pg. 1

THE POPPY PAPER

September 2010

Official Monthly Publication of the

Boosters of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

A Non-Profit Organization

I also included, as I had promised, letters written by

Park volunteers. We had done a cultural training at the

VIP Meeting in February 2009, called “Talk to the

Future, Listen to the Past.” At that time, about 25

volunteers wrote letters to the future, and I had

promised to bury them within the Cosmo project. As a

courtesy, I promised not to read them. Just before we

buried them, however, we thought we should (in case

of political diatribe, you are all such radicals). They

were so touching and wonderful.

BOOT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Jeanne Ferrell (619) 543-9057 Vice President: Gary Turton (619) 222-0047

Secretary/

Treasurer: Deanna Turton (619) 222-0047

BOOT Store: Mary Jones

Membership: Shirlee Rodriguez

Historian: Bob Wohl

Poppy Paper Ruth French (858) 583-1269

Editor: ruthfrench@earthlink.net

Board Members: Mary Ellen Young

Tom Young

Cindy Furlong

Bob Jones

Website: http://boostersofoldtown.com/

Just before the 1870‟s antique bar was placed into the restored Cosmopolitan Hotel, State Park

archaeologists tucked a time capsule under the floor. For months, we had been digging under the

1827 adobe footings in preparation for all the „modern‟ requirements to open a hotel and restaurant.

We came across Bandini‟s floor board markings and Seeley‟s back yard trash deposits. We located an

olive factory‟s bottle dump, plaster piles from the 1930s Cave Couts Jr. renovation, the Cardwell

Family‟s brickwork from the 1950s, and window insets from Diane Power‟s Casa de Bandini

Restaurant. We divided everything into individual „time capsules,‟ each one a self-contained

reflection of what was going on at a given time.

Our time capsule (under the corner of the bar nearest the front door) contained an 1869 photo of the

hotel, a copy of the Cosmopolitan Chronicles (our work diary during the hotel‟s rehabilitation), some

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park brochures, the 2010 Event Calendar, a copy of the Mott

Award that the District received for the work, Historian Victor Walsh‟s “Restoration of a Landmark”

article, a Whaley House pass (as ghosts do time travel) and our individual business cards.

by Therese Muranaka, Associate State Archaeologist

California Department of Parks and Recreation, San Diego Coast District

Continued on pg. 2…

pg. 2

President’s Notes by Jeanne Ferrell

Summer is over… My almost 6-week vacation in Alaska convinced me to stop more often and do the

things I want to do. Enjoy family and friends and the incredible beauty of this country. It has been a

challenge to get back into the responsibilities in Old Town. However, the BOOT Board has been BUSY

this summer. A world‟s record of e-mails has kept me in touch with most of the Board. (There were

stretches where there was absolutely no communication, like the Alaska Ferry ride from Prince Rupert,

Canada to Haines, Alaska. Not such a bad thing if you think about it.)

The Board has been pursuing grants this summer. We were awarded a sum from the County Board of

Supervisors. Our Supervisor, Ron Roberts, has always been very supportive of Old Town. So thanks to

him and all the Supervisors, next year‟s two major BOOT events, Ladies Day and 4th

of July will have

extra funds to make them extraordinarily awesome.

The Board Grant Committee, that worked on another grant (results will not be known for a while), wants

to thank Karen Beery and all the staff that helped put the grant together. I can tell you that it WAS a

long and laborious process for all. A new disease came out of this, Grant Exhaustion (penned by

Deanna Turton). There are too many people to thank individually, but you know who you are. You‟re

the people who are always there to help with everything. I love every one of you.

We are starting our budget process for next year, 2011. The request forms for the Park Staff and

Volunteers will be available in the Robinson Rose. All these forms must go to Rich Dennison for Park

approval before being given to us. BOOT members may submit their forms at the Board Meetings, or e-

mail them back to me. FORMS ARE DUE IN BY SEPTEMBER 17th

. If you have any questions,

please call me.

This brings me to explaining the process for determining which requests get the funds. Simply put, we

cannot fund every request we receive, not at the present level of contributions to BOOT. We agonize

over what the priorities are for the year. We work with the Park Staff to determine which requests are at

the head of their lists. The process takes 3 – 4 months. That is one of the reasons we are working to find

more sources of income. So, if you have any suggestions, on how to get the money and how to spend

the money, please contact me:

619-995-0787 (cell), 619-543-9057 (work), Jeanne_ferrell@yahoo.com

Talking to the future is quite a responsibility… One letter read, “Leave knowledge for future

generations...cherish the research that has been done to protect our past history.” Another read, “I lived

through the 20th

century from the gas lamp to the laser, and the automobile to the rocket to reach outer

space. I hope the 21st century is as wonderful as mine.” Lydia and Luke Mastaglio, who have „grown

up‟ in the Park volunteering and doing interpretation, also left notes…a fitting touch that their notes are

tucked away for a very long time.

Finally, I included the March 2009 issue of the Poppy Paper, with a front-page article entitled “A Fond

Farewell.” It was a tribute to long-time volunteer and docent Jeanette Marline who had died shortly after

the aforementioned VIP Meeting. Ruth French wrote that she didn‟t know what to write to the future, so

she peeked onto Jeanette‟s note to the future…which read “Peace.” I hope all you hard-working docents

feel touched that your work is remembered in that capsule, and the next time you are „hanging on‟ the

bar, know that a memorial to you is just under your feet.

The “Cosmo” Time Capsule (continued from pg. 1)

pg. 3

Treasurer’s Notes By Deanna Turton

As I write this article, August is about half gone and I ask myself, "Where have the lazy, crazy days of

summer gone?" To many of us BOOT board members, it has passed in attending meetings, writing

emails, and trying our best to get all the paperwork together to apply for a National Endowment for the

Humanities grant. Other BOOT board members spent several weeks in Alaska enjoying the terrific

scenery and spending time with their families. Lest you think, they were immune from the grant

application process, you would be wrong because the long arm of the internet could always reach them ---

so they were able to stay connected to the communication loop. The grant has been successfully

submitted, and we are hopeful for a good result, even though we realize these grants are very competitive.

During the month of July, however, normal BOOT operations went on as usual...well almost as usual!

The July 4th event earned $1751.45 on the day of the event, but after all the bills were paid, that profit

was considerably reduced. The BOOT store also did well with all of the summertime tourists visiting our

State Park. And indeed, even the donation boxes were up this month showing a daily average of $64.02.

Tours also did well ($550.00) despite a slow-down in school tours during the summer months. Expenses

that were over $200 were in the following categories: Insurance Liability -$1080.00, Sales Taxes -

$688.00, BOOT Store Inventory - $3820.25, Poppy Paper - $249.59, July 4th - $969.33, Stagecoach Days

- $319.43, Burros - $627.43, Period Attire Bank - $378.92.

There was also another shining star during the month of July, for Joe Vazquez managed to obtain a grant

from the California Park Foundation for $2500...which is earmarked for the annual volunteer appreciation

event. Coincidentally, this is almost the exact amount of profit over loss this month. However, we must

remember that most of the $2554.79 that we showed in profit is in great part the total amount of the CPF

grant and the expenses for the volunteer appreciation event will use up most of the grant. Indeed, all

unused money must be returned. So, in reality we only showed a $54.79 in profit during the month of

July.

TwainFest and Tussie Mussies by Ruth French

Deanna and I had a wonderful afternoon on August 21st, acquainting the Park visitors to “tussie mussies.”

As Deanna headed off to the gardens to clip all of the necessary herbs and flowers for our activity, I

gathered up the tablecloths, basket of ribbons, and floriography books. Since several volunteer activities

had already been planned for the front porch of the Robinson-Rose, we decided to set up shop on the

picnic table under the big shade tree, in the Plaza directly in front of the Johnson House. The location

proved ideal, as we were in very close proximity to many of the other TwainFest activities.

For those unfamiliar with the term: A Tussie Mussie is a small bunch of flowers and herbs, typically

given as a gift. Historically, tussie mussies included floral symbolism, and therefore were often used to

send a message to the recipient.

Needless to say, our sign entitled “Make Your Own Tussie Mussie” drew attention all by itself, but the

fragrance of the freshly cut herbs certainly aroused the attention of many. Much conversation, much

laughter and much fun experienced by all…from the four little girls (ages 3-8) having a play-date with

their cousins…to the teenaged boy who made one for his mother (with great trepidation).

It was a lovely day in the Park…AND…we made $27.00 to boot (and for BOOT)!!!

pg. 4

Superintendent’s Message by Richard Dennison

Historic Sector Visitor Services Superintendent

Thank you for supporting Old Town San Diego State Historic Park through volunteering, donations,

membership, and just helping preserve the history of early San Diego. There are always many things

going on, and the next few months are no exception.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Sept. 5 - Hot Licks Fiery Food Festival - a subconcession at Fiesta de

Reyes will host an event in the plaza, with music and vendors.

Sept. 11 - Fiestas Patrias / Mexican Independence Day - Plaza 12-

4pm, followed by a fandango in the Estudillo from 4-6pm.

Sept. 18 - A Taste Of Old Town - Fiesta of Flavors - Plaza, 1-4pm,

music, live demonstrations, equestrians, agave related.

http://bit.ly/c1cqZZ

Sept. 23 - California State Park Foundation reception "Hidden

Stories of Light & Freeman" - Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restaurant, 5:30-

7:30pm, FREE. http://bit.ly/9bAj7o

Sept. 26 – Celtic Connections…Beneath an Irish Sky – Fiesta de

Reyes, 4-6:30pm, music, dancing, silent auction, wine tasting.

www.irishoutreachsd.org

Nov. 6 - Early San Diego Regional History Conference - annual

activity to network on history, focusing on pre-1848, call 619-423-7248

for info. [As a note, the Park's website also has info on Early San Diego

Families/Descendants].

Recently State Park Staff met with members of Slow Food Urban San Diego and the chef and

General Manager at Cosmopolitan Restaurant for renewing our collaborative effort of the Heritage

Garden Project. Slow Food will utilize existing areas around the park for heritage gardens,

volunteers and students would manage the gardens, and connect the park and Cosmopolitan with the

food community and bring attention to healthy living and sustainability.

The Native Plant Society will be adding some additional plantings below the McCoy-Silvas site, near

Congress and Old Beech Rd., as an example of a wetland environment. The Park's Gardens around

the Silvas, Stewart, McCoy and Estudillo museums are all looking well cared for, thanks to

volunteers and grounds staff.

A large storage container was placed in an under-utilized area behind the Candle Shop, to help with

the park's need of a consolidated location for interpretive materials. This will free up some space in

the sheds behind the Robinson-Rose Building for BOOT‟s storage needs.

As you have some free time, come by the park and take a step back in time and envision what early

San Diego may have been like. We are always looking for volunteers to assist in museums, the

BOOT Store or on a variety of other projects.

Thanks again for supporting this unique area in America's Finest City.

http://bit.ly/c1cqZZhttp://bit.ly/9bAj7ohttp://www.irishoutreachsd.org/

pg. 5

by Anthony Lee Edwards, Park Aide

San Diego is one of only five places in the world to be fortunate enough to have a Mediterranean climate.

Elderberries are native to Southern California and were important to early San Diego. The Native

Kumeyaay tribes used the branches of the Elderberry to create flutes. Many of the Elderberry trees and

bushes in Old Town San Diego produce fruit and now is time to pick it before it rots. Elderberry wine can

be made from straight elderberry juice but it will take around 50-60 pounds of Elderberries to make five

gallons of juice. A simple alternative to using this much fruit is the addition of pure cane sugar. This will

allow fewer berries to be used but still allow the wine to have the elderberry flavor that is desired. All

elderberries must be thoroughly cleaned before use in the wine making process. Separate the berries

completely from the stems as they can impart a bitter flavor to the wine.

A simple recipe is as follows:

15 lbs. Elderberries

10 lbs. Pure Cane Sugar

5 gal. Water (boiled)

5 Camden tablets (to inhibit wild yeast, molds, and bacteria)

3-4 ripe Lemons

1 packet of Wine Yeast

Take the 15 lbs. of clean elderberries and place them in a plastic six gallon food grade plastic bucket.

Crush the fruit, being gentle not to break open the little seeds inside the fruit. Add enough water to the

bucket to make up five gallons. Once the water is added, take the sugar and dissolve it in as little water as

possible and add that to the mixture. The specific gravity of the liquid should be about 1.110 (if it is low,

add more sugar). This can be checked with a hydrometer if so desired. This will give the yeast plenty of

food to convert to alcohol. The next thing that must be adjusted is the acid levels of the liquid. By adding

lemon juice to the mix, we can raise the acid levels. This can be checked using a wine acid testing kit and

should read 6-7 p.p.t. tartaric (if lower add more lemon juice). Wine making is an art and does not have to

follow exact recipes. However, if you ever want to make the same wine again it is advised that you take

excellent notes and record everything every time you make a batch of wine. This way you have a perfect

record on how to recreate what you liked and avoid what you didn‟t find appealing.

Once all of the ingredients are combined, crush the Camden tablets and add them to the mixture. This is

done to stop the wild yeasts, molds, and bacteria from growing. Fit a lid to the bucket and wait about a

day. Historically they just covered the vat with a cloth. It is recommended that you use an airlock of some

sort. This allows the air to escape the bucket through a valve that only lets air out. Do not seal the bucket

as it will explode. An airlock can be made by fitting a clear tube to the lid and placing the other end of the

tube in a jar of water (make sure this end stays in the water!). This keeps the airborne critters, such as

mold, out of the mixture. This is very important. After twenty four hours it is time for the most important

step. The last step in the creation of wine is the addition of yeast. Once the yeast is added to the mixture a

lid fitted with an airlock should once again be tightly secured to the bucket. Make sure to leave three to

four inches free at the top of the bucket as the wine will foam up and could spill out causing a sticky

mess.

continued on pg. 6…

pg. 6

Best Laid Plans by Deanna Turton

This year, as in many years in the past, we tried to

plant heritage vegetables in the Machado-Stewart

garden. Most years, the plants promptly die or slowly

wither as the summer progresses. This year,

however, we had high hopes for our purple corn

plants. They rooted well, and grew taller than most

regular types of corn. In fact, they are so tall, we

thought they were competing with the Jack in the

Beanstalk nursery rhyme. However, we are sad to

report that there are no ears on the stalks! Not one

ear! So, next year, we will surely not plant purple

corn again and return to the old standard of

strawberry popcorn.

The heritage tomato plants did slightly better in that

they did bear some tasty orange cherry tomatoes.

This is much better than in years past when only the

hybrid varieties bore fruit. However, we only got one

zucchini and one cucumber so far - not too much

despite our loving care and JP's manure tea. About

the only good news to report is that the pumpkin

plants are growing well but it remains to be seen if

we get any pumpkins this year. Last year all of our

pumpkins were stolen so even though we might be

lucky growing vegetables, that does not mean we get

to harvest any of them!

The rest of the garden is growing well, however, and

today Winnie Adams harvested a wide variety of

herbs. We give many thanks to her for doing this job

for many years.

Pictured: The Machado-Stewart Garden (photo courtesy of G. Turton)

Elderberry Wine (…continued from pg. 5)

Now that the foaming has subsided it is time to strain off all the pulp from the mixture. The next step is to

siphon the wine into another bucket or a clear glass carboy. “Racking” is the term used for transferring the

liquid via siphoning making sure to leave behind any sediment. Once the transfer is complete the bucket

must be tightly fitted with an airlock again. In a couple of weeks the airlock will stop bubbling. This is

evidence that the yeast is slowing down and dying. A complete lack of bubbling indicates that the wine

has finished fermenting. Now the yeast will start to accumulate on the bottom of the bucket and the wine

will be visibly clearer. The wine should be separated from the yeast sediment every two to three months

using the “racking” method. The wine will clarify as the yeast settles to the bottom. Bottling should be

done after six months.

Please do not let your fruit rot. Make some wine, invite some friends over, and enjoy the fruits of Mother

Nature‟s labor.

pg. 7

THANK YOU TO OUR NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS!

From the Editor’s Desk…

I can‟t believe that I have completed two years as a BOOT Board Member and the Poppy Paper Editor!

Where has the time gone? During the first few months as the Editor, I spent so much time simply

encouraging people to write articles. And, looking back on the August 2008 edition, I see that it was a very

small issue with a LOT of text and a few “clip art” embellishments. With a newer computer and updated

software, recent issues include photos, colorful headlines and fun formatting, which certainly improves the

readability of the Poppy Paper (especially on-line).

I‟m sure our readers have noticed that much of the writing is done by a handful of people. The Poppy Paper

would not exist without the dedication of a few loyal contributors. However, this month‟s edition includes

two wonderful and very unique contributions…The Cosmo Time Capsule by Archaeologist Therese

Muranaka and Old Town Elderberry Wine #1 by Park Aide Anthony Lee Edwards.

We welcome any articles that relate to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, as well as the surrounding

community and its people. So, if you are hankering to write something, you may find the following

guidelines helpful:

POPPY PAPER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Park Aides: Submit to rdennison@parks.ca.gov

Volunteers: Submit to jvasquez@parks.ca.gov

ALL OTHER SUBMISSIONS may be sent directly to the editor: ruthfrench@earthlink.net DEADLINE: 25

th of each month (handwritten deadline is the 20

th-in my volunteer folder in the Robinson-Rose Bldg.)

If you do not desire any editing of your article, adherence to the following is mandatory:

FONT TYPE AND SIZE: Times New Roman (12)

STYLE: single spaced with a double space between paragraphs (not indented)

LENGTH: 400 words or less

NOTE: 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 Reading!

mailto:rdennison@parks.ca.gov

pg. 8

pg. 9

pg. 10

BOOSTERS OF OLD TOWN San Diego State Historic Park

4002 Wallace Street

San Diego, CA 92110

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 ____$ 20.00 – Single Supporting Member ____$ 50.00 – Corporate Membership

____$ 35.00 – Family (2 or more individuals) (includes business card sized ad in the Poppy Paper

____$ 15.00 – Senior (62+ years)/Student Single and on our website for one month)

____$ 25.00 – Senior Couple (62+ years ____$125.00 – Enhanced Corporate Membership*

____$150.00 – Life Member (62+ years) (includes business card sized ad in the Poppy Paper

and on our website for 12 months)

____ I am also interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact me!

NAME(S) ________________________________________________________

ADDRESS _______________________________________________________

CITY ________________________ __STATE _______ ZIP________________

PHONE ______________________E-MAIL ____________________________

I belong to the following group(s): Docent___ Military___ Descendants ___ Californios ___

Make your check out to “BOOT” and mail to:

BOOT Membership Chairperson, Shirlee Rodriguez, P.O. Box 152676, San Diego, CA 92195