Mike McElhatton  

Minister of Sand and Gravel

Originally from Philadelphia, Mike hitchhiked west across the US and Canada and then from SoCal to Yukon when he was 18 years old. He and his wife Terri lived in Idaho for 36 years where Mike worked for Idaho State Parks. When he is not busy in Slowjamastan he also works as Educational Program Director for the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association in Borrego Springs, just 20 minutes from the sand and gravel in Slowjamastan that mean so much to him.

Mike sees great wealth for Slowjamastan as its high quality sand and gravel is made available on the world market. “Gravel will be the new oil” he says, as many countries are running short of sand and gravel as they try to meet their aggressive goals of building more roads, parking lots, and driveways. He sees other uses as well; medical uses, with the powdered gravel of Slowjamastan now in Stage 3 clinical trials as a treatment for grumpiness. “The world is plagued with grumpy people,” he says, “and there is no current treatment, but a light dusting each morning and evening with the powdered gravel of Slowjamastan looks promising.”  All of this will be done without disturbing the raccoon population, and without harming the beautiful views of sand and gravel that bring many tourists every year.