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< Sunday, December 16, 2018 >


07:30 AM - 11:30 AM All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast by Native Sons of the Golden West
Murphys, CA...Native Sons of the Golden West Monthly Breakfast – Chispa Parlor #139 of the Native Sons of the Golden West will serve an All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast at the Native Sons Hall from 7:30 to 11:30 am. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, orange juice, coffee and hot chocolate will be served. The breakfast is served on the third Sunday of each month. For more information, call 209-728-8902.


What is a Native Son of the Golden West?

What is a Native Son of the Golden West? Gold and “Newcomers” both have played a big part in the history
of the state of California, and both of them played a big role in the formation of the Native Sons of the Golden West.

To answer “What is a Native Son of the Golden West“
We must go back in history to the California Gold Rush, which was one of the unmatched marvels of American history. In 1848, California was a tranquil wilderness where the population density was so low that, on average, only one human being dwelt per each 528 square miles. But after President James K. Polk made the official announcement on Dec. 5, 1848 that gold had been discovered, things ramped up very quickly.

Gold seekers (mostly young men) came in droves from all corners of the earth. Within a short time, 100,000 people were living in California. They were industrious, civic-minded people. They held a Constitutional Convention, and activated a state government on Dec. 20, 1849. They acted so rapidly that it took Congress almost a year to catch up. Partially because California was not officially declared a state until Sept. 9, 1850.

It was an unparalleled phenomenon. No other American state has been organized in such “can-do” circumstances. But by the mid-1870s, many more new residents were flooding into California. They were Civil War veterans seeking grants of public lands. There were people who could enjoy the convenient transportation of the newly completed transcontinental railroad.

Old-timers shook their heads and worried that, with the nature of the population changing so rapidly. That it was only a matter of time before the colorful history of the Gold Rush and early-day statehood soon would be forgotten and neglected. So they hit upon an idea. Why not form an organization of men who had been BORN in California. Whose mission it would be to preserve the state’s history.

And that’s exactly what happened, causing the Native Sons of the Golden West to be formed on July 11, 1875.

What do Native Sons of the Golden West do?
UCSFCraniofacialCenterCheckCeremoneyLong before there were such things as state historical parks and the like, in the 1880s Native Sons kicked off fund-raising campaigns to save the disintegrating buildings that were icons of early California history;

We Native Sons also began placing historical markers and partnered with the state to encourage it to do the same (most notably starting with the monument at the gold discovery site at Coloma). Today, Native Sons are still very active:

Monthly Group (we call a parlor) Meetings. Our Charitable Foudation -provides funds to hospitals caring for children born with cleft palate Participating in local parades. Historical preservation. Dedications – including buildings or sites of historical importance. Sponsor history essay contents for school children, Scholarship awards to high school students, co-sponsor conferences and lectures and work with other historical organizations.

We also get involved in many other non-history related civic activities and charities. And we have our social side tooDonnerCelebration22. In this day and age, when it gets tiresome staring into the screen of a TV or computer monitor, we offer an alternative: The chance to look into real human faces at a multitude of dinners, family picnics, barbecues and other just-plain-fun events.
11:00 AM - 05:00 PM Sunday Funday at Ironstone Vineyards
Murphys, CA...Sunday Funday at Ironstone Vineyards –Nothing says luxury like a mimosa, the daytime drink blend of OJ & California champagne that no weekend catch-up would be complete without! #SundayFunday Starting July 9, we will serve mimosas in our tasting room on Sundays between 11am-5pm!

11:00 AM - 05:00 PM Guided Tours of Ironstone Vineyards
Murphys, CA...Take a complimentary guided tour beginning in the tasting room (offered Wednesday – Sunday only) at 1:30 pm. Or take the self-guided tour. Print out the self-guided map here.   Ironstone is open Daily from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day

11:00 AM Town Tours of Columbia State Historic Park
Columbia, CA...Enjoy an hour-long walking tour of town led by a park staff member or docent. See the actual gold discovery site, learn about the buildings and early merchants of Columbia. Sponsored by The Friends Of Columbia SHP. Visit their website for more information. Town Tours are every Saturday & Sunday starting at 11 am. Meet at the office on Main Street & State St Columbia, CA 95310

02:00 PM Big Holiday Laughs: Inspecting Carol’ at Murphys Creek Theatre
Murphys, CA...All they wanted to do was put on a nice little Christmas play…what they got was a “Christmas Carol” you’ve got to see to believe. On November 30, Murphys Creek Theatre unveils its final offering in what has become a landmark season with new Artistic Director Robbie Allen at the helm. “Inspecting Carol” is the perfect comic antidote to the hustle, bustle and blues of the holidays.


The Union Democrat called the play “riotously funny” and a “well-paced mix of slapstick and wit that is packed with laughs and is a great holiday stress-reliever”. The Modesto Bee chimed in with “an uproarious Christmas comedy…‘Inspecting Carol’ is pure bliss”. The Sierra Lodestar dubbed it “sheer holiday hilarity”.

The play was written by Daniel Sullivan and members of the Seattle Repertory Theater who no doubt had a variety of real “Christmas Carol” disasters in mind when they concocted this fictional one.

The ‘Soap Box Playhouse’ is trying to mount its production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ for the umpteenth time. No problem. They could do it their sleep. What could possibly go wrong? The answer is, of course, everything - and then some. We can’t tell you much, suffice to say the comic results are…well…devastating.

Don Bilotti directs the show and is thrilled to be back directing big-time comedy. “I love directing the big, important dramas that have been my stock-in-trade for some years now, but it’s so much fun to let all that bottled-up silliness loose on the world every once in awhile.”, he says.

“This is pure, large-cast situational comedy, where one unfortunate circumstance gets piled on another and the harder the characters try to make things better, the worse things get. The roles are delicious and it’s so much fun to work on. Plus, I’ve been lucky to land a cast chock full of the best comic actors in the region.”

From Zorah, the excitable artistic director (“She’s Lithuanian.”), to Larry, the leading actor who wants to perform the entire role of Scrooge in Spanish, to Luther, who has played Tiny Tim so long that Bob Cratchit can’t even lift him anymore, to Walter, the company’s first African-American actor who finds himself playing an all-white ghost, this hapless troupe of players finds itself in a mounting series of disasters and mistaken identities that goes from bad to worse and downhill from there.

To complicate matters, the company finds itself flat broke with only one slim hope of survival. The National Endowment for the Arts is sending one last inspector to view their work. If only they can put on “the best ‘Carol’ the country has ever seen”, they will be saved. They do their best and the result is pure hilarity.

Maryann Curmi plays Zorah, the director of the Soapbox Playhouse. “I’ve given them everything they’ve asked for and now they want, what? Quality? We never get a break do we?” Zorah – at the end of her short, Lithuanian rope - pleads.

Curmi, who has made quite a name for herself as a multi-talented actor and director, returns with a vengeance to one of her favorite roles.

Michael Crich is Larry, the recalcitrant Scrooge and one of the principal troublemakers of the company.

Sean Lewis plays Wayne Wellacre, the timid aspiring actor and erstwhile data processer who stumbles into the Soapbox playhouse and the comic adventure of a lifetime.

Sally McClellan is Dorothy Tree Hapgood, the daffy Grand Dame of the company and Jake Edmondson is Sidney Carlton her not-so-perfect husband and doddering company veteran.

Mike Moon plays Kevin, the unfortunate business manager of the company. Kirk Summers takes the role of Phil, the self-important and accident-prone leading man. Sarah Grimes-Emmons is MJ, the loveable-in-a-sarcastic-way stage manager.

Sean-Pierre Fox-Wilson is Walter the newest actor in the company who gets a lot more – or less – than he bargained for. Newcomer Aidan Seay plays Luther, the pesky Tiny Tim who has outgrown both the role and his costume. David Vershay as Bart and Emily Graham round out the troupe.

The surprising set is designed by Micki Dambacher and props are provided by Linda Glick and Dambacher. Costumes are courtesy of Kathleen Lowe and Linda Glick.

This production is rated PG-13 for some comic adult language. If you had the same troubles as these folks, you’d cuss too.

November 30-December 23 Fridays and Saturdays @ 7:00pm Sundays @ 2pm 580 S. Algiers Street Murphys CA 209-728-8422 Opening weekend features a special Bring A Friend for Free- patrons can by 2 general admission tickets for the price of one, by using the voucher code SCROOGE when booking in advance.

Tickets available at www.murphyscreektheatre.org or www.facebook.com/murphyscreektheatre

$24 GENERAL, $22 SENIORS AND STUDENTS, $12 children 12 and under
04:30 PM THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Rides Continue on at Railtown 1897
Jamestown, CA...For the fifth consecutive holiday season, California State Parks, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (SHP) and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation are proud to present THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride experiences this holiday season. The festive train rides start the weekend after Thanksgiving and run on the following dates in 2018: November 23, 24 & 30 and December 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 & 16. Three festive train rides will be available each day the trains are running at 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  In 2016, Railtown 1897 was recognized by Rail Events, Inc. with a prestigious Polar Bell award for Best Décor for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride experiences offered in Jamestown.




Pulled by the iconic Sierra No.3® steam locomotive and headed straight to the North Pole, the staff and volunteers at Railtown 1897 SHP go to great lengths to re-create the holiday experience depicted in the classic children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. The holiday experience includes keepsake souvenir tickets, hot cocoa, festive holiday cookies, Santa Claus sightings and even the coveted silver bells – the first gift of Christmas for those who still believe in Santa Claus. Additionally, guests who bring their cameras or smartphones can capture memorable holiday photos in the historic Roundhouse – complete with a steam engine in the background.

Ticket prices for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride at Railtown 1897 SHP are as follows: $50 per person for coach seating and $70 per person for First Class seating that includes a commemorative THE POLAR EXPRESS™ mug (note an additional service fee of $6 per ticket or $24 per table will apply at purchase checkout). Children under two years of age are free and must be seated on an adult’s lap. THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride is a fundraiser for the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, which supports Railtown 1897 SHP. Advance tickets are available online only at www.railtown1897.org. For questions, please call THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride hotline at 209-984-3407.  

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California State Parks Mission


To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.

About the California State Railroad Museum Foundation
The mission of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation (CSRMF) is to generate revenue and awareness on behalf of its destinations, while supporting the preservation, interpretation and promotion of our railroad heritage. The Foundation provides funding for ongoing support of numerous programs, both at the museum's Old Sacramento location and at the historic park in Jamestown, Calif. For more information, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum.

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