New Baltimore Conservancy
2014 in Review
J. Angelis, 11.12.14
Highlights
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Taste of History
Management Plan for HCP/HRIT
Celebration to open Long View Park
Concerts at Home
Goals for 2014
• Increase paid memberships to 80
o We were at 77 as of Oct. 30 (60 in 2013)
• Increase participation and volunteerism
o A few people gave a lot more, but the barn
staining brought out others and generated
additional offers.
Organized work parties
Date Purpose
Turn
out
11/8 HCP-HRIT cleaning
9/6
4
Barn work, paint party –
6/21 Barn work
20+
8-10
4/26 Earth Day – 144, HCP/HRIT 5-6
??
Ron, Bob, Katie, others we
don’t know –
HCP/HRIT/SHLVP
We submitted a 5-year management plan to OSI
Programs
• January: no meeting (firehouse renovation)
• February: So. Africa and Botswana, Lynda and Bob
Knighton
• March: ice storm cancelled
• April: Design for Diversity: Building a Resilient Garden,
Leslie Reed
• May: The Hudson River from the Waterline, Alan Mapes
• June – August: no meetings
• September: From Acorns to Wild Rice, Justin VergottiniWexler (postponed from March)
• October: Reminiscences of the Founding of the
Conservancy and the Early Years (the GWC, NB
Beautification Committee)
• November: Annual Meeting
• December: Holiday Gathering
Events
Concerts
• Feb.23: Sonny & Perly; Mar. 30: Aureole Trio
Fundraiser
• Taste of History (with a Twist), June 14
Social
• Wine & Cheese in the Park: July 18 (scholarship award)
Outreach
• Newsletter, January
• AgFest, May 31-Jun 1
• Park Opening Celebration, Sep 20
Paddles
• Class, Jul 30
Grants Won, Applied for
Won: Greenway Grant to design and purchase 3
informational signs for the Park
Applied for: Capacity Building Grant from Parks
& Trails NY to design and professionally print a
tri-fold membership brochure
We Opened the Park
But first, we had to fix the barn
1. Tear out the north wall
2. Remove the hay
3. Rebuild that wall and repair others
4. Make the floor secure enough to hold a crowd
5. Clean it
The barn with the north wall replaced but awaiting the structural work under the floor.
And then we decided to
hold a “paint party.” 20+
people showed up in the
heat and humidity to give
the west wall a face lift.
Bob, Ron, and Wayne did
some serious prep work,
and the activity of nearly
20 painters attracted the
attention we had hoped.
The Heart of the Planning Committee
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Carol Melewski
Eileen Vosburgh
Chris Frey
Susan McCuen
Lynda Knighton
Jenna Melewski
Bonnie Mion
Janet Angelis
The Volunteers
Who in September weed whacked, brush cut,
pruned, and mowed paths, meadows, and around
the barn:
• Ron Locke
• Ted Hilscher
• Jack Hilscher
• Patrice Kuzniak
• Lucky Miller working for Velma Armstrong
• Janet Angelis
• Deb Richards
The Volunteers
Who designed and built the kiosk
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Ron Locke
Alta Turner
John Cannon
Doug Deyoe
Bob Knighton
Who mapped trails and
produced maps
• John Cannon
• Alta Turner
The Volunteers
Who took care of most recent round of barn
repairs -- removing the hay, stabilizing and
replacing part of the foundation and rebuilding
the north wall PLUS adding supports under the
main floor so that we could dance:
Ron Locke, Bob Knighton, (Jeff Bak of
Springline Design, Wayne Kniffen).
Plus many, many hours by Ron, Bob, Ted, Wayne, John, and others
(e.g., Roger in 2013)
The Volunteers
Who stained the north and west facades plus
the front of the pig house and cleaned house:
Wayne Kniffen, Ron Locke,
Bob Knighton, Lynda
Knighton, Alta Turner,
Patrice Kuzniak, Eileen
Vosburgh, KC Vosburgh,
Chris Frey, Deb Richards,
Richard Moneymaker, Rich
Guthrie, Barbara Heinzen,
Dave Bova, Maeve Tooher,
Ted Hilscher, Carol
Melewski. Janet Angelis
Contributors who helped make it possible
• Ellen Kozak and Scott Miller
• Anonymous
• Springline Design
Who solicited support from businesses:
• Bonnie Mion, Eileen Vosburgh
Greene County Savings Bank
Shop n Save
Pegasus
Sister Salvage
Persico Oil
Stewarts
Price Chopper
Walmart
And who gave generously to help secure the future:
• John and Betty Nickles
The Volunteers
Logo design: Leigh Ann Smith
Publicity/PR -- Chris Frey, Carol Melewski, Barbara
Heinzen, Arlene McKeon, Janet Angelis -- and
everyone who distributed fliers
The Volunteers
Who organized the kids activities:
Jenna Melewski, Chris Frey
The Volunteers
Who lit up the barn
and provided
generator power:
• John Cashin
• Susan O'Rorke
• Bob Knighton
The Volunteers
Who brought a dish to share
Who set up, cooked, cleaned up:
Eileen & KC Vosburgh
Lynda & Bob Knighton, Chris Frey
George Richards, Janet Angelis
Alta Turner, John Cannon
Susan O’Rorke, John Cashin
Jenna & Carol Melewski
Patrice Kuzniak, Erica Potrzeba.
The Volunteers
Who stood ready to offer
guided tours of field or
farm:
• Leroy Suess,
• Alta Turner,
• Betty Nickles
The Volunteers
Who shared their
knowledge of the history of
the farm and buildings
• Jean Bush
• Ted Hilscher
• Eleanor Moon
The Volunteers
Who decorated (and
provided seating)
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Alta Turner
Susan O'Rorke
John Cannon
Jeff Flack
Carol Melewski
Jenna Melewski
Kriel Farm
The Volunteers
Who cut the “ribbon” or supplied the tools
:
Rita Shaheen,
Director of Parks for SHLT
Ruth Pierpont,
NYS Deputy Commissioner
of Historic Preservation
Nick Delisanti,
Town Supervisor
And Chris Frey and
Rob van Etten who
supplied the saw and
baler twine.
The Volunteers
Who directed traffic and organized parking, or
offered their lawns:
• John Cannon
• Jeff Flack
• Lauren LeClair
• Michael and Maura Carroll
• Richard and Pat Monks
• Rene and Rick Ryder
• John and Nicole Anatriello.
The Volunteers
Who recorded the event on
tape or in photos and/or
shared photos on facebook
• Janet Brooks
• John Wallner
• Cristina Peixoto
• Mary Moneymaker
In Store for 2015
• Build on momentum; increase membership
• Use kiosks to promote the Conservancy and
solicit membership and volunteerism
• A better brochure distributed widely
• Another barn party
• Interesting and informative programs
• Install the Greenway-sponsored signs
• Develop management plan for SHLVP
spelling out priorities for wish list
• Plan what grants to apply for
• More Concerts at Home
Amendment to the Bylaws
AMENDMENT 3
The board of the New Baltimore Conservancy
shall include the officers (President, Vice
President, Secretary, and Treasurer), the Land
Management Officer (added by Amendment in
March 2010), and as many as four additional
members without predetermined portfolio, each
to serve a one-year term eligible for renewal.
The immediate past president may serve at will.
Proposed Slate of Officers for 2015
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President: Carol Melewski
Vice President: Peter Melewski
Secretary: Susan Martin-Maffei
Treasurer: Alta Turner
Land Management Officer: Patrice Kuzniak
At-Large: David Bova, Katie Brandow, Ron
Locke, Eileen Vosburgh
Unanimously voted into office, Nov. 12, 2014
December Meetings/Holiday Gatherings
Susan O’Rorke will host the “meeting”
Wednesday, December 10, 7:30 pm
Bring a sweet or savory to share + a
beverage of choice
1139 Route 144
Caroling in the (Cornell) Park: Fri Dec. 12, 6:30.
Foul weather date: Sat Dec. 13, 6:30