After a local service club decided to retire from organizing the annual Fourth of July fireworks show in Fort Bragg this year, the City of Fort Bragg, Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce and Fort Bragg Police Department pulled together to rescue the event, which is popular among tourists and locals. Leading the massive volunteer effort this year is KOZT owner/broadcaster Tom Yates.

Volunteers Needed

For the fireworks to happen, says Tom, about 40 volunteers are needed; a half dozen to help with setup on Friday the 4th, 20-30 to help with parking - which means 5-6 hours Saturday night, plus about an hour of training with the police earlier that week and another half dozen or more to tear down and cleanup. It’s a busy weekend for everyone but without volunteers, it’s not going to work. All volunteers will get a volunteers only Crew sweatshirt designed by Alan Ferguson of Braggadoon as a small thank you. It will be a blast!

If you have some civic spirit and want to join the effort, email fireworks@kozt.com or phone the Chamber office at 961-6300.

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Paul Bunyan Days, the oldest small town festival on the Mendocino Coast, includes some events that have been around for a very long time… the Belle of the Redwoods Competition is one of those events. Right now, for the 69th time, the Paul Bunyan Days Association is issuing a call for young ladies who’d like to be this year’s Belle. 

The Belle of the Redwoods Competition is not a beauty contest. Rather, it’s a way for young women between the ages of 16 and 20, who live anywhere on the Mendocino Coast, to have fun and make money. Contestants compete by selling raffle tickets, and the girl with the highest sales is crowned the Belle of the Redwoods during the Paul Bunyan Days Labor Day Weekend festival.

All contestants keep 10% of their ticket sales, and the winning Belle keeps 20%. What’s more, the winning Belle receives an additional $300, second place gets $150, and third $50.

If know someone who’d like to participate in this time honored tradition, they can download an application from the festival web site.

The county’s coordinator for 4H, Arlene Fuller, has been busy organizing the Coast Water Festival, which takes place from 3:30-6:30 pm Friday, June 6, in front of City Hall in Fort Bragg on Franklin and Laurel Streets. Adults & youth of all ages are welcome. Join the festivities, including live music. It’s free. You’ll learn:

• Learn interesting facts about water!
• Learn how to protect & conserve our water resources!
• Water Harvesting information!
• Learn from Master Gardeners- tips about soil, water and your garden.
• Information on Grey Water collection systems.
• Stormwater runoff pollution solutions!
• Make an edible Groundwater Model you can eat!

For more information please contact Arlene at 961-2508.

With salmon fishing off limits, where will local boat tour operators go? In search of flying fish perhaps?

There are indeed flying fish — 40 species worldwide. But they are found in warm oceans, not in our cool north coast waters.

However, the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society is sponsoring a pelagic birding trip on May 18, taking a boat load of locals and tourists from Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg aboard the Trek II to search for birds at sea. Trip leaders are Fort Bragg’s noted wildlife photographer Ron LeValley from Mendocino Coast Photographer Guild and Gallery in the Company Store on Main Street in Fort Bragg. For details and reservations, contact Karen Havlena jkhavlena@yahoo.com or 707-964-1280. Noyo Habor-based trips also are planned for Aug. 8 and 10 by Debbie Shearwater Journeys.