| BRAD DUNCAN WILL BE MISSED |
 Brad Duncan, most recently the chief of the CCC's Program Development and Support Division, passed away August 28 at the age of 58. Any corpsmember participating in Corpsmember Development activities felt Brad's influence on the program. Brad joined the CCC in 1979 as a Conservationist I, working at the Butte Fire Center and later promoting to a C II at the Del Norte Center. In 1985, he moved to Sacramento to work as a Corpsmember Development analyst at headquarters, subsequently promoting to a manager in the same unit.
After a stint at the California Community Colleges and a short retirement, he returned to the CCC when Governor Schwarzenegger appointed him as Program Development and Support Division chief.
But these dates and locations don't tell the whole story. Brad had the vision to broaden what corpsmembers learned, beyond the physical work on the grade.
As CCC Director David Muraki has noted, "Brad the professional, more than any single individual in the history of the CCC, understood and advanced corpsmember development to the benefit of so many."
Brad,1982, Butte Fire Center |
Brad's contributions included the COMET (initial training) program; work/learn programs for corpsmembers; and "The Reading," promoting literacy and thinking through selected passages from books, articles and poems. Brad also put an emphasis on increasing classroom time and the number of corpsmembers earning high school diplomas.
Most recently, Brad had spearheaded the "Green Pathways" for corpsmembers, to lead them to employment, education and longterm career opportunities.
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| FORMER GOVERNORS HONOR THE CCC | | A recent Los Angeles reception hosted by the CCC Foundation and the California League of Cities honored four California former governors for their support of the CCC.
 Present were Attorney General Jerry Brown, who created the CCC as governor, along with former Governors George Deukmejian and Gray Davis. Former Governor Pete Wilson sent a letter that was read on his behalf.
Corpsmembers from the Camarillo Center, the Los Angeles Satellite and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps introduced the governors. All of the governors praised the CCC; all had seen corpsmembers at work on emergency response efforts.
Jerry Brown recounted the early days of the program and recalled the CCC's "hard work, low pay" motto. He noted that if all agencies had it as a motto, there would be no budget problem.
Attorney General Jerry Brown with Los Angeles' Andrew Boldon and Camarillo's Omar Chavez.
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"The coming together of three governors in person and a fourth in sprit will long be remembered by the Corps as an historic event," said CCC Director David Muraki. |
| AUSTRALIAN EXCHANGE IN 22ND YEAR |
Nine corpsmembers are working Down Under right now, part of the CCC's annual work exchange with Conservation Volunteers Australia. The exchange began back in 1988, with what was then called the Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers.
This year the CCC crew, headed by Los Padres (San Luis Obispo) C I Ben Herbert, is working in some new locations: Tasmania and Perth. The work includes invasive plant removal, trail construction and wildlife habitat improvement.
Later this month, two Australian teams will arrive and work with CCC crews in San Luis Obispo and Ukiah.
In the photo below, the 2010 CCC exchange corpsmembers pose for a photo on Maria Island, Tasmania.
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| ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT |
If you're sent to the principal at Masuda Middle School in Orange County, you'll be talking to Christopher Mullin, a former corpsmember who wasn't always enamored with education.
Chris Mullin graduated from high school and then tried a year of college. It wasn't for him. He was disillusioned and thought it was just more of what he'd just left, high school.
Then he saw a documentary about the Backcountry Trails program on television. "So I up and joined, took the bus to the San Luis Obispo Academy," Chris says. "When that was over, there was a bus boarding for the Butte Fire Center. They had room, so I got on it."
"Less than 24 hours after I arrived there they put me on a bus to go down to the Oakland Hills Fire site." Chris was on food duty in the aftermath of the 1991 fire, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to CDF crews.
That was his initial CCC trial by fire. The Corps proved to be a good match for Chris, who loves the outdoors. The following spring, he applied for the Backcountry Trails program and was accepted on to the 1992 Stanislaus National Forest crew, under Conservationist 1 Terrance Johnson.
"We worked in the Emigrant Wilderness, filled with lakes, and I'm a fisherman," Chris says. "I still talk about it all the time. We built a ton of trails, did a lot of rock work, retaining walls. And I kept in touch with people -- I made wonderful relationships and loved the work." "I truly got a lifetime out of a little more than a year in the CCC..." Back at the Butte Fire Center, one of the fire captains pushed Chris to go back to college, and he left the CCC for Montana State University. Armed with an education degree, he began teaching in a tiny rural town.
First riprap effort -- Stanislaus 1992 |
During the summers Chris worked as a fly fishing guide in Montana, and served as guide for a California school superintendent who ended up offering him a job. After teaching for five years, he got his master's in administration, became an assistant principal and now a principal. Chris' school is in Fountain Valley, in the same school district where he grew up.
Looking back, Chris says the CCC instilled a solid work ethic and he was fortunate to work with good leaders and strong mentors.
"I was a bit of a slacker and a disillusioned youth," he says. "The CCC helped give me a bigger picture of the real world. I truly got a lifetime out of my little over a year in the CCC."
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RECOGNIZE ANYONE? |
Erin Flinn, a member of the 1979 Kings Canyon Backcountry Trails crew, sent in this photo and would like to reconnect with others in the photo. That's former CCC Chief Deputy Director Robert Burkhardt at bottom left, but if you spot yourself, e-mail Erin at [email protected].
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| FIND A FRIEND | |
Because of state privacy laws, the CCC's alumni registry/database, hosted by the State of California, does not have a searchable feature.
However, we can help link you up with other former corpsmembers through this newsletter, posting inquiries that include e-mail addresses only. Send your inquiries to [email protected] with your message and contact e-mail. By voluntarily e-mailing us, you are authorizing us to include your contact information in an upcoming newsletter.
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David Havery would like to find people who were at the Sequoia Center in 1992-93. Contact him at [email protected].
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Jackie Spratling (now Gregory) is looking to reconnect with corpsmembers from Yountville, 1978-79. Contact [email protected].
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Gene Bertsche would like to reconnect with his friends from the Placer Center. He was there between 1985 and 1990. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Dolores Perez was at the Mt. San Jacinto Center in 1983 and the Greenwood/El Dorado Center in 1984. She's interested in hearing from team members/friends: [email protected].
Ali Aquil would like to reunite with corpsmembers from San Pedro, 1983-85. Contact Ali at [email protected].
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Troy Skillman is looking for former friends at the Santa Clara Center (Agnews State Hospital) from 1985-86. He went by the name of Tank. Contact him at [email protected].
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Jeff Lawrence was in the second CCC crew, 1976-77. He trained at Camp Radford below Big Bear and then was stationed at Deer Park in Escondido. He would like to hear from all of the crew. Contact him at [email protected].
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Robert Casarez was at Camarillo and San Pedro from 1978-88. His nickname was "Camel"; he started as a corpsmember and worked up to Operation Coordinator. "If you remember me, send an e-mail to [email protected].
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Angel Espinosa is trying to reach friends Erica Joy Woods and Laura Kaufhardt from Santa Clara, 1992-93. Angel was in Backcountry in the Stanislaus National Forest, 1993, South Lake Tahoe and Santa Clara. E-mail Angel at [email protected].
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Ian Franlin is looking for friends from the Fortuna Center, 2004-8, also anyone from the Chico nonresidential center. E-mail Ian at [email protected].
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Don McClary is looking for corpsmembers and supervisors from Santa Clara/Agnews 1983-85. Crewleader Bill Rizzo? E-mail Don at [email protected].
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Connie Kriewitz is looking for anyone from the 1983-84 Bollinger Fire Center. E-mail Connie at [email protected]
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Elbert Wagner was a crewleader at Fortuna from 1995-98. He would like to meet up with any former corpies who were at Fortuna at that time. E-mail Elbert at [email protected].
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Mary Brown would love to reconnect with corpsmembers who were at the San Luis Obispo Center, 1989-90. E-mail Mary at [email protected].
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Vicky Stuart is interested in contacting corpsmembers from San Luis Obispo from 1980-81. Reach her at [email protected].
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John O'Brien is seeking corpsmembers from 1976-79 at San Luis Obispo, part of the first group at Camp San Luis Obispo. E-mail him at [email protected].
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Gaylea Titus would like to find people who were at Oat Mountain from 1985-87 and in the Canadian Katimavik exchange in 1986. E-mail her at [email protected].
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Adam Rice is looking for COMET trainers from San Luis Obispo from May 2001. Also fellow corpsmembers from Camarillo 2001-02. E-mail him at [email protected].
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Chris Bartink was at Camarillo in 1981 and Greenwood Solar Center in 1981/82. Contact Chris at [email protected].
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Erin Flynn is interested in reconnecting with fellow corpsmembers from the 1979 Kings Canyon Backcountry Trail Crew. Contact her at [email protected]
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Susan Owens is looking to find corpsmembers from San Luis Obispo, 1982-85. E-mail her at [email protected].
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Catherine Seames is looking for friends from 1982/83 Greenwood/Treasure Island/Oat Mountain. "Would love to find Andrew and Scott from Greenwood, Cathy with the blonde hair from the Bay Area who hung with Bones and Veronica/ Bill, etc." E-mail her at [email protected].
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Charles Walker was sent to a Lake Sonoma spike, then transferred to the Butte Fire Center in Magalia until April 1987. Contact him at [email protected].
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Roy Coronado is looking for Chai Xoing, corpsmembers from the Del Norte Center. Contact Roy at [email protected].
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Traci Marcroft-Barnwell is interested in hearing from people in the San Mateo area-- La Honda, Treasure Island, 1980-81 or the Academy in Fricot City, San Andreas, to 1982. Reach Traci at [email protected].
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Tim Jolly is looking for friends from the Siskiyou Center from September 1981 to August 1982. E-mail him at [email protected].
Mike and Dawn Lowry were part of the Pomona Center from 1991-1996. "We are married with three kids, and met in the CCC." E-mail them at [email protected]..
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Joshua Meier was in the Backcountry sometime between 1999-2001 and "would like to e-mail or talk on the phone about some of our memories." He's now living in Maui and can be reached at 808-221-2282 or [email protected].
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Cynthia Martinez is seeking to reconnect with friends who were at Yountville in 1980. E-mail her at [email protected].
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Dwight Millar was in the CCC in 1994-95 and was a wildland firefighter at La Cima.
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Mike Durocher (Roach) is looking to reconnect with past Backcountry members from the 1993 Kings Canyon trail crew. E-mail him at [email protected].
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Shari Brooks would like to find some old friends from Bret Harte, San Pedro and Agnews from 1978 to 1980. She's looking for Theresa Blair, Cheryl, Vivian, Neil, Steve (Bubbles), Scott, Gerald Kelly (supervisor), Charlie and the rest of the gang. E-mail her at [email protected].
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Richard Crowe is looking to reconnect with Del Norte corpsmembers from 1989-91. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Tim Mayer was at the Woodlake Center from 1980-83. His crewleader's name was Rubin; his crew chief was Steve, and he knew a girl named Denise Wagonger from Poway, CA. "Does anyone remember these people? Let me know." Tim can be reached at [email protected].
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Tamara Williams is looking to connect with corpsmembers from the Tahoe Center in 1991. She was part of the Oakland Hills Fire clean-up effort. Tamara can be reached at [email protected].
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Greg Dutra would like to connect with old friends from the La Honda Center, 1980. Contact him at [email protected].
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Alan Murrray was in the first group based at San Luis Obispo. His second year was split between the Training Academy at Murphys and Escondido."Give me a nod if you were in those places between 1977 and 1979." Alan can be reached at [email protected].
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Eric Taylor is looking for people who worked with him at the Placer Fire Center (1983-84), Butte Fire Center/CDF Vina Helitack Base (1984-85). E-mail him at [email protected].
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Sean Kennedy was at the Humboldt Fire Center outside of Weott from late 1986 to 1988 and the CDF Alma Helitack Base. E-mail hm at [email protected].
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Daryl Atkinson would like to connect with old CCC and Helitack friends. He was at the San Bernardino Center from 1982-83 and at Hemet/Ryan Helitack base from 1983-84. You can reach him at [email protected].
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Carlos Martinez was at the Del Norte Fire Center from September 1982 until April 1983. Old crew members can reconnect with him at [email protected].
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Kathy Finney was at the Butte Fire Center in Magalia from 1979-81. "Dave Muraki was the crew supervisor when I was there." Kathy is looking for Mike Spaan, Mike Touchstone, Ann Marie Tonnissen, Deena Keeler and Jim Brown. She can be reached at [email protected].
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Curtis Clark is looking for people from the Mendocino Center, 1987-88. You can reach Curtis at [email protected].
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Patrick Lynch is looking for George Butter from 1988. Patrick can be reached at [email protected] or at 1-574-735-3750.
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Thomas Hierholzer from Session 87 was at the Butte Fire Center from 1982-83 and would like to hear from all corpsmembers who were there back then. Contact him at [email protected].
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Shad Murphy is looking to catch up with crew members from the Backcountry crew of 1992. He was out of the Ukiah Center. E-mail him at [email protected].
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Terri Anderson was at San Luis Obispo in 1978-79 and would like to hear from friends. She can be reached at [email protected].
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Douglass Gregg would like to find others from the Woodlake Center, 1981-83. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Mario Cannizzaro was on the fire crew at the Santa Clara Center from 1992-94. His e-mail address is [email protected].
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Deborah Starr would like to find everyone from Session 101 and the Del Norte Center (1983-86). You can reach her at [email protected].
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Troy Beiers is trying to find James (Jim) Harmon. Troy was based in Pomona from 1996-97. Contact Troy at [email protected].
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Christina Raquel is looking for her kitchen crew from the Butte Fire Center, 2002-03. E-mail her at [email protected].
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Stephanie Peper would like to connect with friends from COMET 55, Requa Center in Klamath, 1998. She can be reached at [email protected].
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Rod Terrell is looking for Siskiyou corpsmembers from around 1978. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Hector Jiminez was at several centers, the last being the Academy in San Andreas in 1986. If you remember him e-mail him at [email protected].
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Monica Ridley Esparza was at the San Gabriel Canyon Center from 1979-80 and the Bret Harte Academy in Murphys in 1980. She can be reached at [email protected].
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Kelly Beecham was at the Butte Fire Center 1986-88 and part of the first Australian exchange. She can be reached at [email protected].
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Mike Cox would like to find members of Crew 1 from the 1994-95 fire season, Captain Smith. You can reach Mike at [email protected].
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Diana (Pickachu) Carrillo would like to reconnect with friends from Camarillo, 1999-2001. She can be reached at [email protected].
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Ricky Martin (not the singer) is looking for Dodgie Pingul, a friend from the 1989 Placer Energy Center. You can e-mail Ricky at [email protected].
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Adrienne Clark was at the Humboldt Fire Center 1979-80 and would like to hear from friends. She can be reached at [email protected].
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George Walke is looking to find fellow corpsmembers from the Tehama Fire Center, 1980-81. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Eric Bennett was in the CCC from 1979-80, at the Siskiyou Center, then Bollinger Canyon with "Big Ed" De La Rosa. He's looking to link up with Dino, Bill, Matt Tognoli and other friends. Eric can be reached at [email protected].
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Joe Corona was on the Yosemite Backcountry Crew in 1991 and is looking for fellow crew members Andrea Norton, Jim Penney, Andrew Holland and Lisa Blankenship. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Dana Salsbury would like to find Juliette, Oscar, Sal and anyone from the 1982 Delta (Stockton) crew. Contact Dana at [email protected].
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Wendy Pridmore was at the Santa Clara Center and the Napa Satellite from 1996-97 and would like to connect with old friends. She can be reached at [email protected].
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| SUGGESTIONS, PHOTOS | |
If you might make a good alumni profile, or you have a suggestion (and contact information) for someone who might, let us know. We're also looking for good photos that might be of interest to others. E-mail CCC Public Information Officer Susanne Levitsky at [email protected] or call her at (916) 341-3145.
Don't forget to keep your e-mail address and other information up-to-date in our CCC Alumni Registry. This allows us to learn more about the wide variety of occupations and experiences of our alumni, and to be able to let you know if there are special events in your area.
Thanks very much!
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