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Border watchers finish month of patrols by building fence
By Billie Jo Jannen
The Alpine Sun
BOULEVARD — “My name is Greg and I’m here to put up the fence my government won’t build.”
“My name is Chuck. I’m from Ramona, and I’m here to do the job the American government won’t do.”
“My name is John. I’m from Napa, California and I’m here to build the fence my government will not build.”
These responses and others like them, were echoed all the way down the line of a barbed wire fence under construction in the jumbled boulders of a challenging stretch of Jewel Valley (Boulevard) border land.
The builders were an estimated 200 Americans, some born here and some naturalized, who hailed from points as far away as Arizona and as near as Boulevard itself.
The April 29 and 30 fence-building project was the grand finale of a 30-day stint on the Back Country border, and a great source of pride to organizers Tim Donnelly and Greg Imus.
“Look at them all!” said Donnelly, sweeping his arm to include groups of workers strung out along a quarter mile of boulders and gullies steep enough to require “all fours” to navigate. “They’re Americans working on the job that even illegal aliens won’t do!”
As if to punctuate the volunteers’ comments, a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter soared low overhead, and offered an approving “beep beep” with the machine’s siren.
The heli — or one like it — returned later in the day and announced “Thank you for building the fence!” over its loudspeaker.
Donnelly termed the volunteer response amazing because even though the project had only been publicized for about a week and a half, it drew a substantial crowd and about $2,000 in cash and materials donations.
“They showed up with hand tools, welding machines, generators and good old fashioned elbow grease to repair damaged border fencing, construct a quarter mile of back to back fences and clean the area of all trash.” he said. “Many others visited our website and made donations of cash and materials.”
“Some of these people have never built anything in their lives.” he added. “But they’re learning on the job.”
Donnelly, his wife, and his son hail from Twin Peaks, located near Lake Arrowhead, and traveled down for the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps border watch based at Outdoor World campground.
Donnelly said that, over the full 30 days the Minuteman corps spent in Boulevard, the number of volunteers who participated was 410. The number of illegal aliens sighted and reported was 482.
Over a substantial burgers-to-apple-pie lunch, also provided and served by volunteers, Napa Valley resident “John” said he was in attendance as a scout for his family and friends.
“I’m going to go back and tell them what a great bunch of people are down here...and I’ll come back next time with a bunch more people,” he said.
Like many other participants, John has some intimate knowledge of the immigration system. His wife, a Guatemalan by birth, has long been an applicant for U.S. citizenship and “...many years and many thousands of dollars later...” is still
only...an applicant.
A man on the line, sporting a strong British accent said he is a naturalized U.S. citizen and a staunch “do it legally” supporter. He added that British family members had recently arrived for a visit and he made time on the the border project part of their itinerary.
Donnelly said the Minuteman HQ planners are organizing a long-term and much larger project in Arizona. The plan calls for two fences parallel to the border with a ditch in between, he said.
For further information about the
volunteer patrols and other border projects, one may visit Come
Build the Fence or Minuteman
Civil Defense Corps.
 E-mail
Billie Jo Jannen
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