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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
- This
month's First Friday Work Day, which was supposed to be on 3/1/24, was
canceled due to rain. There will be no work day on 3/8/24. The next
work day will be on 4/5/24. We'll remove weeds and grass around the
Bernal Ranch.
- Mike talked about the last Park Commission meeting on 2/7/24. Topics relevant to Santa Teresa Park:
- Installation of new hydration stations with dog bowls.
- Replaced footbridge in the Joice Bernal area.
- Fall
2023 Educational Interpretive Programs for schools were at Alviso,
Almaden Quicksilver, Bernal Ranch, Chitactac, Coyote Creek and Martial
Cottle. There were sixty-two school programs, which served almost 1,800
students.
- The recently-acquired Fortini property will connect
Calero and Santa Teresa. The site plan project was kicked off in
February. The plan will address the trail connection, bridge crossing,
and staging area.
- The department is evaluating 90 unused
structures in the parks. They will present a status update to the Parks
& Rec. Commission and the Historical Heritage Commission later this
year. (We want to find out the results as several structures are in
Santa Teresa Park.)
- The Trail Crew rehabilitated the Stile Ranch, Rocky Ridge, Pueblo, Joice, Bernal Hill, and Mine trails.
- Phase
2 of the Santa Teresa Grazing Management Plan has been funded for
infrastructure design of expanding grazing in the park.
- We
have $2748.82 in our bank account now. We will have an additional $1500
if our Beautify San Jose Cycle 6 Grant is approved. It should start in
April. Our current Cycle 5 grant ends at the end of March. The final
report for it will be due after that.
- Rob McDonnell was ill and couldn't attend to give a staff report.
- We
will be leading our hike on 3/11/24 from 9 am to 12 pm on the Stile
Ranch, Mine, and Fortini Trails, starting at the Stile Ranch/Fortini
Trailhead. It's been approved by the parks department. Ron has been
working on a flyer with Julie Lee and Carrie Grisenti. The hike is
called "Mothers & Flowers." We'll tell stories about the famous
mothers of the Santa Teresa area, like Maria Zacarias Bernal Berryessa,
Jesusita Bernal, and Clementine Fortini. We'll need speakers to portray
these characters. We'll also look at late season wildflowers. Ron will
point out the flowers. Mike has ideas for activities at the trailhead,
like crafts, giveaways, and bouquets, but it will require more help.
Volunteers should arrive at the trailhead at 8:30 am to setup.
- We
will return to Black Diamond Mines in Antioch for a field trip to see
parts of the park that we missed last year. It is scheduled for July 14,
2024 at 9:30 am. We will get a special guided tour again by Park
Naturalist Jaclyn Caldwell. If we have time afterwards, we may
see the Port Chicago National Memorial.
- On 3/24, Mike is leading a private hiking group to Coyote Peak at 9:00, leaving from the Pueblo Area.
- Mike
will be going on a trip from 4/4 to 4/10 and on a cruise from 6/30 to
7/12. We won't have meetings in April and July, but we can still
have our First Friday Work Days. Ron will lead them, along with park
staff. Our next meeting will be on 5/2/24.
- Ron showed pictures:
- 2/5/24:
Bernal Ranch and Santa Teresa Spring after rains, with waterfalls in
the drain by the Joice Trail, grass growth all around the ranch, water
flowing around the spring.
- 2/6/24: Water flowing in the drain
by Bernal Road, waterfall above Laurel Canyon, creek flowing through
the Pueblo Area, watering the trees.
- 2/22/24: Hike to Coyote
Peak, condition of the trails, stock pond by the Hidden Springs Trail
overflowing, views of the Coyote Valley and Laguna Seca, views from
Coyote Peak, cattle grazing, loose calf.
- 2/24/24: Lots of mud
and rock have washed down around Santa Teresa Spring and the shrine,
plants like miner's lettuce and seep monkeyflowers are growing around
it. There's graffiti on the oak tree at Manila Way and Manila Drive, at
the Bear Tree Lot monument, and the palm tree near the Bear Tree. The
rangers know about the graffiti. They've cleaned it off from the plaque
on the monument, but cleaning it off the sides is more difficult. The
trees around the ranch have been pruned by Maintenance. Grass is
growing around the farm equipment. The garden boxes have been weeded
and have been planted. There was an owl in the palm tree by the ranch
house. Hiked the Norred Trail from the west: It had several muddy
spots, one near the Norred Ranch was impassable. There was graffiti on
a rock on the Norred Trail that was mostly, but not completely, removed.
- 2/25/24:
The Joice Trail looks good except for a couple of muddy spots before it
turns right. The drainage changes installed by the trail crew have been
working. The Bernal Hill Trail near the south Joice Trail junction was
dry where it was rocked in PG&E and the trail crew. There was a
section which wasn't rocked that was wet and a little muddy. There was a group
of photographers looking at the owl in the palm tree by the ranch
house. To avoid disturbing the owl, the folding sign announcing the
hours for the ranch house, no longer mentions the owl.
- 3/4/24:
There was snow on Mt. Hamilton visible from the park. Hiked the Norred
Trail from the east: The creek is flowing through the Norred Ranch
site. The trees of heaven around the old lower Norred Barn have been
removed. The trail looks good up to the upper barn. Beyond that, the
trail used to get very muddy in the winter. It's much better. There's
still the impassable muddy spot beyond it.
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