Friends of Santa Teresa Park Meeting, 7/7/16

 


  • Attendees: Mike Boulland, Kitty Monahan, Kim Gardner, Sam Drake, Greg & Roxanne Koopman, Marty Reinders, Ron Horii
  • Our bank account balance is $1018.50.
  • Santa Clara County is looking at getting the U.S. Congress to designate the County as a National Heritage Area (NHA). The Board of Supervisors has set up the National Heritage Area Task Force, which will meet for 1 year to work on the project. It has 11 voting members and 4 alternates. Rod Diridon is heading it. Meetings are open to the public. NHA designation can lead to federal grants promoting national travel to the County. They want to spotlight historical areas in the County. 
  • We want to publish our next newsletter in time for Fandango on Aug. 13. Kim will be editing the articles. Ron will do the layout and provide pictures and supplemental articles. Articles: Ranger Phil Hearin (Kitty, updated now that he's moving to Calero), Dorothy Wuss (Mike), creamcup wildflowers (Mike), new trail from Santa Teresa Spring to Manila Way (Mike), Fandango restarting and Chris Carson and talks at Fandango (Mike), new member Kim Gardner (Mike), Heraclio Bernal (Mike), safety meeting (Mike), field trip to Monterey County (Mike). 
  • CAP Grant Cycle 30 applications are due July 29. Mike, Ron, and Kim are working on it. There is a CAP Grant class on Monday 7/11. The final report for the current CAP Cycle 29 is due on 9/30. 
  • With Measure Q passing, the Open Space Authority has 2 new grant programs. The first is for $2.5-$5K. It has a simple application. Non-profit community groups can apply for it. Information will be out by the end of July. There will be a 3-month period to submit the application. Projects must be completed within a year. The larger grant is for $10K-$250K. The application process is more complicated and is more suited for city or county organizations. The old 20% urban grant program is still in effect. 
  • The Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association is interested in connecting the Albertson Parkway to Santa Teresa Park, which is what our proposed trail project will do. We should partner with them. Mike will contact John Reinke of the STFNA.
  • Ron said that with Measure A passing, the County Parks' capital budget has effectively doubled. The Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan was approved in 2009, but has been on hold ever since. San Jose City Councilmember Forrest Williams used grant money from the Open Space Authority to help buy the Pyzak Ranch in 2002, which made the site plan possible, so the OSA should be interested in seeing the plan implemented. County Parks may be able to get a grant from the OSA to help pay for the project. Mike will talk to Robb Courtney about it.
  • Ron showed a slideshow: Festival in the Park at Hellyer, Ron's appearance on the Open Road TV show, the Santa Rita church and cemetery in Salinas, Carnivorous Plant Night (7/9 at the Bernal Ranch) posters, flowers on Bernal Hill, controlled burns at the Pueblo Area, a pipe leak that created a creek in the Pueblo Area (Ron reported it, and it was repaired), cattle-grazing construction between the Ridge and Coyote Peak Trails, new water trough at the Laurel Springs Rest Area, plant growth and mud around Santa Teresa Spring, scratches and grafitti on the Coyote Peak sign, proposed trail route on Manila Drive to Manila Way, tai chi class at the Bernal Ranch, movie night at the Pueblo Area, broken fence at the Pyzak Ranch, conditions on the Norred Trail (looks good), grafitti in the upper Norred barn, 
  • Greg said that goatheads (puncturevines) are a problem. The seeds can puncture bike tires. They are on the Joice and Vista Loop trails. Maybe maintenance or volunteers can work on removing them.
  • Fandango will be held on Aug. 13 from 5-8 pm. Chris Carson Seals is organizing it. She wants more hands-on activities this year. Greg, Roxanne, Kitty, Mike, Kim, Marty, and Ron will be coming. Sam isn't sure. We'll come early for setup and stay for cleanup. Kim will be at the FOSTP information table. At our table, we'll pass out newsletters. We'll have a vegetable garden activity, using leftover materials from Festival in the Park. In the second barn, Dorene Boulland will be reading the story "Stone Soup" and will give out small cactus plants. Mike will be telling the true story of Dixie, the Bernal Family's dog who got lost and returned after 10 years. He will hand out small toy dogs. Barbara Brown will do a slideshow about Zacharias Bernal, who married into the Berryessa Family. Roxanne and Greg will be helping with other activities, along with teen volunteers. There will be pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, horshoe toss, roping, branding, and old time games. Kitty will be helping at the Parks' welcome table. Ron will be taking pictures.
  • Chris Carson Seals will be having a planning meeting for Fandango on 7/27 at 3-4:30 at the Bernal Ranch.
  • We are going on a field trip on Aug. 28 to see the Santa Rita Church in Salinas with Barbara Brown. We will meet in the morning at 8 am at the Carl's Jr. on Bernal Road and carpool (no van) over there. We will go to see the Monterey Maritime Museum afterwards. Chris Carson Seals is also going.
  • Ron, Mike, Kitty, and Greg gave biographies to Kim.
  • The solar-powered lights at Santa Teresa Spring have not been working. Parts to repair them are no longer available. Running a power line to the lights will cost too much. Greg will look into replacement options.
  • Sam talked about Mt. Umunhum's radar tower. Mid-Pen agreed to save it, but has not said how they would save it. Sam will be meeting with them in late August to discuss it. The public opening for Mt. Umunhum has been pushed out from October 2016 to spring 2017.
  • Ron is giving a photo class and hike at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve on July 23 at 4 pm and at Ulistac Natural Area in Santa Clara on Aug. 20 at 4pm.
  • "Night of the Meat-Eating Plants" is 7/9 at the Bernal Ranch at 7:30 pm. The movie "Little Shop of Horrors" will be shown. Real carnivorous plants will be on display and raffled off. Registration required. To register call (408)-226-5453.
  • There will be a movie night and campout at the Pueblo Area on August. 6.
  • The volunteer's recognition picnic will be at Martial Cottle Park on 8/27 starting at noon. On the same day, Supervisor Mike Wasserman and Assemblymember Mark Stone are sponsoring a breakfast and tour of the Casa Grande and New Almaden from 10 am to 1 pm.
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   Created 6/16/16  by Ronald Horii, secretary of the Friends of Santa Teresa Park