A.V. WOMAN RETAINS HER DRIVING PASSION.Byline: BETTIE RENCORET PALMDALE - Merle merle a pattern of coat color pigmentation with dark, irregular blotches on a lighter background. Seen in some Collies and Welsh corgis. In shorthaired dogs, e.g. Great Danes and Dachshunds, the similar pattern is called dapple. Arnold transported patients and lab samples, drove a truck for the Fontana Carnival out of Portland, Ore., from San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden to North Hollywood, and for 35 years was a driver for the county of Los Angeles. From 1984 to 1985, Arnold drove an 18-wheel Peterbilt cab-over tractor, visiting 48 of the 50 states. Now she drives cars for Antelope Valley car dealers. ``I've been a driver almost all my life,'' said Arnold, 69. ``I haven't driven a semi for a while now but I'd like to get back to it even at my age. My license is still good through the year 2000 providing I can pass the physical every two years.'' During her years with the county she drove for the Sheriff's Department, the Hospital Department, the Road Department, the Department of Charities, the Acton Rehabilitation Center; and the Palmdale Volunteer Fire Department. She retired from the Sheriff's Department in 1980. During those years she sometimes moonlighted for the Sheriff's Department as a laundry worker at Mira Loma and Wayside Honor Rancho, but her heart was in driving. She loved those cross-country trips of the '80s, but she also always loved coming home to Palmdale. ``It's a good old town,'' she said, ``But it's a far cry from the old days. It was completely different in 1927 when my parents brought me home from the Torrance General Hospital, where I was born.'' They had come to Palmdale the year before and lived in the Ritter rit·ter n. pl. ritter A knight. [German, from Middle High German riter, from Middle Dutch ridder, from r Apartments, which were located on the spot where the parking lot for the Palmdale Cultural Center is now. ``You can hardly recognize that corner now. On the northeast was the old Palmdale Inn, on the northwest was the Union Oil Station, across the street on the southwest was the Standard station and on the southeast was Jerry Nygaard's Richfield station.'' The town was so small that everybody knew what everybody else was doing and when, she said. She attended the Palmdale Grade School, then went on to Antelope Valley Joint Union High School. She graduated in 1945 and entered the United States Army United States Army Major branch of the U.S. military forces, charged with preserving peace and security and defending the nation. The first regular U.S. fighting force, the Continental Army, was organized by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, to supplement local . When she was sent to Tokyo, Japan, she became part of the first General Headquarters transportation unit organized after World War II and served as a dispatcher Software that determines what pending tasks should be done next and assigns the available resources to accomplish it. It may execute other programs or generate a list for human operators to follow. See scheduler. for Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Tokyo. One of Arnold's recreation passions is playing pool and she is proud of her prowess in the game. ``I was the first woman to enter the pool tournaments in Lancaster,'' she said. ``This year, 1996, I won the gold medal in the Senior Olympics pool tournament against 10 other women. I think that's pretty good.'' She stated she also likes to bowl. She used to mow them down at the old Sands Bowl but she now hits the pins with a 139 average in Palmdale. Arnold said she was married in 1950 but the relationship ended in divorce in 1983 and she remains single. It gives her ample time to pursue her other activities. She serves on the election board, volunteers at the Palmdale Senior Center, participates on the Palmdale Lilac Festival Committee, belongs to the American Association of Retired Persons American Association of Retired Persons: see AARP. , works with the Palmdale Parks and Recreation Committee, is a member of the Women's International Bowling Congress The Women's International Bowling Congress (WIBC) was an organization for women bowlers formed in 1917 as a counterpart to the American Bowling Congress (ABC). In 2005, the WIBC merged with the ABC and the Young American Bowling Alliance (YABA) to form the United States , and collects old engines and farm equipment. Seniors in at least two valley towns will trumpet in the new year in style Tuesday. Parties are planned at both the Antelope Valley Senior Center in Lancaster and the Palmdale Senior Center. In Lancaster, the Carefree and Forty-Niners dance clubs will combine for a holiday bash beginning at 8 p.m. and ending at midnight in the center's multipurpose mul·ti·pur·pose adj. Designed or used for several purposes: a multipurpose room; multipurpose software. multipurpose Adjective room, 777 W. Jackman St. Dancing will be to the live music of the Velvet Tones. There will be a finger foods potluck, balloons and other festive decor, party hats and noise makers, all for the nominal cost of $5 per person. The Palmdale Wheelers have issued an open invitation to all seniors to participate in a New Year's Eve square dance from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Palmdale Senior Center, 1001 E. Ave. Q-12. Caller will be Bob Jones and cuer will be Andrea Stephan. Suggested donation is $15 per couple or $8 per single person. LANCASTER - Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and Pearblossom have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk. Monday: Hearty beef stew, rice, coleslaw cole·slaw also cole slaw n. A salad of finely shredded raw cabbage and sometimes shredded carrots, dressed with mayonnaise or a vinaigrette. and fruit. Tuesday: Macaroni macaroni: see pasta. and cheese, stewed stewed adj. 1. Cooked by stewing: stewed prunes. 2. Informal Intoxicated; drunk. stewed Adjective 1. tomatoes, three bean salad and cookies. Wednesday: CLOSED. NEW YEAR'S DAY New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated among Christians usually on Mar. 25. . Thursday: Beef pot roast, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, tossed salad and fruit cocktail. Friday: Meatloaf, baked potato, corn, marinated veggies Veggies of Nottingham, also known as Veggies Catering Campaign, is a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethicalbum alternatives to mainstream fast food. and pudding. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: No matter where her travels have taken her, Merle Arnold always returned to Palmdale, which has been her home base since 1927. Bettie Rencoret/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion