About 11 years ago Jeanne Akers drove up from Southern California looking to live closer to her Del Norte County family. Recently widowed, Jeanne decided to join a local church and settle down.

She chose the United Methodist Church in Crescent City. The first time she went, Jeanne explained recently, “everybody was so busy, I finally asked if there was anything I could help them with.” That was the beginning of a church-oriented volunteer job that some weeks threatens to occupy all her waking hours except those she spends as a member of the Sutter Coast Hospital Auxiliary, a weekly chore.

Jeanne is the very embodiment of the faithful, hard-working church volunteer. There are millions of them across America. Of all faiths and beliefs, they maintain their churches and temples as they would their homes, with loving care.

Final exam week at the College of the Redwoods ended on Friday. The students have taken their tests, so now it’s your turn. Here’s a word problem from Localvore 101:

You live in town but your street is tucked away, out of the hubbub and congestion of the main drag. Lot sizes are large, and many of your neighbors have fruit trees, flowers, and big vegetable gardens. One morning while walking the dog, you notice a swarm of bees gathering around the limb of one of your neighbor’s apple trees.  What should you do?

With the warm weather we had last weekend, I succumbed to the itch and added more vegetables to the garden.

I went a little wild and planted Asian Long Beans in the tiny greenhouse we built on the sunny side of our house. Not being a confident gardener, I have not checked the beans since. I use the “plant-and-run” method.  The joy I get from gardening doesn’t come from daily forays into the fields to see how my garden grows. I like the concept of raising my own vegetables more than the practice.

Back in 1911, Crescent City was a lively town with 13 saloons, a bunch of billiard halls, a few barbershops, one genuine electric traffic signal, churches, schools, a theater, a bad phone service, bad roads, and an expanding population.

A community support system was definitely in order.

Now this is an ad hoc committee worthy of consideration.

Crescent City and harbor officials are talking about exploring the possibility of the harbor being annexed by the city. Ultimately, the harbor would probably still be run by a harbormaster and Harbor Commission – its needs and attributes require specialized leadership. But it would become a service district within the city.