Inside This Issue Advocacy Day Page 2 Castro Adobe “Buy a Brick” Campaign Page 4 Parkviews Meder House & Monarch Grove Updates Page 6
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Quarterly Newsletter of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks Spring 2008 Inside this Issue Advocacy Day page 2 Castro Adobe “Buy A Brick” Campaign page 4 ParkViews Meder House & Monarch Grove Updates page 6 Friends Board Members hike along Yellowbank Beach, North Coast Dairy Properties, as part of a familiarization tour led by Victor Roth of State Parks. Read more about Victor on page 3. Photo by Don Nielsen. BOARD & STAFF OFFICERS Jim Brownson – Co-Chair Pat Clark Val Cole – Co-Chair Advocacy Thank Linda Hoff – Secretary Charlie Kieffer To all of our new Lani LeBlanc Together, we make the difference. Barney Levy members & Ed Newman Up to $49 Don Nielsen ECENTLY YOU, OUR MEMBERS, let Friends know in no uncertain terms that our role as Marji Macrury Jim Toney – Co-Chair Advocates on behalf of our local State Parks, and the State Parks system as a whole Alan & Linda Watson are a valuable part of our mission. We asked you to support our advocacy efforts, Bob Piwarzyk Chief Ranger Bonita Sebastian Kirk Lingenfelter – CAL and the response was overwhelming. Within the fi rst week following our letter to the Carol McCarthy membership, 81 people responded that they wanted their voices to be heard. Thank Cooper Young STAFF you for this clear directive. We’ve heard, and we’re working on it! Debbie Wilson Jan Cohen – Dorothy Kukla Interim Executive Director RAs an example of our efforts, on April 7, Friends Board Member Don Nielsen woke up in the Dottie Robinson Dotty Gibb Randy Widera – wee small hours of the morning to drive our van full of advocates to Sacramento. We’d like to Hannah S. Goldstein Director of Strategic thank Don for getting our folks up and back safely. Our advocates, representing the voices of our James & Nancy Costanza Development & Partnerships membership, joined our partners, the California State Parks Foundation, at their 6th Annual Park Jane Schwamberger Jearren Kenner Joe Sutton – Advocacy Day. More than 250 advocates stormed the Capitol, meeting with representatives from Offi ce Manager Jenni McGuire up and down the state to lobby for our State Parks. Thank you to all of our advocates who took the Joyce & George Medeiros Peg Danielson – time to make the trip. At noon, several speakers, including our own Randy Widera, took part in a Leticia Camacho Development & Lorna Shearer Communications Manager press conference attended by an estimated 350 people. The energy generated by these Park Lovers Louise W. Good was incredible, and carried the advocates into their afternoon meetings. Marge & Malcolm Fraser Annie MacHale – Nan & Thomas McDonnell Retail Manager We all know that there are many complex and diffi cult issues facing parks today, including draco- Nancy L. Thomas Dana Cramblet – nian budget cuts and seemingly endless threats to the parks themselves, and these messages were Natalia Camacho Bookkeeper Ofelia Garcia reinforced on Park Advocacy Day. Legacy Award Winning Senator Christine Kehoe announced Phyllis W. Stollenwerk Lily Geisler – that the California State Assembly Committee on Natural Resources will hold a hearing on May 13 Rose Gong & G. Ness Retail Assistant Sandra & Norman Porath to hear public testimony regarding the budget issue. Friends will be redoubling our advocacy efforts Amber West – Sandra L. Wadhams so that we can take a clear message to the legislature at that hearing. Please take a moment to sign Susan Brakenbury Retail Assistant the letter enclosed in this issue of ParkViews and return it to Friends. We will be glad to deliver it Winifred & David Heron Dave Johnson – Data Guru Alyce & Richard Prudden to the hearing on the 13th for you. Marianne Wyllie – Andria Bossard Ann & Richard Pinkham Graphic Artist In his remarks on Advocacy Day, Jack O’Connell, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, April Danley STATE PARK pointed out that the educational opportunities presented by State Parks are a tremendous educa- Betty Deleon tional value. He went so far as to say that State Parks and Education in California are “inextricably Brenda Flegal INTERPRETIVE STAFF Christine Delapp Jodi Apelt linked.” We here at Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks agree with him. In fact, the funding that Claire Sommargren Jeff Barnes Friends provides here in Santa Cruz County has created a network of education and interpretive Dart & Peggy Keech programs that is unrivaled in the state. We here at Friends feel that our work in education is critical Elizabeth Wrenn Jean Bernard Greg Beebe & Monique Vairo Barbara Cooksey for the next generation. Hannah Nielsen Harriet Talan Amanda Dall We need your help to continue our efforts. Please show your support by continuing to visit our Helen Cheney Cecelia de Giere parks, and enjoy our programs. Helen Schomberg John Goldberg James & Suzanne Ellmore In closing, Mr. O’Connell said that it was not enough merely to preserve the Parks for the current Jan & Jerry Finney Elizabeth Hammack and future generations; that the Parks must be enhanced for those future generations. We at Friends Jane & Pat Carey Roberta Haver Kate Clark of Santa Cruz State Parks couldn’t agree with him more. This is our mission, every day of the year. Keith Wood Linda Hitchcock Thank you for being with us, every step of the way. Together, we make the difference. Ken Sievers Jan Leppe Lee & Elizabeth Zalaznik Elise McFarland Linda Bennett Linda Locklin Martha Nitzberg Lois Meyer Julie Sidel Sunny Schacher Leslie Swaha Celia & Peter Scott Eileen Attanasio Paul Thiltgen & Maureen Role Betty & Leo Gray Mark Hamersly & Ruth Updegraff Cynthia Mathews Fran Maupin Peter & Leona Burge Dart & Peggy Keech Wolfgang Rosenberg & David & Geri Lieby Harold Short Phyllis & David Albritton Emily’s Good Things to Eat Norma Del Gaudio David J. Berkland Jearren Kenner Rosemary Zarate-Crevello & Glenice Magee Kirsten Liske Diane & George Pettinger Lise Peterson & Don Peattie Albert Crevello Jana Baumann & Ed Richardson Andrea Woodworth & Barry Phillips Diane Crawford Marcella & Joe Hall Shelley Gravem Marcia & Robert F. Rider Anne G. Lynn Diane Robey Margaret C. Cole Sid Chapman & Jon Backstrom Richard & Diane Klein Anonymous Dick & Marion Vittitow Margaret Morales Stephen Jameson Bruce & Breta Holgers 2 Betty Deleon Don & Audrey Thompson Pat See Tonya Haro Cindy & Paul Geise Carole & Tom Beckett Dorothy M. Forster Patricia Stewart Vern Katz Daniel Davis & Terry-Lynn Winston nk You ew & renewing s & donors ow many people do you know who could say this: Maggie Dickson “I have never stayed awake at night, wondering Mark Alexander what I should be doing with my life.”? Mike Harrison Peter & Leona Burge HThis is a quote from Victor Roth, longtime employee of Rich & Lynn Schmitt California Department of Parks and Recreation. Victor, who Robert S. & Minette B. Goldsmith Ruth Grant self-admittedly wears many hats in his position as a public land Salvatore & Constance Bertuca management specialist in the Santa Cruz District, has always Sue & Bruce Kissell had a passion for resource conservation. This must have been Suzanne & James Shaug Theresa Coyle the beacon that lighted the way in his life, through education, Zachariah Friend volunteerism, traveling, and ultimately career. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau John & Regina Kelbert Victor was born and raised in the East Bay. He attended the Virginia Bessone University of Oregon, receiving a B.A. in Social Sciences. He Birgit Weskamp Bonnie & Lee Tinder then joined the Peace Corps, spending two years in Venezuela, Charles Hall & Linda Burman-Hall assisting an Andes municipality with site location studies for Chris & Pat Cross Cynthia Chang & Thomas Yin projects like schools and health clinics. Fluent in Spanish, Victor DeAnne & Rich Hart traveled throughout South America for six months following Deena Lahn Peace Corps. Dick & Marion Vittitow Donna & Peter Thomas Upon his return to the U.S., Victor entered the graduate Ellen & Mark Jackson Genevieve C. Dean program in planning at the College of Environmental Design, George Bunch U.C. Berkeley. James & Joan Littlefi eld Jeanette & Paul Johnson Now is the point where all the training and the focus come Jenifer Lienau Thompson & together to manifest in a vocation of environmental stewardship. Jeremy Thompson Jennifer Gille Immediately upon completion of his Master’s degree, Victor Jo & Ron Olmstead Another huge aspect of Victor’s responsibilities includes land Kevin Klein & Amy Locks was hired to work for the California Coastal Commission in its pre-acquisition activities. “This is a very rewarding component Kirk & Kim Strong fi rst decade. Victor was on board with this agency for nine years of my job,” Victor comments. The recent purchase of Coast Kirk Smith and became actively familiar with the unique natural attributes Larry & Charleen Holcomb Dairies properties is an example. Leonard & Jan Foreman of our local coastline and the general vicinity. So when you feel Leslie Freund gratitude for our pristine, undeveloped coastline, think Victor. Victor’s job does not stop once the property is acquired, how- Mark Conover ever. Then he must deal with property management issues such Mark Nockleby Next Victor joined the California State Park System, where he as trespass, right-of-way, and easements, as well as the preserva- Mike Dalbey & Camille Scelfo-Dalbey has been employed for twenty years. During that time, his role Mike McConnell tion and protection of our unique environment. “This is a bio- Ofelia & Arnold Reyna evolved into being the man in the know for all land acquisi- logical hot spot,” comments Victor. “We have a large number Pamela & Herb Taylor tions for the State Parks in the Santa Cruz District. So when you Pat Emard & John Wiechman of rare and endangered plant and animal species that we are Peter & Christine Wang enjoy hiking or biking acres of Grey Whale Ranch and other serious about protecting.” Phyllis & David Albritton recent state park acquisitions, think Victor. Richard & Diane Klein In this role, Victor supervises a cadre of state park specialists, Robert & Beverly Montague Victor also works with the local farmers who lease state-owned including archaeologists to biologists.