Usually summer is a time to relax and plan, but August had a brisk pace with committees preparing for our 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION in September, as well as other important fall events. In the midst of busy preparations, we were surprised to learn that Carlos Olvera, our president of more than six and a half consecutive years, had announced his candidacy to run for Dana Point City Council and then, to avoid any potential conflict of interest, stepped down from the DPHS Board of Directors at the August 7, 2012, board meeting. The Board of Directors joins all our members in thanking Carlos for his many dedicated years of service on the Historical Society Board of Directors and for his unquestioned love of history and genealogy, the latter as evidenced by his research into Richard Henry Dana’s own family tree. As stated in the Bylaws of the Dana Point Historical Society, the Vice President now serves as President until the next election. Thus, I find myself with the challenge of following a very experienced leader and of writing this column to you.
The June 25th Doheny Barbecue was a success enjoyed by all who attended, thanks to Jessica Blair and her committee. Regina Barnes and her committee selected two scholarship applicants pictured in this issue who, with our assistance, enter college this fall. A committee working with the City’s Arts & Cultural Commission continues to make progress toward the dedication of the Doris Walker tribute sculpture at Heritage Park.
Our annual fall home tour was cancelled in July due to a major opportunity presented to our Board. The City of Dana Point has offered the Historical Society a space vacated by a previous tenant at City Hall. Suite 104, consisting of approximately 800 square feet, will allow us to reinstate the Dana Point Heritage Museum originally located in another space at City Hall before our move to the Blue Lantern location. Your Board of Directors has approved the lease and it will be presented for approval at the September 18th City Council meeting. If approved, the board envisions three to six months to complete the move and to archive our collections. Please watch closely for our announcement of the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate this wonderful occasion.
Major preservation strides were made this summer as the first historic commercial building and a four-unit apartment building were added to the Historic Resource Register. Four DPHS nominations were submitted to the City of Dana Point and were approved on August 13th by the Planning Commission to designate four city historic resources, c. 1924-1930, and add them to the Historic Register. These historic landmarks tell the story of early Dana Point development by the San Juan Point Corporation and Sidney H. Woodruff’s investors. Two, the 1924 Scenic Trail and the 1930 Dana Point Inn Arches, were part of the first preservation effort of a newly formed Dana Point Historical Society in 1987. Public access to the bluffs was saved due to the efforts of Elizabeth Bamattre, Judy Henderson and their committee. The result is the Bluff Top Trail—the most appropriate location to kick off our 25th Anniversary year.
Please be sure to join us Wednesday, September 26, as we toast the past quarter century of our accomplishments. Reminisce with members whose early efforts resulted in saving the Bluff Top Trail, the site of the Drogher statue that commemorates Richard Henry Dana’s famous descriptions of these shores when he visited in 1835.
Barbara Force Johannes