Archive for April, 2013

25 Apr

PG&E gets OK to cut pines

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in PG&E. Tagged: .

By Kathe Tanner — ktanner@thetribunenews.com

County Code Enforcement has given PG&E  permission to remove five “hazardous” Monterey pine trees in Cambria as part of the utility’s periodic “reliability program” of trimming and removing vegetation that could interrupt electrical service and pose a hazard to people and property.

Read more here:  PG&E gets OK to cut pines | The Cambrian | SanLuisObispo.com.

20 Apr

Great American Clean-Up Day and Earth Day Event

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Adopt-a-Park, City of San Jose, Events, Jeffrey Fontana Park, MFPA. Tagged: , , , .

SCCAOR Volunteers

SCCAOR Volunteers (left to right) Al Johnson, Barbara Johnson, Theresa Allen, Melanie Ventura, Carl San Miguel, Lucy Ramos, Gary Peralta, Linda Soto, Tom Leaks, Gavin (Grandson of Sateesh Lele), Doug Keeler, Dave Walsh, Neil Collins, Grace Garland, Ramzey Amireh, Sateesh Lele, Don Tornincasa, Jessica Hooley, Mitch  Hooley, Cinda Hoyt, Jason Skowronski, and Gloria Ashdown.

A group of volunteers from the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors (SCCAOR) worked in the Jeffrey Fontana Memorial Garden on McAbee planting 32 new rose bushes and other plants to replace those lost over the last three years since the garden was established.  SCCAOR has pledged to weed, replace plants if necessary, and generally keep the garden looking beautiful by working on it twice a year for three years.  Not only are they providing the labor, they awarded MFPA with a grant of $3000 over the next three years to cover all the costs of maintance and plant replacement.  The Almaden Valley Nursery provided the plants, purchased by MFPA at a 40% discount.  This was truly a community working together to achieve a beautiful result.

The Petree Family

The Petree Family

PJ, Sydney, & Megan all pitch in to plant some roses.

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20 Apr

Clean up in Guadalupe Oak Grove Park

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Adopt-a-Park, City of San Jose, Events, Johnny Khamis, MFPA. Tagged: , , , .

Councilman Johnny Khamis's group

A group headed up by District 10 Councilman Johnny Khamis and his staff worked with MFPA in the Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, adjacent to Jeffrey Fontana Park to clear away dead brush and trees that were encroaching upon the treasured Blue Oaks and Valley Oaks in the preserve.  They cleaned up litter and cleared all the walking trails throughout the natural Oak park.

Eating a well deserved lunch.

Eating a well deserved lunch.

Johnny and his staff was nice enough to provide lunch for all the volunteers.

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20 Apr

Thanks to all our Earth Day Volunteers

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in Adopt-a-Park, City of San Jose, Events, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Johnny Khamis, MFPA, Our City Forest. Tagged: , , , .

A big thank you to our other group of volunteers who worked throughout Jeffrey Fontana Park pulling weeds, removing dead plants, picking up litter, and spreading mulch.

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17 Apr

Negotiations with PG&E concluded for 2013

Posted by Martin-Fontana Parks Association in City of San Jose, Jeffrey Fontana Park, Johnny Khamis, MFPA, Nancy Pyle, PG&E, TJ Martin Park, Tree Data. Tagged: , , , , .

Coast Live Oak #14 being removed.

Coast Live Oak #14 being removed.

For the 2013 year, PG&E replaced the negotiating team (with whom we had worked since 2010), with two new personnel.  This meant starting from scratch.  We entered this year’s discussions with the new team who chose not to follow the previously schedule or plan of discussions used in the past.

On Feb. 14, the new PG&E lead negotiator met with us in both parks with a list of 10 trees to be removed the first part of March.  We agreed with the removal of two of the trees, and campaigned to save the remaining eight.  PG&E offered to give three trees a reprieve, but insisted on removing the other five.  MFPA President Linda Wilson and Vice President Mike Kalashian then met with District 10 Councilman Johnny Khamis who was very willing to provide help.

After discussions with a PG&E source, who had worked with Nancy Pyle in 2010, and both Councilman Khamis and the Senior Program Manager in charge of Transmission Vegetation Management South at PG&E, MFPA was able to achieve the following results:

 

  • PG&E removed a Chinese Pistache tree from TJ Martin Park and a Coast Live Oak from Jeffrey Fontana Park in March.  Both were located under the center of the 230 kv lines.
  • In August, PG&E will trim 2 Blue Oaks in Jeffrey Fontana Park that had been slated for removal in 2013, and agreed to trim them annually as needed.
  • Regretfully, in last year’s discussions, we had agreed to the removal of 2 Golden Rain trees in Fontana in 2014.  PG&E donated 18 new trees in 2012 to mitigate this loss.
  • Three multi-trunked crepe myrtles PG&E had slated for removal were placed on a year to year watch and monitor list.   MFPA growth charts for the last four years have shown that these trees have not grown any higher and are not likely to do so in the future.
  • This December PG&E will follow the original time line and procedure of discussions used in the past for their 2014 review of the park trees.