C1 Mendocino Beacon,Thursday, February 28,2019 Advocate-News, Thursday,March 14,2019 ★ RememberingHISTthORY eMendocino WhaleWarFestival March1976 By Debbie Holmer [email protected] It was1976… Priceofadozen eggs:69cents. AppleComputerwas formed by SteveJobsand SteveWozniak.The firstcomputer, reportssay,sold for $666.66. FrontierAirlines hired thefirst female pilotcaptain(EmilyHow- ellWarner). TheEbola viruswas namedaf- teranearbyriver Ebolawhere the NICHOLAS WILSON—CONTRIBUTED firstvictimwas identifiedin1976. The PhyllisCormack,Whale War Writer TomWolfe declared the flagship. ‘70s the“Me Decade.” Sweden’s most profitable corpo- ration wasthe popgroup ABBA. Cost of aSuperbowl ad in 1976: $110,000. People werelisteningtoPe- terFrampton’s“Frampton Comes Alive” albumand reading“Trin- ity” by Leon Uris.OnTV, they were watching“Happy Days.” One of thetop movies for1976: “A Star is Born”starring Barbra Streisand andKrisKristofferson. DEBBIEHOLMER—BEACON Iwas living in Charleston,South Organizers of the firstWhale Carolina, in 1976 and, yes, Iread Festival in 1976,reunitedin2019: aboutthe MendocinoWhale War. NICHOLAS WILSON—CONTRIBUTED EllenFindlayHerdegen,Heidi …And thefirst Mendocino CusickDickerson, Barry Cusick, WhaleFestivalwas held in March Organizers ofthe firstWhaleFestivalinMarch 1976:Ellen Findlay, Bill Wilson,Sue Golden,Brendan, Heidi Sallyand LeeWelty. 1976. andBarry Cusick, Sallyand LeeWelty. notriskkillingthe activists. How- interested in counting whales, to thesymposium, Baker wascon- also author andphotographerof Why Mendocino? ever,the harpoonertookthe shot Byrd wasinterestedinsaving vinced that Mendocino folkswere “Mendocino in the‘70s,”which in- In 1975 Greenpeace haden- andthe filmfootage made inter- thewhalesfromextinction. Baker theonlyoneswho couldsavethe cludes over180 photosdocument- counteredawhalingfleetkill- national news.That’swhenByrd wassupported by localfunds to whales. inglifeonthe coastduringthat ingsperm whales off Cape Men- Baker andthe Mendocino Whale attend anational symposiumon Therehavebeenmanyexcel- pivotaldecade. Afew areincluded docinoand in an efforttoinhibit WarAssociation wasformedin whales in Indiana. It wasanexcit- lent articles on theMendocino in this article. theforeign ships’ huntingabili- December1975. ingtripacross Americafor Byrd WhaleWar throughthe years. In 1976 and1977, Wilsonwas ties,positionedthemselvesbe- TheMendocino WhaleWar Baker,bringingthe Mendocino Nicholas Wilsonisaphotog- adocumentaryphotographer tweenharpoonsand apod of wasthe brainchild of localart- WhaleWar into national focus. rapherand documentarian of aboard twoocean voyagesagainst whales,thinkingthe ship would ist/sculpture Byrd Baker.Not However,after travelingbackeast theMendocino WhaleWar.Heis commercial whalingbyJapan and 1976 »PAGE6 FIRSTWEEKEND INMARCH Mendocino’sfestivalwas the first, andstill goingstrong By Staff day, March2from11a.m.to1p.m. Wine Tasting or untilthe chowderruns out at Mendocino’s WhaleFestival CrownHall, 45285 UkiahSt.,Men- Over adozen Mendocino will be held thefirstweekend docino. Ticketsfor thechowder County wineries come together of March,withevents including tastingare $10and canbebought to pour wine fortasters in Men- whale-watchingwalks,art ex- online at BrownPaper Tickets, at docinovillageonSaturday, March hibits,sandcastlebuildingcon- theMendocino CoastChamber of- 2from1to4p.m.Tickets are$35 test andwhale-centric exhibits ficeat217 S. Main St., Fort Bragg, pre-sale andcan be bought on- at thetown’stwo finemuseums. andatCrown Hall. line at BrownPaper Ticketsorat On Saturday,March 2from11 theChamber office,217 S. Main a.m. to 4p.m., enjoywine, chow- Beer Tasting St., Fort Bragg. Youcan also pur- derand craftbeertasting while Also at CrownHall, sample chase ticketsonMarch 2for $40 exploringMendocino,where craftbrewsfromNorth Coast at theFordHouse Museum,45035 thereare plenty of whales to view BrewingCompany andafree Main St., Mendocino, whereyou from thesurrounding Headlands 3-ounce pour of NorthCoast will also be able to pick up your StatePark. Tastesome of Men- BrewingCompany’s newest beer MendoWhale wine glass/es.Re- docino County’s finestvarietals on Saturday,March 2from11 member to bringyourID! in shopsand galleriesthrough- a.m. to 1p.m.oruntil thebeer outtown. Acomplimentaryshut- runs out (which typicallyhap- Ford House/Mendocino tlewill be provided foryourcon- pens,soget thereearly). Tickets HeadlandsState Park venience. are$5and can be purchased on- line at BrownPaper Tickets, at Builtin1854for Jerome Ford, Chowder Tasting theChamber office in Fort Bragg, theacknowledged founderof CONTRIBUTED Enjoyavarietyofchowders andatCrown Hall.Don’t forget Mendocino,the Ford Househas The Ford Housemuseum’s WhaleFestivalofferingsare lively eventsfor from localrestaurants on Satur- your ID! EVENTS »PAGE5 youngand old. www.savingsbank.com Photo by Maggie Coons-Abbott Investing in the Future naturally As the local community bank, we offer MENDOCINO OFFICE CUSTOMIZED COMFORT 10500 Lansing Street avariety of deposit accounts and a P.O. Box 687 Mendocino,CA95460 comprehensive range of personal, 707-937-0545 commercial, agriculture, mortgage made in and construction loan optionstomeet FORTBRAGG OFFICE FORTBRAGG 490 South Franklin Street the needsoffamilies and businesses P.O. Box 1269 shipped Fort Bragg, CA 95437 WORLDWIDE in Lake and MendocinoCounties. 707-964-4723 Organic Cotton!Organic Wool!Natural Latex FloBeds ! 234 EAST REDWOOD AVE ! 707-964-3356 NMLS#472412 2 | C WHALE FESTIVALS | MENDOCINO BEACON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019 ADVOCATE-NEWS, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019 SECOND WEEKEND IN MARCH LittleRiverfeatureswondersindoorsandout By Staff Spring Ranch Barn Tour The 13th Annual Little River On March 9 and 10, from 11 Whale Festival will be held March a.m. to 3 p.m., tour the Spring 8 through 10. Celebrate with a Ranch Barn, located at 8475 N. mix-and-match weekend of forest Highway 1 (east side of the high- walks, barn tours, kayaking, geo- way). This is an original 1840s hay caching, art exhibits, musical de- barn from Ontario, Canada, that lights, Bloody Marys, sandcastle- was saved from the wrecking ball. building and, of course, whale- It was deconstructed by remov- watching throughout the seaside ing the wooden pegs that held the town of Little River. old-growth beams together, then shipped by rail car and re-assem- Adventure Passport bled at Spring Ranch. Guests can enter the Little River The barn was then renovated Whale Festival Passport Contest. by the owners of Spring Ranch For each festival activity attended using antique salvage from guests will earn one sticker. The around the world. It features 15- collection of three or more stick- foot ceilings with exposed beams, ers will allow guests the chance to four large antique chandeliers, win lodging, food and adventure herringbone brick floors, original prizes at participating businesses barn wood paneling and massive throughout Little River. Passports barn doors that open to gardens. are available at each festival or The barn is situated in a meadow event site. surrounded by massive eucalyp- Proceeds from this event will tus trees and stone and antique help save the historic Spring Ranch iron fencing. barns located in Van Damme State A docent-led barn tour will be Park. You can see these iconic land- CONTRIBUTED held on Sunday, March 10 from marks on the ocean side of High- Little River Whale Festival passport events benefit State Parks’ historic Spring Ranch barns. 10:30 a.m. to noon; suggested do- way 1 between Little River and nation $5 per person. Park at the Mendocino. The Spring Ranch Kent-Spring Ranch Estate on the Barns are the current project of of the beach … and bring a picnic! the geocaching app for iPhone Kayak Mendocino east side of the highway. Look for the Mendocino Area Parks Associa- or Android. Use ZIP code 95456 Sea Cave Tour the blue flags. Tour will be held tion’s Park Improvement Fund. Info Van Damme Visitor Center to see a map of Little River geo- rain or shine. at mendoparks.org. Thank you for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, caches and you’re on your way! Make your reservations for a sea helping to save these historic trea- March 8, 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 Note: All legitimate geocaches cave kayak tour with Kayak Men- Bloody Mary and sures before it is too late! p.m., docents will share the history are on public land. Please do not docino, which leaves from Van Bacon Competition and environment of Van Damme trespass during your geocaching Damme State Beach at 11:30 a.m. Docent-led Whale State Park in Little River, which fea- adventure. and 2 p.m. each day of the Little On Sunday, March 10, at high Watch Walk tures coastal Spring Ranch trails, a River festival. This is your oppor- noon at the Abalone Room at Lit- lush Fern Canyon, a scenic ripar- Art Exhibit at the tunity to get up close and personal tle River Inn, be a judge at the Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. ian trail system and a Pygmy For- Gallery at Glendeven with the ocean as you follow your inaugural Bloddy Mary competi- to noon, guests can partake in a est interpretive walk among min- professional guide through the in- tion where both locals and pro- two-hour guided walk searching iature mature trees. For more in- Friday, Saturday and Sunday, lets and caves that provide homes fessional bartenders will go head for pelagic cormorants, seaside dai- formation call 707-937-4015 or visit March 8, 9 and 10 from 9 a.m. to to the harbour seals, sea stars, al- to head to claim the prize of Best sies and whales. Binoculars will be mendoparks.org. noon