San Miguel: Resource Connection

San Miguel is one of the oldest towns in the county and its fortunes have risen and fallen many times over the years. As an unincorporated township, San Miguel is under the aegis of the County Board of Supervisors which over the years has been both helpful and frustrating. Ever since settlers arrived and built a town, through thick and thin, there have been groups formed to create a better place to live. And so it continues today.

Twenty years ago there were grants available to upgrade the downtown but no local group in town eligible to qualify for them. So an enterprising group of local residents got together and formed the San Miguel Resource Connection, a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status which would allow access to the grants. They dedicated the group to partnering with individuals, other nonprofits and businesses who were interested in improvement and did extensive studies on local needs. At that time the priorities were youth projects, a local website, and a possible redevelopment agency. An issue with the railroad was that numerous people were crossing the tracks dangerously at 16th Street (ultimately a safer pedestrian path was built). Over the years, the SMRC made an impact on the town. In youth projects, SMRC board member Steve Kalar, a descendant of a pioneer family and internationally known artist, created a program for Lillian Larsen School students and partnered with the school. “Masters at their Trade” provided professional artists, artisans, musicians, and performers to teach classes. The school provided a classroom and SMRC purchased keyboards with earphones for music classes which thrived until the sad loss of the very talented teacher. Two large murals still gracing school buildings are the result of the art classes. SMRC secured many donations, including financial, equipment and in-kind help which supported the program during its tenure there. SMRC was also instrumental in helping the Ag teacher build a school garden and for a time the children could prepare and taste their produce on site, thus learning about nutrition. Another accomplishment was purchasing a piece of property that adjoined the San Miguel Park which was then turned over to the County to expand the park. As time went on, a History Group was formed to study, collect and collate stories and pictures of San Miguel’s rich history. After identifying historic buildings and sites, they created a map with a walking tour of historic San Miguel. Plaques were designed and placed on several of the old buildings, telling their stories. They enlisted the help of a local Boy Scout who earned his Eagle badge by building a kiosk where maps and information are displayed in Father Reginald Park next to the Mission. The past few years have seen a decline in volunteers for many groups including the SMRC. Recently, the Board of Directors met and decided to disband.

The San Miguel Resource Connection is a non-profit organization, dedicated to promoting, facilitating, and implementing improved services, communication, and planning for the community of San Miguel by partnering with government, organizations, and individuals. Lynne Schmitz