Thank you to all of you who came out Saturday for our annual event. It was a great joy to see so many people come out and a be a part of this event. We enjoyed the music of UKoolLadies while eating delicious food from the Aikita food truck. The SJPD were out in full force handing out ice cream to everyone. We pulled in new members and gave away some great raffle items.

The kids painted pumpkins and had their faces painted.

Thank you to all the environmental groups who came out and represented as well as Council 10.

See you all next year!

Each year during the Heart of the Park event at Jeffery Fontana Park event we host the Strut Your Mutt Dog Parade with prizes for the top winners. We hope to see many beautiful dogs dressed to the nines! The full event runs from 1pm – 3:30pm.

Look forward to seeing all the entries!

Yes, there is more rain in the forecast (that’s okay); but Spring is coming. As most park-users know, Martin Fontana Parks Association, (MFPA), has introduced many California native plants in our parks, both TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana. Now, and for the next two weeks, many of the most colorful native plants will be in bloom.

*Video produced by MFPA member Sunny Wagstaff

The flowering period of the Manzanita was earlier; but now it is the Ceanothus turn and other native plants. Walk the garden at the west end of TJ Martin Park where Fleet Street ends. Member Larry Sasscer has introduced many flowering native plants in the gardens. On Oakglen Way, take time to stop and look at the many plants in bloom at Glowing Court. In Jeffrey Fontana Park west, the Five Island Project is worth a visit; as well as the other two islands just east of there. There is one Concha Ceanothus in the largest island which is in full bloom, and its bright blue inflorescence are something to see. Further east, near the intersection of Golden Oak Way and Castello Dr by Tree 13 there are Ceanothus Ray Hartmanns, tall shrub-like Ceanothus, and they too are in full bloom. The flower color of the Ray Hartmann is a softer blue than Concha. These Ceanothus are loaded with inflorescence making it hard to see the leaves! Look just south of Tree #13, at the five Ray Hartmann Ceanothus along the peripheral fence.

Don’t forget the colorful show along the northern periphery of Fontana near McAbee Road and across the street.  There you will see more Ceanothus and soon, a Cistus display.  If you continue to Almaden Expressway, more flowering native plants will await your glance.

By the way, there were butterflies all over our parks! I believe they are the Painted Lady Butterflies,

but I am no expert. They may be drifting through the parks on their way to other places; but they seem awfully happy to stop and visit our native plants and flowers.  You will see them flutter across your field of view if you are only patient and take the time to stop and focus in one area of the park.

Patrick P. PIzzo

2019 begins another year of advocating for our TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana Parks.  Your Memberships and your Sponsorships make it possible for us to complete projects, beautify our parks, and advocate at the City level for increased maintenance and attention!  We want to take this opportunity to Thank and Salute all our Members and outstanding Sponsors.

CURRENT SPONSORS OF MFPA

COAST LIVE OAK                             

($1000 – $ $4,999)

Almaden Valley Nursery

Del Grande Dealership Group

East Bay Wilds Nursery

Office of Councilman Johnny Khamis, San Jose District 10 – SAP Grant

PG&E

Santa Clara County Association of Realtors

SEQUOIA

($500 – $999)

Larry and Betty Hinman

Steve and Nicole Ricossa

SYCAMORE

  ($250 – $499)

Rod and Ellie Carpenter

John and Dolores Carr

Rich Grialou and Pat Burrow

Steve and Maureen Harrington

Maureen Ryan and Frank Leonardi

Don Phillips and Janet Morris

James and Sally Petersen

Ram and Anita Praturu

Pat and Sunny Wagstaff

Theresa and Ryan Wellman

Linda and Ron Wilson

CREPE MYRTLE

($100 – $249)

Dennis and Linda Abad

Applied Materials Foundation

Thomas and S.D. Bailey

Vance and Jacki Bishop

Malcolm and Janie Bramwell

Robert and Annie Braunstein

Ralph Brooks

David and Honey Chai

Eldon and Nancy Cherniss

Richard Clark and Stacy Whiteman

James and Judith Eldridge

Linda and Gary Exberger

Vance and Grace Garland

Ernie Hirt

Stan and Gloria Hoo

Walt and Joyce Johnson

Michelle and Dan Judd

Mike and Nancy Kalashian

Howard and Carol King

Chris LaPlante

Michael and Cynthia Lauth

Pier and Gail Maggiani

Wayne and Linda Opp

Pat and Diane Pizzo

DeAnna and Sridhar Pursai

Ronak Shah

Kelly Shepherd and Dave Gonzales

Joanne Shimoguchi

Bill and Gayle Snyder

Shirley South

Dick and Joy Stevens

Joan Takemoto

Maureen and Paul Tarkington

Danielle Vigil

Robert and Carol Von Raesfeld

Gaya Vukkadala

Richard and Vicki Wendell

Thank You Leland Teen Volunteers!

Several teens from Leland High School spent their Saturday morning in the Jeffrey Fontana Memorial Garden pruning intimidating, thorny, rose bushes.

A big MFPA Thank You to the Leland teen volunteers who turned out to prune the roses and prepare the garden for spring.

Thanks also to the PRNS Adopt-a-Park leader, Mollie Tobias and the Adopt-a-Park crew who were on hand to supply tools and people power.

Also helping were PRNS parks employee, Edmund, and MFPA members Scott Raley, Teresa Wellman, Linda Wilson, and Rich Grialou. MFPA member Patrick Pizzo led the effort and instructed everyone in the pruning techniques.