THE TROPICS RESIDENT OF THE MONTH

33000 Almaden Blvd., Union City, Ca. 94587

December - 2001

Reporter - Charlotte O’Donnell

MARGARET AND LORRI CAMERON

MARGARET AND HER HUSBAND ARCH MOVED TO THE TROPICS ABOUT TWELVE YEARS AGO. ARCH BECAME ACTIVE AND WAS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT LED TO CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OF THE PARK. AFTER AN EXTENDED ILLNESS, ARCH PASSED AWAY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. FIVE YEARS AGO LORRI MOVED IN WITH HER PARENTS TO HELP HER MOTHER CARE FOR ARCH. LORRI REMAINED AND NOW WORKS FOR SUN MICRO SYSTEMS IN NEWARK.

FOR FIFTEEN YEARS, ARCH WAS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT REDWOOD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN CASTRO VALLEY. HE HAD BEEN CALLED BY THE CHURCH TO THE POSITION FROM THEIR HOME IN ASHVILLE NORTH CAROLINA, AND STAYED WITH THE SCHOOL UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT. 

ARCH AND MARGARET MET WHILE HE WAS AN AERONAUTICAL WEIGHT ENGINEER AT GRAUMAN. HE HAD RECEIVED A DRAFT NOTICE FOR WORLD WAR II BUT THE COMPANY WHO WAS OF THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY WOULD NOT RELEASE HIM.

WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER, ARCH AND MARGARET DECIDED TO WORK WITH UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN. THEY MOVED TO ASHVILLE NORTH CAROLINA WHERE THEY OPERATED THE ELIADA CHILDREN’S HOME WITH A CAPACITY FOR 92 OCCUPANTS. THE CHILDREN RANGED FROM THREE YEARS OF AGE THROUGH COLLEGE AGE.

DAVID AND LORRI, THEIR CHILDREN WERE BORN IN SEA CLIFF, NEW YORK. ARCH WAS A TEACHER AT CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL. LORRI LOVED GROWING UP IN NORTH CAROLINA. THEIR HOME WAS ON A 300 ACRE FARM THAT INCLUDED A LAKE. SHE ENJOYED HIKING AND MANY OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. THE MOUNTAINS AND OTHER SCENERY WERE  BREATHTAKING.

WE ALL KNOW THE EVENTS. OF SEPTEMBER 11 OF THIS YEAR. LORRI AND MARGARET HAVE AN EXPERIENCE THAT TOOK PLACE SOON AFTER THAT DAY THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER. THEY HAD PLANNED TO GO TO A CONVENTION IN NASHVILLE FOR THEIR BUSINESS, NETWORK 21, CREATING WEALTH. THEIR PLANE RESERVATIONS WERE OUT OF SAN JOSE. ORIGINALLY, THEY WERE TO LEAVE SEPTEMBER 18, IN THE AFTERNOON. ON THE 17 TH, THEY RECEIVED A CALL SAYING, "BE AT THE RESERVATION DESK AT 7:00 A.M." THEY LEFT HOME AT 5:30. IT TOOK TWO HOURS STANDING IN LINE TO BE CHECKED PERSONALLY AND HAVE LUGGAGE SEARCHED. WHEN THEY BOARDED THE PLANE THEY HAD TO SIT IN PLACE FOR AN HOUR WHILE F.B.I. AGENTS CHECKED EVERYONE’S NAME.

THEY CHANGED PLANES IN DALLAS. THEY WERE TOLD THEY MIGHT ARRIVE IN NASHVILLE ABOUT 1; 30 A.M. ON SEPTEMBER 19. AGAIN MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WERE CHECKED AS WAS LUGGAGE. THEY WERE PUT ON A TROLLEY TO TRY TO MAKE THEIR FLIGHT, BUT MISSED IT BY ABOUT A MINUTE. THEY STAYED FOUR HOURS IN DALLAS AS STORMS GROUNDED PLANES. ONE OF THE STORMS WAS A TORNADO.

THE CONVENTION CENTER IN NASHVILLE WAS THE DESTINATION OF THIS TIRED, HUNGRY PAIR. THEY FINALLY ARRIVED IN NASHVILLE 11:30 A.M. THE TAXI DRIVER TOOK THEM TO THEIR HOTEL. THEY ATE SOME OF THE FOOD THAT IS A PRODUCT OF THEIR BUSINESS. THE TAXI DRIVER TOOK THEM TO THEIR HOTEL. EVERY RESTAURANT WAS CLOSED IN NASHVILLE FROM 2:00 TO 5:00 P.M. ALL THEY HAD TO EAT WAS SOME OF THE FOOD THEY SELL IN THEIR BUSINESS, FOR THAT THEY WERE GRATEFUL.

THEIR GROUP WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT ARRIVED AT THE CONVENTION CENTER ON THE DATE BOOKED. ONE CAME LATER. THE CONVENTION CENTER RECEIVED 92 CANCELLATIONS FOR THAT TIME AND THE FUTURE. THEIR GROUP WAS INTERVIEWED ABOUT THE FACT THEY HAD COURAGE TO GATHER AFTER THE RECENT TRAGEDY.

LORRI AND MARGARET SAW HUMOR IN AN EVENT ON THE TRIP. PART OT THEIR GROUP WENT TO THE BLACK HORSE SALOON. THE ENTERTAINER ASKED, "WHY ARE YOU HERE ?" THE RESPONSE WAS, "TO MAKE MONEY!" A FEW MINUTES LATER ANOTHER GROUP FROM "NETWORK 21" ENTERED. THEY WERE ASKED. "WHY ARE YOU HERE" THEIR RESPONSE WAS, "TO MAKE MONEY!"

MARGARET AND LORRI LET ME INTERVIEW THEM AFTER THE MEETING OF THE CERAMIC CLUB.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

YOUR REPORTER
CHARLOTTE O’DONNELL