Friends of Santa Teresa Park Zoom Meeting, 4/7/22

 


    • Attendees: Mike Boulland, Greg Koopman (remote from Hawaii), Joan Murphy, Steve Crockett, Woody Collins, Ron Horii. 
    • This was an online Zoom videoconference meeting. Mike sent out a meeting link for this Zoom meeting.  Here's the agenda for today's meeting.
    • We'll defer board elections to next month. We'll have nominations for the board. 
    • We need a date for Mike Cox's mercury mines presentation. Maybe July. It will be in the golf course banquet hall.
    • Kitty was in the hospital. She's back home now.
    • We got tentative approval from Carolyn Schmandle for National Night Out.
    • Greg got a note from the city engineer about the curb and crosswalk issue at the end of the new trail by Bernal School: "Before we can install a crosswalk at the area mentioned, there needs to be curb ramps for accessibility reasons. We have coordinated this with the ADA Curb Ramp Program. They currently have placed the southeast and southwest corner of Curie Dr and San Ignacio Av on their list of ramps to be built this year. The estimated timeline is set to this summer. Once the curb ramp is installed, our team will issue the work order to install a crosswalk. The eventual crosswalk will span across San Ignacio Av, from the trail exit to the school." They didn't mention the other end of the trail.
    • Ron showed pictures of our March 4 work day. We whacked weeds under the farm equipment, pulled weeds around the garden boxes, and removed blackberry vines from a ceanothus bush by walkway between the barn and the streets. At the same time, Jason Bombardier, Rob McDonnell, Katrina Semene, and 2 volunteers cleaned out the chicken coop. One of those volunteers helped us with the weeding. The parks department will be looking for volunteers to care for the chickens and garden boxes.
    • We did not have a work day on April 1 due to schedule conflicts, but Jason Bombardier, who is working in Maintenance at the Bernal Ranch, is organizing an Earth Day work day event at the Bernal Ranch on Sunday, April 24 from 9-12. He said, "I would like to get some weeding done in the garden area around the house, on and along the fencelines and DG pathways, and maybe spread some new wood chips in the seating areas." Sign up through Samaritan.
    • Our next First Friday work day will be on May 6 from 9-12.
    • Ron showed pictures of the mortarstones near the golf course and Bernal Road that have inscriptions by the Bernals carved into them. There's supposedly a figure of an Indian and soldier on them.
    • On March 13, Katrina led a "Family Twilight Oaks Stroll," starting at the Bernal Ranch, to Santa Teresa Spring, and ending at the Bear Tree. She talked about oak trees and wildlife that depend on them, while looking at the oaks in the park.
    • Ron's slideshow also showed: the big fire in Campbell visible from the Joice Trail; firefighter training in the Pueblo Area;  wildflowers along the Mine, Fortini, Stile Ranch, Joice, and Bernal Hill trails; and conditions at the Bernal Ranch.
    • Work that needs to be done at the Bernal Ranch: protect and refurbish the bean sprayer, refinish the cabinets in the yard, re-paint the benches, replace the dead plum tree, maybe in a different location. We need to inventory the tools in our toolshed and paint the inside.
    • The County Supervisors approved the $8.5 million purchase of the 47-acre property along Fortini Road between Rancho San Vicente and the Stile Ranch entrance. It was sold by a developer who had planned to build houses on the property. The purchase was funded through the County's Park Charter Fund. It will allow a trail to be built between the two parks. There will be a planning process, which will include public input. We'll certainly be involved witih that. One thing that's needed is more room for parking by the Stile Ranch Trailhead. The current lot often fills up. Parking on side streets is illegal.
    • We turned in our annual work plan. Julie Lee in the Volunteer Office is reviewing it.
    • The Volunteer Recognition Picnic is on 4/23 at Hellyer from 12-3. Volunteers who have enough hours, recorded in the Samaritan system, should have received an invitation. They need to RSVP by April 14 if they want to go.
    • There are new hours for the Bernal Ranch: Friday 11-4, Sat-Sun 11-5. Rob McDonnell and Katrina Semene will be there.
    • The interpreters are talking about doing a La Fuente event on Saturday July 30 from 4-7. That is only 3 days before our National Night Out on Tuesday August 2. It will be too much work for us to do both. This year is also the 20th anniversary of the Bernal Ranch, which had its opening ceremony on 6/29/02. We need to work with the parks department to see if we can combine these events into one. Mike wants to get more input for the time capsule.
    • We'll need to prepare a newsletter for La Fuente if we're going to participate in it. We would need to do that anyway for NNO, so it's not much different. We need to start working on it in July.
    • Treasurer's report. We have $2049.60 in the bank. We got $1500 from the Beautify San Jose Grant. 
    • If we pay $25 to the New Almaden Community Club for an annual membership, that allows us to use it as our official address. NAQCPA is doing that also. Some government filings require a real address, not a post office box. That address becomes a public record, so we don't want to use someone's home as an address.
    • Rob has an event on 4/22 from 5-6: "Walk In The Woods Field Notes In Nature: Join Park Interpreter Rob in the Santa Teresa County Park grasslands and oak woodlands for an Earth Day late afternoon nature walk where you can learn some techniques for field notes, drawing, and nature journaling." 
    • Katrina has an event on 4/23 from 6-7: "Family Twilight Oaks Stroll: Take a walk in the early-evening light and explore the wonderful oak woodlands along the new trail at historic Bernal Ranch. Learn about the value of this protected habitat and look for signs of native wildlife as the daylight fades toward darkness."
    • Usually, we lead a hike in May before Mother's Day, which is May 8 this year. Mike can't do it on May 7. We can do it on May 14. We'll check with the parks department and see if they'll let us do it as a park event. Mike and Ron will lead. Steve can help. We'll need a flyer to pass out to visitors. We can use the event to recruit more members.
    • May 21 is the Santa Clara County Preservation Alliance's Award Night at Kelley Park, "honoring individuals and organizations who have made significant historical and cultural preservation contributions throughout Santa Clara County." Kitty will be honored at that event. Tickets are $15
    • We need a permanent sign on the map board to advertise our organization and recruit more members. We need a design for it. 
    • We need to recruit more members. We need to get a business card. We started a design, but stopped because of issues of what to put for contact information.
    • Jeremy Farr, park planner, is asking for more information about the unused power poles on the Rocky Ridge Trail. Greg can provide that. Greg can also tell him about the fallen telephone wires at the Bear Tree Lot, going to the Pedro Bernal/Bonetti House.
    • On 4/3/22, there was a dedication ceremony on Mt. Umunhum. Mid-Pen recognized the Umunhum Conservancy's $100K dontation towards preserving the radar tower. The tower has been newly repaired and preserved, and its perimeter is now accessible to the public.
    • Some of us are joining a hike organized by the California Native Plant Society on Saturday April 16, from 9-12 at Little Uvas Creek Preserve, which is an Open Space Authority property that's not usually open to the public. The hike is by reservation only, and it's already full. You can sign up on the waiting list.
    • Ron said that the Open Space Authority will have open access days this weekend at Diablo Foothills Preserve. .
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       Created 4/12/22 by Ronald Horii, secretary of the Friends of Santa Teresa Park
    Funding provided by a Beautify San Jose Grant