Sunday, November 16, 2008

Pancho Barnes, Wm Wendt, Laguna, Tustin, etc.

Tomorrow night, Mon. November 17, 7:30-9:30pm, the Laguna Beach Historical Society will meet at the City Council Chambers, 505 Forest Ave. Speaker Nick Spark will discuss Florence L. "Pancho" Barnes, (see photo above,) who was Hollywood's first woman stunt pilot and a Laguna resident. Barnes' home and airstrip were located on what is now McKnight Drive. Nick Spark's documentary, "The Legend of Pancho Barnes" will air on KOCE-TV early next year. .
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Speaking of Laguna Beach, the Laguna Art Museum's new exhibit is devoted to the work of Laguna impressionist William Wendt. In Nature's Temple: The Life and Art of William Wendt will run from Nov. 9 to Feb. 8.
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The Register's October article about famous dead people buried in O.C. continues to garner attention and has had additional names added to the list. Check it out online.
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The Register has also started promoting Huntington Beach's Centennial, which arrives next year.
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Tustin's new Citrus Ranch Park, at 2910 Portola Parkway, will include 900 to 1,100 lemon trees - a welcome reminder of the community's roots.

5 comments:

ItsNotAPlace said...

Hmm I had no idea that Christian Kent Nelson: inventor of the Eskimo Pie was buried in Orange County... Who Knew!

ItsNotAPlace said...

I just finished reading Chuck Yeager's biography and he mentions and tells some interesting stories about Florence L. "Pancho" Barnes too... he knew her from when she had a ranch and a bar near what would become Edwards Air Force base while he was doing his famous sound barrier test flights.

Anonymous said...

Did some excavation at the site of Pancho's " Happy Bottom Riding Club". on EAFB a few years back. It was quite a place. The huge cement swimming pool and building foundations are still present. It was large an operation, with an airstrip, bar/restaurant, cabins, rodeo arena, stables,a huge alfalfa fields, etc... I guess Pancho's last days were spent in Boron and Lancaster/Palmdale area.
DSMc. Springville, Calif.

ItsNotAPlace said...

FYI for anyone interested in this film about Pancho Barnes:

I just heard that a rough-cut screening of the movie will be shown at the "Planes of Fame Air Museum" at the Chino Airport Thursday, January 22, 2009 as a fundraiser to complete the project.

It is going to be in the new 45-seat theater there, and the "suggested donation" to KOCE Foundation is $50 to $100 collected at the door.

reservations are REQUIRED and on a first-come first served basis. Contact andrea.eldridge@planesoffame.org to reserve seats.

Thursday, January 22, 2009
* 5:30pm - 6pm Reception with the producer and director
* 6pm - 7pm Screening of the film

they also have a website for the movie at www.panchobarnesfilm.com

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