04/01/11 Friends of Crawford Park March Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes March 23, 2011

Members Present: Laura Klein, Sandy Marshall, Vicky VanWert, Eleanor Herman, Theresa Stevens, Kay Schafer, Sue Yockelson

Guest: Gillian Riley (Producer of Shakespeare in the Park)

REVIEW OF PURPOSE:
Our mission is to preserve and beautify the Park.

FEBRUARY MINUTES were review and passed.

FINANCIAL REPORT given by Susan Yockelson
CD value $ 5,135.06 as of end of February
Checking Account balance 13,910.69
TOTAL $19,045.75

Bench and tree donation $1,600

2 benches ordered @ $1,146.00 each

Bishop was not presence for TOWN MATTERS

We opened the meeting with discussion of the Bird Houses that Laura displayed for us. They ranged in price from $4.99 (Michaels) to $5.59 (A.I. Friedman). We will need 45 bird houses for the 90 participating students at Ridge Street School. (The students will be painting and hanging them.) We approved of
Laura’s choices and requested she order them.

In the future we will be taking turns in doing the FCP meeting minutes.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
Eleanor introduced Gillian Riley to the FCP. She will be producing either ‘LOVE LABORS LOST’ or ‘THE TEMPEST’ some-
time in the August/September timeframe. The cast will consist of 8 to 15 actors and 3 crew members. The actors will perform the music. Our responsibility will be to supply transportation and food for the cast twice. Once for rehearsal and then also for the actual play. We will split the profits between the FCP and Gillian’s Group.
Laura is looking into dates and times when the Mansion will be available and
we will know more then.

- Gillian liked the idea of doing the play on the patio outside of the
solarium.
- The audience can sit on chairs/blankets on the front lawn.
- Rain date is a not a possibility so we will be able to take the play inside.
- If we go with equity actors the most we can ask for is $18.00.
- We are considering selling wine and refreshments at the event.
- Gillian can be found on ‘WWW.SNORKSANDPINS.COM’

HORTICULTURAL REPORT

Blind Brook High School Green Club raised $335.00 for the Spring
Planting. WE THANK THEM.

Eleanor suggested that we replace the Evergreens destroyed in the
Northeastern along the road. Sandy suggested that we look into the Wild Flower Area
to be replanted.

The following are Horticultural Meeting Minutes from MARCH 10, 2011
Present: Eleanor Herman, Laura Klein, Theresa Stevens, Sue Yockleson

This year we are going to focus our attention on the following areas:

Gateway Green
Wall along Ridge Street
Additional Planting around the Playground area
And extending Sunset Site

Gateway Green
We suggest putting evergreens by the wall
Smaller deciduous trees in the lot
Replacing the broken red bud “Forest Pansy”
Two Evergreen trees by the nature path that leads to lower field

Wall Along Ridge Street
The daffodils are coming up from our massive planting last fall. We planting them in grouping and want to plant catmint “Walkers Low”
between them
On the inside of the wall, we want to plant hydrangeas.

Additional Planting around the Playground & Sunken Garden area We want to take down the aging Japanese Cypress and replace it with a
new one. AKA Cryptomeria
We want to plant two flowering trees along the privet hedge: 1) Japanese
Stewartia 2) Japanese Tree Lilac
We could plant another River Birch between the two Willows on the
south-western corner of the park
Also suggest building a flowering shrub hedge between Playground and the
mansion’s backyard – this would provide a natural border defining two
areas.
Also suggested: Taxodium and Katsura Tree

Extending the Sunset Site
Asked Town to remove the two stumps at the sunset site by the wall Place two new benches and three dogwoods in the area Need to save one of the witch hazel shrubs – roots are exposed and the
shrub is half dead.
Hire additional help to start clearing debris on the other side of the
road
Once clear, we can plant native shrubs like rhododendron, ferns, etc

Budget- approximately $8,650
$1,000 from last year bench donation
$1,650 from the Straton Family
$3,000 from “anonymous” donation
$3,000 from Tree Relief Program

Expenses:
$1,100/bench = $2,200 for two.

List of plants to purchase:
Red Bud: Forest Pansy
8 Hydrangeas
Misc Evergreens
Katsura Treen
Japanese Cypress: Cryptomeria
Taxodium
Japanese Stewartia
Japanese Lilac (Syringa Reticulata)
River Birch
3 – Dogwoods
5 – Rhododendron

NEXT MEETING DATE: APRIL 20, 2011 – 8:00 p.m. – Crawford Park Mansion !!!!!PLEASE ATTEND!!!!!!