Irvine Park, MCAS Tustin, OCN, cemeteries, etc.

The photo above comes from Jim Sleeper's, Bears To Briquettes: A History of Irvine Park, 1897-1997, (which may be reprinted soon), in which he writes,

"In 1967, Irvine Park turned seventy. To honor that milestone, some 1500 well-wishers gathered on October 7 for an old-fashioned celebration. ...Prominent among the honorees were longtime county supervisor Tom Talbert, then 89, who fathered many park improvements... retired custodian Fay Irwin, 69, whose family had tended the place for 40 years; businessman Jim Liebig, 97, who got Irvine's permission to change the park's name; and historian Don Meadows, 70..."

The photo above, taken by Jim, shows (from left to right) Liebig, Meadows, Irwin and Talbert. But here's the twist: While digging through the County Archives, I found the image below,...
There's young Mr. Sleeper taking the photo that appears in the book!
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A lot has happened since I last had the chance to post. For instance,...
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According to County Historical Commissioner Don Dobmeier, the County is reconsidering their stance on the economic viability of saving the MCAS Tustin "lighter-than-air" hangar they inherited. If they decide against reuse, it would mean that both of the historic hangars have wrecking balls in their futures. (The City of Tustin already decided not to keep the hangar they control.) The sad loss of these landmarks -- the largest free-standing structures in the world -- would be hard to get used to. [Update: I now hear more rumblings that the County is still looking at more options for reuse, but I haven't heard anything specific yet. Generally, this seems like good news. 11/13/09]
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Griselda Castillo, who has been overseeing some of the County's historic parks since Rob Selway's retirement, has now been named Manager of Historic Parks for the whole system. I wish her luck with what seems a daunting but potentially very rewarding job.
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The Dreger Clock was finally officially unveiled to the public. Photos of the dedication are posted on OutsideTheBerm.
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Casa Romantica has named Lisa Merryman as their new interim director.

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A large mountain of "Beta" videotapes have been delivered to the Orange County Archives, comprising the 10-year run of the Orange County Newschannel (OCN). Of course, it's going to take a lot of time, work, and antiquated equipment to make this material available to the public in something resembling a useful format.
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The Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society will hold their annual Historical Cemetery Tour on Oct 17, with tours from 10 am to 3 pm. This guided historical tour of Fairhaven Memorial Park and Santa Ana Cemetery features costumed actors portraying historic figures who share stories from Orange County’s past. This year's program is entitled, "What's In A Name?" More information is available on the SAHPS website.