Hello from the Park Board:
This is a message to all of the volunteers who contributed their time and energy to improving the condition of two of our treasured public spaces on April 28th, the Beach and Morningside Park and to all residents who use and enjoy these places.
On a rainy April 28th, Saturday morning, we gathered at Town Hall at 9:00 AM to have a donut and coffee and to assess a couple of situations like who would work on which project and whether the crushed rock/sand in the truck would be appropriate for dressing things up at the Beach. With a couple of quick assessments and decisions we split into two groups of near equal size: one for ivy and Himalayan blackberry eradication in Morningside and one for dressing up Road End Beach. With my count of 10 for the Beach crew and 8 in Morningside we “made hay” in the rain for nearly 3 hours. We are impressed and very pleased with the results from these efforts.
- Below are pictures at the two locations. The first three show the extent and nature of the material removed from Morningside Park south of Town Hall. This effort has effectively removed the ivy and H. Blackberry vines that have expanded in that space over the last several years. It is a reminder of what a beautiful natural area the Park is and the importance of keeping the invasive species in check. Trevor Dash deserves something on the level of a Purple Heart for the aggressive progress he made on removal of blackberry vines! As we have messaged earlier we plan to do a layout for a loop trail in Morningside this summer and will be recommending to the Council to dedicate funds for construction of a high quality trail for all to enjoy.
- The next four photos show before and after conditions at the top of the bulkhead at the Beach. The team removed exposed black filter fabric, weeds and sod that had become a problem in the space between the lawn and the beach bulkhead and then added some medium size rocks and gravel to level and dress up that zone. The last three photos show a sample of the mulching done to all of the beds at the Beach, a portion of the crew at work and lastly the load of rock that Doug Waddell delivered in his car to the site before Saturday because he couldn’t be there for the work party!
Thank you all very much. Stay tuned for upcoming plans for Morningside Children’s Play Area and the Loop Trail Plan.
-John McGlenn on behalf of the Park Board
