Friends of Marymoor Park

May 26th, 2010 Meeting Summary

-- see also the April 28, 2010 meeting summary

1. Introductions:

Norah Gaynor (King County Parks), Herb Bone (MAR/C, FOMP Board), Allison Brucker (Marymoor Community Gardener's Association), Jack MacKinnon (Marymoor Community Gardener's Association), Greg Helland (SODA, FOMP President), Michael Hobbs (Eastside Audubon, FOMP Secretary)

2.     Park Tree Inventory and Plan  - WE GOT THE GRANT! - from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, $10,000.  FOMP is committed to 200 hours of volunteer time.  We will also need to provide ~$7000 in additional funding.  Norah stated that Parks has an on-staff person who is a qualified arborist.  Greg suggested that it might be a good idea if the arborist could be involved in the project.  It sounded as if there would be several Parks personnel who might become involved.  FOMP will have to wait to hear from the grantors before proceeding with the work.

3.   CIP / Project Updates:

a.      BirdLoop:  Still waiting on the bicycle rack installation.

b.      Park signs:   The blue slat signs will be updated with arrows on each slat.  The “Interpretive Trail” sign will be changed to “Audubon Bird Loop Trail”

c.       Maintenance and Art Barn Renovation – exterior painting underway

d.      NE Marymoor Way Paving Work – Work order in for extension of center line east, and updating the yellow paint on the speed bumps.

e.   Community Garden - The replumbing project of the gardens will require an archeological survey of the trench locations.  This will greatly increase the cost, and will delay the project.  Jack reported that a few of the faucets are leaking.  They will flag them, and asked Norah to request repairs.  MCGA will contact Anne Lipe when the flagging is complete.  MCGA is investigating possible plants to plant in the gaps in the Pet Garden wall.  Nootka Rose is one possibility, but other thorn bushes are also in consideration.  MCGA will plant in the fall.

f.        Electrical Work – Project to upgrade food court at the concert venue – in progress, but very close to done.

g.      Garden Loosestrife Control Project – access paths are being cut to allow access for spraying.  Spraying with Triclopyr will commence immediately after Cirque.  EarthCorps will be doing studies of the effectiveness of the spraying technique.  Norah will be talking with Eastside Audubon about placement of signs (one permanent, several temporary) discussing loosestrife and the spray project.  Michael suggested that there is one sign, at the east end of the boardwalk, from the original interpretive signs, that is both illegible and mostly duplicated by a new sign.  That post is in a good location for a permanent loosestrife sign.  (See http://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/library/water-and-land/weeds/BMPs/Garden-Loosestrife-Control.pdf for more information on Garden Loosestrife and its control)

h.     Tennis Court Repairs – Project is funded, and work will run July 5-15, weather permitting.  All courts will be closed

i.        Sammamish  Rowing Association boat house – Project cannot proceed until the County and the City of Redmond finish a land transfer related to the expansion of West Lake Sammamish Parkway.  The first phase of boathouse construction includes a new turn lane for the parking lot, and then the utility work and path widening towards the construction site can begin.  All work in the sensitive areas must be completed between mid-July and the end of September.

4.   Events:  Cirque dress rehearsal will be 7:30, Wednesday, June 2.  First real show at 8:00 p.m., Thursday June 3.
Typical schedule: Tuesdays-Thursdays 1 show, 8:00 p.m.;  Fridays-Saturdays 2 shows - 4:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.; Sundays 2 shows - 1:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m.; See www.cirquedusoleil.com for schedule for specific dates. Cirque will run to July 11.

5.       Other:

In an amazing coincidence, Michael and Allison discovered they attended the same small liberal arts college in Massachusetts at the same time, and may well have lived in the same small dorm simultaneously for one semester.  And Jack's grandparents also lived in that town.  Now that's a small world.

 Next Meeting:  Wednesday June 23, 2010, 7:00 – 9:00pm. Marymoor Art Barn.  

These notes were made by Michael Hobbs, and they do not constitute an official record of the meeting.  They may have inaccuracies and omissions.  If anyone has any complaints about the content of these notes, they should direct them to Michael Hobbs at fomp@marymoor.org, and he will endeavor to correct them.