For those of you who read last week’s column, I can honestly tell you I realized who the murderer of Roger Ackroyd was before it was revealed by the author. It was no great feat of detective prowess on my part, no great discerning of clues, but rather a guess based on my knowledge of writing and writers. If any care to try with the same story, here is a little help … the butler didn’t do it.
I have mentioned before that as a young fella back in 1965 I worked for two weeks picking tomatoes in fields out next to Metz Road south of Greenfield. I think I just discovered how I could do such work at that age and it seems immigration considerations were the reason. Since the 1820s, America see-sawed over the issue of immigration; at times using Chinese and Japanese for manual labor and then fearing the influx of a non-white culture would expel them from the country. This would continue until World War II, but instead of an Asian workforce the USA turned to Mexico for workers, and though it has a proper name, it was known as the Bracero program; a program that came to an end in 1964.
The next year on Cinco de Mayo the U.S. Secretary of Labor William Wirtz announced the formation of the A-TEAMs with the intent of using high school students to fill the void of agricultural workers; the Athletes in Temporary Employment as Agricultural Manpower would employ 20,000 athletes from across the county to work in various states during harvest season. One group of teens traveled from Waterloo, Iowa, to Salinas to pick asparagus and strawberries, another from San Diego traveled to Blythe to pick cantaloupes. This was new to American agriculture and was touted with great vigor. It was a flop.
You can read the story of A-TEAM, NPR and WSJ both ran it, and read the testimonies of a few of the boys involved as they spoke of brutal cold and heat in the same day; early, long days, poor food and living conditions. In some cases no pay at the end, if they even made it to the end; one group never picked a single crop while only one group from Iowa lasted the full job. And the gist of the effort was that young people, their parents, the program sponsors and retailers came to the realization that such work is specialized, it is difficult, physically and emotionally difficult, and unless one intends to commit to it, from an early age, full time and endure the lifestyle, then they will not succeed.
The current Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has suggested a plan where 34 million “able bodied adults on Medicaid” could be used to replace the tens of thousands of agricultural workers gone from America’s farm and ranch lands. If she would not take the lead from her American history ignorant boss and just study history and ask the farmers a few questions, she should conclude that such an idea is looney toons; but looney toons is the fare of day right now.
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I read in the public notices in the latest issue of the local fish wrap (I suppose I should be more gracious to my benefactors, but they have a good sense of humor) that Greenfield will finally act on the old Ioppini Building, aka the Beyer Building, aka the Economy Market on northwest corner of ECR and Oak Avenue. Bully for them! What action, you ask? Well, I got the idea the upper four apartments were to be upgraded and the lower floor, the grocery part, would be converted into apartments. But my boss Teri, a Greenfield raised gal, said she heard due to the building not meeting codes, specifically earthquake worthiness, the cost to retrofit is too great and so that fine old centerpiece to the downtown area will face the wrecking ball. While that fine old building holds memories for many, or maybe just a few of us, it is time for something to happen on that lot, something that really benefits the citizens.
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I want to end with a short recap of last Saturday when I spent some time reacquainting myself with a really great group of people. I had not been a guest performer for the Monterey County Dance Theatre since December of 2023, 10 years and nine performances after my first contact with the troupe. When executive director Jan, Mrs. H to many, asked if I would host the Gala, an affair that showcases dancers from three divisions of dance level and, biggest thing of all, when the two important roles of Clara and Fritz are announced, I accepted her offer, but not without some trepidation.
It has been some time since I donned a tuxedo and with mic in hand addressed a knowledgeable audience of parents, grandparents, siblings, friends of dancers and former dancers, which in the lingo of emcees is a “tough house.” But any anxiety I may have had dissipated soon after I got into the studio and was once again surrounded by dancers. Some of them are little girls, some are girls and some are young ladies, one may be an adult before the season is over. I don’t know the exact delineation of those categories; I just know them when I listen or talk to them.
I don’t claim I did a great job hosting, but I do claim it was a tonic for me. May this troupe go on forever. I look forward to when once again I begin rehearsals and get the opportunity to work with these dancers and talented guest performers. Oh, yeah. In the “Nutcracker Ballet 2025,” Clara will be danced by Nicole and her younger brother Fritz will be danced by her younger sister Fernanda. And ain’t that special?
Take care. Peace.
