Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog number |
1997.2.2576 |
Object Name |
Newsletter |
Date |
1984 |
Description |
TITLE: Quicksilver County Park News SUBTITLE: Newsletter of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association Issue # 3 January 1984 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US ! February 1st marks the first anniversary of the founding of the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association. One year ago on that date, approximately fifty people met at the Forbes Mill Museum in Los Gatos to explore the possibility of establishing a formal organization to help promote the protection and enhancement of the historical, recreational, and natural resources of Almaden Quicksilver County Park. The result was the formation of this Association. This first year of our existence has been both challenging and gratifying. For a new organization, with limited financial resources, 1 believe we have had a very successful first year. We owe these successes to the concern and hard work so many of you have put into this organization and its various activities. During this past year, we have played a significant role in improving the maintenance of the trail system within the Park. More than fifty people turned out last spring for our first annual Trail Day, at which we helped repair some of the storm damage done by last winter's storms. Subsequently, through the efforts of the County Parks staff and our Association's Trails Committee, additional culverts were installed along the Randol Trail and the roads were graded to reduce potential trail damage this winter. Significant progress has also been made toward increasing public awareness of the important historical, recreational, and natural resources within the Park. Slide presentations to community organizations, articles in local newspapers, organized tours of the Park, events like our monthly meetings and our first annual Almaden Quicksilver Pioneers Day, publication of the Association's newsletter, and plain, old-fashioned word-of-mouth publicity have helped spread the word about Quicksilver Park and our Association. In less than a year, our fledgling organization has grown to more than one hundred members. We hope to more than double that number during 1984. Recently, we have been participating in the public hearings of the County Parks and Recreation Commission to determine County parks acquisition and development priorities for the next five years. Among our highest priority recommendations was the reconstruction of the mine office on the former reduction works site at the New Almaden entrance to the Park. This building would serve as a much-needed park ranger office and visitors center for the Park. As we begin our second year, we particularly want to thank County Parks Director Larry Norris and his staff for the cooperation and support they have given us during this past year. We look forward to continuing our close relationship with them in the future. Finally, I want to thank all of you who have joined the Association and have contributed your time, energy, and money to its activities. Your continued support is essential for Almaden Quicksilver County Park to reach its full potential as one of our County's finest and most unique parks. - Kitty Monahan, President TRAIL MEETING WITH SUPERVISOR WILSON - FEBRUARY 27th County Supervisor Susanne Wilson and County Parks Director Larry Norris will hold a public meeting to get community input concerning possible acquisition of the Rosetta property off Fortini Road. The meeting will be held at 7:30 pm at Casa Grande in New Almaden. Acquisition by the County Parks Department would help provide trail links between Santa Teresa and Calero Reservoir County Parks. The Association would eventually like to see trail links from both of these parks to Almaden Quicksilver County Park. OUR THANKS TO CASA GRANDE The Casa Grande in New Almaden was built in 1854 and served as the home of the mine managers. Over the years, it has fallen into a state of disrepair. Today, with hard work and dedication, Terry Esplanade and Sue Kroninger are working to restore some of its former grandeur. Terry and Sue have been especially helpful to our Association during this past year. They have graciously allowed us to use the Casa Grande for Association meetings and events, including our first annual Pioneer Day. We thank them for their kind hospitality and wish them well in their efforts to restore Casa Grande. Current uses of the Casa Grande include the Opry House and the Down Under Bar. The Opry House presents bawdy vaudeville and melodrama Thursday thru Sunday evenings. The Down Under Bar has live music on weekend evenings. For further information or reservations for the Opry House call (408) 268-2492. ALMADEN QUICKSILVER HISTORY TOUR On Saturday, April 7th, Kitty Monahan will be leading a historical tour of the Park from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The tour is sponsored by Nature Explorations. Fees are $10 for adults, $5 for children, $23 for families. For reservations or further information contact Nature Explorations, 2253 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto, CA 94306. (415) 324-8737. QUICKSILVER PARK IN THE MERCURY NEWS In late January, the San Jose Mercury News ran an excellent series of articles concerning the New Almaden area and Almaden Quicksilver County Park. The series was written by Ellen Goodwin, a staff writer for the newspaper. The Association wishes to express its great appreciation to Ellen and to the Mercury News for helping to call public attention to the historical, natural, recreational, and cultural resources of Almaden Quicksilver County Park and its surrounding communities. ORGANIZED EVENTS SCHEDULE - JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH March 24 Trail Maintenance Training Session - Warren Olson, leader (408) 286-4676 April 7 History Tour of the Park - Kitty Monahan, leader (408) 268-6541 For further information concerning these events, see articles in this issue. TRAIL MAINTENANCE TRAINING SESSION - SATURDAY. MARCH 24th With the severe cutbacks in County parks staffing that have occurred in recent years, it is apparent that if we want to see the trails maintained in our County parks, we will have to pitch in and do some of the work ourselves. In fact, helping to see that the trails in Almaden Quicksilver County Park are adequately maintained for hikers, runners, and horsemen was one of the reasons this Association was formed. On Saturday, March 24th, Warren Olson will be leading a trail maintenance training session at Quicksilver Park to help show members of the Association and others some of the most effective techniques for maintaining and repairing trails. Warren is the President of the Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Association and a member of our Association's Advisory Board. If you enjoy the trails of Quicksilver Park and would like to help maintain them, please join us at 9:00 am at the New Almaden entrance to the park (opposite Bulmore Park at the south end of New Almaden). For further information, call Warren at (408) 286-4676. SLIDE SHOW AVAILABLE The Quicksilver Park Association has a 30-minute slide presentation about Almaden Quicksilver County Park -- its past, present, and future -- available for showing to community organizations. If you would like to arrange for a showing to your group, contact Kitty Monahan at (408) 268-6541. NEW ALMADEN MUSEUM HOURS Connie Perham's New Almaden Museum is one of the outstanding historical resources of the New Almaden area. If you want to learn about the history of the New Almaden and the New Almaden Mines, Connie's Museum is a great place to start. Museum hours are: Monday, Thursday, & Friday 1-4pm (1-5pm when daylight savings time begins); Saturday & Sunday 10-4pm (10-5pm when daylight savings time begins); closed Tuesday & Wednesday. Admission: Children ages 6-10 75 cents; ages 13-59 $3.00; senior citizens $2.50. Group rates for ten or more persons. New Almaden Museum, 21570 Almaden Road, P.O. Box I, New Almaden, CA 95042. (408) 268-7869 TRAINING RUNS IN THE PARK The challenges and rewards of its hilly and scenic trails make Quicksilver Park popular with local runners. The Fleet Feet Running Club sponsors training runs in the Park throughout the week starting from Castillero School on McAbee Road. Monday - Friday morning runs of 5-8 miles begin at 6:00 am. On Saturday mornings, there is a 14-mile training run starting at 6:30 am and a 5-mile run beginning at 8:00 am. On Monday and Wednesday nights, a 6-mile run begins at 5:15 pro. For more information contact Fleet Feet at (408) 723-7223 PARK RANGER OFFICE If you need to get in touch with the park rangers for Almaden Quicksilver County Park, their office is located at Calero Reservoir County Park. The phone number there is (408) 268-3883. BEWARE THE SHREW A ferocious beast stalks the hills and canyons of Almaden Quicksilver County Park. This hotblooded, voracious mammal may cross your path as you hike the beautiful trails of the park. Unless you have your glasses on though you probably won't even notice one of these creatures. Shrews are much smaller than mice and usually scurry around under the leaves rather than upon them. They are the smallest mammals and have such a high rate of metabolism that they eat their own weight food about every three hours. Some kinds even have a poisonous bite to help them incapacitate large prey. The eat worms, insects, mice, carrion, some vegetable matter, and each other. They are extremely nervous little bits of fur and very aggressive towards each other. If they are lucky enough to survive a year they will usually have already lost parts of their anatomy due to violent encounters with members of their own species. It is said that if they grew as large as squirrels even people would not be safe in the woods. Most shrews appear to never really sleep. They are active day and night and at all seasons. A male shrew tolerates only his mate and his children until they are about a month old. At that age they are almost full size and are fully capable of catching and killing their own food. That means they have become competitors. Although many predators do kill and eat shrews they do not appear to be highly prized. They have a pair of glands that gives them a rank odor and taste. They frequently are not eaten after being killed. Obviously an animal that weighs about as much as a 50G piece isn't very filling anyways. In captivity they rush around as they do in the wild --like tiny electric mice. Without food they starve to death in about eight hours. Even when life goes well they wind down and die of old-age at 14 to 16 months. Don't even consider one as a pet -- there is no taming of the shrew. - Bob Clement QUICKSILVER CHALLENGE WINNERS The 1983 Quicksilver Challenge half marathon race, hosted by the Fleet Feet Running Club of San Jose, was held on October 9. Although there was a lot of worry about rain, the weather was quite favorable and the race went off without a hitch. There were 148 runners testing themselves against the clock on Quicksilver Park's notorious 13.1 mile loop. The course began at Castillero Middle School, went up Mine Hill Trail then down to Randol trail and back to Castillero. Outstanding performances were turned in by Tim Gruber and Kris Morrella who were the men's and women's overall winners. Their times were 1:18:28 and 1:35:27 respectively. These are the new course records that future challengers must shoot for when the next challenge is held on July 15, 1984. Official Winners in All Divisions Age Group Men Time / Women Time 19-29 Tim Gruber 1:18:28 Debbie Ferry 1:54:36 30-39 Keith Jeffers 1:22:41 Kris Morrella 1:35:27 40-49 Ron Nelson 1:26:22 Ruth Waters 1:53:35 50+ Bill Barclay 1:39:12 Etta Palmer 2:24:07 - Dick Forst 4 QUICKSILVER PARK ASSOCIATION MEETING SCHEDULE The general meetings of the Association are usually held on the last Wednesday evening of each month, beginning at 7:30 pm. Each meeting features programs related to the various facets of Almaden Quicksilver County Park, including its recreational, historical, and natural resources. Bring along your family and friends. Date Program Feb. 29 Mine Tours in California Don Weden will present slides showing mining exhibits and mine tours in California, including the Empire Mine State Park, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, Calico Ghost Town, and the Gold Eagle Mine. Meeting location: Casa Grande, 21350 Almaden Road, New Almaden. March 29 Indians of the New Almaden Area Connie Perham, Curator of the New Almaden Museum will discuss the Indians who lived in the New Almaden area. Meeting location: The New Almaden Museum at 21570 Almaden Road in New Almaden. April 25 Wildflowers of Almaden Quicksilver Bob Clement will present a slide show about wildflowers of Almaden Quicksilver County Park, as a prelude to the spring wildflower season at the Park. Meeting location: Casa Grande, 21350 Almaden Road in New Almaden. NEW ALMADEN QUICKSILVER COUNTY PARK ASSOCIATION PO. Box 129. New Almaden. CA 95012 |
People |
Monahan, Kitty Forst, Dick Clement, Bob Esplanade, Terry Kroninger, Sue Goodwin, Ellen Olson, Warren Weden, Don Perham, Constance (Mrs. Kambish) |
Cataloged by |
Meyer, Bob |
Collection |
Perham 2 |