Arboretum Neighborhood Association

8/25/23

Hi everyone,

Did you see?  It’s “only” 83 degrees out right now!  I might need a sweater after the heat wave the last few days!

Sept. 1st First Friday Social Reminder

Just a quick reminder of our next First Friday Social in one week on Friday Sept. 1st. at FRAUST Park this time so that we can spend some time in each of our lovely neighborhood parks.  We will gather from 4:30 to 6:30pm.  The ANA Board has arranged for Momma Megs Ice Cream Truck to be on site from 5-6 pm with the first $100 worth of purchases being sponsored by the neighborhood board fund.  Come on out and visit with your neighbors and enjoy a tasty cool treat!  Bring a beverage, a chair, bug spray, and games if you’d like.  This is a no-host, very casual event and everyone is welcome.  We were thinking of having an outdoor movie following but have decided to postpone this for a few more weeks until the sunset is occurring just a bit earlier.  More to come on that.

Free Private Well Testing for “Forever Chemicals”

This may be of interest to our residents in Forest Park:  Starting this month, Public Health Madison & Dane County is providing free PFAS water testing for eligible homeowners with private wells in Dane County.  Please follow this link to read more about the new options this limited funding is providing.(A reminder that those residents in Lake Forest are provided water through the Lake Forest Water Co-op which already regularly tests the water supply.  The most recent test results can be found here).

Wed. Oct. 4th General Arboretum Neighborhood Association Meeting

Another save the date item to mark on your calendars is our next General Arboretum Neighborhood Association meeting currently scheduled for Wednesday October 4th in the early evening.  We are hoping to hold this meeting under the shelter at Fraust Park to create more accessibility for those residents that may find it difficult to find transportation to the UW Arboretum Visitor Center (where the meetings historically have occurred).  More details to come.  If anyone has a general neighborhood concern or item to share about please let me know and the Board can start looking into how to best address it via inviting speakers or gathering more information etc.  Help us make these meetings useful for our residents!  We need to hear from you!

Odds and Ends

This Board member is beginning to ponder a fall season themed gathering close to Halloween.  Does anyone have a connection to a pumpkin farmer?  If so please reach out to me!

Do you ever wonder what kinds of things the Board is working on?  We have a link to the meeting minutes from all recent Board meetings on our webpage.  You can find the minutes here.

See you next Friday!

6/16/23

Happy Summer everyone!  Here are a couple of announcements.

Invitation to join Arbor Hills Make Music Madison event – June 21

One of our fellow neighborhood associations, The Arbor Hills Neighborhood Association, extended an invitation to join them next week Wednesday as part of the Make Music Madison day.  The details of their event are as follows:What: Make Music Madison x Arbor Hills CollaborationWhen: Wednesday, June 21st from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PMWhere: Arbor Hills Park (3109 Pelham Road)Details: Live music from three different bands paired with local food trucks at Arbor Hills Park. Arbor Hills park is a family friendly park with lots of shade, a large hill, and an awesome playground. There will be musical performances all over the city all day long.  For a guide please refer here https://www.makemusicmadison.org/#:~:text=Make%20Music%20Madison%20is%20a,1%2C000%2B%20cities%20across%20the%20globe.

ANA First Friday Event – July 7 4:00 to 6:00 pm

Our neighborhood is getting ready to have our own social gathering soon.  Save the date for Friday July 7th for our inaugural “First Friday!”  Come meet your neighbors and get caught up with what we’re all doing this summer.  Save the first Friday of each month (while the weather is warm) 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Schmidt Park near the “big rock.”  Bring a beverage, a chair, bug spray, and games if you’d like.  This is a no-host, very casual event and everyone is welcome.  The ANA is arranging to have the presence of a frozen treat truck on site for folks to purchase a yummy cold item to cool off with if they want.

Request for “Yard Sitter”

One of our neighbors is in need of some “yard sitting” help while on vacation. Here is the request.  If you are interested, please contact me and I will forward the information to our neighbor in need.  “We live over on Marshall Parkway and are taking a two week trip in the beginning of July (2-15). I’m wondering if you know of any kids in the neighborhood who would be interested in watering our outside grass and plants while we are gone. We will pay anyone who is able to do it. We have new plants in the ground and want to make sure they can be watered. Any help is appreciated!”  

Harvey Schmidt Park maintenance concerns

There have been several concerns expressed about the grounds maintenance in Harvey Schmidt Park.  This is a complicated issue as the City is just beginning to take action on their long range rehabilitation plans to return the park to a largely “natural” state.  This will clearly involve some patience and some adjustments on our part as residents and on the part of Mother Nature herself.  I assure you that the ANA has been in a very active dialogue with our assigned Parks planner Sarah Grimalkin and her associates about all of the raised concerns.  I would like to share with you some of the thoughtful responses from Sarah on behalf of the City Parks department:

Dear Harvey Schmidt Park Neighbors, 
We hope this email finds you all doing well. Parks wants to recognize that the transition from Town to City has been quite the undertaking and a disruption in many neighbors’ lives. Having said that, we’re looking forward to continuing our constructive conversations and want to assure everyone that their input is highly valued.  We understand there is a concern with regard to the mow pattern at Harvey Schmidt Park. At Parks, we strive to provide open spaces that support diverse community desires including play areas and natural spaces in support of habitat and other benefits.  We appreciated your thoughts and hope you can appreciate that Parks considered the park environment and residents interest in the plan developed for these parks.   
I want to take this opportunity to address the concerns raised about the areas which are currently being mowed in the park. As you may be aware and as we discussed during the park development process, the park area borders a wetland and exclusively features muck soils. These unique site conditions present challenges when it comes to maintenance and mowing. 
It is essential to recognize that we are working with nature, and Mother Nature is a formidable force. Parks and the maintenance team strive to achieve a delicate balance between preserving the natural environment and providing recreational amenities. The current mowing pattern is designed to respect the challenging site conditions present. 
We at Parks also want to assure you that the current mowing pattern was not decided upon lightly. It underwent thorough review and consideration, involving extensive community engagement, to ensure that it aligns with the needs and preferences of the neighborhood. The mowing pattern was reviewed with the neighborhood in the fall of 2022 and again during the park development planning process. 
Parks is not planning to increase the size of the areas which are being mowed. Instead, our plan is to strive to maintain a park and recreation area with amenities which are in harmony with the site conditions present. By doing so, we can ensure the longevity and ecological health of our park. Going forward, crews will continue focusing on mowing the drier areas while converting the lower areas to native vegetation, as outlined in the park development plan.
 The new mowing pattern will not have a significant impact on the trees in the park. Mowing cannot alter many of the conditions which trees endure, such as the inherent properties of the existing soil or the level of the water table. Reduced mowing may reduce soil compaction, which would benefit vegetation.
 
Once again, I appreciate your engagement and interest in the well-being of our parks. I’m glad we have such an open rapport! Let’s continue working together to enhance our shared space and make it more enjoyable for all. 
Thank you,Sarah Grimalkin

Going forward there are opportunities for some more active neighbor involvement in the Parks.  The fruiting trees in the western side of Harvey Schmidt Park can be “adopted” meaning that residents can have a direct responsibility in caring for them.  For more details read here and let me know if anyone has interest!  Edible Landscapes Permit Process | Mayor’s Office, City of Madison, WisconsinResidents can also designate areas within either of our parks to “adopt”/create a flower garden to further beautify the park.  This is a process that would be available in the upcoming new year.  Read more here and again let me know if anyone has interest.  Flower Garden Volunteers – Volunteer – Madison Parks – City of Madison, Wisconsin

No Garbage Pick Up This Monday
And one last reminder that our Garbage and Recycling pick up is moving to Tuesday for next week only in observance of the Juneteenth holiday on Monday June 19.Those interested in more information about this relatively new federal holiday and celebrations occurring here in Madison can read more here.  Juneteenth Opening Ceremony

Thanks everyone!  Be Well.