July meeting

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, July 3, for our annual picnic meeting and voting in of officers and directors for the upcoming term.

Please let Frank Skala (440-473-3484) or Jeanette Evans (jeanette.evans@sbcglobal.net) know if you have any questions.

This is a potluck gathering, so bring along a small something to share.

The picnic will be in Euclid Creek Park at the Rear Quarry Reserved Picnic Area and Shelter House. From the Euclid Creek parkway road (across from the Ranger office) turn east and proceed down the hill on the Rear Quarry access road.Follow it through the gate and to the end and the shelter house.

Image comes from Daniel Hancock from our recent photo contest.

Nominations

The slate of officers up for election includes the following.

• President - Barb Holtz
• Vice President - Christi Carlson
• Treasurer - Ken Messinger Rapport (not running/mid term)
• Secretary - Jeanette Evans  

Directors

• Albro, Steve 
• Bloom, Gary 
• Dearden, Judy 
• Drasler, Lou
• Evans, Rick 
• Hogg, Fran 
• McFadden, Larry 
• McReynolds, Bill 
• Skala, Frank
• Suguichi, Carolyn (not running/mid term) 

Thank you to Larry McFadden for heading the Nominating Committee.

The nomination for President includes Barb Holtz. According to
http://www.clemetparks.com/education/ask_naturalist/staff_bios.asp Barb is currently Manager/Naturalist at Look About Lodge.  She joined Cleveland Metroparks in 1985 and enjoys plant-watching, native plant gardening, and helping people discover how they can make a difference in preserving the planet.

Thank you to Frank Skala for providing this photo of the signage that appears at the dusty goldenrod meadow that FOEC is helping to preserve.  

Finance committee

Report of the Finance Committee, FOEC

June 6, 2012

Present: Virginia Aveni, Jeanette Evans, Ken Messinger-Rapport

The meeting began with Ken’s distribution of the 2011-2012 Annual Budget and discussion of revenue and expenditures of FOEC budget outside of Soil and Water Conservation Districts budget for the watershed. (Our activities and responsibilities under the Coordinator’s contribution would have to be considered in another session.)*

The Committee did not develop rules for its proceedings, but worked on consensus basis to create an agenda for the budget and future finances of FOEC.

We determined that budget goals should be developed to finance the goals of the Steering Committee – both short term and long term.

Though budget reports will continue to include funds that are received and distributed for the watershed coordinator, funds for FOEC operations and goals will be developed independently for our own goals. These may be within one budget would columns will continued to be maintained separately.*

The Finance Committee will look for and work aggressively to fund future goals through:

           1. Grants

2. Individual and corporate donations

3. Fund-raising activities including a major sponsored spring fundraiser

4. Continued reconsideration of member contributions – (much of FOEC budget is veiled by in-kind donations by members for ongoing activities).

A fundraising drive for individual donations will begin with target donations around the future FOEC goals which may include:

           1. FOEC operations

2. Scholarships

3. Capital targets, i.e., land preservation

4. Organizational center, etc.

Prioritization for expanded finances will be adopted by the Steering Committee and members through goals developed under future planning.

The next meeting of the Committee will be at Ken Rapport’s house at 3:00 p.m. on June 29. Included will be Claire P. and the new President and Vice President.

*Comments by editor (V. Aveni)

Coreopsis is a good native choice for gardens. The image comes from Ohio Prairie Nurseries.  

June meeting

Mark your calendar for the Tuesday, June 5 meeting. This and other regular monthly meetings normally start at 6:30PM on the first Tuesday of the month at:

• South Euclid Community Center

• 1370 Victory Drive (north off Mayfield, next to Giant Eagle) 

A big thank you goes out to Barb Holtz for the May meeting event that included a hike led by Barb at the Euclid Creek reservation to look at spring wild flowers and other vegetation.

Our June 5 general meeting will include the following speakers:

• Nidia Arguedas, Ph.D., Cleveland Metroparks Conservation Planner, will describe Metroparks capital improvement plans for Euclid Creek Reservation
• Brian Gilbert, FOEC member, will discuss his project of a smartphone app for identifying wild plants

Coneflowers are an excellent native choice for gardens in Northeast Ohio. The picture  comes from Wikipedia. 

President's message

Look back at your favorite childhood memories. Do many of them involve visiting parks, swimming in beautiful lakes and roaming through woods? These are the memories that bring us together as the family of Friends of Euclid Creek. 

I look back at the founding of the Friends of Euclid Creek over ten years ago. We were just a handful of people. Since then our organization has steadily grown in numbers and reach.

For all this, I thank you, our many members, for your time, labor and vision. As we work together to PROMOTE and ENCOURAGE the preservation and protection of Euclid Creek and the surrounding lands that drain into Euclid Creek, we are making a difference.

I want to conclude by inviting everyone to go outside this week and enjoy the difference you’re making in the Euclid Creek Watershed. See you outside. 

Note to readers:
This message from FOEC president Frank Skala appears in Euclid Creek Chronicles where editor Barb Holtz notes that our:
"annual picnic in July will be a time to thank Frank Skala for his dedication to Friends of Euclid Creek as our president. Frank has long been a member of the FOEC board, a voice for anti- fracking in Highland Heights, and more. Thanks you, Frank, for your care for the watershed and nurture of FOEC!"


This picture of President Frank Skala was taken at our FOEC meeting at Mayfair.