1, in the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs Wednesday, May 19.

Mrs. Fernald, the PE Teacher at Baymonte Christian School, organized a one lap marathon for students, family members, and a dog, on April 3rd.  Students at Baymonte Christian, from kindergarten through 6th grade, joined together for this fun, safe, and healthy activity.  In order to promote social distancing at the event, participants were instructed to remain in their cars until they were told to run a lap, by themselves, or accompanied by family members, while adequately spaced staff cheered them on.  Mrs. Fernald recalled the faculty meeting about four weeks ago at Baymonte, when they were informed of going virtual.  “Our principal told us we’d be transitioning to a distant learning model.  My heart immediately sank.  I had so much planned in the spring, like Presidential Fitness and track and field day.”  During the meeting, Steve Patterson, the principal asked his teachers what they could do to overcome their newest obstacle.  Fernald says, “It came to me immediately.” She summarized her idea to the attendees, “We’ll host a one lap marathon!  Parents drive their kids up, their kids or their family get out, run a timed lap, get back in the car, and drive off.” Mr. Patterson had an “extremely supportive response.  If you dream it, he’ll say go for it.  He makes my job fun and easy.”  Since that meeting, Fernald has been planning the marathon, alongside other teachers, Patterson, and the office manager, Leslie Rapolla, who “made awesome signs. The signage was huge.  It needed to be organized and everyone needed to know what to do when they came, to maintain a safe environment.” Fernald also reached out to local law enforcement, to double check safety procedures during the event.  Captain Wilson, of the Scotts Valley Police Department, gave a resounding “Yes!” and added, “The Santa Cruz County Health directive tells us to get out and exercise in a healthy manner.  This is perfect!” On April 3rd, Fernald and the other teachers of Baymonte Christian were so excited to see the long line of cars, “being distant during learning, you can’t see the kids.  I miss them… Everyone had to remind themselves to not hug and stay at their assigned cones.  I, and a few others, almost cried to be able to see our kids and give them lots of support as they ran around the track.  What amazing confidence we’re pouring into these kids, after all the negativity they’ve been exposed to in the news.” Overall, the event was a huge success, with 113 runners, and a family dog.  To virtually experience and hear about the award winners, check out:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY4NRsdqzkU&t=184s.  The 1st-3rd place winners were each rewarded with an amazon gift card, to give the older kids “a little incentive.”  Fernald was so pleased with the turn out as she feels, “a sense of responsibility to keep kids healthy during this time.  We already have a huge problem with childhood obesity.  I want to motivate them in a positive way for the benefit of them. There’s so many video games, TV shows, movies, and so much screen time.  I just want the kids to get out and have fun.  If there’s anything I can do to promote positivity, getting out and exercising, I’ll do it.”Fernald’s socially distanced creativity does not stop with the marathon!  She’s putting together a drive-in movie night for the school and has started her own YouTube Channel.  PE TODAY! With Mrs Fernald suggests new activities and exercises for kids, alongside the Baymonte mascot Leo the Lion and a new theme each video. You can subscribe or view her videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFw-O9n9zVNCcZ-HzwceSA.

The view of the ocean from where I am staying is beautiful. I can hear the waves crashing on the shore and a part of me wants to go play in the water. But I can’t get my mind off of the fact that my house might be burning down as I enjoy the view. My kids are the forth generation to live on the property and we might very well be losing everything except what’s in the three cars packed feverishly while the flames appeared on the tree-line in Ben Lomond. It’s the waiting to hear bad or good news that is so difficult.

Not all heroes wear capes—some wear heavy coats and boots and carry heavy fire hoses. Others wear combat gear and carry shovels and axes and some even drive ambulances, sheriffs vehicles and police cars. These are the heroes of the San Lorenzo Valley who have been working tirelessly to save our homes, our garages, our state parks and our university. They have watered our plants, fended off looters and protected the community we call home. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their homes..

It seems like I’m always reading a gardening magazine or online blog or Googling some horticultural-related topic. There is so much useful information out there.