Opportunities abound to help at Cambria Historical Museum

It is always great to begin a year with a bang, especially this Sesquicentennial Year, as we commemorate the establishment of Cambria some 150 years ago. If you have been considering initiating a membership, or your renewal, in the Cambria Historical Society, now is the time to do it! Contact Bob or Debbie Johnson at 927-1410.

If you have considered enlisting as a docent and gaining in-depth knowledge of our area’s history and the history of the former Guthrie Bianchini House, now is the time to do it! We have scheduled a training session from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16. Call Penny Church to enroll at 927-1442.

If you admire the Heirloom Gardens around the Cambria Historical Museum and are willing to pitch in and get on the job training from Head Gardener Mike Rice, now is the time to call Kelly Johnson at 927-3612 or Consuelo Macedo at 927-3159. Our volunteers have been working tirelessly to clear, clean, and prune for a spectacular spring show of roses and other blooms, many of which are already appearing!

Most importantly, if you are doing your annual taxes and looking for better deductions next year, don’t wait until December. Contact John Ehlers now about investment opportunities and our Five Funds, at 927-3065. We are also in need of a person who can guide us to grant opportunities to support our local resources for all things historical.

Now is also the time to plan to join us for a lively educational and entertaining evening at our Annual Recognitions Dinner on Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Cambria Pines Lodge. The evening begins with a 5 p.m. social hour, with gourmet meal to follow. Details and reservations are online, at the museum, or call Penny at 927-1442.

The big news is that historian/columnist and Cal Poly history professor emeritus, Dr. Dan Krieger, is back by popular request. His topic will be “Squibbing at Mid-life: How a 40-year-old History Professor Was Re-educated on Topics from ‘Harvard’s famed Class of 1910’ to ‘Captain Portola’s 1769 Travels Through San Luis Obispo County: My Encounters with Paul and Louise Squibb, 1979-84.”

Krieger’s talk kicks off an almost monthly schedule of small-group sessions with speakers in the intimacy of the museum’s parlor, complete with beverages and refreshments. We benefited from Elizabeth Appel’s successful evening, which was chock full of material about the eccentric Art Beal (Captain NitWit or der Tinkerpaw), and is now on display in the exhibit room. Come on by and flip through that.

Any day, every day, please stroll through the outdoor museum that is the Heirloom Garden. With a good, hard cold snap, and bountiful rainfall, the conditions are ripe for a splendid growing season. We are potting items for sale in the refurbished nursery in the backyard, and you too can have cuttings and starts cultivated from the museum grounds, for a reasonable donation that will be “plowed right back into the ground.” Think of red roses, black arum lilies, and purple iris blooming in your own yard.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 10:47 AM with the headline "Opportunities abound to help at Cambria Historical Museum."