Hello Members,
Since it has already begun to rain and is predicted to continue through tomorrow morning (NY1), we have decided to reschedule the meeting & work day tomorrow, 6/10, from 6 to 8 pm.
We are also pleased to announce that guest, Annette Ajochum will introduce us to the organization she represents, Concrete Gardener.
See you tomorrow,
Janice Vrana
Steering Committee Member
Dear Gardeners,
It was nice seeing you on Sunday and thanks for a productive meeting. We wanted to let you know the dates for the 2010 Work Days/Evenings:
Saturday, May 8 10AM-noon
Weds, June 9 6-8PM
Sat, July 10 10AM-noon
Weds, Aug 4 6-8PM
Saturday, Sept 11 10AM-noon
Saturday, Oct 2 10AM-noon
Sunday, Nov 14 1PM (season wrap-up meeting at Schneider Apartments)
-rain dates will be scheduled as needed
As outlined in the Garden Reminders, Rules and Regulations:
Monthly meetings/workdays: Members are required to attend meetings/workdays held from March until November. If members cannot attend they must contact the Steering Committee for individual projects. Members who do not regularly attend workdays, or who do not make alternate work plans with the committee members, may be asked to give up their beds.
We are also having a Work Day this Saturday, April 24 to help the Maintenance Committee (10am) finish rebuilding the beds in the West Garden removed for the wall reconstruction (including the construction of 2 new beds). We will also finish work on the new beds in the East Garden and start filling them with topsoil. All levels of handiness are welcome. Contact Jean Jaworek jeanmike2@mindspring.com
In addition, the Community Garden Committee will be meeting Saturday, April 24 at 2:30pm to relocate plants from the future site of the water harvesting system. Contact: Suzanne Charle suzcharle@gmail.com
Information on Committee and individual bed assignments will be coming soon.
If you have any questions, please contact Alan at alan.tenney@gmail.com.
-W. 104th St Community Garden Steering Committee
Re: Vote on West Garden, Southeast Wall Reconstruction
On Wednesday, January 6, 2010, several gardeners from the Steering, Maintenance, West Garden and Greenthumb committees* met with the Parks Department and contractor in the West Garden to discuss the wall reconstruction.
Our discussion was productive and we were impressed by the vendor’s concern to as do as little harm as possible during the wall reconstruction.
As most of you know, the purpose of this meeting was two-fold:
1. To develop the least intrusive/disruptive route for the contactor’s equipment
2. To review the job site with the contractor and Parks apprising both of our concerns and hopes.
To summarize the meeting: We walked around the site and described the three routes discussed at our regular garden meeting. 1. Straight back along the lawn with a left turn behind the rose arbor, 2. Across the lawn with a diagonal left turn between the shed and arbor, 3. Along the rear yard of 12 W. 104th street with an approach through the east lot. Parks and the contractor rejected this third option as impractical but suggested one of their own.
Based on this meeting and additional private discussion among our garden team we are now unanimous in supporting the approach route suggested by the contractor. Since I’d ardently opposed a more invasive version of this plan some months ago, the others asked me to make the case for this literal change in direction.
First, the Contractor’s proposed route: straight back through the front fence of the Western Garden, parallel to the west wall of 12 W. 104th St. directly through one line of individual beds—those nearest 12 W. 104th St.
This approach will require the dismantling of a line of five individual beds as well as a stretch of plantings along the front fence. It will provide a space wide enough for the contractor’s equipment (about 10 feet). No turns will be made, thus minimizing the possibility of additional damage; with the exception of some of the plantings along the front fence, it will not damage any communal areas — the lawn, the herb bed, the center flower bed, the root system of the American Elm tree or the fig that would have been hit in the other paths. In addition this route protects the cold frame, rose arbor and shrubs around the water barrels. When the project is finished, Parks will get us replacement topsoil.
I don’t wish to underestimate the amount of work it will take to rebuild what will be removed or the hardship for those whose beds are displaced temporarily – my own is one of them — but we firmly believe it is better for the garden to contain the area of disruption.
Again let’s not candy coat our situation: There is no good approach to the reconstruction site other than from the sky and setting the western lot to right will require the effort of all of us working together. But as co-chairs of maintenance for some years, Frank and I agree (along with the others) that this approach is the one we think will work out the best for the garden and prove least damaging.
But the decision is yours. We will only tell the contractor to use this route if we have your support. We welcome hearing your concerns and comments and will listen to your gripes too – just this once. Because it is winter and a vote in the garden isn’t practical, we ask that you respond by email to the following question:
Do you support the contractor’s proposed route through the West garden as outlined above?
Yes___ No___ Abstain___
Please email your vote and comments to Paula McKenzie (paulatb2@verizon.net) by next Friday, January 15, so we can get back to Parks Dept.
Respectfully,
Jean Jaworek
* In attendance: Maintenance Committee Co-Chairs Frank Grech and Jean Jaworek, Steering Committee members: Ann Levine, Janice Vrana and Paula McKenzie, Greenthumb Contact, Lucille Murovich, West Garden Co-Chair, Suzanne Charlé and a representative from Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito’s office.
Raccoon Rabies Advisory
Manhattan (UWS, UES Central Pk and Morningside Pk Areas)
Rabid raccoons were recently found in Central Park and Morningside Park. For current information on rabid animals visit www.nyc.gov/health/rabies
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene requests that you:
1) Get your cat or dog vaccinated for rabies. It’s the law.
· Check with your vet to see if your pet is up to date on its shots.
· Keep your dog on a leash except for during off leash hours. Always keep a close eye on your dog when outdoors, especially when off leash.
2) Stay away from wild or stray animals. Keep children and pets away from them too.
·Raccoons, skunks, bats, and stray cats are more likely than other animals to have rabies.
– Observe and enjoy healthy wildlife from a distance
– Do not feed wildlife.
– Never approach a wild, stray, sick, or injured animal, no matter how helpless it looks. Instead call 311 or notify a Parks employee.
· Throw your trash in an appropriate trash container.
3) If you are bitten by an animal, wash the wound, consult a doctor,
and call 311 to report the bite.
· First, wash the wound with soap and water IMMEDIATELY.
· If you are bitten by a pet, get the owners contact information.
·Talk to a doctor right away to see if you need tetanus or rabies shots. If you don’t have a regular doctor, go to a hospital emergency room.
· Call 311 to report the bite.
Visit www.nyc.gov/health/rabies for more information and updated facts.
Community Board 7/ Manhattan
250 West 87th Street New York, NY 10024-2706
Phone: (212) 362-4008 Fax:(212) 595-9317
Web site: nyc.gov/mcb7 e-mail address: office@cb7.org
1) Contractor chosen, budgeted, now awaiting sign offs by four City departments before it can be legally awarded:
Dept. of Investigation — checking history of credit, qualifications, performance, etc.,
Dept. of Finance — to approve budget assigned for all 5-boros overall,
Office of Budget & Management — to corroborate overall budget,
Office of Controller — triple-checking previous 2 reports.
Used to take 2-3 weeks for investigation, but policy/personnel changed six months ago, no way to predict how soon investigation completed. Once signed off by all four, it would take approximately 3 weeks to get up and running. We’re second on list of priorities — will be done in conjunction with another garden/park on W.135th St.
2) Parks/Contractor can give some help in transplanting — dig trenches for placing plants — but would appreciate/expect help from gardeners to know what plants to move.
3) Contractor would have to replace damaged or removed property: replace fence. Normally part of individual contract per site.
4) Parks has generic list of plants from which it might be able to replace some damaged shrubs, plants. They’ve done so in past.
5) Concrete/mortar can be worked at temps above 20 degrees, so not a problem to do this in wintertime. Waiting till Spring would lose us whole planting season. They have method(s) to warm the earth when required.
6) Depending on kind of equipment Contractor has/uses, might be able to bring machinery in through western half of garden, across lawn, then to east fence/retaining wall site. Can’t know at moment. I have requested they take a hard look at using manual labor, with the possibility of our subsidizing part of any additional cost.
7) Some beds will have to be redone, especially if manual labor is minimal: the four starting with the Memorial Bed thru to Cassie Wright’s bed definitely; communal beds along that section of East fence, probably the one at end of BBQ patio and on either side of steps down behind 12 W. bldg. Don’t/won’t know of others until Contract is legally awarded and a Meeting held with the possible solutions presented.
8) New temporary home for cats, away from work area at rear of garden , probably good idea.
If I have further information, before tomorrow’s Meeting, I will send it along.
There was no additional information.
// LM
Hi all —
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14, Rose Cte. Cleanup Work Session 5-7 PM Setting up shrubs, maze lawn for the winter dormancy season.
SATURDAY, Oct. 17, Final Garden Workday, 10AM meeting — project(s) TBA for workday following.
SATURDAY. Oct. 24. Fall Festival from 12 Noon to 4PM-ish, replete with vendors, ethnic foods:
Call Julie to arrange vendor table, prices, etc., at 212-316-2964. Call Paula/Raleigh to volunteer to set up tables, chairs, staff garden booth//table, make/post flyers, etc.
AND:
SATURDAY, Oct. 24, 1PM- 3PM 9th Annual Halloween Party for kids up to 12 years, with parents and grandparents too! Costume Parade, spooky games, devilish-ly delicious snacks, and prizes, too. Volunteer to help Lou decorate the grounds for this event: 212-666-6732, and again Paula/Raleigh to help organize the games, sing-along, judge costumes, etc.
GREEN THUMB SEMINAR(s) To Obtain compost:
THURSDAY, Oct. 15, 5:30-7:00 PM Composting Seminar, Shiloh Garden, Brooklyn, NY
Monroe St., between Marcy & Tompkins Aves.
A train to Nostrand Ave., exit near intersection of Fulton St. and Nostrand — walk North on Nostrand towards Monroe St.
This should be most helpful to the Compost Cte. members, and the only way to be eligible
for a truckload of compost in the Spring – by attending either this seminar;
OR: alternatively, THURSDAY, November 5th, 4-6 PM, on Soil Health, St. Augustine School Peace Garden, Bronx, NY:
D train to 167 St., xfer to BX 35 bus at Grand Concourse going east on 167 St. get off at
Franklin Ave,., garden is between 167 & 168 Sts,
At either Seminar, the gardener(s) attending can then request a delivery of Soil, compost, or cleanfill for Spring delivery. Such delivery will be most helpful to complete the building of the new beds in the East Garden.
OTHER:
GREENTHUMB & MILLION TREES NYC STEWARDSHIP day-long FREE Conference:
SATURDAY, OCT.24, Jos. Daniel Wilson Memorial / Project Harmony Garden, Manhattan.
11am – 12 noon, Workshop #1, “Tree that Saved My Life” Game show
Noon-12:45PM Lunch
12:45 – 2:15PM, Workshop #2, “Hands-on Street Tree Care Clinic”
Both workshops will be led by Susan Fields, MillionTrees NYC Corps. Susan was our GT Coordinator for 7 years before she left to join the Brooklyn Botanic Garden 2 years ago, and is most knowledgeable about community gardens/street trees needs.
A, B,C,D or 2,3 train to 125 St., walk toward Adam Clayton Powell, turn south walking towards 122 St., turn right on 122 St., garden on the right.
Supplies to be given out include watering buckets/hoses, cultivators, gloves, aprons, info packet, plant material for Tree bed planting.
This one competes with our Fall Festival/Halloween Party, however. So perhaps a Treepit Cte. member might attend and distribute info at our November Season Closing Meeting?
THANKS TO:
Jean Jaworek for her donation of an aluminum ladder to the garden.
Peter Bazeli for his work in designing the now-approved new beds-to-be in the East Garden; and with Alan Tenney providing ballot boxes on both sheds for current and future use.
OTHER:
As a reminder: West Gardeners might want to delay planting of spring flowering bulbs until we have definitive plans and timetable for the retaining wall renovation. Many of our existing plants may have to be moved elsewhere — including those of the east side in the sidewalk fence bed – though every effort and argument is being used to minimize disturbance of that and individual garden plots in the eastern third of the West Garden. Details will be delivered as soon as we have them, after scoping sessions with Parks, GT, Steering, NWCPMBA members are held.
Your input will be sought on solution(s) proffered.
All for now,
Lucille M.
Dear West 104th Street Garden Members,
This is a reminder that our next work day is tomorrow, Saturday Sept 12 beginning with a meeting at 10 am. If you have any suggestions for work day projects please contact me at alan.tenney@gmail.com. See you tomorrow!
-Alan
Hi –LOTS to do the first Saturday in June!: in fact the whole month!
SATURDAY, June 6, 10 AM – Meeting. Work projects TBA
SATURDAY, June 6, 10 AM -= 2 PM GreenThumb Supplies Giveaway — Need volunteer(s) w/car or SUV
to pick up garbage bags, water hose(s), wheelbarrow. Please contact Mary Kelly [ 212 – 807 – 0266 ], get workday credit.
Pickup is at GreenThumb compound in Queens.
SATURDAY, June 6, 9 AM – 3 PM. Farmers’ Market season starts, courtesy of DEBNA, every Saturday thereafter during Summer. Known Live Musicians too from 10 AM – 2 PM, so drop by to meet, greet and eat at the Strangers’ Gate, 106th and CPW.
WEDNESDAY, June 18, Montessori ‘Graduation’ , 8 AM – 12 Noon, Stage area. The kids put on a charming ‘fly-up’ ceremony, getting ready for kindergarten in the Fall.
SATURDAY, June 20, GreenThumb’s “Summer Solstice” celebration, 10 AM – 4 PM, William Harris Garden,
NW corner of 153 St. & St. Nicholas Ave., Manhattan. BBQ, Parks Playmobile, Live Entertainment, Kids’ Crafts, call GT: (212) 788-8070 for more details on this Block Party to herald the start of summer.
SUNDAY, June 21, Make Music New York”, citywide celebration in community gardens, with live music here in our gardens! Last year’s event was super fun for all, 11 AM – 5 PM planned, for a family event.
Contact Paula McKenzie to volunteer your services for setup and cleanup. [ 212 – 222 – 6337 ]
THANKS TO:
Paula McKenzie & Raleigh Mayer & Julie Soledispa for spearheading /coordinating the successful Mother’s Day Plant Sale with Bake Sale and Flea Market for good measure!
Linda Prudhomme for 24-hr. turnaround getting check to GT for 4 months’ rental of, and to
Guy Pinté for clearing the space and taking delivery of the Porta-Potty into the East Garden. .
OTHER NEWS:
GT is holding A Photo Contest, celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Submit your favorite photos for a chance to have them displayed in Parks Art Gallery. Rules, deadlines at: www.greenthumbnyc.org.
All for now, LM
Hello all,
This is a reminder that we will be having our next work day on Saturday, June 6 beginning with a meeting at 10 am.
There is also a Green Thumb giveaway on that same day beginning at that same time in Queens (not far from Queens plaza). If anyone is able to travel there to pick up some supplies for our summer season it would be most appreciated and would certainly count as full involvement in the workday. There are a number of items being offered, including wheelbarrows, which we could use. So having access to a car would make this most convenient.
If someone can volunteer for this pickup, please contact me at my personal email to let me know and I will forward you all the information. For any members unable to attend this workday, you should also email me at my personal address for individual chore assignments.
I have contacted the committee chairs to ask about any chores that need attention. If anyone has any additional concerns, please feel free to contact me so that I can try to address them prior to the workday.
I look forward to seeing you all in the garden. Thanks,
Mary Kelly
{Please note corrected date!}
The Make Music New York Event is coming up on Sat., June 21th! In order for it to be a success in our garden, we need volunteers for the following positions:
Music coordinator: Someone to interview and book musicians for the day – 6 groups have contacted the garden expressing interest.
Activities coordinator: Someone to bring other activities to the garden (ie. contact Vita Wallace).
Publicity coordinator: Create a flyer and make sure it gets distributed before the event.
June 21 Volunteer coordinator: Lou Ludyny has agreed to be the contact person for the day of June 20th, but he will need atleast 5 gardeners assisting him with set-up, clean-up, etc.
Please let me know if you would like to take on any of these responsibilities.
THANK YOU! Paula