Board Attendees: Kenny Dalsheimer, Courtney James, Jay Levy, Julie Maxwell, Andy Seamans, Ginny Widmark

Neighborhood and Committee Attendees: Patt Stubbing, Tania Dautlick, Dub Gulley, Randy Pickle, Lee Richardson

Treasurer’s Report:

·       We raised $4000 in our Rebuilding Together Holiday Fundraiser.  This is 80% of our goal of $5000. 

·       We collected $795 for Firewood, $300 in Advertising Revenue, $523 in Golf Prints and additional contributions to Park funds, $245 in Dues (3 patrons and 4 regular memberships), $57 reimbursement for a returned check and $69.55 in Interest.

·       We spent $15.46 in PayPal fees, $87.96 on supplies and $63.78 for postage.

·       The membership count is now at 185.  We are actually just over budget on Park Patron members.

·       Randy has indicated that he sold 6 more Golf Prints, but we haven't collected the $150 yet.  Also on that front we paid $600 for the framing and about $75 on printing the golf prints right after the first of the year.  These are still available and one is on display at Classic Treasures for anyone that wants to see one in person.

·       Patt Stubbing was reimbursed for placing the Legal Notice in the Herald Sun (again after 12/31 so it's not showing on the attached reports) so the remaining balance in the Historic Designation Fund has been reduced by $280.

Trees and Park:

Trees Requested from City: (still negotiating what will be planted by city)

• On Playground – Three trees to be determined by city as appropriate to replace two dead & one dying tree
• Along University – One large deciduous tree to replace dead willow oak along east side
• Along University – Two large deciduous trees along second row of trees on east side to complete the second row
• Along EFHB – One or two understory deciduous trees
• Along WFHB – Two native dogwoods to replace the two planted in the spring that died
• Along Hermitage Court – One White Oak

Nov 12, 2005 Workday Report:

·       A postcard & listserve email announced the event. Participants were: Jonathan Nyberg, Rebecca Wellborn, Dub Gulley, Tania Dautlick, Andy Barada, Barbara Braatz, Bill Price, Kathy Bennett, Jon & Mason Ward, Sharon Barrell & Austin Hetes, Marybeth Dugan, Jeanie, Steve Helton. (14 adults, 2 kids).

·       We did some cutting back of perennials in the Picnic Shelter bed.

·       We planted 1000 daffodil bulbs in 6 beds as outlined below. The total cost of the 1000 bulbs was $423.72, $75 was raised by individually designated donations and $348.72 came from the Park Patron budget. The Park Patron budget is designated from Park Patron dues for the ongoing maintenance and improvement of the 10 ornamental beds located throughout the park for which the FHNA has assumed responsibility. Thanks to significant volunteer help and bed gardener commitment, the maintenance expenses for these beds have been significantly under budget, allowing room for improvements such as planning to replace dead plants, and adding beautification such as daffodils.

o      (East) Picnic shelter bed, 200

o      (East) Forestwood bed, 250

o      (East) Compton bed, 100

o      (West) Teepee bed, 200

o      (West) Bollard and little bollard beds, 150

o      (West) Oak St. bed, 100

December 3, 2005 Workday Report:

• A listserve email announced the event, and the date had been listed in the previous workday postcard. Participants were: Jonathan Nyberg, Rebecca Wellborn, Dub Gulley, Tania Dautlick, Cynthia Shimer. It was a cold day!
• Primary focus was the initial planting phase of the Kathleen Memorial Bed. Plants were purchased using $210 from individually designated donations and many donated plants from Meadowsweet Gardens. A description of the overall planting plan for the Kathleen Memorial Garden follows at the end of this report. The total cost for plants to implement the plan is estimated to be $575, so $365 is still needed. The FHNA at the December board meeting voted to allocate money from the general park fund to be used to purchase the necessary plants. As additional donations for the Kathleen memorial garden are collected, these donations will be deposited in the general park fund.

Planned Parks & Trees workday: Jan 14, 2006 at 9 a.m.

• Planned tasks include moving the grasses and forsythia from Forestwood bed, new gravel edging on picnic shelter beds, go through west side woods and continue with exotic plant removal, plant daffodils donated by Keep Durham Beautiful into Memorial bed, playground, other areas to be considered.

General:

• Board has approved $100-$150 from the Park Patron fund to replace dead plants in various beds to be determined. Donations for plants & materials will be solicited from various sources where possible.
• Joe Medina from City of Durham, responsible for parks trash management, has replaced many rusted trash cans with new barrels of similar design and installed a new trash can at the northeast end of the park near the shopping center. We have requested a more attractive design for trash cans throughout the park and will continue to work toward that long-term goal.
• A bed gardener volunteer recognition is in the plans for the spring.
• The fields popular for Frisbee need winter rye planted. Andy Seamans has done this on the East side and marked off the field. Andy Seamans and Dub Gulley will try to get this done on the West side as well.

Issues and Projects for Board Feedback

• Does the board wish the parks & trees committee to oversee the planting of the daffodil bulbs that have been donated by the City of Durham beautification program at the request of Randy Pickle?  Yes, the Board was okay with the committee overseeing the planting of the bulbs.
• Who will coordinate the involvement of Forest Hills in a stream cleanup, possibly in conjunction with the Durham Earth Day?  It was decided that the board would assign a representative to coordinate the Earth Day stream cleanup (scheduled for April 2006).  Patt Stubbings requested that the section of the stream by Shepherd Street be included in this cleanup.  There was also some talk about having Rockwood included in this as well.  The Board will be looking to nominate a leader for the stream cleanup.  Anyone interested should contact a Board member.

The Kathleen Garden

By Jonathan Nyberg and Rebecca Wellborn

We did not know Kathleen, but have been told she had a bright and sunny personality, and that a garden in her honor with bright colors would be appropriate.  We would welcome comments from those who knew her.

The site selected for the Kathleen Garden is of immense natural beauty.  A 70’ tall magnificent Southern magnolia borders and encloses the West side of the garden.  Large oaks form a background and the East border.  The view from the bench is of a disappearing curved path and greenway bordered by a natural woodland edge. 

Our goal as garden designers is to enhance this existing beauty by blending shrubs, perennials and bulbs into garden beds in front of the bench.  The beds have been prepared, fertilized and mulched.  They are awaiting plants.

Except for people hauling water from W. Forest Hills Boulevard, or dipping into the nearby stream, there is no irrigation for the Kathleen Garden.  Most of the garden receives 4-5 hours of sun during the summer.  Because of this the plants need to be very drought tolerant.  But the garden is also in a flood plain and subject to periodic flooding.  It is a challenge to create a garden subject to both drought and flooding.  In practice what this means is there will be  trial and error in the plant selection. That is, the garden will need to be worked on over time to find the best mix of plants.

Plant list:

Shrubs: 

Rose (Rosa spp.)

Variegated Fiveleaf Aralia (Eleutherococcus sieboldianus ‘Variegatus’)

Prostrate Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Prostrata’)

Perennials:

Orange New Zealand Sedge (Carex testacea)

Sparkler Sedge (Carex phyllocephala ‘Sparkler’)

Ogon Sweet Flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’)

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)

Purple cone flowers (Echinacea spp.)

Japanese sacred lily (Rohdea japonica)

Hellebore (Helleborus x Hybridus)

Bulbs:

Carlton, Daffodil

February Gold, Daffodil

Tommy crocus (Crocus tommasiniana)

Tulips

With no irrigation, annuals will be difficult to grow. However, we may try some reseeding such as Poppy and Larkspur.

We currently have a rose, two aralias, sweet flag, sacred lily and hellebores that we will donate to the garden.  Bulbs can be planted until early January. 

Please contact Jonathan or Rebecca with questions, suggestions or comments about the Kathleen Garden.  Phone: 493-5224. Email: meadowsweetgardens@earthlink.net.

Playground and Recreation Committee:

·       The committee is due to report to the Board at the March Board meeting.

·       Marcia Brooks graciously offered to chair the committee.  Courtney, Tania, and Sharon Barrell are currently participating in the group and they will be recruiting other volunteers to join.  Please contact a Board member if you are interested in joining.

·       This committee will focus on prioritizing projects in the park that relate to the playground and recreation in general.

Electronic Communications Committee:

·       The committee includes Jay Levy, Joe Chambliss, Randy Pickle, Jim Haviland, and Bryan Andregg.  The group plans to meet in person and report back by the next Board meeting.

Historic Neighborhood Designation:

·       No approval yet, but we should hear something very soon.

Stream Restoration:

·       No update on west side stream restoration.

·       Waiting for the report analyzing the east side stream restoration that is supposed to be made public any day now.

Walking Trails:

·       No update.

Fundraising:

·       Lee Richardson proposed that we have a fundraiser with a tennis tournament theme.  We could do it in September around when the US Open airs.  He suggested that we could include corporate sponsors and have a dinner that evening.

·       Other fundraising activities included a bike or a run through the neighborhood.

·       Kenny also suggested a fundraiser that was directed at youths in Durham.  He will come to the next meeting with some more detailed suggestions.

Other – Croquet Club:

·       Randy Pickle asked if the Board would approve $750 that would go towards lawn maintenance and sporting equipment for the croquet club.  He suggested that we assign the money from the firewood fund since he has been heavily involved with both.

·       Randy stated that the sporting equipment would be housed in a small storage box hung between two poles near the croquet playing field.  In terms of the lawn maintenance equipment request, the request is for a riding lawn mower with a bagging attachment. 

·       There were some concerns expressed about the storage box that will need to be addressed further. 

·       The Board asked to defer the issue to the Recreation Committee since their primary role is to assist in the prioritization of money spent on recreation. 

Other – Dog Packs:

·       There have been increased sightings of the infamous “dog pack”.    If you see any of these dogs please call Cindy Bailey, Director of Animal Control, at 560-0630 or email her at cbailey@co.durham.nc.us

·       You can also call Durham One Call at 560-1200.

Other – Neighborhood Watch:

·       Kenny asked about implementing neighborhood watch programs in those areas of the neighborhood where it was not active.

·       In order to start this program you can contact our police representative, Captain Chris Allen, at 560-4583 or email him at chris.allen@durhamnc.gov

·       You will receive a packet of information that will assist you in starting a Neighborhood Watch in your section of the neighborhood. 

Statement of Financial Position

Statement of Income and Expense (December, 2005)