The Loma Prietan
May/June 2003
Seventy Years and Still Going Strong
by Rafael Reyes, Chapter Chair
We are rapidly approaching our Chapter's official birthday this June. Seventy years ago a group of dedicated hikers gathered at Frank Duveneck's home in Hidden Villa, and with 60 charter members, established what would become one of the largest Sierra Club Chapters in the nation. In so doing, those early members created a linchpin of the local environmental movement and an organizational vehicle for people to enjoy our wonderful natural treasures.
Included in the Chapter's rich history are numerous notable mountaineers and climbers. Chapter members included John Whitmore and Felix Knauth, members of the Rock Climbing Section, who participated in the first successful climb of El Capitan in 1959. In 1961 members Jules Eichorn, Charles Sayler, and Jack Henry climbed Mt. McKinley. Vera Watson-McCarthy, chair of the Rock Climbing Section in 1978, was the key leader for the American Women's Himalayan Expedition.
And of course the Chapter was instrumental in numerous efforts to protect our natural environment. Included in those efforts was the successful protection of Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35) in the 1960s, which many of us enjoy today. Chapter leader Claire Dedrick established the Peninsula Conservation Center in 1967 after being told by a construction crew manager, "Why don't you get back to your kitchen and let me build this road?" The PCC is now home to numerous environmental organizations including the Loma Prieta Chapter, Committee for Green Foothills, Acterra, and others. The Chapter played vital roles in establishing the Coastal Commission and preventing off-shore oil drilling in the 1970s and 1980s. This is only a small glance at our extraordinary history.
Today that tradition continues with our efforts
to protect San Francisco Bay from fill due to the proposed airport
expansion, and efforts to protect Henry W. Coe State Park from proposed
dam building. In addition, we are making crucial efforts at curbing
sprawl. In recognition for our many successes in this long history, we
will hold a celebration event on June 7 at Hidden Villa. Carl Pope will
join us, and we will honor California's leading environmental
legislator, our very own Byron Sher. See the announcement about this event.
Make sure to RSVP. (Special thanks to Shiloh Ballard for planning this celebration.)
Here are some quick updates on other Chapter news:
Priority Campaigns
• Henry W. Coe State Park: Our effort on this issue, which appeared unexpectedly at the beginning of the year, is rapidly gathering steam. With the involvement of John Wilkinson, Steve Stearns, Tim Sampson, and many others, we are beginning to exert pressure on SCVWD to rethink compromising Henry Coe. We have already gathered hundreds of signed petitions from our recent mailing. Meetings with SCVWD are forthcoming. Special thanks to John Wilkinson for doing a great job in keeping the Chapter leadership informed, which helps us to find ways to support this campaign.
• San Francisco Airport: Beneath the deceptive quiet on this issue, SFO and Willie Brown continue to try to push forward. Our SFO Task Force continues to raise public awareness, most recently with a hike on San Bruno Mountain. And in conjunction with the Bay chapter, strategy is being formulated for the release of the EIR this summer. Special thanks to Richard Zimmerman for his tenacity. He's a bulldog at the mayor's leg.
Activities
• Training and Guidelines: A number of Activities leaders are going to the August Outings Training Leader Workshop in Tahoe. The Singles section is sponsoring interested leaders. Contact Dick Simpson for details on this great opportunity. First aid guidelines and training are also being prepared. Special thank you to the Activities folks who are engaged in the Henry Coe State Park issue.
• Picnic: Logistical complications have led us to move the Chapter picnic to September. More on the picnic as we get closer.
Political & Conservation Committees
• Political Training: We held our second political training event at the PCC in April. It was a great success with over 30 enthusiastic participants. We trained these new activists on how we make endorsement decisions and support campaigns. Kudos to Ann Schneider and Stephanie Schaaf for an exceptional program.
• Coast: A small core group is looking at the Local Coastal Plan for Half Moon Bay, among other issues. In conjunction with field staffers Mark Massara and Elizabeth Lambe, we are holding a public education event on May 5. Half Moon Bay City Council members will speak at the event. See the announcement on page 2. Special thanks to Joe and Kerri Falcone and Cordell Koland for leading this effort.
• Energy: Kurt Newick installed his own home photovoltaic system in his home, and will hold a workshop June 28 to explain how you can do it, too. Look for the announcement on page 12. Way to go, Kurt!
• Forests: Not to be outdone, our Forest Protection Committee is keeping their collective eye on key bills in the state legislature and will hold a highly informative event on Thursday, May 29 (see page 11). Thanks to Karen Maki for her hard work on this committee.
Hiring and Operations
• Fundraising: To address our financial situation, we've revamped our fundraising approach. We are collaborating with the Bay Chapter to improve the quality of our member contact and reduce the number of appeals. We will emphasize telephone appeals made by the Bay Chapter's terrific staff. Please be generous! And don't forget to join the Human Race (see page 4).
• Hiring: We have some great resumes and have started interviewing for the Conservation Representative/Program Manager. We hope to complete the first round of interviews and start the second round soon. A big thank you to Terry Andre and Shirley Sampson for leading this effort. Stay tuned.
There is of course much more happening in many of
the teams from Activities to Conservation. I want to offer a very
special thank you to everyone for making this organization the
tremendous community that it is.