Sycamore Sage Jun 2014 vol. 16 Issue 2
Friends of Goodan Ranch and Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserves
13030 Birch Lane, Poway, CA 92064
President: Carol Crafts * Vice President: Gardner Grady
Secretary: Karen Larsen Gordon * Treasurer: Terry Callan
President’s Message:
There have been two small fires in Sycamore Canyon already this year.(One to the south on 17 May and one to the east on 24 May. Due to fires in other parts of the county, the JPA meeting was cancelled.
Please pray for fire fighters and rangers as they protect our homes and Open spaces.
Our web master, Chris Yandall died. He was so young.
Carol
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Chris Yandall 1954 — 2014 |
Minutes of the Friends of Goodan Ranch and Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserves
May 5, 2014
In Attendance: Carol Crafts, Nancy Ujazkowski, Karen Larsen Gordon, Terry Callan, DeAnne Erickson, and Phoenix Von Hendy. A quorum was present.
Meeting was called to order at 6:45p.m.
Minutes of the February 3, 2013:
A motion was made and passed to accept the minutes.
Treasurer’s Report: Income for 2014 is $320 for family memberships. Expenses for the year are $505.91. Total $13, 658 savings, $504 in checking in assets. The County Parks Society submitted an incorrect statement, although a $500 donation was made for the movie program. Correct documentation is pending.
Old Business:
Tracking Report: Winter survey had significant deer sign and more wood rat nests.
Gardner Grady sent via email the following
Trans-County Trail:
“The working group met recently to walk the Foster Truck Trail. Permission from CAFW was needed to get onto their land (where a large part of the trail lives) and they stipulated that only full time employees of agencies were allowed on the hike (in other words, I was banned). I’m not sure of the viability of this route for the CTC because of CAFW ownership and also because at some point the future elevation of San Vicente Reservoir will be above the road’s current location. A southern option for the CTC may be needed.
Calle de Rob:
The County is working on planning and building a short reroute that would enable park visitor’s to access Calle de Rob without passing over private property. The route would be entirely on Preserve property and leave the Sycamore Canyon Road staging area near the bathroom. It would proceed uphill and connect to an access road that in turn connects to Calle de Rob. I helped walk the reroute with County staff including Maureen, Mary Anne Vancio and the County Trail Crew. I think it’s a great work around to getting easements from multiple property owners and insures greater and more reliable access to the public.”
- Ranger Requests:
An estimate of cost is still pending from staff regarding bird supplies/fencing/food.
Ranger’s Report:
? Movie Date & Time Unknown for “Movie In the Park”, Ranger Justin will notify Wednesday.
? New DM Cailin Hunsaker for a new district designation “Central Hub”
? JPA meeting scheduled for May 14th @ Goodan Ranch 1pm-2pm (Preserve Trails update)
? Supervising Ranger Maureen just made 25 years County Parks service
? New PMW Kody Kahaialii starts at Goodan Sycamore on May 4th
? Red Shouldered hawks not nesting at Goodan this year (female arrived, male did not)
? Kestrels have nested nearby in Goodan Ranch
? Former Chief Frank Special died in March less than one year after his retirement from Parks
Submitted by: Supervising Ranger Maureen Abare
- CINCH Brochure: Is still in publication.
- Friends’ Donations:
DeAnne purchased two rakes to accompany the shovel used for horse manure. She will receive a reimbursement from Friends. Phoenix inquired about the installation of the motion sensor cameras.
- Events:
Nancy will research the Poway Days Parade in order for Friends to participate.
Sustainable Scripps Ranch Fair: May 18th from 11am to 5pm. Friends have registered for a table in collaboration with the San Diego Tracking Team. Phoenixand Carol will set up and Karen will also volunteer.
New Business:
- Website:
Chris Yandall, the Friends’ web master, passed away recently. His daughter has contacted us regarding providing the passwords and access information regarding our website. Phoenix will follow up and assume the responsibility of posting current minutes, and maintenance is to be determined. Chris owned the company that hosts the web site based on Word Press. The domain name is registered until December 12, 2014.
A motion was made and passed to find a way to honor him with a donation towards skateboarding in Poway or an organization close to his heart.
The next JPA meeting will be held May 14th at 1:00p.m. at Goodan Ranch. Teri and Karen will attend.
Summer Movies In the Park: Justin booked August 30th to show the movie “Frozen” at Goodan Ranch.
Andy Keane sent to Carol the EIR for Sycamore West open to public comment. Teri will take the document for review. Of primary concern is off-trail use by equestrians and mountain bike riders.
Carol presented copies of news articles that chronicle the formation of Goodan Ranch. Poway Historical Society was purging files, so she will add them to the organization’s notebooks.
Mary Shepardson will be asked by Carol to join Friends due to her extensive involvement in Poway Trails.
Maureen Abare is celebrating her 25th year with the County of San Diego. A request has been made for a summary of her career for the upcoming issue of“Sycamore Sage.”
DeAnne presented photos depicting usage of the corral Friends donated to the ranch. Karen will take them to the JPA meeting on May 14th
Teri Callan has a new email: teri.callan@somfy.com
Meeting was adjourned at 7:45pm.
Next meeting: August 4, 7:00pm at Coco’s Poway.
The Stowe Literary Society
By Vincent Nicholas Rossi
In an earlier post I mentioned the community of Stowe, which was located in the Beeler and Sycamore Canyon areas of what is today southeastern Poway.
It was a small farming community with a one-room school and one post office and, for a time, a literary society.
Andy Kirkham, farmer and chronicler of the early 20th century Poway Valley, wrote of “our literary society club which was every other Saturday night at the Stowe school house.”
The Stowe Literary Society may have had a short life which came as Stowe itself was disappearing. The post office closed in 1905, the school in 1906, and references to the town in San Diego newspapers end after 1911. But for at least a year during 1904 the people of Stowe met regularly for cultural education as well as a good time.
“The Stowe Literary society met on the night of January 30,” began an item in the San Diego Union of February 2, 1904. “The programme consisted of music, selections from Dickens, and the reading of the Stowe Journal.”
Each meeting included discussion of the works of a well-known author–Dickens at one meeting, Washington Irving at another. Then members would get a chance to read or recite their own work. The evening would end with a “basket social” (auctioning off baskets of homemade goodies), or a formal home-cooked supper, or a dance.
The member recitations might include work by local school students. The meeting held on February 27, 1904, declared a “leap year social,” included the reading by school teacher Margaret Woods of “seven original stories written by her pupils,” with the audience then selecting the winner, according to the Union.
The local teachers and their students of all ages, as well as many of the town’s adults appear to have been regular participants. Andy Kirkham, who was then 20, served as the society president for a time.
“We would have debates on different subjects,” wrote Kirkham in a journal reminiscence years later, “like which has more value, fire or water, and would hold mock courts and appoint officers for the mock court for the evening.”
Each meeting also included a reading from the Stowe Journal, which sounds like it may have been a sort of literary community newsletter.
There were also, of course, spelling bees. Again we can thank Andy Kirkham for the details.
“We were lucky to have a man in our neighborhood by the name of William Hoyt,” wrote Kirkham. “If it wasn’t for him, we couldn’t have got to first base. Mr. Hoyt and the school teacher were the two main persons in our activity. In debates, Mr. Hoyt was the winner. Mock courts? Mr. Hoyt the winner. In spelling bees, Mr. Hoyt and the teacher would be the last two standing and—Pop Went The Weasel—Mr. Hoyt the winner!”
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Sources for this post included historic San Diego newspapers and the archives of the Poway Historical and Memorial Society.
Carol’s comment: Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published in 1852. Did this group of homesteaders name their area Stowe in honor of the author, Harriett Beacher Stowe?
This is not a major hiking trail, but significant in that it extends the Mission Valley walking paths west under 163.
Tom Leech, author of Outdoors San Diego: Hiking, Biking & Camping outdoorssd@aol.com // 858-650-0810 (office and cell) www.outdoorssandiego.comand www.presentationspress.com (info about all books)
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Dead Birds: Dead less than 24 hours – no obvious damage – do Not freeze. Call 1-888-551-4636.Weekends: 858-565-5255
Have you found an injured or orphaned bird or mammal in San Diego County?
Call Project Wildlife at 619-225-9202. See their web site at: www.projectwildlife.org
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Events at Goodan Ranch/Sycamore Canyon:
Over ten miles of trails and service roads open to hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use. Preserve visitors are welcome to visit our visitor center. Live animals and exhibits on Goodan History, Cedar Fire, Kumeyaay and the MSCP are on display.
Events, hikes and programs start at various Preserve locations. Some require a one mile walk from Goodan Ranch staging to the Visitor Center. ALLOW ½ HOUR TO PARK AND WALK TO THE VISITOR’S CENTER. Please check descriptions closely. No vehicular traffic is permitted in the Preserve. Transportation for those with disabilities can be arranged, by calling the ranger at (858)513-4737. Goodan staging area accessed from Poway Rd. east on Garden Rd, then south on Sycamore Canyon Rd. Sycamore Canyon Rd. ends at parking lot.
Highway 67 staging area accessed through SOUTHBOUND Highway 67 only, half a mile south of Scripps Poway Parkway.
All events are free. For information or to make event reservations call (858)513-4737 or email Justin.Gibbons@sdcounty.ca.gov.
June 7th: Introduction to Geocaching 10AM June 20th: Star party at Sunset
The Parks website is www.sdparks.org. See
http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/reusable_components/images/parks/doc/ProgramGuides/DPRProgramGuide.pdf
During rainy weather and post rainy weather the Parks Preserves are closed for safety and damage control due to muddy, wet trails and roads. Please check the Parks website or call the ranger’s office at 858-513-4737 for Preserve status.
JOIN NOW FOR 2014
All Memberships are from 1 January of each year.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
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Address_________________________________
City_____________State__________ Zip______
Phone__________________________________
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____$20 Senior 62 plus ____$20 Student
____$25 Individual
____$40 Family
____$100 Patron
___ $250 Corporate ____$1000 Lifetime
PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHECK OUT TO “FRIENDS OF GOODAN RANCH”
AND SEND IT TO: MEMBERSHIPS
13030 Birch Lane,
Poway, CA 92064
