The Vegas Voice 3-20

A Diamond Forever
By: Morris Heldt / A Senior’s P.O.V.
Back in the late 1970s I wrote a column for
a Ventura County California newspaper. I
interviewed local celebrities and wrote a profile
on them. I shall never forget one of my first interviews.
There was a time The Diamonds were one of the most popular
groups around. They recorded, “The Stroll,” “One Summer Night,”
“You’re A Thousand Miles Away,” and their biggest hit, “Little
Darlin’.”
John Felten was the wonderful bass voice in that group joining
them in 1959. His great voice was also used in many voiceovers and on
the soundtrack to the theme of Happy Days.
When I met John he was living in Ojai, California. He fell in love
with Ojai while attending college in Santa Barbara. It was his dream to
live there, and he did, with a beautiful home with acres where he could
raise animals.
We sat at his pool side and talked for several hours about the music
business, Hollywood and how quickly it was changing. We became
friends and I still smile when remembering John calling me at four
o’clock in the morning (so excited he could hardly contain himself)
to tell me that his calf was being born and I should drive up from the
beach and see this event.
We lost John, and his lovely wife, Linda, in 1982 when his small
airplane flew into
Mt. Shasta on his
way from Reno,
Nevada to Grant
Pass, Oregon. I
will never forget
John and the many
stories he shared
with me regarding
music and the early
days of rock ‘n roll.
One other thing
I will always
remember. He said,
“There was rock
‘n roll, with bands
like ours, at the
top, and then there
was Elvis.” However, most importantly, I will always remember John
Felten as a diamond of a man.
Morris Heldt is a retired award winning film and television
producer and published author. He and his wife moved to the Las
Vegas valley from the beach in 2004.
By: Kathy Manney / Around Our World
Sounds of ducks and lapping water are
heard as birds amuse themselves at the
cool water’s edge. There are nine ponds in the
preserve. Waterfowl scoot back and forth as low waves surround them.
The nearly hidden Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is
managed by the City of Henderson Parks and Recreation in affiliation
with the Southern Nevada Birding and Wildlife Trails Partnership
formed in 2006. The preserve is committed to conservation and
introducing birding and wildlife to the public.
The preserve’s trails are a picture of tranquility with park benches
scattered about. Some visitors come simply to unwind and read a book.
The pond’s shoreline and sun-speckled islands are ringed by water
grasslands. Palo Verde and other trees abound and vast swaths of
undeveloped land in the distance suggest space. At one point looking
east, there is an excellent unobstructed view of snow-capped Mt.
Charleston.
Doves frequently coo in a melancholy fashion on tree branches
above. Occasionally a roadrunner passes through, preferring to run
since roadrunners rarely fly.
A lizard may peek from under a bush and then dart to another
bush. Overhead a cyclone of ducks could rise and swoop out over the
landscape.
The visitor center offers a classroom housing many good displays
38
Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
March 2020
of bird
and other
wildlife. Instructional
classes are offered to school
children and other youth
groups. Outside where there
is a sheltered bird viewing
blind, some viewing holes
are cut low for children to
easily peek through.
With Southern Nevada
temperatures warm, not
yet scorching, the question
may arise, “What shall we
do today in the middle of
spring?” The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is open year round and
March through May their hours are 6:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
During the summer they close at noon. Remember to bring water,
camera and a hat.
To reach this hidden oasis, that is wheelchair accessible and home
to hundreds of migratory birds and resident desert birds, take Galleria
Drive east. It is just east of Boulder Highway and west of Moser Drive,
tucked up near the Water Reclamation Facility.
Kathy Manney enjoys visiting interesting places and being an
Adventure Diva. Her “Must See” travel journeys continue - always
with enthusiasm.