Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Museum Schedule

The Museum will be closed from December 2011 to March 2012. In the meantime you can arrange to view the exhibits by appointment. Contact info@isletonhistory.org or fongsrae@yahoo.com for details.

New officers for 2012-2013

The election of officers and board for 2012-2013 was held November 12th at Peter's Steak House before the Gold Party fundraiser. Officers and board are:

President: Lynda Montano
Vice-President: Dennis Chin
Secretary: Pamela Bulahan
Treasurer: Sharon Fong
Board members: Nick Catanio, Karen Franscioni, Catherine Lytle, Wendy MacDonald, and Pam Sweet.

Lynda has numerous relatives who have lived in the greater California Delta Region and Isleton since the 1930s. Dennis, Pamela, and Sharon are Isleton School alumni, as is Wendy MacDonald.

The first board meeting of 2012 will be held January 19th, 6PM at Peter's Steak House, 203 Second Street Isleton.

The Gold Party fundraiser had three attendees willing to part with gold and silver for cash. The IBAHS also received some cash for hosting the fundraiser which was administered by The Gold Factory, a Better Business Bureau-registered company.

Thursday, November 03, 2011

General Meeting and Gold Party Fundraiser Saturday, November 12, 2011

The third general meeting of 2011 will be held 12 Noon at the second floor level of Peter's Steak House, 203 Second Street in Isleton. Officer/Board elections are scheduled to be held during this meeting.

After the general meeting there will be a Gold Party fundraiser also on the second floor level of Peter's Steak House, during which appetizers will be served and a no-host bar available for patrons. Bring your unwanted gold and silver jewelry and other items in addition to sterling silverware to this event. You decide whether or not to sell. The firm conducting the event, The Gold Factory, is registered with the Better Business Bureau. For more information contact IBAHS president Karen Franscioni at 916-777-6906 or email info@isletonhistory.org.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The museum is open during Cajun Festival June 18th and 19th 2011

The museum will be open during the Cajun Festival June 18th and 19th, 2011. For some details on the Cajun festival view the Isleton chamber of commerce site at http://www.isletonchamber.com/.

Some of the festivals Isleton has had over the years include:
  • Asparagus Festival from 1926-1939
  • May Festival from 1974-1979, evolved into Isleton Festival from 1980-1985
  • Crawdad Festival from 1986-2008
  • Non-Festival in 2009
The Isleton version of the Asparagus Festival featured cooking contests with stoves provided for the event by PG&E, a festival queen coronation, and state officials in attendance.
The May Festival was created to celebrate Isleton rising from the levee break west of Spindrift Marina on June 21, 1972. Note that the day was not rainy or stormy, but the first day of Summer. The Krazy River Raft Race ran during the May Festival years. Folks constructed rafts of unlikely objects (i.e. toilets) and floated them between Vieira's Resort and the Isleton launch ramp. Concern of liability issues ended the raft race. The Isleton Festival was a scaled-down community event. A conversation at the Del Rio bar evolved into the Crawdad Festival, which ended in 2008 when the entire venue was shifted to Sixth Street. The Cajun is scheduled to be on the two blocks of Main Street and the water tower/school parking lot.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

General Meeting Thursday, June 2nd at the Museum

The second general meeting for 2011 will be held at the Museum at 33 Main Street. Guest speaker will be Wendy MacDonald, who set up the initial museum layout prior to its March 2010 grand opening. For IBAHS members an amendment to the bylaws will be voted on. For more information please email info@isletonhistory.org or call president Karen Franscioni at (916) 777-6906.

Monday, May 23, 2011

REMINDER: The White Elephant Sale is Memorial Day Weekend, May 28th and May 29th!

The annual White Elephant Sale will be held on Saturday, May 28th and Sunday, May 29th on Memorial Day weekend for 2011. The White Elephant Sale is at the Isleton Community Center, 210 Jackson Boulevard.  Hours of the White Elephant Sale are 8:00AM to 1:00PM on both of these days. For more information such as where to drop off donations or to help with the event, email info@isletonhistory.org.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Scow Schooner Alma and Shrimp Junk Grace Quan dock in Isleton May 6, 7, and 8, 2011!

Scow Schooner Alma and Shrimp Junk Grace Quan’s upcoming visit to Isleton!

From the late 1800’s through the 1920’s scow schooners connected The Delta and San Francisco by hauling cargo up and down the river. These sailing barges carried hay down from Sacramento to feed the horses of San Francisco, while also ferrying lumber from San Francisco up and down the meandering Sacramento River.

During that same time period, San Francisco’s Chinese fishermen built their own traditional looking junks to fish for shrimp in the shallows of San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. These junks, built with American lumber and Chinese boatbuilding techniques, provided shrimp for San Francisco markets as well as for drying and shipping overseas.

Over the weekend of May 6th -8th, Alma, the last remaining scow schooner will visit Isleton along with the Grace Quan, a replica of a late 1800’s San Francisco Bay shrimp junk. The two vessels, from San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park will open their decks for a number of events over the weekend.

On Friday, May 6th, grade school classes from Isleton will visit Grace Quan dockside and sail Alma on the river. Students will learn the histories of both boats and their connections to The Delta, while helping to set sail on the Alma and navigate her down the river.
Saturday, May 7th both Alma and the Grace Quan will be docked at the Isleton town dock and open to visitors free of charge. Come on down and explore the boats! Both Alma and Grace Quan will be open from 11 AM until 4 PM, with crew onboard to answer questions.

Sunday, May 8th, Alma will take a public sail along the river, leaving from the Isleton city dock. Pack a lunch and enjoy a relaxing Mother’s Day on Alma’s deck---or try your hand hauling up the sails! Along the 3-hour sail we’ll learn about the history of the Alma and her various careers on the river while enjoying the view. Boarding begins at 11:00AM and Alma will sail from 11:30 til 2:30. The cost of the 3-hour sail is $20 for adults and children age 12 and under are free. Reservations may be made during the open house on Saturday. Cash only, please.

For more information on Alma and Grace Quan’s visit to Isleton, please contact Mariah Gardner at mgardner@maritime.org, phone 415-292-6664 or email us at info@isletonhistory.org.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Save the Dates for the 2011 White Elephant Sale on May 28th and 29th!

The annual White Elephant Sale will be held on Saturday, May 28th and Sunday, May 29th on Memorial Day weekend for 2011. The White Elephant Sale is at the Isleton Community Center, 210 Jackson Boulevard. For more information such as where to drop off donations or to help with the event, email info@isletonhistory.org.

Chinese New Year Celebration Sunday, March 6, 2011

The annual Chinese New Year celebration will be held on Sunday, March 6, 2011. Festivities start at 11:30 AM with a lion dancer performance. Lion dancers will also be available to those who wish to have their businesses or structures blessed.

Also featured for Chinese New Year 2011 is the Taoist blessing of the Bing Kong Tong altar at 1:00 PM in the Museum at 33 Main Street. For more information please email info@isletonhistory.org or call Karen at 916-777-6906.