Discussion Topic |
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 21, 2008 - 03:06pm PT
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I just heard this through the grapevine. Really sad. With everything going on there, I'd been trying to be really supportive by opting to stop there at the end of each climbing day for Red Bull's and snacks.
edit: found a story on this after posting
http://www.fresnobee.com/updates/story/541267.html
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Apr 21, 2008 - 03:21pm PT
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Yep, about 5am this morning. Old building full of dry rot, as you might expect.
Given that it's a government town covered with building regulations, none of us are expecting a new market to open for a loooooong tiiiiime.
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Apr 21, 2008 - 03:27pm PT
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I heard it was that Sean Jones motherf*#ker that did it.
Get A Rope!
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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Apr 21, 2008 - 03:45pm PT
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did he burn it ground up, or top down?
=)
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wildone
climber
Where you want to be
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Apr 21, 2008 - 04:06pm PT
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Actually, he was too busy being in the hospital for being bitten by a rattler yesterday. Haven't heard anything beyond that.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Apr 21, 2008 - 04:07pm PT
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Pre-inspected too.
I admit I was in there with him.
Beer was involved.
But i hear Sean got snaked on actually torching it.
Truly sorry tho for owners, workers, the community.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Apr 21, 2008 - 04:09pm PT
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wasn't the store closed already? heard it was boarded up and surrounded by orange net a week ago.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Apr 21, 2008 - 04:25pm PT
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It's been closed for renovations; a new owner was going to reopen it in May.
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CF
climber
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Apr 21, 2008 - 04:46pm PT
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I was woken up at about 4am by some weird noise and we saw some white flashes down by the store and fire station. I thought it was some search lights from some training so I went back to bed. Then about 10 mins later I could see this orange glow out my window so I drove down and by that time the store was totally engulfed. It had been closed since Feb for remodeling as some new owners had taken over.
This is what I saw when I got there.
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Apr 21, 2008 - 04:51pm PT
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Wow, that's incredible and so unfortunate for the owners, locals and visitors.
I feel for the locals who will now be forced down the road for supplies and visitors who will be paying a premium for Ice in the valley.
I'm glad it didn't on with the dry grass and create a bigger mess by spreading to the town or buildings behind. That would have truly been disastrous.
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SteveW
Trad climber
State of confusion
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Apr 21, 2008 - 05:00pm PT
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Hey, was Potter involved? Like the Dewey Bridge burn?
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Bart Fay
Social climber
Redlands, CA
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Apr 21, 2008 - 05:13pm PT
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One can only wait and wonder if further pictures will arise and implicate any celebrities.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Apr 21, 2008 - 05:33pm PT
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Pretty much the whole building is gone, as you can tell by CF's pictures.
The previous owner (who had retired March 1st) had operated it for 42 years. He's pretty upset. A very excited person this morning with a digital camera ran up to him, apparently not realizing who he was, and exclaimed "Look at how cool this is!"
El Portal doesn't have a whole lot. People around here are very upset today. It's a big part of the community and now the nearest groceries are in the Valley (pfffff) or Mariposa.
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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Apr 21, 2008 - 05:44pm PT
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somone w/ a van oughta start a grocery delivery service- easy money!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Apr 21, 2008 - 06:25pm PT
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Remember WebVan? [I think that's the name...]Short-lived grocery delivery service for the go-go days of the dot-com boom. bunch of people got taken for a rirde on that one.
Anyhow, this is a major bummer.
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salad
climber
Escondido
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Apr 21, 2008 - 06:30pm PT
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what a drag, i loved that place. everyone there was always very friendly to me...
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nita
climber
chica from chico, I don't claim to be a daisy
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Apr 21, 2008 - 06:32pm PT
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Wow, amazing pictures Chris................ What a bummer...sad.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Apr 21, 2008 - 06:43pm PT
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Where I grew up just outside of Chicago, new owners often pursued this sort of thing as the key element in their overall remodeling effort.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Apr 21, 2008 - 07:02pm PT
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Great Pictures - Burn Baby Burn!
Did you light that fire?
Juan
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Jobee
Social climber
El Portal
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Apr 21, 2008 - 09:27pm PT
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Chris,
I cannot believe it. Your images hit me with a sudden force of
reality...so sad. I can almost feel the flames.
My condolences to all involved in this tragic loss including everyone here in El Portal who loved that little market heart and soul.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Apr 21, 2008 - 09:34pm PT
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drove by it on Sunday morning... it is weird, and sad, that it burned up last night. Always was a part of my trips to the Valley, it seemed.
My best wishes to the owners, and the community.
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Apr 21, 2008 - 10:43pm PT
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Bummer, wow, so many memories around that store, Its where I bought condoms as a teen before an El Portal date, then supplies for the home birth, half-n-half and the paper on Sunday mornings, popsicles on the way to the swimming hole with the kids, the place to bump into village friends.
At least it was between proprietors when it went up in smoke.
Now the way is clear for the souless but predictable Am/Pm Mini-Mart the park service wants.
Peter
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Apr 21, 2008 - 10:53pm PT
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One summer when I was 5 or 6 I ate too much ice cream and puked all over those stairs heading back uptown.
It was really messy.
Condolences to all who are suffering.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Apr 21, 2008 - 11:26pm PT
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"Its where I bought condoms as a teen before an El Portal date, then supplies for the home birth,"
Um, there was a hole?
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WBraun
climber
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Apr 21, 2008 - 11:30pm PT
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As quickley as the old store burned down they should imediately start the rebuilding of the new store.
It's the only smart thing to do ......
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Anne-Marie Rizzi
climber
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Apr 21, 2008 - 11:47pm PT
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So sorry to hear this news. I lived one summer in El Portal and one winter at Arch Rock. Frequented that dirty funky store.
Anne-Marie
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brat
climber
El Portal
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Apr 21, 2008 - 11:56pm PT
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I was the "as#@&%e" with the digital camera this morning. I know exactly who Hugh is, and I asked him if he wanted to see pictures. I believe my words were, "It was scary and sad." I never said it was cool. Maybe I shouldn't have showed him pictures, but several other people had been asking to see them, and I thought he'd be interested. I live next door to the market, my car was about 20 feet from the flames, and I have lost my house and all my belongings to a fire once already in my adult life. Thanks for the misquote, Domingo.
CF, those pictures really captured what we saw from the porch this morning. I think the flames broke out about 5 a.m., the first fire truck arrived just after 5. Props to the local guys... they did an awesome job.
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Apr 22, 2008 - 12:01am PT
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This is bad.
I just passed by that placed Sunday night... I thought the place was boarded up for renovations or something. Can't remember the last time I saw the place open.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Apr 22, 2008 - 12:26am PT
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hey there... thanks for sharing... that is very sad... i too enjoyed times there... with my mom, too.... and as kids....
all parts of a town are speical, and should not have to be parted with that way.... it was like a history-marker, in many of our lives....
sure hope that the owner finds some kind of comfort from a passing-by person, to make up for the first passerby that brought him such sad news....
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Apr 22, 2008 - 12:54am PT
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Brat: Believe it or not, I wasn't referring to you (checked your email address).
Werner: Yeah, I bet the Feds will get right on that...
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brat
climber
El Portal
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Apr 22, 2008 - 01:12am PT
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Sorry if I was bitchy Domingo. I'm having a weird day. It was a strange wakeup this morning.
I heard there a town hall meeting 5 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the future of the store.
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yosemitemtb
Social climber
El Portal
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Apr 22, 2008 - 06:28pm PT
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What a shame, I didn't realize this had happened until I drove by this morning.
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bob
climber
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Apr 22, 2008 - 06:42pm PT
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Maysho wrote: "At least it was between proprietors when it went up in smoke.
Now the way is clear for the souless but predictable Am/Pm Mini-Mart the park service wants.
Peter"
I can't help but think of the timing here.
Anyone else think that?
Bob J.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Apr 22, 2008 - 06:53pm PT
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As a resident of El Portal, I can't help but think the timing couldn't be much worse.
1. The current owner didn't have insurance kicked in on anything inside (refridgerators, merchandise, etc., because it wasn't close to opening, traffic (and the minimal potential vandalism that could come with it) was at a minimum, etc. The previous owner's insurance had expired six days before, leaving a gap. Had the store been open, while it would have been more disastrous emotionally, the financial impact may have been less even with more loss and irreplacable merchandise.
2. The El Portal Management Plan has been tabled do to the Merced/Tuolumne River Plans, which are both pretty up in the air.
3. Summer's upon us, which means more visitors wanting to stop there, and more El Portal residents who are really, REALLY going to miss stopping at Hugh's for a popsicle. :(
I'd think (my humble opinion) NPS doesn't want a Mini-mart 711. Everyone loved Hugh's. To confirm brat, there's a meeting for any Yosemite/El Portal Tacos at 5pm tomorrow (Wednesday) in the Community Hall.
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Apr 22, 2008 - 07:24pm PT
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I think by "timing" he means (as I immediately thought, not knowing any of the players involved, sorry can't help it) of suspicion of insurance fraud.
TC
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Apr 22, 2008 - 07:25pm PT
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Meanwhile, props to both Brat and Domingo for dropping the personal stuff immediately once realizing it was a misunderstanding.
We could use more of that on the Taco.
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hulk
climber
curry
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Apr 22, 2008 - 07:27pm PT
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an electrician put a bid on it and said "that it was ready to burn down".what a bummer.
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CF
climber
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Apr 22, 2008 - 07:46pm PT
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Lets us remember the good times.
Always a friendly smile
How many times did you open these doors for beer?
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BLD
climber
excramento,CA
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Apr 22, 2008 - 08:19pm PT
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The EP Market will be missed and never forgotten. Lots of good times there.
EDIT: Those are my snake boots!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Apr 22, 2008 - 10:52pm PT
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hey there... say, wouldnt it be neat if all the locals were allowed to all come donate, and build an old-fashioned simple country store----a new "memorital" for el portal... something that speaks of the area and the folks, instead of mini-mart....
say, the amish, etc, all get together and build-up houses... if could be possible IIIIIIIIIFFFF (IF) it was allowed....
it would be a store that all would love... they could all put there names on the wood, or the cement foundations, or something... stating with the first owner, for history's sake....
say, even climber volunteers could chip in and work...
awwwwwwwwwwwww, well, one can dream.... god bless, all....
edit---why, say.... you could even get a pic of everyone, and they could all hold a can of the first food, personal donations, so to speak, to kick off the grand opening....
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wildone
climber
Where you want to be
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Apr 22, 2008 - 11:00pm PT
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Wow Blair-A lot of my favorite people in that pic.
I can't help but think it had an existing electrical problem. Chuck (second from left in pic above-Hugh's son) told me about how they used to live upstairs of the store when he was little, but there was a fire, so they never fixed it up and never moved back in...
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BLD
climber
excramento,CA
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Apr 23, 2008 - 12:01am PT
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Ya Ben,
I heard the store was a fire waiting to happen. As I'm sure you know in Yosemite they call that historic. I'm going to miss buying 30 year old dusty items that were sometimes just what you needed. It was amazing the things you could find in there. Like that blue stuff barbers keep their combs in. Or a cool hat with a propeller on it. After moving from EP and then being back there for a visit the store was the one thing that never seemed to change. I guess except for the ashes we can just remember it how it was. Now that I'm thinking about it even the river after the flood was so different. New swimming holes, new beaches, new islands and all the old ones changed or gone. But there sat the good old store. Yep I'm gonna miss her.
Blair.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Apr 23, 2008 - 12:06am PT
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hey there CF---- say, thank you , THANK YOU... for posting the pics.... say, not only had i been in there with my mom, of course... but i had even taken my kids in there one year, back before i was divoreced.... wow, even my desendcnce set foot in there... though it is gone.... the FACTS are not... and never will be....
still, wish someone could do the "lets all rebuild bit"....
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
Castle Rock
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Apr 23, 2008 - 12:13am PT
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cedar lodge has a small store inside the sign in lobby,then there's the bug, up the hill towards midpines.
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brat
climber
El Portal
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Apr 23, 2008 - 02:00am PT
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CF, awesome pictures. It's weird to look out the window and see where the store used to be, but isn't anymore. I can't imagine how strange it must be for people who have lived here longer than I have.
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JOEY.F
Social climber
sebastopol
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Apr 23, 2008 - 02:58am PT
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My understading is the store was what gave El Portal that
"Northern Exposure" vibe that lots of us saw on TV, and
you local folks there lived.
It must be a huge loss...
Condolences to you all, hope something good takes its place.
Joe.
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CF
climber
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Apr 23, 2008 - 11:00am PT
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From Friends of Yosemite Valley
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In the aftermath of the El Portal Market burning to the ground, we realize that El Portal residents may be wondering if the recent Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, finding the 2005 Merced River Plan invalid and the NPS in violation of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA) as well as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), could somehow stall movement towards the community having a functioning grocery store.
In light of the Ninth Circuit's ruling, we feel there is no need for delay in restoring a functioning food market for the community. To re-build the market on the same site, within the existing footprint of the historic structure which burned, would be reasonable and certainly a benefit to the community of El Portal; especially if it were built with respect to the historic integrity of the previous structure, while maintaining the already NPS established "Cultural Landscape" of Old El Portal. We also believe that if other structures just east of the former store and immediately adjacent to Highway 140 were to be considered for use as a temporary or permanent building for an El Portal food market, than this would also be acceptable in terms of the Wild and Scenic River, as long as any pre-existing structure used is not enlarged beyond its current footprint.
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BLD
climber
excramento,CA
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Apr 23, 2008 - 11:10am PT
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Wasn't a contractor doing remodel work on the store when it burned? If so depending on the cause of the fire the contractors liability insurance might cover some or all of the damage. ???????????
B.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Apr 23, 2008 - 11:12am PT
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Ohhhh that's so good to hear. Now let's see what Mike says tonight.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Apr 23, 2008 - 11:18am PT
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Blair: Maybe, but if they determine the cause was faulty electrical (people have told me it was aluminum wire inside, but I haven't heard it officially confirmed), I don't think it will be on the contractor's insurance.
Hard to tell...
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BLD
climber
excramento,CA
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Apr 23, 2008 - 11:35am PT
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I guess it depends on if the contractor had exposed the electrical or had worked on it. I would think it was in his or her scope of work. Actually I should back up a little and say... If the fire is determined to be caused by the work preformed or simply the fault of the contractor the damage should be covered. Hard saying not knowing. Mabey ill bid on the re-build. It would be nice to be part of all that. Except for the Pork Circus part
Blair
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nita
climber
chica from chico, I don't claim to be a daisy
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Apr 23, 2008 - 11:57am PT
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Besides electrical, left behind rags - with wood finishing products can ignite a fire. I know of two house fires started - when folks were staining their hard wood floors.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Apr 23, 2008 - 12:11pm PT
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Nita:
Rags saturated in polyurethane stainers/finishes will "spontaneously erupt" when left in closed containers (a dumpster with the lid on, for example), but all signs now point to electrical.
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wildone
climber
Where you want to be
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Apr 24, 2008 - 10:43am PT
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Blair-Are you coming to Spring Fling this Saturday? I'll be surfing Gauge Hole on Saturday morning with all the boyz, and then maybe go climb Haley Anna on Parkline before the music starts. It would be REALLY great to see you two guys. I miss you.
Ben
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BLD
climber
excramento,CA
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Apr 24, 2008 - 10:55am PT
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Ben,
I'm going to the east side this afternoon. Opening day for trout season is Saturday. Ski, climb, fish, explore. We will be in EP May 2nd - 5th. Lets climb.
Blair.
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