Ring my bell:
”
I’m calling about the bells lining the El Camino Real along
Highway 101. You did a story on them (Nov. 12). They’re up and
they’re fun to spot, but how come it looks like they’re rusted out?
They’re really not all that attractive.
”
Ring my bell: “I’m calling about the bells lining the El Camino Real along Highway 101. You did a story on them (Nov. 12). They’re up and they’re fun to spot, but how come it looks like they’re rusted out? They’re really not all that attractive.”
The Red Phone contacted John Kolstad with California Bells. Kolstad said the rusted look was done on purpose.
“The bells were created to look old using natural oxidation or rust, as was the first bell installed in 1906,” Kolstad said. The reason for this is because of the need to maintain the bells.
“There was a concern regarding maintenance in the future. Caltrans was unsure if there would be money to repaint the bells, if painted, in the future,” Kolstad said, and added, “Most people compliment us on the appearance.”
The mission bells project follows the original El Camino Real, which linked the 21 California missions and follows much of U.S. Highway 101.
The original bells first went up starting in 1906, to guide travelers and to preserve the old highway Father Junipero Serra traveled while establishing the California missions. The bell replacement project was set into motion four years ago, when Kolstad purchased the company that originally made the bells.
In 1998, he approached the owner of the California Bell Co., to buy one for his backyard. The man wouldn’t sell one bell, but he would sell the company, including the parts and molds that could be used to make new bells.
South of Los Angeles, El Camino Real departs from Caltrans freeways, but Kolstad is working with individual cities to put bells along the entire historic route, from the San Francisco de Solano Mission in Sonoma County to the San Diego de Alcalá Mission in San Diego County.
To read a complete Dispatch article on the bells, visit www.gilroydispatch.com and search for “Mission Bells.” To learn more about the project, see www.californiabell.com.
Pork vs. mutton: “I’m calling about the article about the conductor on the train in the paper (Jan. 22). The writer referred to the sideburns as ‘porkchop sideburns.’ I think they have the items mixed because more commonly it’s called a ‘muttenchop’ sideburn.”
Thanks for the valuable information, caller. The Red Phone passed along the correction to the reporter and he was subsequently taken into the Dispatch basement and flogged with wet towels.
Who’s interested?: “I work at the Leavesley Chevron and it’s no wonder to me that we have three newspapers here and normally the Mercury and the Chronicle are sold out and there are five or six Dispatches sitting on the counter. I read an article today about an untidy house and I guess there was weeds and a washing machine left out. It’s a petty thing to write about. … It’s of no interest. There’s nothing else to write about except a few neighbors that have houses that don’t fit into the conformity of the rest of this town. … Unless you get new writers and better things to write about, there’ll always be extra copies.”
Local news in the Gilroy Dispatch is indeed different than what you find in the Chronicle or Mercury News. People leaving trash in the city’s alleyways or on their front lawns is news here. If it weren’t, the City Council wouldn’t have to pass blight laws. The Red Phone believes it’s great that Gilroy has its own daily, local newspaper. Writers here cover everything from local plays, to community issues, to local sports – and it’s all about our city and our people. There’s plenty to write about besides “a few neighbors that have houses that don’t fit into the conformity of the rest of this town.” And we do it everyday.
Any witnesses?: “I’m just phoning to complain about the idiot truck driver that driving along Leavesley between Monterey Road and 101 who dumped all that crap out of the back of his truck. Now my vehicle’s been through a carwash six times and still smells like a complete pigsty. The police department reported that three other people have called in to complain. So if anyone happens to know who did it, I would appreciate knowing so I can go to the company for recourse.”
Caller, Red Phone readers have come through before when others have called in for information, so stay tuned.
