The Friday Flyer • November 11, 2016

CANYON LAKE’S NEWSPAPER • NOVEMBER 11, 2016
16th annual Holiday Boutique this Saturday and Sunday Pg. A4
Tickets on sale for Many Wonders of Christmas Pg. A7
Start planning now for the annual Parade of Lights Pg. A15
Canyon Lake residents honor veterans
BY DONNA RITCHIE
EDITOR, THE FRIDAY FLYER
Canyon Lake residents, Steve Mar- tin, Anne Norris, and Marti Morrison, were invited to share personal stories about veterans in their families. Steve Martin submitted a touching story about his father John Martin, a veteran who served in the U.S. Navy during the Ko- rean War in the early 1950s. Anne Nor- ris submitted a story about her husband Don Norris, a Canyon Lake resident and veteran who served on the front line where he witnessed many of his fellow soldiers die. Melissa Schoo submitted a story about her father James who, like many Vietnam veterans, never received praise or a welcome home when he re- turned from war. Marti Morrison sub- mitted a story about her father-in-law James who is grateful for what the U.S. Navy taught him.
John Martin
Recently I went to the gravesite of my father, John Martin, who is buried next to his parents, John Sr. and Ruth Martin, at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ven- tura, California. He was an awesome and unique father, husband, brother, un- cle, grandfather and U.S. Veteran. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Ko- rean War in the early 1950s and served the full four years. After Basic Training, someone saw him playing basketball
and asked if he would like to play for The Navy. He accepted the invitation and off he went; playing basketball at all U.S. bases around the world. He had a lot of interesting stories and even collected foreign currency and coins wherever he traveled. His father (my Grandfather) John, Sr., was in the Navy too, during WWI. He told of a story how there was a fleet of ships in a row on a convoy when the ship in front of them was torpedoed. As they fished their fellow sailors from the water, the ship behind them was tor- pedoed as well. My grandfather knew that at any moment their ship would be hit next and they would be cast into the bloody ocean water too. Miraculously, they were spared and they completed rescuing the dead and injured from the water.
As a little boy I inquired of my Dad, after I learned he was a “War Veteran.” “Dad, did you ever shoot anyone?” Most inquisitive boys will ask. “Son, he said, I was probably in fear of getting a paper cut!” I learned that not only did he play basketball for the Navy at night, but his job during the day was that of a Teletype Operator. “What’s that,” I asked? He asked if I had noticed his typing skills. I had. At that pre-computer time in his- tory, most men didn’t use all their fin- gers like they do today. They would use one finger and type one letter at a time. My dad would lay his hands comfort-
ably over the typewriter keys and go to town in a rapid fashion. “I would type out information as it would come across the wire.” He had to explain that to me as well and how he had to have a high- security clearance, as some info would come directly from the top; The Presi- dent himself!
My Dad, coming from an era of prank- sters, would show his buddies, who were serving in the Army in Korea, what they were missing out on in the Navy. As he was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, he would send his high school chums pictures of himself sunning in the sand, playing his ukulele, or some other en- joyable recreational activity. Years later, my dad’s friend, John Aguilar told me, “Man, your dad would really get me charged up. We would be freezing in the mud in Korea and he would send us these pictures of himself sunning on the sunny sands of Hawaii. We made a pack that when we returned from the war we were gonna ‘clean his clock’.” I don’t know if they ever did, but it was a fun story to hear.
Once he completed his time in the Service, he went off to a University in Northern California, where he met my mother, Carol. They were both athletes and in a short time were wed. In so many
Don Norris was 22 years old when he received his draft notice in 1966. He served on the front line where he witnessed many of his fellow soldiers
CONTINUED PAGE A3
Newly elected City Council members ready to serve
According to the Riverside County Consolidation Presidential Election page, results for City Council Member for the City of Canyon Lake are: Larry Greene, Randy Bonner and Jordan Ehrenkranz .
Results show Larry Greene as the top vote-getter with 2,093 votes, Randy Bon- ner with 1,886 votes and incumbent Jor- dan Ehrenkranz with 1,516 votes out of 7,541 cast. Coming in fourth and fifth re- spectively are George Middle with 1,074 votes and David Eilers with 972 votes. These numbers reflect the post made on the website at the time of The Friday Fly- er’s publication deadline on Wednesday, November 9.
Larry, a 39 year resident, is a newcom- er to the City Council but comes with a strong emergency services background. He’s spent 31 years as a municipal fire
Larry Greene
Randy Bonner
Jordan Ehrenkranz
mittee and as the City representative on the Riverside Conservative Authority and the Riverside Transit Agency. Randy also served on the POA Board from 2008- 2010. He is active in the community and belongs to several clubs.
Jordan, a two time Mayor of Canyon Lake, was first elected to the City Council in 2008. He now joins the ranks of former Mayor Mary Craton who, until now, was the only Council member to serve three terms on the City Council. Jordan also served five years on the POA Board, three of those years as president.
The three newly elected officials will join Councilwomen Vicki Warren and Dawn Haggerty who were elected to the City Council in 2014. Vicki and Dawn’s terms end in 2018. The new Council mem- bers will be sworn in at the next City Coun- cil meeting on Wednesday, December 14.
professional, which included positions as division chief of operations and EMS, fire marshal and assistant fire chief for a large Orange County city and six years as a con- sultant. Larry also is the current president of the Canyon Lake Emergency Prepared-
ness Committee.
Randy, a 20 year resident, served on
City Council from 2010 to 2014 and as Mayor in 2014. During that time he served as the chair of the City Finance Commit- tee, chair of the City Public Safety Com-