Wild Bill & Other Stories

Herein is a collection of stories, fun and not-so. Together they cover three-quarters of a century of happy events, and sad, which cemented a man's life and character. Wild Bill's story covers a unique moment in California's history. Born in 1931, he was unaffected by the Great Depression and, also, too young to serve in World War II. As a kid, he had the freedom of space. At age 11, he and a friend bicycled from his home in the East Bay of San Francisco to Yosemite Valley on war restricted, wide-open roads. As a teen, without the population pressure of today, he was at liberty to race up the "notch" from the Yosemite Valley floor to Glacier Point, while his friends drove up the lengthy back way. They beat him there by only a minute or so. In business, Wild Bill excelled as a cattleman, almond rancher and partner in a white-water rafting company. While California laws still encouraged entrepreneurship with lower taxes and fewer restrictions, when they were unjust, Bill succeeded in his work to change them. Living in an area where Hispanic American farm workers were prevalent, he and his business partner of 50+ years founded and hosted the San Joaquin Valley Young Leaders Organization (YLO) for 25 years. This is a story of life in California without today's limitations, restrictions, and people pressure. All proceeds from this book go to the Bill and Barbara Canning Integrity Fund to support youth leadership programs in California.