Message from your President
I am excited to share with you the results of our annual election and the new members of the board for 2019-20:
President: Katie Holley Vice-President: Greg Zirbel Treasurer: Chaun Mortier
Recording Secretary: Tracy Pelletier Corresponding Secretary: Chaun Mortier
Board Member at Large: Karl Pape Board Member at Large: Rick Solinsky
I am very proud of our team and their accomplishments.
This year’s Annual General Meeting was held at Zano’s Restaurant on October 1. Vice-President Greg Zirbel prepared and distributed Certificates of Merit to all who have contributed in a significant way to another productive and educational year for TDHS. Every certificate bore this message: For your community service as an active member, we thank you. You have helped keep Truckee history alive, preserved, and open.
In reverse alphabetical order (because I do not think that Greg Zirbel should always have to be at the end of the list), the following are the personalized accolades that appeared on the certificates and my own annotations about the work and behind-the-scenes accomplishments of our active members.
Vice-President Greg Zirbel: You bring an old miner to life!
Greg in his old miner’s outfit is an amazing advertisement for the Old Jail Museum on Truckee Thursdays throughout the summer. As the Museum Curator, Greg has organized and displayed artifacts in ways that appeal to and intrigue our visitors. In addition to his work as curator, Greg maintains the Community Memorial Garden as a space of repose and peace in a busy downtown core. Greg volunteered to serve as Treasurer this year when our previous treasurer had to step down for medical reasons, and he did this job with grace and good cheer.
Webmaster and Image Collection Manager Heidi Sproat: Hear hear, see see, newsletters, photos, and more on the web!
When Heidi joined the Society, she brought our website into the Twenty-first Century and gave us a gorgeous print and on-line newsletter for over 5 years. She continues to be our webmaster, sharing information and news through that medium. She created and continues to add to the Image Collection, an online photograph resource of images in the TDHS Collection. Heidi and Barbara Czerwinski have been working on an application for National Historic Status for the Veteran’s Hall for 4 years. These two dedicated researchers have responded to every question or issue raised by the application reviewers, and have continued their advocacy despite frustrations and setbacks.
Board Member at Large Rick Solinsky: For being our “Poster of Truckee,” bringing conversation.
About a year ago, Rick began posting photographs from the TDHS collection on our Facebook page. Visits to our page jumped from a few a day to thousands per month. People are excited to join the conversation about history, and Rick’s project created a welcoming medium for them to do so. Rick is now our most recent addition to the board.
Donner Summit Historical Society historian Norm Sayler: All from the top of the hill known as Donner Pass!
Norm generously shares with TDHS what he knows of the history of the area, and much of it wasn’t history at the time he experienced it!
Thursday Cabin Crew member Ron Rettig: For building us a list of filming in the area!
Ron is our film and movie history expert, and is gifted with finding interesting articles, videos, and other items of interest on the internet, which he shares with us via clips, links, and screenshots.
Recording Secretary Tracy Pelletier: Minute by minute you have listened to us and recorded us!
Tracy joined us mid-season last year and was happy to re-up her enlistment as Recording Secretary. Her additional projects have included combing through old (meaning ancient) TDHS membership lists, organizing and filing past board meeting minutes and newsletters, and sorting items for our Pay It Forward Program (If we find something in our collection that does not pertain to Truckee area history, we find another historical society or other organization in whose collection the item would be more appropriate).
Board Member at Large Karl Pape: You have undertaken keeping our museum open to the public as our Docent Lead.
Karl is known as our Map Maven because of the extensive index and catalog that he created of our map collection. The Map Room at the Joseph Research Cabin houses the collection in protective tubes, with each map labeled and stored in an easy-to-access system.
Karl also manages and schedules the numerous school tours of the Old Jail Museum for our local children, and arranges tours for private groups both local and visiting. The summer season of the Old Jail Museum - Memorial Day through Labor Day - finds Karl at the Museum most weekends, which puts his volunteer hours every summer at about 150 hours.
Corresponding Secretary and Membership Chair Chaun Mortier: You count, and we count on you, treasurer!
Chaun is our newly elected Treasurer, but her responsibilities are legion. As Membership Chair, Chaun is one of our prime contacts with our membership base, maintaining warm relationships with our supporters. As Corresponding Secretary, Chaun is the initial point of contact for all emails that come in via our website to [email protected], many of which are requests for research, information, photographs, burial records, property ownership history, and family history. An ongoing responsibility is cataloging bequests of family and individual collections of artifacts, photographs, and documents. In her spare time, Chaun is indexing Truckee newspapers going back to the 1870s. Chaun volunteers at the Old Jail Museum all summer on Truckee Thursdays.
Archaeologist Susan Lindstrom: For passing down everything from knowledge to artifacts!
It is always a treat when Susan stops in at the Joseph Research Library, as we delight in sharing our resources with her and in learning from her.
Old Jail Museum docent Pete Kolp: You share your love of history and we love you for it!
Pete has been volunteering as a docent at the Old Jail Museum longer than anyone else currently active, which means he has been at it for over a decade.
President Katie Holley: You have helped organize, rearrange, and guide us like no other!
I do like to know where things are, so I am a big fan of lists, filing folders, binders, and Google Sheets for keeping track of things! My big ongoing projects are cataloging and cross-referencing the artifacts and documents in our collection, and converting cassette and mini-cassette recordings to mp3 files such that oral histories and presentations that were recorded 20-30 years ago are preserved and shared on our website. (Contact us at [email protected] to get a password to allow access to the recordings.)
Thursday Cabin Crew member Steve Harris: Man of Eclectic Interests!
Steve volunteers as a docent at the Old Jail Museum, takes care of watering flowers and plants at the Community Memorial Garden and the Joseph Research Library, and has a special interest in the Chinese people who lived and worked in Truckee in the early years.
Old Jail Museum docent Ron Grove: For bringing a sense of history to our old stuff
Ron doesn’t even live in Truckee full time, but he volunteers regularly at the Old Jail Museum throughout the summer season. He brings energy and enthusiasm to special projects.
Thursday Cabin Crew member Patricia Featherstone: You have crossed our “t”s and dotted our “i”s as our Recording Secretary.
Patricia is our authority for clarity in writing, and served as the proofreader for the newsletter for 5 years. She also served as Recording Secretary for 1 ½ years and as Membership Chair for 1 year. Patricia’s persona when leading tours for school groups at the Old Jail Museum is that of Isabella Bird, a plucky Englishwoman who came through Truckee on her way to the Rocky Mountains in 1873. Patricia’s gift for engaging with children captures their attention and their imagination, making her tours interesting and enjoyable.
Thursday Cabin Crew member Barbara Czerwinski: For turning little projects into big ones by never stopping the dig!
Barbara’s ability to find information leads me to suspect that her 50-year career in nursing was just a cover for clandestine operations for an unnamed agency. Barbara has collected and distilled information on the Donner Party (and all things related), medical/health/disease history, centennial and sesquicentennial celebrations, Truckee-area Nevada County Landmarks plaques (including locations and missing plaques), and her ongoing discoveries and analysis of the 1952 snowbound train, The City of San Francisco. [See note under Heidi Sproat regarding Barbara’s work with Heidi on getting National Historic Status for the Veteran’s Hall.]
Bookkeeper and Tax Preparer Tricia Clarin: For keeping us in check!
Gifted accountant Tricia has saved us from hours of tedious, time-consuming, and tear-producing work in keeping all of our accounts in order.
All of us are grateful to all of you for your continued support of the Truckee-Donner Historical Society. It is a joy to be part of keeping Truckee history alive, and we invite you to become part of the active membership.
In reverse alphabetical order (because I do not think that Greg Zirbel should always have to be at the end of the list), the following are the personalized accolades that appeared on the certificates and my own annotations about the work and behind-the-scenes accomplishments of our active members.
Vice-President Greg Zirbel: You bring an old miner to life!
Greg in his old miner’s outfit is an amazing advertisement for the Old Jail Museum on Truckee Thursdays throughout the summer. As the Museum Curator, Greg has organized and displayed artifacts in ways that appeal to and intrigue our visitors. In addition to his work as curator, Greg maintains the Community Memorial Garden as a space of repose and peace in a busy downtown core. Greg volunteered to serve as Treasurer this year when our previous treasurer had to step down for medical reasons, and he did this job with grace and good cheer.
Webmaster and Image Collection Manager Heidi Sproat: Hear hear, see see, newsletters, photos, and more on the web!
When Heidi joined the Society, she brought our website into the Twenty-first Century and gave us a gorgeous print and on-line newsletter for over 5 years. She continues to be our webmaster, sharing information and news through that medium. She created and continues to add to the Image Collection, an online photograph resource of images in the TDHS Collection. Heidi and Barbara Czerwinski have been working on an application for National Historic Status for the Veteran’s Hall for 4 years. These two dedicated researchers have responded to every question or issue raised by the application reviewers, and have continued their advocacy despite frustrations and setbacks.
Board Member at Large Rick Solinsky: For being our “Poster of Truckee,” bringing conversation.
About a year ago, Rick began posting photographs from the TDHS collection on our Facebook page. Visits to our page jumped from a few a day to thousands per month. People are excited to join the conversation about history, and Rick’s project created a welcoming medium for them to do so. Rick is now our most recent addition to the board.
Donner Summit Historical Society historian Norm Sayler: All from the top of the hill known as Donner Pass!
Norm generously shares with TDHS what he knows of the history of the area, and much of it wasn’t history at the time he experienced it!
Thursday Cabin Crew member Ron Rettig: For building us a list of filming in the area!
Ron is our film and movie history expert, and is gifted with finding interesting articles, videos, and other items of interest on the internet, which he shares with us via clips, links, and screenshots.
Recording Secretary Tracy Pelletier: Minute by minute you have listened to us and recorded us!
Tracy joined us mid-season last year and was happy to re-up her enlistment as Recording Secretary. Her additional projects have included combing through old (meaning ancient) TDHS membership lists, organizing and filing past board meeting minutes and newsletters, and sorting items for our Pay It Forward Program (If we find something in our collection that does not pertain to Truckee area history, we find another historical society or other organization in whose collection the item would be more appropriate).
Board Member at Large Karl Pape: You have undertaken keeping our museum open to the public as our Docent Lead.
Karl is known as our Map Maven because of the extensive index and catalog that he created of our map collection. The Map Room at the Joseph Research Cabin houses the collection in protective tubes, with each map labeled and stored in an easy-to-access system.
Karl also manages and schedules the numerous school tours of the Old Jail Museum for our local children, and arranges tours for private groups both local and visiting. The summer season of the Old Jail Museum - Memorial Day through Labor Day - finds Karl at the Museum most weekends, which puts his volunteer hours every summer at about 150 hours.
Corresponding Secretary and Membership Chair Chaun Mortier: You count, and we count on you, treasurer!
Chaun is our newly elected Treasurer, but her responsibilities are legion. As Membership Chair, Chaun is one of our prime contacts with our membership base, maintaining warm relationships with our supporters. As Corresponding Secretary, Chaun is the initial point of contact for all emails that come in via our website to [email protected], many of which are requests for research, information, photographs, burial records, property ownership history, and family history. An ongoing responsibility is cataloging bequests of family and individual collections of artifacts, photographs, and documents. In her spare time, Chaun is indexing Truckee newspapers going back to the 1870s. Chaun volunteers at the Old Jail Museum all summer on Truckee Thursdays.
Archaeologist Susan Lindstrom: For passing down everything from knowledge to artifacts!
It is always a treat when Susan stops in at the Joseph Research Library, as we delight in sharing our resources with her and in learning from her.
Old Jail Museum docent Pete Kolp: You share your love of history and we love you for it!
Pete has been volunteering as a docent at the Old Jail Museum longer than anyone else currently active, which means he has been at it for over a decade.
President Katie Holley: You have helped organize, rearrange, and guide us like no other!
I do like to know where things are, so I am a big fan of lists, filing folders, binders, and Google Sheets for keeping track of things! My big ongoing projects are cataloging and cross-referencing the artifacts and documents in our collection, and converting cassette and mini-cassette recordings to mp3 files such that oral histories and presentations that were recorded 20-30 years ago are preserved and shared on our website. (Contact us at [email protected] to get a password to allow access to the recordings.)
Thursday Cabin Crew member Steve Harris: Man of Eclectic Interests!
Steve volunteers as a docent at the Old Jail Museum, takes care of watering flowers and plants at the Community Memorial Garden and the Joseph Research Library, and has a special interest in the Chinese people who lived and worked in Truckee in the early years.
Old Jail Museum docent Ron Grove: For bringing a sense of history to our old stuff
Ron doesn’t even live in Truckee full time, but he volunteers regularly at the Old Jail Museum throughout the summer season. He brings energy and enthusiasm to special projects.
Thursday Cabin Crew member Patricia Featherstone: You have crossed our “t”s and dotted our “i”s as our Recording Secretary.
Patricia is our authority for clarity in writing, and served as the proofreader for the newsletter for 5 years. She also served as Recording Secretary for 1 ½ years and as Membership Chair for 1 year. Patricia’s persona when leading tours for school groups at the Old Jail Museum is that of Isabella Bird, a plucky Englishwoman who came through Truckee on her way to the Rocky Mountains in 1873. Patricia’s gift for engaging with children captures their attention and their imagination, making her tours interesting and enjoyable.
Thursday Cabin Crew member Barbara Czerwinski: For turning little projects into big ones by never stopping the dig!
Barbara’s ability to find information leads me to suspect that her 50-year career in nursing was just a cover for clandestine operations for an unnamed agency. Barbara has collected and distilled information on the Donner Party (and all things related), medical/health/disease history, centennial and sesquicentennial celebrations, Truckee-area Nevada County Landmarks plaques (including locations and missing plaques), and her ongoing discoveries and analysis of the 1952 snowbound train, The City of San Francisco. [See note under Heidi Sproat regarding Barbara’s work with Heidi on getting National Historic Status for the Veteran’s Hall.]
Bookkeeper and Tax Preparer Tricia Clarin: For keeping us in check!
Gifted accountant Tricia has saved us from hours of tedious, time-consuming, and tear-producing work in keeping all of our accounts in order.
All of us are grateful to all of you for your continued support of the Truckee-Donner Historical Society. It is a joy to be part of keeping Truckee history alive, and we invite you to become part of the active membership.
