Meet the Prez

The guy sure looked like Abraham Lincoln.

He had presidential presence. He wore a stovepipe hat, a black suit and a bushy, brown beard.

But, somehow, 5-year-old Steven Golditch of Thousand Oaks knew the truth.

“It’s not really him,” he whispered loudly to his mom, Frances--and then jetted off through the drippy weather for some cotton candy.

And, on this day, Teddy Roosevelt wasn’t the real Teddy Roosevelt, either. Nor was George Washington the real father of our country. And Thomas Jefferson wasn’t actually the same man who is on the nickel.

But, the impersonators were close enough to the real thing to delight both young and old visitors to the Presidents Day Celebration at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on Monday.

The event was held mostly outside in the library’s covered courtyard, but despite the morning’s cool temperatures and blustery rains, a healthy stream of visitors stopped by the library for visits by faux presidents, a museum tour, speakers and Dixieland music under a big tent.

“We weren’t sure what to expect,” said Lou Anne Missildine, the library’s director of education and public programs. “But, it’s a good turnout. We’ve already filled the upper parking lot, and are having to use the spillover lot.”

Organizers canceled a scheduled 5K family fun run and a 1-mile run because of rain, but other activities, such as a presidential trivia contest among Royal High School students, a lecture on presidential humor, and a storytelling session went on as planned despite the inclement weather.

Volunteers Mena Ippolito and Tina Deufemio might have been the loneliest people at the event: They were in charge of free Popsicles.

“You know it’s cold when children are refusing them,” said Ippolito, who was nice and snug in her winter coat.

Indoors, the Shattucks, who call themselves big Reagan fans, were making a return trip to the library after a visit last year.

“We just really admire the principles of Reagan,” said Nancy Shattuck of Canoga Park, who brought her daughter, 10-year-old Lindsay, for a free tour of the museum. “We just wanted to see what was new.”

The exhibits of Ronald Reagan memorabilia include items such as his high school letter sweater and “Democrats for Reagan” buttons.

Jessica Berger, of Simi Valley, brought her 7-year-old son, Trevor, to provide him a lesson in history.

“A lot of times we have these three-day weekends, and we don’t even think about why,” Berger said. “I want him to know what this kind of thing means.”

Susan Giesberg drove in from Los Angeles to bring some Democrat representation to the event--despite the dismay of her husband, she said.

Her kids, Josh, 5, and Mikey, 3, and one of their friends, Clara, 5, were enchanted by their meetings with figures from history.

“They were mesmerized,” she said. “I don’t think they quite have the concept that [the presidents] died.”

Although Josh’s favorite activity seemed to be tinkering with the wooden Lincoln Logs--and sharing some Lincoln trivia--Mikey was fascinated by something a little more mundane.

“He kept asking me, ‘Is this real mud?’ ” Giesberg said. “These are Southern California kids.”