North Fork groups elect new officers

At first it seemed that summer would never arrive. It certainly took its own sweet time. June was cold and rainy, and it was cool and wet in July - we celebrated the anniversary of the Wedge Canyon Fire of 2003 on July 18 with a rainstorm.

All of a sudden it's mid-August and already there are signs of fall. The huckleberry crop is waning, and the serviceberries are ripening. Just a note to Joe Novak - ripe serviceberries may be purple, but they are otherwise nothing like huckleberries.

All of the local organizations have held their annual elections except for possibly the Road Coalition for Health and Safety, which I have not heard from.

Both the North Fork Compact and the North Fork Preservation Association basically are unchanged. Don Sullivan will remain as chairman of the Compact, and John Frederick is still president of the Preservation Association. The NFPA did add two new directors in order to get some "new blood" on their board of directors, which conducts their business between annual meetings.

The North Fork Landowners Association's annual meeting was a little more exciting, with several contested positions and, as a result, several new faces. NFLA president Betsy Holycross was prevented by term limits from running again, and the new president is Debi Powers, who moved up from her previous position as one of the two south directors. New vice president is Karen McDonough, serving for the first time as an officer. North directors are Tom Edwards, with one year to serve, and Lee Secrest, elected to a second two-year term.

Both south directors are first-timers on the board, with Alan McNeil elected for one year to finish Debi Powers' term and Flannery Coates elected to a full two-year term. Betsy Holycross will continue to serve on the board as the immediate past president, replacing Molly Shepherd, who has been on the board for six years, serving two years each as vice president, president, and immediate past president.

Even though fall is near, the NFLA has a busy social calendar for August. Troy Bankard won the first Judy Dill Memorial Bicycle Timed Trials in 37 3/4 minutes. Danny Dill was second in 42 minutes, and Rick Jones was third in 46 3/4 minutes. Other riders were Jan Caldwell, Bob Nelson, Val Cox, Bob and Stuart Reiswig, Lisa Patell and Bridget Priest. Super dog "Wanna Go Patell" ran the course.

Last Saturday was the second game night at Sondreson Hall, and on Aug. 16 the book club will meet at Sondreson Hall at 7:30 p.m. to discuss "The First Ranger," by C.W. Guthrie. Also, a hike to Upper Quartz Lake is planned on Aug. 18. Meet at Polebridge Ranger Station at 8:30 a.m.

On Aug. 20 will be the last "live music" of the year at Sondreson Hall. Potluck at 6 p.m. and dance at 8 p.m. Cost is $5 adults and $2 kids under-18.