Keep Sutter's Mill Open!

Keep Sutter's Mill Open!

Written by Administrator
Saturday, 22 August 2009 08:17
Fight the Closure of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Where Gold was Discovered and the Gold Rush Began! The battle of "the list" is over for now, but the effort goes on... October 6, 2009 There will be no closure list this year. After all the waiting and planning, it has been decided by the powers to be that all the state parks will stay open...sort of. Marshall Gold Discovery SHP will not be shuttered, but it will be required to continue operation with even less resources. Part time operation is being considered for many parks and if that is the case for our park we will lose a significant amount of income during the spring months when the school tours come through. Even though our park is still available to the public right now, there is another big cut in DPR's budget planned for this coming year. As we have said all along, we don't want to keep going through this. Therefore, the task force that was formed is not giving up on the public/private partnership idea. A proposal is being written and negotiations will be held with DPR in the near future in hopes of reaching some type of maintenance/operational agreement. Hopefully, we can work out something that works for all parties. *Latest Updates* California State Parks Will Stay Open - KCRA.COM CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE Lots of activity going on behind the scenes. Stay tuned for the next community meeting and details. *Pictures / Videos / Articles* Mercurynews.com Article - 9/17/09 - Leaked memo: California could face major lawsuits if Schwarzenegger closes state parks SFGate - San Francisco Chronicle - 9/16/09 - More time needed to decide which parks to close Fox 40 News - Broadcast on Sept 5 Meetings and the Press Conference photos are posted at the bottom of this page *Facebook* A cause on Facebook has been created so anyone on Facebook can easily mobilize their friends Keep Sutter's Mill Open! http://apps.facebook.com/causes/340547/47631320?m=46f73889 So, send out your cause invites and tell your friends to tell theirs, too. YouTube Video by Pamela Youngs from Placerville - Pictures of Sutter's Mill and Music by Dan Fogelberg Sutter's Mill YouTube Video Ideas from the Community Ask those who have made films, movies, or TV shows in the park for a donation to a "Keep Discovery Park Open" fund. Personalized license plates like tey have for Yosemite Prestamped postcards and address labels to the Governor and Ruth Coleman are at the mercantile. Anyone can stop by, write a short message on one of the postcards and drop in a box to be mailed. All this without a cost to sender and a one-stop process right in the store. Possibly pass prestamped & preaddressed postcards out to local teachers and have students write a message. Quick and easy. Print as many of the flyers as you can and leave stacks with local businesses to hand out to customers. We need to cover all the surrounding cities. We need to notify Maria Shriver about the closing of the park. Her official website is www.firstlady.ca.gov and her contact info is: First Lady Maria Shriver, State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA 95814, Phone (916) 445=2841, Fax: (916) 558.3160 Sign spinners waving large signs at the corners of the Capitol Mall. This would require volunteers to do the waving. If interested in organizing, call 622-6198 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - We can provide the signs if you provide the spinning! Keep those ideas coming! Volunteers are needed to lead one of these ideas. What's Going On... Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park was on the State Parks closure list. Not much information is available from the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and we were told a decision on which parks will be closed will not be available until after Labor Day. This is the most significant historic park in the state, if not the most signifiant one west of the Missouri river. Over 70,000 school children visit every year to experience the living history Coloma brings to life with docents, tours, and demonstrations of the Gold Rush era. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma is the number one destination in the Sacramento area (click this link to see Sacramento Bee article). The closure will not stop people from coming to the park. Highway 49 runs right through the park and fencing it off is impossible. People will not stop coming and if the State closes it the historic buildings and sites are in danger of vandalism and deterioration. The public safety during closure is of high concern to DPR. Artifacts now in the museum will have to be moved to Sacramento for safe keeping. People will not stop coming to the park. The community and all those that love this park are determined to stop the closure and keep the staff and volunteer programs active. What is being done... Ron Briggs, 4th district county Supervisor - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Sam Driggers, Economic Development Officer, El Dorado County - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Working on a request to meet with the Governor Pursuing political avenues Holding community meetings Sponsored a resolution to keep the park open - Passed 5-0 on August 25th Putting together a "Red Team" like they did with the Camino Mill closure Working to help coordinate local efforts to keep the park open Community Action Committees being formed Letter Writing Campaign - Lois Fortress, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Stamped and addressed postcards at the park store for free. Write your message to the Governor or Director of Parks & Recreation in one stop at no cost to you. Here is the letter the committee drafted over the weekend to send to teachers Download Letter to Teachers Here is a letter to send to Friends of the Park to help keep it open Download Letter to Friends of the Park Contact schools that have visited the park and request they send letters to the Governor or legislators (teachers, kids, districts, etc) Create flyers to hand out in your community, to teachers, to school children, post in businesses, etc Press Conference at the capitol building - Assemblyman Ted Gaines office Not firm yet - Tenative date = Sept 15 or 16 - watch for details soon Children and adults in period dress Gaines' office to get media to cover event Impact on Community - Marjorie Sanborn, Coloma-Lotus Chamber of Commerce - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Laurel Brent-Bumb - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it The Lotus/Coloma Chamber of Commerce is taking the lead on this one. Info will be posted on www.coloma.com Links will be provided here when available How you can help... Write letters, pass out flyers,etc. (Flyers will be posted for download soon.) Let us know your ideas (contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) Attend the Press Conference on September 1st at the Park Distribute Flyers DOWNLOAD FLYERS TO PRINT HERE - OR - CLICK ON THE BUTTON AT TOP OF THE PAGE FOR A PREVIEW Click on one of these links to download a flyer or handout Flyers (3 on an 8.5x11 sheet - 1 sided) Flyers (3 on an 8.5x11 sheet with talking points on back - 2 sided for duplex printing) Poster (for business windows, mailboxes, etc.) Write Letters: Send letters to educators throughout the state...hand deliver if possible. Governor Schwarzenegger, Director of California State Parks Ruth Coleman, Legislators in the area and outside the area... Addresses and other contact information - Click on the "Where to Send Letters" button at the top of the page STATEWIDE SUPPORT IS NEEDED TO SAVE THE PARK Talking Points for letter writing campaign: Over 70,000 school children visiting every year would be turned away Sutter's Mill is the keystone to the Gold Rush and path to California statehood. There will be no security for historical treasures Spanning Highway 49, it will be more expensive to try to keep people out of the Park than to keep it open and running, with increased liability for accidents and deteriorating landmarks The gold discovery site draws visitors from all over the world and enhances the economics of the region and the state The educational value of historic buildings, living history, and volunteer docents interpreting the Gold Rush era cannot be overstated Closed facilities mean visitors will not find parking or restrooms while picnicking or rereating on the American river - Sacramento's water supply Links to other sites fighting the closure of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park... www.FriendsoftheRiver.org/marshallgold http://www.coloma.com/news/2009/08/marshall-gold-discovery-state-historic.php State of the Park Meeting held by Scott Nakaji, Gold Fields District Superintendent - August 19, 2009 Supervisor Ron Briggs Meeting in the Park - August 21, 2009 Assemblyman Gaines' Press Conference - September 1, 2009 @ Sutter's Mill
Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2009 05:54