Santa Maria Sun / News

Tesene's Treasure

Community Day is not only the date when the Discovery Museum opens its doors to the public free of charge; it’s also the faithful and ongoing celebration of the late R.H. Tesene, a man of many joyful qualities, his giving heart being the most obvious to the Museum and the many who loved him.

Our “BBQ Hall of Fame” exhibit was donated by Tesene, who originally showcased them proudly at The Beacon Outpost Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, a joint he built, owned, and opened in June of 1949. The brands you see in the exhibit have a fun story, too. Back when The Beacon Outpost was booming, Tesene noticed that his Sunday nights were slow so he decided to invite guest barbecuers (who were Santa Maria’s finest) who would by nature spread the word and invite their friends, who then invited their friends, and thus a thriving Sunday night was born from then on out. It was tradition for any guest barbecuer to “bring their own branding irons, heat them in the barbecue pit, and burn their brands in the block” [The Beacon Story, by R.H. Tesene].

These historical brands now hang in the Discovery Museum, and always will, as all Tesene wanted was a worthy and lifelong home for his treasured memories, so be sure to pay it a visit on Aug. 26, from noon to 4 p.m., for our eighth annual Community Day and celebration of a wonderful man who has been described to me as a person with a strong work ethic who is honest, proud, loving, and giving, with a strong love for a good practical joke.

To repeat a superb quote from Jim Glines, “he was a true entrepreneur- his word was his bond and his handshake was his contract.”

Contributed by Erin Kiniry, Program Coordinator at the Discovery Museum, with the invaluable knowledge of Jim Glines, President and CEO of Community Bank. Discovery Corner is a weekly column in the Sun, highlighting events, science activities, and more for the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum at 705 S. McClelland in Santa Maria. Send comments to discoverycorner@santamariasun.com.