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- This
was an online Zoom videoconference meeting. Mike sent out a meeting
link for this Zoom meeting.
- Attendees: Mike
Boulland, Ron
Horii, Joan Murphy, Park Interpreter Rob McDonnell, Park Program Coordinator Carolyn Schimandle, Extra Help Katrina Semene
- There was no FOSTP meeting on 12/5/24 due to the Volunteer Potluck and no meeting 1/2/25 due to the New Year's holiday.
- Rob
has moved to Region 3 (Anderson, Coyote Lake, Mt. Madonna, Uvas
Canyon). He is replacing Sophia Mahoney-Rohrl, who is taking Luke
Bailey's place. (Luke left for East Bay Parks.) Sophia will be leading
the Alviso boat tours and doing pop-ups at Hellyer. Rob will be at the
Coyote Creek Visitor Center at Anderson. He will help out at the Bernal
Ranch on Saturdays sometimes. He'll also help out at the Casa Grande
occasionally. Katrina Semene, who is extra help, is working as a
provisional interpreter at the Bernal Ranch. She will be helping Ian
McDermod with the climate stewards program. They will be looking for a
permanent hire to fill Luke's position. It will require an exemption,
since there is a hiring freeze in the department.
- Because of
retirements and departures, a lot of staff in the parks department is
working out of class temporarily to fill vacated positions. Blair
Pagano, Volunteer Program Supervisor, is temporarily subbing in for
Julie Lee as Volunteer Program Manager. Julie retired in December. Ian
McDermod is filling in for Blair. Deputy Director Joe Aguilera is
subbing in for Director Don Rocha, who retired. Partnerships Manager
Melissa Hippard is subbing in for Joe. Terri Lopez is filling in for
Kim Calame, who retired, as Interp/Outdoor Rec. Program Manager.
- The
ranch house will not be open on Fridays. It will only be open on
Saturdays and Sundays. There will be school programs on Fridays and
custom group tours.
- Next
First Friday Workday: 2/7/25 at 9 am at the Bernal Ranch. There's a 33%
chance of rain. We'll cancel if it rains before 9 am. 9 people are
signed up to come help.
- Youngmee has been clearing out the oxalis around the big oak by the ranch house.
- Ron showed a slideshow (pictures starting from January):
- 1/3-1/6/25: tree stump and border by the ranch house has been removed.
- 1/9/25: Not much water in the creek and pond by the Hidden Springs Trail.
- 1/20/25: Leaves in drain above the Bernal Ranch retaining wall. Graffiti on rails and lamppost at the spring.
- 1/30/25:
Lattice covering A/C at Bernal Ranch house needs repair. Graffiti on
Valley Water sign at the canal on Joice Trail. Plastic on hillside
above the canal. Graffiti on upper Norred Barn. Creek through Norred
Ranch is dry. New camp host at the Norred Ranch. Graffiti on rails and
lamppost at the spring cleaned off. Some dirt and leaves around the
spring, but not too bad. Broken bar in fence along the ramp to the
spring.
- 2/2/25: Graffiti on wall by the gate on the bottom of
the Hidden Springs Trail. The lid for the mapbox at the Hidden Springs
Trailhead was open, which meant rain would wet all the maps. The lids
should be lubricated, spring-loaded, or have a stop so they
automatically close.
- 2/5/25: Conditions at the Bernal
Ranch that may need work on our work day: grass under the farm
equipment, piles of leaves in the yard around the ranch house, oxalis
around the big oak tree, weeds in the garden boxes, grass growing
around the fence and signposts at the entrance. Termite damage on the
steps of the ranch house. Dry rot on the restroom.
- The lower Norred Ranch barn is falling apart. The sheet metal on the roof is falling off.
- There's a new cultural resource manager evaluating the park buildings and other resources.
- Many
restrooms in parks have been painted with murals, such as at Alviso and
Hellyer. No murals are allowed on the Bernal Ranch restroom, since it's
part of the historic ranch. The restroom at the Pueblo Area might be a
candidate for getting a mural.
- Ron submitted the
application form for our history/wildflower hike on May 10, 2025, the
day before Mother's Day. We called it the "Mothers and Flowers" hike
last year. We can do the same. We need a flyer for it. We can modify
last year's flyer.
- Treasurer's report: $193 is left in the
account. The $200 check for our UNSCC membership has not been cashed.
Mike will put $500 in the account temporarily to keep it from being
overdrafted until we get our $1500 grant check. We got the Beautify San
Jose Cycle 7 grant, but the money won't arrive until April.
- $300K
has been allocated to build the Fortini Road Trail. It will be done in
a year or two. It will be an extension of Calero County Park.
- Mike
wants to have speakers come to talk after our work day on Fridays. We
can use the barn if a school group isn't using it. The school tours end
at 11:30, but they eat lunch. An event that starts at 1:00 would be
OK.
- Josh Sanghvi is the acting senior ranger for the
Hellyer, Santa Teresa, Martial Cottle unit. Daniel Morales is also with
the unit. Urgent problems can be reported on the County Communications
line: 408-299-2311. They can radio the rangers.
- Jeremy Celaya
is senior maintenance for Santa Teresa and Martial Cottle. Alex Ale is
maintenance for Santa Teresa. If you see graffiti, report it to
Parkinfo.prk.sccgov.org. [The new Parks Assist reporting system is
coming soon.] Mike Will, Park Maintenance Manager, retired, so they are
looking for someone to replace him.
- La Fuente will be on
Saturday September 27. It will be further from Mexican Independence Day
to reduce conflicts for exhibitors. Carolyn and Rob are organizing it
so far. Rob is organizing Coyote Creek Habitat Day at Anderson.
- Dave Cortese will be having his Picnic in the Park at Hellyer on Sunday September 28.
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