We had a sunny day and we accomplished much. It is very visible now that we pulled weeds and raked the hillside.

Robert Gee, Bella Vista neighbor and board member came for the first time and joined Sean Elsbernd, Hilary Reichart and myself. Peter Zepponi was there but he waited till he saw us stop working before he came over. Daniel Homsey came by but his back is out of whack so he could only offer moral support.

I had a conversation with Marianne Bertolucci, of Rec & Park. The citizens of the City and County will not pay what it takes to maintain our parks. We don’t like to pay taxes and I know that we don’t really trust the bureaucrats to handle the money, but a park as large as Miraloma Park needs money and she is only given 30% of the needed funds by a national measure.

It is important for me to understand that when I ask for a gardener to supervise a work day it is taking away from other duties that they would be doing. The upshot of this is I will be forming a “Friends of Miraloma Park” group. We will organize volunteers to keep this jewel of a playground in good shape.

When I started this project it was to clean up and plant the hillside that runs along Bella Vista. It is clear that we need to work on the whole park not just a part of it. If we can provide additional work hours to Rec and Park we will get more beautification. The hillside on Bella Vista had been last prioity for years and it still is. If we can help them on the top, front, sides etc. they will have the time and resources to help us make that stretch of hill really wonderful. I hope to work with the administration of Miraloma School. Please join with me in this effort.