NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE CITY AND THE MUSEUM

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                 2013

Newly elected President of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley, Scott Sterling greets incoming  Eric Garcetti the Mayor of Los Angeles.  Sterling was attracted to Museum involvement through an abiding interest in historic architecture and public arts. Much of Mayor Garcetti's youth was spent in the San Fernando Valley. During his campaign Garcetti expressed a strong interest in Valley history and culture.

CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT STERLING NEW PRESIDENT OF THE MUSEUM OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                  2013

Congratulations to Scott Sterling of Northridge, California, newly elected

 President of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley!

A message from Scott:

As The Museum of the San Fernando Valley's new President, I offer greetings to everyone that lives, works and plays in the fantastic San Fernando Valley.   

As a lifelong resident of the Valley, I have seen big changes, both good and bad.  I am a third generation builder in the valley and my family has a long history here. My purpose, as an involved community leader, is to be an advocate to help continue the changes for good and to see that the legacy of my family, here in the Valley, is preserved.

I want to thank The Museum's board members for showing their faith and support by voting for me as their new President.

We are now embarking on the next chapter to grow The Museum into a world-class museum in the San Fernando Valley. The valley is the fifth largest population base in the United States and is worthy of a museum that will support that population and help preserve the Valleys unique heritage.

TOMMY GELINAS OF VALLEY RELICS WOWS MUSEUM AUDIENCE AT KICK-OFF EVENT OF "TASTE OF HISTORY" SERIES

I skipped an LA Dodgers game to come to the history program at the Westfield mall this last Thursday.  The Dodgers lost - The Museum won by a landslide!

The entire Dining Terrace area was filled with over 100 guests! The speaker was lots of fun and obviously much liked by his  audience.

The program included:

• Juliet Mothershed from Westfield Fashion Square welcomed the Museum's 100 guests.
• Jerry Fecht, President of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley provide an introduction to The Museum.
• Michel Stevens, Chair of Marketing and Development of The Museum, organized and acted as MC for the event and introduced other Museum board members that attended.
• Burbank born Tommy Gelinas, founder and owner of Valley Relics (one of the largest private collections of San Fernando Valley memorabilia) was the featured speaker. He reminded his audience of the many once popular but now gone eateries of the Valley. He accompanied his talk with great slides of years gone by, including ones of what the Westfield Mall on Riverside Drive once looked.

 

Tommy Gelinas, Founder and Curator of Valley Relics, speaks to The Museum audience about San Fernando Valley cafes and historic restaurants.  Photo by Phyllis Hansen

Scott Sterling, board member and Gerald Fecht, President-Tommy Gelinas-Juliet Mothershed, Marketing Director of Westfield Fashion Square and Michel Stevens, board member at Taste of History event.

 The new Dining Terrace at the Westfield Fashion Square was entirely filled by Museum guests who came to hear the Valley celebrity speaker Tommy Gelinas. Photo by Phyllis Hansen. (click on image to enlarge it.)

Tommy and Michel Stevens arranged for so many door prizes that nearly everyone who came to the talk won one. Photograph by Phyllis Hansen.

www.valleyrelics.net

 
Most of the audience stayed until the very end, when we all serenaded Tommy with "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner..."

Please join us for the next Taste of History event on Thursday, July 26th as The Museum offer a program on the history of Campo de Cahuenga.

SNAPSHOTS FROM MOVIE NIGHT IN NORTHRIDGE

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY   2011                       Northridge100

Willard Simms, member of The Museum's Board, sends these photographs taken at "Movie Night" this last Saturday in Northridge. The event was sponsored by Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and The Museum of the San Fernando Valley.

 Rania Pallad, Treasurer of The Museum, blows welcoming bubbles to let the children attending Movie Night, to The Museum's "coloring station."  Kids were provided crayons and cartoon maps of the San Fernando Valley. (click on image to enlarge).

 Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith observes children before Movie Night at The Museum's "coloring station."  In the back ground, in red shirt, is Museum Board Member Richard Hilton, director of The Museum's tour programs.

 A warm welcome. on a chilly night, to Movie Night by Councilman Smith and Museum leaders.

Scott Sterling, Chairman of The Public Arts Committee, and Narrating Lives (Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley), welcomes families at Movie Night. Sterling, owner of Sterling Construction in Northridge, leads the very successful effort by The Museum Community to secure the histories of Valley residents for future generations.

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ORAL HISTORIES COMMITTEE TAKES TIME OUT AT THE DODGERS

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY   2011

Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley Committee takes in the Dodgers.

Following The Museum's concept of "making history - while preserving history", Scott Sterling (with glasses on his shirt) treated members of the Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley committee to an evening at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The boys in blue didn't win this one... oh well, there's always next time.,

FIRE SERVICE HISTORIES NEXT ON THE MUSEUM'S ORAL HISTORIES AGENDA.

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY    2011                         100 Anniversary of Van Nuys

 Scott Sterling Leads Museum's Oral Histories Project.

Scott Sterling, Chairman of The Museum's Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley, encourages The Museum Community to include the histories of the men and women who serve and have served in public safety in the Valley.  Thus far, Scott leadership has resulted in video interviews of five people with historical ties to the Los Angeles Police Department. Fire Safety officers are the next group whose oral histories will become permanent parts of The Museum's archives.
Scott is shown here with a classic Fire Department vehicle once assigned to San Fernando Valley fire safety stations.

MUSEUM COMMUNITY CELEBRATES 100th ANNIVERSARY OF VAN NUYS

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY              2011                     100th Anniversary of Van Nuys

 Gary Fredburg, Vice President of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley discusses Gaelyn Whitley Keith's book The Father of Hollywood" at the 100th Anniversary dedication of Van Nuys in February 2011.

 Richard Hilton, member of the Board of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley speaks of the importance of Van Nuys history. (click on images to enlarge)

Scott Sterling, Chairman of Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley, and Neighborhood Council Leader Jill Barad at the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Van Nuys.

GATHERING ORAL HISTORIES BEGINS

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY        2011                     Northridge100

On Saturday, January 22, The Museum of the San Fernando Valley began its first campaign to secure important personal histories of Valley residents. Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley, is the beginning of The Museum's permanent commitment to securing the histories of individuals and organizations that impact our community's culture and lifestyles. Narrating Lives, sponsored through a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, will activate Valley leaders to learn practical ways of securing oral histories, gather vital histories and to share the results with educational institutions across our city.

 Scott Sterling, Chairman of Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley, addresses key North Valley residents. Scott is the owner of Sterling Construction and a community activist.

A modest grant will not capture all of the valuable histories of Valley residents, but it is a very important first step. Oral history interviews will concentrate on people who reside or who have lived and worked in the Northern regions of the Valley, with a special emphasis on artists and those who have been part of the entertainment arts. However, the endangered histories from the entire Valley will also be acquired.

The great Elisabeth Waldo addresses community volunteers who set to work on the Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley. Ms. Walso is a composer, violinist, songwriter, producer and conductor. She creates multi-cultural events in music and the arts from her Rancho Cordillera del Norte in Northridge.

 Mitch Englander, from Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith's office, addresses the gathering on the importance of the oral histories project.

Member of the Oral Histories Committee, Semee Park, explains the process of nominating people to be interviewed and the interviewing process.