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THE POPPY PAPER

April 2020

Official Monthly Publication of the

Boosters of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

A Non-Profit Organization

By Ruth French, Editor

Currently, the entire world is suffering from the Coronavirus Pandemic! Citizens of every nation are

suffering…many are sequestering themselves at home, mourning the loss of many lives and anticipating

the loss of many more…listening to this scary news. We certainly can read and hear about the current

global crisis on all media sources at every hour of the day and night. (News of Old Town San Diego State

Historic Park’s closure is on Page 8, with links to websites for updated information.)

Thank goodness, most of the news stations have recognized the need to include a “feel good” story at the

end of each broadcast, perhaps to help us all deal with the social, emotional and economic impact of our

current circumstances. Realizing that all of us are looking forward to those “feel good” stories right now,

I have decided to forego my usual editor’s piece this month to offer up this story. I hope it helps you take

a moment out of your day to feel a little bit better…

As the editor of The Poppy Paper, I regularly receive

emails with announcements, newsletters, pictures, etc., and I

select items for inclusion in the Paper depending on their

relevance to us in Old Town. A few months ago I received

an email from Sheryl Pinard who lives in Capitola,

California. She wrote:

“Twenty five years ago my husband and I were

married in your school house. We came back to

visit. Please find attached the picture. If you'd

like more information, please don't hesitate to

contact me.”

As most of us know, Old Town, Presidio Park and Heritage

Park are popular venues for weddings. It’s also well known

that many weddings occurred over the years in La Casa de

Estudillo, called “Ramona’s Marriage Place” during the late

1800s and early 1900s. But, I had never heard about anyone

being married in the School House! Understandably

intrigued, I responded to Sheryl, and our communications

have resulted in the following heartwarming, and yes, a true

“feel good” story about Old Town San Diego.

Continued on page 2…

pg. 2

Happily Ever After (continued from page 1)…

Sheryl wrote: My fiancé Al and I flew to San Diego from San Jose to be married,

and then take a cruise to Mexico for our honeymoon. When we got to San Diego,

we heard the cruise line filed for bankruptcy. What were we to do? We had a

minister who we paid for and was going to meet us in two hours!

When I previously lived in San Diego, my husband-to-be would come visit

often. We loved going to Old Town. So, when our plans changed, he had the idea

of meeting the minister at the School House in Old Town. I loved it because I was,

and still am, a teacher. We called the minister and he met us there. We had no idea

if it would even be open.

As it turned out, in the School House was a group of

Girl Scouts on a field trip and two visitors from

Germany, named Ute Bercles and Thoomos

Bohmer. We asked the girls to be our guests (pictured

below) and the German couple to be our witnesses

(pictured right). They were delighted! At the end of

the ceremony, I threw my bouquet to the girls. They

all were fighting for it! So cute. So precious.

My husband and I went back home and decided to use

the cruise money for an all-out wedding reception to

include a live band.

We’ve been happily married for 25 years. We have

two children, a daughter who is an accountant and a

son who is in college. We have a lot of wonderful

friends still in San Diego who we visit often and, when

we do, we never miss a trip to Old Town.

Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Al and Sheryl Pinard for 25 years of marriage. Their story was

especially heartwarming to me, as my husband George and I had our very first date in Old Town back in

the 1980s! We dined at the Casa de Bandini, a restaurant which was located on the site that today is The

Cosmopolitan Hotel. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park must have had some magic, as we will be

celebrating our 33rd year of marriage in September!

pg. 3

Treasurer's Notes By Deanna Turton

February was an easy month. I did not have to write too many checks, and I balanced the ledgers on the first

try! Gary and I also got away for almost two weeks on a camping trip to Tucson and Organ Pipe Cactus

National Monument. Despite a tire blowout on our Scamp trailer on the first day and two nights of awful wind

storms, we had a good time. Gary enjoyed the symposium sponsored by the Vatican Observatory and the clear

night skies at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. He said it was the best night sky viewing he ever had -

clear skies, no wind, and little moisture! So we stayed an extra two nights for him to enjoy the stars.

It was also wonderful that the Arizona State highway roadside assistant service was in our area when the

Scamp tire failed. Just as Gary was struggling with the tire jack at the side of the freeway between Yuma and

Gila Bend, Mr. Martin Marquez stood by his shoulder and asked if we needed help. Since we were both so

focused on the tire problem, we had not noticed his arrival and in some ways, it appeared like he had dropped

out of the sky!!! You can believe that his supervisor got a glowing letter of gratitude for his assistance. And,

he even stayed until we pulled back on the freeway!!!

Now back to BOOT finances…Although February is a winter month, with expected revenues to be lower than

summer months, BOOT did receive another grant from the California Park Foundation for additional

improvements in the Native Plant area - $2,160.00 Many thanks to Tim Downing for applying for those funds.

So, that brought the total income to $9,850.17 for the month. Other sources of income were The Park Store -

$5,809.93, Guild Sales - $630.00, and donations in the museums. However, the daily average in the donation

boxes was really low in February - $29.72. I hope this is not a trend, as BOOT depends on a daily average of

about $55.00 a day to maintain a balanced budget. Many thanks to park aides for putting their tips in the

BOOT safe, which added up to $73.00.

On the expense side of the ledger, the only category over $300.00 was The Park Store - $3,501.04 for

additional inventory. Like I said before, it was an easy month.

So, now that the monthly balancing is done, I plan to start on the tax forms. Since the yearly balancing was

done in January, filling out the tax forms is easy, although still a long and tedious process. This year, Park

Volunteer Ed Estrin will look over the forms to make sure all is in order. He is a CPA, so his assistance is

greatly appreciated. Formerly, my work was reviewed by Patty Mayer at the firm of Moss Adams. But, when I

broke my back in May of 2015, I could not make the trip to her office. So, it will be nice to have a

professional to double check the figures again.

An Easy Way to Support Old Town

Do you and your family use Amazon or PayPal? If you do, it’s easy to support Old Town…just identify

Boosters of Old Town as your charity to allocate donations when you buy things. AmazonSmile is a

program developed by Amazon to match a percentage of your purchase as a donation to a nonprofit. It

costs you nothing, the money comes from the company. Paypal allows you to make a donation, as small as

$1.00 (more would be great), to a nonprofit.

All the money BOOT raises goes to Park programs and activities. Please consider adding Boosters of Old

Town as your charity when you make Amazon or Paypal purchases! I have, and it adds up!

Thank you!

Susan Hector, BOOT Membership Chair

and Old Town Volunteer

pg. 4

Donation from the San Diego Chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution By Susan M. Hector, BOOT Board Member and Park Volunteer

On March 5, 2020, I accepted a donation of

$2,000 from Judith Reale, Regent, and Kathleen

Winchester, Historian, representing the San Diego

Chapter of the Daughters of the American

Revolution (DAR). The Daughters provided this

funding for the Master Bedroom of Maria Victoria

at Casa de Estudillo. The primary focus of this

room is interpretation of the life and role of Maria

Victoria Dominguez, matriarch of the family and

prominent Californio woman. Pictured (l-r):

Kathleen Winchester, Susan Hector, and Judith

Reale in front of Casa de Estudillo.

Maria Victoria was born at the Presidio of San Diego in 1801 and married Jose Antonio Estudillo in 1824. She

was widowed in 1852, at which time she had ten children between the ages of 5 and 22. Maria Victoria was a

prominent person in San Diego. She was well known for being a religious person with high morals, and she

was generous and kind to those in need.

Maria Victoria managed the Casa for 21 years after her husband’s death. Her ten children all became civic

leaders in San Diego and throughout California. She died in 1873, leaving 30 grandchildren and 12 great-

grandchildren. The San Diego newspaper The Daily World published a lengthy obituary that declared, “One of

the early heroines of Southern California has passed away.”

The funds donated by the DAR will be used to buy objects that will enhance and expand the interpretation of

Maria Victoria’s life and role as a prominent Californio woman of Old Town San Diego. State Park Curator

Amy Lew has prepared a detailed list of objects for purchase. Thank you to the Daughters for this important

donation!

BOOT Membership Card Delays

Hello BOOT members! Thank you for your continued support of Old Town San Diego State

Historic Park. With the closure of the Park, I am not getting to the membership mail regularly.

Please bear with us if your membership card is delayed. If the closure of the Park is extended,

I will put a system in place so that your correspondence gets to me. We appreciate your

continued support for park living history and interpretive activities.

Thank you,

Susan Hector, BOOT Membership

pg. 5

Back in February, while the Volunteer Garden Crew and State Staff worked together in the Machado-

Stewart Garden, they noticed the garden was full of bees! One swarm was near the ground under the

pomegranate tree, and had been there for some time. However, two more swarms had suddenly appeared.

One was like a fat sausage hanging on the grapefruit tree (below left), and the other one was a large

circular one inside the Mexican tarragon bush (below right).

Over several weeks, the bees in the two recent swarms

flew away on their own, so professional services to

relocate them was not required. However, the first

hive at the base of the trunk of the pomegranate tree is

still there. They are leaving that area alone because

removing the bees might kill the tree. Actually, the

tree is not looking too good these days anyway, as it is

VERY old!

Thanks to the State workers who continually help us

in the gardens, especially with the weeds in the

orchard and spreading steer manure in February.

Photos courtesy of Volunteer Gardener Christy MacCabe.

With the Park closure, there is no

news on when they may meet again.

However, they are all keeping

themselves “busy as bees” at home!

JoBeth Hull wrote, “Our

seamstresses are busy sewing face

masks - so the warmer piles have

not diminished. Of course with no

one buying them, our stock is no

lower than before.”

Thank You to the Craft Committee

for their efforts to make face masks

during these very difficult times!

(And, Thank You to Gary Turton

for modeling the first mask made by

Deanna!)

Garden Views Busy as Bees!

By Deanna Turton

CRAFT COMMITTEE NEWS

pg. 6

Basket Tools By Tim Downing, Senior Park Aide/Volunteer Coordinator

You hear a lot about living history around the Park. However, have you ever

really wondered what our living history guilds do for the Park? Well, it’s a lot!

Our guilds really are the backbone to making that connection to the past for

our park visitors. We do it through our period attire, our crafts and our passion

for early San Diego History. Each of our guilds is unique, and they have their

own niche in San Diego history that they provide for the Park. Some of the

guilds are hands-on, some demonstrative, some informative…and others are a

combination of all of them.

Recently our Basketry Guild needed some tools to work their baskets. Where

do you go to get period correct looking basket making tools? Well, here in Old

Town State Historic Park, you start with our Blacksmiths!

Rita Connaty, the Basketry Guild lead, wanted

some simple tools for her guild to use when

making baskets here in the Park. She went over to

the Blacksmith Shop to talk with Beth Holmberg

and David Campbell. After Rita explained what

the guild needed, Beth and David came up with a

plan. David would do the metalwork needed for

the tools. Beth would change hats from being a

blacksmith to that of a woodworker, and make the

wooden handles!

This is just one of the many great things our guilds

do for not just the Park, but for each other. We are

truly a family! In many ways, it is this sense of

family that separates our Park from others…not to

mention the skills that our guild members have!

David Campbell and Beth Holmberg

WANTED: NEW BOOT BOARD MEMBERS For several months, the BOOT Board of Directors has been actively looking for new

members to replace currently serving Board members. BOOT activities and fundraising is

critical to the Park’s mission of serving the public. For many years BOOT has supplemented

the Park budget with significant funding. The Park Store is a major contributor to these

funds. Please consider serving. The satisfaction in knowing that you make a difference in

the Park is certainly rewarding.

If interested, please send an email to webmaster@boostersofoldtown.com.

pg. 7

By Tim Downing, Senior Park Aide/Volunteer Coordinator

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. This is not what any of us had envisioned for April 2020, despite all

our current challenges, the staff and management here in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park want our

volunteers to know we appreciate ALL of you and what you do for OUR Park!

You all donated 15,859 hours to our Park in 2019! For those of you who are wondering, 10,086 were in

direct support of our Living History programs! Those are the hours when you all were here talking to our

Park guests! Those hours set you apart from other volunteers in other parks. You all did over 216 living

history activities and events in 2019. Yes, you read that right, over 216 activities and events! We have

volunteers who participate in living history activities every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and

Saturday. Then, you add in our extra special events like 4th

of July, Stagecoach Days and Day of the Dead,

which are not always on our normal days, it all adds up quickly! Our volunteers average about 18 living

history activities a month!

The top ten volunteers for 2019 were: Hours

1. Dolly Wilson, Dolly’s Dolls and Sewing 941

2. JoBeth Hull, The Park Store 920

3. Deanna Turton, Crafts and Gardening 640 4. Sal Sandoval, Woodshop 546

5. Patt Seitas, Quilter 527 6. Steve Van Wormer, Blacksmith 496 7. Leah Estrin, Quilter 452

8. Mike “Hoppie” Hopkins, Blacksmith 388 9. David Gottfredson, Blacksmith 320 10. Beth Holmberg, Blacksmith 260

Even though we are off to a hard start for 2020, you all will be vital to the Park in the coming months. Once

we are all given the opportunity to participate in our weekly activities again, you all will continue to be the

backbone of our Park. It will be all of you who will help to bring the level of normalcy back to OUR

Park. Having you all back in the Park will be a moral boost to not just the Park visitors, but to the staff,

venders and most of all, YOU!

On behalf of the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, I again want to thank all our volunteers for all your

hard work and time you gave to OUR Park in 2019! I am proud to be your Volunteer Coordinator. I enjoy

working for you all. Thank you for all you do for OUR Park!

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In an effort to protect public health and the safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff as the state responds to the continued threat of COVID-19, California State Parks is temporarily closing the visitor center and museums and temporarily suspending all guided tours at Old Town SDSHP. While we are not directly affected by COVID-19, we are monitoring the situation carefully and are committed to being responsive and following California Governor’s updated policy on social gatherings to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The park will remain open for other activities such as shopping (limited) and enjoying the outdoor plaza. We recognize the importance of visiting Old Town SDSHP represents an opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy fresh air with family and friends and escape from our daily routines. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause your visit. We thank you for your patience, trust and continued support. We’d also like to thank our volunteers and staff for their commitment and dedication as public servants through these challenging circumstances.

For the most up-to-date information, please follow

our Park webpage https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=663

and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/oldtownsandiego/.

Museums ClosedT This is a temporary precautionary measure under the direction of the

Governor of California.

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THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS!

Balboa Park Plaza 3033 5th Ave., Ste. 210 San Diego, CA 92103

(619) 546-5196 mtaylor@nwbenvironmental.com

pg. 9

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

The Park Store: Mary Jones

Historian/Grants: Bob Wohl

Restoration Specialist: Chuck Ferrell

Web Master: Bob Jones

Membership: Susan Hector

Board Members: Cindy Furlong

Becky Halliburton

Stephen R. VanWormer

Poppy Paper Ruth French

Editor: poppypapereditor@gmail.com

BOOT Website: http://boostersofoldtown.com/

Park Website: www.parks.ca.gov/oldtownsandiego

SEE YOUR

AD HERE!!!

Join these businesses in their support of Old

Town San Diego State Historic Park.

Please refer to the back cover page for more

details.

MONTHLY BOOT BOARD

MEETINGS

BOOT Board Meetings are held

the 3rd

Wednesday, 1:00 pm, at

Café Coyote. Monthly Board

Meetings are always open to the

public.

pg. 10

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:_________________________________________________________ Send to: BOOT Membership Committee, 4002 Wallace Street, San Diego, CA 92110