Baywatch 15 Heading West to Malibu...

Dateline: Saturday, December 6, 2009 at approx. 0930 hrs.
Re: Baywatch 15 heading west past Will Rogers T-14 on its way to Malibu,
with LACo Rescue Boat Captain Eric Astourian in the wheelhouse. Kudos to Rescue Boat Captain Drew Greger for the i.d. ("Baywatch 15 heading towards Malibu! Astourian as Captain!").

Historical Footnote: I forwarded this photo to retired LACo Permanent and Recurrent, Tom (Allen) Sena on the Big Island of Hawaii and he had this to say about Will Rogers Tower 14 from "back in the day" when the Lighthouse was still there:

"Likely you did not know, but Tower 14 (after a short stint at Tower 5) was my tower for my rookie year in 1968. Right in front of the old Light House, where all the guys ..... could look over my shoulder and try to slide down the Light House "rescue pole" and scoop me on rescues. Eli Gauna would try to beat me to rescues on the north side of the jetty, when I was busy watching the surfers on the south side. I stopped that by standing duty on the berm, and could get to both sides quick! What great memories!

Aloha, Tom".

George Freeth Rides Again !

(Photo source: Arthur Verge, Ph.d article on www.LegendarySurfers.com)

GEORGE FREETH CELEBRATION DINNER: Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008

On the afternoon of December 16, 1908 a surprise winter storm suddenly descended down on Santa Monica Bay trapping several small Japanese fishing boats off today’s Venice Breakwater. As the boats headed towards the rocks (and the then Venice Pier above it), lifeguard George Freeth lead a two and half hour rescue effort. Despite nearly succumbing to the effects of hypothermia, Freeth was responsible for single-handily rescuing seven lives and leading a final rescue effort that saved the lives of four others. Following the rescue, the citizens of Venice quickly organized a dinner that evening in his honor. Exactly 100 years later we are organizing the same including a special slide show of original photographs of Freeth and of the rescue itself.



For lifeguards this rescue marked the entering of the lifeguard service into the modern age. For his actions George Freeth was awarded (by an Act of Congress) the Congressional Gold Medal for Lifesaving. Although he continued his career as an ocean lifeguard he died at age 35 during the flu pandemic of 1919. We will honor his rescue, his life and legacy on the evening of December 16, 2008 at Danny’s Deli and Bistro in Venice. Danny, a great friend of the lifeguards, is doing this at cost.

When: Tuesday - December 16, 2008

Where: Danny's Venice (aka Danny's Deli). Danny’s is located at 23 Windward Avenue, Venice CA 90291 (Located on the corner of Speedway and Windward Ave). www.DannysVenice.com

Time: Cash Bar – 6:00-6:45 pm. Dinner at 7 pm. Arthur Verge will give a slide presentation on the life of George Freeth at 7:30 pm.

Dinner choice – Chicken or Salmon (accompanied by rice, vegetables and soft drink).

Cost: $25. Please make your checks out to “LACOLA” (stands for Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association) and send to –

“George Freeth Celebration Dinner”
735 Maryland St.
El Segundo, CA 90245

Please include your choice of Salmon or Chicken.
We need all orders in by Sunday evening – 6:00 pm December 14th.
Questions – arthurverge@aol.com or Dave Kastigar at KASTIGAR@aol.com

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( x-ref. "County Recurrent" Indexed Web links/research/biography:

http://www.legendarysurfers.com/surf/legends/Ls05_freeth_verge2001.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Freeth

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/10/local/me-then10

http://geography.berkeley.edu/projectsresources/CaliforniaThinkers/profiles/verge.html

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=george+freeth&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 )

***** ***** ****** ***** ***** *****

"Fantasy Taplin"

Dateline: Friday, December 5, 2008

FANTASY TAPLIN ! You with me ?! Forget "Fantasy Baseball, Football and Basketball!" I'd rather just watch the games and maybe participate in a Super Bowl pool, which is really quite o.k. since I am not the Head Football Coach of an NCAA Div. I Football program...... but alas I digress.


*** Photo courtesy of www.fire.lacounty.gov ***

What we are talking about here is:

FANTASY TAPLIN !

That's right. Pick your Fantasy Taplin Team by Decade, starting in the 60's. Eligible Decades include: The 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and the 21st Century (2000 - present)(aka, 21st Cen.)

(x-ref: http://www.surffestival.org/Lifeguard%20Taplin/Lifeguard%20Taplin.htm )

*** Lifeguard's Are Absolutely STOKED About This New Game ***



*** Everybody's Starting To Talk About This New Game ! ***


***Central and Northern Section Guards Can't Get Enough Of This New Game ***



The Basic Rules (which will likely evolve):

1. Pick your Decade.
2. Pick your Section or Dept.
3. Pick your Team (4 swimmers, 4 paddlers & 4 dory teams (or 8 persons).
4. After each Relay Leg, provide your reasoning for the selection of each individual in one paragraph per relay leg. Photos are also acceptable to supplement your reasoning.
5. Submit your Fantasy Taplin Team to "County Recurrent" for consideration for publication.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the undersigned.

Over,

Will Maguire
"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com
email: will.maguire@artnet.net

Classic Santa Monica Beach Photo Exhibit

As per the Palisadian-Post, Lifestyle, Page 15, Dec. 4, 2008:



This black-and-white image can be found in the "Hollywood Beach" section of the Gowlands' exhibition at g169. Photo courtesy of Alice and Peter Gowland.

(x-ref: http://www.palisadespost.com/content/index.cfm?Story_ID=4483)

Excerpted from PalisadesPost.com:

"Catching the Glamour on Santa Monica Beach

Vintage photos by Alice and Peter Gowland of the Santa Monica beach scene during the war years are on display at g169 gallery, 169 West Channel Rd., Santa Monica Canyon.

The artists' opening reception is Saturday, December 6 from 5 to 8 p.m.

........During World War II, Peter worked as an engineering cinematographer for North American Aviation. He and Alice spent evenings and weekends taking portraits and shooting speculative advertising photographs. Pin-ups became popular with the armed forces, so Alice sold some of their beach pin-ups as magazine covers while Peter was in the service.

The gallery exhibition includes about 80 photographs capturing the culture of California girls, Hollywood's beach and the war years.

Contact: 310-459-4481."

High Surf Area !

Will Douglass and Bill Bischoff ! A couple of Johnny Joseph "SMC Alumni" Swimmers. Can you imagine this team from the late Seventies with Bruce Stahl on the same team, plus Mike "Newmie" Newman, Mike Moses, etc., et al. Hey, I might be off by a year of two with some of these guys, but just go with it.

You could win a Taplin with these two guys leading the swim and Billy doubling up and paddling too !

You could literally start the Taplin with Bischoff as lead swimmer, drop in a couple of ok swimmers and then finish off the swim chores with Douglass ! Then Billy could anchor the paddle portion.

Done. First Place ! Been There, Done That !

Throw the 'Freakingly Fast' Stahl in there too on the swim relay portion and you could basically coast into the dory leg.

10-4

Maguire, Will
Central
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

What's Big, Red and Beachin' ?

Dateline: Dec. 2, 2008

Attn: County Recurrents

Re: L.A. County Lifeguards New Custom Dive Team Truck

That's the answer to the question.

Check out this Big "Red" Bad Boy ! The specifications, briefly stated, are as follows:
Description: 2007 Ford F550 Crew Cab Lariet 4X4, power stroke diesel. It's Brand Spanking New ! Custom designed by our very own LACo Lifeguard Dive Team. It's taken since it's delivery to complete. In the photo above, it sits in its alpha parking spot at Central Section HQ, although it's tactical positioning is dependent on diving locations. Per Section Chief Scott Davey, it is also fully outfitted to meet the Department's dive team needs. Many thanks to Chief Davey for his comments. Last but not least, word has it that our Dive Team and Chiefs are very stoked and proud of this "Dive 1" Dive Team Truck.

Until next time,

"County Recurrent" News

Keeping you, the County Recurrent, in the loop !

Swim At Your Own Risk !

No Lifeguard on Duty !
The sun has set and the Lifeguard has gone home.
Friday, November 21, 2008, past sundown,
Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii, Queen's Beach.
And yes, that is Diamond Head in the background.
(x-ref:
Diamond Head, Hawaii - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Head,_Hawaii

Diamond Head - Oahu
Coast of O'ahu at the end of Waikiki overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was originally named Laeahi by the ancient Hawaiians).
www.hawaiiweb.com/html/diamond_head.html