It’s done—the book is off the press.
Las Sendas: The Dreamers, the Builders, the Community will be presented to the public at a launch party at the Trailhead Members Club on Dec. 6.
Finally, a smart little book on local history has come to fruition.
Janet Patrick, Katherine Karpinsky and their team researched every aspect of the Las Sendas history. Their project was 20 months in the making, until the team of 11 volunteer researchers pulled their finds together in a book.
“Very little had been written about Las Sendas and its surrounding area,” Janet said. Only one Mesa Historical Society publication, Las Sendas, Where the River Meets the Valley, by Dr. Ben Furlong, has described the geology, native culture and early settlement of this area.
Janet, Katherine and their team thought there was a lot more to say about their home turf. So, they picked up from where the Furlong publication left off. “We wanted to capture the concept of what drew people out here into the desert,” Katherine recalled.
Soon, Janet compiled information from articles, passport documents, ship lists, as well as census and public land records. Katherine set out to collect interviews with former landowners and developers.
All involved in the Las Sendas History Project are confidently hoping this book will elevate community pride even more.
ARIZONA CENTENNIAL YEAR 2012 BOOK LAUNCH AND RECEPTION
Las Sendas: The Dreamers, the Builders, the Community
• Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, 4 to 7 p.m.
• At the Trailhead Members Club
The Las Sendas History Project team will present their book, and will be available for questions on the project. The exhibit also will include supporting history materials and a slide show of Las Sendas today.
The collected research, as well as all the proceeds from the book, will go to the Mesa Historical Society and Museum. All the helpers worked at their own expense to generate a community project by and for the community.
Project team members included William Bryan, Shirley Duclos, Kalley Karpinsky, Katherine Karpinsky, Janet Patrick, Dick Patrick, William Puffer, Charlie Ralls, B. Sullivan, Tony Vacca and Mickey Veich.
Thank you to all community members for their contributions.
For further information, or to order a copy of the book, contact Janet Patrick at dickp44406@aol.com .