January 9, 2005 – NewMexiKen

Muir Woods National Monument …

was established on this date in 1908. From the National Park Service —

“This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world,” declared conservationist John Muir when describing the majestic coast redwoods of Muir Woods.

Until the 1800’s, many northern California coastal valleys were covered with coast redwood trees similar to those now found in Muir Woods National Monument. The forest along Redwood Creek in today’s Muir Woods was spared from logging because it was hard to get to. Noting that Redwood Creek contained one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s last uncut stands of old-growth redwood, Congressman William Kent and his wife, Elizabeth Thacher Kent, bought 295 acres here for $45,000 in 1905. To protect the redwoods the Kents donated the land to the United States Federal Government and, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared it a national monument. Roosevelt suggested naming the area after Kent, but Kent wanted it named for conservationist John Muir.

It’s the birthday

… of Bart Starr. The hall-of-fame quarterback is 71.

… of Bob Denver. Gilligan (and Maynard Krebs) is 70.

… of Dick Enberg. The sportscaster is 70 (oh, my!).

… of Joan Baez. The singer is 64.

… of Jimmy Page. The Led Zeppelin rocker is 61.

… of Crystal Gayle. Loretta Lynn’s little sister is 54.

… of Dave Matthews. He’s 38.

“How about a federal program that would let citizens try to sink a basket from midcourt for double or nothing on their Social Security payments? We need to appoint a blue-ribbon presidential commission to research old “Honeymooners” episodes to find can’t-lose, get-rich-quick schemes. The problem for Ralph Kramden was probably in the execution, not the underlying ideas.”

John Schwartz writing about Social Security reform in The New York Times. He also notes that the “k” in 401(k) could stand for keno.

Good plot, needs character development

The number one rated television program Christmas morning in New York City was the log shown burning on Channel 11.

Maggie’s farm

Also from The New York Times an article on whether the Anchorage Zoo should keep a solo elephant — mostly indoors.

Wealth has its privileges

From The New York Times an article on how the wealthy are spending $250,000 for a condo at Sun Valley, Idaho, just so they can park next to the ski lift (and not take the shuttle).

Connecticut …

ratified the U.S. Constitution on this date in 1788, thereby becoming the fifth state.

Richard Nixon …

was born in Yorba Linda, California, on this date in 1913.

NewMexiKen was contacted by the staff working with Richard Nixon on his memoirs, RN, many years ago. I was asked to see if I could determine — from among the Nixon papers in my custody — the time of day he was born. As I remember it, my research was inconclusive. Someone else’s must have been helpful.

The memoirs begin:

I was born in a house my father built. My birth on the night of January 9, 1913, coincided with a record-breaking cold snap in our town of Yorba Linda, California.

Day: January 9, 2005