The Power of Place
June 4, 2006
Ray Belknap presented "The Power
of Place," along with his unique slides.
One of the nation's pioneers in
landscape study, Ray recently retired after fifteen years as the
Director of the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo. He continues to
pursue his lifelong curiosity about the sense of place, particularly
in rural areas.
Come Along for the Ride!
A Publication Planning Event
Presenters: Heritage Shared Board & Members
May 2, 2004
In typical Heritage Shared fashion, the guide will not
revisit “high style” buildings, formal landscapes, or structures
already deemed historically significant. Instead it will highlight the
ordinary landscapes and roadside structures that frame our daily
experience as residents of the Central Coast. We envision a guide that
will help us notice, appreciate, and better understand some remarkable
features of the built environment that we generally take for granted.
The working title is: Hey! Look at That: A Roadside Guide to
Mid-Twentieth Century San Luis Obispo. We are defining
“mid-century” loosely to mean the 1920s through the 1970s.
If These Trees Could Talk
Presenter - Joyce Rabellino
April 27, 2003
"If These Trees Could Talk"
will engage people of all ages in discovering and presenting stories
linking today’s community landscape – including its natural,
social and cultural elements – with the actions of yesterday’s
civic leaders. The trees of public spaces have had a unique window on
those actions and, in this model project, will serve as focal points
for gathering the memories of a community. In Public Places ~
Exploring Their History, volume 3 of the “Nearby History Series”
(Nashville, Tennessee: The American Association for State and Local
History, 1987), Gerald A. Danzer wrote “Spaces become places because
human beings use them and shape them according to their cultural
needs”. How have these uses changed from generation to generation?
What forces have shaped the development of the community we experience
today? What social and cultural factors have compelled the civic
actions of previous generations? The answers and the real
understanding may come through contemplating the little things, the
everyday experiences of the common man, as John Steinbeck did so
masterfully. In that vein, let’s get down to street level …
View complete presentation: www.smcf.org
Looking For Chinese Needles In North Coast Haystacks
Presenter: Paula Juelke Carr
April 14, 2002
Our Spring members meeting presentation “Looking for
Chinese Needles in North Coast Haystacks,” was presented by Paula
Juelke Carr, an environmental planner and historical researcher and
exhibit developer for Cal Trans. Our presentation this year will be
especially interesting for those that remember our first forum at
Cuesta College in 1998, “In Search of Chinese San Luis Obispo.”
Steinbeck and Hearst Writers Ingrid Reti and Victoria Kastner
Presenters Ingrid Reti and Victoria Kastner
April 22, 2001
Heritage Shared members and guests were pleased to
have two local authors speak about their new books that celebrate the
diverse history of our area. Poet, author and teacher Ingrid Reti
shared her love of the land and work of John Steinbeck. Ingrid has
been teaching and writing about the renowned Nobel laureate for many
years. Her wonderful new book is Steinbeck Country Revisited.
Victoria Kastner is author of the stunning book on our area’s most
famous local landmark, Hearst Castle: The Biography of a Country
House. Kastner energetically shared a small part of the work and
process “behind the scenes” in bringing us new and fascinating
information on the life and times of Mr. Hearst.
Thomas F. Gooerty
Presenter: Dick Miller
October 1, 2000
Our second special program featured a display of Arts
and Crafts era ornamental ironwork by Thomas F. Googerty (1863-1945),
an Illinois artist-blacksmith. Dick Miller shared his experiences
curating recent Googerty exhibits at the National Ornamental Metal
Museum in Memphis and other venues in Illinois and Arizona. Copies of
the Googerty exhibit catalog will be available for purchase.
Related link: www.abana.org
Norman Clyde
Presenter: Bob Pavlik
April 30, 2000
This inaugurated a series of special programs for
members featuring an historical work-in-progress, presented informally
with opportunity for input and questions. The membership enjoyed Bob
Pavlik’s account of the remarkable California mountaineer and nature
writer, Norman Clyde (1885-1972), whom long-time Sierra Club President
David Brower once described as “the pack that walked like a man.”
During his career Clyde climbed more than a thousand peaks in North
America, and still holds the record for first ascents in the Sierra
Nevada. Bob illustrated his talk with slides, and displayed limited
edition works by and about Norman Clyde.
