SONOMA COUNTY HERITAGE NETWORK

Report of July 8, 2006, meeting at Sonoma County Museum

Present: Harry Lapham, Ray Owen, Tony Hoskins, Elizabeth Kane, Jeremy Nichols, Kay Voliva, Lee Torliatt, Daniel F. Murley, Vicki Beard, Tom Origer, Guy Smith, Carol Page, Jim & Joan Wagele, Evelyn & John McClure, Harold Mentzer, Charlie Siebenthal, Marshall West, Rebecca Baker, Nancy Conzett, Simone Wilson, Joann Mitchell, Sean Bressie, David Lightfoot and June Smith.

Thanks to the Sonoma County Museum’s staff, and Network representative Joann Mitchell, for hosting this meeting and providing the coffee and doughnuts.

Harry called the meeting to order at 9:35, we introduced ourselves and proceeded to give reports on our organizations.

Tom Origer & Associates Vicki Beard and Tom reported the Sonoma County Dept. of Transportation & Public Works proposes to remove approximately 300 to 375 Eucalyptus trees from the sides of a portion of Old Lakeville Road in order to improve safety conditions there. Origer & Associates is working with the county to evaluate any historical importance of these trees. If you have any comments on this proposal, please contact Tom Origer & Associates, P O Box 1531, Rohnert Park, 94927, or origer@origer.com as soon as possible.
A Petaluma archeologist is currently investigating the Carrillo Adobe site to determine Native American involvement there.

NWPRRHS Harold Mentzer said they continue to search for a home (700 to 800 square feet) for their archives which need to be moved from the Rohnert Park location. Work on the caboose is progressing. Next year they will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. Their Images of America book, “Northwestern Pacific Railroad,” is for sale at $27.00. A DVD, “Rails to the Redwood Empire,” is also available ($34.95). Hart Corbett will speak at their meeting (Whistlestop North) on Monday, July 10, 8 p.m., at Monroe Hall in Santa Rosa. David Lightfoot will speak at the Marin County meeting.

Sonoma County Museum Harry thanked Joann Mitchell for arranging today’s meeting. Joann reported the Museum’s Hi Jinx, which featured a baggage car thanks to the NWPRRHS, was a great success. The Museum’s Collections Committee now includes two community members, Guy Smith and Loretta Keith. The Force of Nature Exhibit, commemorating the 1906 earthquake, ends tomorrow. David Lightfoot suggested a bike rack outdoors at the Museum for cyclists.

Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Preservation Committee Ray Owen reported the 10th Annual Cemetery Lamplight Tours are scheduled for Sept. 14th (the Premier Tour—an expanded tour with gourmet snacks and special gifts), Sept. 15th and 16th. The Dark Side Tour is scheduled for Friday, Oct.13. For information and/or registration, call 543-3292.

State Historic Parks Association, Sonoma/Petaluma Elizabeth Kane reported on the 2006 Sonoma Heritage Tour & Entertainment to be held on Nov. 4. The day-long event will feature tours of historic buildings, a special candlelight tour and entertainment. For information go to www.sonomaparks.org .

Tomales Regional History Center Nancy Conzett reported Sept. 3 is Founders Day and Nov. 5 is their annual Open House. They recently received a $500,000 bequest from the Cerini estate, which must be used to purchase the Museum’s building from the Shoreline Unified School District. There are considering this.

Rancho Bodega Historical Society Nancy also reported the Bodega Society received $1,500 from the recent Fishermen’s Festival. Their annual picnic will be on July 21, at the Compass Rose, Bodega Bay. Surveyor Bob Curtis will speak.

Guy Smith announced the following:
Georgetown Will host the Native Sons of the Golden West picnic. They are working with the History Channel which is filming two shows—one about hot air balloons and another about the Red Baron.
Pacific Coast Air Museum Air Show will be on Aug.19 and 20.
Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation is working on obtaining permits for their restorations.

Sonoma Valley Historical Society/Depot Park Museum Carol Page reported the museum is enlarging their Chinese Exhibit with more artifacts. They plan a Historical Family Artifacts Day in October.

Healdsburg Museum Dan Murley reported they featured old time Prune Packers baseball team members on a float in the Future Farmers Fair parade. They plan a baseball event next spring. The September exhibit will feature Healdsburg sports champions and Dan is looking for artifacts and/or photos of Ralph Rose (shot put), Ed Beeson (high jump) and Hazel Hotchkiss-Wightman (tennis).

June Smith reported Instant Wine Cellar tickets will be mailed soon; the winners will be drawn on Sept. 29. Kate MacMurray will host a luncheon event at the MacMurray ranch on Nov. 11. Another fund raiser is scheduled for Nov. 15 when Tom Reed, former Secretary of the Air Force and author of “At the Abyss,” will speak at the Alexander Valley Community Hall.

Western Sonoma County Historical Society Evelyn McClure announced the West County Museum’s “Sebastopol Rephotographed” exhibit will open on September 7. It will feature vintage photos compared to new photos of the same sites. The Cemetery Walks will be on Oct. 6 and 7.

Cloverdale Historical Society Jim Wagele reported two volunteers are cataloging their 2,000 artifacts. They received an IBM grant for their Past Perfect program. They participated in Cloverdale’s Art Walk and the Black Bart Festival. They are setting up a museum gift shop.

Petaluma Museum Marshall West reported their building is now 100 years old. They participated in the Petaluma accordion festival, are planning a quilt show, received a New York Times grant to hire a part-time curator and they produced historic vignettes which are shown on KRCB. On Nov. 26 George Webber will present a Mark Twain program commemorating Twain’s visit to Petaluma in 1866. They will celebrate Petaluma’s sesquicentennial in 2008.

Luther Burbank Home & Gardens Rebecca Baker announced two professors recently visited in connection with books they are writing about Luther Burbank. They now have a full-time gardener and a full-time administrator, Linda Hall, on their staff. TV’s Coastal Gardner will film an episode there.

Tony Hoskins announced the following:
Sonoma County Library Tony recently met with Mary Moore, county activist, concerning her collection of notes and artifacts which will eventually be donated to Bancroft Library. She loaned SCLibrary a folder of newspaper clippings which will be copied. Old school registers are being added to the library’s collection and are searchable in the catalog by the name of the school. The library hopes to make Ancestry.com databases available to patrons, in addition to the current Heritage Quest databases. A laminated “Birdseye View of Santa Rosa” poster is available at the library for $32.50.
Sonoma County Historical Society Photos of the recent 25-mile walk led by Jeff Tobes from the coast to Harry’s place in Occidental are viewable at www.sonomacountyhistory.org , thanks to Webmaster Sean Bressie.
>SCHistorical Society’s picnic will be at the Petaluma Adobe on Aug. 20.
>Lee Torliatt, editor of the Sonoma Historian needs tidbits, i.e. dates of your upcoming events, for the journal, which is published at the end of March, June, September and December. His deadline is 30 days ahead of publication. Please include “For Historian” in the subject line of your e-mail. Lee has updated the Sonoma Historian cumulative index.
Historical Records Commission Interviews with county government department heads continue.
Sonoma County Genealogical Society Audrey Herman is now president. The Sonoma Searcher needs articles. Can you help?

Heritage Homes of Petaluma wants the City Council to apply for Certified Local Government (CLG) status and needs input (a letter or an e-mail by July 11) supporting this action which will be presented to the Council on July 17. CLG status would give Petaluma eligibility to receive technical and financial assistance from the Calif. State Office of Historic Preservation and other advantages. Please contact Katherine J. Rinehart kjrinehart@comcast.net for further information.

Railroad Square Kay Voliva reported “The 0 to 100 Celebration—a Century of Life” will be on August 12. You are invited to submit a photo representing an age from “newborn to 100 years old.” Information at www.railroadsquare.net.

Chanate Historic Cemetery Jeremy Nichols reported over 800 grave markers have been found. The Tombstone Amnesty Program received two more stones to be returned to their proper cemeteries. The names on these are “Nunez” and “Abraham Thompson.” “The painting” will be displayed at our next meeting. Jeremy has been contacted by a woman who claims to be the daughter of artist Eugene Perrot and one of his slaves!

Walking Tours Kay Voliva reported she is conducting historic walking tours on MacDonald Avenue.

Heritage Network on the Web Let Webmaster Sean Bressie know about your events schswebmaster@bressie.net so he can put them online. There are plans for Sean to film a video of Gaye LeBaron’s last SRJC history class. It is planned to be available through Sonoma State University.

                                                                                                                       

Submitted by June Smith

NEXT MEETING   Saturday, Oct 14, 2006, 9:30 a.m.  Location to be announced.






Harry Lapham, Tony Hoskins

1

Kay Voliva, Vicki Beard, Tom Origer, ?



Nancy Conzett



Rebecca Baker, Lee Torliatt



June Smith, Harry Lapham, Rebecca Baker, Lee Torliatt, Guy Smith



Harold Mentzer