Museum Director's Notes - By Debbie Benson, Director - Maturango Museum
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Volume 56, # 2 February 2019
Maturango Museum:
Preserve, interpret and develop an appreciation for
the natural and cultural history of the Northern Mojave Desert.
100 E. Las Flores Ave., Ridgecrest, CA 93555
10 am – 5 pm every day. 760.375.6900 www.maturango.org
Death Valley Tourist Center Northern Mojave Visitor Center
Our new tortoise statue.
Museum Director’s Notes
By Debbie Benson, Director
This is that time of year when the weather can give us sunshine and clear views or be a bit damp
and cloudy. At the Museum the joy found in each drop of rain is often with the prospect of a few more
wildflowers. Our January rains increased the possibility that we may have a few different plants and flowers
showing their distinctiveness as the warm Spring arrives in time for the Wildflower Exhibit in April. One
cannot help but hope that nature’s beauty does not inhibit itself and that each plant has a chance to share
its own bit of color that the rain makes possible. Even if no one sees it or its life is short, it was still there.
This cycle is what carries it into the future.
Please join us for our Annual Meeting on March 2 at 6pm for some snacks, a small silent auction,
a visiting speaker and a little business, here at the Museum. It’s a chance to catch up on what we’ve been
doing and our latest plans.
Children’s Hour: “Fantastic Feathers
– Not Just For Flying !”
Friday, February 22, 10:30 am.
In “Feathers - Not Just for Flying”, by
Melissa Stewart, young children will be
introduced to the amazing way feathers
help birds do bird things. Whether it’s flying
high in the sky, diving deep in water, or sliding across ice and snow to
swim in the cold, cold ocean, birds use feathers in special ways to get the food they need to live. How do
feathers keep birds warm or dry? What do birds do to take care of their feathers?
What happens to feathers when they become too tattered and old?
Of the many different kinds (species) of birds that live here or visit (migrate through) in the fall or
spring their bodies can be large or small, legs short or long, beaks shaped for the food they eat. Each kind
of bird’s feathers are different colors, yet all have similar features to do their jobs. Everything about birds,
including their feathers, is indeed amazing!
The Children’s Hour at the Maturango Museum invites young children and their families to an
entertaining and educational experience that takes place monthly, September – May. The March 29th
event will feature “From Seeds to Sunflowers – Help Them Grow !”. Copies of the 2019 Spring Schedule
will be available at each Children’s Hour and www.maturango.org
Free Day Saturday Feb. 9
The docents will host a rock painting activity from 11 am – 2 pm.
We will provide the rocks, paints, etc. Paint a Valentine’s Day gift rock... All ages are welcome.
1 to print Jan 21 2019
New Sidewinder
Missile Exhibit
By Elaine Wiley, Local
History Curator
Dan Burnett, Peter
Wiley, BJ Holden, Ron
Atkins, Bob Westbrook
and Bob McGowan stand
in front of the Sidewinder
display after the launcher
has been installed.
In Memorium: John Kenneth (“Ken”) Pringle, 1933 - 2018
On December 29, 2018, the field of rock art studies lost one of its earliest
scholars, Ken Pringle. Ken was a physicist, with a degree from Brigham Young
University. He went to work at the Navy laboratory at China Lake, California, in
1960, where he spent his career as a geophysicist, specializing in detonation
physics and terminal ballistics. He had a great interest in archaeology, and in the
early 1960s he became interested in Coso rock art. With fellow China Lake
physicist James Baird and art historian Campbell Grant he explored and mapped
the Coso rock art field. Their book, Rock Drawings of the Coso Range, was
published in 1968, and is still the classic work in the field. After his retirement from the Navy Department in
1996, Ken taught physics and astronomy at Cerro Coso Community College, and was active in the
Maturango Museum. Ken was a gentleman in every sense of the word, quiet and polite and always willing
to assist. He will be greatly missed.
“We Friends” Concert
Saturday, February 9 at 7:30 pm.
‟
We Friends” concerts have been a welcome mainstay in the
Maturango Museum series for a number of years. The instrumental
combination of the group changes year to year with the remaining
constant member being Catherine Douglas, piano. This year's friends
also include Lynnette Wilson (flute) and Gary Fry (clarinet).
‟
We Friendsˮ will perform musical selections by composers
Georges Bizet, Friedrich Kulau among others.
Seats are abundant, but it is still best to purchase tickets early.
Concert tickets are available in the museum store or online at shop.maturango.org. The ticket prices are
$20 and $5 for children 12 and younger.
WACOM Display
A new display on China Lake WACOM, Women’s Auxiliary of the Commissioned Officers Mess is in
the Argus Room. The China Lake WACOM started in 1945 and has been going strong for 73 years. The
organization was started by the military and civilian wives at China Lake to provide camaraderie,
community services, and to welcome newcomers to the area.
Today, the organization is open to any woman in the valley and membership is around 130
individuals. The organization raises money, mainly through the operation of the Thrift Shop on base, and
uses this money to support the Navy Relief and local charities and non-profits.
2 to print Jan 21 2019
New Signs in the Garden
Delaney Glen of Girl Scout Troop 56 recently completed her “Project
Gold” at the Museum.
Last year Delaney decided that the signage of plants in the Gladys
Merrick Garden and other spots at the museum needed improving. After meeting
with Bev Hill and Debbie Benson, Delaney designed new signs with the common
and scientific names of garden plants. She raised funds to purchase the signs
and then installed them on the existing posts. About 100 signs were installed.
Delaney wrote an identification guide about the plants so garden visitors could
learn something about the plants they see.
Dan Burnett was pleased to have a scout from Girl Scout Troop 56 do a “Project Gold” at the
Museum who really planned ahead and did a great job of completing it.
Come walk through the garden and see Delaney’s project. Her hard work and careful planning
greatly benefited the museum. Many thanks, Delaney!
.
Donations and New Member
Donations Dwight Morgan Student Anthropology
Anonymous (1) Pat Silberberg – Program
Mary Anne and Gary Arnold in memory of Sandy and Fran Rogers
Ron Atkins George Silberberg
Dick and Debbie Benson – Bea and Lloyd Smith Art Gallery
in honor of staff and Bonni Smith Patricia Brown-Berry –
volunteers Don Snyder in memory of Ruth Amster
Glenda Blackshaw Harrell and Lynne Spoons Roy B. Johanboeke
Thom Boggs The Kilikauskas Family Frances Nichols
Tine Brouwer Jim and Deanna Stewart Dick and Gerry Wisdom – in
Susan Catlin Debra and Keith Sweitzer memory of Peggy Rogers
Ron and Judy Ditzler Pat Wharton
Pam Easley Gretchen Whisenand Docent Programs
Christine Gardner Rachel Woodard Patricia Brown-Berry –
Karen Haden Don Carol Zdeba in memory of Ruth Amster
Robert Henry Senior Tai Chi Group –
Beverly and Bryan Hill In Memory of Dr. William for children’s programs
Sarah B. Jayne McBride
Evelyn Knierim Robert Henry Carroll Evans Fund
Alan and Leslie Layfield Dr. and Mrs. Robert Rockwell John and Judith Ward
Randy Mathews
Elaine Miller Building Fund New Members
Jim Minges Dan Burnett John and Deborah O’Gara
Sam Mudie Dale and Donald Lane Jean Johanboeke
Helen Pierce Robert Westbrook David and Sarah Ostash
Lois Reed Hilary Plichter
Searles Valley Minerals Bonni Smith
3 to print Jan 21 2019
Jennifer Lugris: "Offering a Possibility"
Jennifer is from Sacramento; her education includes a Master of Fine Arts,
UC, Santa Barbara in 2018 and a Bachelor of Arts, Rutgers University in 2009.
“My paintings are a reflection of a personal narrative of survival. As a first-
generation American with roots from North Korea, South Korea, Argentina, Spain,
and Uruguay, there were many circumstances that needed to fall perfectly into
place for me to be alive. In my paintings, I highlight the beauty within the
everyday, the ordinary, and the mundane to show gratitude and appreciation for
this opportunity. I use vibrant, colorful, patterned imagery of plants, figures, and
ordinary objects from the home to elevate subtle moments around me, and shed light on things that are
often ignored.”
Dear Maturango Museum, Rodeway Heritage Inn, and the Ridgecrest community,
I wanted to thank everyone for the opportunity to show at Maturango Museum and meet members
of such a lovely community. I had a wonderful time presenting my artist talk and speaking with so many
enthusiastic art admirers at the reception on Friday, January 11th. I wanted to give a special shout out to
the Rodeway Heritage Inn, for being my home away from home. The breakfast and service were fantastic,
and the accommodations were very comfy. I also wanted to give a special thank you to Andrea Pelch for
working hard to ensure I was welcomed and had a successful opening reception. I had an amazing time!
Thank you! Sincerely, Jennifer Lugris www.jennferlugris.com
Docent Doings
By Nora Nuckles, Education Coordinator and Docent Extraordinaire
Our pine cone painting and decorating in December was quite a success! We welcomed over 50
people who created many lovely and fun decorations for the holidays. The “Snow Tree” children’s story
hour was also well attended. Sue Parker, Cindy Klissus, Ingrid Carroll and I took a shortened version of the
“Snow Tree” presentation to Hi Desert Haven. The residents thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and
requested that we sing Christmas carols with them. Fortunately, Heather had booklets with the words to
many favorite carols and we had Sue Parker to lead us in song! We all had a wonderful time.
December was a busy month at the Museum but docents had a little break. We presented only 7
programs to a total of 140 people. We began 2019 with a docent meeting on Jan. 8 where we welcomed a
new docent, Catherine Miller. Catherine is new to our area, a Biology major, full of energy, and interested
in all aspects of the Museum. We are so delighted to welcome Catherine to our special group.
This month we will present several art programs as well as presentations on Reptiles and
Volcanoes. Paula and Mike Herr with other docents will take the Beth Armogida Planetarium to Inyokern
School for a family night and to Hi Desert Haven.
The docents plan to revise our Earthquake and Animals on the Edge. Dan Burnett, Elaine Wiley,
and I also observed some changes we can make to the Weather program. We presented Weather to the
the third grade classes at Las Flores and noticed ways to make the presentation more efficient and to the
point. We have limited time in classrooms.
Dave Kurdeka proposed purchasing a model of a chuckwalla to add to the docent collection. We
will order from the same source we had for the kingsnake model which is very lifelike. We are also hoping
to send a kit fox to the taxidermist soon.
The second Saturday of each month is a free day at the Museum. Check our website and/or our
Facebook page to see if the docents have a special activity planned for that month. Many times the
activities are planned only a few days ahead so it is best to check our website and Facebook.
As you can see the docents can always use more help! Why is it great to become a docent? You
can teach and interact with many children and adults in the community! You can learn more about our
desert, its history, geology, flora and fauna! Most of all, you can meet the most incredible, fascinating
people who love our community and make Ridgecrest such a special place to live.
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Businesses and Organizations
Maturango Museum of the IWV Supporters • Contributors • Sponsors
100 E. Las Flores Ave., Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Open every day (except major holidays) Please support the businesses and organizations
10 am - 5 pm that support the Maturango Museum
Staff
Act Too Consulting, Inc. McDonald’s Restaurant
Debbie Benson, Museum Director
AltaOne Federal Credit Union New Directions Technologies,
Maureen Goff, Store Manager/Buyer
American Assoc. of Univ. Women Inc.
Sandy Rogers, Archaeology Curator
Ashley Furniture HomeStore News Review
Elaine Wiley, History Curator
Beanster’s Espresso Oasis Garden Club
Sherry Brubaker, Natural History Curator
Best Western China Lake Inn PackWrap Business Center
Julie Stephens, Finance Manager
Boulder Creek RV Resort The Pizza Factory
Fran Van Valkenburgh, Membership
Clarion Inn Rodeway Heritage Inn & Suites
Andrea Pelch, Art Gallery Coordinator
Coldwell Banker Best Realty Ridgecrest Area Convention and
Joann Barbee, Assistant Bookkeeper
DART Visitors Bureau
Nora Nuckles, Education Coordinator
Daily Independent Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
Linda Saholt, Petroglyph Tour Coord.
Econo Lodge Ridgecrest Moving &
Sam Stephens, Museum Assistant
Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc. Storage/Atlas Van Lines
Sue Gilbert, Museum Assistant
Friends of Jawbone St. Ann Catholic School
Deanna Stewart, Museum Assistant
Oasis at Death Valley Searles Valley Minerals
Nora Nuckles, Museum Assistant
Gary Charlon State Farm Sierra Club, Owens Peak Group
Nick Rogers, Museum Assistant
Hampton Inn & Suites Sierra Sands Unified School
Andrea Pelch, Newsletter Editor
High Desert Haven District
Historical Society of the Upper SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Committee Chairpersons Mojave Desert The Swap Sheet
Dan Burnett, Building Hockett’s Builder’s Supply TJ Frisbee Bicycles, Inc.
Fran Rogers, Concerts Inspire Charter School TOSS
Bev Hill, Docent League KPartners Hospitality Group WACOM
Sandy Rogers, Lectures Kristy’s Family Restaurant Warren’s Automotive
Elaine Wiley, Publications Law Offices of Phyllis M. Hix
Bob Westbrook, Strategic Planning
Mike Brown, Webmaster
Board of Trustees
Jerry Bradley – President
Bev Hill – Vice President
Camille Anderson – Treasurer
Dianne Dilley – Secretary
Ron Atkins
Sue Parker
Libby Vincent
Thom Boggs
Tom Zulkoski
Regularly Scheduled Meetings
China Lake Astronomical Society: 1st Monday of each month, 7 pm
Kerncrest Audubon Society: 3rd Thursday bi-monthly [Jan, Mar, May, Sep, Nov, not July], 7 pm
Docent League: 1st Tuesday of each month, 8:45 a.m., everyone welcome
California Turtle and Tortoise Club: 2nd Monday of each month, 7 pm
Museum Board of Trustees: 3rd Monday of each month, 7 pm
5
Calendar
Free Day Saturday, February 9 – Rock painting, free activity, 11 am – 2 pm
“We Friends” Concert - Saturday, February 9 at 7:30 pm.
Children’s Hour: “Fantastic Feathers – Not Just for Flying!” - Friday, February 22, 10:30 am.
Annual Meeting - March 2 at 6 pm
“LUV” Our Planet: Sign up for e-mail newsletters instead of paper mail.
When you get the newsletter by e-mail, you also get the photos in color! ooh, aah.
Go to www.maturango.org, scroll down and you’ll see the sign-up “box” on the right side.
Thank You.
Spring Petroglyph Tour Season is here!
On February 1, dates will be online at www.maturango.org Application forms are
now live; you may submit your application entirely online, in person, or by U.S. mail.
Our world-famous Coso Petroglyphs are still waiting for you!
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