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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Thank you for electing me President of Los Californianos for the year 2010. I say that knowing full well that there was no opposing candidate and that the majority of the membership didn’t cast a vote. That being said, I am making it a priority to find a replacement for my position, again knowing full well that that means enticing more of the membership to get involved with the leadership. That I believe, with no disrespect to our able leadership of the past and present, means that we need new, younger members. When I, a fifty-four year old man, am of the younger generation of the board, and frequently the youngest or one of the youngest members at the meetings, we are setting ourselves up to be riding off into the sunset of oblivion. So encouraging our adult children to join, attend meetings, get involved is our wonderful organization, and discover their heritage is my top priority. The aim of the Warner Springs Ranch meeting held last January was to be family friendly, and for those of us who could make it, the meeting was a stunning success. There were plenty of things for kids of all ages, though the rain prior to arrival did dampen the trails enough to prevent horseback riding. The indoor games, the hiking trails, and nearby amenities were sufficient to keep all who attended occupied. In addition were two very informative talks given by Dr. Teofilo Ruiz, professor of history at UCLA, and John Clements, master builder for the Mission Studies Group and authority on San Diego area missions. Professor Ruiz gave an exciting talk on the history of the Spanish empire, with plenty of surprising and entertaining anecdotes such suggesting that if the empire were to be considered a vast urban area, then California would be…Barstow. John Clements was motivated by an earlier visit to the Ranch to provide a detailed history of the valley, noting that the story was completing another chapter with the purchase of Warner Springs Ranch by the very tribe, the Kupa, that had been forced out during the American occupation by Governor Downey. The Kupa were forcibly relocated to Pala along with several tribal groups in the area. Recently their casino has made the quite wealthy and in seeking to diversify they are currently in escrow on the Ranch. With luck we can return to hear from the new owners. Our next meeting has been relocated from Riverside to San Juan Bautista. It was felt by many members that having two meetings in a row so close to one another, (Riverside is only sixty miles from Warner Ranch), and San Juan B. is very familiar, both us to them and they to us. I look forward to seeing a large crowd there as the weather should be more appealing and the travel distance for many will be shorter. More details from Joe Barnes can be found on the April Meeting page. April Meeting Andrew K. Calkins Carrillo |
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