Pio Pico State Historic Park has undergone an amazing transformation. A major landscape project began in August 2002. California State Parks, the City of Whittier and the County of Los Angeles worked together to create the combined project of landscaping and the restoration of the historic Pico adobe house. The park, which has been closed during its major restoration, will reopen in September 2003. Pio Pico was the last civilian governor of Alta California under Mexico control. The Park is located along Whittier Boulevard, just west of the 605 Freeway.

A grass roots effort was begun in the early 1990’s with the formation of the Pio Pico State Historic Park Coalition. A 1996 local bond measure provided funding for the landscaping. California State Parks received Federal Intermodal Transportation Enhancement funding and Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to restore the Pico adobe ranch house. The structure was damaged in the 1987 Whittier-Narrows and 1994 Northridge earthquakes.

The project is recreating the historic nineteenth century landscaping of Pico’s 8,891-acre ranch. This will include planting fruit orchards, fields of barley and corn, and colorful gardens around the adobe home of Pio Pico. Animal corrals are being built to reflect cattle ranching from the 1850’s through the 1880’s. Outdoor exhibits will explain what life was like at the working ranch. The project also includes an outdoor classroom, a park setting and facilities designed to create an educational and urban oasis.

Pio Pico, who began acquiring the Rancho Paso de Bartolo Viejo in 1848, named the land “El Ranchito” (the little ranch) and built an adobe home. He lived at various times in the adobe until 1892. The ranch was used for cattle grazing, and later as a farm for growing an assortment of crops.
A grand re-opening celebration is scheduled for September 20, 2003, from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. The celebration theme will be “Bringing Life
to El Ranchito.” The public is invited to enjoy dancing, food, children’s crafts, and other activities. Parking at the Park is limited. So, shuttle bus service will be avaliable to the Park from the parking lot in the 6500 block of Milton Avenue, just south of Hadley Street in Uptown Whitter.


Conservancy Annual Awards Dinner
[no author]

This year’s Whittier Conservancy Annual Awards Dinner will be held Saturday, October 11, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the beautiful California ranch home of Helen Rahder, located at 13953 Penn Street in Whittier (across from Penn Park).

As always, the purpose of these annual awards is to call attention to notable examples of historic preservation and community enhancement projects in the Whittier community and to give recognition to the people behind them. Residential, commercial, and institutional properties are all eligible for consideration and can be chosen from the following categories:

Past award recipients have varied from early twentieth century residences with well preserved interiors and exteriors to quality new, commercial construction sensitive to its natural and man-made surroundings. If you know of a property that should receive award recognition, please contact Awards Co-chairs Karen Bennett and Sally Schacht at (562) 696-6049.

The Awards Dinner will include a delicious menu catered by a local Whittier restaurant, and will feature the always exciting and eclectic silent auction, which will benefit the Conservancy’s annual operating expenses.

[advertisement: The Conservancy is in need of items for the silent auction at its Annual Awards Dinner on October 11. If you have an item you would like to donate, please call (562) 227-1177 and leave a message. All donated items are tax deductible.]

I wish to thank the membership for supporting the Whittier Conservancy and its efforts to preserve what is good about Whittier. Unlike the citizens of Pasadena, who have thousands dedicated as watchdogs of impending change, we in Whittier depend on a few hundred dedicated citizens.

When “For Sale” signs go up on historic buildings, the Conservancy is alerted and inquiries are made. We have been successful in some instances of preservation and depend on the membership to be our eyes to change.

Beautifying the City is a high priority to the cause. Unfortunately, an effort to save the property at the northeast corner of Norwalk and Beverly from returning to a mini-mall was not successful. So grand plans for a beautiful entrance to Whittier at that location are not forthcoming. However, the Conservancy’s next plans for beautification include a generous donation of trees for city streets with the blessings of the Park Department.

Keep vigilant. Keep an eye on the future as we revere the past. Whittier is a grand old town and it needs our care.

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to the Conservancy’s Annual Awards Dinner on October 11. An invitation will be mailed to you with information regarding the time and place.

Mission Photo Sale to Benefit Conservancy
by Kyle Koestner

The California Missions represent some of our Nation’s oldest historical treasures. The first of the missions was founded in 1769, and today more than 5,300,000 people visit the California missions annually with visitors coming from all over the world. We would probably all agree that the preservation of California missions for public enjoyment is paramount to understanding their significance to California’s early history.

Many of the missions have been “saved” despite periods during which the missions have fallen into severe disrepair. Currently, many of the missions are threatened by insect damage and other significant threats. On June 20, 2003, Senate Bill 1306, known as the ‘California Missions Preservation Act’ was introduced to support the California Missions Foundation to restore and repair the Spanish colonial and mission-era missions in the State of California.

Perhaps two of the most important periods of restoration for the missions occurred at the turn of the century and in the 1930’s. At the turn of the century, citizens were alarmed and mobilized by the photographs of the early missions which revealed the severe, and in some cases almost total degradation of the early missions. These photos were reprinted on a very limited basis in the 1930’s in the form of a book entitled El Camino Real. The object of this book was to raise funds through the sale of its rare photos, and the proceeds went to benefit the efforts in the 1930’s to repair the missions.

One of these rare portfolios was acquired recently and we have respectfully framed these photos and will offer them for view and sale in a one-night exhibition to take place on September 27, from 4 to 8 p.m. There is no charge to view these photos and you just may want to acquire one of these rare images for your own enjoyment. But no matter your interest, you will surely want to view these photos for their revealing glimpse of the missions as they were photographed circa 1880’s to 1910. These rare and vintage images were printed in the 1930’s and there will only be one of each image available.

Please join us for the festivities on September 27, from 4 - 8 p.m. and enjoy hand-made quesadilla and mariachis. Should you decide to purchase an image, 100% of all proceeds will be donated to the Whittier Historic Neighborhood Association and the Whittier Conservancy. The event will be held at the Law Offices of Marie Solorzano Koestner, located at 13019 Bailey Street, Whittier, California; telephone number (562) 464-9793.

[advertisement: Whittier Historic Neighborhood Association Eclectic Home Tour | Saturday, October 25 | 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. | www.whittierhistoric.org | (562) 698-1457.]

“It is the mission of the Code Enforcement Division to work in partnership with the people of Whittier to promote and maintain a safe and desirable living and working environment.”

The Code Enforcement Division enforces regulations related to the following:

• Conditions of an existing structure that constitute a clear and present danger to the public.
• Building Code violations (building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, etc.), including construction or change of occupancy without permits.
• Zoning Ordinance requirements for structures (such as use, location, configuration and size) and land use requirements.
• Weeds on private, developed property.
• Swimming pool fences.
• Graffiti
• Signs, including signs in the public right-of-way, failure to have required permits, illegal inflatable displays, balloons and pennants.
• Inoperable and abandoned vehicles on public streets and private property.
• Blight on private and public properties (old furniture, car parts, appliances, etc.).
• Lawn parking.
• Early set out of yard trimmings.
• Illegal dumping.
• Smoking in enclosed public spaces.

One of the tools the City uses to gain compliance with the Municipal Code is the Administrative Citation. In most cases, the person responsible for a code violation is given an opportunity to voluntarily comply with the law and correct the situation. Once the deadline in the Compliance Order has passed, the owner or responsible person is subject to fines and an Administrative Citation.

According to the City’s Code Enforcement Department, the following are some of the most frequently encountered violations in the City:

• Yard Parking
• Vehicle Storage
• Trash Cans
• Household Pets
• Landscaping
• Property Maintenance
• Home Occupations
• Yard/Garage Sales

If you have any questions or would like to report a violation, please call the Code Enforcement Department at (562) 464-3415.

Going for the Green
by Sam Guyan

After many weeks of planning, talking, listening, and roving the railroad right-of-way, the Greenway Task Force passed on plans to the Park and Recreation Commission, the Parking and Transportation Commission, the Planning Commission, and the City Council. There is still some lingering hope for preserving the Pickering Avenue Bridge, but Caltrans regulations, costs, and safety concerns have helped conclude recommendations for replacement with a Whittier Boulevard small trestle design.

Friends of Greenways (FROGs?!) will follow usage and seek suggestions and information from others.

The next Greenway Task Force meeting will be held at 6:30 P.M. on Friday, September 29, at the Historic Transit Depot, which has been put to good use for bus and train connections, meetings, and a small train museum in progress.

Excellent Staff and City Council support has been provided to the Task Force by Assistant City Manager Nancy Mendez and Parks Director Bob Chavez; previous Mayors, and current City Council members Bob Henderson and Allan Zolnekoff. Task Force members are L. D. Adams, Ulises Aguirre, Bonnie Ceniseroz, Don Jenkins, Matt Ober, Shirley Oebel, Sylvya Cordova-Rodriguez, Sylvia Southerland, and yours truly, Sam Guyan.

[advertisement: Membership Reminder: The Whittier Conservancy is a non-profit organization. We depend on and appreciate your continued support. If you have not yet paid this year’s membership dues, you will find a GREEN DOT reminder on your mailing label. Payment of your dues will ensure that funds are available to help us continue our work to preserve the historic and unique character of our community.]

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