February 2, 2024

Photo of the Week

Wilder Ranch State Park

California newt takes a quick break after a long day of hiking on Enchanted Loop Trail.

Photo from Ryan Samuelson, Santa Cruz District

WHAT'S NEW

National Weather Service Warns of Potentially Life-Threatening Flooding in California This Weekend

Story from: Doug Johnson, Law Enforcement and Emergency Services Division

Trees down on Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County. Photo from Keven Harder, North Coast Redwoods District

An atmospheric river-fueled storm is expected to make landfall in many areas of California this weekend and early next week. The National Weather Service is warning the intensity of the rain could bring potentially life-threatening flooding to the area, especially in Southern California.

State Parks is encouraging all Californians to avoid going near the ocean during these upcoming storms. Strong winds, waves and rip currents are expected and could be devastating to anyone in their path.

Farther inland, never attempt to drive, walk or swim through flooded areas. According to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, a mere 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock an adult over and 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars. It is recommended that when you see flooding to “turn around, don’t drown.” Water may be deeper than it appears and can hide hazards like downed powerlines, trees and more.

Please be careful and check local weather and driving conditions if you are in the area.

For more information on which state parks are closed due to the storm please visit our incidents webpage: https://parks.ca.gov/incidents

For more on Storm Season Safety from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, click here.

Meet the Commissioner: Dr. Kenneth Ehrman, California Boating and Waterways Commission

Story from: Kevin Murphy, Communications and Marketing Division

How much do you know about the four commissions under California State Parks and the commissioners who serve on them? To learn more, we are starting a new series profiling the commissioners who serve on the four public commissions: the California State Park and Recreation Commission, California Boating and Waterways Commission, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Commission and State Historical Resources Commission. Commissions provide guidance to department staff, review and approve plans, and assist State Parks in its mission to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California. A profile of Dr. Kenneth Ehrman of Oxnard, a member of the California Boating and Waterways Commission (Commission) since September 2019, kicks off this series. Dr. Ehrman is the Unit A vice president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and the president of the Association of Motor Vehicle Investigators of California. He earned a Master of Science degree in law enforcement and public safety leadership from the University of San Diego and serves as a policing fellow at the National Police Foundation. Dr. Ehrman began his career in law enforcement in 1994 as a correctional officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. To learn more about the commissioner, we asked him five questions: 1. Why did you apply for the Commission?  I applied for the Boating and Waterways Commission to serve the public and advocate for the well-being of California’s waterways. 2. Since joining the Commission, what is one thing that has surprised you?  Before being appointed to the Commission, I was unaware of the various grant and loan programs offered by the California Division of Boating and Waterways. I have since had the opportunity to visit multiple recipients of the Aquatic Center Grant and have seen the program's positive effects. 3. Why do you think it is essential for the public to engage with the Commission? Public engagement is a vital component of the Boating and Waterways Commission to facilitate the exchange of ideas, foster collaboration and develop a deeper understanding of the California boating community. 4. What is your favorite form of recreation, and do you have a favorite state park to visit?  My favorite form of recreation is going on long walks with my dog. Leo Carrillo State Park is one of our favorite places because of its proximity to mountains and the beach. 5. What would someone be surprised to learn about you? People would be surprised to learn that I like to go stand-up paddleboarding in the ocean.

Friendly Reminder: ‘Winter Bliss’ Photo Contest Under Way

Story from: Gabriela Orozco, Communications and Marketing Division

A vibrant backdrop to a fresh, icy landscape at Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park. Photo from California State Parks.  

Embrace the awe of state parks, even on chilly and rainy days—and what better way to that than by capturing winter's splendor with a photo? The “Winter Bliss” photo contest is under way, currently accepting photos through Tuesday, March 5, showcasing your love of state parks and the beauty within them.

These photos can be of a winter activity, such as snowshoeing through a state park, a landscape blanketed with snow, an animal adjusting to the cooler weather or the desert full of life during this time of year. Show us how California’s state parks bring you “winter bliss.”

The photo contest began on Dec. 21, 2023, and will end March 5, 2024. If your photos include people who are non-State Parks employees or volunteers, you must have a Visual Media Consent form (DPR 993).

To be eligible to participate, you must be a State Parks employee or park volunteer and submit your photos to the Weekly Digest. Provide a brief caption description of your photo and the name of the state park where it was taken. The Communications and Marketing team will announce the top photos late next month. The photos will be showcased in the Weekly Digest, as well as State Parks’ social media channels (Instagram, Facebook and X) with your photo credit.

The rules and criteria to submit photos are:

• Submit photos to the Weekly Digest email address with the subject line “Winter Bliss.”
• Photos must be taken between Dec. 21, 2023-March 5, 2024.
• Photos with images of nonpark staff must include a photo Visual Media Consent form (DPR 993).
• Photos can be taken at any of California’s 280 state parks or State Parks offices.
• Only park employees and volunteers can submit photos.
• Photos will be judged on photo quality, uniqueness, moment captured and content.
• The top photos chosen will be shared on California State Parks’ social media channels and in the Weekly Digest.
• Photos will be judged by the Communications and Marketing team (whose members are not eligible to participate in the contest).
• Photo images should be a minimum of 1,920×2,400 ppi.

If you have any questions on the contest, please send an email to the Weekly Digest. We look forward to seeing your impressive winter photos!

 Take the opportunity to nominate your fellow coworkers for a 2023 Director’s Recognition Award for their contributions to improving State Parks’ mission and for going above and beyond the normal call of duty. The nomination period is for the year 2023, and all nominations must be submitted by TODAY, February 2. 

To access the program guidelines and nomination forms, visit the Director’s Recognition Awards SharePoint site or the intranet (must be on department’s network to access). Any questions and completed nomination forms can be sent to DirectorRecognitionAward@parks.ca.gov.

ADVENTURE OF THE MONTH

Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park: Visionary Landmark and Beacon for Identity and Artistry of Black and Latino Communities

Story from: Andreas Agocs, Communications and Marketing Division

Watts Towers, the product of an Italian immigrant’s decades-long effort to “do something big,” have become a symbol for African American and Latino creativity and identity. Photo from Brian Baer, Communications and Marketing Division.

As State Parks recognizes Black History Month in February, Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park (SHP) is a perfect place to highlight and celebrate. “You can feel the power … there’s a positiveness,” said Watts Towers Arts Center Campus Director Rosie Lee Hooks. “It’s a phenomenal example of what art could do in an economically challenged community.”

California’s smallest state park, the historic park is located on a 0.11-acre triangle in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. It consists of 17 interconnected, colorfully decorated steel and concrete structures, on the campus with the City of Los Angeles Watts Towers Arts Center, which manages and preserves the site. Representing one of the most remarkable examples of 20^th-century folk-art sculpture, the towers have been a beacon for the identity, resilience and artistic creativity of the neighborhood’s Black and Latino communities.

The structures sprung from the vision of an Italian immigrant who dreamed of “doing something big.” Sabato (“Simon”) Rodia, was a railroad laborer and self-taught tile setter who spent over 33 years, from 1921 to 1954, building the towers on his small property. He used railroad tracks to fashion steel girders and columns, held together by wire mesh and a layer of mortar. Working alone at night and on weekends, Rodia never used any welding, scaffolding, or any tools other than chisels, hammers, buckets, and a window washer’s belt and buckle, even when the tallest of the towers rose to more than 99 feet.

Rogelio Acevedo, education coordinator of the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus, explained that Rodia called his work “Nuestro Pueblo” (our town) and the triangular construction symbolizes a masted ship. The structures are decorated with inlaid tiles, shards, rocks and with just about everything that Rodia could find in nature or consumer culture, from pebbles and seashells to soda bottles and bowling balls. As Arts Center Director Hooks pointed out, the wealth of details yields “always new discoveries” on the Center-guided tours through the maze of decorated steel and concrete rebars.

By the mid-1950s, Watts Towers had become a symbol of identification for an economically and socially disadvantaged community. While the Watts neighborhood’s racial and socioeconomic conflicts erupted in 1965, Rodia’s towers were associated with the creativity of a growing number of African American artists, such as the Jazz musician Charles Mingus and the sculptor Noah Purifoy, the cofounder and first director of the Watts Towers Arts Center.

Rodia never acquired a permit for its construction, and in 1959 the towers narrowly escaped demolition when the City of Los Angeles’ building authorities declared the structures unsafe. A committee of artists and activists devised a stress test that proved the towers’ safety.

The Watts Towers Arts Center, founded in 1961, grew out of the committee. The campus hosts exhibitions and provides museum and art education for both local youths and worldwide artists, and with its Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center offers courses and opportunities for budding artists and musicians.

The Center is currently in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which administers ongoing conservation efforts. Rodia’s creation is today a National Historic Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a California State Historic Monument and a Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Monument. In 1978, the towers became a California state historic park operated by the City of Los Angeles.

Watts Towers of Simon Rodia SHP may be off the beaten path of LA’s more glamourous tourist destinations, but as Barbara Tejada, cultural resources program supervisor for the Angeles District, pointed out, the site’s proximity to major freeways and the LA Metro light-rail line makes it easily accessible, and visitors will find a welcoming community.

Celebrate Black History Month with one of the Center’s poetry readings or exhibitions, such as the current “Black, Brown, and Beige” show, highlighting the interconnectivity of Black and Latino experiences. Also, for a taste of the park’s energy and creativity, visit the Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival and the Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival in the fall.

Public guided tours of the Watts Towers are conducted Thursdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Find up-to-date scheduling here.

Top left: View of the Watts Towers in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Top right: The tallest tower rises to 99.5 feet. Bottom left: The decorations include discarded consumer items as well as natural elements such as seashells. Bottom right: The ceramic-tiled wedding cake is a favorite with visitors. Photos from Brian Baer, Communications and Marketing Division.

Top left: The “Ship of Marco Polo.” Rodia’s construction includes references to his Italian home country as well as to American consumer culture, such as the shards of discarded soda and juice bottles (top right). Photos from Brian Baer, Communications and Marketing Division. Bottom left: This historical aerial photo from circa 1983 shows the shiplike shape of the park, with the Watts Towers Arts Center campus on the left. Photo from California State Parks Photo Archives. Bottom right: Watts Towers have become a beloved part of LA popular culture, as in the children’s book by the National Football League’s LA Rams. Photo from Barbara Tejada, Angeles District.

FIELD REPORT

State Park Peace Officer Cadets and Instructors Heroically Respond to Emergency in Butte County

Story from: Jason Smith, Training Section

Officer M. Green from Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Cadet James Rodriguez and Cadet Darren Moody clear out their medical equipment, while CAL FIRE uses the Jaws of Life to extricate the injured driver. Photo from Benjamin Lai, Gold Fields District.

You are a quarter mile from the firing range and today is your second and final firearms proficiency test, which will determine if you continue with the State Park Peace Officer (SPPO) Academy. With your focus on the upcoming tests, you approach your turn and notice two vehicles that appear to have recently been in an accident. There is steam rising from both engines and two people are outside their vehicles, but one driver is trapped in their truck with visible injuries.

This was the scene on Wednesday, January 24, when State Parks cadets arrived at the intersection of Wilbur Road and Highway 162 in Butte County. Cadets Darren Moody (emergency medical technician [EMT]), James Rodriguez, Brad Ferguson, Jordy Malmberg (EMT), Clay Shields and Kyle Luper jumped into action at a moment’s notice, rendering aid, comforting victims and notifying advanced life support services. The cadets remained with the victims until the nearby firearms instructors, all seasoned SPPOs, took over the scene and provided patient care until paramedics and the California Highway Patrol arrived.

Public service begins on the very first day of the Academy, and our SPPO ranger and lifeguard cadets demonstrated their commitment to the mission of public safety this week. We look forward to watching their skills continue to develop over the next 11 weeks before they graduate into the field, where, unfortunately, scenes like this one can be an all-too-common occurrence.

Officer J. Grady from Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area and Officer A. Hoff from Huntington State Beach assisting with care for the injured driver. Photo from Benjamin Lai, Gold Fields District.

Northern Buttes District Participates in Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway

Story from: Chaye Vail, Northern Buttes District

Happy hikers on top of House Hill. Photo from Chad Mackie, Northern Buttes District. 

Northern Buttes District participated in the Altacal Audubon Society's 24^th annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway on Saturday, January 27. District staff offered two field trips to the secluded Sutter Buttes State Park, which is only accessible to the public via guided entry. The 23 festival attendees were accompanied by State Park Peace Officer Bryan Taylor and Senior Park Aide Kaelyn Foor, and led by Environmental Scientists Rosie Blackburn, Chad Mackie and Chaye Vail. Hikers enjoyed beautiful weather while learning about the rich assortment of cultural, geological and natural features unique to the Sutter Buttes.

The highest destination of one hike is a volcanically formed dome referred to as “House Hill.” At the top, hikers enjoyed panoramic views of the North Sacramento Valley with Mount Lassen peeking out of the clouds. The other hike took participants on a winding loop through Peace Valley full of natural wonders and small inclines to look out over the isolated viewshed within the Buttes. Every bird in eyesight and earshot was noted and identified including ruby-crowned kinglets, a flock of lesser goldfinches and multiple bald eagles.

Back at Snow Goose Festival headquarters, district interpretive staff set up an information booth with brochures, trail maps and coloring sheets of common birds. District Interpreters Amanda Sellers and Noel Lopez spent the afternoon answering questions about State Parks and had around 300 visitors throughout the day.

This local birding festival is a real treat and brings people from all over California to attend field trips and other activities. We, at Northern Buttes District, hope to continue to be part of it for many years to come.

Left: Interpreter I Noel Lopez at the State Parks booth. Photo from Amanda Sellers, Northern Buttes District. Right: Peace Valley group with North Butte in the background. Photo from Rosie Blackburn, Northern Buttes District. 

Inland Empire District Staff Snowshoes Through Mount San Jacinto State Park

Story and photos from: Garrett Fuhrman, Inland Empire District

Inland Empire District staff attendees on the Long Valley Nature Trail bridge.  

Inland Empire District took a snowshoeing tour of Mount San Jacinto State Park as part of our monthly "Thursday Adventures" on Thursday, January 25.

One Thursday a month, the district tours another park in the district or local Southern California region to get State Parks workers out of the office and explore potential opportunities for career growth. If available, all the staff in the district's parks are invited to attend these events.

This month's tour was led by Park Interpreter Nicholas Garduno and Seasonal Park Interpreter Hazel Whittaker, taking us on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the mountain station and around the Long Valley nature loop. 

Left: Interpreters' handcrafted welcome sign, greeting attending staff at the mountain station. Top right: District Superintendent Kelly Elliott enjoying Interpreter Nicholas Garduno's interpretive performance. Bottom right: Staff hiking their way through the snow to Notch 5 lookout in Long Valley.

Leopard Shark Caught at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area During Staff-Led Fishing Workshop

Story from: Nicholas Fowlks, Bay Area District

Interpreter I Nick Fowlks cradles a leopard shark hooked during a fishing program at Candlestick Point SRA. Photos from Veronica Silva Miranda, Parks California.

Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (SRA) kicked off the new year swimmingly on Saturday, January 20, with a leopard shark as the first catch of the year during a staff-led fishing workshop. 

Despite rain and winds, staff and eager anglers gathered at the state recreation area's fishing pier, hoping to reel in a prize catch. Their intrepidness paid off with the inaugural catch—a pint-sized leopard shark measuring about 13 inches. The fishing pier, a beloved angler haven in the San Francisco Bay, draws fishing enthusiasts from across the Bay Area.

While leopard sharks are a common sight on the pier, anglers can also snag bat rays, jack smelts, brown rockfish and California halibut, just to name a few of the bay's regulars.

Staff-led fishing workshops offer a great chance for fishing newcomers to dive into the basics of fishing and learn about the vibrant wildlife the San Francisco Bay supports.

All aquatic acquaintances made during these programs are promptly returned to the bay, but not before striking a pose for the perfect fish tale photo.

New Ramada at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park

Story from: Ileana Maestas, Capital District

Ramada in place at Sutter's Fort State Historic Park. Photo from Tim White, Capital District

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park has always offered outdoor programming for schoolkids and the public. Over the years, canvas tents with poles have been used for shade but weather and storage limitations have always made this option labor-intensive. Restoration Work Supervisor Tim White designed and scoped a stand-alone shade ramada in keeping with the period of significance of Sutter’s Fort so as not to detract from the visitors' experience.

The ramada was built using cedar logs procured from Calaveras Big Trees State Park, and Restoration Specialist Derek Kettenhofen debarked the logs and then built the structure along with Restoration Specialist Ian McWherter. This new ramada was fabricated using 6-8-inch diameter cedar logs and assembled using traditional saddle joint construction; the joints were further stabilized with the addition of hidden structural lag screws.

This structure was engineered for optimum stability, longevity and safety. It sits directly on the ground, with no penetrations into the ground or any part of the fort’s walls. Canvas will be stretched across the structure to create a covered outdoor programming space. Staff were delighted with this new addition to the fort.

Top left and bottom photo: Picking up logs from Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Top right: Restoration Specialist Derek Kettenhofen constructing the ramada in the shop. Photos from Tim White, Capital District.

Email photos to the WeeklyDigest@parks.ca.gov.

NOW HIRING

To view current job openings within California State Parks, please visit our jobs webpage at www.LiveTheParksLife.com.

State Parks Job Spotlights and Open Exams

JOB SPOTLIGHTS

Maintenance Mechanic – Apply by Feb. 6, 2024: Reporting to Lake Perris State Recreation Area in Perris, California, and under the direction of the Park Maintenance Chief I, you will work on carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical and masonry projects, and act as lead to various levels of maintenance staff. In addition, you will be responsible for making repairs to a wide variety of park structures, utility systems, roads, trails and other facilities, as well as assist in cleaning and maintaining campgrounds, restrooms, picnic sites, visitor centers, park offices and other structures. Click here for more information. Click here to take the assessment.

Deputy Director, Information Technology Services Division/Chief Information Officer – Apply by Feb. 7, 2024: You will be the highest level of IT authority within State Parks and have broad authorization for formulating and implementing IT policies and practices, which have significant impact on the department’s programs. You will be responsible for the development of the departmental IT strategic direction, technology operations, digital transformation initiatives, technology recovery plans and programs that support and align with the business goals and objectives of the department. Click here for more information.

Maintenance Aides (Multiple opportunities) – Apply-by dates vary: No degree required. This is the perfect entry-level position to get started at State Parks. Perform various maintenance and housekeeping tasks necessary to ensure that public health and safety standards are maintained. The Maintenance Aide cleans all park structures and facilities, including offices, restrooms, kiosks, storage areas and shop buildings; restocks restroom supplies; picks up litter; and collects and disposes of garbage. Click here for more information. No assessment required.

State Park Interpreter I, II, III – Apply-by dates vary: There are many vacant positions located throughout the state that need someone to plan park events, report and maintain interpretive statistics, assist in training staff and volunteers in interpretive methods and techniques, and help with interpretive program oversight and planning, including school programs and tours. Click here for more information. Click here to take the assessment.  

EXAM SPOTLIGHTS

State Park Equipment Operator (March 1, 2024) From developing new recreation areas to restoring our parks, State Park Equipment Operators are essential to keeping visitors safe, preserving precious resources and ensuring state parks are operational for all to enjoy year-round. This assessment now has a biannual cut-off date. Click here for more information.

Communications Operator – Continuous (Applications will be processed the first day of every month): This is the entry, working and journey level for this series. Employees work under general supervision in a Communications Center, following established policies and procedures to perform a variety of duties. Duties include operating multifrequency/channel radio telephone systems and computer-aided transmitting and receiving equipment to receive calls from field units, telephones or other sources. Click here for more information.

State Park Peace Officer Cadet (Ranger or Lifeguard) – Continuous: Be a guardian of our state parks and help prevent criminal activity. Join us as a State Park Peace Officer Cadet and embark on a fulfilling law enforcement career. Click here for more information. Click here to apply.  

Park and Recreation Specialist – Continuous: This classification performs collection, evaluation, summarization and analysis of outdoor recreation data from a variety of sources to identify recreational trends and existing outdoor recreational facilities, needs and deficiencies, and prepares a variety of written plans and reports, including recommendations to establish priorities. Click here for more information. 

If you have any questions regarding these opportunities, connect with us at Recruiting@parks.ca.gov. We’re happy to help!

Interested in more jobs and exams like this? Explore www.LiveTheParksLife.com to discover the possibilities.

Join the Parks Jobs mailing list here. We can send you updates on jobs and exams that interest you!

LIVE THE PARKS LIFE IN STYLE

Style time! Here are this week's tips to help spread the word about our departmentwide style guidelines:

• snowdrift, snowfall, snowflake, snowman, snowplow, snowshoe, snowstorm, snowsuit: All are one word.
• Jaws of Life: Trademark name for the tool used to pry open parts of a vehicle to free those trapped inside. Note to use uppercase "Jaws" and "Life." 
• king tide: As stated by the Coastal Commission’s California King Tides Project, while the term is not a scientific term, it is used to describe very high tides, caused when there is alignment of the gravitational pull between sun, moon and Earth. The term is generally kept lowercase and not enclosed in quotation marks.

Keeping a consistent writing style ensures the Weekly Digest looks and sounds its best. Each week, the Communications and Marketing Division reviews submitted articles for proper grammar and punctuation and style consistency––from capitalization and hyphenation to proper acronyms and active/passive voice­­ usage. In general, we follow the Associated Press style and Merriam-Webster, but at times we use our own department-specific style.

We always welcome your feedback on how to “Live the Parks Life” in (writing) style. Connect with us via email at weeklydigest@parks.ca.gov. 

POSTCARDS

Año Nuevo State Park

Interpreter I Susan Blake (silhouetted on the left) led a group of docents on a full moon hike to see what the elephant seals do at night. We confirmed what the researchers say: The seals are just as loud, active and amazing as during the day!

Photos from Evan Weissman, Bay Area District

China Camp State Park

Early-blooming wildflowers seen along the Shoreline Trail. Top left: Coast sanicle. Top right: Indian warrior. Bottom left: Milkmaids. Bottom right: Slink pod. 

Photos from Leah Gardner, Natural Resources Division

Shasta State Historic Park

California poppy rising from winter's embrace.

Photo from Jonathan Sutliff, Northern Buttes District

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Our morning office at the park. Great view over McWay Falls on the overlook trail.

Photo from Hayden Mack, Monterey District

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Story of a sunrise. 

Photos from Michele Hernandez, Colorado Desert District

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

I took this last week in our rainstorm!

Photo from Tyrone McKay, North Coast Redwoods District

China Camp State Park

A view of Mount Diablo across San Pablo Bay as seen from Shoreline Trail. 

Photo from Leah Gardner, Natural Resources Division

Richardson Grove State Park

A winter afternoon along the Eel River.

Photos from Tyrone McKay, North Coast Redwoods District

Email photos to the WeeklyDigest@parks.ca.gov.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Here are some upcoming State Parks events. For a list of more upcoming events, please visit www.parks.ca.gov/events.

Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024

• Wool Spinning and Weaving Living History Demonstration—Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park at 1 p.m.: How did an isolated settlement clothe the hundreds of people who lived there? Take an in-depth look at the cloth industry of Mission Santa Cruz. We will follow the path of wool from the sheep to the shirt and give you the chance to try your hand at a drop spindle and spin your own wool. This event is free, rain or shine. Please call (831) 425-5849 for more information or email us at santacruzmission@ports-ca.us.
• Second Infantry Regiment of the California Volunteers—Fort Tejon State Historic Park (SHP) at 10 a.m.: To memorialize the 160^th anniversary of the reoccupation of Fort Tejon by the 2^nd Infantry Regiment of California Volunteers, during this living history event, visitors are invited to meet and talk to the soldiers and citizens who lived and worked at the fort over a century and a half ago. Hands-on interpretive learning demonstrations will be conducted for park visitors. This interpretive program will demonstrate to the public what the duties and activities of the citizens and soldiers were at this mountain post during its occupation during the Civil War. Citizens from the period and soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Regiment of California will portray life at Fort Tejon in authentic, first-person representations. For more information on this event, please visit http://www.forttejonca.org, Fort Tejon SHP’s Facebook and Instagram pages, or call the park at (661) 248-7001.

Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024

• SurfCity Marathon—Bolsa Chica State Beach (SB) at 6:30 a.m.: The Surf City Marathon is a running event hosted by the city of Huntington Beach. This award-winning, Boston-qualifying course is considered one of the best courses in the country and is well known for being scenic and flat. Runners come from all over to experience this exhilarating run. The race starts along the Pacific Coast Highway and passes by the famous Huntington Beach pier. Bolsa Chica SB's center signal entrance will be closed on Sunday, February 4, 2 a.m.-2 p.m., due to road closures related to this event. Please proceed to our Warner Avenue entrance during these times if you plan to visit. For more information about the event, please visit the Surf City Marathon website.

Here are some State Parks events celebrating Black History Month:

Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024

• Allensworth: A California African American Town (virtual) at 10 a.m.: Welcome to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, a town founded, financed and governed by African Americans. In 1908, Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other settlers established a town in California’s Great Central Valley. Colonel Allen Allensworth and the community of Allensworth represent a significant chapter in history. Register here. Visit PORTScast Programs to learn more. 

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024

• Allensworth and the California Buffalo Soldier Trail (virtual) at 1:30 p.m.: Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth had been one of the foremost leaders of a remarkable group of African American military personnel known as the Buffalo Soldiers. This program will be an introduction to the long reaching history of the iconic Buffalo Soldiers, their travels and contributions to the great State of California, and their lasting legacy within the state and national park systems. Register here. Visit PORTScast Programs to learn more.

Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024

• Black History Month Celebration—Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park at 10 a.m.: Join the Friends of Allensworth and California State Parks as we continue to celebrate and preserve the history of Allensworth. Visitors are welcome to tour the park's historic buildings and enjoy live entertainment, music and food.
• StoryWalk: "Alvin Coffey: The True Story of an African American Forty-Niner"—William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park at 10 a.m.: Celebrate Black History Month with a StoryWalk featuring "Alvin Coffey: The True Story of an African American Forty-Niner" by Nancy Leek. Come to StoryWalk to learn about an inspiring local historical figure. State Parks staff will also help you create related crafts and play games. The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. The park is located at 21659 Adobe Road, Red Bluff, CA 96080.

NEWS RELEASES

Feb. 1, 2024

• California State Parks Invites Public to Celebrate Chinese New Year at Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park

NEWS CLIPS

The Weekly Digest includes a collection of news articles related to the
California Department of Parks and Recreation. The views expressed and opinions do not always reflect that of the department.

To view this week's News Clips, please visit www.parks.ca.gov/NewsClips.

Weekly Digest Article and Photo Submissions

If you have an article or photo you would like to submit for the Weekly Digest, please send your entries via email to WeeklyDigest@parks.ca.gov.

For an article submission, please include:

• Author’s name and division/district.
• All relevant information (e.g., headline, park name, dates, name of event, individuals’ full names and titles, etc.).

Articles should be no longer than 300 words. 

For photos, please include:

• Photo credit info and captions.
• Photo release forms should be kept on file for non-employees or volunteers.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos included in the Weekly Digest are courtesy of the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

The deadline for Weekly Digest submissions is close of business Thursday. For more information, email WeeklyDigest@parks.ca.gov.