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Minutes to the Green Oasis Meeting 6/3/07
Repairs. This was the first topic on the agenda to discuss as the step
up to the gazebo had broken just this morning so it was immediately
agreed upon that for the time being at least, a big stone block that
happened to be in the garden already would work as a good interim step
until a better step can be built.
Pam had spoken to someone at the East Village Community High School who
was interested in having a couple of “volunteers” from their school
who, as part of a school program they had in place, would help us on a
significant garden project, it was discussed that perhaps the pond area
that needs fixing along with the pond fence would be a good project to
talk to them about being involved in. Pam will follow up.
6/5 update Regarding Repairs to Pond: It dawns upon me that I didn't do a clear job of
stating
who is helping us repair the pond. Paula Hewitt (a former Green Oasis Member)and Tim
Rutgers of Open Road, a not for profit outfit that has worked on creating playgrounds
and doing other projects through the Trust for Public Land, and who also are involved
in the Garden on 11th Street between 1st and A next to the East Village Community High
School are the folks who are going to help us. They have been funded for a project
that involves eight young men who will be able to help us for about four hours a day
for two days. For two additional hours each day, they will work on a part of their
project, which involves an artistic representation of the work they will be doing.
That will be painted on a large piece of wood and displayed in the garden.
More information to follow.
Paper stuff used in the Garden. Jan explained that there was now
available to use (in the shed in the right hand corner) non plastic
cups/forks/knives/spoons and biodegradable paper goods that were
available for members to use at any parties, events, BBQ’s etc.
however, a $1 donation per person/setting would be appreciated on an honor
system. Money can be left in the shed where the goods are kept or
brought to a subsequent meeting. The garden strongly recommends the use
of these products as we endeavor to move away from the use of Styrofoam
and other non-biodegradable goods.
Beekeepers BBQ. Next Sunday, June 10th there will be a Bee Day,
beginning with the official checking of the hives with our bee experts
at 1pm. There will be bee overalls and masks for both grownups and
children who are interested in checking out the inside of the hives to
better understand what is going on up on the bee platform! Following
there will be a cook out a bit later in the afternoon that welcomes
everyone - please bring a side dish or a grill offering - it is a great
opportunity to learn more about the benefits of these interesting
critters being a part of our garden community!
June 23rd Summer Solstice Celebration. Jan is organizing crafts and
talked about some great tie-dye kits she had ordered that would be part
of the craft activities offered for everyone’s enjoyment on the day.
Any other craft projects that you may have in mind are greatly
welcomed! Lesa is organizing music; please speak up if you have some
music or spoken word to share that day, we are looking for more
entertainment!
Mike’s Mum, Donna, offered to bring the food for the day at the last
meeting. Food donations are always welcome! The event will take place
from 1-5pm. Dena has made a flyer, though she was not at the meeting
today personally to confirm this, several members were confident she
had designed one that would soon be available for posting around the
neighborhood. (Flyer is on this website under Summer Festival.)
Tim has endeavored to post in some local publications,
but no listings confirmed as of yet. Please put the word out so we can
make this event a true community event! Everyone welcome!
Threat to the Gazebo. Pam had recently attended a meeting where it was
announced that there would be some attention towards banning structures
of a certain size and height from the community gardens, which may mean
there is a threat to our Gazebo. There is no other information as of
yet, stay tuned.
Compost move. Corinna suggested that the tree directly to the right of
the shed be moved or gotten rid of (nicely) somehow and the compost
moved closer to the shed allowing an additional BBQ area to be created
in the SW corner of the garden; this was very well received by the
garden members present. A date for beginning this project will be
announced soon for anyone wishing to be involved.
NO ASHES FROM THE BBQ TO BE DUMPED ANYWHERE IN THE GARDEN!! Please do
not think it is good for the plants because it is not and some of the
plants in the herb garden directly behind the BBQ have been fairing
poorly due to the amount of ashes in the soil. PLEASE TAKE THE ASHES
ALONG WITH THE LEFT OVER COALS OUT OF THE GARDEN WITH YOU. THANK YOU!
Misc. items:
Jim is getting a new belt for the chipper.
We can get as much horse manure from the mounted Police horses on Bond
Street.
The new pump has arrived for the pond. Monday June 11th is the
tentative date set for the installation. It requires a couple of steps,
but Pam will be in touch to confirm date and time of pond work, so look
out for that if you are interested in helping.
The cherry tree is bearing fruit; take advantage of it while they are
ripening on the tree!
Sarah volunteered to create some “friendly” signs that list the Kids
Rules in the garden that will be posted around in the hope that the
parents/care givers will control their little ones from the usual
annoyances that damage or put the garden at risk.
Next meeting: Sunday, June 17th at 11am at the
garden. Hope to see you there!
In attendance: Pam, Joe, Jan, Kim, Jennifer, Asami, Corinna,
Lauren and Blair, Mercedes, Tim, Ken, Denine, Ninette, Sarah (took notes!)
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Green Oasis Meeting Notes 5-20-07
Discussion:
Website – the website is up and running at www.greenoasisgarden.net. Please send photos,drawings, text, ideas for new pages to desno05@earthlink.net (Dena’s email.)
Dena will send the link to Green Thumb and mention the Summer Event.
Summer Festival Event – will be held on Saturday June 23rd.
Tim is going to contact musicians, Jan and Corinna will head up the chidren’s craft project (T-shirts), Lesa and Dena will chair the bake sale (please bake…),
Donna will do the food shopping, and will need some help, please! (We have a shopping list).
Plots – Lesa brought up the issue of missing members who have not started planting.
The May 15th deadline has been extended to May 26th. Would the eight members who have not contacted Lesa please do so; a vote was taken on this issue. If the members do not contact Lesa and begin cleaning and planting by May 26th, the plots will revert to common areas for 2007 season. Thanks.
Plants – Dena, Lesa and Pam met and ordered plants for common areas. They will arrive this week. Please watch for an email, and all interested gardeners can meet later in the week to plant these perennials/annuals in common areas.
REMINDER – Green Thumb summer tool/compost ? pickup in Queens is Saturday June 9th.
(from noon to two p.m.) It would be great if someone with a car/van could commit,
and a few members could help/be in the garden to unload supplies…
Gazebo Repair – Lesa has received two estimates from contractors/engineers,
both in the $2500-$3000 range; both agree that new footings would not be necessary,
but that cutting/capping/setting the gazebo on railroad ties would buy us another
fifteen to twenty years. Next step would be to find the money for this project.
(Home Depot grant does not look like a feasible option.) Best time for this project
would be in September/October. Tim will call the high school that specializes in
training contractors; they may be able to take it on as a project.
New Membership – Tim suggests that new members participate in a meeting and a
workday before joining the garden and receiving a key. This suggestion was voted
upon by members and was approved. Tessa suggests that an orientation would be
helpful not only for new members, but for many members who have questions.
She will start a Frequently Asked Questions list for the website. This will
go a long way to getting information out there. New members with questions
can also meet up with a buddy by requesting to do so. Several members have
volunteered to help.
Bees – Jan reports that a beehive tool has already gone missing. Please –
the beehive tools and equipment are not toys and are not easily replaced. . .
The new queen is laying eggs and both C and D hives are doing well!
New Chairs – will be here on Monday, reports Corinna!
Pond news – members of pond committee met after the meeting; watch for their news next week.
Grill cleanup improving – reports Tim, but Lesa noticed ash dumped behind the grill. . .
please, ash must be taken out of the garden, it does not compost.
Next meeting: June 3, 2007 11 a.m.
In attendance:
Helen, Lesa, Joanna, Sabine, Tim, Jan, Pam, Ken, Corinna, Lawrence, Mercedes, Kim,
Ninette, Donna, Louis, Dena (anyone who didn’t sign in?)
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Green Oasis Meeting Notes 5-6-07
Cleanup: Dianna suggested that members clean up after using the garden. There
have been a number of problems in this regard, trash left in the garden, etc.
Please clean up after using the garden. This includes putting trash out on Sun.,
Tues., and Thurs. eves for M/W/F pickup. Also includes cleaning ash from the
BBQ after it is cold – ash is not compost and should not be scattered around
the garden. Pam showed a FIVE SIMPLE RULES sign that will be posted, including kids rules.
Bee kit: Several members will look into getting the supplies needed
(by prescription) in case anyone who is allergic is stung by a bee.
Bee kit will be available in the gazebo.
Outreach: Tim will post signs to invite new members to join.
Community Board 3 meeting: Jan reporting. Jan, Lesa, Louis and Dena
attended the CB3 meeting on 5/5. Topics included rat bait boxes for
local gardens, tree pruning, and sidewalk repair by Green Thumb. A
Green Thumb representative was on hand and provided information for
all gardens. G.T. has budget issues through June 30th, but if we need help
for these issues we can call them. A supply distribution day will be held
on Saturday June 9th under the 59th St. Bridge in Long Island City (from 12-2 pm).
Our wish list includes a pole pruner, sturdy broom, rakes, and trowels.
Volunteers will be needed to go to the location on June 9th.
New Chairs: Corinna purchased six new wrought iron chairs for $288 through Ebay.
They will be delivered this week (?) Members voted to reimburse her for the purchase.
Herbs: Pam would like to plant additional community herb plots around the
garden in order to hold an herbal products workshop in the fall. Suggestions
included lemon verbena, comfrey, valerian, lavender, and bee balm. Several
locations were mentioned. Pam will order herb plants later this week.
(Also, additional plants for common areas will be ordered.)
Free Bricks: The garden will receive free bricks from the construction site behind us.
Next Meeting: May 20th, 11 a.m.
Attendance: Jan, Charlett, Nancy, Corinna, Joe, Tim, Pam, Dianna, Asami, Lesa,
Louis, Dena
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Green Oasis Meeting Notes 4-29-07
Attendance: See last page
Discussion: Today was “sign up/key” day. Anyone who missed the meeting
must attend the next meeting (or subsequent meetings) in order to sign
up, pay dues, and obtain a key. The 2007 meeting schedule was mailed out,
but it is also printed at the end of this email. Those who wish to volunteer
for the board should do so during the next meeting.
Summer Solstice Celebration: G.O. will participate in the city-wide Music
in the Parks program as part of our annual Summer Solstice Celebration.
Date TBA (likely Saturday June 23rd). Tim is in charge of arranging musicians;
if interested, please contact him. Lesa and Dena will coordinate donations
for a bake sale. Dena will make a poster (it will be emailed, hard copied
in the garden for people to take a few and put them up, and we’ll put it
up on the website.) Pam and Jan will coordinate the art project, possibly
a tye-dye T-shirt and/or banner.
Jan has ordered biodegradable plates, cups, forks, so that the garden
will offer them instead of plastic and Styrofoam ($1/per person fee per event.)
Volunteers are needed to buy basic food supplies on the morning of the event
and prepare the pot luck tables. The garden will pay for them; usually $75-100 budget,
and the shopping list already exists (see last page of this e-mail), so it’s a
matter of having two or three volunteers go to Associate on 8th and C!
Please don’t be shy!
Oral History Day: Pam and Tim are coordinating; set for Sunday, September 16th,
rain date September 30th. Photos, stories and memorabilia are needed. Keep it in mind!
Mosaic Stepping Stone Workshop/Fix a Mushroom: Jan will conduct a series of
workshops to make more stepping stones. Also, there will be a date to repair
the winter’s “mushroom damage.” Dates TBA. (Mushroom repair next week?)
A landscape architect will be called in to help prepare the ground. Tim/Johanna both volunteered.
Please write or suggest any other workshop ideas at a meeting.
Fundraising/Budget: G.O.’s dues and fees (from events) cover most of our
basic operating expenses, currently running about $2,000 per year. We have
$8,000 in escrow. Over the past few years there have been a few attempts to
raise the vast sum of money (between $45-$50 K) needed to fully electrify
the garden and to run all water systems underground, but to no avail thus far.
A simple proposal/letter exists; if anyone would like to submit it, please
volunteer. Also, any other corporate/individual fundraising efforts would
be great. Remember that G.O. is a 501(C)(3) and is a tax deductible donation.
Garden Web Page: Jan has obtained the domain name www.greenoasisgarden.org.
Dena and Louis will work on getting the basic site set up together with Jan,
and once the technical aspects are set, will invite garden members to submit
photos, comments, etc. Planning meeting set for this week.
Membership and Obligations: Members voted on the following:
Should fewer than eight hours per month of volunteer time be permitted? “NO”
The current eight hour per month requirement stands. This eight hours can
include keeping the garden open during the week…please log your time in the
logbook that is in the gazebo.
Should the garden offer a “Friends of G.O.” to donors who do not wish to be members,
but who make a donation? “YES”
The garden will offer a certificate to such donors. (Fundraising)
Should the garden offer a sponsoring membership system? “NO”
Membership will continue without sponsors, but a buddy system will be in place
should new members wish to have a guide to the garden. The following
veteran members have volunteered to be part of the “garden buddy”
program: Anna, Jennifer, Jan, Pam, Lesa, and Dena (Other volunteers would be welcome!)
A walk around will take place at least once a month after the meeting
so that all members understand what tasks need to take place.
Much of the gardening is seasonally based, which can be daunting to a new member.
The #1 thing that anyone can do at any time is to pick up trash
both inside the garden and along the fence/sidewalk. It accumulates
in the space of an hour, and it is our responsibility!
The RULES and KIDS RULES are posted in the vitrine, and are in the gazebo log.
They will be sent out again, and this year, each event (sponsor/host) will
receive them in advance in a postcard format. (Jennifer L. suggested this.)
Tim (or whoever is keeping the garden event calendar) can email the rules
in advance. Reminder that ball playing, running with pointed sticks, breaking
stones and glass with hammers, tree climbing, and the like are not permitted
…while the garden carries insurance through the city, no one wants to see any
type of accident occur. EVER!
Community Board 3 meeting: Next Saturday, May 5th, 10:30 a.m. (sent out
in previous email.) Many topics of interest to G.O. on the agenda.
As many members as possible should attend. The city can get involved
in sidewalk and tree maintenance, so that alone is a good reason to attend.
“TO DO” List: Mercedes will create (we can post on website!)
Dogs: Manu reported that he was bitten by a dog in the garden.
A reminder to keep an eye on your dog; if asked, please keep it
on a leash. And last but not least, the garden is not a doggie toilet.
Lesa and Anna suggest that dog urine is already killing some plants,
and Jennifer reports that she had to clean up NUMEROUS dog piles the other day.
Bat Houses: Jim and Jan will conduct a bat house workshop. Date TBA.
A member asked if we have to order bats. Unlike bees, bats just
show up, and they are great for the ecosystem! (Check out Tompkins Square at sunset.)
Compost: Jim will organize a compost workshop for all who are
interested. The compost will have to be organized and the
chipper will be brought in from Tompkins Sq. Park…Date TBA.
Please bring your coffee grounds, fruit/vegetable peels,
eggshells (but no cooked foods) to the black plastic covered bins.
Do not place food compost in the leaves/sticks. And please –
no more shredded paper. It does not decompose and has chemicals
in it…we are not a recycling center.
Gazebo: Lesa spoke with an engineer who will come and take a
look at the gazebo – he may take charge of a project to repair it.
Update at next meeting.
Cleanup: Please do not bring any more “junk” furniture to the garden.
We have to clean up/repair the broken items that are already in the
garden. (Ideas: Mosaic for the metal tabletop? Repair broken benches
workshop?) An enormous effort went into cleaning up the shed, please
keep it organized and put things back where you found them. Garbage
pickup is M/W/F, so the trash can go out the night before on the
EAST side of the telephone pole.
Wood to repair plots: Johanna will go to Home Depot (note:
wood/topsoil/etc. arrived at 4 p.m. Sunday! And luckily,
there were members around to help unload the van.)
Plot repair dates TBA. If you are a good carpenter…please volunteer!
Plots: Lesa is again in charge – there is a waiting
list; if you’d like to add your name, please contact her.
Grape Arbor/Fence issue: Jim will be installing a new fence on
the border between G.O. and his property. This will entail
his rebuilding the grape arbor. The garden will lose about
six inches because our fence is currently on his property.
Pond repair: TBD. (who is in charge?) Pond fence?
Bee Update: The beekeeper was in the garden on Sunday afternoon (4/29).
Jan will report the outcome of this visit.
“Gaia’s Ring” Art Installation: Many of you may have noticed the
earth/artwork installation in the southeast corner “the stage area”
of the garden. This is “Gaia’s Ring” by artist Noah Baen. It is a
year-long installation. Noah thanked garden members, and will
keep everyone posted as to the events he plans to conduct.
Some members asked about the glass shards; they came out
of the earth, and he plans to leave them there. No decision
was reached about a fence around the installation. Please watch
that children do not play near the installation/glass.
Attendance:
Noah Baen (artist for installation “Gaia’s Ring”)
Amy, Barbara, Ruth, Chris, Jan, Ig, Jennifer, Susie, Anna
Tessa, Pam, Mike, Donna, Helen, Jack, Ken, Asami
Joanna, Jennifer, Corinna, Lesa, Louis, Dena
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Announcements
2007 Meeting Dates (meetings Sundays, 11 a.m.)
May 6th & 20th
June 3rd & 17th
July 1st & 15th
August 5th & 19th
September 9th & 23rd
October 7th & 21st
November 4th &18th
December 2nd
Members must attend at least two meetings a year,
but remember the garden really works best when you are HERE!