Hi, everyone,

Just a reminder that our second concert will happen this Sunday at 6:30. This is a bluegrass concert with music by Yankee Connection.

We will be accepting baked goods from 6:30 on, and if you can help us move just a couple of tables from across the street, show up at 6:00 in the gazebo.

Otherwise, just come and have fun.

Mary

Just a quick reminder that the June FORP meeting is tonight: 7:00 @ Salem Lutheran (Randall & Battery).

Agenda:

1. Summer concerts - Tracy
2. Grant status - Scott
3. Flea Market - Sandy
4. Clean-up committee (chairman needed)
5. Fall festival?

We can do this in one hour! See you there.

The first Saturday in June is the day after tomorrow, so it must be clean-up day!

This month we have a variety of activities:

1. Bench Painting (Kelly Lane has already painted all the benches around and near the gazebo, now we must finish some more!)
2. Tree trimming
3. Shrubbery pruning
4. General clean-up

Depending on which activity you want to participate in, bring:

1. a drop cloth, rubber gloves, "Wet Paint" signs and tape (I have oil-base paint, turpentine, and brushes)
2. clippers, hedge trimmers, gloves (I have some tools, but not
many)
3. heavy-duty garbage bags (I have some DPW paper bags, rakes, and brooms)

On Saturday, 6/4, we will be working between 8:00 and 11:00. See you in the park.

It has been a busy spring. Here are some highlights of recent park activities:
1. April 15 Clean-Up-Day with Digital Harbor High: 30 teens helped FORP trim shrubs, mulch gardens, and paint benches.
2. Lighting Update: Recreation & Parks repaired all the lights in the park and replaced the covers on each electrical box.
3. Playground Donation Total: $8,916. Our first purchases will be picnic benches and signs for the playground.
4. Playground Equipment: A new piece of equipment is on order and should be delivered in about 4 weeks.
5. May 12 Pool Meeting: Members of FORP met with Recreation and Parks to discuss good process for the pool, including: garbage containment, restricted access to cars, bike racks, and dog/child safety.
6. Dog Exercise Areas: To help the lawn recover and keep the pool entrance safe, FORP will design a map and signs indicating where the rotating Doggie-Play-Areas will be. We will select a site on the south side of the pool for the summer and post signs in June.
7. May 7 Tree Planting: With the help of Parks & People (a $1,000 grant and lots of equipment), about 15 FORP members planted 9 beautiful trees on Randal between Covington and Henry.
8. Park History: Neighbor Paul Stysley is working on a history of Riverside Park and preparing text for a new sign to honor and inform the area about Mr. Leone. Paul can use help digging through some public records; contact me if you’re interested in helping him.
Don’t forget, if you have extra plastic grocery or newspaper bags, stuff them in the dog-bag boxes in the park (or bring them to the RAG meeting)!

Friends of Riverside Park (FORP) gets another improvement grant. The non-profit organization Parks & People awarded FORP $1,000 for neighborhood improvement. FORP used the money to purchase 9 beautiful shade trees. We will plant the trees on Saturday, May 8, starting at 9:00am. The trees, which will line Randal Street from Covington to Henry, are the first phase of a larger project to beautify the borders of Riverside Park. Parks & People will be there to supply tools (even a jackhammer!) and show us good tree-planting techniques.

Join us for this exciting event; we need strong arms and pickup trucks (to haul away broken concrete).

Contact Mary (braman at ncqa.org) for details.

A Special Plea to Dog Owners: Spring is finally here, and FORP is working on some exciting warm-weather activities. We are planning 4 summer concerts, and we're working closely with the Department of Recreation and Parks to have a successful season with the pool staff and patrons. The concerts will take place in front of the pool house, with seating on the hill around the gazebo. Also, the Riverside Ave and & Heath Street paths is main entrances to the pool during the day. We need your help! FORP asks all dog owners to start using the spacious fields south and east of the pool house; not the lowest fields used for softball and soccer, but the ones between there and the pool and along Covington. If the dogs move to other fields, we will accomplish many things: give the northern hills time to sprout grass for the lawn concerts, give families and kids quiet access to the pool, keep the police and dog control from getting complaints. So, please, pack a bottle of water with the ball or Frisbee, and move on south for "doggie play time." Our park has become incredibly popular, and there is room for everyone, but not everyone loves dogs. Let's make sure the ball players, the playground kids, and the pool patrons can get to their destinations without going through an obstacle course of dogs. Thank you for your help; it's going to be a great summer.

After the disastrous fire in the Riverside Park playground, this community went into action. Here are the results of our very impromptu fundraising project: thanks to the collection efforts of so many people – Jeff Ratnow, Ann Fiocco, Tim Whisted, Faith Laarkamp, Chris Wood, Wendy Boyer, Kelly Lane, and all the others I apologize for leaving out. We raised (drum roll, please) more than $8,000!! Money came from dedicated friends and neighbors, local businesses, and developers working in the area. The following is a list of some of the great groups and companies that support our efforts.
AB Associates
Advertising.com
A&R Development
Altel Properties, Inc (Southern Land)
Brown & Sheehan, LLP
Captain Larry's
Marty Cadogen, P.A.
Gildea & Schmidt, LLC
Federal Hill South
Fort McHenry Business Assoc, Inc.
Friends of Brian McHale
Fort McHenry Tavern Association
Little Havana
Philadelphia Management
Sobo Sports Inc.
Title Wave, Inc.
Two Street Enterprises
AND many, many generous individuals!
Now, you may ask, how will we spend this money? Through the dedicated help of our councilman, Ed Reisinger, and our Neighborhood Liaison, Elizabeth Weiblen, the Mayor's Office has promised to pay the $5,000 insurance deductible. So, we’ve arranged with the Department of Recreation and Parks for FORP to pay for the demolition of the destroyed piece of equipment ($3,600); we did this to circumvent the need for multiple estimates which will expedite the replacement work. Demolition of the destroyed piece has been completed. Our advocate and good friend Mary Porter at Recreation & Parks got the prices for the new playground equipment and has ordered the new equipment. Mary will call us as soon as there is a delivery date for the new equipment. FORP will keep a separate account of all unspent donations; monies left after the demolition will be used for the playground only. We will investigate additional security measures, such as lighting, COP patrols, and plan a celebration for the new installation. Thank you all, again, for your help, encouragement and overwhelming support.

Dear Friends,

The outpouring of support and contributions from individuals and businesses has been
tremendous. We have nearly reached our goal of $5,000, the amount of the deductible
needed to replace the burned playground equipment. Anything collected beyond the
goal will go toward a celebration when the new piece is installed and playground
maintenance.

We must end this fund-raising activity, deposit all monies, and start the
replacement project.

If you have collected money, or would like to make a donation, please get your
contributions to me by Saturday morning, 2/26. You can either mail them to me at
1505 Riverside Ave. or drop them off at Captain Larry’s.

Thank you again for your commitment to making Riverside a great park and neighborhood.

Mary Braman

PS. We have no news about the perpetrators, but we are in constant contact with the
Southern District and the Arson Squad. When we get information, we will pass it
along.

PSS Please distribute this note to anyone who may be interested in still donating.

Despite the rain, snow, and cold, frosty wind that 2005 has brought, the Friends of Riverside Park have been very busy. In January we installed 5 dog-bag boxes. Grateful thanks for the generous contributions of various neighbors and Anne Millman's ingenious idea. The containers are black metal mailboxes attached to light posts through-out the park. Please feel free to use the bags in them and, especially, contribute bags to them. If you don't go into the park, but you save newspaper, grocery or any plastic bags, bring them to the RAG meeting. We'll stuff them in the dog-bag boxes and make sure they get used to keep the park clean.

Another activity keeping us busy is applying for many grants for a variety of projects. If we are successful, the park will continue to receive new landscaped gardens and trees around the perimeter. Keep your fingers crossed! See you in the park.

Also, Friends of Riverside Park is now accepting donations to rebuild the playground! Crime & vandalism will not rule our neighborhood! Checks may be made out to “Friends of Riverside Park” and dropped off at Captain Larry’s (601 E. Fort Ave) as well as Little Havana (1325 Key Hwy). Any donation, be it large or small will help! Please help us make a difference & contribute what you can! This park is a gem and we are lucky to have it at our disposal! HELP REBUILD THE PLAYGROUND – DONATE TODAY!