Burner lost in mudslide

[Guest]

As you may know, the tiny seaside town of La Conchita was devistated by a mudslide this week. La Conchita was home to the Llama tribe, (all burners) and the leader of the pack was Charlie Womack. Charlie died in the mudslide.

The Llama tribe is now in extreme need of financial aid, and you can learn more and donate by going here: http://www.theclandestino.com

You can send money via PayPal - and please do, even if only a few dollars. Please ask others to contribute.

B.

[theCryptofishist]

Oh god. I don't know what to say. Just another geologic hazard of my home state. . .

NO.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

NOt that I ever met Charlie, but . . . it's a nasty piece of business. Time to go yell at the gods again.

[Rian Jackson]

this deserves a *fuck*

[Guest]

It's important to note that the community at La Conchita lived the 'vibe' 24/7. It was a little slice of BRC year-round and was an integral part of clan destino and their fund raisers, and participated strongly in the southern california BM scene. Pavement's End was Charlie's original vision.

The Llama tribe LOST EVERYTHING in the mudslide - which is why I'm stressing here for your financial assistance. They need our help, and we as a community I hope will come together to support them.

More info: http://www.theclandestino.com

[phoenix13]

Wow...

That's really shitty and it makes me sad. It makes me sad that we loose another burner.

My sympathies.

[Tiahaar]

Darn. Those are great tributes over on ClanDestino's site, wish I'd known Charlie, though perhaps he and the Llama Tribe touched me in ways I've yet to know. Two of the Starship's crew are from La Conchita, they and their place are OK now but it'll be a time before the area is safe and liveable, if ever. When a huge nearby lake (that hasn't spilled in several years) goes from 2/3's empty to overflowing in two weeks you know you've had some rain. Hope the community stays strong and pulls through to rebuild, there's great people there and may those who passed on rest in peace.

[Samo]

The world lost a truly beautiful soul this Monday when the earth came crashing down on the town of La Conchita. Charlie Womack was one of those rare people whose generosity was limitless and whose love and optimism was unstoppable. He was a father to four amazing kids, and to an extended tribe of many many more. With the destruction of the space that he created and opened up to so many, we are left with a void the size of which is somewhat unfathomable at present. The Womack residence, which now lies shattered under tons of mud and stone, was until recently the home of twelve. Five of those twelve are now gone, those who remain have lost almost everything.

In the Burning Man community we talk often and at length about bringing that amazing place we call Black Rock City home with us to live in a state of heightened openness, awareness and generosity. Charlie Womack did much more than just talk about it, he lived it.

Please help the friends and family of Charlie, and the people of La Conchita by donating to any or all of the relief funds that have been set up. Additionally, please come out and attend one of the many gatherings that are being planned by his many friends in the art and music community of Santa Barbara and Ventura.

---Donations---

Donate with Paypal at www.theclandestino.com

-or-

Make a check payable to the family you are contributing too, and send it to or bring it to Santa Barbara Bank and Trust it doesn't matter what branch.
The Wallet Memorial Fund
The Delgado-Kennedy Memorial Fund
The Bryson Memorial Fund
The Womack Memoral Fund
The Alvis Memoral Fund

Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
250 South Mills Road
Ventura, CA 93003-3436

---Events---
There will be a gathering at Reds Café in Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon, January 15th more information to follow.

Word of Mouth in Santa Barbara are having an all-DJ’s all-night (well, almost) party and fundraiser for Charley Womak’s Memorial and the La Conchita mudslide victims. Saturday January 15th starting at 7pm. Muddy Waters Coffeehouse at 508 E. Haley St. in SB. All ages. Come out to support the family and friends of the mudslide victims. Help them to more easily recover from their losses. Love, money, clothes, music, cheer. All of these are needed.

There will be a benefit show at the Ventura Theater Friday January 21st. More information to follow.

Clan Destino will also be hosting a benefit on Friday Feb 11 at El Paseo in Santa Barbara. More information to come.

For continually updated information on all of these funds and events, as well as more information on Charlie and the Llama Tribe, please visit www.theclandestino.com

---Contact---

If anyone in the community has images of Charlie, please send them to Jeff Clark at [email protected]

If you would like more information or have questions please email me at [email protected] or call me at 805-451-8944.

Thank you,
Stephen Samojeden

[LeChatNoir]

Oh, man...

I happened to read a story in the New York times about Jimmie Wallet, who lived in La Conchita. He had left his home for just a moment to go to the store and get some ice cream for his wife and three girls. He was driving back as the hillside collapsed down. My empathy kicked into high gear after leaning of this guy’s frantic drive to help dig out his family and maybe find them alive. I felt a strange need to feel for this person, follow his story if I could. Maybe I was focusing my shared grief on that one of what these days seems like so many stories of tragedy... keeping the hopes for an outcome that would make a great “feel good” movie. Yesterday NPR reported that his family was found, but they weren’t alive. I cried while driving back to the shop.

I had read through this thread yesterday too and learned about Charlie Womack’s untimely departure. It was bad enough to loose a burner, even though I don’t think I’ve ever met him face to face. There’s that common bond, you know? I genuinely hurt for anyone in tough situations, those lost and even more for those left behind and grieving. Then in this morning’s NY Times, there’s a follow up article about Jimmie Wallet, and in it I learn that he and his family had been “between homes” if you will, and had been taken in by one Charlie Womack. This man had opened his entire home to this family (among many others I learn in the last post) and was helping them to find something better.

Why did it happen??? It defies logic...

I sense common bonds with these folks, and it seems, at least to me...

It seems that Charlie Womack was just a damn good guy
- That he wanted to make the world a better place and be a part of it.
- That he and Jimmie Wallet were, like me, just people who worked hard with their hands and knew what it meant to sometimes scrap for a living.

It imagine that they, like me, just wanted to live and have something like a decent life.
I imagine that I would have gotten along great with each of them.
I bet that they were happy, life was looking a little better every day and they felt like having some ice cream.

Oh, dear God...

I’ve lost friends to sudden tragedy before, but if I hurt so keenly from way over here in the middle of Kentucky, just by reading a few words on a computer screen, then I cannot begin to fathom the loss felt by those who knew them.

Blame God?
Blame Man?
I don’t know...

Things happen for a reason, but not everything happens for a reason. Sometimes things just happen. Sunrise, sunset, souls are born into bodies and souls leave. Just the cycle were in I suppose. But I think the important thing is to do your best to get through the grief, then do your best to take the ways that people touched you, the things they taught you about living... about life, and project them out into the world around you. We’ve got a charge to keep that ball rolling in their names. It makes me want to throw my toolbelts, welder, and tools into the back of the truck and head west. I get stir crazy cause I want to help. I see people needing help and I want to dive in and share their burden...lighten their load a little, you know?. But I guess I have to make differences where I can, and I’m not in California. So all I can do is donate to the cause and let you know that I’ve got my hand on your shoulders from way over here. Don’t know if that helps or not...

I just don’t know.

[Samo]

Here is the info on the Benefit at the Ventura Theater on Fri the 21st. Sound Tribe Sector 9 - Mama Sutra - Delta Nove - and the Charlie Llama Tribe Band. Please come on out and boogie down to help our friends. - Thanks

http://www.theclandestino.com/la-conchi ... poster.htm

[diane o'thirst]

Bump. This deserves to be up top, where people can read about it.

I heard about the slide and started praying. I didn't know why...now I do

Sorry I can't make it down for any of the observances and money's tight, but I'll send something to one of the memorial funds when I clear up some cash.

Hugs and love to Clan Destino, the people of La Conchita, and everyone whose lives were touched.

[theCryptofishist]

Beach memorial held for victims of La Conchita mudslide
- JEFF WILSON, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, January 22, 2005

(01-22) 16:07 PST VENTURA, Calif. (AP) --

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday on a beach to bid farewell to a mother, her three daughters and others who were killed when a mountain of mud smothered homes in the free-spirited oceanfront village of La Conchita.

About 300 people converged on the rolling lawn of Marina Park for a ceremony in which 52 surfers paddled 300 yards from shore to celebrate the lives of the 10 people who died.

After the surfers formed a circle, the names of the victims were read. Family members and friends then offered a tribal yell and scattered orchid leis in the waves.

Before the ceremony began, overcast skies gave way to sunshine and a brisk morning wind subsided.

Jimmie Wallet lost his wife and three daughters in the disaster. He and daughter Jasmine, 16, arrived early at the service in a black BMW and checked out the waves at the surf spot known as "The Dredge."

"This community is all heart," he said between hugs from dozens of people.

More than a dozen homes were destroyed in the Jan. 10 mudslide in the town of 156 homes, where just about everyone knew each other.

Among the dead were Wallet's wife Mechelle, 37, and daughters Hannah, 10, Raven, 6, and Paloma, 2. They died while sitting together on a couch after Jimmie Wallet had gone out for ice cream.

Also killed were Charly Womack, 51; Michael "Tony" Alvis, 53; Vanessa Bryson, 28; Christina Kennedy, 45; Josh Morgan, 56, and Patrick Roderick, 47.

Womack had moved into a teepee so the Wallet family could live in his La Conchita house. He was remembered as a talented musician, painter and carpenter.

"He was totally a surfer," said Michael Johnson, Womack's cousin. "And he was one of the most energetic people I have ever seen."

Womack's ashes were scattered in the ocean during the ceremony.

Those who gathered wore shorts, sandals and Hawaiian shirts. Several arrived on skateboards and others wore leis and buttons with a picture of a smiling Womack in his familiar straw cowboy hat.

"It's a Charly hat," said niece Christine Womack, 26, who came in a black T-shirt emblazoned with a red heart that said "Charlie's Angels."

A number of people said they cherished Womack for his goofy smile, silly comments, musical vibe and soulfulness.

"My dad was pretty cool," daughter Tessa Womack said. "He was a living angel."

Longtime friend Annette Russell held up her toddler son and told the cheering crowd Womack had talked her out of a hysterectomy.

Much of the beach 13 miles southeast of La Conchita remained littered with logs, plywood, ceramic planters and other debris that had been washed down the Ventura River during the four days of powerful rain that led to the mudslide. An uprooted tree bobbed in the waves.

Three fund-raising concerts were being held during the weekend in Ventura. The events kicked off Friday night with a concert at The Majestic Ventura Theatre.

Performances were also scheduled for Sunday at Nicholby's Nightclub and the American Legion Hall.
On the Web:

www.laconchitamemorialfund.com

link to article

When I saw this in the paper, I was struck by the description of Womack by everyone. It sort of seems like the perfect burner obit--even though they didn't mention the event. Naturally, I have a few questions about the hysterectamy story, but it seems like the woman involved finds it positive result.

[G.W.B.]

they showed him all day on cnn headline news.
at least there was a lot of respect shown.
at least he is in a better place now.