Mark Martin

[TheMagicOne]

Is anyone interested in starting a plaque down at the Lodge to acknowledge extraordinary service to our community? We could name it after Mark Martin in honor of all his hard work for MC.

[Spartacus]

Mark loved this community like nobody else living here. This board, his newsletter and other involvement speak for themselves. It would be only fitting we honor him in such a way. I would say to either name the park behind the lodge after him or have a bench with a plaque on it in his memory. I look forward to your ideas.

[Bill]

I like the idea of doing a Mark Martin Volunteer Award plaque or something similar; or, I also think the idea of naming the park after Mark is great. Either would be appropriate. He was such an asset to this community - and personally, a great guy. It's hard to imagine where this community would be without his influence and drive to makes things happen.

[TheMagicOne]

Does anyone know how we would go about suggesting this to the board?

[Spartacus]

You can either contact a board member and suggest it to them or attend a meeting and ask that it be put on the next meetings agenda.

[red]

I'm very sorry to hear the news. I think that naming the park may be the most fitting. In many ways, he was the center of building our community. And the park could represent that center.





GONE ONLY FROM OUR SIGHT

I am standing on the seashore.
Suddenly a ship at my side
spreads her white sails to the morning breeze,
and starts out for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her
until at length she is only a ribbon of white cloud
just above where sea and sky mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says:
"There! She's gone!"

Gone where?
Gone from my sight - that's all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side,
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the place of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says:
"There! She's gone!"
there are other voices ready to take the glad shout:
"There! She comes!"

And that is dying.

[Rocco]

At the risk of being tarred and feathered, I disagree that the park should be renamed or that any plaques should start appearing anywhere on Mountain Cove property.

While I am most appreciative of this board, may I remind everyone that one of its functions was and remains to be a commercial purpose where the creator of the board sold commercial goods, if you can call naming a star a commercial good. Also, I do find the license plate holders that Mark Martin sold to be a bit divisive since they read "Mountain Cove, California" as if to deny that we all live in Azusa.

Please save the renaming of parks for the Martin Luther King's and the other great leaders...or at least allow someone to devote more than 2.5 years to the community before renaming parks.

I know that his passing is a very emotional issue for some, but please try to see past your emotion before we go renaming our park. Our park is doing just fine without carrying a name.

[Spartacus]

Dear Rocco, We are only suggesting the naming of the park, not asking Congress to declare a national holiday in Mark Martin's honor. Dude you need to chill.

[Rocco]

Spartacus,

As a homeowner in Mountain Cove, I have every bit the right to voice my opinion as do you.

What's next...shall we name each of the two bridges? Perhaps name the clubhouse? The swimming pool and then the jacuzzi?

Stop with the deification already. This board was designed to give Mark Martin a certain level of influence, which he was not afraid to use for commercial gain and for political influence.

[Adrian]

Hello, i would like to take a moment and thank all the wonderful residents that have been supportive and thoughtful throughout the past 3 weeks.

Rocco, you do not know Mark at all. You assumed that he did the newsletter, website and helped with community events so he can wield political and monetary gain. That is FALSE. Mark started the newsletter as a voluntary service and to be a friendly neighbor and keep everyone informed on what's going on in Mountain Cove. He loved this neighborhood and contributed as much as he could. The newsletter costs were paid out of Mark's own pocket. Mark never asked for any monetary compensation. During one particular HOA meeting, RESIDENTS wanted to give him money for making the newsletter. Mark REFUSED to be paid for it. That's right, he DID NOT take money for it.

Mark went to HOA meetings, city council meetings, helped with neighborhood events, and ran the website, and newsletter, and even signed up with the Traffic Committee. NONE of this entailed any sort of making money.

Rocco, if you are opposed to the idea of having the park named after Mark, that's fine. You are entitled to that opinion. But stop being slanderous and make unfounded judgements without being informed first.

Let those who have passed on rest. Have some respect.

[Chino]

I did'nt know Mark, Isaid hi when I seen him but personally, no opinion. I do admire his decication and enthusiasm though, probably speaks much about his character. I think if anyone has issues with the renaming, the bench, the plaque, why not a tree in the park area than? The tree would be around forever that way, would fit in and how can anyone have a problem with a tree??? Just a suggestion.

[Spartacus]

Rocco, I have to agree with you on some of the issues you brought up. Mark was a strong supporter of Diane Chagnon for Mayor and used his newsletter to push her campaign. Maybe you have a point here, but to be fair lets leave it up to our elected board members to see if they want to name something after Mark Martin.

[Spartacus]

I knew Mark shortly as a friend and neighbor and we shared as many differences as we did similarities but bottom line is the guy really loved living here and cared very much about MC & his friends and neighbors. These days, there is definitely something to be said for that. A form of rememberance does not mean you agreed with everything he stood for or was but it does stand to show respect for a good human being that deserves to be remembered by those who knew him, whether they agreed with him on all of the issues or not. At least he cared enough to have an opinion and even if it was different than my own on occassion I respect the courage to stand up for what he believed in. I think those friends and neighbors who feel so inclined could donate something to the community in his name, a tree or a bench is a nice idea.

[bonsei]

As another witness to Mark's contributions, I too agree with the naming of the park suggestion.

However, to not be part of another non-productive and devisive discussion about name calling (of the park), I'd like to contribute something in his name somewhere...

Anyone know where?


MC Resident

[29Mossdale]

Suggestions for remembering Mark Martin

• Continue Mark Martin’s Mountain Cove Times newsletter, renamed as Mark Martin’s Mountain Cove Newsletter, or Mark Martin’s Mountain Cove Corner, or The Mountain Cove Times, in remembrance of Mark Martin, etc.
  
  
• Start up a scholarship in remembrance of Mark Martin, with Mountain Cove high school students eligible, with either the social committee or association board awarding the scholarship
  
  
• Add park benches (in remembrance of Mark Martin) in either park area of the Copperwoods (the island)
  
  
• Add a tree or trees (in remembrance of Mark Martin) in the park area of either the Sagewoods or Copperwoods (the island)
  
  
• Add a hiking trail (in remembrance of Mark Martin) between the lower and upper parks of the Copperwoods (the island)
  
  
• With the impending acquisition of the land around Mountain Cove, expand the hiking/bike trail in remembrance of Mark Martin
  
  
• Start a tradition of placing a picture (either a photograph or portrait) in the Mountain Cove Lodge of those who contributed to the community

All the above, while honoring and remember Mark, also remind us of the community building Mark involved himself with for Mountain Cove.

Renaming the Lodge after Mark takes away from the lodge belonging to the community. The current name, Mountain Cove Lodge (is it an official or unofficial name?), implies that the lodge is for everyone’s usage and benefit at Mountain Cove.

Renaming the park is premature for our community, especially since our community is 2.5 to 3 years young. While I don’t want to diminish Mark’s contributions, there are contributions others have made to our community, that may also have a positive impact to our community, like the group who worked to get the shooting range closed, etc. My apologies in advance, if Mark was part of the group who worked to close the shooting range, and I was unaware of this contribution Mark made to the community.

Also, if we proceed with honoring Mark Martin, should we remember all deceased past residences? I can think of one person, who may not have touched the community so widely, like Mark Martin did, but personally touched some in the community, one friendship at a time.

[Spartacus]

Dear 29, You make some good points. Maybe the best thing would be to ask Lester and Adrian to see if they felt Mark would want this. I know Mark did not speak up at the city council meetings about closing the gun range. By the way, it is still in full operation. If we are going to remember people who have died that lived here, lets not forget the lady who was murdered on Whispering Willow last November. I like the ideas that were given , but out of respect; lets see what Mark's closest friends think first.

[swtldy2k]

Although I did meet with Mark and Lester on one occassion in their home, I was impressed on his enthusiasum of making our community more neighbor friendly. It is with great sadness that we have lost such a great humanitarian. We will always remember him when we read the newsletter. He started a great campaign-if you will-to bring us all closer together as a mountain community and to keep us informed-Let's just leave the rest alone.

[Foxtail]

I did not know Mark personally but I think for his contributions a tree or bench would be great. I did not know about the license plate frame but I would love to buy several. Who can I call?

[Foxtail]

P.S. It was not about just "living here and dying here" but for Mark's contributions. I do like the idea of asking Lester and Adrian what they think.