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Photo: Ron Oriti

Droughts can often change the course of history; even someone’s personal history.

A retired Astronomer and Planetarium Director at Santa Rosa Community College, Ron Oriti currently resides in Bishop, Calif. with his wife Barbara.

In 2004, Ron got his mitts on his first digital camera, and was sucked into a brand new passion — outdoor photography.

His favorite subjects from 2004 through 2006 were butterflies. Then, in 2007, the Eastern Sierra experienced a drought.

“And there were no butterflies,” Oriti explained.

Frustrated without his favorite muse, Oriti wasn’t sure what to do until his wife suggested he try to photograph dragonflies.

“I didn’t think I could do it because I thought they moved too much,” Oriti said. But, as is often the case in many a marital relationship, his wife was right.

Oriti has captured somewhere around 50 species of dragonfly with his SLR (single lens reflex) camera, including a Striped Saddlebag dragonfly, which is a species that isn’t suppose to reside in the Eastern Sierra. Barbara spotted it with her eagle eyes and “really shook up the whole dragonfly world,” Oriti said.

On Tuesday, May 29, Oriti spoke at the Green Church on Benton Crossing Road as the fourth lecturer in the annual SNARL (Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory) spring lecture series.

With an Italian background, Oriti couldn’t help but use his hands during his lecture. Here he demonstrates how to sneak up on and photograph a dragonfly. (Photo: Kirkner)

Admittedly not a trained biologist, Oriti explained what he knew of the dragonfly’s biology and honestly acknowledged what he didn’t.

Some of the interesting points he did divine included the fact that dragonflies chew their food and love to dine on mosquitoes. So if you have a pest problem at your home, see if you can get some dragonflies over for a visit, but beware, they will also eat almost any other insect, including each other.

A little dragonfly sex education: the male genitalia are located in its thorax. The male grabs the female just behind the head with the end of its abdomen. The female then curves her body up to the male’s thorax and genitalia, forming a wheel, and the two mate. Females then lay their eggs in the water.

There are three types of dragonflies: clubtails, darners and skinners. The eyes on darners and skinners touch.

There are approximately 5,700 species of dragonflies, worldwide, Oriti continued, 500 in the United States, and 75-80 in California. Forty-one or 42 of those in California are found in the Eastern Sierra. (Oriti says 41 or 42 in the Eastern Sierra because he and Barbara are convinced that two of the recorded species are actually the same). Of those 41 or 42 Eastern Sierra species, Oriti has photos of 34.

“If you love dragonflies, the Eastern Sierra is a good place to be,” he said.

In addition to a little biology lesson on dragonflies, Oriti also provided helpful tips on how to photograph the creatures and shared his own stunning imagery.

“You have to learn by experience what works best,” he said. “But film is cheap in a digital camera, so just keep shooting.”

One tip: if you do scare off the dragonfly you’d like to photograph, just back up and wait. According to Oriti, they like to come back to the same spot.

Common Green Darners just after mating. The female is laying her eggs in the water. (Photo: Ron Oriti)

As has been the case in the past, Mother Nature is having an impact on Oriti’s subjects. So far he’s seeing fewer dragonflies this year, which he said he could only assume was due to the weather. Luckily, this time around he has a back up and has also been photographing lizards.

The next SNARL lecture is scheduled for June 5 at 7 p.m. at the Green Church. The topic will be “Bats in Peril” presented by Dr. Patricia Berry-Brown, Dept. of Physiological Sciences, UCLA, retired.

New this year is the ability to view lectures on the web. Simply visit vimeo.com and subscribe to the “SNARL” channel.

Marianna Marysheva-Martinez, Mammoth’s new Interim Town Manager, discusses the Oakland City budget with former Mayor Ron Dellums and other administrative staff.

The late Ron Black was honored last Friday morning with the unveiling of this wood-carved statue by Lance Stanislau at Double Eagle Resort in June Lake. Pictured are Black’s daughters Ronda Ramsayer and Bettina Rodriguez

Ron Black, 71, of June Lake, Calif., died on Oct. 15. He was born to the late Raymond and Melba Black on May 9, 1938, in Whittier, Calif. Ron graduated from California High School in 1956 and attended the University of Denver in 1957. He went on to serve in the United States Army’s Military Police, where he found his passion for law enforcement. He was stationed in Würzberg, Germany, where he met and married his first wife, Sonja Black. Together they had two daughters, Bettina and Ronda.
Ron joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 1961, where he dedicated 36 years of service and retired at the rank of Captain in 1996. He inspired and mentored many deputies throughout his career.
He married his high school sweetheart, Connie Black in 1992, in Newport Beach, where they spent time with their five children and 15 grandchildren.
Upon his retirement, the Blacks built a family ranch in June Lake, which Ron called “his little piece of heaven,” where he taught his children and grandchildren about his love of nature and the Eastern Sierra, and fishing and hunting.
He served as foreman of the Mono County Grand Jury and on the County’s Planning Commission. He also has served on the June Lake Citizens Advisory Committee and was active in the June Lake Chamber of Commerce.
Ron is survived by his wife, Connie; children, Bettina, Ronda, Ralph, Kathy, Kelli; son and daughter-in-laws, Art, John Allen, Kris and Karen; 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Monday, Oct. 19, at 10:30 a.m. at the LDS Church, 2150 Bonita Canyon Drive, Newport Beach, Calif., and Gravesite Services immediately following at Pacific View Memorial Park, Corona del Mar, Calif.

ED. NOTE: Ron’s granddaughter wrote a lovely eulogy to her “Opa,” which she delivered during his memorial service on Oct. 19. Space considerations prevented us from publishing it in the print edition, but we are happy to be able to include it in the online version.

I am Britton Rodriquez, Ron’s first grandchild, and I would like to tell you why my grandfather, who I call Opa, is such an important person in my life. For those of you who do not know, “Opa” is the German word for “grandpa.” Whenever I had a question in politics, history, or any subject; I knew he was the right person to go to.
My Opa was a man of infinite knowledge who always had answers, information, and most importantly…he had questions. Whenever I spoke with him and used a quotation or a cliche he would turn to me with that look…(you all know that look) and he would say “now, you just used that term; but, do you know the origin of it?”
For example, I once used “the rule of thumb” in a discussion we were having, he gave me the look and asked me if I knew where the “rule of thumb” came from. But, of course I had no idea where it came from. So, he proceeded to explain to me where the term rule of thumb came from. And if you want the full explanation, which is quite interesting, see me later. That was my Opa, he always had wisdom and he always wanted to share it with others.
Knowing how much he likes to share his knowledge, a few weeks ago I asked him, “Opa, what is one thing that you would like me to say to everyone at the memorial, how would you like me to send you off?” He answered, “the one thing I am most proud of is that I was able to bring the outdoors into this family. The joy of fishing, hunting, and the beauty of the land”
He said that “all of his grandkids are very lucky, because some kids will never get the chance to experience many of the things that this family has done.” He said, “nature and the outdoors is a great way to bring people together.” I will always have many memories of fishing, hiking, camping, and hunting with Opa. One particular memory is walking into the ranch house, in my full camo gear and surprising him with the first ever Canadian goose of the family! The smile on his face…I will always remember.
In addition to the knowledge I gained and the memories I cherish, there are 14 other grandchildren that have special thoughts of him. However, there are only 13 standing with me today, as one grandson, Brett, is on his mission in Uruguay.
Opa was respected and loved by all of us. We will miss him greatly, but we will always remember him and all that he taught us. I love you, Opa.

Ron Black, a retired law enforcement captain and owner of The Double Eagle Resort in June Lake as well as Snowcreek Athletic Club in Mammoth, passed away Thursday from cancer. He was 71.
In his retirement, Black volunteered in many capacities locally, serving as a member of the Mono County Planning Commission as well as the June Lake Citizens Advisory Committee. He also volunteered as the June Lake Fire Commissioner and spent one year as the foreman of the Mono County Grand Jury.
Black was always quick with a smile and a handshake, and possessed a laconic, subtle wit that was simultaneously innocent and devilish. He couldn’t resist his little jokes, and he couldn’t suppress the smile to let you in on them.
Ron simply exuded warmth. He was nice to be around.
His love affair with his wife was both storybook and lifelong. He and Connie were high school sweethearts at Cal High in Whittier, where Ron quarterbacked the football team and Connie was a cheerleader.
After high school, however, each went their separate ways.
Over three decades later, however, the sweethearts reunited upon learning that each of their marriages had ended, and Ron spent his remaining years happily married to the woman he loved.
In the interim, he enjoyed a long and storied career in law enforcement, finishing his career as a captain with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept.
There was a four-year period in the 1980s where Ron was placed in charge of Mens Central Jail in Los Angeles, the largest jail in the world according to son-in-law (and fellow co-owner of Snwocreek A.C., Ralph Lockhart), with over 7,000 prisoners and a 300-bed hospital.
During his career, Ron also worked in counterterrorism, gaming enforcement and gangs. He was part of the team that arrested Charles Manson. He was there the night Sirhan Sirhan killed Bobby Kennedy.
One of the great ironies of Ron’s life was that when he received a heart transplant five years ago, the heart came from a 20 year old Mexican gang member. Ron was able to meet the widow and her 4 year old son and has maintained a supportive relationship with them.
And from Paul Rudder:
On first meeting Ron Black, you couldn’t help but notice that he was a big guy. What soon became more obvious was that he had an even bigger heart. As a retired law enforcement captain, it wouldn’t have come as any surprise to me if Ron had been a tough, hard-bitten guy used to dealing with the worst criminals L.A. had to offer. In fact, Ron was used to dealing with those guys and it was fascinating to hear him tell about them. Oddly enough though, Ron was exactly the opposite of tough and hard-bitten; he was such a nice, caring, warm-hearted guy that it was a singular pleasure to spend time in his company.
My wife Kathleen and I liked the Blacks immediately upon meeting them and we spent many vacations together. And quite simply, we always had a ball. Usually on these trips, I would pick up a couple boxes of Cuban cigars to bring home, getting rid of the boxes and the cigar bands so as to get through customs. With an irrepressible twinkle in his eye, Ron would happily inform me that I could expect to get busted, and he would gladly turn state’s evidence and help the Feds pack me away for a good long stretch in cigar smuggler’s prison. While that never happened, how could you not like somebody willing to snitch on you at the first opportunity?
Ron was totally open, completely caring, and just one of those people whose presence was so powerful and positive that you just felt good being around him. To say that we will miss Ron doesn’t begin to scratch the surface.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, Oct. 19, at 10:30 a.m. at the LDS Church, 2150 Bonita Canyon Drive, Newport Beach, Calif. Gravesite services will immediately follow at Pacific View Memorial Park, Corona del Mar, Calif.