History

HISTORY  OF  EVENTS

Aug 9, 2009 – A TJ Martin resident discovers two flowering plum trees cut in TJ Martin Park.  The resident reported the incident to Pier Maggiani and Nancy Pyle’s office was notified.  Soon after, Pier finds contractors wrapping trees with plastic tape and Nancy Pyle’s office is again notified.

Feb 11, 2010 – 1^st Community  Meeting with PG&E, & City;  Community notified 140 trees to be cut on March 22, 2010.

Feb 17, 2010 – First  Walk-Thru in the Parks with  Community & PG&E.

Mar 9, 2010 – 1^st Meeting with Mayor & City Council “ Open Forum” , CBS  Channel 5

Mar 9,2010 – Restoration Plan – Meeting

Mar 10, 2010 – 2^nd Community Meeting with PG&E/City

Mar 15, 2010- Hand Delivered 13 Letters to City Hall.

Mar 22, 2010 – Phase I – 62 trees to be cut Mar 22, 2010, Phase II – 78 trees to be cut in 2011.

Apr  5, 2010 – First Task Force Meeting at City Hall

Apr 20, 2010 – Community Counter Proposal to PG&E

Apr 27, 2010 – Community Receives a Response from PG&E

Apr 28, 2010 – Community Receives a Response from the City Attorney

May 18, 2010 – Community Launched a reply letter to PG&E

May 18, 2010 – 2^nd Meeting at City Hall “ Open Forum”

May 19, 2010 – Follow up Letter FedExed to Mayor Reed, Nancy Pyle, & City Attorney, Richard Doyle

May 22. 2010 – Community launches “Rally in the Park”

May 26, 2010 – Letter sent to PG&E CEO, Peter A. Darbee

May 28, 2010-PG&E protest

June 3, 2010 – Letter FedExed to Jon Wellington , Chairman of Federal Regulatory Commission with copies to Pres. Michell R. Peevey of CPUC and Peter Darby, CEO of PG&E.  The letter asks the Chairman to check the legality of PG&E’s decision.

June 16, 2010 – Informal Meeting  with Don Hall (PG&E)

June 18, 2010 -Stephen Baxter of the San Jose Mercury News provided background material and updated the continuing work of the Save Our Park Trees group.

June 25, 2010 –Communications between Jean LaMarca, Almaden Resident and Stephanie Holm, Policy Analyst for the office of Councilmember Nancy Pyle.

June 29, 2010 – Official notification is received from PG&E that 13 of the most critical, high-risk trees will be removed from T.J. Martin and Jeffrey Fontana Parks and 4 trees will be pruned.

June 29, 2010 – Our response to Edward Salas, PG&E’s representative.

July 1, 2010 -Despite pleas from neighbors, a PG&E-contracted tree crew chain-sawed 13 trees in TJ Martin and Fontana parks in the Almaden Valley.

July 15, 2010 – Inaugural meeting of the Martin-Fontana Parks Association.

July 23, 2010 – Save the Trees group attends a City Parks presentation by Albert Balagso.

Aug 10, 2010 – We became a legal Nonprofit Corporation in the State of Calif.

August 29th 2010 – Heart of the Park Celebration

Sept 19, 2010-Association get-together and BBQ.

September 20, 2010-Letter from PG&E regarding the future of Tree #13.

Oct 7, 2010-Tree#13 is trimmed by PG&E.

Oct 13, 2010-Fontana Park spared extension of wireless towers.

Oct 23, 2010-Association represented at Harvest Festival.

Nov 20, 2010-‘Beautiful Day’ project enhances Fontana Park.

Dec 11, 2010-Over 40 trees planted in Fontana park with Our City Forest and volunteers from MFPA.

Jan 22, 2011 – The first General Membership Meeting of the Martin-Fontana Parks Association was held at the Almaden Community Center.

Feb 16, 2011 – The MFPA Negotiating Team met with representatives from PG&E to discuss their list of trees to be cut and trimmed in the two parks.

Feb 28, 2011 – PG&E fulfilled their agreement with our Association by removing 7 trees and trimming others.  PG&E spokesperson, Kamran Rasheed said that the trees in the parks will be reevaluated next year.

Mar 12, 2011 – Several MFPA members helped remove weeds from the section of Fontana Park enhanced by the Beautiful Day project.

Mar 21, 2011-Newsletter mailed out.

May 28, 2011 – Seventeen trees are planted in TJ Martin park with the help of Our City Forest, MFPA members and several volunteers from the community.

July 9, 2011-Neighbors and MFPA members joined together for a ‘weeding party‘ at TJ Martin Park East, at Glowing Park and Oakglen. The area under the power line tower was cleaned out to begin preparations for a future planting project.

July 29, 2011-Newsletter comes out.

Aug 7, 2011- Second annual Heart of the Park Celebration presented our accomplishments over the past year; City of San Jose Councilmember Nancy Pyle and San Jose Parks Foundation Executive Director James Reber spoke and there were representatives from five nonprofit organizations.

Aug 10, 2011-Amato’s Pizzeria in San Jose hosted a fundraiser and we raised $200 after receiving 15% of proceeds from diners presenting MFPA flyers.

Oct 11, 2011-Fall newsletter out.

Oct 15, 2011-Volunteers plant native shrubs in Jeffrey Fontana Park.

Nov 8, 2011- PG&E  provided a grant of $5,500 to San Jose Parks Foundation to support the foundation’s Community Park Development Program.

Nov 29, 2011- Martin-Fontana Parks Association received a commendation from the San Jose City Council for their work in TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana Parks.

Dec 7, 2011- Volunteers and MFPA members spread mulch in Fontana Park.

Dec 29, 2011-Year end newsletter.

Jan 21, 2012-Second General Membership meeting is held.

Jan 28, 2012-Community volunteers including MFPA members, Adopt-a-Park, Cub Scout Pack 282, Boy Scout Troop 262 and local high school seniors, worked with the City of San Jose Parks Dept. (PRNS) to spread large mounds of mulch throughout Jeffrey Fontana Park East.

Feb 21, 2012-PG&E removed tree #25, a Holm Oak, from underneath the power lines in Fontana Park.

Feb 24, 2012-AB2526 is introduced by Assemblyman Michael Allen to curtail clear-cutting by PG&E.

Mar 31, 2012-Our City Forest volunteers joined members of MFPA in planting 16 trees in TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana Parks.

Apr 4, 2012-Fundrasing dinner at Sonoma Chicken Coop helps raise money for the bench under Tree 13.

Apr 21, 2012-Community volunteers join MFPA and OCF, planting 18 trees and seven Ceanothus shrubs in Fontana Park.

Apr 27, 2012-Heritage Grove dedicated.

Apr 28, 2012-Over 400 volunteers from 18 congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in The Mormon Helping Hands program by helping weed and spread mulch in TJ Martin and Jeffrey Fontana Parks.

May 10, 2012-Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints helped paint the fence across from the Memorial Garden and spread mulch in Fontana Park.

June 14, 2012-The same members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints returned to Jeffrey Fontana Park for additional mulch spreading.

July 16, 2012-Identification markers were added to the Native Plant Island A project in Fontana Park.

Aug 19, 2012-Third annual Heart of the Park celebration nets the association $2,000 from new memberships, membership renewals and raffle

Oct 13, 2012-Volunteers and MFPA members helped spread mulch near Golf Creek  and under the power towers near the dog park; weeded the Jeffrey Fontana Memorial Garden, the cell towers and bus stop near Meridian and did light pruning of plum trees and various shrubs in Fontana Park.

Nov 10, 2012 –Native Plant Island C was created by volunteer residents and members of the MFPA (Martin-Fontana Parks Association) who planted CA native plants and shrubs just west of NPI-A  in Jeffrey Fontana Park west.

Nov 10, 2012-Life Scout, Andrew Oberhelman, completed his Eagle Scout Project in Jeffrey Fontana Park.  Oberhelman designed and planted a native garden to beautify a neglected section of the park on the east side of McAbee Road and intersecting Golden Oak Way.

Nov 16, 2012-Citrix employee, Rus Richter, provided a service for his company and his community by helping plant four dozen California native shrubs and rushes with MFPA project leader, Dave Poeschel in the northwest section of Fontana middle.

Jan 5, 2013-Annual park walk-through by the MFPA board.

Jan 18, 2013-Appendix III of the Martin-Fontana Parks Association’s Parks Restoration and improvement Master Plan Update was posted.

Jan 26, 2013-The third annual General Membership Meeting was held.

Feb 7, 2013-MFPA  was honored at the Mayor’s State of the Address at the Civic Center.

Feb. 14, 2013-The new PG&E lead negotiator met with us in both parks with a list of 10 trees to be removed the first part of March.  We agreed with the removal of two of the trees, and campaigned to save the remaining eight.

Mar 25, 2013-Spring newsletter is published.

Apr 17, 2013-Negotiations with PG&E concluded for 2013.

Apr 20, 2013-Great American Clean-Up Day & Earth Day event held.

May 23, 2013-A new Crosswalk at the corner of Meridian and Oak Glen Way was opened today by District 10 Councilmember Johnny Khamis.

June 9, 2013-MFPA members add a fence to Island A in Fontana Park west.

June 25, 2013-Twelve trees were trimmed in both TJ Martin Park and Jeffrey Fontana Park.

July 6, 2013-Councilman Johnny Khamis, the Parks Dept, community members and volunteer groups hold a Guadalupe Oak Grove Park clean up.

Aug 18, 2013-Heart of the Park IV held.

Sept 10, 2013-Jeffrey Fontana Park’s Memorial Rose Garden gets a makeover by SCCAOR.

Sept 18, 2013-DISTRICT 10 PARKS UPDATE.

Oct 7, 2013-MFPA asks the community to complete a Priorities Feedback survey.

Oct 8, 2013-Thirty eight trees trimmed in TJ Martin Park.

Oct 19, 2013-Guadalupe Oak Grove Park clean-up held.

Nov 2, 2013-Scout Troop 262 adds some Fall beauty to our Park.

Nov 29, 2013-An Owl box is installed in the east end of TJ Martin Park.

Dec 10, 2013-Citrix employee,Rus Richter and MFPA project leader, Dave Poeschel, planted California native shrubs and rushes in the Eastern area of Jeffrey Fontana Park.

Dec 16, 2013-The Crosswalk at the intersection of McAbee Road and Golden Oak Way at Jeffrey Fontana Park is upgraded.

Jan 13,2014-MFPA member, Larry Sasscer, finishes restoring three of TJ Martin Park’s benches.

Jan 24, 2014-Trees trimmed in Jeffrey Fontana Park.

Jan 25, 2014-MFPA General Membership Meeting held.

Mar 11, 2014-Sidewalks repaired in both parks.

Mar 12, 2014-March Newsletter.

Mar 29, 2014-Butterfly Habitat created in Fontana middle.

Apr 5, 2014-Jeffrey Fontana Memorial Rose Garden Workday held.

Apr 26, 2014-Picnic in the Park day.

Apr 27, 2014-Native Plant Garden Tour at Jeffrey Fontana Park.

May 15, 2014-Willow tree in the northeast corner of Jeffrey Fontana Park loses two large branches.

June 2014-OCF 20 Years of Volunteers green ribbon campaign.

Aug 2, 2014-MFPA receives a Outstanding Parks Transformation Award from OCF.

Aug 28, 2014-New dog bag dispensers & signs installed.

Sept 6, 2014-Santa Clara County Association of Realtors (SCCAOR) completed their fall clean-up and rose care workday.

Sept 9, 2014-Fall newsletter is published.

Sept 27, 2014-Heart of the Park V is held.

Oct 15, 2014-Meeting held with mayoral candidates Sam Liccardo & Dave Cortese.

Oct 28, 2014-Memorial held for Officer Jeffrey Fontana

Nov 8, 2014-Camel & Elephant added to Jeffrey Fontana tot lot.

Nov 8, 2014-Guadalupe Oak Grove Park clean-up was done.

Nov 10 to Dec 10, 2014-Membership Drive held.

Jan 2nd, 2015-Final Results of “Guadalupe Oak Grove Park’s Future Survey” released.

Jan 10, 2015-Butterfly habitat increased in TJ Martin Park.

Feb 3, 2015-PG&E Action for 2015: No trees will be taken.

Feb 26, 2015-Turf Reduction has started.

Feb 26, 2015-Martin-Fontana Parks Association sponsors Tree Trimming.

Mar 7 & 9, 2015-Turf Reduction work party a huge success! & Thanks from the MFPA BOD.

Mar 13, 2015-March Newsletter comes out.

Mar 14, 2015-Emergency weeding completed.  MFPA Board votes in 4 more Directors at the annual General Membership Meeting.

Mar 15,2015-In Memory of Officer Michael Johnson.

May 9, 2015-The Jeffrey Fontana Memorial Rose Garden gets a Spring makeover.

May 13, 2015-TJ Martin Park bench refinished.

May 29,2015-San Jose plans to take a lot of green out of city parks this summer.

June 13, 2015-Drought & San Jose Parks.

June 25, 2015-MFPA’s President Linda Wilson to be honored at Summer Soiree.

August 15, 2015-Members attend the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Par-Tea at Lake Cunningham Park.

Sept. 19, 2015-Fall clean-up in the Jeffrey Fontana Memorial Garden.

Sept. 21, 2015-Our Quarter Three Newsletter is out!

Oct. 4, 2015-Heart of the Park VI.

Oct. 17, 2015-Volunteer work party at Tree 13.

Oct 21, 2015-We now have a Kiosk in Jeffrey Fontana Park.

Oct 28, 2015-The 14th anniversary of the loss of Officer Jeffrey Fontana.

Nov 11, 2015-Fall Planting in TJ Martin Park.

Nov 28, 2015-Fall Clean-Up.

Dec 5, 2015-Monarch habitat created in TJ Martin Park.

Dec 19, 2015-New fence for Island C.