Photos courtesy of Kern Valley Museum.
Story by Catherine Stachowiak
Saturday February 10, the Whiskey Flat Days team of River Rat Ryan and Deputy Doug held a Meet and Greet at Kern Valley Museum where Dianna Anderson curator of the museum showed what the students at Camp Erwin Owen did to assist the museum.
The reason the boys were the focus during the event, was because the mayor candidate team has been raising money for a new program at Camp Erwin Owen, called COEP, which is a program for youth to learn positive character attributes through serving their community with good deeds.
So far the boys of COEP have done many service projects throughout the Kern River Valley.
Mr. Gates and Mr. Little were the teachers of boys from Camp Erwin Owen who once fixed up a vehicle and a covered wagon for the Kern Valley Museum.
“Basically the thing (covered wagon) came to us as a box of sticks. So they had to rebuild much of it,” said Anderson. “Same thing with the Graham truck.”
Anderson said that there were two teams of boys working on these historical pieces for the museum. One team of boys was under Mr. Little’s supervision. And another group of the boys was under the supervision of Mr.Gates.
Mr. Gates’ group did the engine drive train and bodywork. And Mr. Little’s group did the woodwork, Anderson said.
“I have a before picture, and it looked pretty ratty, and an after (picture) with the truck coming out of their shop,” she said.
To help the boys of COEP at Camp Erwin Owen, look for River Rat Ryan’s Face book account.
