Sausalito Historical Society Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting was cancelled due to the CORVID 19 Pandemic
REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF
THE SAUSALITO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ON 2019-2020 ACTIVITIES
From Jerry Taylor, President
All of the SHS Board Members, Docents, Ambassadors and Volunteers are disappointed not to be with you in person for the Annual Meeting, not to have a guest speaker, and not to have a new exhibit to open. We’re disappointed not to be in the Ice House, or even sitting in the Plaza, or in the office researching a question, or reviewing the amazing Marinship exhibit at the Bay Model.
But, we’re grateful that you, our members, care enough to renew your memberships, make donations and to start reading this Annual Report. It’s a sign that you care, and we pledge we’ll keep going, until we meet again.
Please VOTE in the Board of Directors election. A ballot is being sent to you via email, or via the US Postal Service if we do not have your email address.
You can always reach the Sausalito Historical Society by email to: info@SausalitoHistoricalSociety.org. Let us know how we’re doing, or send suggestions on future exhibits or articles. Please renew your membership, and consider a contribution to the Society.
Sections:
1. Developing the Ice House Plaza
2. 2019-20 Events and Activities
3. Financial Report
4. Volunteer of the Year
5. 2019-20 Board and Ambassadors
Section 1. Developing the Ice House Plaza
To tell you about the Sausalito Historical Society’s 2019-2020 year, we’ve got to go back to 2007, when our friend Phil Frank passed away. For newcomers to Sausalito, Phil was a cartoonist, best known for a daily strip, Farley, in the San Francisco Chronicle, whose interests ranged far and wide. For our story, Phil was a beloved Sausalitan, a founding director of the Sausalito Historical Society in 1975, its President from 1991-1995 and continuing board member and docent for years. In 1993, he spearheaded the City’s Centennial Celebration and created a temporary Sausalito history exhibit in the Village Faire as part of the year’s festivities. The exhibit was so popular, its stay was extended for a few years.
During this time, Architect Michael Rex’s practice had outgrown his office at Caledonia and Litho Streets in an historic Ice House which he had charmingly remodeled. He owned the building, but not the land. For a few years, it served as home to the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce. Then Michael offered to donate the building to the City, and several ideas and potential uses were debated. Thanks to the efforts of Phil, Michael, and Evert Heynneman, former Mayor and President of the Society at the time, the City agreed the Ice House could be relocated to the Bridgeway & Bay Street location. Michael created the site plans and got the permit. Phil led the fund raising effort. Then in the darkness, at 5 AM, Norm Wohlschlaeger, Director of Public Works, and his crew, moved the building on a flatbed truck to its present location in downtown Sausalito.
The “temporary” exhibit was reconfigured and expanded in its new home by Phil with the help of writer Joe Troise and graphic designer Barbara Geisler. In 1999 the exhibit and the docent information desk opened as the Sausalito Ice House Visitor Center and History Exhibit.
In 2007 following Phil’s passing, the Sausalito Art Festival Foundation, under the leadership of Paul Anderson, commissioned a life-size statue of Phil Frank to honor his contribution to the community. In 2012, Bea Seidler, Founder and President of the Sausalito Foundation (and a docent at the Ice House) decreed that it was time to begin the long-intended improvement of the area around the Ice House, creating a pleasant, inviting plaza and a permanent home for the Phil Frank statue. Plans were drawn, initial City approval was given, and fundraising began, including a lead contribution by the Frank family. But, Bea passed away in July 2014, and the effort stalled.
In 2015, friends of Phil asked the Sausalito Historical Society to become a co-sponsor of the new Plaza with the Sausalito Foundation and help complete the project. The SHS Board tasked directors Susan Frank, Dana Whitson, and Jerry Taylor to coordinate the SHS effort. As Dana Whitson prepared a grant request, the original landscape architect, Paul Leffingwell, withdrew from the project, and we started over with $32,000 in “seed” money raised by the Sausalito Foundation, with the promised statue from the Sausalito Art Festival Foundation, and a blank sheet of paper.
The SHS undertook a peer review design process involving local landscape architects, contractors, engineers, representatives from Sausalito Beautiful, and City staff, where design elements were tested and selected. The internationally renowned landscape design firm, SWA Group, in their Sausalito office, agreed to help, and became invaluable partners with the Historical Society, as their efforts went far beyond the scope of the contract. We are forever grateful to the guidance and efforts of William Hynes and Ayaka Matthews.
We breathed a sigh of relief when SWA Principal, John Wong, pronounced the large trees in the Plaza, although non-native, were important elements to keep as part of the project. The City “limbed” them, and we realized we had an asset, not a messy liability which would have been very expensive to remove.
Three civic organizations made significant cash contributions: The Sausalito Lions Club, the Sausalito Woman’s Club, and the Rotary Club of Sausalito. Many members of these organizations also made generous individual donations.
Building in Sausalito can be complicated. Let’s just say, this Plaza was no exception; questions were answered, plans were expanded, debated, and approved. The statue of Phil meanwhile, made its way to Sausalito via a detour, an exhibit at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, and then took up residence in the SHS Exhibit Room in City Hall. Although it was considered, we never found it necessary for “Phil” to attend any meetings in the Council Chambers.
As the dreams and ideas began to solidify, we added SHS Director Jim Scriba to our Plaza coordinating group to help with project management. We turned to an old friend, Donald Sibbett, a former SHS Director, to help us with an appropriate design of the “Donor Wall.” After several of us contributed suggestions for inclusions in a Timeline of Sausalito’s history, we were honored to have our friend, San Francisco Chronicle columnist and historian, Carl Nolte, craft the text which is now, literally, “set in concrete”.
Through 2018, we continued our fundraising efforts, with periodic updates in our weekly column in the Marin Scope. Linda Hothem stepped up as a significant donor in honor of “the late great” Ronald Hothem; and Sallie and Leon Huntting joined us to make sure their wide circle of friends took the opportunity to support the Plaza and make it a reality. In December, 2018, Susan Frank hosted a donor reception at Cavallo Point. In January, 2019, Roxanne Sheridan and Gil Purcell opened their house to us for a gala party and final fundraiser which put us over the top!
Van Midde and Sons agreed to serve as the General Contractor in addition to creating the “concrete hardscape” of the Plaza. Ted Van Midde worked with Electrician Gary Miles and Tasha Sanbrailo of Telluric Landscapes to bring the design to life. A former president of the Sausalito Historical Society, D. J. Puffert, donated the labor to build the wooden platforms, which D.J. dedicated to local Architect Don Olsen. Local contractor Dennis Webb brought in his backhoe, and working with members of the Sausalito Lions Club, removed the existing old patchwork of paving stones and concrete, and the planting which would be replaced. Later, in the summer, a Lions Club work party assembled the four benches at the north end of the Plaza.
On January 18, 2019, we met for coffee, pastries and photos at Poggio, then grabbed shovels and hard hats to pose with the backhoe and turn over a little ceremonial dirt for our Plaza Groundbreaking attended by City officials, representatives of the service organizations, and lots of donors. Later that day, third grade students from the SHS Schools Program representing Martin Luther King Jr./Bayside Academy and Willow Creek Academy came to the Plaza for their turn to make history.
Even though the Plaza was under construction for ten months, the Ice House remained open, with docents, led by Linda Sempliner, providing directions and suggestions for visitors and information to those whose interest was piqued by the history exhibit.
Over those ten months, there were many little twists and turns along the way. James Scriba worked, seemingly almost every day, on-site, as a liaison between the SHS Board coordinating group and the General Contractor. Dana Whitson coordinated with the City on building issues, Susan Frank and Board Member Roberta Maloy along with Sharon Seymour and other SHS volunteers spent countless hours creating the donor wall names database, with daily updating every time a money arrived from a donor, and ensuring required communications. There were long discussions about material and patinas. Alec Shaw of Marin Made bore with us, and delivered a beautiful product. The Donor Wall was delivered the day before the scheduled opening party, I know because I hung around all day, and helped lift it off the back of the pickup truck.
On October 26, 2019, the long-awaited Dedication Day arrived. In the new Ice House Plaza, Susan, Dana and Sallie distributed bubbly wine with inscribed metal straws, Jerry and other costumed characters processed from City Hall with a colorful cardboard locomotive, a section of railroad track and golden spikes to signify the completion of the project, and friends gathered. One invited speaker missed the event, coping with a Sonoma County wildfire. The Frank Family was on hand, with Phil Frank Jr., his sister Stacy, and Susan, and lots of family and friends to pose with the bronze statue. Mayor Joe Burns and Vice-Mayor Susan Cleveland Knowles bestowed the City’s blessing on the project. Following the ceremonial golden spike driving, Carl Nolte added an historical perspective. Donors and representatives of the civic organizations that backed the project basked in the moment. No one was heard to say “I knew it would happen all along.”
Including donations of cash and “in-kind” contributions, we completed a project valued over $400,000. Thanks to the dreamers, the doers, the donors!
Section 2. 2019-20 Events and Activities
Ice House Building Improvements
Though for the last few years we've focused our attention on the creation of the new Plaza, we've also been aware of the need for some repairs and renovations to the Ice House building itself. As Plaza donations continued to materialize through 2019, and “dreaded contingencies” did not arise, the Society solicited bids to repair three window sashes and siding damaged by dry rot, to refurbish the boat stern (originally from a wreck that was reconstructed by Phil with Charlie Merrill’s instruction and workshop), and paint the building. We received a special donation from Robert Sievers, in honor of his father, Howard Sievers, Mayor of Sausalito in 1958-59; the Board added it to the unspent Plaza funds, and signed a contract with Blue Fox Construction. The work is complete, and now we have a building suitable for our beautiful Plaza.
2019 Annual Meeting
Last year, we augmented our Annual Meeting by holding it in Campbell Hall, in conjunction with a tour of Christ Episcopal Church, at Santa Rosa and San Carlos Avenues. In the last couple of years, the church sanctuary has benefitted from a remarkable back-dating reconstruction of the organ, removal and refurbishment of the stained glass windows, introduction of a new stained glass window with a Celtic Cross, and restoration of the “old” redwood cross on top of the steeple. Tour participants listened and learned about the physical action of the organ, and got to ring the steeple bell.
The event also celebrated Christ Church's Campbell Hall, an award-winning example of midcentury architecture designed by Henrik Bull. Board president Jerry Taylor recalled playing football on the playground located on the site where the hall now stands. Deeded to the church by parishioner Ellie Avery Campbell in 1930, the land had served as a public playground for several generations, until the church broke ground for its new parish hall in 1961.
Fr. Chip Larrimore was a gracious host; President Taylor also noted that Christ Church was a donor to the Ice House Plaza project.
The Board recognized long-time officer Sharon Seymour, as our Volunteer-of-the-Year. After years as the Society Secretary, she is now been serving as the head of SHS’s Accession (and deaccession) Committee, as well as training and helping new Research Room Docents.
2019 July 4th Parade
One of the principal design elements in the Ice House Plaza is a historical time line in concrete, between simulated railroad tracks, right where the trains used to run in Sausalito. The SHS celebrated the Plaza (fenced off during construction in July 2019) with two beautiful realistic-looking cardboard locomotives, and a “flat car” hauling 8’ of railroad track. Kudos to Terri and Ted Barton, and Bob Holt. At every opportunity we paused, the Cal Alumni Band played “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and the SHS president pounded golden spikes joining the rails to the ties. (The same skit was integrated into the Plaza Opening Ceremony in October.)
Maritime Days
The SHS had a presence at Galilee Harbor’s annual Maritime Day event, met some old friends, signed-up new members, and had a good time. The two Issaquah Ferry pilot houses at the entrance to the harbor featured memorabilia and art from Steefenie Wicks, a beloved member of both organizations whom we lost earlier in 2019.
“Fire!” in Sausalito
The Sausalito Historical Society hosted a presentation in the Library on September 20th, featuring retired Sausalito Fire Chiefs Steve Bogel and Fred Bunker, with long time Sausalitan and former Tam Valley Fire Chief Bob Souza. The conversation went from history to current fire prevention concerns with Southern Marin Fire Marshall Fred Hilliard and Todd Landrow, a volunteer with Firesafe Marin. Bob Souza presented an “Alarm Box” to the to the SHS. It had been located at Caledonia and Bee Streets.
Photo of Jerry Taylor & Bob Souza
The audience moved upstairs to open our latest exhibit, “FIRE!” The exhibit features stories and photos of fires in Sausalito, artifacts, and ephemera from the Sausalito Fire Department. Some of the artifacts on display include combat helmets, historic badges, tools, and other items from past firefighters. The timeline depicts significant fires, fire houses, and Fire Chiefs throughout Sausalito’s History.
(Due to the COVID-19 shutdown of our facilities, the Fire exhibit is still in place.)
2019-20 SHS Schools Program
Every year, docents from the Sausalito Historical Society work with the 3rd Graders in the Sausalito-Marin City School District. Typically, we make two or three visits as historical characters to their classrooms at Willow Creek Academy and Bayside-Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, and conduct three field trips for the students: to downtown Sausalito, to City Hall, and to the Marinship. It was exciting for us to welcome students to our new Ice House Plaza, and watch them walking the Timeline of Sausalito History. The end of the academic year was tinged with melancholy mixed with congratulations, as we participated in a Zoom meeting to present the students with History Achievement awards. A big Thank You to our 2019-20 Schools Docents...Lauri Flynn, Susan Frank, Roberta Maloy, Vicki Nichols, Nancy Osborn, Laurie Tandy, Jerry Taylor, Dana Whitson!
2020 Changes in Plans
The most visible change in Sausalito Historical Society in 2020 has been the temporary closures of the Ice House Visitor Center and Historic Exhibit, along with the Exhibit and Research Rooms at City Hall, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The City has suspended their financial support of the Ice House Visitors Center Docents, and is acting to strike this from the 2020-21 Budget. In the current view, at mid-June 2020 this makes a lot of sense. The SHS cannot, however, resume opening the Ice House six days a week without financial support. So, because the Visitor Center docent activity enhances sales tax revenue in Sausalito, and as tourism resumes, so will it also enhance the Transit Occupancy Tax, the SHS will urge reinstatement of the City’s subsidy for the Ice House staffing.
We had anticipated a celebration of Sausalito’s late 20th century musical history, but the Gala Fund Raiser was postponed.
We have all been disappointed in the cancellation of the 2020 Portuguese Festa Parade, the 4th of July Parade and Celebrations, and the Galilee Harbor Maritime Day.
We are still hoping to host Events and Activities
It has been suggested that the SHS send weekly emails to the membership, maybe historical photos; short research items; new acquisitions. Let us know your thoughts.
We are looking forward to a field trip to Colma, visiting monuments and gravesites of the famous and infamous, with lunch at historic Malloy’s.
We would like to acknowledge a Farewell to WWII with a tour the Marinship. In 2017, the SHS coordinated Sausalito’s commemoration of the 1942 creation of the Marinship emergency shipyard, and saluted its remarkable record with: A live theater radio show production, a USO show & servicemen’s “canteen,” exhibits, a video by a local filmmaker, and one done by the Bechtel Corp., and a ‘replica’ of the William A. Richardson. Now, let’s tour the remaining buildings -- a before and after experience.
If restrictions and public options about Covid-19 permit, we could revive the proposed Gala, but we must be assured of a positive financial outcome before we commit resources.
Thanks to the ongoing efforts of former SHS President Larry Clinton, he has continued, with Nora Sawyer, to place interesting front page articles each week in the Marin Scope. If you don’t subscribe, or buy a copy each week, you can find the past and current articles on the SHS website:
www.sausalitohistoricalsociety.org
On the left side of the welcome page, you can click Marin Scope Articles, select a year, and all of that year’s columns are available to you. While you are there, check and see if there are updates on our events or exhibits.
Section 3. 2019 Financial Report
Finance Report for Calendar Year 2019,
Peter Bowes, SHS Treasurer
Looking back, 2019 was a banner financial year for the Sausalito Historical Society. The Ice House Plaza project was mostly accomplished by year end through the expenditure of $190,367 and the hard work of many volunteers and key contractors. This amount did not represent the entire project cost as some final “brush strokes” and final contractor invoicing were not complete at year end. However, the project was fully funded and is now complete.
While the Ice House Plaza project required much attention the Society continued other key activities and support for recurring program activities. Revenue from other sources principally, Donations, Membership, City Support and Ice House Museum sales totaled $35,450.
SHS expenses other than the Ice House Plaza project totaled $40,333. The major elements of the expenditures were the wages and associated expenses at the Ice House museum operation, the Schools Program, Liability Insurance, event expenses, supplies and utilities. The organization normal operation income exceeded outflow by $4,682. The non- recurring expenditures were anticipated and reflect accomplishment of the Society’s mission to promote and preserve the history of Sausalito.
The result of this well done planning and a conservative approach to SHS finished 2019 with sufficient funds to continue the current activities and fund some significant repairs to the Ice House even in the face of Covid-19.
Looking forward, the 2020 Covid-19 “lock down” has adversely affected most business and organizations. The Historical Society incurs expenses for items like insurance, utilities, and software during the shutdown. The SHS Board’s historically conservative approach to expenditures has earned the organization the financial strength to survive the Covid-19 lockdown. We hope to look forward to a robust round of activity during the latter part of 2020 or whenever the pandemic time is behind us. Still, the Sausalito Historical Society needs and appreciates your continued support through membership and donations to secure the future.
(Note: the SHS election cycle is July-June, but we report revenue and expenses and file tax returns on a calendar year. We are fortunate to be able to generate these reports in-house.)
Section 4. Volunteer of the Year
The Officers of the Sausalito Historical Society are pleased to award the title of Volunteer of the Year to:
James Scriba
Scriba, as he prefers to be called, has been tireless in driving the Ice House Plaza to completion. We don’t pronounce this in the past tense, because now, in June 2020, his pace of activity and attention to details has not perceptively slackened. For a couple of years, participating in weekly meetings with the SHS Plaza Committee, architects and contractors, making practical observations, relaying information to contractors and vendors, communicating with the SHS Board, and attending to the myriad of details, he was invaluable in the Ice House Plaza Project and subsequently in the repair project described in this Annual Report. Now, Scriba is fine-tuning irrigation lines, installing a plastic barrier at the front counter, filling in a gap between new concrete and the building with gravel.
In addition, he was the chief designer and installer of the recent SHS Exhibit on Enid Foster, and the current Exhibit “Fire!” Scriba and his wife Debbie produced a fun event celebrating Sausalito’s Beatnik era a couple of years ago. And Scriba is constantly “thinkering” to improve our data technology in the SHS. He also finds time to stay active in Sausalito Beautiful and skiing whenever possible. We don’t know what we would do without Scriba.
Section 5: 2019-2020 Sausalito Historical Society Board of Directors and Ambassadors
Thanks for your interest, and reading this far, and thanks to the Officers, Directors and Ambassadors of the SHS, listed here, who perform valuable tasks, and offer invaluable advice.
DIRECTORS
Jerry E. Taylor, President
Nora Sawyer, Vice President
Roberta Maloy, Secretary
Peter Bowes, Treasurer
Lauri Flynn, Membership, Accessions
Stanford Hughes, Facilities
Nick Roby, Facilities
Barbara Rycerski, Docent, Exhibits & Events
Jim Scriba, Docent, Exhibits & Events
AMBASSADORS
Tami Bell
Sandra Bushmaker
Larry Clinton, Marin Scope Contributor
John Cox, Docent
Susan Frank, Schools Program
Tom Hoover
Leon Hunting
Sallie Hunting
Jan Keizer, Docent
James Meyer, Website
Michael Moyle
Michael Rex
Linda Sempliner, Ice House Mgr.
Sharon Seymour, Accessions/Collections
Dana Whitson
Very truly yours,
Jerry E. Taylor, SHS President
