THE POPPY PAPER Official Monthly Publication of the Boosters of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park A Non-Profit Organization November 2016 Fall is here! The shadows are getting longer, the days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting cooler! Everywhere you look in the park you see our amazing fall decorations. These great arrangements were put together by our Senior Park Aide Amy Lew. The decorations were put up with the help of curatorial staff and Sisters from the Mormon Battalion, as well as with support from the Park Merchants and Cooperating Association. It's wonderful to walk the park and see visitors smiling and taking family pictures in front of these great decorations. The other wonderful fall additions to the park can be found inside several of the museums. These are the Dia de los Muertos altars (see page 2), set up by Senior Park Aide Elena Orozco and Old Town Volunteers. You can see the altars in the Casa de Estudillo, Casa de Machado y Stewart and Casa de Machado y Silvas (The Commercial Restaurant). Each of these altars was lovingly set up in traditional colors and items, honoring family members who have passed. These traditional altars are an important part of the history of Old Town, as well as a tribute to the great families of Old Town San Diego. It's a wonderful way to share the rich family history and Hispanic Culture with our park visitors from around the world. We recently had our Fall Volunteer Campfire in Seeley Yard. This has become a popular fall tradition with the Volunteers of Old Town. Approximately 50 volunteers, staff, and family members attended this potluck event. This year we kept things simple it was all about fun and fireside friendship. We had a chance to introduce our family members to our Old Town "family members." Thank you for the time each and every one of you gives us here at Old Town San Diego! Tim Downing and Michelle Magnunson Volunteer Coordinators pg. 1
The last Descendants Research Workshop of the year will be held on Saturday, November 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McCoy House (2nd floor) in the Old Town State Park. Admission is free. This is a great opportunity to research your family, using all the books, photos, research materials and documents at the disposal of the Descendants of Early San Diego. Bring your family's research and share with other descendants... a copy machine will be available for a nominal fee. Hope to see you there!! Craft Committee News By Kim Baldwin On September 24th and 25th, Old Town held its annual Art Fest. The Craft Committee had a booth in which items that were hand made, as well as some other items from the BOOT Store, were featured. We sold aprons, pot holders, Dolly's dolls, water, plus a lot more! We made a deposit of $678.68. This included merchandise sales, as well as water sales and donations. We would like to thank the members of the craft committee for all their hard work, and especially the following for collecting product, setting up, working the booth, tearing down, and counting the proceeds: Kim Baldwin, Jeanne Ferrell, Zuluma Franco, Alice Epault, Jobeth Hull, Becky Halliburton, Mary and Bob Jones, Gary and Deanna Turton, and Leo (Jeanne's righthand man). Kim Baldwin and Mary Jones If I have forgotten anyone, I do apologize, as it was truly a group effort! Thank you to all who helped make this adventure a success! pg. 2
Treasurer's Notes by Deanna Turton Luckily, the BOOT checkbook showed a gain of almost $3,900 in September, despite store sales and monies in the park's six donation boxes beginning to fall. One can always tell when summer is over by sales figures and the daily average in the donation boxes! That is a given. On the other hand, BOOT also received some welcomed, but hard-earned income during the month: $ 658.49 - Craft Sales (Old Town Art Fest) $ 20.50 - Donations (Old Town Art Fest) $ 35.00 - Fiber Arts Guild (Old Town Art Fest) $ 430.00 - Membership $ 577.00 - Period Attire Bank Sales $ 12.00 - Silhouette and Print Shop $ 29.00 - Penmanship On the expense side of the ledger, I wrote $5,882.78 in checks during September. Categories over $300 were: $1,528.51 - The Park Store (replacement inventory) $ 341.86 - Craft Committee (supplies and equipment) $ 549.72 - July 4th ($351.00 already reported in the month of July) $ 849.64 - Stagecoach Days $ 757.77 - Fiestas Patrias Fourteen funding categories were under $300. I can also report that during the middle of October, I paid the third quarter sales taxes, so the Board of Equalization will be happy with BOOT! As FY2016 winds down, the end of the year is an easy time of year for a treasurer, because most of the year's events are completed, and only the fourth quarter sales tax forms need to be filed. All other special things are done - which is a good thing, because the holidays are right around the corner and then comes the first of the year and those dreaded tax forms! From the Editor s Desk Kudos to all of the volunteers, staff, and community members who have come together to get the fall activities off to a great start in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. I m sorry that I missed Art Fest this year. That has always been one of my favorite events in Old Town, when the Craft Committee comes together to showcase their incredible handcrafted items, extending their salesmanship outside the confines of the Park. It s wonderful to hear about the fantastic collaboration and cooperation of the Craft Committee to make it all happen! Don t forget that Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated at the beginning of this month, so get down to the Park quickly to keep from missing the festivities. And check out page 4 for the rest of the year s events that you surely won t want to miss!!! Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Reading! Ruth French, Editor, poppypapereditor@gmail.com (Deadline for submissions is the 20 th of each month for inclusion in the following month s issue.) MONTHLY MEETINGS BOOT Board Meetings are held the 3 rd Wednesday of every month, 1:00 pm, at Café Coyote. If you wish to attend and/or to be included on the agenda, please contact a Board member (contact information on page 5). The Craft Committee meets on the 2 nd Friday of each month, behind the Robinson-Rose Visitor s Center (weather permitting). Contact Deanna Turton or Mary Jones if you are interested in participating. pg. 3
Native Plant Landscape Saturday, November 12, 2016 9:30-Noon Come help at the BIG annual planting party! Park in the lot next to the landscape by Taylor Street. Enter from Calhoun Street. Bring a shovel and gloves, if you can. We will have purified water to hydrate and muffins to fuel all you diggers. Questions? Contact Kay at kaytaff@sbcglobal.net UPCOMING EVENTS Casa de Las Calaveras - October 22-November 6, 12:00-7:00 pm daily Special Event by Fiesta de Reyes, at the former El Fandango site. Day of the Dead display with a theme. Cost will be around $7-10. Dia de los Muertos - November 1 & 2 Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) commemorates departed family and friends in traditional 19th century style. Historic style and contemporary alters will be set up at various museums and businesses throughout Old Town. Guided walking tours and self-guided maps will be available. Open House - Saturday, December 10 Noon - 9:00 pm The Park Merchants in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park host their annual Open House. Museums, historic homes, stores and restaurants will be open late and richly decorated in period holiday adornment for extended shopping hours. Enjoy songs and entertainment of the season throughout Old Town from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Los Posadas - Sunday, December 11 This centuries-old tradition is a re-enactment of the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph through the town of Bethlehem. The event begins in the afternoon with carolers and children s choirs, with the live theatrical procession starting promptly at 5:00 pm. Living History Day First Sunday of the Month SAN PASQUAL BATTLEFIELD STATE HISTORIC PARK Battle Day December 4, 2016 Family friendly crafts, programs, and activities that commemorate the 1846 Battle of San Pasqual. For more information, contact the Visitors Center at (619) 220-5422 or visit the park website at www.parks.ca.gov/oldtownsandiego pg. 4
THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS! BOOT BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Jeanne Ferrell (619) 543-9057 Vice President: Gary Turton (619) 222-0047 Secretary: Linda Jacobo (619) 602-0009 Treasurer: Deanna Turton (619) 222-0047 BOOT Store: Mary Jones Historian/Grants: Bob Wohl Restoration Spec: Chuck Ferrell Web Master: Bob Jones Membership: Susan Hector Board Members: Cindy Furlong Becky Halliburton Tom Young Poppy Paper Ruth French Editor: poppypapereditor@gmail.com BOOT Website: http://boostersofoldtown.com/ Park Website: www.parks.ca.gov/oldtownsandiego Additional Supporters: Old Town Market, El Centro Artesano, Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) pg. 5
BOOSTERS OF OLD TOWN San Diego State Historic Park 4002 Wallace Street San Diego, CA 92110 **************************************************************************** Membership Application or Renewal $20.00 Senior (62 yrs. or older)/single Student $25.00 Single Supporting Member $30.00 Senior Couple (62 yrs. or older) $40.00 Family (2 or more individuals) $155.00 Life Member (62 yrs. or older) $55.00 Corporate Basic Membership* (includes window decal and 1 month business card sized ad in The Poppy Paper) $130.00 Corporate Enhanced Membership* (includes window decal and 1 year business card sized ad in The Poppy Paper) Donation Enclosed (Or Gift in Honor of: ) *Corporate applicants only: Please enclose a business card or logo for inclusion in The Poppy Paper. NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP PHONE # EMAIL TO USE A CHARGE CARD: VISA MasterCard Exp Date: Month Year M M Y Y Y Y Card Number: CSC/CVC: Three numbers Signature: pg. 6 Send to: BOOT Membership Committee, 4002 Wallace Street, San Diego, CA 92110