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Newsletter |
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Sping 2009 |
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Marketing Local History Is Key Goal of ‘Folsom Heritage’ Effort Is Folsom’s history relevant in today’s world? There are many of us who fervently believe it is. However, our conviction alone has not been sufficient to guarantee the preservation of our history because too many others do not share our opinion. That is why the Heritage Preservation League of Folsom exists. I confess that I am saddened by the thought that HPL is in a perpetual battle against ignorance and indifference. This article is about a new initiative to take our history beyond that fatalistic view. The premise of this initiative is that more people would support historic preservation if we did a better job of marketing our history. Once enough people “get it,” we hope to reach a tipping point where the answer to our preservation efforts is typically “But of course!” instead of “But why?” We’ve named this effort “Folsom Heritage.” We started by building a coalition of Folsom’s existing history attractions. Those who’ve joined so far are the History Museum, Pioneer Village, the Railroad Museum, the Powerhouse Museum, and the Murer House. We’ve also begun speaking with other cultural support groups in Folsom whose mission is not specifically related to history. Examples are the Folsom Patrons of the Arts, Folsom Arts Association, Friends of Folsom Parkways, Folsom Area Bicycle Advocates, and a new group called Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma (FOLFAN). Outside the district we’ve found interest from the Clarksville Historical Society and Garbeau’s Dinner Theatre. Our next step is the development of a marketing and branding strategy that encompasses all the partnering groups in a collaborative marketing message rather than many small, separate, under-funded, under-staffed, and often competing messages. Two new partners have joined to help us develop this strategy. We are working with a marketing class from Folsom Lake College, whose semester project is the development, implementation, and analysis of a marketing survey to be conducted in the Historic District, as well as in other notable destinations in the region. We hope, with this study, to gain a clearer understanding of the people who visit the historic district as well as those who do not. To help us validate and interpret our survey results, we’ve hooked up with the California Cultural and Heritage Tourism Council. Their market research shows that tourism is a $90 billion industry in California, and that cultural and heritage attractions are key features that can attract those dollars. We are expecting to use their expertise to help validate and interpret the results of our marketing survey, and hopefully show how Folsom can get a much larger share of tourism revenue. We are asking the California Cultural and Heritage Tourism Council to assist us also in seeking grant funding to ensure the success of the Folsom Heritage project. We believe there are both government and private funding sources that may be interested in our cause. Finally we are in the process of contacting Folsom City officials as well as the Sutter Street merchants to ask for their support. We believe we can use the City’s Redevelopment Funds committed to Revitalization along with the Business Improvement District funding from commercial district property owners as matching funds that will allow us to pursue larger grants. If you would like to learn more or to join the Folsom Heritage project, please contact Jeff Ferreira-Pro at jeff@crestonemtg.com or (916) 792-9438. Chinese Heritage at Forefront As HPL Monitors Threat, Looks on Success As we noted at our birthday party this past summer, Folsom’s Chinese heritage is moving to the forefront of HPL’s attention, in the form of both threats and opportunities. Out of three Chinese heritage sites with activity, one is looking like a success, one is becoming a real opportunity, and one is in serious trouble. Good news first The Hidden Lake site, aka 1108 Sutter, aka the Joss House site, finally has a plan HPL believes is worthy of support. As you may remember, the first proposals on this site would have wiped out the trees and topography and poured traffic through The Preserve subdivision, with token nods to the Chinese history and the River Way Subarea’s artist-support zoning. After two meetings with the neighborhood and some HPL board members, the project now proposed honors the historic use, concentrates the density and traffic in one corner by the corporation yard, retains the natural beauty, and consists of lofts artists can customize to their needs, plus commercial space. Then the bad news Proponents of a hotel project at the intersection of U.S. 50 and Folsom Boulevard have turned deaf ears to concerns of HPL, the Friends of the Folsom Parkways, and the Natoma Station subdivision. After assuring HPL that they would provide extra parking on their site and space for an interpretive kiosk for the adjacent Chinese Diggings, they have provided neither. Without them, the Parks and Recreation Department is unable to provide a way to allow the public to view this National Register site owned by the City. Neither does this project preserve much in the way of heritage oaks. The proposal is a garden-variety hotel that turns its back on the diggings site—the only ground-sluice mining site in existence, per the State Office of Historic Preservation—and that requires mass grading and a 13-foot retaining wall at the most significant gateway into Folsom. Is a hotel that looks like any of a thousand being built across the nation worthy of being located at this gateway? Is the transient occupancy tax revenue from a hotel worth sacrificing one of our most significant historic resources? Let your Council members and Planning Commission members know what you think. Contact info is on the City’s Website, www.folsom.ca.us. It may be on the Planning Commission’s agenda in April. Now the opportunity Fearing that the upcoming streetscape work on Sutter Street would intensify pressure to demolish the Howard and Mabel Chan house next door to Jerry Bernau’s Whiskey Row lofts/Folsom Lake Bank building across from the Railroad Block, a subcommittee of the HPL board has taken on the task of birthing a new museum in Folsom. Howard, Jr., and June Chan, grandchildren of Oak Chan, have been working with us to realize their longtime dream of a museum to honor Folsom’s Chinese heritage. A series of “harmonic convergences” has resulted in the creation of a team of pro bono professionals to put together plans for stabilizing the building and the first stages of restoration. Once we have some plans, we can begin fundraising in earnest. Preliminary contacts with Chinese cultural organizations are encouraging. Editor’s note: For more on the rich and dramatic history of the Chinese in California, check out the 2007 book by Jean Pfaelzer, “Driven Out.” The book contains several references to local Chinese history. Star Harp Fundraiser Set for April 18 You will not want to miss this event! On April 18 and 19, HPL’s very own Deino Trotta will be performing three concerts on the Star Harp, a musical instrument he invented in 1976. The Star Harp is an acoustic instrument played with a series of strikes and strums producing rich sounds with old world harmonics. Each of the three concerts will be a fundraiser: with the 2 p.m. concert on April 18 benefiting the Heritage Preservation League of Folsom. The other concerts will benefit the Murer House Foundation and the Family Military Fund. For more information on the Star Harp, go to www.gingerwood.com/Star_Harp/Star_Harp.html |
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