Biography

Yeah, let me give you some background. I started with the Forest Service in 1957, spent two seasons on what we called a tanker crew at that time -- on the Lassen [National] Forest; went into smokejumping for the next 13 years with the Forest Service out of Cave Junction in southern Oregon; then I transferred to the BLM [Bureau of Land Management] out of McGrath and Fairbanks, Alaska, for four more seasons; switched back down here and spent the last 19 years' seasons on the Mendocino [National] Forest.

I was their "Type 2 Crew Coordinator." In other words, I went around, recruited young people, mainly college-age students, and I put them into crews. I ran about 13 crews a summer for 19 years. That's -- was my one job. My other job, I'm a public school teacher -- was a public school teacher -- here in Chico for 38 years, and I've been a track coach down here for 50 plus years.