MAGNA CARTA AT THE REAGAN LIBRARY HOLDS AN EXTRA SURPRISE

The Colonel, Lord Cornwallis' Company - The 33rd Regiment of Foot, Inc.

I just saw one of the best historical reenactment groups in western America. They are at the Ronald Reagan Library this weekend. Go see the Magna Carta and plan on lots of time to see these excellent historical figures.
Check out their website for a preview: http://www.33rdfoot.org/

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley, in the heart of the Creative Capital of the World, deserves a great Museum of history and culture.

10 REASONS TO TAKE A WALKING TOUR WITH THE MUSEUM OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Phyllis Hansen shares with us:

Top 10 Reasons to Tour with your Museum of the San Fernando Valley

10. Finding fun, grass-roots things to do is what 2009 is all about.
9. It’s affordable.
8. It’s worthwhile; you’ll be benefiting a local organization.
7. The docents are extremely knowledgeable AND entertaining.
6. You won’t believe all the awesome history in your own backyard.
5. The San Fernando Valley has an amazing past.
4. You’ll get fresh air and exercise.
3. You’ll meet some new friends.
2. You’ll go home with a wad of trivia to impress your friends.
1. Because there’s a there there.

MESSAGE FROM LA HERITAGE ALLIANCE

Dear L.A. Heritage Day Participating Organizations-
Congratulations on your efforts to make L.A. Heritage Day a huge
success! Each of your groups added to the energy that brought out over
850 attendees (though some would estimate closer to 1000!) that
visited the Heritage Square Museum's grounds. We had two informative
panel discussions that drew over 30 participants, and though it may
have been a bit windy, the rain subsided and the day was welcoming to
all attendees!

Based on the initial feedback found on the surveys and in
conversations from you, participating groups found the event very
positive, and we will build on the things that made this event
successful to host another, even better event next year! For example,
based on the inspiration of booths like those of Alhambra
Preservation, Point Fermin Lighthouse, and MANY others, we'll be
offering a resource sheet on how to set up an "outreach booth" as well
as offer prizes for the best booths next year! (Look for more
information later in 2009 on that aspect of the day.)

A special thanks again goes out to my fellow steering committee
members -- Carmela Gomes of Highland Park Heritage Trust, Laura Meyers
of West Adams Heritage, Cindy Olnick of The Los Angeles Conservancy,
Brian Sheridan of Heritage Square Museum, and Valerie Yaros of
Hollywood Heritage -- and the L.A.H.D. sponsors: Project Restore,
Preservation Arts, and Spectra Company.

The L.A. Heritage Alliance will continue to update you with news and
resources and provide programs to assist your organizations based on
the feedback from the survey forms you all completed. Volunteers,
Fundraising, Marketing, and Web Presence continue to be the stand-out
issues of need, so look for programs and tips in the near future on
these topics. Also, please keep in touch with us with other needs your
organization might have that we can work on together as the heritage
community of Los Angeles.

Planning starts again soon for next year's L.A. Heritage Day, so if
you're interested in being a part of this growing event, please let me
know so we can start working together to preserve and promote our
shared Los Angeles heritage!

Sincerely, JOHN

John Bwarie,
Coordinator,
L.A. Heritage Alliance
laheritage.blogspot.com

THE MUSEUM OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY ARCHIVES FRATERNITY AND SORORITY RECORDS

Phi Delta Psi Membership Card - Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - Gift of Vic Salerno (click on image to enlarge)

Fraternities and sororities were a very serious matter on college campuses in the 1950s and 60s. The Psi Delta Psi Fraternity had chapters at LA Valley and Pierce Colleges, San Fernando Valley State College (CSUN) and LA City College. Later on, the organization had chapters at Moorpark College and Virginia Institute of Technology.
The Museum of the San Fernando Valley archives the history and memorabilia of these organizations.

LAist blogs The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

Here's an LAist take on The Museum of the San Fernando Valley's booth this last Sunday at LA Heritage Day. Check out LAist and its editior Zach Behrens at
http://www.zachbehrens.com/wordpress/index.php

"On Sunday at LA Heritage Day, when over 60 local historical groups gathered at Heritage Square, one of the most crowded booths was from the Museum of the San Fernando Valley. The museum's president, Jerry Fecht, displayed hundreds of historical postcards drawing people to see what their Valley home looked like before massive development.
Fecht mentioned he had a blog that he's been running since March of 2007. It's a treasure trove of visual beauty and history of the Valley. The above one particularly piqued our interest. It's the Cahuenga Pass between what now Hollywood and the Universal City area where the 101 Freeway and Metro Red Line subway runs below. The photo shows the construction of the Pacific Electric Railway (yes the Red Car system) expanding towards the Valley. That was 1911, not even 100 years ago."