The Mountain Empire
Men's Club

Club News

Christmas time is here, and the men of the MEMC are hard at work again.

The men of the MEMC will have tested, repaired and hung the Christmas lights across Old Highway 80 in Pine Valley and also across Riverside Drive near Viejas Grade in Descanso. The MEMC once again thanks Ben Tulloch for the use of his lift.

Next up is another event the MEMC enjoys to present to the community - the annual Senior Christmas Dinner. Those 55 and older are invited to a free holiday turkey dinner.  We are delighted to have back the Alpine Chorale group directed by Shari Roth, to provide some wonderful Christmas music. There will also be a gingerbread house built by Corrine Lewis that will be raffled off as well as the poinsettias. A great time for all is expected. The turkeys have been donated by Al and Nancy Atallah of the Pine Valley Store and the poinsettias by Southland Growers. The dinner is Saturday night, December 5th from 5-8:30 pm at the PV Clubhouse.

Ho, ho, ho!! Santa Claus has informed the MEMC that he once again looks forward to coming to Pine Valley to see the many good little boys and girls of the Mountain Empire.  The MEMC will be helping Santa by providing the Santa House for him again this year. The Santa House will be located in downtown Pine Valley on Friday and Saturday, December 11th & 12th, from 6:00-8:30pm.

The MEMC wants to congratulate the MEHS Redhawks football team on a great year. The students of the backcountry are why the MEMC was formed. Through the years we have not only given scholarships to the seniors, but have also helped out with the local sports programs such as the baseball and football teams. This year the club was happy to donate $3000.00 for some badly needed equipment for the MEHS JV football team. And judging from their season too, it was worth it. As of this writing, the JV has a 3-1 record.

You wouldn’t think that October would be a busy month for the club but it was. We started off the month preparing breakfast at the monthly Pancake Breakfast at the PV Community Clubhouse. We followed that up the following weekend by picking up the trash along I-8. Our adopted area is the north side of the freeway between Sunrise Highway and Corte Madera. We hope that none of the our readers throw their trash on our area, or any roadway for that matter!

We will also be helping out with Vaquero Days at the Granville Martin Museum in Descanso. The Los Californios Heritage Association, organizers of Vaquero Days, is another great service organization helping out the youth in the backcountry such as those in the 4-H and FFA. At Vaquero Days, a plaque and arena will be dedicated to Carlos Hernandez, a founding member of the MEMC and longtime rancher in Descanso. While Carlos passed away a few years ago, his many contributions to the backcountry will continue to live on.

We'll finish off the month by giving away glow sticks to the Halloween trick-or-treaters in the Rancheros and at the PV Library. We’ll get a few weekends in November to catch our breath and then jump December with our Annual Senior Dinner on December 5 and we’ve talked to Santa into coming back again this year to our Santa House on December 11 & 12.

We’ve also decided to have another MEMC open house at our January meeting. But if you are interested in becoming a member, you can join us anytime! Our meetings are the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 in the Pine Valley Clubhouse. Or stop by one of our events. In November, you’ll see some of us at the MEMS Homecoming game on the 6^th or hanging the Christmas lights in Pine Valley and Descanso some Saturday.

An event the MEMC enjoys presenting to the community is the annual Senior Christmas Dinner. Those 55 and older are invited to a free holiday turkey dinner.  With wonderful Christmas music provided by the Alpine Chorale group directed by Shari Roth, and poinsettias and a gingerbread house being raffled off, a good time for all is expected. The turkeys have been donated by Al and Nancy Atallah of the Pine Valley Store and the poinsettias by Southland Growers. The gingerbread house is being made and donated by Corinne Lewis. The dinner is Saturday night, December 5 from 6-8:30 p.m. at the PV Clubhouse.

The MEMC would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Monday Nite Car Club for their very generous donation to our scholarship fund. In July, they presented us with a check for $5000.00! This is almost twice the amount of profits brought in at Pine Valley Day this year! They’re expecting even more cars at the next show, so mark you calendars now for the next “Run to the Hills” car show on May 22^nd 2010. Again to the Monday Nite Car Club, Thank you very much.

 George Griffin of the Monday Nite Car Club presenting a check for $5000 to Andrew Oberreuter and Ken Minott of the MEMC

Did you know that over the last ten years, the MEMC has given 50 graduating Mountain Empire seniors one thousand dollar scholarships, and most of it has come from Pine Valley Days? Besides scholarships, the MEMC funds numerous student projects and athletic teams at both the high school and elementary level. For at least ten years, the men's club has also presented the annual Christmas dinner for area seniors, providing a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for up to 100 seniors and carolers from the chorus from Alpine. Additionally each year, the MEMC decorates Pine Valley and Descanso with festive outdoor Christmas lights. The club also provides the ever-popular Santa House, which has been going on in Pine Valley for at least 20 years.

Donations to the Mountain Empire Men's Club are greatly appreciated. Donations may be sent to:

Mountain Empire Men’s Club

PO Box 472 

Pine Valley, CA, 91962-0472

You can also stop by at one of our monthly meetings or call Ken Minott at 619-473-1096.

The Mountain Empire Men’s Club is a 501(c)(3) organization