News - Darwin Update: The Darwin Community Website

HISTORIC UNDERGROUND HOUSE DESTROYED BY FIRE

Darwin Update is sad to report that the classic underground house built by Hal Newell in the 1970s was completely destroyed by fire in October 2020. The walls of the house were constructed of large rocks collected in the desert, and the timbers came from a bridge in Big Sur. Even though it was buried in the ground, the house was welcoming, with light pouring in from the south-facing windows, a skylight, and windows to the north. The house was filled with memorabilia from the artistic careers of Hal’s sculptor father Gordon and his mother Amelia.

The fire apparently started overnight when an electric heater ignited something that was left too close to it. Of all the houses in Darwin, this was the one least likely to burn, and yet it did.

With the loss of Hal’s house, Darwin reaches the end of yet another chapter in its colorful history. In the future, a house may be rebuilt on the property, since three of the four walls are still standing.

The Darwin Stone Circle, built by Hal as a memorial to his father, still stands uphill from the remains of the house, and Gordon Newell’s sculptures are still displayed there.

Ashes of Stone
for Hal Newell

They say for a house to last, build of stone.
Dig deep into the desert floor
to keep you cool and warm in season,
sheltered by the earth’s steady embrace.
A young man can walk and carry
and stack big rocks, seal them in mortar
to last beyond the old man’s years.
It’s those newfangled conveniences
that turned you out into the dark,
naked, barefoot, blind, the flashlight
you carried into the autumn cold
your only surviving possession.
This wasn’t how it was supposed
to end. You had a good wood stove
fashioned of scrap iron, always reliable
through the winter nights.
That damned Romex, those circuit breakers,
the junction box and conduit,
went counter to the original idea:
sun filtered through bedsprings
over the skylight, the stone floor,
the high deep windows gazing out
onto the summer heat
and the setting constellations.

Now it’s back to basics, your thin bones
stretched out on borrowed beds
in unfamiliar rooms where memory
of space will not serve to replace
your lost vision. Back to simple
gratitude that you can sit beneath
the night sky, hear the wild burros
walking the road, wait for the embers
to cool so you can sift through
ashes of stone in search of small
treasures: a model of your father’s
sculpture, a gem from your mother’s
necklace, the heavy disjointed metal
of the old wood stove, the rock walls
still standing, the desert soil
enduring beneath the rubble.

                               Kathy Goss

DARWIN STATION: A NEW COMMUNITY RESOURCE

For years, the picturesque false-front building at the corner of Main and Market was deteriorating. The yellow tanker truck parked next to the building, framed by rusty tin and weathered wood, was a favorite subject for photographers. Now, thanks to Jim Hunolt, who purchased the property a few years ago, the building has been stabilized and transformed into a community space. Kevin Southall did the reconstruction work, aided by enthusiastic volunteers.

A new sign above the door announces the building’s resurrection as Darwin Station, in recognition of its history as a gas station. Now Darwin Station provides a versatile space for meetings, meals, music, and celebrations. There’s a fully functioning kitchen, equipped with donated appliances; a piano, and a library. Art works are displayed in the main room.

The building is not open to the public. It’s a special place for Darwin residents and invited guests. Visitors are reminded that all buildings in Darwin are private property, and should not be entered even if they appear abandoned.

THE JACKASS CABIN: ANOTHER PIECE OF HISTORY GONE

One of Darwin’s historic treasures, the cabin at the Jackass Mine, burned down in the late fall of 2015. There were no witnesses among Darwin residents. No one seems to know when or how it happened.

Situated on a ledge carved out of a steep mountainside, the Jackass Cabin was a colorful part of Darwin’s mining history.

Deprived of the meticulous care it enjoyed in the past, the cabin was falling apart for years, but the main room still stood and provided shelter and temporary living accommodations for a few lucky visitors to Darwin and adventurous residents seeking to camp out and watch the stars from this magical vantage point. The cabin overlooked the entire Panamint Valley, with a distant view of the Panamint Dunes. If you know where to look, you can make out Highway 190 winding its way up the pass from Panamint Springs. The laughter and music of decades of party-goers still echoes through the adjoining canyons.

The head frame for the Jackass Mine still stood after the fire, as did the sketchy outhouse, perched precariously at the edge of the cliff. More recently, the outhouse was knocked over, depriving photographers of another favorite subject.

We will still be hiking up to the Jackass to enjoy the view and the spring wildflower display, but what a bittersweet experience it will be to see the cabin’s charred remains.

FIRST 100 DEGREE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT DEATH VALLEY THIS YEAR!

The furnace creek visitor center at Death Valley National Park
recorded a high temperature of 100 degrees today... April 18. This
is the first triple digit high of 2012. Historically... the earliest
100 degree day was March 16 2007... while the latest first 100 degree
day was may 20 1983. On average Death Valley first reaches 100
degrees on April 19.

The above information is preliminary and is subject to a final review before being certified by the National climatic data center.

DARWIN IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES!
Darwin was featured in a front-page article in the Los Angeles Times on Monday, March 12, 2012. Writer Mike Anton did a great job of describing our need for access to broadband internet, and photographer Francine Orr captured the town beautifully with her images. Francine also produced an excellent video for the LA Times website. See the article and the video at the following links:

story: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-darwin-20120312,0,5344983.story
video: www.latimes.com/california/darwin-calif-on-the-shoulder-of-the-information-superhighway-123

Here's hoping that the coverage will help to attract the support and help we need to make our broadband dream a reality.

For a painfully humorous rundown on our long quest for broadband, check out the website at darwincalif.com. It was through that website that the journalists at the LA Times made contact with us in Darwin. Good work, darwincalif!

BLM ROAD PLAN TO BE REVISED--YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED!

Maybe you've noticed all the new route markers on the dirt roads around Darwin. These markers were placed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on roads that are designated as legal for off-highway vehicular travel. Any road that is not marked as an OHV route is technically CLOSED to vehicular travel.

The current route markers reflect the route designations under the West Mojave (WEMO) Plan. However, this is all now subject to change. A judge in the Ninth District Court has ordered that the entire travel management plan for WEMO be scrapped and that BLM start all over, with better documentation of how the designated routes will impact threatened and endangered species.

We have had a series of meetings in Darwin to try to make sense of this confused situation. The bottom line is that everyone who is concerned about keeping our roads open should submit comments to BLM by the DEADLINE of APRIL 15, 2012. These "scoping comments" will be considered in putting together a draft of the proposed revised road plan, which will then be subject to further public comment.

We can lose important roads if we don't act. Here are some resources to help you sort through the mess:

For BLM's map of currently "open" routes around Darwin, go to this link:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/west_mojave__wemo/wemo_maps.html
Click on "Darwin Subregion" on the map and you will be able to download a pdf file of the Darwin map. You can view other maps by clicking on the appropriate subregion.

For BLM's summary of the situation, go to this link:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/west_mojave__wemo.html
This BLM page contains instructions for submitting comments, either by email, or by downloading and mailing in a comment form.

For further information on the court ruling, and another source of the BLM maps, go to the NPL News page and click on the West Mojave links under "Hot Topics" on the right side of the page.

Darwin residents will be collaborating on preparing a master map showing all roads we want kept open, including roads that are not currently marked as open. This map, with annotations, will provide a complete road inventory that can be referenced in our individual comments. For further information, contact Kathy Goss.

Jim Kenney of Ridgecrest has marked the roads he's explored on jeep rides in the Darwin area. Here's his map, to get you inspired to start identifying your own favorite roads.

Courtesy of Jim Kenney

UPDATE: The package of comments from Darwin residents was sent to BLM in Moreno Valley on April 11, with backup copies sent by email. Please check back for further developments in this ongoing process. Thanks to everyone who participated!

DARWIN ON BBC.COM!
Darwin is featured in a 4-minute video on BBC on line, by reporter Franz Strasser. Franz did a fine job of showing the frustrations of dialup (and even satellite service) in our remote location. We have a proposed solution, which could be put in place once the Digital 395 fiberoptic project is completed. Hopefully, this media exposure will help us to locate technical experts and others who might be able to assist us in our quest for true broadband speeds.

View the video at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17569954. Unfortunately, we can't watch it very easily in Darwin.