Club West Masters Meet organizer escaped major fire

Beverley Lewis, an Aussie track Olympian back in the day, is better-known as the respected USATF official who acts as starter at major meets, including her own Club West Masters Meet. Held every October at UC Santa Barbara, the meet attracts elite age-groupers from around the country. And also the neighborhood. John Whittemore, who threw discus and javelin into his 100s, lived in nearby Montecito. That’s the town that just endured a horrific wildfire. The blaze is out, but not the worry. I didn’t know whether Beverley or our masters friends had been affected by the fires. So I wrote her. She replied yesterday. Bev wrote me: “The fire was coming our way, but the wind changed, so we were lucky. We spent the night with an old track official, Lloyd Albright, who was very gracious to us. Since then, we have had so many caring friends call us, it’s been mind-boggling.”

Beverley also wrote:

We were evacuated and I’ve been feeling the strain of everything since then, hence this late reply to you. As far as I know the old Whittemore house did not burn although it must have been close.
Saw Russell Smelly today, who is the track coach at Westmont (College). He lost his house along with 13 other faculty housing. My cat-sitting lady also lost her house and people here are still in shock.
We are also irate about the 10 kids who started this with a bonfire then left it! I was hoping it was not going to be Westmont students and it wasn’t. I thought the statement issued by the new SBCC president concerning the 9 SB City College fire starters was woeful and will not win her any friends. . .
We’re OK, but very tired and stressed out. However, it could have been much worse as we are only about 3/4 of a mile from Westmont and think what the fire did to that college!

What a relief that Bev’s family is OK. Our hearts go out to those who lost so much.