THE POPPY PAPER. Official Monthly Publication of the Boosters of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park A Non-Profit Organization

Transcription

1 THE POPPY PAPER Official Monthly Publication of the Boosters of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park A Non-Profit Organization April 2012 A Day with the Ladies of Old Town Saturday, June 2, 2012, Noon - 5 pm Ladies Day Will Be Here Soon!!! As in former years, we will showcase the life skills and pastime hobbies of the women of Old Town. Since the new outdoor exhibits for La Casa de Estudillo s garden will be ready in time for Ladies Day, we will hold a garden tea party in honor of the premiere. Plans for this part of the day are in the hands of Janis Cantu and it should be a grand event! We will have homemade lemonade, hot tea, homemade cookies and savories. Karen Beery has invited The Colonial Dames, as well as author Dydia DeLyser to attend the tea. DeLyser s book, Ramona Memories: Tourism and the Shaping of Southern California, explores the many aspects of the Ramona myth and the impact of Helen Hunt Jackson s story on tourism, regional identity, and historical consciousness. DeLyser will be available for a book signing during the tea. In addition, we will hold our second annual Hat Contest. Plans for the contest are in the hands of Jenny McReynolds. This year we plan to expand the hat contest so there will be three categories: 1) historic hats in the Park's time frame, 2) children's hats, and 3) a professional category which will include the entire Victorian period. A dramatic skit will be performed on stage while the hat judges are making their decision. Also new this year, guided tours of the Native Plant gardens on the north side of the McCoy Building will be conducted. Peter St. Clair has generously offered to arrange several tours that day. Since La Casa de Machado y Stewart will be in the midst of renovation, Ladies Day demonstrations will be set up throughout the Park. Look for the quilting booth and the fiber arts booth where you can buy raffle tickets to win a wonderful handmade quilt. Soap making, laundry exhibits, historic hair dos, a plant sale, period attire booth, an ice cream social, children's games, gourd art, basketry and historic photography will all be part of the fun. Continued on page 3 By Deanna Turton BOOT BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Jeanne Ferrell (619) Vice President: Gary Turton (619) Secretary: Zulema Franco Treasurer: Deanna Turton (619) BOOT Store: Mary Jones Membership: Shirlee Rodriguez Historian: Bob Wohl Restoration Spec: Chuck Ferrell Web Master: Bob Jones Board Members: Mary Ellen Young Tom Young Cindy Furlong Chuck Ross Poppy Paper Editor: Ruth French (858) poppypapereditor@gmail.com BOOT Website: Park Website: pg. 1

2 President s Notes by Jeanne Ferrell I read in Mark Twains quotes that Synergy is the bonus that is achieved when things work together harmoniously. We have some exciting events coming up in the next couple of months, so we definitely need SYNERGY! BOOT is proud to co-host the 2012 CALPA Conference right here in San Diego. The schedule is located on page 6 of this issue. Please join us for this informative conference. Come and meet the movers and shakers in California State Parks. This year there are so many meetings and venues you won t want to miss the networking, not to mention the fun! We have some amazing BOOT Volunteers who will make Ladies Day and the CALPA Conference great successes. If you are looking for a great volunteer job, call us. Call Jeanne at That is my shop, if I am not there, leave a message and I promise to call you back. The key elements in the art of working together are how to deal with change, how to deal with conflict and how to reach our potential the needs of the team are best met when we meet the needs of the individual person. - Max DePree CALLING ALL BAKERS! We are going to have a very exciting Ladies Day this year. It is going to coincide with the premier of the new exhibit at La Casa de Estudillo. A Garden Tea will be held in the Estudillo garden, and we want to serve as many period cookies and treats as possible. Some recipes can be obtained by contacting me. Please let me know by May 1st if you are planning to bake for us and how many cookies you intend to provide. Thank you so much for your participation! Janis Cantu ladiesdaytea@gmail.com Treasurer's Notes by Deanna Turton Perhaps it might be wise for everyone to be seated when you read this month's Treasurer's Notes! With that being said, the checkbook ended up $ in the red this month! Most of this expense was a $10,000 check to begin the improvements at La Casa de Machado y Stewart. As Poppy Paper readers will recall, the BOOT Board authorized up to $50,000 worth of repairs in that area of the Park during this calendar year. This $10,000 is the first installment into a special State account, called a PCA, to fund those repairs. In the BOOT Board's opinion, this is a solid investment because it will help tremendously in preserving that historic building and surrounding structures. Other large expenses this month were: $ annual Board of Directors insurance BOOT Store replacement inventory care and feeding of the burros blacksmith supplies period attire subsidies plants and garden supplies Descendants' Day luncheon deposit On the income side of the ledger, the BOOT Store continues to do very well. The daily donation average of $66.75 is also very good for this time of year! So, if the daily average is any indication, this year should be very good, indeed! Other sources of income were tours and clothing purchased from the period attire bank. BOOT Store News by Mary Jones We are always looking for some great new volunteers to work in the Store. Benefits of the job include: meeting wonderful visitors, selling great products, raising money to support the Park, and working with the nicest people. If you are interested, please call me, Mary Jones, pg. 2

3 Daring, Delightful and Determined Women (continued from page 1) Also joining us will be the Descendants group, the Californios de San Diego group, and the Park's historic dancers, Los Bailadores. As the years go by, it seems like Ladies Day grows and grows, for this year we will be using almost the entire Park! From humble beginnings at La Casa de Machado y Stewart years ago, volunteers and staff have enthusiastically supported this event, for which I am very grateful. This year, I am also grateful to Janis and Jenny for offering to be my co-chairwomen...without their help, all of this would simply NOT be possible. Although we have all of the booths defined, we still need lots of hands to make this an exciting day a day that will enchant park visitors and bring them back to the Park! Craft demonstrators, break people, and tea servers are especially needed. BE SURE to contact me because you must be on our spreadsheet of volunteers if you want to enjoy a 50% discount on food at the Barra Barra Restaurant on Ladies Day, courtesy of Chuck Ross, BOOT Board member and Park concessionaire. To volunteer, please contact Deanna Turton or deanna@turton-ent.com. We hope to see each and every one of you on June 2!!! Minnie Tafoya & Maria Bolin Californios Living History Demonstration Volunteers Needed Cinco de Mayo Weekend May 4-6, 2012 We need volunteers in period attire to host the Robinson-Rose Visitor Information Center and other museums for 4-hour shifts (or longer) from Friday, May 4th through Sunday, May 6 th. The park special hours will be 10 am to 10 pm. Please contact me if you are interested in helping out. The park anticipates a very busy weekend! Please contact Joe Vasquez at or jvasquez@parks.ca.gov if interested. Attention All Volunteers! Living History Showcase, April 21st Come and participate in the Living History Showcase on April 21st at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. This is your chance to show your skills! We are hoping that all the Guilds and Groups will participate in this first time Living History Showcase! There will be prizes for the guild/group that either brings more visitors and/or volunteer applications. Please help spread the word among the following guilds and groups: Blacksmiths, Carpentry & Woodworking, Los Bailadores, Californios, Fiber Arts, Historic Gardens, Mormon Battalion, Mountain Men, Rendezvous, Printing, Quilting, Soap Making, Storytelling, Textiles, Tin Type Photography, and any other appropriate Living History demonstrators! We are also looking to have one representative from each established Guild or Group to participate in a History Trivia contest at 11am. For more details, please contact: Joe Vasquez, jvasquez@parks.ca.gov pg. 3

4 Horno before inspection/dismantling by Deanna Turton To date, La Casa de Machado y Stewart has been inspected for termites and tented. In addition, the old cracked horno is in the process of reconstruction. Photos on this page show the layerby-layer de-construction of the horno. The young man in charge of rebuilding the horno tells BOOT that he is committed to doing the best job possible...and we are very grateful for that because that is the intent of our renovation project. Next on the agenda is re-grading the area so water will no longer be a problem for the adobe structure. BOOT Board member Chuck Ferrell has offered his technical expertise for this part of the project. Many thanks to Historian Victor Walsh for helping BOOT get this huge project defined. Additionally, thanks to BOOT Vice President Gary Turton for spearheading the paperwork and acting as liaison between the BOOT Board and Park staff. Horno from rear with vent hole Fire clay brick at top of dome Note: vaporized cement mortar Inner layer of fire clay brick Outer layer of regular brick after four coats of cement stucco removed pg. 4

5 A little historic background on the horno at La Casa de Machado y Stewart: Originally constructed in 1969 with mud plaster and traditional adobe brick; current horno built in the mid-to-late 1970s (see photos below). Built with two layers of brick: inner layer is fire clay brick; outer layer regular non-fire clay brick. Bricks mortared with cement, which cracks, allowing heat to escape. Body of horno covered with chicken wire and plastered with cement stucco. Metal expands and cement cracks when exposed to intense heat. Inspection revealed that many of the bricks were loose, mortar had turned to dust, and body of horno had long multiple vertical cracks. There were four coats of cement stucco applied sometime after November 1979 in a misguided effort to conceal the horno's substandard condition. Condition of horno in March 2012 was beyond repair; treatment entailed a full reconstruction. Recently built Horno, April 1969, with opening facing Machado y Stewart 1969 Horno with blackened wood door Note: mud-plaster finish and adobe-brick platform Rebuilt Horno. November 1979 Note: Stabilized adobe brick platform and dome without cement stucco finish pg. 5

6 CALPA 2012 Annual Conference "Unchartered Waters: Exploring the New Parks World for a Sustainable Future " May 16-20, 2011 San Diego, California Hosted by Boosters of Old Town, Torrey Pines Association, Torrey Pines Docent Society, and Crystal Cove Alliance General Schedule Wednesday, May 16 Welcome Reception at Fiesta de Reyes, Old Town San Diego 7 to 9pm Thursday, May 17 Conference Sessions at Crystal Cove - 8:30am to 3:30pm Dinner and Reception at Torrey Pines - 4:30 to 7:00 pm Friday, May 18 Conference Sessions at Old Town San Diego 7:30am to 4:15pm Wine and Cheese Reception at Old Town San Diego 4:30 to 6:00pm Activities & Dinner on your own Saturday, May 19 Conference Sessions at Old Town San Diego 7:30am to 1:00pm Field Trips- 1:30 to 4:30pm Banquet and Auction at The Cosmopolitan Hotel - 5:30pm Sponsored by Registration Deadline May 1, 2012 For full details and updates, please visit the CALPA website: Session Topics Thursday, May 17 Crystal Cove All Hands on Deck: Education and Interpretation for Tomorrow's Parks Interpretation and Education through your Park Store The Development, Financing and Sustainability of Excellent Programs A samping of Crystal Cove Alliance's "Out of the Box" SNAP (Science & Nature at the Park) Funding the Voyage: Partnership Development - Out of the Box Growing Role in Partnership Development Fund and Friend Raising Tools Making a Deep Collaboration Work: A Capital Project Case Study Friday, May 18 & Saturday May 19 Old Town San Diego Enhancing Communication and Defining a Common Vision Preserving the Legacy of Historic and Sacred Sites Increasing Responsibility and Compliance for Coops Large and Small KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Ruth Coleman - Director, California State Parks Ruskin Hartley - Executive Director, Save the Redwoods League Elizabeth Goldstein - President, California State Parks Foundation Richard Louv, Author and Co-Founder of Children & Nature Network pg. 6

7 THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS! Thanks to all of our BOOT Associates for their membership renewals. YOUR SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED! pg. 7

8 April 2012 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Garden Group Los Bailadores 5-6:30 pm Good Friday 7 8 Easter Sunday 9 Garden Group Los Bailadores 5-6:30 pm am Crafting/ Sewing Committee Garden Group Los Bailadores 5-6:30 pm pm BOOT Board Mtg. Café Coyote POPPY PAPER Submission Deadline 21 10am VIP Mtg. Living History Showcase Garden Group Los Bailadores 5-6:30 pm Garden Group Los Bailadores 5-6:30 pm GUILDS MEET ON THE FOLLOWING SATURDAYS: 1 st - Print Guild and Tintype Guild 10 to 2 pm 2 nd - Californio Living History 1 to 4 pm; Native Plant Garden work party 1-3 pm 3 rd - Quilt Guild, Fiber Arts Guild 12:30 to 3:30 pm; Mormon Battalion 10 to 4 pm 4 th - Mountain Men and Soap Makers Guild 11 to 4 pm Every Wednesday - Quilt Guild, Blacksmith and Woodworking Guild s PLEASE CONTACT YOUR GUILD LEAD PERSON(S) FOR INFORMATION ON MEETINGS, ACTIVITIES, AND SPECIAL EVENTS!!! COMING SOON MARK YOUR CALENDARS! May 4-6: Cinco de Mayo Weekend May 16-20: CALPA Conference June 2: Ladies Day pg. 8

9 In Memoriam It is with great sadness that we must inform you of the passing of our dear friend and longtime member, historian, genealogist and so much more, Robert Lopez, [who] touched many lives and connected them to their family roots Bob Lopez was born on November 2, 1920 and died on March 12, 2012 at the age of 91, in Los Angeles. He served in the 20th US Army Air Corps in India during World War II. In June 1950 he married Margaret Rogers and was to [celebrate] their 62nd Anniversary in June He was a member of the Descendants of the Founders of San Diego, Santa Barbara, Mission San Buenaventura, Los Pobladores 200, Los Californianos, and eligible to join the Sons of the American Revolution. He will be missed! -Los Pobladores 200 Board From the Editor s Desk After nearly a month-long illness, it s hard to think of anything inspirational to write except, You don t have anything if you don t have your health. However, I have finally recovered from a nasty bout with pneumonia, and I am looking forward to YOUR submissions for next month s Poppy Paper. Please keep the following in mind when submitting articles: POPPY PAPER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Park Staff: Submit to rdennison@parks.ca.gov Volunteers: Submit to jvasquez@parks.ca.gov ALL OTHER SUBMISSIONS may be sent directly to: poppypapereditor@gmail.com DEADLINE: 20 th of each month (handwritten deadline is the 15 th Please drop in Ruth French s volunteer folder in the Robinson-Rose Bldg.) Submissions that exceed 400 words are likely to be edited for length and clarity. Exceedingly longer articles may be divided and published in consecutive editions of the Paper. Inclusion of articles is on a space-available, first-come basis and at the editor's discretion. Happy Easter and Happy Reading! Ruth French poppypapereditor@gmail.com Volunteer Opportunities Old Town San Diego State Historic Park has many volunteer opportunities available! Please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Joe Vasquez jvasquez@parks.ca.gov OR Include the below information with your BOOT Membership Application (on the reverse side): I am most interested in volunteering for: Special Events (Ladies Day, 4 th of July, Fiestas Patrias, etc.) BOOT Store Tour Guide Living History Crafts Museums/Interpretive Programs Other I belong to the following group(s): Docent Military Descendants Californios Other pg. 9

10 BOOSTERS OF OLD TOWN San Diego State Historic Park 4002 Wallace Street San Diego, CA NOTICE: If you have a friend who would like to learn more about San Diego History, enjoys meeting people, and likes to have a good time, give him/her this application form to fill out and send in. New members are always welcome. And, if you have forgotten to renew your membership it s never too late to send it in. We miss you! MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION $ Single Supporting Member $ Corporate Membership* $ Family (2 or more individuals) (includes business card sized ad in the Poppy Paper $ Senior (62+ years)/student Single and on our website for one month) $ Senior Couple (62+ years) $ Enhanced Corporate Membership* $ Life Member (62+ years) (includes business card sized ad in the Poppy Paper and on our website for 12 months) *Corporate Applications Only: Please enclose a business card or corporate logo with your payment. NAME(S) ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP PHONE I belong to the following group(s): Docent Military Descendants Californios I am also interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact me! Make your check out to BOOT and mail to: BOOT Membership Committee, 4002 Wallace Street, San Diego, CA pg. 10