Lynwood Rotary Meeting Update 03.16.2017
At the March 16, 2017, members and guests heard a very interesting presentation by Luis Fernandez, Executive Director, Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum, in Rancho Dominguez.
Before the presentation, President Ramon Rodriguez talked about a coming event planned in Griffith Park weekend for a Polio Peace International 5K walk. President Ramon encouraged members and guests to attend the Ham Park Community Center Opening Celebration on Wed, Mar 22, 5-8pm. The Center is named the Lucy Avalos Center. Out of respect and admiration for all the community work of Lucy, to include being a long term member of the Lynwood Rotary, Ramon urged all Lynwood Rotary members to attend this event. Ramon talked about Lucy's numerous ways that she helped the community, noting that she joined the Lynwood Rotary Club in 2001, at the time she started her catering business. Ramon and next year's Club President, Joe Wang talked about the necessary application process for the Club's fireworks sales stand, July 1 thru July 4, noting the importance of this event, as the principal source of funds for the Lynwood club. President Ramon again mentioned that at the April 6 meeting, member discussions will include ways to increase membership, including the possibility of changing the meeting times for the weekly meetings. One possibility would be to have at least one meeting each month in the evening, so that persons who due to their work schedules cannot attend a noon meeting, but could attend an evening meeting.
Guests at the meeting included Maria Viera, very active in the community and a Block Watch Captain, who was commended for her repair of the worn Rotary banner that has been hung on the wall for each Rotary weekly meeting. Another guest was Jessica Martinez, who at a previous meeting explained that she is representing the cannabis businesses that seek to obtain permits from the City of Lynwood for its production within the city. There is a requirement for these businesses to work with community organizations for the provision of donations to community projects. She stated that she seeks to coordinate this objective with community organizations such as the Lynwood Rotary. Further, she mentioned her interest in becoming a Lynwood Rotary member. President Ramon spoke how happy he was that the South Gate Rotary Club was attending today's meeting, and he introduced the South Gate President, Jesus Cruz, who in turn introduced his club's members who were present. Daniel thanked the two staff representatives from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon's office in attendance, and suggested that they be a speaker soon about issues of particular interest for the Assembly Speaker.
Speaker Mr. Luis Fernandez, using a very informative presentation from Power Point, explained the history of the Dominguez family and rancho. The Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum, located just a few miles south of Lynwood, exists to preserve the important legacy of the Dominguez family. This legacy goes back to the initial exploration and settlements starting from the late 1700’s, whereby the Spanish King Carlos III, directed the exploration of Alta California, which exploration included the Franciscan Priest, Father Serra. To promote colonization, the king allowed land grants. The first to take advantage of the offer was Juan Jose Dominguez, a soldier who came with the Portola Expedition and Father Serra in 1769. In 1784, Dominguez received the First Spanish Land Grant, which he named the Rancho San Pedro. It was a magnificent 75,000 acre spread southwest of Los Angeles, extending along the coastline from Redondo Beach to include the entire Los Angeles Harbor area. As shown in Mr. Fernandez's illustrations, Juan Dominguez had six daughters, whose marriages include families whose names we recognize today, such as the cities of Carson, and the street Del Amo. Family members include one who was one of those who signed the California Constitution, and another who served as a Mayor of Los Angeles. The family was a major contributor to the Catholic Church, and in the 1920's donated 17 acres to the Claretian Fathers, on which property is the location of the museum, with the historical buildings of the home of the original Dominguez family.
Of note, the museum provides tours for school children in the 3rd and 4th grades, and the curriculum conforms to California curriculum for the teaching of California history relating to the founding of the mission system. There are also tours available for adults. There is a coming annual event on Sat, March 25, 12pm to 4pm, Rancho Days. Also in the fall, there is another major annual event, that commemorates a battle between Californios and US Navy Military, that took place in the area, just before the Treaty that ended hostilities, which is the Treaty of Cahuenga in 1847, followed shortly thereafter by the Treaty of Guadalupe, whereby most of what is now the Southwestern part of the US, was ceded to the US from Mexico.
Daniel Miller / Omar Franco / Rowland Becerra –
Public Relations and Community Outreach for the Lynwood Rotary Club