mtcalderwood-blog

[mtcalderwood-blog]

The Greatest Gadfly

The Legend For me, there is only one personality who stands atop the Gadfly Hall of Fame. The late, great Clay Tiffany and his masterpiece of Public Access Television, “Dirge For The Charlatans.” See Clay in action! Clay Tiffany’s unusual appearance and voice were the epitome of a smirk, underscored by his signature catchphrase “all right?” Standing tall, his blazing red afro, permanently…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Judge Not, Lest...

A visit to the doctor turned into a bout of self-examination. Appointment Day The late April Friday was cool and windy. My wife and I headed out to our medical appointments in San Luis Obispo, a reasonable and beautiful drive from our Cambria home. My session was a follow-up for a recurring problem common to men of a certain age. I checked in a few minutes before my 3:15 pm appointment…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Novella

In my novellayou are the painIn yours, it is me. My notebookholds empty spaceswhere answers should be. Your notebookraging scratch-outsmore like gashes. We start a new paragraphrearrange the words. In our storythe endingstays the same. Somedaywe might lay downthis terrible sworddisguised as a pen.

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Escort To Heaven

Who Will Escort Me to Heaven?As I go to my next,will I lean forward,or cling to those around megrasping for moretime,love,hope. I know heavenin the eyes ofmy wife,my children,my friends.The chorus of so many songsand the silence that follows a final note.That is enough. If asked to escort another,I will singor sit silent.Offer comfortor shoulder a fear,until there is no more.That is…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Macy's Window

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Why Change?

The Cambria Community Services District has proposed retiring the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission (PROS) and replacing it with a Standing Committee. As vaguely defined in the Board discussion of July 20th, the objective is to bring PROS in line with the other existing standing committees. The benefits of this structure will be, uh, umm, er, – well, I’m not sure there are any.  As a…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Because You Never Know

I’ve been thinking about our dear friend Cindy Steidel, volunteer and passionate supporter of all the good that makes Cambria a shining community. There is a long list of things that add up to the legacy of the person I came to know through her public service. Her fairness, diligence, quiet determination, and overall compassion, displayed under the pressure of her elected office, were at times…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Positive Steps For Active Recreation

The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space ad-hoc team continues to move forward with discussion and action on finding activities to enhance the recreation options in the area of the East Fiscalini Ranch designated for a community park. Though there have been many suggested uses, along with a well-researched Master Plan, not much has happened outside the development of the dog park. The committee has…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

CAMBRIA PROS COMMISSION Turning Ideas To Action

Parks, Recreation and Open Space - gifts to cherish, responsibilities to manage.

Beautiful Cambria is home to a diverse range of people, from toddlers to seniors, long-time residents, new arrivals, and a healthy stream of visitors drawn to this special place and a community that embraces and protects the natural beauty and uniqueness of the environment. Cambria is also home to rare and sensitive species and habitats that must be protected. Balancing the needs of all, and…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

The Final Telling

In the 2003 film “The Last Samurai,” Captain Nathan Algren is asked by the young Japanese Emperor to tell how the titular character, the Samurai Katsumoto, died. Algren responds, “I will tell you how he lived.” How do we spend our last days and hours, especially when we know they are just that? Do we die as we lived? Are deathbed conversions a spiritual revelation, or the chemicals of the mind…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

RIP, Ordinary Guy

I woke to a sad message today. “Hi Mike. I want to reach out to you personally before we post on FB that Richard Dunne died last night. His heart gave out. Sumus was a joy in his life, as we’re you guys.” This news was not unexpected, but still a bit tough to absorb. Richard and I go back to our very young days in the Bronx. We were passionate about the same thing – music. Richard was a gifted…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

PROS and COMMS

One of Cambria’s biggest mysteries keeps me wondering: Where do people get their information? Not their opinions, but facts? There is quite a bit of chatter and occasional swells of public participation in the things that local government organizations do. Still, active community participation through “official” channels is statistically negligible. PROS A discussion at the Parks, Recreation,…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Veddy Scary, Boys and Girls!!!

Veddy Scary, Boys and Girls!!!

I’ve been challenged to write something funny about the Policy Committee meeting held on October 27th, 2022. Try as I might, I can’t top the first seven minutes of the session. Heck, the Daily Show could not have scripted a better segment. GREMLINS!!! Login gremlins ran roughshod over the proceedings. Every gag appeared, from the “I can’t see you, I can’t hear you, can you hear me?” bit to the…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Musical Collaborations

Ah, another musing on songs that touch me and cause many repeat listens. Two pieces currently have my musical attention. Both are collaborations, but in very different ways. One is pure lyrical genius, with flawless musical performances and a beautiful arrangement all leading to a powerful, emotional story. The other is an offering from a diverse group of artists intent of bringing hope and…

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Broken Things 

Broken Things 

Sacred gifts lay broken around us They can’t be fixed, or destroyed, or erased Silent daggers sever hearts Yours. Ours. Broken Spirits Broken People Broken World

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Photographs

[mtcalderwood-blog]

Raising The Rates

Cambria’s difficult and upsetting process of raising utilities rates has run its course, ending with an unsuccessful Proposition 218 protest. The new rate structure goes into effect with the July 2022 billing cycle. Increasing rates for the utility services require the Cambria Community Services District to follow concrete legal steps in the preparation, presentation, discussion, and approval of…