E-News December 12, 2019

The Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA) and the Southern Trails Chapter of OCTA present the “Yuma Historic Trails and the Yuma Crossing” Symposium, from Friday, February 21 to Sunday, February 23. The Shiloh Inn (pictured above; the hotel is located at 1550 S. Castle Dome Ave.) in Yuma, Arizona is symposium HQ. The symposium will focus on Yuma and its role as the primary crossing of the Colorado River and will include looks at the American Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. eras, including local tribes, the Alarcon (Coronado) Expedition of 1540, Spanish missions, Juan Bautista de Anza, the Mormon Battalion, 49ers on the Southern Route, the Butterfield Stage, military presence, and the Old Spanish Trail Highway, among others.

The Shiloh Inn at 1550 S. Castle Dome Ave. is our host hotel. It is located at the intersection of I-8 and US 95. OCTA has a room block with single kings and double queens available. Rates are $99 per night and include breakfast. Call the hotel at (928) 782-9511 and ask for the OCTA room block. Reservations must be made by January 19 to receive the discounted rate.

If you go on the tours, bring hats and windbreakers. Though we fully expect sunny skies and 70 degree temperatures, weather in southwest Arizona and southern California can be unpredictable in February. Tour and speaker information can be found on our online registration page.

Recently, OCTA President Lee Black sent out an appeal letter to help us fundraise for our challenges and opportunities in 2020. Did you know that you can also donate online through our secure portal? If you did not receive a copy of President Black’s letter, you can read it here. Lee wants to remind you that if you have an IRA, the penalty for not taking your IRA Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is 50% of the amount not taken or of the shortfall. Yes, you read that right, 50 percent. Please consider gifting a portion of the Required Minimum Distribution to OCTA rather than forfeiting an amount to the IRS because you forgot to take the RMD.

The Oregon-California Trails Association is raising funds to support its Yuma Historic Trails Symposium, being held at the Shiloh Inn in Yuma, Arizona from Friday, February 21 through Sunday, February 23 (see the last paragraph for more information on the symposium). The value of this package is $400 and includes four tickets and a parking pass. The winning bidder on Ebay will receive a certificate that they can redeem for the tickets and parking pass. The game is being held on December 27, 2019 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona (home of the Diamondbacks baseball team). Please share this with alumni and fans of Washington State University and the U.S. Air Force Academy, as they are the participants in this year’s bowl game. Also please share it with friends and family in the greater Phoenix area. Thank you to the Cheez It Bowl for their generosity in donating this package.

Formerly known as the Copper Bowl, the Cheez It Bowl features #24 Air Force vs. Washington St. Last year, TCU defeated California by a score of 10-7. The game features the #1 passing team in the country (Washington State, which stands at 6-6 overall) going up against the #3 rushing attack in the country (the #24 ranked Air Force Academy, which stands at 10-2 on the season). Both teams average 34 points per game, so if you’re a fan of offense, this game should be just your cup of tea. Neither team has ever faced one another before. The game is being played at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix (home of MLB’s Diamondbacks) and kicks off on Friday, December 27 at 8:15 PM (Mountain). This bowl has featured stars such as Green Bay QB (and future Hall of Famer) Aaron Rodgers, Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, and current NFL stars such as Le’Veon Bell and Tyler Lockett.

All proceeds will be to the benefit of the Oregon-California Trails Association, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization headquartered in Independence, Missouri. The symposium features tours of the Territorial Prison and Quartermasters Depot on Friday with a musical performance by Steve Rushingwind at the Sanguinetti House that evening, a slate of speakers on Saturday at the hotel, and a tour of nearby trail sites on Sunday. Learn more register at our online registration page.