National Geographic TV seeks Auburn rattlers

A National Geographic film crew is in Auburn through next week looking for a few good rattlesnakes.Len and Heather Ramirez of Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal are playing host to the film-makers. The footage they'll be shooting on their nocturnal forays in search of rattlers will very likely make it onto the small screen in a new miniseries that's tentatively titled "Wildlife Recovery."And that's where you, dear reader, come in.Len Ramirez notes that if you're confronted with a rattlesnake in the house during the next 1½ weeks, you've got a chance to be part of the series too. The Ramirez number is 889-2775.Because of the heat of July, Ramirez said much of the work is being done in the dead of night to locate the nocturnal hunters. The Ramirezes have previously welcomed a National Geographic team in 2000. That crew was from Washington, D.C. What makes the Ramirez removal just a bit more interesting to nature lovers is that they don't kill the snakes. They relocate them to areas that are away from humans.n n n WEIGHTY SUBJECTSDoug Van Howd's Sierra Sculpture studio in North Auburn continues to create awe-inspiring, larger-than-life bronzes that pop up in some very conspicuous places.Two of the latest will get some high-profile public viewing in the town of West Yellowstone, near Yellowstone National Park, and in Ennis, Montana, near Billings.Ennis now boasts a set of five bronze mustangs on the front lawn of its high school. They're a gift to the school from 93-year-old Emerson Hall, in memory of his wife Theda, who died two years ago. The Ennises made a name for themselves as photographers in Los Angeles dating back to the 1950s. Van Howd is an old friend. The work - weighing a total of 6,000 pounds - took more than 1½ years to complete. The artist theorizes that there's probably not a high school in the country with a monument the magnitude of Ennis High School's. The work is valued at half a million dollars.The town of West Yellowstone is on the receiving end of a grizzly and two cubs over 10 feet in height that were created by Van Howd and donated by an anonymous benefactor. Van Howd is a frequent visitor to Yellowstone and honeymooned there in 1959. When looking for a site, he got in touch with Town Council member Drew Barney and found the perfect placement in front of the town's Historic Center Museum. The bears could be in place as early as late August. They're valued at $250,000. And if the "Barney" name sounds familiar, you're on to something. Drew is the brother of Auburn attorney Lant Barney. n n n ART BORN IN AUBURNSpeaking of valued Auburn artists, Saturday's 10th anniversary celebration of the Arts Building is a homecoming of sorts for master silk screener and sculptor Rudy Cuellar. Cuellar is Auburn's contribution to the influential Royal Chicano Air Force art collective - a major force in moving California's Chicano community forward artistically in the late 1960s and early 1970s during a groundswell of social change. It's best known for its mural paintings, poster art and some of the individual artistic contributions. Their murals and exhibitions have turned heads and opened minds from San Diego to Seattle on Chicano culture, history and the struggle for equal rights. Cuellar, who was born in Auburn, will be sharing stories, techniques and advice at the hands-on event on silkscreening as a tool for building a better community. He'll be assisting in producing commemorative prints celebrating the Arts Building at 808 Lincoln Way's decade.Cuellar was the primary printer for the RCAF's commemorative posters during the 1970s and 1980s. His own art prints have been shown nationally and internationally. Saturday's celebration starts at 7 p.m. and is free to the public. n n nI WANT MY TUBEKTXL Fox 40 is giving TV viewers another reason to go digital. The Sacramento station had a quiet launch for a new 24-hour music video network on its second high-definition channel. The network is called The Tube and its on digital channel 40.2. It offers about 14 videos an hour, no veejays or game shows, and six minutes of commercial interruptions. What makes the station run against the commercial radio and TV grain is its demographic target - the 35-plus set. That means live and conceptual clips from Classic Rock acts like Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, U2 and the Eagles, but also some of the more mature hitmakers of today, including Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson, Coldplay and Dave Matthews. Adding some spice are some rarely seen treasures from someone's video vault that include a mid-1960s Spencer Davis Group performing "Gimme Some Lovin'" and a live T. Rex performance of "Jeepster." While some of the videos look as if they've been filmed off the television, others are crisp, movie-quality versions. Fox 40 officials say that The Tube should be available on cable systems by late summer.Media Life's Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com or 852-0232.