The E-Sylum v10#43, October 24, 2007

Wed Oct 24 12:53:06 PDT 2007

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 43, October 24, 2007:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.

WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM OCTOBER 24, 2007

This special issue is a report on how some of our California 
brethren are weathering the wildfires buffeting the region.  
I've checked in with some of our regular readers and contributors, 
and so far NBS co-founder George Kolbe, PCGS President Ron Guth 
and Alan Weinberg are safe.  Our thoughts are with our numismatic 
friends and all residents of the state affected by the blazes.

Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society

NUMISMATISTS AND THE CALIFORNIA FIRES

Early in the week I noticed news coverage of the latest 
California wildfires.   Thinking of numismatic literature 
dealer George Kolbe and his wife Linda, I checked the published 
fire maps and stories for references to their area, Lake 
Arrowhead.  Not finding any, I breathed a sign of relief.  
California's a big place.  

But on Tuesday afternoon I got a call from another literature 
dealer, John Burns.  He'd just spoken to George and learned 
that the fires were getting close to their new home.  George's 
104th numismatic literature mail bid sale featuring items from 
the John J. Pittman library is scheduled to close next Thursday, 
November 1, 2007.  That evening I got another reassuring call 
from John that the Kolbes were still OK.

By Wednesday the New York Times was reporting that "Throughout 
Southern California, the sky was illuminated with a pink, hazy 
glow, and smoke rose like a marine layer of fog. Angry red embers 
jumped from yards to roads. Ash fell onto parked cars miles 
from fires. 

"The typically bustling Lake Arrowhead resembled a ghost town, 
with abandoned shops and homes. A choking haze of smoke and ash 
covered the mountain, creating dusk at noon. At 6,000 feet, 
the smoke blacked out the sun above and the valley below." 

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/us/24calif.html

The Los Angeles Times reported that California Governor Arnold 
Schwarzenegger visited fire-ravaged neighborhoods in the Lake 
Arrowhead region, where hundreds of homes had been obliterated 
by the fires.  "'It's really sad and heartbreaking,' the governor 
said of the destruction around Lake Arrowhead. 'People have 
worked hard and saved all of their money for years, and in one 
hour to the next, their homes are destroyed.'"

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-arrowhead24oct24,0,5129138.story

Further south in San Diego County, more than a half million 
people were ordered from their homes.  President Bush is 
preparing to visit the area.  Fire evacuees huddled at 
Qualcomm Stadium.

Alan Weinberg writes: "Apparently I live in a safe "pocket" in 
Woodland Hills, Ca. There are fierce fires all around me - in 
adjacent Malibu and slightly more distant Santa Clarita but other 
than the skies being grey with smoke and the smell of smoke in 
the air, I can see nothing. In the past Malibu fires, I could 
see the fire glow and even flames on the Malibu mountain ridge 
facing Woodland Hills but not this time - the fire is apparently 
closer to the Pacific Ocean.

The hot dry Santa Ana winds have been ferocious - gale force. 
I've not seen anything like it since moving here in 1970. This 
alone explains why the several thousand firemen deployed have 
been unable to contain the fire. Last night and today is the 
first time the winds have subsided and been quiet.  As I type, 
the skies are clearing, so many of the fires must be contained 
and dying. 

I do think of Dana Linett of Early American History Auctions who 
lives and works in a beautiful home in Rancho Santa Fe as this 
exclusive community has been surrounded by the massive 'San Diego 
area' fire. All the other coin dealers like Ron Guth and Martin 
Paul living south of Los Angeles are also in harm's way. I would 
think PCGS' operations have been impeded in some fashion." 

[A call to Dana Linett was met by an answering machine. -Editor]

Ron Guth, President of Professional Coin Grading Service writes: 
"We just purchased a new home in Pacific Beach (completed the move 
last night), but we're safe here by the sea.  The fires are raging 
to the southeast and northeast of us, but I've been unable to get 
to work because of mandatory evacuation zones, disrupted train 
service, and closed highways.  Our biggest sufferings have been 
due to boredom, a light covering of ash over everything outside, 
but this is nothing compared to the tremendous loss of homes and 
properties in other areas of the city.  We have numerous friends 
who have evacuated their homes, but fortunately, none have lost 
anything yet.  One couple who barely made it through the Cedar 
Fires of 2003 is going through a repeat this year.  Their home 
was one of the few in their neighborhood that did not burn in 
2003...they're hoping for the same luck this time around.

"We have wildfires around the county all year round.  Normally, 
they are contained easily by our firefighters.  However, the Santa 
Ana winds, which reverse the direction of the normal airflows, 
act as 50 mph bellows.  There is nothing you can do to stop the 
flying embers and intense flames.  The firefighters are simply 
overwhelmed until the winds die down.  Hopefully, that will 
happen today."

Alan Weinberg adds: "The most peculiar thing about this whole 
massive fire,  particularly the Malibu fire, is that several 
communities are 'spitting distance' from the Pacific Ocean - 
indeed, some Malibu homes that were burnt to the ground, are 
literally right on the sand! All that water so close and yet, 
oddly, the fires rage."

Earlier today George Kolbe wrotes: "Our Internet access has just 
been restored. Things are OK here at present.  Sale 104 will 
probably proceed as scheduled but I will send you an update for 
Sunday's E-Sylum."

[I just got off the phone myself with George, and thankfully 
things are fine.  Their phone service had been erratic over the 
last couple of days so some calls may not have gotten through.  
Their biggest problem now may be that they're temporarily stranded 
atop the mountain - if they were to leave the area they wouldn't be 
allowed back in until officials decide it's safe enough.

Again, our thoughts are with everyone affected by this disaster.  
I hope to publish a follow-up in Sunday's issue or sooner, if 
news arrives.  Below are links to E-Sylum reports from the time 
of the 2003 fires.  -Editor]

    KOLBES EVACUATED FROM CRESTLINE FIRE ZONE
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n44a01.html

  KOLBE UPDATE:  GOOD NEWS!!
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n46a01.html

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