EVOLUTION OF THE OCTAGON
The Octagon on moving-in day. The saga begins.
It’s still a construction site, but we’re moving in anyway.
Efforts are aided by Karen Ryce’s visiting mom, known as Midge or Noni.
Kate McGuire and some kids. Karen Ryce is in the background, leaning on a post nursing Tao?
Gundala Mogerman, some kids, group talking in the back includes Kate and Alison.
The Octagon and Tae Kwan Do building in the mid-1980s.
BEGINNINGS PEOPLE
Jan Iris at The Octagon, early 1980s.
Soloman Mogerman at a party, 1970s.
Tony Mengual, Beginnings VFD, Octagon,1980s.
Soloman Mogerman and Radar? at their house. 1980s.
Larry Bliss lighting up at Jentri’s wedding reception, 1982
Tony Mengual drumming at Mateel Summer Arts Fair 1987 or 88.
Karen Ryce, Halloween party, 1980s.
Ganacini and Alison at a party in the 1980s.
Gundala Mogerman, 1980s.
Larry Bliss, Octagon, maybe after a board meeting? 1980s?
Peter Ryce at Alison Osborne’s Easter Party at Tony’s, Briceland Road,, mid-70s
Joani Rose watching her Skyfish drama students perform.
Karen Ryce with Beginnings kids. 1980s.
Sandy Bruno at a party in the 70s.
BEGINNINGS KIDS
Skyfish revue, the Roller Girls. Don’t know who is the girl on far left, but from there, it’s Nicole, some unidentified legs maybe Cybele Immett?, Sara Bliss, Kupiri Waterfall, Rainbo Boyd and Niki Keithly. Early 80s.
The girls are the Roller Girls, but I don’t remember the name of the band, all boys, I think. Girls are left to right Cybele?, Sara, Kupiri, Rainbo and Niki. Can’t id the boys but for sure there are Mogerman boys in there.
SUMMER PROGRAM RAFT TRIP, 1980s, LOADING UP
Jenny Andrews looking over her shoulder. Niki, Rainbo and Kupiri. Rest I can’t identify.
Loading up
Utah Blue loads up. 1980s
Jenecois Ryan far left. Can’t identify the other three.
BEFORE BEGINNINGS, THE FARMHOUSE SCHOOL
Girl with barrette is Serena Breen, Benjamin Bruno with back turned. 1974 or so.
Benjamin Bruno learns to saw.
CHILDREN’S HOUSE, BEFORE AND AFTER BEGINNINGS, INC.
Bindu Pomeroy with frog, at a Children’s House outing to Benbow Park, 1974 or so.
Kupiri’s birthday party at Children’s House in Redway. Early 1970s. Standing, Becky Mengual with Josh. Kupiri, Rainbow, Karen Pomeroy, far right, founder of Farmhouse School.
Josh Mengual, Utah Blue, Kupiri Waterfall–all Beginnings kids.
Children’s House or maybe a just a birthday party at the Octagon, late 1970s. Utah, Bindu, Rainbo
SKYFISH SCHOOL
Skyfish School presents Robin Hood, who saves Sherwood Forest from loggers. Utah Blue is Robin. Not to be confused with an all-girl version of Robin Hood that was not a production of Skyfish School.
Skyfish School presents Robin Hood.
Skyfish School students perform. Rainbo Boyd, Kupiri Waterfall, and Sara Bliss?
BRICELAND COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL, AKA BRI HI
West Side Story, early 1980s.
Cybelle Immett left, Kupiri Waterfall right and I don’t know who’s in the middle.
Bri Hi cast of West Side Story takes a bow. Diana Hahn and Daniel Brown in front.
PARTYIN’ DOWN
Beginnings VFD benefit, 1980s
VFD benefit 1980s.
Beginnings VFD benefit, 1980s.
The two Alisons getting the Halloween party started. Bill Andrews in the background tuning up.
Nonnie Ekedahl, Peter Ryce and Star Rashall at Jentri’s wedding reception 1982.
Toking up for Jentri’s wedding reception at the Octagon. Left to right, John Rodgers, Rick Klein, two unknowns, Alison Osborne, Professor Koen (Mary Jo Breen’s dad), unknown
Group of partiers, unknown party, unknown date.
Unknown wedding conducted outside the Octagon, mid 1980s.
Unknown child checks out Octagon set up for Thanksgiving potluck. 80s sometime. Is it Radar Mogerman?
BEGINNINGS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
Just one little historical note on the VFD, since my version of a fuller story is elsewhere on this site. Gerald was adamant that the name should be Beginnings Volunteer Fire Department, rather than Briceland or Elk Ridge or anything else because, as he told me, he had received no encouragement or help from the non-hippie local population in forming a fire department and he wanted to be sure the world knew this is the Briceland hippies’ fire department. It is now the Briceland Volunteer Fire Department.
Before phones, in a time of only a few CBs, we communicated with signs tacked on trees. This one was at the bottom of Perry Meadow Rd.
Gerald Myers, first fire chief and main founder of Beginnings VFD, who could not be persuaded to stop washing the truck to pose for a pic.
Tone Mengual and one of the early fire trucks.
A regular training session
Training session for the new old fire truck
We bought a used fire truck from another VFD, Fortuna? and drove it up and down the driveway a while to get used to it.
Planning the training session or just hanging out, hard to say. Forest on the far left, Bill Andrews, Merrill Myers with her back turned, Jentri gesturing and Jim Fulton? on far right. Can’t id the other two.
Getting the hang of it. It had 18 (?) gears. I had to be firmly ordered to drive it. I see me and Bill in there, Bill is front seat passenger. I’m in the back seat wearing a helmet not my own and gripping my hands with anxiety. Jim? looking at the dials. Maybe the driver is Bill Eastwood?
VFD annual benefit barbecue
Tony and the kids play with the fire hose. Tae Kwan Do building under construction in the background.
Tony and kids with fire hose, VFD benefit.
Some of us had a little folk band we called “Fireline” because we were all in the VFD and our only gig was the annual VFD benefit. Lenny Anderson, Jentri Anders, Soloman Mogerman and Bill Andrews.
At a VFD in the 1980s, Fireline performs on a very funky stage. I remember we wrestled to get that sun shade up in the wind. Jentri, Lenny, Lloyd Hauskins, who replaced Sol when he moved away, and Bill on bass.
Somebody cracked us up, probably Lloyd, in between songs, as Bill tests the mic.
Women who were VFD as teenagers grew up to be US Forest Service Hot Shots. Cybele Immett and Kupiri Waterfall, after a fire fought by Hot Shots. I can’t swear that Cybele was Beginnings VFD, but I know Kupiri was. I did not take this pic.
Funny story. Forty-five years later, Kai Ostrow found my VFD helmet in a box of discarded fire gear at the Healy Senior Center annual yard sale. Yep. We had a good laugh about it. Neither he nor I had any idea how it got there or where it had been for 45 years.
TAE KWAN DO
The TKD kids at home.
Breaking the board. The only person in this tangle I think I recognize is Benny Comma on the right.
My son, Utah was in the Tae Kwan Do Program from its inception. Here he has been persuaded to demonstrate some moves for Mom at home. He had to be pursuaded, because the program came with a philosophy that included humility, i.e. no showing off, and this looked like showing off to him until Mom twisted his arm and told him showing off is not an issue when it’s for Mom.
Our TKD kids competing in San Jose.
Our TKD kids went out of the area at least once to compete with other groups. This was a big one in San Jose. However, maybe they also competed with each other there because the boy on the left looks like Laeben Lester. It’s Utah on the right.
Trophies were won in San Jose that day.
Then they grew up and were still doing it and teaching the younger kids. This is a demo at the Octagon.
Rama Boyd and Utah Blue wait to start their duet routine.
Rama breaks the board (in the shot after this. He’s doing a trial kick here.)
Rama and Utah doing their duet.
Sojourn in the Land of Shum 