Trails Club of Rossmoor Minutes of September 9th, 2020 Zoom Board Meeting
Regular BusinessAttendance
OFFICERS
HIKE GROUP REPS
Membership Support
President: Doug Lins
Amblers: Jean Nobbe
Sally Allen
Vice-President: Harriet Schwartz
Ramblers: Annette Stiefbold, Amy Daniels
Mary Ann Garvey
Treasurer: Nathan Roundy
Trekkers: Angela Lusk, Sherri Dillard
Carolyn Saito
Secretary: Anne Squire
Scramblers: Lucy Daggett, Adrienne Roth
Past President: Lynne Forrette
Guests
1. Treasurer’s Report: Nathan Roundy $ 10,538 in account versus $10,677 in July, 2020.
2. Membership Report: Carolyn Saito 292 members versus 291 in July
New Business
(item 3, Zoom subscription, cont)
Anne Squire presented information on pricing options and suggested a Medium subscription be purchased on a monthly basis, which would allow every club member to attend any Zoom meeting (lower price option only allows up to 100 members).
Board voted and passed the measure. Price will be $19.99 per month and can be cancelled at any time. Stanley Maleski suggested that membership utilize the Club email address. Sally Allen suggested that someone be put in charge of the membership and suggested Anne Squire, since she has been organizing the Board Zoom meetings to date.
Board voted and passed the measure.
Hike Resumption Subcommittee Report: Harriet SchwartzComments and Recommendations from the committee discussed. Decision to postpone again until September meeting.
Discussion regarding freezing Board positions as they are now for another year due to the pandemic: 2020
Safari UpdatesMammoth Lakes Cancellation: Harriet Schwartz
Sequoia Safari postponement to 2021: Anne Squire
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TRAILS COMMITTEE REPORT SEPT. 9, 2020 TRAILS CLUB BOARD MEETING
New ‘Las Trampas Rd Bypass’ 2020 trail history.
Before the trail is officially opened, a Warner Tree Service crew will be installing wooden steps (maybe 40 to 50) in a short steep section of the trail.
Signage will then go up; trail opening announced and possibly an article in the newspaper for a little club PR.
Project Volunteers included:
Al Peters
Bill Welch
Joe Friedman
John Walkinshaw
Alan Lindquist
Charlene Liu
John Fiske
Larry Barclay
Andy Howard
Diane Hinds
Joe Moe
Rich Perona
Bernie Wolf
Elliot Barenbaum
John Swearingen
Richard Rex
Rockcrest Trail - 2020 Update
Frick Trail
Veltman Trail
Clyde Wood Trail
Larry Barclay, Trail Steward
Committee:
Charlene Liu, Diane Hinds, John Fiske, Rich Perona, Richard Rex, Ta-hsia Kuo - Advisory
-----------John Walkinshaw’s Acorn Collection and Preservation Proposal, September, 2020
While hiking our trails within Rossmoor with Janine , I noticed that many of our oak trees have a bumper crop of acorns. This reminded me of a program that I was involved in during the late 1990s in the Walnut Creek Open space. The objective was to help Mother Nature produce young oak trees. To do this, we harvested acorns in the Fall, preserve them for later planting once the ground conditions were appropriate. [Below] is one of the trees that I got started.
As we hiked around I saw a number of areas that would benefit with another generation of trees. I contacted Rebecca Pollon, Landscape Manager for the Golden Rain Foundation, and presented to her my thoughts. Below is an extract of her response. After reading it and if the Trails Club Board Members think this could be an activity that our members would be interested in, I would prepare an email for Dianne Hinds to send out to the membership, following review by the Board.
I hope you could discuss this at the next Board meeting and let me know if we can go forward. The acorns on some of the trees are ready for harvesting now or will be in the next two to three weeks.
John Walkinsaw 925-876-0728
--------------------------------------------------
Hi John,
As per our conversation, I’m very excited about your idea of harvesting acorns and seeing what germinates here.
Doesn’t get much more local/native than that!
Since the Trails Club members are the most active in the open spaces, if anyone from the club would be interested in picking acorns, that would be very helpful.
If there are members that are interested in going even further and doing some of the planting/watering themselves (adopt-a-tree?) that would be great, and perhaps very gratifying for those who participate if the acorns do take hold.
Having said that, we are more than happy to plant and care for any/all of the acorns that are not adopted.
We could even collect acorns and provide them to people in the community to have plantings within or near their mutuals as an Arbor Day event, or any tree planting day.
Species-We should try and diversify as much as possible. I’m concerned about S.O.D on the Live Oaks, so we should gather as many Valley and Blue Oaks as possible.
Locations-Other than view and the whipsnake habitat, there are endless places for us to plant. As you mention, we’ll need to stay out of the fire breaks, but someplace accessible for watering is ideal.
I would love to partner with the Trails Club on this, we can do a little thing in the paper, etc, but I also totally understand if the club’s hands are full and you’d prefer for the landscape department to handle it.
Thanks!
Rebecca Pollon
Landscape Manager
Golden Rain Foundation, 800 Rockview Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94595
Regular BusinessAttendance
OFFICERS
HIKE GROUP REPS
Membership Support
President: Doug Lins
Amblers: Jean Nobbe
Sally Allen
Vice-President: Harriet Schwartz
Ramblers: Annette Stiefbold, Amy Daniels
Mary Ann Garvey
Treasurer: Nathan Roundy
Trekkers: Angela Lusk, Sherri Dillard
Carolyn Saito
Secretary: Anne Squire
Scramblers: Lucy Daggett, Adrienne Roth
Past President: Lynne Forrette
Guests
- Sue Margolis, will be replacing Adrienne Roth as Scrambler rep
- Stanley Maleski, VP candidate
- Al Peters, Treasurer candidate
1. Treasurer’s Report: Nathan Roundy $ 10,538 in account versus $10,677 in July, 2020.
2. Membership Report: Carolyn Saito 292 members versus 291 in July
- Hike Calendar Coordinator: Sally Allen Sally has started asking 2020 Quarterly Captains to stay in position for 2021 since no hikes have been scheduled since 1st quarter. Two agreed to date; two declined. Harriet asked Sally to continue asking remaining captains.
- Trails Committee Report: Larry Barclay (attached) Board thanked Larry (in absentia) for his leadership and his committee members and volunteers for all their efforts on the Club behalf.
New Business
- Nominating Committee Results: Harriet Schwartz (attached)
- Discussion of possible procedures to elect new officers during pandemic: Harriet Schwart a. Election Runner
- Pros - anonymous, easy to use, costs about $29 for 300 voters
- Cons - unnecessary if only one candidate per seat
- Harriet Schwartz proposed a subscription to Zoom be purchased to allow open attendance at Board meetings, enable voting at Annual Meeting and allow Club to engage members in small meetings (hiking groups) and virtual social events.
(item 3, Zoom subscription, cont)
Anne Squire presented information on pricing options and suggested a Medium subscription be purchased on a monthly basis, which would allow every club member to attend any Zoom meeting (lower price option only allows up to 100 members).
Board voted and passed the measure. Price will be $19.99 per month and can be cancelled at any time. Stanley Maleski suggested that membership utilize the Club email address. Sally Allen suggested that someone be put in charge of the membership and suggested Anne Squire, since she has been organizing the Board Zoom meetings to date.
- Harriet Schwartz raised the issue of how to handle Club dues, legal waivers and medical forms for 2021 since activities have been cancelled. Issues of concern were club requirement to collect dues as per by-laws and need for updating waiver and medical forms. Discussion ensued.
Board voted and passed the measure.
- Harriet Schwartz suggested that the Board request 2020 social event coordinators and support positions be asked if they will roll over their commitments to 2021.
- Adrienne Roth requested that the Board jump ahead on the agenda and discuss the Acorn harvesting project proposal (attached) suggested by John Walkinshaw. Adrienne is on the Sustainable Rossmoor Committee for Tree Preservation and proposed that the two clubs work together on the effort.
- Harriet Schwartz alerted the Board that the 2020 Sequoia/Kings Canyon Safari is now scheduled for September 20-24th, 2021 and requested that Club membership be informed of the change since there have been drop-outs to the original attendee list. Item will be included in the Board Meeting summary emailed out following the meeting.
- Due to limited time allotted to unpaid Zoom users there was no extended discussion of resuming hiking but Harriet noted that since there has been no change to pandemic restrictions, that the topic be discussed again at the next Board meeting, November 11.
Hike Resumption Subcommittee Report: Harriet SchwartzComments and Recommendations from the committee discussed. Decision to postpone again until September meeting.
Discussion regarding freezing Board positions as they are now for another year due to the pandemic: 2020
Safari UpdatesMammoth Lakes Cancellation: Harriet Schwartz
Sequoia Safari postponement to 2021: Anne Squire
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRAILS COMMITTEE REPORT SEPT. 9, 2020 TRAILS CLUB BOARD MEETING
New ‘Las Trampas Rd Bypass’ 2020 trail history.
- Jan. 10 - Began route finding.
- June 12 - Rerouted trail to avoid Mutual 61 property thus received ok to begin.
- June 15 & 16 - Rossmoor Landscape Dept. crew “weed-eated” and sprayed for poison oak (8 work hours).
- June 22 to July 16 - I had (6) work party days before completing the trail for a total of (131) volunteer hours.The volunteers were by invitation only thus avoiding the restricted club function mandate.
Before the trail is officially opened, a Warner Tree Service crew will be installing wooden steps (maybe 40 to 50) in a short steep section of the trail.
Signage will then go up; trail opening announced and possibly an article in the newspaper for a little club PR.
Project Volunteers included:
Al Peters
Bill Welch
Joe Friedman
John Walkinshaw
Alan Lindquist
Charlene Liu
John Fiske
Larry Barclay
Andy Howard
Diane Hinds
Joe Moe
Rich Perona
Bernie Wolf
Elliot Barenbaum
John Swearingen
Richard Rex
Rockcrest Trail - 2020 Update
- Aug 10 - Trail maintenance workday from Shady Glen to Oakmont Dr. Seven volunteers for 15 total hours. Some of the above volunteers plus Yang Kim.
- Aug 31 - Four Rossmoor Landscape Dept. crew members and I assembled a park bench and cleared a hiker resting spot. (See article and picture in Sept 9 Rossmoor News.
Frick Trail
- Aug 31 - John Walkinshaw and I cleared parts of three trees that had fallen across the trail.
Veltman Trail
- Sept 1 - Trail workday. Bottom to top, much improved. 11 hours. Work crew: Andy Howard, John Moe, Rick Sterling and me.
Clyde Wood Trail
- Sept 2 - Rebecca Pollen, Landscape Dept. Manager has authorized her crew to put in a wood retaining type wall on a 40 to 50’ section of trail (just south of the Buddha) that is sliding down the hill. Material has been ordered. Project pending receipt of materials and setting a work date.
Larry Barclay, Trail Steward
Committee:
Charlene Liu, Diane Hinds, John Fiske, Rich Perona, Richard Rex, Ta-hsia Kuo - Advisory
-----------John Walkinshaw’s Acorn Collection and Preservation Proposal, September, 2020
While hiking our trails within Rossmoor with Janine , I noticed that many of our oak trees have a bumper crop of acorns. This reminded me of a program that I was involved in during the late 1990s in the Walnut Creek Open space. The objective was to help Mother Nature produce young oak trees. To do this, we harvested acorns in the Fall, preserve them for later planting once the ground conditions were appropriate. [Below] is one of the trees that I got started.
As we hiked around I saw a number of areas that would benefit with another generation of trees. I contacted Rebecca Pollon, Landscape Manager for the Golden Rain Foundation, and presented to her my thoughts. Below is an extract of her response. After reading it and if the Trails Club Board Members think this could be an activity that our members would be interested in, I would prepare an email for Dianne Hinds to send out to the membership, following review by the Board.
I hope you could discuss this at the next Board meeting and let me know if we can go forward. The acorns on some of the trees are ready for harvesting now or will be in the next two to three weeks.
John Walkinsaw 925-876-0728
--------------------------------------------------
Hi John,
As per our conversation, I’m very excited about your idea of harvesting acorns and seeing what germinates here.
Doesn’t get much more local/native than that!
Since the Trails Club members are the most active in the open spaces, if anyone from the club would be interested in picking acorns, that would be very helpful.
If there are members that are interested in going even further and doing some of the planting/watering themselves (adopt-a-tree?) that would be great, and perhaps very gratifying for those who participate if the acorns do take hold.
Having said that, we are more than happy to plant and care for any/all of the acorns that are not adopted.
We could even collect acorns and provide them to people in the community to have plantings within or near their mutuals as an Arbor Day event, or any tree planting day.
Species-We should try and diversify as much as possible. I’m concerned about S.O.D on the Live Oaks, so we should gather as many Valley and Blue Oaks as possible.
Locations-Other than view and the whipsnake habitat, there are endless places for us to plant. As you mention, we’ll need to stay out of the fire breaks, but someplace accessible for watering is ideal.
I would love to partner with the Trails Club on this, we can do a little thing in the paper, etc, but I also totally understand if the club’s hands are full and you’d prefer for the landscape department to handle it.
Thanks!
Rebecca Pollon
Landscape Manager
Golden Rain Foundation, 800 Rockview Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94595