PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

March-April 2011

Dear Members,

Yes, friends, we are trying to catch back up to our publishing schedule, so hopefully you enjoy having this issue in
your mailbox following so closely after the last one. Being busy is always an excuse, but it is a joy as well. Being and keeping busy here at the Guild means that projects are making progress and volunteers all around the Guild are doing their best to squeeze in a few extra hours to collect, preserve and interpret the touchstones of our heritage. As our friend George says, the problem with saving yesterday is that it keeps getting larger.

A lot of that activity is currently centered around the Carnegie Library Centennial events, especially the Art and History fair on Saturday, May 14th. We could sure use a few extra hands to help make it a success, so if you can, contact Alicia Eltgroth, the event chair (see cover article and insert). The next newsletter will feature a comprehensive article about the history of the Carnegie Library and park from its genesis to present. For 55 years (1911-66), the building housed the Livermore Public Library. The park has served as Livermore's town square. We are interested in any and all stories, including your favorite nooks and books at the library, memories of library staff and how you have used the park. If you wish to share any anecdotes, mail them to the History Center or e-mail them to lhg@lhg.org.

It is a good time to start you thinking about our annual fundraising auction on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday,
May 28th (see back cover). I have been looking through the accumulated donations so far and can tell you that we are building a great collection for this year's auction. Bill Junk, our "Accumulator-In-Residence" and Anna Siig, "Outreach Stuff Finder," along with the rest of the team, are putting together an amazing auction stash with something for everyone. This may be the best in years. You'll find a clawfoot bathtub, antique furniture, some unique clocks and even a guitar amp among the gems. In your Guild President's household, we start preparing early by donating items into the auction, making room for new auction treasures. Two years ago I ended up with a sailboat. What will your surprise winnings be?

Speaking of making room for new things, in this spot last year I talked about the challenge of deciding what belongs in the Guild's collections and what does not. Many organizations face the same question, evaluating each item against their mission statements or collection policies to ensure they are using their resources effectively. While clearing out our accumulated piles of old Guild calendars, we found our collection included a circa 1930's wooden clothes hanger imprinted with the name of a cleaner from a town on the east coast. Of little interest to us, we contacted a local historical society and shipped it off to them. Similarly, we have been fortunate beneficiaries of other groups' collection audits, and in this issue you will see a page from a journal of Corral Hollow mine claims that came as part of a donation to the Guild from the Oakland Library. (They have a great History Room in their main library.) We are delighted that they thought of us. Equally benevolent, our neighboring historical society in Pleasanton, the Museum On Main, has passed on various Livermore items, including some microfilms of Livermore newspapers and other documents. (And just this week we received some very important local items that we will feature in an upcoming newsletter!)

Finally, it is with great pleasure that I introduce two new board members. First, volunteer and member Paul Caringal has agreed to take on the role of 2nd Vice President/Membership Chair. Paul spent many volunteer hours with us last year helping to clean up our research files and cataloging items from the collection into our computerized database PastPerfect. Always cheerful and positive, Paul is a pleasure to have around and is bringing real enthusiasm to the Membership job. Our second new board member fills a position created when we last revised the Bylaws. At that time we created two positions called Directors at Large. Garage Curator Bill Junk was elected to one of those positions to secure his knowledge and experience, and we hoped that by creating a position without specific day-today Guild responsibilities, we might also bring in someone with an outside perspective and complementary expertise.

Our newest Director at Large hits those qualifications exactly. Allow me to introduce and welcome Barbara Soules, whose main responsibility is being Executive Director of Hoofprints on the Heart. Hoofprints is an adaptive riding program based at the historic Hagemann Ranch in Livermore and is a successful and important local non-profit. We have worked with Barbara on historic programs at the ranch and have been continuously impressed with her leadership as well as her enthusiasm for the heritage of the Hoofprints site. I hope to write more about Paul and Barbara in future newsletters, but for now please welcome them to the fold!

Jeff Kaskey
Livermore Heritage Guild President

 

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