Along the Trail

* The National Park Service signed an agreement with Santa Barbara County to mark and interpret the Anza Trail within its jurisdiction. Wilson Hubbell, Senior Environmental Planner in the Department of Public Works, shepherded the agreement through the board of supervisors and is leading the marking of 35 miles of trail and three county park facilities. So far, 13 miles of the south coast are marked. Eighteen miles of the Gaviota coast await trail construction: Congresswoman Lois Capps and Assemblywoman Hannah Beth Jackson support funding for completion of a multi-use off-road trail from Goleta to Gaviota State Beach, connecting the urban area with three state beaches, all along the Anza Trail. Four miles in the north county await marking. The National Park Service needs to sign agreements with the cities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Guadalupe before marking in the entire county can be completed.

*  The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) signed an agreement in support of marking and interpreting the Anza Trail within the county and agreed to act as coordinator with the county and the cities. SLOCOG staff person Steve Devencenzi helped. The NPS will still need to sign agreements with the local jurisdictions before the trail can be marked.

* A subcommittee of Amigos de Anza of San Luis Obispo County is working with Rob Rossi, owner of the Santa Margarita Ranch, to preserve the historic corridor of the Anza Trail within the ranch as part of Rossi's agreement with the Rangeland Trust. The committee is also working on Anza Trail connections over Cuesta Grade north of San Luis Obispo. Members include
Myra Douglass, Lindsay Hampton, Eric Greening, Dorothy Jennings—all Amigos de Anza—and Richard Murphy of SLOCOG, George Sullivan of the County Park and Recreation Commission, Marcie Osborn of the County Trails Committee, and John French, consultant to Rob Rossi.

Happenings 

Indian drums and a sacred walk initiated the opening to public use of a 3.5-mile segment of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail in San Benito County, California, along Old Stage Road on October 24, 1999. The county abandoned vehicular use of this unpaved road to create a pathway for walkers, horseback riders, and bicyclists. Three local construction companies will cooperate in maintaining the trail over the next ten years. The sacred walk—every step a prayer for the ancestors—was led by Ann-Marie Sayers, tribal chair of Indian Canyon. Paul Trujillo, portraying Anza, led horseback riders in period uniforms from Monterey using the new public pathway. Margaret Cheney and Ruth Keslar organized the day. About 100 people attended the dedication ceremony including Congressman Sam Farr; Ken Gray, representing of Rusty Areas, Director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation; Richard Place, a member of the county board of supervisors; and Meredith Kaplan, superintendent of the Anza Trail. Local groups plan to make this an annual event.

* In January, 2000, the Arizona Historical Society of Tempe hosted a panel discussion on Juan Bautista de Anza Millennium Trail led by Reba Wells Grandrud. Speaking were Don Kucera in period costume and Cheryl Blanchard of BLM, both of the Anza Trail Coalition of Arizona. Don Garate provided historical interpretation as Juan Bautista de Anza.

* The annual play, Juan Bautista de Anza en Calabasas A Pageant, created and 

* In spite of bad weather, Anza Day in Atascadero, March 4, was celebrated with a bird and nature walk and a ride on the Anza Trail in Camp Roberts sponsored by Amigos de Anza and the Atascadero Horsemen.

In April Myra Douglass participated in a local call-in radio show called "Sound Off," answering many questions about the Anza Trail. She also spearheaded a work party to replace markers and trailhead signs. Nicolle Cowert, Jim Erickson, Glorian Mitchell, and Goeff English, City staff person, helped.

* The Anza Trail through Camp Roberts was dedicated On March 5 at a ceremony in the community hall on the base. The New World Baroque Orchestra played pieces from the late 18^th century, and students from Atascadero High School read Anza's diary in Spanish and English for the days that he passed through the area in 1776. Meredith Kaplan, NPS trail 

Atascadero High School students (l. to r.) Breana Dixon, Jennifer Clay, Jessica Nicholson, Megan Lemke, and Rebeccah Sousa at the Camp Roberts trail dedication.