History of the Santa Teresa Park Historic Site 2000-2021

 

    Santa Teresa County Park covers 1,673 acres in South San Jose. The Santa Teresa Park Historic Area covers 18.5 acres on the northwest corner of the park. The Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch portion of the historic area was dedicated on June 29, 2002. The remaining 9 acres of the historic area were not open to the public. One portion was still privately owned. It was called the Pyzak Ranch, after the last owner (not sure about the spelling of the name). It took a lot of effort to purchase it and add it to the park. That property enabled the building of a new trail along Curie Drive, addressing a critical safety issue for bicycle and pedestrians travelling down Curie towards Bernal School. These are excerpts from the Friends of Santa Teresa Park meeting minutes, starting from 6/8/00 (when the minutes were first put online). They talk about the process of getting the county to buy the Pyzak Ranch, developing the historic site, building trails through it, and opening the area to the public.
    • 6/8/00: The Pizack property is in escrow 2-3 weeks ago. The city of San Jose authorized 17 homes. Joe Lewis has permission from the city. Is it on city or county land? It is mentioned in the inventory of the H4 historic district. The house belonged to the Bernal family at one time. The property is worth $1.4 million. The county does not want to purchase it because it is too expensive, though it was once on a high-priority list for purchase. The property sits on Curie west of the intersection of Curie and San Ignacio. The fields on either side of it belong to Santa Teresa Park.
    • 9/6/01: 9/20 is the Historic Heritage meeting. Mike suggests going to talk about the Pyzak house. The Historic Heritage Commission gets funding from the parks budget. They make recommendations for historic buildings to be saved and restored, but they don't have the power to actually buy the property. The buildings can be anywhere in the county, not just on county parks property.
      • Mike wrote a letter about the impending sale of the Pyzak Property at San Ignacio and Curie.
      • Mike wants to meet with Forrest Williams. His department has been encouraging a land swap, where the city would annex the vacant lot at San Ignacio and Curie and allow the construction of 15 or more cluster homes. In return, the county would get the Pyzak House and property.
      • We prefer that the county buy the Pyzak property outright and not swap it for the vacant lot.
      • The Pyzak House is on the historic inventory. It was built by Pedro Bernal for his daughter. We want to make sure the house is preserved.
      • Note: since the meeting, Mike heard that delicate negotiations are underway for the county to buy the Pyzak Property, so we should table any community actions on the issue. 
    • 10/4/01: Mike: The county is waiting for the appraisal. Don Gage is in favor of buying it. Forrest Willieams expressed interest. He may be able to get the city to match funds. Mike hasn't filled out the paperwork for the community meeting at Bernal school. He will wait to hear about further developments. 
    • 11/1/01: Mike - The Pyzak Ranch got an appraisal. The Board of Supervisors will be meeting November 6 at 2:01 to decide on it. Mike will go with his kids and make a presentation. They have 3 minutes. They will meet with Don Gage before the meeting. 
    • 6/6/02: The Pyzak property sale is still under negotiation.
    • 10/3/02: The county is still in negotiations with Pyzak. Pyzak gave notice to his boarders that they need to be out by 10/15.
    • 11/7/02: The county is still in negotiations over the Pyzak property. Pyzak started moving out. The Pyzak house has been in the park's master plan.
    • 2/6/03: The Pyzak property is now county parks property. They signed escrow. The city and county bought it. The city used Open Space Authority funds to help the county buy the property. Pyzak moved out of the house. There may be historical artifacts around the house.
      Forrest Williams wants to have a city dedication of the Pyzak property with the mayor.
    • 3/6/03: We should check out Pyzak's for artifacts that can be saved. Rick can go in there if he wears his park badge.
      The county doesn't have a depository for historical artifacts. We need someplace to store them. We may be able to use the basement of Pyzak's house.
    • 4/3/03: Nancy Bonetti Ray wrote to us. Her family lived in the Pedro Bernal House, which the Bonetti Family lived in until the 90's. She talked about growing up the area and the families that she got to know, particularly the Joice's.
      Ed Pyzak has moved out. Are the artifacts at the house gone? There are broken windows on the hill side of Pyzak's. The out-buildings are opened up. Maybe the ranger staying at the Pedro Bernal House could keep an eye on Pyzak's.
    • 5/1/03: Judyth went by the Pyzak Ranch site and saw that they are doing repairs. The county has a contract out to do restoration work on the property.
      • We need to plan a party or dedication ceremony for the purchase of the Pyzak Ranch. Forrest Williams wants to get involved.
      • In the park master plan, the Pyzak Ranch will be a museum. We may be able to use it for our meetings.
      • Curie narrows as it passes by the Pyzak house, presenting a hazard to bicyclists travelling down Curie, especially for kids riding bikes to Bernal School in the mornings. Now that the county owns the land, the road should be widened.
    • 8/1/03: The Pyzak house is being restored. A ranger will live there. Mike recommends putting in a sidewalk along Curie Drive along the edge of the Pyzak property. Curie Drive just before San Ignacio narrows dangerously, posing a hazard to students travelling to and from Bernal School.
    • 9/4/03: Pyzak's: the County wants to get someone to live in there for now. Later we can push for funding to allow community groups to use the property.
    • 10/2/03: Pyzak's: Ron wrote a letter to Forrest Williams and Don Gage about widening Curie Drive next to Pyzak's to provide more room for bicycles and pedestrians going down Curie, especially for kids going to and from Bernal School. He got a reply from Forrest Williams, who said it was a good idea and would have Public Works look at it. Ginny Maiwald, principal of Bernal School, also wrote, saying that she supports the idea. They have been looking at street safety issues. Mike asked Joe Schultz (parks director) to take a look at it. To widen the street would just mean moving the fence a few feet. There are no buildings in the way. The fence along the field at Curie and San Ignacio is part barbed wire, which is unnecessary and a hazard. 
    • 3/4/04: We talked about the fence along the Pyzak property where Curie narrows. The road narrowing is a hazard to bicyclists, especially during heavy commute traffic to Bernal School. There is nothing behind the wooden fence by the Pyzak House. It could be moved back a few feet to allow the road to be widened. The barbed wire along the field is no longer necessary and is a hazard. It could be moved back and replaced with barbless wire. We need to ask Joe Schultz about this.
      • Pyzak's: The corner lot at San Ignacio and Curie is intended to be a parking lot for the Bear Tree Lot and the Bernal Ranch. An interpretive center is planned to go into the back of the Pyzak Ranch. They may rebuild the adobe on the Bear Tree Lot. 
    • 5/6/04: Fence along the Pyzak Ranch:
      • Eastbound Curie Drive narrows starting at the Bear Tree Lot, where the sidewalk turns into dirt. At the Pyzak Ranch, a wooden fence intrudes into the road, narrowing it considerably. Beyond that is a barbed wire fence surrounding the empty field that used to be a paddock. The narrowing of the road and the barbed wire fence are hazards to bicyclists and make it unsafe for pedestrians to use that side of the road. Bernal School is at the end of Curie, and experiences very heavy school traffic.
      • We recommend moving the wooden fence and barbed wire fence back about 5 feet to improve access and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. There is no need for a barbed wire fence any longer, but the neighbors would like to see the lot maintain a country-like atmosphere, so a split-rail fence would be the best.
      • The corner field at San Ignacio and Curie is currently empty, but plans call for a parking lot to go in here eventually. This could provide parking for a trail access and for the Pyzak Ranch/Bear Tree Lot once they are developed into interpretive areas.
    • 2/1/07: There have been meetings on the master plan for the historic area around the Pyzak Ranch. Robin Schaut has been involved. We need to find out from the park's commission who will be in charge of the master plan.
    • 3/1/07: The master plan for the park is out for bids. Once a contractor has been chosen, the planning process can begin.
    • 7/5/07: We talked about the historic area. The Bonetti House needs to be maintained and occupied. They got a clearance to hook up to the city sewer system, but haven't done it yet. Holly thinks the old wooden horse stalls at the Bonetti Ranch should be torn down. The broken fence around the Bonetti Ranch needs to be fixed. The Bonetti Ranch may be turned into a parking lot. We had concerns that this could end up being used as an overflow parking lot for Bernal School and could attract vandals after hours. The "no parking" sign at the Bear Tree Lot was put there to discourage overnight parking. Instead of no parking at all, there should be limited-time parking or at least, no overnight parking. The new master plan will address some of these long-term issues, but repairs and changing the signs can be done at any time.
    • 9/6/07: The Bonetti property was broken into. It can't be occupied until the sewage system is hooked up. In order to hook into the city's sewer system, the property has to be incorporated into the city, which takes time. Meanwhile, the BGJ Ranch and probably the Pyzak Ranch are using septic tanks.
      • We recommended tearing down the old, decrepit horse stable buildings on the Bonetti Ranch.
      • There are fence posts above the Bonetti Ranch below the Norred Trail. They may be getting ready to install a fence to block the volunteer trail that drops down from the Norred Trail. This trail was originally on the plan for the Norred Trail as a connector trail and may be in the master plan.
      • The fence along the Bonetti Ranch needs repairing. Drew Merry says he is waiting for the master plan.
    • 10/4/07: The update to the master plan for Santa Teresa Park will cover the Santa Teresa Historic District: the Norred, Bonetti, Bernal-Gulnac-Joice, and Pyzak Ranch sites and the Bear Tree Lot. The master plan is being developed by a consultant. The plan is being paid for out of capital improvement money. It has to be done by an outside consultant. Antoinette is directing them. She wants them to come up with new ideas. A task force with community members to review the plan has not been formed yet. We need to come up with our own ideas. We talked about having a theme for the plan. Holly suggested the "Valley of the Hearts Delight," as the Santa Clara Valley was called because of all the blossoming fruit trees.
    • 11/1/07: Antoinette is handling the master plan for Santa Teresa Park. The first meeting was held with the consultants who are working on the design. They were presented with concepts and will come back with ideas, which will be reviewed.
    • 12/6/07: Pedro Bernal/Bonetti House (San Ignacio): $75K has been approved to connect the sewer line, getting permits from San Jose. There are still structural issues: the foundation, crumbly stairs, termites, and sheds. Not all the funding is there, but they are working on it. The house has been broken into twice by kids using it for drinking and partying, but they didn't vandalize it. It now has motion-sensing alarms. It is designated as a ranger's residence.
      • Pyzak House (Curie):  $82K has been allocated for roof and structural repair. It has dry rot and other structural problems. The house has an alarm. This is designated as a maintenance person's residence.
      • The site plan for the Santa Teresa Historic area:
      • Planning is on-going. There have been 2 meetings already. The consultants have been hired. They are doing information gathering.
      • The site runs from the Pyzak Ranch to Santa Teresa Spring. It does not include the BGJ Ranch or the Norred Ranch, which had their own plans.
      • Shed removal at the Pyzak Ranch will be part of the site plan.
      • Mike suggested that a field office be established in the historic area for rangers, maintenance, and interpretive personnel.
      • Antoinette Romero will be coming to next month's meeting to discuss the site plan. We need to invite community members to participate.
      • Mike talked about the site plan at the last Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association meeting. He challenged the city council members to help make Santa Teresa a destination.
      • The city of San Jose wants to extend the Albertson Parkway all the way to Santa Teresa Park along Manila Way. They would put some markings on the sidewalk. A new entrance to the park at the end of Manila Way can be addressed in the new site plan.
    • 1/3/08: Antoinette Romeo, who is on the County Parks' planning staff, is the project manager for the Santa Teresa Historic Area site plan. She talked about the project status: http://www.stpfriends.org/FOSTP_Minutes_01_03_08.html
      • They are bidding for roof repair of the Pyzak house.
      • Work on the foundation, stairs, sewer at the Pedro Bernal/Bonetti House will begin next month.
    • 3/6/08: Mike and Ron attended the Parks Commission meeting. Julie Mark talked about the capital improvement plan for the parks. The plan showed the Santa Teresa Park projects. They had planning dates, but not committed dates: 2010: east barn, 2010: grazing plan, Historic Site design: 2011, implementation: 2012.
      • On 3/29, the park commissioners will take a tour of the areas in the capital improvement plan. They will probably visit the Ignacio Bernal site, the Joice and Bonetti sites.
    • 5/1/08:  They will be putting a sewer connection in at the Bonetti House. The Pyzak House roof is being restored.
      Santa Teresa Historic Area Site Plan update, May 8, 7:00 upper clubhouse.
      The decrepit out-buildings at the Bonetti ranch were torn down.
    • 7/3/08: Ron attended a meeting of the Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association to talk about the Historic Site Plan. STFNA is drafting a letter expressing their support for the plan and hopes for more public access. Ron and Mike gave a guided tour to member of the STFNA, pointing out the current and future historic area, talking about historic sites, environmentally-sensitive areas, trail accesses, and the Coyote-Alamitos Canal.
      • Ron talked about the access issues at the historic site. Dogs and bikes are excluded from the current site and historic sites in general, except to access the trails. They will not be allowed in the new site. One possible compromise is to use the Coyote-Alamitos Canal as an access trail for dogs and bikes. They could access across from the proposed parking lot, going up behind the Pedro Bernal/Bonetti House, going down and around the spring, then continuing on the canal to the Joice Trail. The site plan does not include the canal, but it could be added in a future plan. The site plan should not do anything that would prevent this in the future.
    • 8/7/08: Antoinette is presenting the Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan to the Historic Heritage Commission on 8/21 at the County Building at 70 West Hedding in the Board of Supervisors Chambers.
      • Antoinette will have a meeting sometime in September to present the design alternatives for comments.
    • 9/4/08: The Santa Teresa Historic Area Site Plan: Antoinette presented the plan at the Historic Heritage Commission, which approved it. There will be a second community meeting in September (no date has been set yet). Mario went to the meeting. Some neighbors said their concerns weren't being addressed. One of the things they were concerned about was having a turn-around on Manila Drive.
      One of the concens about the site plan is being able to access the Norred Trail directly from the historic site, without having to go all the way to the Joice Trail or Mine Trail. To do that requires crossing the Coyote-Alamitos Canal. Mike sent an e-mail to the Water District asking if that were possible. They said they do it all the time.
    • 10/2/08: A meeting to discuss the Santa Teresa Historic Area will be held on October 16.
      • The Pyzak House will be mothballed.
      • Neighbors don't want a turn-around at the end of Manila Drive.
      • The Water District says it's OK to cross the canal.
      • The bridge across the canal by the Pedro Bernal House is fenced off with barbed wire.
    • 11/6/08: Ron showed pictures of the Pyzak House roof covered with tarps.
      • On the Santa Teresa Historic Area Site Plan
      • There are concerns with neighborhood access, making the park accessible to horses, dogs, and bikes.
      • The gate at Manila Way invites kids to hang out.
      • If Native American bones are found on the site, they will be buried at Grant Ranch.
      • The neighbors don't want a turn-around at the end of Manila Drive. It is required by the city fire department for a fire engine turn-around. We should get the fire marshall to look at it.
      • The Coyote-Alamitos Canal could be used as an all-access trail for bikes, horses, and dogs, to bypass the historic areas.
    • 3/5/09: There is a resident at the Pedro Bernal/Bonetti House.
      • Mario went to the 2/19 HHC meeting on the Santa Teresa Site Historic Plan. There's no need for a turn-around at Manila Drive. The city does not require it. Curie will be widened by the fences at the Bear Tree Lot. Buses will park there.
      • Lynne Paulson from the STFNA also talked about the HHC meeting. The STFNA sent a letter with comments, including the need for a connector to the Norred Trail and the use of the Coyote-Alamitos Canal as a trail. They had a separate meeting on it. In the plan, there will be a placeholder for the trail so that one can be added later.
      • At the HHC presentation, they said there was no provision made for equestrian access. They said the equestrian staging area at Brockenhurst Drive was not being used. We said there is no equestrian staging area the Brockenhurst entrance. That's the Mounted Ranger Unit.
      • The Pyzak House has been mothballed. Lisa Killough is looking for grants to repair the house.
    • 4/2/09: Mike reported on the Santa Teresa Site Historic Plan.
      • The final process for public input was the Historic Heritage Commission presentation.
      • It is now in the final documentation phase. Next will be the CEQA process, the negative declaration report, then a presentation before the Board of Supervisors. The final plan is on the website.
      • A turn-around at the end of Manila Drive is not needed. Fire trucks can back up.
      • The plan shows a potential future connection to the Norred Trail.
      • They will make sure that native plants are used in the landscaping.
      • Curie will be widened. There will be a stop sign at the Albertson Parkway. We said that these improvements should be done soon and not have to wait for the completion of the whole project.
    • 5/7/09: Park Planner Jane Mark talked about the Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan (Antoinette Romeo could not come). The Site Plan tries to tie together the interpretive themes of the Ohlone, Settlement, and Californio periods. The last public meeting was in 10/08. Based on the input, they worked with the consultants and came up with the revised plan. The potential future connection to the Norred Trail was included in the plan. It is contingent upon being able to cross the Coyote-Alamitos Canal, and there are environmental concerns, such as the serpentine areas on the hillside. The Norred Ranch is not part of the plan. It doesn't tie into the interpretive themes and is too far away. The site plan will go to the Board of Supervisors for project approval. The revised plan was presented to the Historic Heritage Commission. They are working on the environmental review. There will be a public meeting on environmental concerns. It may be held mid to late May. It will be presented to the Parks & Rec. Commission on June 3 to update them on the project and the environmental review. There will be a 30-day period for public comments. It will be presented to the Board of Supervisors in early summer.
      • Lisa Killough talked about the Pyzak House. Mothballing is the best option now. They need to look at what needs to be repaired. They are working on a county-wide unused structure inventory and will evaluate what to do. They have other projects that need work, such as the Grant House. They will do an historic structures report. They will look at what method of rehabilitation to use and will come up with a recipe to bring it back. The Pyzak House was not considered for use as a visitors center because of size limitations.
      • The Site Plan shows the relation of elements in the plan, but not the exact size or location. They will develop the details later. In the construction phase, they will do more surveys and will have construction plans.
      • The CEQA environmental review will address environmental impacts, as well as public safety issues and lighting.
      • There are zones in the parks where dogs and bikes are not permitted. Interpretive areas and playgrounds are off-limits to dogs.
      • They want to be able to staff the park. By having a plan, they can ask for grant money. The CEQA plan will be grant-ready.
      • South of Curie is in county jurisdiction. There will be a bus drop-off area and access along Curie. The neighbors have said they want Curie to stay rural. Widening Curie has safety implications, particularly students going to Bernal School.
    • 7/2/09: Antoinette Romeo wants to have a CEQA meeting next month for the Santa Teresa Site Historic Plan. It may be held in place of our next meeting in August or may overlap with the VCC meeting.
    • 8/6/09: The CEQA review for the Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan will be on 8/11/09 at the Santa Teresa Golf Course Upper Clubhouse, 7-9 pm.
    • 9/3/09: Mike talked about the presentation of the Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. Antoinette Romeo had accurate transcripts of the site plan meetings. The final plan may be different from the current plan. They may move the bus stop. The CEQA meeting was for environmental concerns. Next will come the planning. It will not be financed until 2011 at the earliest. It is not in the capital improvement plan for 2010, which has not been approved yet. The commission voted to approve the CEQA document. They had to do that to proceed with the process.
      • We talked about the Pyzak House. The windows are boarded up with plywood. The roof is covered with tarps. What happened to the roof tiles? Roland will be in charge of the Pyzak House sub-committee.
    • 10/1/09: We talked about the Pyzak House. We can't do anything to it. Volunteers can't do building restoration. It needs to be protected from water damage. What happened to the roof tiles? Can they be put back on? The house has water damage. Replacing the roof may cause the walls to collapse. We need to put together a story telling about the value of the house. Kitty has information on it. It was built for Jacoba Bernal by her father as a wedding present. We need a plan. Roland will draw up one.
    • 11/5/09: Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan:
      • Jane Mark said that the traffic report was inadvertently left out from the Santa Teresa Site Historic Plan.
      • Kitty says the Santa Teresa Park Master Plan showed that the Brockenhurst entrance was supposed to be an entrance to an equestrian staging area.
      • Mike and Roland went to the Parks & Rec. Commission (PRC) meeting and spoke about the plan. The commission determined the site plan was not ready to be sent to the Board of Supervisors. Community communications were not in it.
      • Mike told Antoinette Romeo that he hoped the site plan would be approved, but with modifications. We want to see more entrances and dog and bike access.
      • The plan calls for the entrance at the pond to be moved to line up with Manila Way. Some neighbors have asked to have the entrance at the spring closed because of after-hours activities. There will be a bicycle rack at the entrance. The emergency vehicle access gate will still be there. There will be an alternate trail for dogs and bikes.
      • The tile roof of the Pyzak house was ripped off for restoration. Plywood was placed down over the roof for new tiles. That's when they found the water damage in the wall. Work on the roof stopped, and they placed plastic tarps over the plywood. The tarps are ripped. Maintenance needs to fix the tarps. Drew Merry did not know what happened to the original tiles.
    • 12/03/09: Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan
      • Mike wants to see the Board of Supervisors approve the plan. He was worried that if the window is missed it, it might not be funded. Kitty said the budget is fiscal and runs from July to July
      • The plan went to HULET. They put off approval to make sure the issues of multi-use trails are addressed.
      • We want to see multi-use trails, but not paved. We are waiting to see the trail plan from the planning department. Details will be worked out.
      • The ban on dogs and bikes in the historic area is not a written policy. It is at the discretion of the director. Lisa Killough is retiring on 12/31. Julie Mark is aware of the neighborhood concerns.
      • Kitty moved that we accept the site plan as-is now, but work on the multi-use trails issue later.
      • Kitty said that Yves Zsutty (San Jose Parks Trails manager) said they would put a crosswalk and arrows at the Albertson Parkway pointing to Santa Teresa.
      • Roland wants to have a work party for the Pyzak House. Volunteers can't touch the house, but we can pull weeds.
    • 1/7/10: $9650 was spent on the tarp to cover the roof of the Pyzak House.
    • 3/3/11: Mike talked to Sr. Ranger Aniko Millan about the fence project around the Bonetti Ranch at Curie and San Ignacio. She said the city needs to stripe a crosswalk on San Ignacio and Curie. They will be pushing the fence back on Curie.
    • 4/7/11: The fence at the Bonetti Ranch on Curie Drive was moved back. The fence on San Ignacio was re-built with an opening for gate. 
    • 4/5/12: Report on the Park's Commission meeting: They approved $700K for trail and street improvements in 2013 at the Pyzak Ranch.
    • 12/6/12: We talked about putting a temporary trail in at the Pyzak Ranch to connect to Santa Teresa Spring. It will provide an off-street route for cross-country runners to reach the Norred Trail. $500K to $1M in the parks' Capital Improvement Plan budget have been set aside for trails at the Pyzak ranch as part of the Historic Area Site Plan. Supervising Ranger Aniko Millan supports putting in a trail.
    • 3/7/13: Sr. Ranger Aniko Millan said there was no way to get a trail put in at the historic site across the street from Bernal School right away. There is a plan to put one there eventually. They need to make sure it's good for neighbors.
    • 6/6/13: The Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan has been approved. They need to work on a detailed plan. They have funding to start infrastructure work around the site.
    • 2/6/14: Kitty talked about the Park Commission meeting: The Santa Teresa Historic Site plan was granted $600K to plan for the trails, parking, and interpretive signage.
    • 4/3/14: The budget for putting in trails at the Pyzak Ranch has been moved out. It's been taken out of the latest budget.
    • 12/4/14: The Santa Teresa Historic Site (at Curie and San Ignacio): The master plan was completed. The Parks Dept. was going to fund the trails part of the plan, but the funding was dropped. Janet Hawks put the trails back in the budget. It does not include the visitor center.
    • 3/5/15: Park staff is supposed to report back to the Park Commission on building the trail from the Pyzak Ranch to Santa Teresa Spring. The project was approved, but money to build it was not put in the capital budget for 2016. We can go to the next Park Commission meeting on Wednesday April 1 at 6:30 and speak on the issue. 
    • 5/7/15: Several of us went to the Park Commission meeting on Wednesday April 1. We met there instead of holding our regular meeting in April. Mike and Ron talked about the delay in construction at the Pyzak/Bonetti Ranch. In response, a meeting was setup at park HQ by Metka Valh with Construction Services Manager Mark Frederick and acting Deputy Director Michael Ferry. They said $600K is in the capital improvement budget for next year. It will pay for widening Curie next to the ranch and adding a sidewalk. It is scheduled for 2017. They may add more if it costs more, which it might if it needs storm drain improvements. They will dedicate the road improvements to the City of San Jose, who will maintain it. The total cost to fully implement the historic area development plan is estimated to be $7.2 million. It has 9 phases, It could be built in phases. There is no funding for the whole project yet.
      • The Pyzak/Jacoba Bernal House has severe termite damage. They may not be able to save it. They may have to knock it down and start over. Ron said that since a new visitor center is part of the plan, they could use the money to rebuild the Pyzak House instead and use it as a visitor center. Kitty said that the Pyzak House was near the top of the priority list of historic structures in the parks.
    • 6/4/15: Last month we talked about the Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan at the Pyzak/Bonetti Ranch and Bear Tree Lot. $600K in capital funds will be used to widen Curie, but implementing the total plan would cost $7.2M, which is unfunded. It has 9 phases and could be built in phases.
      • We talked about the Pyzak House. It has severe termite damage and may need to be torn down. Marty suggested trying to get a grant from the Historic Heritage Commission to restore it. They have $300K total for historic restoration grants. Someone in the Parks Department, like Mark Frederick, would need to put together a grant request. Kitty will ask Mark about it.
      • Part of the funding to buy the Pyzak Ranch came from the Open Space Authority's 20% fund, requested by Forrest Williams. The OSA will have more money available in 2016 due to Measure Q. Funds may be available to help implement the Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan.
    • 7/2/15: We want to see if we can save the Pyzak House. It has extensive termite damage and may be demolished. Mike was thinking about using it to store historical archives for Rancho Santa Teresa. We need to meet with planner Kim Brosseau about the plans for the house. Before it was the Pyzak House, it was the Jacoba Bernal House, built for one of the Bernal Family daughters. It dates back to the 1930's.
    • 8/6/15: Pyzak House preservation: Kim Brosseau is the head of the park's planning department. She said it's possible to save the Pyzak House if we can get the money. Mike will ask Kim if an assessment of the house was done to figure out how much it would cost to save it. We may be able to apply for an Historic Heritage Commission grant. We need to write the story of the Pyzak/Jacoba Bernal House to justify saving it. Paul Bernal may be able to help.
    • 9/3/15: At the Park Commission Board meeting, the strategic capital plan for the next 2 years was shown. The widening of Curie Drive is in the plan.
      • The next Historic Heritage Grant cycle is March 2016. We need to prepare a proposal for saving the Pyzak House, which is in a state of arrested decay.  It has termites and water damage, which stopped the initial restoration. We need to make a project proposal. Mike did some research on the history of the house. It was the wedding present for Jacoba Bernal, daughter of Ygnacio Bernal. She married a Fisher, from the Coyote Valley. Kim Brosseau, who is acting head park planner, needs to approve the plan. Julie Lee can advise.
    • 10/1/15: We're planning to get an Historic Heritage Commission (HHC) grant to help preserve the Pyzak House. Marty is on the commission. He said there will be a meeting on October 15 at 6:30 in the County building in the Board chambers. Groups seeking grants will be giving presentations to the Commission. It would be good for us to attend that meeting to see what the presentations are like.
      • In order to get an HHC grant for preservation of the Pyzak House, we need to document its historical significance. It was the house of Jacoba Bernal, a descendant of the original founder of Rancho Santa Teresa. Mike got a letter from Paul Bernal describing the historical background of the Jacoba Bernal house.
      • Mike talked to park planner Antoinette Romeo. She said it would not be likely that the Pyzak House will be restored. Mike said that if we could at least get it treated for termites, it would prevent further damage. He estimates it would cost $2K-$2.5K to get it tented. Ron said that's just for drywood termites. If it has subterranean termites, it would cost more.
      • 7-9 volunteers have been entering 50K records into the County's archive system. They work in the staff offices in the Casa Grande. We need to get Santa Teresa's records entered into the system. If we learn their methodology and format, we could do it ourselves.
      • Meet at the Casa Grande on 10/23 at 12:00 pm to discuss the HHC grant and learn the system used to scan and enter records into the County Parks archives.
    • 11/5/15: For Historic Heritage Grant projects, Julie Lee suggested going over the park master plan and seeing what needs to be done. Current ideas are to termite-treat the Pyzak house and build a path from Bernal School to Santa Teresa Spring. Other ideas: signage for the buggy and hay wagon in the east barn and grinding wheel.
      • Mike talked to senior ranger Phil Hearin. He said a tree service was called to clean up the treefall at Santa Teresa Spring. A dead cottonwood tree fell and took out 2 branches of an oak tree. They found that another cottonwood tree was rotten, so they removed that too. They ground up some of the wood, but left big pieces in place as animal habitat. There is a work order to fix the fence. John wants to make sure the treefall debris doesn't change of the flow of the pond outfall.
      • We talked about moving the entrance to the spring opposite Manila Way. It puts it in line with the Albertson Parkway. There are no houses facing Manila Way, which is much wider than Manila Drive, so would be better for parking.
      • We talked about the Historic Heritage Grant. Montalvo Arts was the only County Parks program submitted for a grant. Grants can be projects in any park. If the termite damage to the Pyzak House is too extensive, it could be rebuilt, like the East Barn. Marty asked if the house could be moved to San Jose History Park.
      • The Open Space Authority's 20% fund was used by Councilmember Forrest Williams to help buy the Pyzak Ranch.The fund is used to help cities with urban open space projects. There's a new formula now. More money is available in 2016. Cities or any group can apply for it. We could see if OSA money could be used to pay for work at the Pyzak Ranch.
    • 4/7/16: Ron mentioned that the Open Space Authority has community grants. He has been going to meetings. It's a possible source of funding for the trail extension. This is separate from the existing 20% grants that the OSA gives to cities, which require detailed documentation. The new grants are for community groups and are simpler.
    • 5/5/16: Ron measured the distance from the end of the trail at Santa Teresa Spring to the end of the fence at Manila Way. It's 246 feet, +/- 10 feet.
      • Mike talked about grants. Mike, Kim, and Ron met to discuss getting grants to building a trail extension from Santa Teresa Spring to Manila Way. We need help designing the trail. Kim Brosseau in the planning department wants to see a plan. Sr. Ranger Phil Hearin OK'd the idea of building the trail. Kim Gardner will put together a grant file. We'll have a 12-month calendar with dates and deadlines.
      • We can use the Historic Heritage Commission grants for projects in the County Parks.
      • The Open Space Authority has a community grant program for urban open space projects. They have been holding meetings in each of OSA's districts. Ron has been going to the meetings. They are gathering information about what the communities want. They want non-profits to apply. They have a draft application form, but the process has not been finalized. We could use the grant for the trail extension at Santa Teresa Spring and for projects at the Pyzak Ranch. Kitty said it may be too difficult for us to apply this year. We should wait until next year, after we see what the process is like.
    • 7/7/16: With Measure Q passing, the Open Space Authority has 2 new grant programs. The first is for $2.5-$5K. It has a simple application. Non-profit community groups can apply for it. Information will be out by the end of July. There will be a 3-month period to submit the application. Projects must be completed within a year. The larger grant is for $10K-$250K. The application process is more complicated and is more suited for city or county organizations. The old 20% urban grant program is still in effect.
      • Ron said that with Measure A passing, the County Parks' capital budget has effectively doubled. The Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan was approved in 2009, but has been on hold ever since. San Jose City Councilmember Forrest Williams used grant money from the Open Space Authority to help buy the Pyzak Ranch in 2002, which made the site plan possible, so the OSA should be interested in seeing the plan implemented. County Parks may be able to get a grant from the OSA to help pay for the project. Mike will talk to Robb Courtney about it.
    • 8/4/16: An Eagle Scout from the East Bay is interested in organizing the trail project from Santa Teresa Spring to Manila Way. He will be coming to Fandango. The County has gravel for the trail.
      • Mike and Ron will meet with Parks Director Robb Courtney on 8/30 at 11:30. They will talk about the budget for the Curie Drive road improvements and about implementing the whole historic site plan.The Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association is also interest and will be coming to the meeting. The issue was brought up before the Parks Commission meeting. Park staff was asked to report on it to the commission. 
    • 9/1/16: Andrew from Boy Scout Troop 227 wants to take on the Santa Teresa Spring to Manila Way Trail as an Eagle Scout project. We need a project lead on our end.
      • On 8/30, Ron, Mike, and Kitty met with County Parks director Robb Courtney to talk about plans for the development of the Santa Teresa Historic Site. $600K was allocated for building trails in the historic site. The money is still there and will stay there. It will not be used for widening the street. Robb said that's the city's job, but the County will work with the city. We talked about grant opportunities with the Open Space Authority. There are also Safe School Route grants. Future development of the site will depend on long-range capital plans that the Parks Department will be working on.
    • 10/6/16: Kitty said that the OSA's Measure Q grants received 30 applications. 27 were valid. 11 will be granted. We should look at applying for this grant next year.
      • Eric McKinley said he'd take the lead on the Santa Teresa Spring trail extension project. Prospective Eagle Scout Andrew Yanogacio from Troop 227 will take on the project.
    • 11/3/16: We're planning the Santa Teresa Spring to Manila Way Trail project. Woody took a look at it. Andrew Yanogacio from Boy Scout Troop 227 will take on the project. Eric McKinley will lead the project. It needs a date.
      • 1/5/17: Jorge works with the Boy Scouts. They have done projects at Santa Teresa Park and Chitactac-Adams. They have done trail cleanup. Eagle Scout candidate Andrew wants to build an extension of the trail by Santa Teresa Spring to Manila Way. He has been helping to build trails for 10 years.
      • We talked about the Manila Way Trail project. It's about 250 feet from the end of the existing path below Santa Teresa Spring to the proposed trailhead at Manila Way. We have to be careful because there's an oak tree there with a big beehive in the trunk. The fence already ends there just past the oak tree, so there's no need to put an opening in the fence for the trailhead. The branches of the oak tree may need to be trimmed to provide more headroom. We need to form a subcommittee, which will meet next week. Once there's a new trailhead on Manila Way, the neighbors on Manila Drive want the entrance below the spring to be closed. That will encourage parking on Manila Way, which is wider and has no houses or driveways facing it. It also leads directly to the Albertson Parkway. The trail is part of the original park master plan and the recent historic site plan. Project leads will be Greg and Eric.
      • Mike reviewed the trail proposal with Frank Weiland. He had some comments and questions:  documentation for source of funding, budget plan, cost of labor and materials, construction plan timeline, start and end points, mitigating Native American archeological findings, how the trail will serve the community, companies that will use the trail. The plan needs approval from Anne Thomson, who is the new supervisor in the Planning Department. Mike talked to Kim Brosseau in Planning about it. Melissa Hippard can be the staff lead contact. What about insurance, UNSCC or Boy Scouts? The costs will depend on what we can get for free, estimated from $1K to $5K. 
    • 3/9/17: Andrew Yanogacio is a Boy Scout. He wants to do an Eagle Scout project in Santa Teresa Park. His initial proposal to build a trail from Santa Teresa Spring to Manila Way was turned down by the Parks Dept. He has a new proposal to work on the Laurel Canyon Nature Trail. His plan is to repair the tree/bush ID posts, create weblinks for more information about them, remove graffiti, remove the fallen tree, level the trail to improve drainage. Andrew needs to complete the project before he turns 18 on 4/20. Jorge Porras is his scoutmaster. Possible dates to do the work: 3/25, 3/26, and 4/1. Andrew needs to get approval from the scouts and Frank. Frank needs to see the full proposal. The repairs to the ID signs must be identical to the original signs, otherwise, they have to follow new standards and need further approval. There could be a link somewhere to a webpage with information about the subjects of the signs. We can host it on our website. We're sponsoring the project as an FOSTP project. Andrew is doing it. The Boy Scouts have event insurance to do it. We don't have event insurance for the project, but can get it. The scouts can pay for it.
      • Though the Parks Dept. did not approve the trail for the Eagle Scout project, we can still do it.
      • City Councilmember Sergio Jimenez and his assistant Helen Chapman are planning to attend our next meeting. The topic will be the widening of Curie Drive in association with the Historic Site Plan development. We need community support. We can talk about Manila Drive concerns. Mike will check with Sergio about what he expects to talk about in the meeting. Ron can announce it on Next Door. Greg & Roxanne can make up flyers to pass out at Bernal School.
    • 4/6/17: We talked about the Santa Teresa Historic Site and street improvements on Curie Drive near the Pyzak/Bonetti Ranch. We need to find out who is responsible for widening the street. Is it the city or the county? The county can't spend Park Charter funds on city streets. The city can build roads on county property. Roland said the city's jurisdiction runs to the canal. The county needs to present plans when they are ready to implement them. We need to meet with the parks director to find out what their plans are for the historic site and widening Curie. Roland gave a tour of the property to Sergio Jimenez.
      • Roof tiles were removed from the Pyzak House when it was being renovated. They are historical. What happened to them?
    • 5/4/17: We were expecting San Jose District 2 City Councilmember Sergio Jimenez and his legal advisor Helen Chapman to come, but they were unable to come due to schedule conflicts.
      • 6 visitors: Marilyn August, Karen Parsons, Lisa Dearborn, Lisa Amato, Kurt & Greg Hoselhorst.
      • One of the visitors said her son was hit by a car on Curie on the way to Bernal School.
      • We talked about the Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan and plans to widen Curie Drive from the Bear Tree Lot to San Ignacio.
    • 6/1/17: Mike and Ron will meet with Sergio Jimenez tomorrow (6/2) at the corner of San Ignacio and Curie tomorrow at 9:00 to talk about the Curie bottleneck, the Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan,National Night Out, and the proposed house on the hill above Bayliss.
      • Mike and Ron met with the principal at Bernal School, Dr. Jamal Splane. He has been at the school for 2 years. He is concerned about the safety of students and supports the Curie project. He also supports students visting the Bernal Ranch and learning about the area's history. The school's Hispanic Club has taken field trips there.  Dr. Splane would like Mike and Ron to give presentations at Bernal.
      • Mike talked to the City of San Jose's Planning Dept. about Curie Drive. The unpaved part along the Pyzak/Bonetti/Bear Tree Lot is not in the city. 
    • 7/6/17: The widening of Curie Drive has been pushed back. Mike and Ron met with the principal of Bernal School and Councilmember Jimenez, who support it, but the work has to be done by the County. They met with Robb Courtney, Mark Frederick, Don Rocha, and Anne Thomson (head of planning). The issues are budget and a state law that says that the county can't simply turn over the land along the street to the city.The city needs to swap land or pay replacement value for the land.
    • 9/7/17: Curie Drive/Santa Teresa Historic Site
      For several years, we have been trying to solve the problem of the narrowing of Curie Drive between San Ignacio and the Bear Tree Lot. It's a hazard, especially for bicyclists and for kids going to Bernal School along Curie. The Santa Teresa Historic Site Plan calls for widening the road, but the plan is on hold due to lack of funds to implement the whole project. We have been looking to see if the County Parks can just widen the road and implement the rest of the project later. Here's a history of our recent meetings on the subject:
      • On 5/30/17, Mike and Ron met with Bernal School Principal Jamal Splain. He was concerned about the safety of kids coming to school and would like to see the road improved. He also said there is an Hispanic Club at the school that has been visiting the Bernal Ranch to learn about their heritage. He asked if we could make a presentation to them.
      • On 6/2/17, Ron, Mike, and Greg met with Councilmember Sergio Jimenez and his legislative advisor Helen Chapman. We took them on a tour of the Santa Teresa Historic Site and showed them our concerns about safety issues on Curie Drive. We also talked to Jamal Splain.
      • On 6/15/17, Ron and Mike went to County Parks headquarters and met with Director Robb Courtney, Construction Services Manager Mark Frederick, Deputy Director Don Rocha, and Principal Planner Anne Thomson. We talked about widening Curie Drive, but the issue is a state law restricting the county's ability to turn park land over to the city.
      • On 8/2/17, Mike, Kitty, and Ron met with Councilmember Sergio Jimenez at City Hall, along with Helen Chapman and Robb Courtney. The Deputy Director of San Jose's Department of Transportation and Terry Medina from Real Estate Services were also there. We talked about the city-county issues and options.
        We discussed the options in our meeting. The majority of our members want to see the road widened, rather than just having an internal trail built. 
    • 10/5/17: Mike talked about the Parks Commission meeting. They talked about problems doing a land swap to widen and pave Curie. (They are having the similar problems widening Branham Lane at Martial Cottle.) If the County widens the road, they have to dedicate it to the city. State law says the city has to either pay for the land or do a land swap. They are finding that a land swap isn't feasible, and the city can't afford to buy it. They want to know if putting a trail along Curie would solve the problem. At our last meeting, we said that wanted to see the road widened because the narrowing of Curie is a safety issue for cars, as well as bikes and pedestrians. We'd like to see a solution that addresses safety for all three users. Putting in an internal trail, while leaving the fence where it is, helps pedestrians and bicycles (if bicycles are allowed), but doesn't address safety for cars. They are proposing to extend the fence at the Bear Tree Lot, so there would be a wide dirt shoulder along the road and build a new trail next to it. We said maybe it would work, but we'd like to see a design proposal. There's $300K available to do the job.
    • 11/2/17: Curie Drive widening: John Gibbs said that the County is working on putting in an unpaved trail along Curie Drive and moving the fence, so that the road by the Pyzak and Bonetti Ranch will be similar to the stretch along the Bear Tree Lot, which means a wide dirt shoulder. They have $300K for the project. The County can't pave the road and dedicate it to the city due to state laws preventing that. The city would have to do a land swap. If they leave a large unpaved shoulder, what if people park along it? That will narrow the road too. They need to make that a no-parking zone. We need to see the plans.
    • 2/1/18: The Curie Drive improvement is on hold. Mike will see if we can get support from Bernal School's Latino Club leader.
    • 6/7/18: Concerning the Curie Drive trail/widening project: Helen Chapman in Councilmember Sergio Jimenez's office called Robb Courtney about it. Robb said it would be done. Park staff will make a dirt path along Curie Drive when they have time. Sergio also talked to Mike Wasserman about it, who said Parks is working on it.
    • 12/6/18: Report from John Maney, Ranger at Hellyer, Santa Teresa, and Martial Cottle:
      There has been trespassing at the Curie (Pyzak) House. The doors and windows have been secured. The fence has fallen down in places. They want to to fix it. There is grafitti on the house and out-buildings. The grafitti needs to be painted over. They could use volunteer help. John will follow-up on providing paint and materials. 
    • 2/7/19: Ranger report from John Maney: The Curie House (Pyzak Ranch) cleanup will be on 3/2-3. Alternative dates are 3/23-24 if the original dates are rained out. Most of the grafitti on the buildings has been there for a year and a half. The rangers will bring the supplies. The fence along Curie is falling down. They used old wood as a temporary fix. It needs a long-term fix, (but the fence may be torn down if the road is widened). There is an opportunity in Samaritan for volunteers to sign up for the job. It can also be a walk-up event and volunteers can sign a hardcopy waiver then. Nobody will be turned away. Mike contacted the Boy Scouts and passed out flyers.
    • 3/7/19: Ranger report from John Maney: The cleanup at the Pyzak ranch was successful. There have been not many trespassing calls. Lisa talked to the nearby schools about preventing students from causing problems in the park.
      • We worked with the Parks Department on beautification days at the Pyzak Ranch, which they call the Curie Drive House. The fence had been knocked down, graffiti was everywhere, the house was broken into, and the vegetation was overgrown. On 3/2/19, which started out rainy, volunteers, rangers, and maintenance worked on trimming trees, clearing walkways, and preparing the fence to reconstruction. On 3/3/19, which was a dryer day, we had more volunteers, including a Boy Scout troop from Cupertino. They painted over graffiti, hauled away brush, and repaired the fence
    • 8/1/19: Ranger Lisa gave a report: The Curie Drive house has been OK since the cleanup. No more vandalism.
    • 12/5/19: Ron asked Nancy Bonetti what she knew about the cross behind the Bonetti/Pedro Bernal House across from Bernal School. Nancy grew up in that house and was friends with the Joice's.  It looks like there are stories behind it. It was there until recently. It's gone now. Maintenance may have cleaned it up. Here's what Nancy said: "The cross was originally on top of our hill.  After my father died, the family moved it to where it is in this picture. It was placed on the hill when a priest said mass on the hill during the Rogation days, where he also blessed the crops of the season.  It was done on a hill where you could see the crops in the valley.  One was placed high on the Joice’s property a few years before ours was done, but it was later stolen.  The priest was Father Donald McDonnell.  He was a unique individual who truly lived the life of poverty and lived very frugally.  He drove an old Jeep and would say mass in the fields for the Mexican farm workers.  He was a major influence on Cesar Chavez.  Once, he showed up at our house late at night, hungry, and asked for a meal. You will find info on him on the Internet."  Here are some links: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150613978869318, https://tinyurl.com/sttf8q7
    • 3/5/20: The fence on Curie Drive by the Pyzak House has one of the boards down. A piece of the temporary roofing on the house is torn. There doesn't appear to be any new grafitti on the house or outbuildings. We talked about widening Curie Drive and whether it could be done without having to tear down the Pyzak House.
    • 6/4/20: Kids broke into the Pyzak House on Curie Drive. They tore off boards from the windows and damaged the interior. The rangers caught some of them. Their parents will probably have to pay for the damage. The windows have been boarded up again.
    • 7/2/20: Bear Tree Lot/Pyzak Ranch: The grass was cut by the parking area, but was high in the Bear Tree Lot. The Pyzak House was boarded up and appeared to be free of graffiti. Kids who were vandalizing the house were caught in the act by rangers. Their parents will probably have to pay for the damage. There is plenty of room between the fence and house to widen the road without touching the house. There are highly invasive trees of heaven growing near the Bear Tree. A large native black walnut tree by the fence will have to be removed to widen the road.
    • 8/6/20: There are lots of invasive trees of heaven growing at the Pyzak and Bonetti Ranches and by the Norred Ranch barn. The garage at the Pyzak Ranch has been tagged.
    • 3/4/21: Senior Planner Jeremy Farr sent an email that the new trail in the Santa Teresa Park Historic Area from Santa Teresa Spring to San Ignacio/Curie is going out to bid. He sent a map showing the new trails. It doesn't quite follow the original trail plan shown in the 2009 site plan. It goes closer to Curie and does not go to the back of the property.
      • Tomorrow (3/5), Mike, Greg, and Ron are going to survey the area where the new trail is going and will see if there are any concerns about it. They will also look for volunteer work opportunities.
    • 4/1/21: Mike, Ron, Greg, and Woody went on a scouting trip on 3/5/21 to see what work needs to be done around the Bernal Ranch and Santa Teresa Spring. They also explored the route of the proposed trail from Santa Teresa Spring into the Bear Tree Lot, Pyzak Ranch, and Bonetti Ranch. Mike showed where his students buried a time capsule next to the Bear Tree monument, which will be moved closer to the Bear Tree.
      • At the last Parks Commission meeting, Director Don Rocha talked about the proposed plan to build trails in the Santa Teresa Historic Site. The Board of Supervisors approved the plan. It is going out to bid.
      • Mike will be presenting at the next Parks Commission meeting on April 7. He will talk about the new trail in the historic area and the reinstatement of the parking fees.
      Mike invited park planner Jeremy Farr to talk about the new trail at a future meeting.
    • 5/6/21: Jeremy Farr sent out a notice to the neighborhood around the Santa Teresa Historic Area about the new trail construction. It should start in May. They will build a new trail from Santa Teresa Spring, through the Bear Tree Lot, then along Curie Drive inside the fence. They will remove the fence boards and leave the masonry pillars. The Pyzak House will be fenced off. The trail will end at the corner of Curie and San Ignacio, across from Bernal School.
      • The Bear Tree Lot monument will be moved closer to the Bear Tree. There's a time capsule buried next to the monument that came from Mike's class. That will be dug up.
      • When the new trail is done, we want to do some kind of ribbon-cutting celebration, as well as a time capsule opening. We'll need to know the schedule before we can plan it. The Parks Department may plan their own opening celebration, but it may depend on what is allowed at the time, and what the staff is doing.
    • 6/3/21: The construction of the new Curie Drive Trail started on June 1. The construction manager is Tom McLauchlan. Jeremy Farr is the park planner in charge of the plan. We can ask Jeremy to talk about the project at a future meeting.
      • Jason Gormon is responsible for maintenance of the historic area past Santa Teresa Spring. Jeremy Celaya is responsible for maintenance of the Bernal Ranch and Santa Teresa Spring. Bryan Lue is acting Senior Ranger for Hellyer, Martial Cottle, and Santa Teresa.
      • Mike wants to have a trail opening event for the new Curie Drive Trail. We can have a picnic, a ribbon-cutting, show the time capsule, and walk the trail. We can start at the ranch house and talk about the history of the ranch.Mike wants to setup a trail event committee. We need to find out when the project will be completed and whether the Parks Department plans to have some kind of ceremony. We can do something in conjunction with the department. We can't afford the insurance to put on our own public event, but we can have a private celebration. 
    • 7/1/21: Mike wants to have a picnic to celebrate when the new trail opens. It will just be an informal picnic for our group. The construction sign says the work will be done in September of this year. That may be the earliest it will be done. Joan suggested that Mike do a ghost tour then. We probably can't hold our own public celebration event because of the cost of insurance, but if the parks department has one, we can help out.
      • Mike wants to thank Jeremy Farr for his work in planning the new trail and Jeremy Celaya for maintaining the Bernal Ranch.
    • 8/5/21: The date for completion of the Curie Drive Trail has been pushed out to the end of October. We want to have some kind of informal celebration/picnic when it opens. We have to keep it to less than 20 people. We can hand out mementoes. We can give out little wooden orecarts with the Bernal brand on it that Jim Besseau made. We just need to assemble them. We could also give out bookmarks that Jim made.
    • 9/2/21: Marilyn and Joan are on the Curie Drive Trail Picnic Committee. When the trail is complete, we want to have an informal celebration. Mike will give a tour. We can give out snacks, sourvenirs, handouts, and newsletters. We don't know the completion date. It was supposed to be in September, but it's been pushed out to October.
      • The Parks Department is looking for names for the new trail. Ron submitted a list of potential names, with pros and cons. We talked about that list of names and decided that we liked the Bear Tree Trail, Oso Trail, and Muwekma Trail the best.
    • 10/7/21: The new trail should be opening in October, unless it gets delayed. There may be an issue about whether they might be disturbing archaeological sites. The Parks Department's naming committee for trails is unable to meet due to the pandemic and reassignments, so the trail may not get named until next year.
      • We want to have a celebration event after the new trail opens. Marilyn and Joan are working on it. If it's near the Day of the Dead (Nov. 7), we can give away Mexican candy, like candy skulls or lollipops. We can hand out our newsletters and other literature, as well as signature items, like keychains or bookmarks. 
    • 11/4/21: The new trail opening has been delayed. It should be ready by the end of the month. We can shoot for 12/5 at 2-3 for the celebration, but we need to confirm the actual date of the trail opening with the Parks Dept. We should ask Tamara Clark if the department is going to do anything. [The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on 12/11.]
      • Joan bought some Day of the Dead candy for the trail opening celebration.
      • We need to write a newsletter to pass out at the celebration. Ron will edit it
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       Created 12/14/21 by Ronald Horii, secretary of the Friends of Santa Teresa Park
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