OPEN SPACE TASK FORCE
Minutes of meeting held in Sprenkel Room, Town Hall on July 2. 2012
Attendance: Pat Botteron, Herb Asplund, Roy Normen, Louise Evans, Karl Reichle, Carol Heffler. George Caye, Betty Warren, Jeff Folger (arrived late)
Absent: Sue Larsen, Michael Gantick, Betty Osborne, Viney Wilson
Chairman Pat Botteron called the meeting to order at 5:35. OSTF pledged allegiance to the flag.
Public Participation: Delayed until arrival of expected persons
Acceptance of Minutes: The minutes were accepted with one minor spelling correction.
New Business:
Pat Botteron appointed Louise Evans to take the minutes in the absence of Sue Larsen.
Pat Botteron asked if OSTF would like an annual gathering. It was decided that a pot-luck supper would be held on September 10, at our regular meeting time. A short business meeting will be held at 5:30 followed by the get-together. Louise Evans volunteered to hold it at her home.
Pat Botteron said that on June 6 she met with Cory Garfman of the Journal-Inquirer. She showed him Wapping Park. When it became stormy they went to her house to talk some more.
Pat said that Jeff Folger gave a tour of the Donnelly property to Felicia Whatley of the Reminder on Connecticut Trail Day.
Pat explained that she meets with our Council liaison, Dr. Saud Anwar, on a monthly basis. He is planning a fund-raiser for the Haiti school project on August 11th. She wondered if we were interested in having a booth there. The task force members felt there was not a close enough connection with our activities.
Saturday, September 29th, we will have a booth at the Historical Society’s Heritage Day.
Cory Garfman arrived and the OSTF members were introduced to him..
Old Business:
Pat Botteron thanked the OSTF members who helped at CT Trail Days. She told of the popularity of the geocaching activity. There was a steady turnout from the young to at least one person in her nineties. Pat said that Ray Favreau suggested that volunteers report to the Town problems that they note while hiking on the trails in town. Herb Asplund felt that problems in a section of trail noted by scouts working there might be ok, but not policing. It was noted that a Cub Scout troop maintains the butterfly garden at Donnelly. Ray suggests uniform signs like those used worldwide.
Property Updates:
Pat Botteron has had no new contact with the town manager concerning the properties in question. George Caye said that consideration is being given to community gardens at the Nelson property according to Park and Recreation committee meeting he attended of the Food Alliance Herb Asplund said that no action has been taken on the Niederwerfer property
Jeff Folger arrived at 6:15. He told the task force that walking trails from the medical buildings have been worked on. Also Nick Bellatoni, state archaeologist, has looked at areas in Wapping Park where Native America camps resembling those used 7000 years ago could be developed.
Correspondence/ Reports
An article will be written on Donnelly Park for inclusion n Park and Rec. brochure.
A Journal Inquirer reporter interviewed Jeff Folger for an article on mosquito control.
Betty Warren distributed a flyer produced by SWALPAC on local farm stands.
Food Alliance will place signs where open space land is leased for food production. A
discussion ensued about whether or not food such as hay raised for animal production, which in turn becomes food for people, should be included. George Caye will relay the information. Some town-owned land is used for 4-H and rescue animals.
Pat Botteron received an email from a senior high school girl about her desire to help the task force. Pat will invite her to help us at Heritage Day.
Respectfully submitted,
Louise Evans
Secretary Pro Tem
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