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."