One hundred years ago, the Board of Trustees of the Town of San
Juan (as it was called then) ordained that a public library be
established within the corporate limits of the town and be managed
by a board of five persons.
One hundred years ago, the Board of Trustees of the Town of San Juan (as it was called then) ordained that a public library be established within the corporate limits of the town and be managed by a board of five persons.
The library began in a single room in the Masonic Hall. Today it has distinction of being the oldest working small city library in California. In 1906, the library offered the town and its patrons books only. Today, the library is also a source for computers, DVDs, CDs, video and audio tapes, photocopies, newspapers, magazines, children’s story times, collections and used-book sales.
The Library Auxiliary is holding a special Centennial Anniversary reception at the library Tuesday, April 4 starting at 5:30 p.m. There will be refreshments, keynote speakers and old photos and news articles to peruse.
San Juan Bautista is excited to welcome their new city manager, Jan McClintock. She is responsible for management of the administrative functions of City Hall. She comes from Southern California and brings a background in public administration, information technology, retail management and business administration. You can reach her Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at City Hall on the corner of Second and Polk streets.You can also email her at [email protected]. The residents of San Juan Bautista look forward to all the energy and ideas she is bringing to this community!
The 18th annual Spring/Easter parade is at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 9, and is presented by the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce. Anyone is welcomed to join in the parade! It is a wonderful small-town event where you will see large floats, kids on decorated bikes and the return of the Monterey PT Cruiser group! And of course, the Easter Bunny will be handing out candy!
You may obtain a parade application online at www.sjbchamber.com or call the office at 831-623-2454. Kids, look for several “Egg-stations” in the downtown area where filled plastic eggs will be handed out. And new to this year’s event is a kid’s zone of fun activities downtown organized by local merchants from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
At 4 p.m.Thursday, March 30, there will be two ribbon cuttings. The first one will be at the Casa Galleria located at 107-B The Alameda. Jeanie Watson from Morgan Hill opened her new gallery on March 17. It includes a selection of local artwork and new home accessories, fine furniture, antiques and more to enhance your home or office. As an interior designer and an artist, she has added talents to help you select the perfect item. The gallery is open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Call at 831-623-4635 or visit them on their Web site: www.casagalleria-art.com.
Right after the Casa Galleria ribbon cutting, we will go next door to welcome the new owners of Precious Petals, San Juan Bautista’s newest full service florist. Raina Wood and her family recently took over ownership. Their specialty is weddings but they will create other special-occasion arrangements – even gourmet fruit baskets! They also have wide variety of gifts to choose from. Precious Petals is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment. You can reach them at 831-623-9413 or 831-623-9415.
Other upcoming events: The 2006 Event Calendar is available at www.sjbchamber.com, or pick up a copy from our office at 33 Washington St. To have a calendar mailed to you, call 831-623-2454 or email [email protected]. Applications for the chamber’s upcoming events are now on-line.
The San Juan Bautista Carl Luck Library 100th Year Anniversary Party is scheduled for April 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, contact the Library at 831-623-4687 or www.san-juan-bautista.ca.us/city/library.
April 4 also is the date for the Harlem Ambassadors vs. Rotary International Tri-County volunteers basketball game presented by the San Juan Bautista Rotary Club. The game will be played at the Anzar High School Gymnasium at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are $9 for student/seniors or $12 for adults ($15 at the door). Call 831-623-1008 to order your tickets early, as there is limited seating available.
There is an artist reception with Erica Steiner and Lee Taiz on April 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Galeria Tonantzin, located at 115 Third St. This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to see the other Galeria receptions scheduled for the year, visit www.galeriatonantzin.com.
Everyone is welcome on April 14, 15 and 16 to see the Road to Calvary, sponsored by SJB Assembly of God Church. A cast in full costume will walk through downtown for depiction of the resurrection of Jesus Christ followed by a dramatic presentation. This begins and ends at the Windmill Market parking lot. April 14 and 15 are evening presentations starting at 6 p.m., and the April 16 presentation begins at 9:30 a.m. Call 831-623-2304 or 831-675-0611 for details.
That’s it for now from The City of History … San Juan Bautista.
Denise Cauthen-Wright is the Executive Director of the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce. Lisa Estabrooks contributed to this column.
