By Patric Hedlund

The first of two $25,000 payments was allocated Tuesday, June 30 to provide a condor scuplture for the Mountain Communities’ Visitor Information Plaza in Lebec.

“Now that it is public, I can let you know that Supervisor Ray Watson has committed to providing $50,000,” said Mike Berg, who has helped coordinate the plaza effort with Penny Maines and Mary Ann Lockhart, along with numerous community volunteers.

“Arnold Givens is a well-known bird sculptor who lived for a long time in Cuyama Valley and has watched condor often,” Berg said, “He does a beautiful job.”

Berg added that the project “is being built with 100 percent donated money, materials and labor, so it has taken a while to get finished.” He said he would be working with an electrician over the 4th of July to get power established for the interactive information kiosk (provided by the Kern County Board of Trade).

“We are putting in seven native California trees to start. We plan for 13 total… Mary Ann Lockhart gave us the money for the native trees,” Berg said. In all, 13 trees are planned for the area in the northeast corner of the Flying J property near the Interstate 5.

Berg said community help with landscaping and tree planting will be needed when the trees arrive. He asks those interested in helping to watch The Mountain Enterprise for a call for volunteers.

This is part of the July 03, 2009 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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