Take a walk with the video provided by our MFPA photographer, Wayne Opp below:
Here are some plant close ups:
Thanks to our MFPA Photographer, Wayne Opp for these great photos. We hope to be on this year’s Going Native Garden Tour.
Archive for the ‘CA Native Plants’ Category
14 Jan
Not to worry
This weekend, some good folks from Our City Forest will come out to visit some of the beautiful California native plant landscaping projects that Pat Pizzo designed and led volunteers to build including along Capitancillos Dr. in the Oak Canyon neighborhood and the 5 Islands Project in Jeffrey Fontana Park. Don’t be alarmed if you see them snipping away at the plants. They will be collecting cuttings to root and grow in their 501(c)3 non-profit nursery for the benefit of all!
5 Nov
The Five Islands in Fontana Park are Ready for Winter!
Halloween Day saw several masked Martin-Fontana Parks Association volunteers meet at the Five Islands in Jeffrey Fontana Park with rakes in hand. Forty bags of mulch were spread among the islands by the hard working volunteers, assuring that the Islands were tucked in and ready for the winter rains. To help keep the weeds at bay, the MFPA volunteers spread Preen (a weed preventer that stops weeds from germinating) around the islands. After running short on mulch, Stacey Winters made a run to Outdoor Supply Hardware to return with enough mulch to finish the job!
Many thanks to Pieter Noordam, Dan and Michelle Judd with son Jared, Stacey Winters, Dave Poeschel, Rich Grialou, Kelly Shepherd and husband, Dave Gonzales, Star Taylor, organizer Linda Wilson, and MFPA Photographer Wayne Opp. Additional thanks to Pat Burrow who also contributed pictures of the hard working masked team.
A bench dedicated to Antje Hirt, a former MFPA member who spent many mornings walking her little dog in the park, has provided a quiet place to sit and contemplate for several park walkers since its installation last summer. Plans are being made to compliment the bench with a Manzanita plant on each side.
HATS OFF TO OUR MFPA VOLUNTEERS!!!
24 Aug
What’s the only tree in our parks with a name? Find out in our August Newsletter.
For the complete 4 page newsletter go to: https://saveourparktrees.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/newsletter-august-2020.pdf or just click on the image above.
17 Aug
Thanks for helping out on Volunteer Day
Wow! Thank you Laurie and your high school young men and our usual “Stars” — a lot of ground covered. We may have finished watering our trees for the year and many will now be able to make it on their own for the next couple hundred years. Stay tuned for this fall’s planting events — more oaks and natives shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers.
8 Jan
We have lost Pat Pizzo
SCCAOR Sept 2014 work-party
Patrick Pizzo, a long time member and guiding light of the Martin-Fontana Parks Association passed away on the 2nd of January 2020 at the age of 75. If you look around our two parks, you will see many examples of his handy work. Pat was the brains & brawn behind all the native plant islands located in Jeffrey Fontana Park. His most extensive creation was the 5 Islands Project near Meridian Ave.
Here is a link to a 2017 article on Pat and his many accomplishments by Our City Forest: http://www.ourcityforest.org/blog/2017/1/4/the-remarkable-pat-pizzo?fbclid=IwAR0FxrzleTYiHR_K8EacOjotqX71Vqwz0FL73QNzDkcOXa7bj6GjCKz1pU8
To view a larger image please click on any photo below:
Island A Oct 2011
Native Plant Island C Construction Oct 2011
Restoration Committee Jan 2012
Bench Dedication Aug 2012
Earthday April 2013
Island A fence installation June 2013
Beautiful Day – May 17, 2014
Heart of the Park Sept 2014
Butterfly Garden planting Dec 2015
Island C fence installation Dec 2015
On Feb. 8th 2018, Patrick was awarded the status of “Park Heroes” at the State of the City address.
5 Islands Dedication May 2018
SCCAOR Jan 2019
SCCAOR May 2019
3 Jul
An Aerial Overview of some of Jeffrey Fontana Park’s Native Plant Islands
Rich Grialou, Pat Pizzo, David Poeschel, Lee Pauser, Vince Piazzisi, and Sunny Wagstaff
Thanks to Patrick Pizzo, shown above second from the left, for providing us with this “Bumble Bee” view of several of the islands located in Jeffrey Fontana Park.
Please enjoy as you buzz along
25 May
A Soggy Day in May
A hearty round of applause and a big thanks to all the volunteers who braved the drizzle and rain to put on our ninth
Heart of the Park Celebration!
Thanks to the morning set up crew of: Robert Braunstein, Theresa Wellman, Dennis Abad, Rich Grialou, Kent Wilson, Chris Chen, Tami Demayo, Paul Dornell, Michelle, Dan and Grace Judd, Brandon Koehne, Sunny Wagstaff, Rosy Bowring, Stacey and Mike Winters, Patrick Pizzo, Kelly Shepherd, and Wayne and Linda Opp.
They set up the 21 canopies while waiting in the rain for the delivery of 21 tables and 130 chairs.
Linda Opp, District 10 Councilmember Johnny Khamis, Jean LaMarca, and Tami Demayo
Thank you to Linda Opp, Jean LaMarca, and Tami Demayo, who signed in new memberships at the Membership Booth.
The MFPA raffle items collected by our board members were labeled, arranged and readied for the raffle by Michelle Judd, Christine Noordam, Praneetha Vukkadala, Kathy Mulholland, Pat Burrow, and Rosy Bowing, with Kari Wilson once again announcing the winning draws.
Richard Grialou kept winning & winning
Kathy Mujlholland wins prize
Announcer Kari Wilson and another Raffle winner
Some more happy winners
The ever-popular “Strut Your Mutt” dogs paraded in the rain with a small but enthusiastic crowd, under the management of Stacey Winters, Dick and Joy Stevens, and the help of Sophia Snyder and Vince Piazzisi registering the playful pups. Councilmember Khamis let the judging team and prizes were awarded the winners.
1st & 2nd place winners
Vince Piazzisi, Dick Stevens, Johnny Khamis, and Stacy Winters
First place winner
Kathy Krenn and her daughter Hannah, braved the rain to take care of the refreshment booth, while free ice cream was given away at SJPD’s Operation Frozen Treats Patrol ice cream truck during the afternoon.
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- Hannah Krenn taking care of refreshments
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- SJPD’s Operation Frozen Treats Patrol Ice Cream Truck
Starting the day off, for the second year in a row, Lisa Myers of Los Gatos Bird Watchers, led another successful birding tour of Guadalupe Oak Grove Park with 15 intrepid bird watchers. 
Our photographer for the event was Wayne Opp, who captured the activities on film and preserved the rainy memories! Also providing photos were Johnny Khamis and Dave Poeschel.
27 Feb
PRNS Deputy Director reveals new plan for our Parks at MFPA General Meeting
Members of the Board
Attendees
Attendees
President Rod Carpenter called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm last Wednesday, Feb. 13, addressing an overflow audience of members and guests.
Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services Deputy Director, Justin Long, 
summarized some of the changes that are being made to improve the efficiency of park maintenance. A new “Activate San Jose” plan will be the new parks’ guiding document and should be in available to the public in June for community review. MFPA will alert our members when it is presented.
Mr. Long and Dan Greeley, 
our Maintenance District Supervisor, spoke about the rodent problem affecting many San Jose parks, including ours. They outlined the action that PRNS will be taking to alleviate the problem, and then answered questions from the floor.
Outgoing President, Rod Carpenter highlighted the achievements of MFPA during his two-year tenure:
- Completion of the native plant Five Islands Project
- Construction of the “Surf Shack” tool shed
- Repair of the Meridian fence at TJ Martin Park
- The Planting of over fifty new trees in both parks
- Completion of the “Beautility” Water Vault Painting project
- Partnership with PRNS Adopt-a-Park Program and Santa Clara County Association of Realtors, (SCCAOR), to maintain existing projects like the Jeffrey Fontana Memorial Rose Garden
Perhaps the most significant achievement of Rod’s term was the completion of the “Right of Entry” agreement with PRNS allowing MFPA to hire qualified contractors to work in the parks on MFPA projects!
Outgoing Secretary, Rich Grialou 
was honored with the “President’s Award” and received a plaque in appreciation of his contributions to MFPA.
President Rod Carpenter 
was presented with a plaque honoring his dedication and determination to oversee the accomplishments of the last two years.
The new Board of Directors goals for the next year include:
- Ongoing maintenance projects with PRNS Adopt-a-Park and SCCAOR
- The annual Heart of the Park Celebration on May 18, 2019
- Continued collaboration with PRNS and the City to improve our parks
