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News And Events
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OCTOBER 22, 2012
As the weather mercifully is beginning to turn cooler, I would like to bring you up to date on what’s going on in your park and in your Association.
First, a huge Thank You to Susie Murphy, Jim Loh and the rest of the MBAU volunteers for the extremely successful MBAU Benefit Ride just completed. This and the annual MAU Benefit are important fund raisers for the park and we are indeed fortunate to have such a dedicated and energetic group that gives their all to ensure the success of these events. Both of these events require a lot of planning, beginning months in advance. It’s a lot of work and the Park is fortunate to have these dedicated volunteers to step up and do the planning.
A bit of not so good news for the Park is that longtime volunteer Molly Jean Featheringill is stepping back a bit from some of the many duties that she has performed over the years. Molly Jean, who I like to call “Ms. Cuyamaca”, has been a dedicated and selfless volunteer for decades and her many accomplishments are far too numerous to list, but I would like to extend my personal thanks for two of her many tasks. First, the Park is in possession of brand new Interpretive Panels for the Stonewall Peak trail that Molly Jean designed and ushered through the manufacturing process. Those of you who have been in the Visitor Center Ready Room have seen these beautiful panels lined up in the hallway for viewing. We are working with the Park to get these panels installed along the Stonewall Peak Trail as soon as possible.
Molly Jean has also been an invaluable assistant to our Gift Shop operation. Those of you who have been in the Gift Shop lately will attest to how bright, airy and just simply inviting our Gift Shop is. Molly Jean not only helped with the physical layout, but she has taken the entire inventory, placed it in an inventory database and keeps it up to date. This information not only helps us order new merchandise in a timely manner, but is invaluable when State mandated inventory and tax times come around. Molly Jean’s daughter and son-in-law, Phyllis and George Meckstroth have stepped up and will take over the store inventory duties. Our gratitude goes out to Phyllis and George for volunteering to take on this demanding and vital task.
And speaking of the Gift Shop; the holiday season is fast approaching! I can’t think of a better way to both fulfill your gift lists AND support your park by doing your holiday shopping at your Gift Shop. If you haven’t been in to the Gift Shop lately, please make it a point to stop by and say Hi to our dedicated managers, Barb McCoy and Jo Fritschell and to their hard working volunteer staff. They would love to meet you and you will enjoy meeting them. Don’t forget to ask for your 10% CRSPIA member discount at checkout time!
I recently received a letter from Janelle Beland who is the acting Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Ms. Beland has been assigned the herculean task of getting the DPR back on track from the recent fiscal scandals and also to get it on some more solid financial footing. She touched on the recent passage of Assembly Bill 1478 on September 25 and how it will affect the State Parks. Among other things it puts a freeze on any park closures until 2014. It also sets up an orderly process to use the widely reported $20. 5 million in “hidden” funds. $10 million of this money will be used “in one time funding to keep parks open by matching contributions made by our partners. AB 1478 specifies that $10 million be appropriated to the Department to provide a match of any contributions by a partner pursuant to an agreement for the 2012-13 fiscal year and for agreements entered into in the 2013-14 fiscal year, wherein such agreements keep parks open. ” Ms. Beland goes on to say that DPR is now in the process of creating a procedural guide for implementing this portion of AB 1478.
The second $10 million of the $20. 5 million has been designated by AB 1478 to address urgent maintenance in parks with significant water, wastewater, sewer system and other serious maintenance issues that could result in a park having to be closed.
The final $500,000 was allocated by AB 1478 to pay for the audits and investigations now in progress.
Director Beland is most supportive of the various Cooperating Associations around the state and I do look forward to working with DPR’s new management for the benefit of Cuyamaca Rancho and Palomar Mountain State Parks. As soon as we receive the new guidelines for requesting matching funds, we will begin to work on a project list and fund raising programs for the matching grants. I will keep everyone informed of progress in this direction.
Last year, we were informed by Park management that the Park has been offered several grants for various projects within the park. The catch being that the corporations offering the grants will not grant us the money unless CRSPIA can show that its books and procedures have been audited by an outside and independent auditor. Accordingly, your Board of Directors has been working over the past several months to get our various financial policies formalized with written Operational Procedures. This would include things such as secondary, independent oversight of our expenditures and tightening up processes to ensure that all donations and other income are properly and formally documented and used in appropriate ways. None of this is to suggest that there was anything improper about past policies; it’s just that our donors demand that formal written procedures be in place and rigorously followed. At our last monthly Board meeting, the Board felt that we are finally ready for a formal audit and we signed a contract with an accounting firm that specializes in auditing non-profit corporations. Over the next several months I expect that this will put even additional work on our already hard working Treasurer, Doreen Harlow. We have been fortunate to have such a skilled Treasurer such as Doreen. She is very organized and keeps meticulous records. She also has no problem at all in responding with a firm “NO” if any funding request is submitted to her without all the “i”s dotted and the “t”s crossed (ask me, I know!). I am confident that with Doreen as our point person, we are ready for whatever the auditors throw at us.
As I know all of you are aware, the management of the Montane Sector is in the process of changing hands. Sector Superintendent Nedra Martinez is taking a well-deserved and hard earned retirement. The present Acting Sector Superintendent is Ray Lennox, Cuyamaca’s Chief of Maintenance. Our Cooperating Association Liaison is now Supervising Ranger Bob Hillis. All of us on the Board of Directors are looking forward to a productive and cooperative association with this new management team and I know that all of you will ready to assist the new team however you can.
Finally, don’t forget to mark Saturday, November 10 as a “must do” event on your calendar. This is the date of the gala Annual Volunteer Awards Banquet where the park takes time to honor the volunteers who have made the park run in the past year. Anyone who has attended this yearly event in the past will attest to how much fun this event is. As usual, main dish type food will be provided but please bring a side dish, salad or desert to share. Coffee, tea and punch will be provided but you are welcome to byob. A limited supply of paper plates and utensils will be set out, but it is always best to bring your own picnic plates, cups and utensils. I’m looking forward to greeting every one of you there. If we haven’t met before, please step up and introduce yourself so that I may welcome you. See you there!
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
September 1, 2012
The next three months are very important months for the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Interpretive Association. September is the month is which your Board of Directors solicits applications for new members of the Board. In November, ballots are sent to members and in December, the votes are counted and new Board members are announced. Annual, Supporting and Life members of CRSPIA are all eligible to serve on the Board of Directors.Four of the present Board Members are up for re-election this fall. If these four members decide to run for re-election their names shall be placed on the ballot. Additionally any other CRSPIA Members may run for the Board. By a previous vote of the Board, the present number of Directors is 9.
If you desire to have your name placed on the ballot for election, please notify, in writing, the President of the Board. My email address is located under the “Contacts” page of CRSPIA’s web page. Also, you may mail your notice to me at CRSPIA’s Post Office box, or simply hand it to me in person if you see me. At your option, you may include a “Statement of Interest” not to exceed 250 characters. If you include a “Statement of Interest”, it will be published on the ballot.
All applications must be received by the President no later than the Board’s Regular Monthly Meeting to be held on Saturday, November 3, 2012 at 8:30am at the Park’s Visitor Center.
At the November meeting, the Board will determine eligibility of all applicants and put together a ballot to be distributed to all eligible CRSPIA members. All ballots must be returned no later than the Regular Monthly Meeting to be held on Saturday, December 1, 2012. At that time, the Board will tabulate all received ballots and announce the results.
The only requirement (other than those noted above) to serve on the Board is a strong desire to help your Park. Each Board Member should be able to contribute at least several hours a month to serve on various committees, assist in our Gift Shop, help out with CRSPIA’s firewood and ice sales and help out anywhere else where needed. Also, we are always looking for talented people who can put together newsletters and keep our various databases up to date. Excel and Quickbooks skills are always in demand.
Local Business Supports A Fundraiser
To all friends of CRSPIA. I would like to take a moment to promote a local business that provided its facilities free of charge for a recent successful fundraiser for Friends4Picacho.
On June 23rd Friends4Picacho held a very successful fundraiser at the Gillespie Field Café in El Cajon. We showed the movie "1st 70", raffled off some nice gifts, and ate s'mores. Over $500.00 was raised. This event wouldn't have been possible, however, without the use of Gillespie Cafe. The café owners, Roxanne and Peter Oliver let us use the outdoor patio at the cafe which lent itself to a cozy setting for our event. All of us at CRSPIA and Friends4Picacho are very grateful and would like show our appreciation by asking you to patronize their business.
Gillespie Cafe is located at 2015 North Marshall Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020. It’s very easy to find because it’s located directly under the airport control tower. They serve breakfast and lunch 7 days a week. The menu has a variety of delicious dishes made fresh on site at reasonable prices. Beer and wine are also available. You can sit outside and watch the planes taxi, land and takeoff. From steak and eggs to burgers and fries this place has something for everyone. Go check it out!
Stephanie Buggert; Co-Chair, Friends4Picacho
Dave McClure; President, CRSPIA
MESSAGE FROM CRSPIA’s PRESIDENT
By Dave McClure, July, 2012
As the summer issue of CRSPIA’s Sentinel newsletter goes to press, I find it necessary to add some last minute comments regarding the recent news regarding “hidden funds” in the State Park budget.
I’m sure that all of you are as disappointed as I am regarding this revelation. Because of threatened State budget cutbacks, many of you have worked long, hard hours to raise money to keep your beloved parks open. This is particularly disappointing to supporters of two Southern California parks the State had scheduled for closure: Palomar Mountain State Park and Picacho State Recreation Area *.
Both of these parks have active volunteer units who stepped up with aggressive (and so far, successful) fund raising efforts so that their parks could remain open. Many supporters who, because of the poor economy are probably on tight budgets themselves, stepped and generously dipped into their already meager bank accounts to help. I’m sure that many of you generous donors are already wondering why you stepped up to donate your hard earned dollars when the State all this time apparently had the money needed to keep the parks open.
All that I can say to all of you is that I share your anger and disappointment about this. Our colleagues Rick Barclay and Lorie Long are especially upset in that they unwittingly presented an apparently inaccurate dire financial picture to the public in order to raise funding to keep their parks open.
I also wish to assure you that your Park management is as upset about all of this as you are. These managers have been struggling for several years to balance the needs and wishes of the public against tight finances from Sacramento. These decisions affected real people and real issues such as layoffs and deferred maintenance.
At this time, I still have no more information about this entire issue other than what I have seen on the news and read from various news sources. I will continue to closely monitor this situation and keep everyone informed as any new information comes out.
I would like to take this opportunity, however, to assure you that you have my personal promise that your donations to CRSPIA, Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park and Friends 4 Picacho State Recreation Area are properly accounted for and properly used. CRSPIA is not controlled by the State and, other than certain restrictions set by law, does not take direction from the State on how to use its contributors’ donations. Every financial transaction made by your Association is transparent and open to public scrutiny. CRSPIA has no “hidden funds” or special accounts of any type. Both your Treasurer and I keep tight watch on all of CRSPIA’s finances. Furthermore, CRSPIA contracts with an independent, outside bookkeeper to keep its financial records.
Finally I extend my personal thanks to all of you for your generous support, financial and otherwise, to your State Parks. If you have any questions or concerns about any facet of CRSPIA’s operations please do not hesitate to contact me and I will respond as quickly as I can.
*LATE UPDATE: I have been informed that Picacho SRA is now off the closure list and is not scheduled to close. As always, I will keep everyone informed of any new information as I receive it.
The Ice Man Cometh to Cuyamaca
By Doreen Harlow
Dateline Paso Picacho
"Where did that beautiful little shed
come from?
Where can I get one like it?
How come
MY husband
doesn't build sheds like
that?!?
When can I move in?”
They're all talking about the new
ice shed at
Paso Picacho - located on the south side of the
entrance area.
Your CRSPIA board is always on the lookout for new ways to generate income and enhance our visitors' experience in our Park. About two years ago the board embarked on a project to sell ice to campers. It sounded like a natural extension of our bundled firewood sales at the entrance kiosks for our campgrounds, and seemed simple enough in concept. Little did we know!
First, we needed freezers to store the ice. Buying freezers is not as simple as it sounds: What type should we get? What size? Get a service plan or not? Who had the best price - the most value for our money?
Then came the really BIG question - where would we put these freezers? Green Valley campground turned out to be the simpler solution, because the park gave us the use of an existing shed. So we have our freezer in an historic stone shed located conveniently close to the kiosk. But Paso Picacho had no such shed available.
Luckily our dedicated and talented Volunteers, Jim Loh and Walt Kirkwood, pitched in with their time to provide us with an exquisite shed. Walt constructed a top quality shed that now holds 2 commercial chest type freezers. Jim and Mary Loh spent a day at the construction site trenching in, by hand, about 100 yards of underground electrical lines. Thanks to their hard work, in July we began selling ice from our newest shed. So if you're in the Park and need ice, consider buying at Green Valley or Paso kiosks: When you pop the tab on your next icy-cold beverage, you'll be helping the Park and the environment by not driving extra miles. How cool is that?
CRSPIA assists to help keep Picacho State Recreation Area open.
By Dave McClure, June, 2012
Picacho State Recreation Area (SRA) is a scenic park located on the Colorado River near the California-Arizona border. This park is popular with boaters, anglers and campers. Unfortunately, Picacho also ended up on the Department “hit list” for closure on June 30 of this year.
A couple of months ago, group of dedicated volunteers from Picacho approached CRSPIA. There is a large user base at Picacho that is upset about having their park scheduled to close. They wanted to know how they could help, financially and otherwise. The Picacho volunteers had organized a group, “Friends 4 Picacho” (F4P), to coordinate fund raising and other activities in an effort to keep Picacho open. Unfortunately, since Friends 4 Picacho is not an IRS recognized tax-exempt charitable organization, they could not promise their donors that any donations would be tax exempt.
Enter CRSPIA. CRSPIA is a registered tax-exempt charitable organization. Your Board of Directors sat down with both Friends 4 Picacho and State of California representatives and worked out an agreement that allows them, at no financial cost to CRSPIA, to collect tax-exempt donations for their effort to keep their park open. In slightly more than two months, Friends 4 Picacho is already well on their way to their goal of raising enough in pledges and donations to keep their park open.
I am most proud of the way that our CRSPIA volunteers stepped up to enthusiastically help one of our sister parks in need. Thanks to the hard work of the F4P volunteers and CRSPIA’s assistance, Picacho SRA now stands a much better chance to remain open and available for recreation and outdoors loving Californians to enjoy.
An October Interpretive Hike
by Kathleen Beck, Interpretive Specialist
Some people call this a sulfur mushroom. Others call it a chicken shelf
mushroom.
It grew in the Paso Picacho campground following the recent rains. Some
say it is called chicken because it looks like a rooster’s comb. Others say it is
called this because it tastes like chicken. It is saprophytic in function to the
forest as it generally grows on dead wood, thereby acting as a decomposer. It
digests cellulose and turns dead plant matter into soil, making itself useful to
its ecosystem.
During October we can explore aspects of the turn of the seasons. Photosynthesis begins to abate with shorter days and cooler temperatures. Chlorophyll breaks down, removing the color green to display the fall yellows and reds. The fall colors lie hidden until the change in season begins. Visit the park to see many changes taking place in the plant kingdom!
Do not bring oak firewood to Palomar Mountain State Park
Due to the threat of the Goldspotted Oak Borer spreading throughout San Diego County, no oak firewood will be allowed into Palomar Mountain State Park. Wood can be purchased at the park or you can bring other species of firewood, such as pine or eucalyptus.
To find out more about this pest, please go to http://groups.ucanr.org/GSOB/index.cfm Date Posted 07/29/2010
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Weekly Trails Report
July 26, 2010 Please Note that all trail updates have been moved to the Trails page. Learn more
Date Posted 04/20/2010
Pigs In The Park
Feral pigs (Sus scrofa), also known as wild pigs, wild hogs, wild boars, European wild boars, Russian wild boars, or razorbacks, are rangy-looking non-native members of the domestic swine family, Suidae. These transplants native to Europe and Asia are aggressive mammals posing serious ecological, economic, aesthetic, medical and veterinary threats. Feral pigs have recently been sighted in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and they are not welcome.
Date Posted 01/21/2010
What is Killing the Oaks?
The Goldspotted Oak Borer, Agrilus coxalis Waterhouse The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) was first detected in 2004 in San Diego Co., California by the California Department of Food and Agriculture during a survey for exotic woodborers. In 2008, it was found attacking coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, canyon live oak, Q. chrysolepis, and California black oak, Q. kelloggii, on the Cleveland National Forest and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. GSOB is playing a major role in on-going oak mortality.
Date Posted 01/21/2010