SR Press Democrat: Ft. Bragg Councilmember Jere Melo remembered

Hundreds in Fort Bragg mourn Jere Melo

Family of Jere Melo, including, from right, his cousin Tony Melo, wife Madeleine, daughter Christine Melo, and son Greg receive the American flag from the Army honor guard during a memorial service Saturday at Fort Bragg High School.

Photo by Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat

 

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ
THE SANTA ROSA PRESS DEMOCRATPublished: Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 3:59 a.m.

 

FORT BRAGG — Hundreds of friends, family and community members walked hand-in-hand and rode buses down the flag-lined streets of Fort Bragg on Saturday to attend a memorial service for Jere Melo, a longtime city councilman who was slain in the woods two weeks ago.

The afternoon sun beamed down as Melo's large family and dozens of uniformed officers gathered on the football field at Fort Bragg High School's Timberwolf Stadium that he had helped build. Many spoke of Melo's love of forestry, his passion for the community and his ever-present laugh.

“His dedication to getting this stadium built was the stuff of legends,” said Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena. “He was a friend and colleague whose legacy and contributions are long lasting, not only throughout Fort Bragg, but throughout Northern California and timber country.”

A message from Madeleine Melo, his widow, was read by niece Erin Timinsky.

“My heart is broken, your heart is broken,” the message read. “At the very beginning of this horror, I was swept up by friends who delivered the most awful messages of their lives. They held me together, quickly followed by my loving family, and a town of such incredible character. ... In my horror you held me, loved me and held together my broken heart, even as your own hearts were forever broken.”

Melo was slain two weeks ago while patrolling private timber land about four miles east of Fort Bragg. The search for the suspected shooter, Aaron Bassler, 35, who has been charged with Melo's death, continued on Saturday. No sightings have been reported since Bassler was spotted near town last Sunday, authorities said.

The field where the memorial was held was surrounded by fire trucks, rescue vehicles and sheriff's patrol cars decorated with wreaths and American flags. As a bagpiper played “Amazing Grace,” an officer in camouflage stepped out of a rescue vehicle, a quiet reminder of the unresolved danger in the woods nearby.

The afternoon also was punctuated with laughter as speakers recalled Melo's jovial nature.

“Take a good look around you, folks,” said Melo's friend Lindy Peters, also a former mayor of Fort Bragg. “This is the biggest crowd we've ever had at Timberwolf Stadium, and it would be a shame if we didn't cheer. I want you to cheer so loud that they'll hear us on the water. Let's let Jere hear us.”

The crowd whistled, howled and cheered, and raised their arms in the air.

Visitors from Fort Bragg's sister city in Otsuchi, Japan, attended the ceremony. Angela Harney of the Fort Bragg Otsuchi Cultural Exchange shared a memory of Melo from the group's 2004 trip to Japan. Melo quickly became popular, singing “Moon River” at karaoke joints and trying his hand cooking soba noodles.

“We traveled in Tokyo, and in all the places we went, he always held Madeleine's hand,” Harney said. At one point, a guide told Melo that it was unacceptable to show public displays of affection. “He said, ‘Ma'am, I don't care where I am, I'm holding this lady's hand.'”

Ken Sasaki of Otsuchi, which was devastated in Japan's 9.0 magnitude earthquake in March, made the trip to Fort Bragg to speak about Melo.

“I lost so many people. I lost my cousin and his wife, and many relatives,” Sasaki said. “I faced this sadness again when I found out about Jere's sudden death. I was dumfounded, because I received a phone call (from Jere) a few days ago.”

Melo was calling to tell Sasaki that Fort Bragg was going to name a park “Otsuchi Point.”

“I shouted, ‘Wow, it's great,' and I'm still hearing his big laugh,” Sasaki said. “When I think of Jere, I know he will be watching me with a big smile, too. Thank you, Jere.” The crowd gave Sasaki a standing ovation.

Melo was born in 1941 and grew up in Mount Shasta. As a boy, he loved to tag along with his father, who was a volunteer fire captain for more than 50 years. He and his brother, Wes Melo, worked in a saw mill starting at age 14 to save money to pay their way through college.

Managers at the mill quickly spotted Jere's intelligence and gave him an opportunity to apprentice as a forester. “His outgoing personality made him a gentle giant among the younger generation,” Wes Melo said.

Melo graduated from Mount Shasta High School in 1959 and earned a Bachelor of Science in forestry from UC Berkeley in 1964. He served for two years in the Army, including a year-long tour on the 38th parallel in Korea.

His forestry career spanned 45 years, starting with a job as a forester in 1966. Melo retired from Georgia-Pacific when the Fort Bragg mill closed in 2002. He then worked as a contractor for Campbell Timberland Management, providing property management services.

Melo's political contributions to the community began when in 1992 when he was appointed to the Fort Bragg Planning Commission. He was elected to the city council in 1996, and served on the council until his death. He was mayor from 2000-2004.

“If there was a hot button issue, Jere was always very grounded, and he wouldn't let his emotions get in the way, and that's very hard to do,” Peters said in an interview. “He had a very soft manner of speaking, which helped dignify his words.”

At the entryway to the stadium, photos depicted Melo in various activities — surveying trees in the woods, holding Madeleine Melo's hand, and sitting on a fire truck — grinning in each photo. A statue carved out of redwood depicted Melo sitting on a stump in the woods, tall trees behind him.

Later Saturday, guests were invited to eat a meal served by cheerleaders and football players from Fort Bragg High School.

“He made this stadium,” said cheerleader Maja Kendl, 16. “If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have those butterflies Friday night under the lights.”