 |
|
|
|
|
| In This Issue: A Message from the Foundation's Executive Director December 2006 Meeting Summary Partner News Calendar of Upcoming Meetings and Events The purpose of this monthly newsletter is to keep Foundation partners and affiliate groups better informed with monthly updates on our activities, upcoming meetings, and other news of interest. Your input is welcome. If you have content to add to a future newsletter, wish to subscribe, or want to unsubscribe, please contact the Foundation webmaster/secretary, Karen Townsend at webmaster@rrpfoundation.org.
A
Message from the Foundation’s Executive Director. Mr. Girardi’s replacement is Jose Hernandez (who used to manage City-wide vegetation control) and I can vouch that Mr. Hernandez is a highly motivated, no-nonsense manager. This is good! However every year, it seems that budget crunches threaten UF more that other divisions, perhaps because people don’t think much about urban forestry as a City-wide, organic dynamic system and tend to view it tree by tree. I think all Richmonders will have to start thinking of our urban forest as living resource critical to sustaining livability in the city, and performing important environmental benefits such as reducing heat buildup, purifying the air, and reducing storm water runoff. The Friends of Urban Forestry will be trying to push for Urban Forestry funding and administration support, as well as reestablishing a Tree Commission for the City. Please contact Karen Townsend if you’d like to be added to the e-mail notification list. Taking Mr. Hernandez’s place at City-wide vegetation control operations is Mr. I B Taylor. As I understand, the arrangement between Parks and Rec and Public Works for vegetation control for the parks is this: Public Works is the “contractor” for Parks and Rec. The directors and managers of Parks and Rec and Public Works will be working out work teams, worker base locations, and other arrangements as Mr. Taylor gets settled in. Friends of City Parks will stay on top of this (chair, Bucci Zeugner). If park groups have concerns, we are directed to take these concerns to the appropriate Parks Managers (names contacts below). However, please note, Mr. Glenn & Mr. Taylor urged use of the DPW problem reporting line at 646-0999, so they can give the problem a work number and track its progress towards solution. Lets give this system a try. Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities
Department of Public Works
Also, the 17th St Farmers Market (under the direction of the City’s Department of Economic development) is closed until April. What will happen in the spring is uncertain, because there are plans to undertake extensive infrastructure improvements underneath the market, pertaining to improving storm water management and preventing a reoccurrence of the Gaston flooding. Construction and repair may take longer than expected, and other factors may come into play. I’ll have more info at our next Foundation meeting. Our next Foundation meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan 17th at 4 pm at the Landmark. I hope everyone will be able to attend. Big things are happening in some of the City’s parks, recreation centers and programs and community facilities: Earth Day on April 21st; It Starts in Parks on June 9th; X-Terra games, Folk Festival, and more -- jump on board! Our meetings are free and open to the public and we are looking for new partners and Board members.
One last note: as the minutes show, we held
elections in December, and Joyce Stargardt is our new president –
congratulations, Joyce. A big thanks from all of us to Casey Cockerham,
who served as President for 2005 – 2006. He led with a firm hand and wise
decisions, and personally took on and solved a few of the Foundation’s
lingering problems. Bravo!
Best,
Board of Directors Meeting
Summary - Wednesday December 13, 2006 Board members and guests enjoyed a
delicious breakfast and social time at the annual Foundation Holiday
Breakfast on December 13. A brief business meeting addressed the
following:
On a motion from Pat Daniels and a second from Bill Conkle, the slate of officers was accepted. On a motion by Polly Jefferson and a second by Pat Daniels, Sarah Englehardt was accepted as a new Board member. An updated Board membership roster will be distributed at the January meeting. Recommendations for the position of Vice President can be forwarded to Joyce Stargardt and suggestions for new Board members can be forwarded to John Zeugner. The Board agreed to donate $1,000.00 for printing additional James River Park maps. A discussion was held regarding changes within the Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee. John Zeugner will initiate a meeting with the group to discuss their needs and the direction they’ll be taking in the coming year. Questions regarding the Strategic Planning session and the Partners’ Luncheon were tabled until the January meeting. Department announcements from Christy Everson... The department's James River Park staff is conducting field trips for kindergarten through fourth grade classes that are designed to target the state's Standards of Learning. Anyone interested can call 646-8911 or visit the department's website to find out more information. EXHIBIT TO EXPLORE DIVERSITY OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN ART AND ARTISTS From Bill Conkle and Friends of Jefferson Park... The Friends of Jefferson Park planted a beautiful Spruce Tree in the park to serve as the "Holiday Tree" for the neighborhood, now and into the future. On December 16th the neighborhood came together at the park to place decorations on the tree. Funds to purchase and plant the tree were raised by the FOJP. Other recent events at the park included the pruning and mulching of trees in the park, and the raising of the tree canopy for aesthetic and safety reasons. The park also has new signage and a new bulletin board/kiosk.
Calendar of Upcoming
Board Meetings and Other Events |