LET THE RACE BEGIN: Two-time Honorary Mayor Lyle Thomas, right, appears happy to hear that challenger Rock Griffith, left, will join the annual honorary mayor race. This year, however, Griffith won't be facing Thomas, a Mitsubishi Cement staff member who is not seeking reelection. Griffith, who owns Rock's Place pizzeria, may face local celebrity/business owner Mavrick Harvey, a top mixed martial arts competitor. However, Harvey was unable to attend last Friday's official honorary mayor race kickoff at the Senior Center. Woody Hart, another two-time Lucerne Valley honorary mayor, cooked his famous barbecued ribs and chicken. PETER DAY/THE LEADER

MMA fighter/entrepreneur Mavrick Harvey, left, and DJ Ron Scriven will face off in this year's Honorary Mayor contest.
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By Peter Day
Senior Reporter

In one corner we have Ronald Scriven, a Lucerne Valley Market and Hardware store employee who to some is better known as DJ Ron, and in the other is light-heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter Mavrick Harvey.

But instead of a caged fight ring, the two are about to go head-to-head in a charitable competition. The winner will be named Honorary Mayor of Lucerne Valley. The kick off event, which is open to the public and includes a free dinner, will be held at the Senior Center on Feb. 19.

The two shook hands during a meeting last weekend with former Honorary Mayor Woody Hart who now serves as president of the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce. Also attending the meeting were Chamber board members Jean Magee and Herald Keesee.

"We're looking for something clean and fun and just to have a good time with the whole thing," Hart said.

When Scriven isn't working at the Market, he can be found leading the town's longest-running karaoke event at Adelita's Mexican Restaurant. A veteran who served in the U.S. Navy, Scriven loves to spin a variety of music, from Katy Perry to earlier rock 'n' roll and swing music.

A top MMA fighter, Harvey currently runs a store on Highway 18 in Lucerne Valley that specializes in collectibles, antiques and quality second-hand merchandise.

The Honorary Mayor competitors are planning a series of fun fund-raising events that will be open to the public. Stay tuned for more information on events by reading upcoming issues of the Lucerne Valley Leader.

Mavrick Harvey, left, and Ron Scriven, right, were joined by current Lucerne Valley Honorary Mayor Lyle Thomas, center, during last week's kick-off event at the Senior Center. Peter Day, Lucerne Valley Leader
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By Peter Day
Senior Reporter

Five-time mixed martial arts world champion, TV personality, second-hand store owner and big screen actor Mavrick Harvey is tackling a new challenge: to win the title of honorary mayor of small town Lucerne Valley.

Last Friday night, Harvey, 48, and an entourage of family members and supporters crammed into the Lucerne Valley Senior Center for the 2016 Honorary Mayor Kickoff event. Instead of facing a ripped fighter attempting to bash in his head, Harvey is going against Ron Scriven, a local karaoke disc jockey who spins pop, rock and classic love songs at Adelita's Mexican Restaurant.

The one who brings in the most money for the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce will be named honorary mayor in June, and his or her name goes on a wooden plaque in front of the Chamber's office building.

Though the position is historically symbolic, Harvey made his intentions clear: He wants to make his current home town, Lucerne Valley, a better place to live and to help those who need assistance. His main goal is to secure federal government funding to fix roads and bring in a medical clinic into Lucerne Valley, a town of more than 6,000 residents of whom roughly one-fifth live below the federal poverty line.

"I want to help you guys get help, get money that's due you," Harvey said following a silent auction that included a well-used french horn, antique rifle and vintage camera. "We qualify for that money."

Despite Harvey's fame, his victory isn't a certainty. Scriven, who during the day works at the town's hub, the Lucerne Valley Market and Hardware Store, has planned numerous events, several with karaoke as the centerpiece.

“It’s all about raising funds for the Chamber,” Scriven said.

The Honorary Mayor events begin on March 4 with a Celebrity Bingo event at the Senior Center to benefit Harvey's candidacy. Joining Harvey will be auctioneers Dan and Laura Dotson from the hit A&E TV show "Storage Wars," of which several episodes have featured Harvey as he bids on storage units for merchandise to sell in his White Elephant store in Lucerne Valley.

Scriven's events begin at 9 a.m. on March 26 with a swap meet and raffle at the Lucerne Valley Market parking lot. On April 13 at 6 p.m. a night of "bingo, good food, great fun and wonderful company" will take place at the Senior Center. Then, on May 7, Scriven will host a booth at the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce's inaugural Mega Swap Meet at the Chamber of Commerce building.

A raffle for a 1923 antique Chicago Lock and Key Safe reportedly formerly owned by notorious mobster Al Capone will benefit Harvey's campaign. The safe can be viewed at First Mountain Bank in Lucerne Valley. A drawing will be held on May 21 at the bank. A second raffle for a life-sized Elvis statue is going on concurrently.

Scriven will display his spinning and singing skills beginning on May 28 with a Memorial Day barbecue and karaoke at the historic Lazy Lizard Ranch beginning at noon.

"It want to make it like a Woodstock of Lucerne Valley," Scriven said. "It should be fun for the whole community."

The last currently scheduled event will be a karaoke party at Adelita's Mexican Restaurant at noon on June 4 to benefit Scriven's candidacy.

A decades-old custom in Lucerne Valley, the honorary mayor is at the heart of town and Chamber of Commerce activities. Several former honorary mayors were in attendance on Friday including Woody Hart, who cooked and served up a complimentary meatball sandwiches, cole slaw and baked beans dinner to attendees. Current Honorary Mayor Lyle Thomas, who works at the nearby Mitsubishi Cement plant, is ending his third year.

"It's been an experience," said Thomas, who is commonly seen in his "Cat and the Hat" hat at ribbon cutting and other events. "I've met a lot of neat people. It's an honor to serve the community."

By Peter Day
Senior Reporter

Despite his muscles and tough looks, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Mavrick Harvey.

A pioneer of Mixed Martial Arts, Harvey is an entrepreneur who is becoming well known in his new hometown of Lucerne Valley, a movie and TV personality, and he does it all while staying at the top of his game in cage fighting.

Known as "The Soul Collector," Harvey will face Shannon Ritch, who he defeated during a bout several years ago, later this month in Phoenix.

"This will be my retirement fight," said Harvey, 48.

The son of Clarence Harvey, who helped start the Navy Seal program, Harvey was a talented athlete who ran track and played football in high school in San Pedro.

"I thought I was going to play pro ball," he said.

But a crash on his bike changed that. "Now I have a titanium rod in my leg."

So Harvey put his physical strength to good use by working as a bouncer at a Los Angeles-area nightclub. He worked as a bodyguard for singer Janet Jackson and then for a member of a European royal family.

According to Harvey, in the early 1990s, he and another bodyguard were asked by their wealthy employers to fight each other for money. He and the other bodyguard agreed to the no-referee bout.

"That's how it started."

In 1993, Greg Patschull changed the fighting by putting the fighters into an Octagon. There were essentially no rules. Fighters agreed, however, that three taps meant they had had enough.

Harvey quickly found success in the Octagon. To date, Harvey has 32 wins, 2 loses and 1 draw in Kage Kombat. He had 5 world titles and 19 title defenses. Through fighting, Harvey has been all over the world.

But he wanted more. Something deeper. He accepted Christ, and his perspective has changed.

Today, Harvey lives with his wife, Gwen, and their children on a ranch in Lucerne Valley. The couple raise Friesian horses on their land and run the White Elephant thrift store in town. They have been featured on the cable TV show, "Storage Wars." Recently Harvey has gotten into acting and will be in a movie featuring Lee Majors and Cybil Shepherd.

"I love it," he said. "Acting is where the future is."

Harvey is running for Honorary Mayor of Lucerne Valley, an annual race that benefits the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce. He's facing local karaoke DJ Ron Scriven, who also works at the Lucerne Valley Market and Hardware Store. The winner will be the one who raises the most money for the chamber through a series of community events.

"My plate is still extremely loaded," Harvey said. "This is where I built my ranch. This is where I built my home. This is where I'm going to end up."

STORAGE WARS TRIO: A&E “Storage Wars” TV hosts Dan and Laura Dotson were in town last Friday to help out Mavrick Harvey, left, who hosted a “Celebrity Bingo” fundraiser at the Lucerne Valley Senior Center. Peter Day, Lucerne Valley Leader

By Peter Day
Senior Reporter

LUCERNE VALLEY — “We have a winner!” yelled Dan Dotson as about 50 laser beam-focused bingo players carefully checked their numbers.

Dotson and his wife, Laura, enthusiastically called bingo numbers for more than an hour during last Friday’s “Celebrity Bingo” event at the Lucerne Valley Senior Center. Proceeds from the event, which also included a carne asada taco dinner provided by Adelita’s Mexican Restaurant, benefited the honorary mayor candidacy of MMA fighter Mavrick Harvey, who has appeared on the Dotson’s A&E hit show, “Storage Wars.”

“He’s passionate about everything he does,” Dan Dotson said. “I know a guy like that will bring a lot of positives to Lucerne Valley.”

The Dotsons run American Auctioneers, which administers the reality TV show’s storage auctions. Five-time MMA champ Harvey was featured in an episode last year. After Harvey made his presence felt at the storage auction, the show visited The White Elephant thrift show in Lucerne Valley, owned by Harvey and his curvaceous wife Gwen.

“It’s an interesting auction area in Lucerne,” said Dotson, who started in the business more than 40 years ago.

About a dozen years ago Dotson bid on a storage unit in the Lucerne Valley area that at first seemed dubious. But it turned out to be a great decision.

“I made all kinds of money on that. I think I made $3,000 rather than lose $1,000.”

Dotson said one of the most important factors in bidding on a storage unit is determining whether its owner cared about the contents or whether it was just dumped in the unit. The easiest way to tell: Boxes stacked neatly show care while a chaotic, disorganized unit could indicate the storage unit does not contain valuable items.

The Honorary Mayor race provides fundraising opportunities for the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce. The candidate who raises the most money for the Chamber wins the contest and serves as mayor for a year. Harvey is facing Ron Scriven, a Navy veteran who works at the local Lucerne Valley Market and Hardware Store and several nights a week spins records as a DJ at Adelita’s.

Current Honorary Mayor Lyle Thomas, who has served the town for three years, participated in the bingo event as did former Honorary Mayor Woody Hart, who currently serves as president of the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce. Other Lucerne Valley VIPs were present, including Jerry Byars who calls bingo every week for the Seniors.

Although Lucerne Valley’s honorary mayor position is historically symbolic, Harvey has taken the prospect of winning the race to heart. If chosen, he wants to do whatever he can to help his new hometown.

“God kind of brought me here,” he said. “God sent me for a reason. Now it’s starting to make sense what the reason is.”

The 2016 Honorary Mayor race features local residents Ron Scrivens and Mavrick Harvey. The "winner" raises the most money for the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce.

April 13 — Bingo at 6 p.m. at the Senior Center. Hosted by Ron Scriven.

May 7 — Mega Swap Meet Booth 8 a.m. at the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce. Hosted by Ron Scriven.

May 28 — Barbecue and Karaoke noon at the Lazy Lizard Ranch. Hosted by Ron Scriven.

June 4 — Karoke Party noon at Adelita's. Hosted by Ron Scriven.

June 10 — Honorary Mayor Finale Dinner.

By Peter Day
Senior Reporter

Fittingly, Ron Scriven's first official event to benefit his campaign for honorary mayor was colored green.

About 50 of Scriven's supporters helped launch his campaign with a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner at the Senior Center last Thursday night. Lucerne Valley Chamber President Woody Hart, who is a former honorary mayor himself, and a small crew of cooking volunteers, prepared the meal of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes.

"This was our first one," Scrivens said. "We're going to start rolling now."

A former resident of the Crestline and Lake Arrowhead area, Scriven served in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a chief (SKC, USN, ret.). After retiring from the Navy, he settled in Lucerne Valley in 1995 and operated a mobile screen business. However, like many other small businesses, Scriven's didn't survive the economic downturn of the late 2000s.

Later, he went to work for the Lucerne Valley Market and Hardware Store, retiring from the Market recently. Three years ago he followed his heart and began working as a DJ at Adelita's Mexican Restaurant. The position allowed him to showcase his karaoke singing skills and spin the favorites as a disc jockey. Currently, the Adelita's karaoke is held on Tuesdays, which feature $1 "taco Tuesday" tacos, and on Friday's, which features $1.50 asada tacos. (And of course, Adelita's complete menu and bar drinks are also available).

As a longtime resident of Lucerne Valley, Scrivens sees his participation in the Honorary Mayor race as a way to be involved in his community and help out.

"It's a chance to raise more for the Chamber and a chance to have fun."

Lucerne Valley has qualities others don't have, according to Scrivens. He loves that it is a small town and people know each other. He likes that it is rural with a lot of room with scenic views.

"People out here generally seem to care," he said. "There's a pride you don't see anywhere else. I've traveled all over the world, but I have not seen a better community."

Scriven's upcoming benefit events: Bingo at the Senior Center on April 13 (must be 18 and over); Mega Swap Meet booth at the Chamber office on May 7; Barbecue and Karaoke at noon at the Lazy Lizard Ranch on May 28 and a Karaoke Party at noon on June 4 at Adelita's Mexican Restaurant. The Honorary Mayor Finale Dinner will be held on June 10.

Boxes of bicycles arrived earlier this week at Mavrick Von Haug's White Elephant Store in Lucerne Valley. Actor Mavrick Von Haug (a.k.a. Mavrick Harvey in MMA) is hosting the bicycle giveaway event 4 p.m. on Saturday at the White Elephant Thrift Shop in Lucerne Valley. For more information, call the store at (310) 508-5455. Peter Day, Lucerne Valley Leader

By Peter Day
Staff Writer

LUCERNE VALLEY — Like a scene out of a vintage Coca Cola commercial, actor/mixed martial arts fighter Mavrick Von Haug will be giving deserving youth of Lucerne Valley something very special this Saturday.

Instead of a football jersey a la the Pittsburg Steelers' lineman "Mean" Joe Greene, Von Haug, who goes by the name Mavrick Harvey as an MMA fighter, will be handing out 70 bicycles and helmets, providing haircuts and a DJ and enough barbecue and drinks for 200 people.

"This is all for free for Lucerne Valley," said Von Haug, who owns a small ranch in the rural town about 15 minutes east of Apple Valley.

The event starts at 4 p.m. at the White Elephant, 32740 Old Woman Springs Road, Lucerne Valley.

Von Haug is a candidate for honorary mayor of Lucerne Valley. The challenger is Ron Scrivens, a longtime resident and local DJ who spins records at nearby Adelita's Mexican Restaurant.
A former MMA champion, Von Haug is currently featured on "Storage Wars" and has appeared in several feature films. He appeared in "Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End" and "Revelation Road 2: The Sea of Glass and Fire." Von Haug stars as Circle Face in "Boone: The Bounty Hunter," which will be released this year.

Prior to acting and moving his family to Lucerne Valley, Von Haug lived a fast-paced lifestyle in Los Angeles and was one of the most feared competitors in a mixed martial arts octagon. From 1999 through early 2006 he was undefeated in 11 fights.

Bicycles will be distributed on a first come, first served basis to children under 18 years of age with registration starting at 3 p.m. Recipients will need to show proof of residency.

Nissan Corporation also will be present, pre-qualifying individuals for either a new Versa or Frontier vehicle. Identification and proof of income will be required.

Von Haug says he is holding the event to demonstrate that a community that comes together can truly help each other and prosper.

For more information, call the White Elephant Thrift Store at (310) 508-5455.

Mavrick Von Haug, right, and volunteers handed out 70 new bicycles to deserving children at a special event at his White Elephant Thrift Store on Saturday afternoon. Peter Day, Lucerne Valley Leader

By Peter Day
Senior Reporter

LUCERNE VALLEY — One by one they came, eyeing the numerous new shiny bicycles all neatly lined up in rows in front of The White Elephant thrift store.

Within an hour on Saturday afternoon, all the bikes were gone, ready to go home to their new, happy owners — deserving children from this small, rural community.

Altogether, several hundred people came to the event hosted by Mavrick Von Haug, a candidate for honorary mayor of his new hometown of Lucerne Valley. A large group of volunteers and Von Haug, who goes by the name Mavrick Harvey as a champion MMA fighter, handed out 70 bicycles and helmets and provided complimentary haircuts, while Los Angeles-based S Five Entertainment provided music and fed 200 people a complete meal of homemade tacos, rice and more.

"I've known Mavrick for 20 years," said S Five Entertainment CEO Oscar G. Gallardo. "Wherever he goes he helps people first."

David Kreps, who works for S Five Entertainment, agreed.

"Mavrick really likes helping people," he said. "You can see it. You can't fake that."

A former MMA champion, Von Haug is currently featured on "Storage Wars" and has appeared in several feature films. He appeared in "Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End" and "Revelation Road 2: The Sea of Glass and Fire." Von Haug stars as Circle Face in "Boone: The Bounty Hunter," which will be released this year.

Prior to acting and moving his family to Lucerne Valley, Von Haug lived a fast-paced lifestyle in Los Angeles and was one of the most feared competitors in a mixed martial arts octagon. From 1999 through early 2006 he was undefeated in 11 fights.

On Saturday a non-stop flow of event attendees asked Von Haug for a photo. He always gladly complied. But it was the children who showed the most excitement with their wide-eyed smiles. At least one child, however, was eager for the event to be over so they could ride their bikes.

"I want to go home now," Tammy Midkiff said one of her children told her.

That moment finally came after the family had enjoyed their meals and received haircuts from a volunteer hair stylist.

Harvey's honorary mayor challenger is Ron Scrivens, a longtime resident and local DJ who spins records at nearby Adelita's Mexican Restaurant. The winner is the one who raises the most money for the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce. The winner will be named in June after the two candidates host several fun fundraising events.

May 7 — Mega Swap Meet Booth 8 a.m. at the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce. Hosted by Ron Scriven.

May 28 — Barbecue and Karaoke noon at the Lazy Lizard Ranch. Hosted by Ron Scriven.

June 4 — Karoke Party noon at Adelita's. Hosted by Ron Scriven.

June 10 — Honorary Mayor Finale Dinner.

Mavrick Von Haug (a.k.a. Mavrick Harvey), right, was named Honorary Mayor of Lucerne Valley during a grand finale dinner event Friday night at the Lucerne Valley Senior Center. Joining Harvey is Ron Scriven, center, who also ran for the honorary post, and Woody Hart, left, the current president of the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce who served as honorary mayor for several terms. Peter Day, Lucerne Valley Leader

By Peter Day
Leader Staff Writer

LUCERNE VALLEY — Mavrick Von Haug, who was known as Mavrick Harvey as a mixed martial arts champion, is now the honorary mayor of Lucerne Valley, a small, rural town of about 6,000 residents located a few hours northeast of Los Angeles.

Von Haug was named to the honorary post Friday during a grand finale dinner event at the Lucerne Valley Senior Center. The event was a culmination of a months-long fundraising drive that pitted Van Haug against local karaoke jockey Ron Scriven, a retired mobile screen installer and U.S. Navy veteran. Proceeds from honorary mayor events go to help with office staffing for the Lucerne Valley Chamber of Commerce.

"I appreciate both of them," Woody Hart, a former honorary mayor who serves as president of the chamber, said of the competitors. "They both did a fantastic job."

In recent years, Von Haug has turned to acting. Since 2013, he has appeared in three feature films with "Boone: The Bounty Hunter" coming out this year. Last year, Mavrick began appearing on the A&E hit, "Storage Wars," bidding on storage auctions for his White Elephant Thrift Store, located on Lucerne Valley's main drag. Von Haug has lived on a ranch in a remote section of Lucerne Valley for several years.

Von Haug assumes the mantle of honorary mayor from Lyle Thomas, a local mining safety engineer who was known for his giant Cat in the Hat hat that he wore during official chamber duties such as ribbon cuttings and grand openings.

Normally an honorary position, Von Haug plans on using his honorary mayor title to help the youth of Lucerne Valley, which with a median household income of around $34,000 is regarded as an economically challenged community. More than one-fifth of the town's residents are considered to be living in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

During his fund-raising events, Von Haug held a bicycle giveaway in which about 100 needy children were given new bicycles. Many of the recipients also received haircuts from volunteer, professional hairstylists while families enjoyed a taco lunch prepared by S Five Entertainment, which also provided a disc jockey. Recently, Von Haug was forced to cancel a shoe giveaway event after a bout of pneumonia put him in a local hospital for many days.

In the future, Von Haug wants to bring professionals in different fields to expose local students to a variety of career options, such a marine biology. He also wants to ensure the local children maintain that connection, which will lead them to their chosen colleges and careers.

"We want to strengthen our community," Von Haug said, adding, "We want to keep control of the small town feel."

According to Sherdog.com, the fighter, as Mavrick Harvey, had a record of 8 wins, 5 losses and 1 draw, many in "Kage Kombat" events. He won a dramatic fight rematch against Shannon Ritch on Nov. 12, 2005 when Ritch sustained an injury, which forced a technical knock out ruling.