The curtain falls on the Speakers’ Bureau
Richard Short announced at the Mohawk Community Resource Center (MCRC) Board meeting recently that he had decided to end the Speakers Bureau program after a successful run of five years.
The program was based largely on presentations by local area residents who had experienced interesting and unusual things in their lives.
Fifty speakers stepped forward to tell us about their adventures including a wide range of stories from being a foreign policy advisor to the president of the United States, a federal judge, a glider pilot who flew from here to Utah in one day, the founder of the Secret Witness Program, an engineer who worked on the East Bay Bridge project, a brain specialist and a falconer to mention just a few.
The most popular program was by Dan West who related stories about Graeagle during the time it was founded when he was 7 years old to the present day.
Other popular programs included Scott Lawson’s history of Plumas County told through 50 old photos, Dick Short’s impersonation of Winston Churchill, and Carl Chavez’s account of how he and his wife Margaret spent the winter alone in the ghost town named Bodie, as a park ranger.
On her own initiative, Dick’s wife, Debbie, made the evening more than just a lecture by preparing delicious hors d’oeuvres accompanied by a glass of wine. Debbie’s treats helped make this program a regular event for many residents of Graeagle.
With the passing of time, providing fresh exciting programs becomes more challenging and the audience declines. The community will miss the Speaker’s Bureau and hearing about experiences like Vern Fry at 18,000 feet climbing a thermal in his glider encountering a bald eagle who attempted a dive at him.
MCRC appreciates all the speakers who presented over the series, and is especially grateful to Dick and Debbie Short for their time and tremendous support.
The Speakers’ Bureau is one of many programs offered by MCRC, which strives to provide interesting and engaging services for the Mohawk Valley.
The Mohawk Community Resource Center is a service of Plumas Rural Services and serves to enrich the lives of the residents and visitors of the surrounding communities in a friendly atmosphere.
For more information about MCRC, call 836-0446, or visit www.PlumasRuralServices.org/mcrc.
