John Muir Route Celebration Program

John Muir Highway

Sponsoring Organizations include: Coulterville Community Club Coulterville Visitors Center Economic Development Corporation of Mariposa County

Dedication Ceremony

Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce Northern Mariposa County History Center Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau Yosemite Chamber of Commerce Yosemite/Mariposa County Tourism Bureau John Muir Highway Steering Committee Larry Cope – Tuolumne Co. Economic Dev. Authority John Gray – Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Jeffrey Hentz – Yosemite Mariposa Co. Tourism Bureau MaryAnn Huff – Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce Joy Kitchel – Coulterville Visitor’s Center Ken Pulvino – Chief Evangelist, John Muir Highway Ann Schafer – Yosemite Chamber of Commerce Peter Schimmelfennig – Mariposa Chamber of Commerce Dale Silverman – North Mariposa County History Museum Nanci Sykes – Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau Lyle Turpin – Mariposa Board of Supervisors Vern Crow – Consultant Christina Wilkinson – Consultant

Website Links: JohnMuirHighway.net – The official website SierraNevadaGeoTourism.org – Background information ToMarket.net – Background information & original proposal. Photos & maps.

Cover photography by W. E. Dassonville

SOUVENIR PROGRAM

About John Muir JOHN MUIR (21 April 1838 – 24 December 1914) was a Scottish-born American. John was an inventor, author, and an early advocate of preservation of the wilderness in the United States. His great contribution was to promote the idea that wilderness has spiritual value, as well as economic. “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” This John Muir quote may be found on page 198, in The Yosemite. John’s letters, essays, magazine articles, and books about his personal adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to save Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park, and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. The World-class hiking trail, from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney, 211 miles, was named “The John Muir Trail”, in 1938; 100 years after he was born.

Background. The designation of J132 from Coulterville to State Route 120 as the John Muir Highway, is the inspiration of Ken Pulvino, a long-time resident of the area. Mr. Pulvino has been an active supporter of the highway designation to help the region with geo-tourism. The term refers to “best practices” tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place or the environment, or heritage and the well-being of its residents. Mr. Pulvino presented the concept to the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors in October 2009 and won approval for the portion in Mariposa County. Tuolumne County’s Board of Supervisors adopted the designation for its portion of the highway in April 2010.

Today it is our honor to dedicate J132 as the John Muir Highway connecting Highway 49 and Highway 120.

Dedication Ceremony

Mariposa County Park • Coulterville, California June 5, 2010 Speaker and Event Affiliation

Jeffrey Hentz, MC – Yosemite/Mariposa County Tourism Bureau Welcoming remarks VFW Color Guard – Presentation of the Flag Sierra Burkart and Veronica Frey of Coulterville/Greeley Hill Elementary School – Star Spangled Banner Pledge of Allegiance Lee Stetson – John Muir Impressionist and reading Peter & Donna Thomas – Walking the John Muir Highway /geo-tourism Introduction of dignitaries – Remarks and presentations Bill Hanna – Reminiscences of my great grandfather Jeffrey Hentz – YMCTB/announcements Ribbon Cutting and Unveiling of John Muir Highway signage near the Intersection of 132 and Highway 49

Jeffrey Hentz, MC – Introductions Co-Chairs MaryAnn Huff and Ann Schafer – Counties of Mariposa and Tuolumne Supervisors John Gray and Lyle Turpin – Counties of Tuolumne and Mariposa Unveiling of John Muir Highway sign Ribbon cutting ceremony Motorcade up John Muir Highway lead by the Country Mountain Riders Color Guard. Rattler 4-H Club, Boy Scouts of America and Vintage Cars.

A second ribbon cutting ceremony is being held at 2:00 p.m. at the Big Creek Meadow Ranch

for the Tuolumne County portion of the new John Muir Highway. Ceremonies include the unveiling of new highway signage and presentations and remarks from dignitaries.

A vintage motorcar parade follows.