Memories of local men will not soon be forgotten
By Jim Smith
Daily Democrat (July 3, 2005)
Woodland lost two men of prestige and effectiveness last week; men who made a difference, who touched the lives of others and whose work will be remembered through at least another generation.
John McMahan died Saturday, July 23, at age 76. Also dying on July 23 was Chuck Warner, 59.
McMahan spent 26 years working in the Yolo County Public Defender's Office, where he ultimately became a chief investigator.
But he was best known over the past decade as being the chief mover of Sacramento Valley Historical Railways, where he helped restore steam locomotive 1233, which had stood unused and rusting for more than 50 years at the Yolo County Fairgrounds.
He also helped start the Yolo Shortline - now known as the RiverTrain - which takes regular excursions into the Yolo Bypass and along the Sacramento River. He was involved with many things locally.
He had been a 35-year member of Lions Club, participated in the Chili Cook-off, Stroll Through History, served on the Yolo County Grand Jury, Woodland Historical Preservation Commission, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Woodland Chamber of Commerce and the American Legion.
McMahan contributed to making Woodland a more vibrant place in which to live, giving those who call this city home a better sense of history by restoring the past while working to make the present better.
Warner left a legacy in the arts. As Joni Paulsen put it: "Mr. Warner was THE art teacher at WHS - even way back when I was there in the early 1970s! The number of students that he inspired was tremendous and the artists that he brought out of people who didn't know they had artistic talent was amazing."
And Paulsen wasn't even a student of Warner.
Liane Roddeig of Woodland wrote saying that when she arrived at Woodland High in the 1960s, Warner's presence was felt immediately with the expansion of the Art Department. "Many of his students are bona fide artists," she stated.
"Possessing a droll sense of humor, constant drive for excellence, flair for stage design, plus caring for each student," afforded Warner with the "Super Teacher Award. "Through the years I have grown to know, care for, respect and love Charles Warner. We will miss you."
Warner was nationally recognized. Under his direction the school's art program won numerous accolades including the 1997 "BusinessWeek" magazine for its "Outstanding Arts Driven Curriculum, one of eight in the nation. That same year, WHS was also one of six high schools in the United States selected as a Getty/Annenberg arts grant recipient.
He also taught classes in commercial art, ceramics and theater production at Woodland College. If all that weren't enough, he specialized in acrylics and took numerous awards for his work. In 2003 he was named "most inspirational teacher" by the state Assembly.
In 1998 he was honored as teacher of the year in the Woodland School District.
Another writer stated that "Mr. Warner left a legacy in Woodland that is absolutely phenomenal - He was a tremendous teacher; and besides my daughter benefiting from his teaching hundreds, maybe thousands, of advanced placement students in art from Woodland have gone on in careers in art."
Among his former students who became professionals in the art world are Peggy Jo Ackley, Jeff Shurtz, Jeff Moore, Karen Yamauchi, Gustavo Ramirez, Wenda DeNova and Emily Potts.
Both McMahan and Warner left legacies of which we can be proud and somewhat envious. Their work will be carried on by another generation because of the tremendous influence they had on others.
- Jim Smith is editor of The Daily Democrat. Write to him at The Daily Democrat, 711 Main St., Woodland, Calif., 95695; or e-mail him at [email protected].
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