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Attendees: Mike Boulland, Ronald Horii, Sam Drake, Kitty Monahan, Paul
Vincze, Cynthia Greenblatt, Holly Davis, Mario Blaum, Ed Jackson, Tony
Ruiz
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The Park Commision will review the site plan in February for the Santa
Teresa Historic District.
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Laura Wegl of the Muriel Wright Center sent us an E-mail asking if someone
could take the kids there on a summer hike. Mike said he would when he
has time.
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We talked about the class Sam, Mike, and Ron took at the United Neighborhoods
of Santa Clara County. We talked about insurance issues. The insurance
costs have gone up. We got a booklet with advice on how to hold safe events.
We needed to have a list of activities for a year ahead. Ron put a meeting
schedule on our activities calendar. We need to inform UNSCC about special
events. We think we are covered if the parks department is organizing the
event and we just help. We need to check on this. We need a safety offiicer
at events. Our meetings are technically not supposed to be open to the
general public, but we can say that people visiting are prospective members.
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Sam recommended setting up a Yahoo group
so we can post messages and have people communicate with us.
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Ron showed pictures of the park taken since our last meeting in June: weeds
have been cleared from the top of Coyote Peak, weeds on the Hidden Springs
Trail (since cleared), school bus driver practicing in the Pueblo Area,
new "No Parking" sign on Bernal Road, marker by the volunteer trail below
the Mine Trail, cleared Ohlone Trail below the Hidden Springs Trail, heritage
garden flowers at the BGJ Ranch, dying bushes at the BGJ Ranch that we
planted in the spring.
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Tina Monarrez of the San Jose Neighborhood Development Center is pursuing
getting more signs in the neighborhood pointing to Santa Teresa Park.
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Cynthia brought up the issue of the checkerspot butterfly. Even though
Santa Teresa Park has serpentine soils, which are typically checkerspot
butterfly habitat, because of competing non-native grasses, the plants
that the checkerspots need are prevented from growing. See: http://www.greenfoothills.org/news/2002/10-2002_CoyoteRidge.html:
" Serpentine grasslands in Santa Teresa County Park, protected from development,
are devoid of butterflies because they are devoid of cows..." Checkerspots
are found on Coyote Ridge on the other side of the valley, particularly
around Kirby Canyon. Despite the lack of butterflies, the Santa Teresa
Hills are a federally designated habitat all the way to the Coyote-Alamitos
Canal.
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We suggested asking Craig Breon, director of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon
Society to come talk to us about the checkerspot butterfly. see:
http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/lp0012_CoyoteValley.html.
He once came to talk to the Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association.
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There will be a public hearing on the new trail around the Buck Norred
site in the fall. The flags that marked the trail route have been removed.
They are no longer needed. The trail route is on the trail planners' computers.
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Holly estimates our bank account balance is $503.44. She wants to get her
name on the account to be able to write checks.
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Paul said he saw people going up old Bernal Road on an ATV.
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A ranger arrested 3 people ages 18-21 who were smoking and drinking at
Santa Teresa Springs. Ron showed a picture of the fence rails kicked out
on the viewing platform by the springs. We suggested putting a camera at
the springs. Mike will talk to Ken Silveira about getting more of a ranger
presence at the springs.
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The neighbors have tried called the County Communications line to report
trouble at the springs, but have encountered delays trying to explain to
the dispatchers where the springs are. The dispatchers need to be informed
as to where the springs are.
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Ed Jackson talked about the ban on bikes and dogs around Santa Teresa Springs
and the BGJ Ranch. There are new "no dogs, no bikes" signs on the fence
posts near Santa Teresa Springs. These are up for review. Robin Schaut
does not want dogs around the BGJ Ranch area. People can bring bikes and
dogs into the BGJ Ranch area if they are going up the trail. At Santa Teresa
Springs, people want to walk their dogs or bike on the Coyote-Alamitos
Canal. The problem is that it is not a trail, yet.
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Jeff Nickel of the Santa Clara Valley Water District came to talk about
issues relating to the Coyote-Alamitos Canal.
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The Water District stopped using the canal in 1967. It was built to move
water from Coyote Creek to the Guadalupe River. It is now useless as a
water supply. The Water District wants to get rid of it as it offers no
benefit to the district customers.
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There were studies done in the 70's and 80's on what to do with the canal.
Alternatives included burying the canal, putting a pipe in it, restoring
the hillside, or turning into a trail. They decided it was cheaper to keep
maintaining it as-is.
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The Water District spends about $75K-$100K per year to on maintenance of
the canal, including putting up gates, removing sediment, and repairing
the canal road.
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The district has approached the city and county to take over the canal,
but neither wanted anything to do with it.
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The district does not own much of the canal. It has an easement, which
varies from property-to-property. In places like the Buck Norred area,
they only have an easement for maintenance and water conveyance.
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The city of San Jose did a feasibility study of using the canal for a trail.
They are trying to identify parts of the canal that can be used for a trail.
In some places, the people below are opposed to it. In other parts, there
is more support.
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Mike suggested that the Water District should review the master plan. Jeff
said the district will review the plan. They will work with the parks department
and can support different alternatives. They can even become a partner
in funding projects.
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The canal was never intended to collect rainwater. The amount of water
that flows off the hills does not require a structure as big as the canal
to channel it off. (The other side of the Santa Teresa Hills does not have
a canal and does fine.)
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The gate on the canal on Bernal Road was placed there partially in response
to complaints from the neighbors. People were driving trucks on the canal.
There is no public right to use the canal.
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The Water District does not in principal oppose turning parts of the Coyote-Alamitos
Canal into trails, but some other agency has to take responsibility to
do so.
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Ron will be teaching a class in outdoor photography at the BGJ Ranch on
Sept. 17 at 9:30 am.
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Volunteer Hours (July/August):
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Ronald Horii:: 28/30
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Mike Boulland: 10/10
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Kitty Monahan: 6 tot
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Sam Drake: 10/10
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Paul Vincze: 35 tot
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Holly Davis: 25 tot
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Cynthia Greenblatt: 3 tot
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Mario Blaum: 10/10
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Tony Ruiz: 25 tot
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Ed Jackson: 3 tot
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