The rural hamlet of Angwin has lost a presiding spirit. Duane Cronk is gone. Duane was a founding member of Save Rural Angwin. He was our mentor and good friend. As our senior advisor, he helped us to see the long view and to understand the fleeting nature of success or failure. He was indefatigable, unquenchable, unwavering in his defense of Angwin’s rural beauty and serenity against urban development. We learned from him not to give up after temporary setbacks and not to become complacent after seeming success. He called himself a “junk yard dog”, but in his spirited defense of rural Angwin against those he saw as threats to our home place, he was always a gentleman, though slightly cranky. He was our Knight of the Green Fields, an inspiration for us all. His countless letters to the editor, letters to boards and supervisors, and pamphlets and presentations in support of our cause were witness to his passion and his long experience in public relations.
But Duane was not just a man with a long view: he was a man who also provided us with a wide view. He was not just a political activist but a person of broad interests and skills: a Renaissance Man who gifted the entire Angwin community with his portrayal of the beauty of our natural surroundings. A happy wanderer, he drove the roads of Angwin and surrounding areas at all times and in all seasons, showing us through his camera’s eye the first spring blooms, the autumn color on wooded hills, the occasional winter dustings of snow, the flooded creeks. He shared these photographs with all of us in emails and with the community in his Angwin Reporter website, which chronicled the passing seasons and the diverse and fascinating stories of our Angwin residents. Duane and his wife Mary for years compiled a unique Angwin phone book treasured by all. And who has not seen Duane in the College Market parking lot wearing paint-spattered overalls, deep in a home-improvement project?
As much as we are all grateful for the gift of Duane Cronk in our lives, we are selfish enough to mourn his loss to Save Rural Angwin and to the Angwin community of which we are all a part.
His passing has saddened us, but his flame is not extinguished.
> STEERING COMMITTEE
>
> Kellie Anderson
>
> Michael Hackett
>
> Susan Leick
>
> Virgil Morris
>
> Paula Peterson
>
> Allen Spence
>
> John Tully
>
> Marsa Tully
>
> Jim Welsh
>
> ADVISORY COUNCIL
> Jon-Mark Chappellet
>
> Lauri Claudon
>
> Randy Dunn
>
> Guy Kay
>
> Robin Lail
>
> Dick Maher
>
> Robert Redford
>
> Dario Sattui
>
> John Shafer
>
> Mel Varrelman
>
> Barbara Winiarski
>
> Warren Winiarski
>
> In Memory of
> Volker Eisele
> &
> Duane Cronk
>
>
> ============================================================
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>
> Our mailing address is:
> Save Rural Angwin
> PO Box 222
> Angwin, CA 94508
> USA