8/9/2019 March 1999 Friends of White Clay Creek State Park Newsletter

1/3

THE FWCCSP RECORDVOLUME 2 NO.1j1'7I1ACH Ii'i :?SECOND 1'\NNUAL MEETING TOBE AT JUDGE MORRlS ESTATE

The second annual meeting of theFriends of \\!hite Clay Creek State Parkwill be held on March 18th, 1999 at theAndrew Gray House on the Judge MorrisEstate at 7:00 PM. From Newark takeKirkwood Highway to Polly DrummondHill Road. Tum left (heading north).The driveway to the estate isapproximately 0.5 miles on the right. Joinus at 7:00 PM Jo r a dessert social. Duringthis time you will be able to tour thishistoric house. A brief business meetingwill be held at 8:00 PM followed by ourfeatured speaker, Mr. Charles Salicin.,Director of Parks and Recreation for theState of Delaware, who will provide us .avision of the future of \\!hite Clay CreekState Park.FRIENDS TO PLACE DONATEDBENCHES

The project to make and placebenches at selected locations in the parkis moving ahead. The benches will be ofa rustic wood design (see picture),duplicating benches that have been usedfor many years at Hawk MountainSanctuary in PA. For a donation of $100a bench can be named with a small brassplaque, either..m. recegnition-of the donoror in memory of someone. To date, atotal of four benches have been donated.Currently, there is a need for volunteersto participate in making the benches andin placing them in the park. We areaiming to get the first benches ou t byearly Spring.

ADOPT-A-HIGHWAYOn March 6, 1999 10 members ofthe FWCCSP, led by Dee and DickBenl'on picked up trash along Foxden Rd.

This is our designated route in the state'sAdopt-a-Highway program. The rainheld off just long enough to accumulateapprox. 20 bags of trash, 1 tire, 1 heavyplastic tarp and an assortment of car parts(e.g. wiper blades). Thanks to theBensons for orga.'1izing another successfulclean-up and to those that helped: TomHallenbeck, John and Maggie Thomas,Sue Thompson, Laurel Pearson, KyleBottorff, and Mark Keese.CHRISTINA RIVER CLEAN-UP

Mark your calendars!! This year'sChristina River Clean-up will be held onApril 17, 1999 at 8:30 AM. This year theFriends will tackle a special project,completing the clean-up of the largebottle and trash dump along the old cart

8/9/2019 March 1999 Friends of White Clay Creek State Park Newsletter

2/3

road north of Chambers Rock Rd.between Thompson Station Rd. and thecreek. We can use 10-12 people on thisproject and, if more show up, there areother areas that need to be cleaned. Wewill have several pairs of work glovesavailable, but please bring your own if youcan. If you plan on helping with thisproject meet at Chambers Rock Rd.parking lot at 8:30 AM Of t April 17. Wewill car pool to the site due to limitedparking. Clean-up will end at 11:30-12:00;free T-shirt to all those who participate.Please call Mark Keese at 455-1076 and- -infoti1'l.iTirn ofyour intention fO-participate.JOE MAGNUS RESIGNS ASPRESIDENT:

Citing conflicting personal andprofessional demands, our first President,Joe Magnus, officially resigned prior tothe November 20, 1998 meeting. VicePresident Andy Urquhart assumed theduties of President, and the executivecommittee 2gt"eed to leave the position ofVice-President vacant until the election inMarch. We should all take thisopportunity to thank Joe for hisinstrumental role in shaping andorganizing this group through the earlydays. I know I speak for the rest of theexecutive committee in saying, Joe, wewould not be as successful as we are_without your efforts. Thanks, and don'tbe a stranger!CHAIRPERSON FOUND FORPROJECTS COMMITTEE:

Tom Hallenbeck has agreed tobecome our first committee chairperson,heading the important ProjectsCommittee that will oversee and plan allof the Friends projects over the comingyear(s). Please welcome Tom to his newpost and help him out by volunteering to

help with our projects as the year movesforward.MINUTES FROM PREVIOUSMEETINGS:November 20, 1998:

The November meeting ofFWCCSP was called to order at 7:05 PM,acting President Andy Urquhart presiding.In attendance: Mark Keese, Kyle Bottorff,Tom Hallenbeck, John Thomas, Gary andChrista Stefanisko, Steve Mendela andNick McFadden.Kyle reported that there are 66 paidmembers and the treasury contains$595.00.Andy announced the resignation ofpresident Joe Magnus, effectiveimmediately (see article in this newsletter).The rest of the meeting was spentdiscussing on-going projects and plans forupcoming projects. The Make-aDifference Day project to clean up a largebottle and trash dump still needs a lot ofwork. I t was discussed to stage another,larger effort to clean up this dump in thespring (see article on Christina Clean-upthis newsletter). The Adopt-a-Highwayprogram on Foxden Rd. is going wellalthough signs are still not up (Ed. Notestill no t as of March 6, 1999). The TrailWatch program is a priority forrevitalization and expansion in 1999.Christa Stefanisko has agreed to becomethe organizer and will be contacting1998's participants to confirm theirinterest in continuing. The meeting wasadjourned at 8:35 PM.January 21, 1999:

The January meeting of theFWCCSP was called to order at 7:10 PM,

8/9/2019 March 1999 Friends of White Clay Creek State Park Newsletter

3/3

President Andy Urquhart presiding. Inattendance were Kyle Bottorff, SueThompson, AI Thompson, Dee and DickBenson, Phyllis and Frank Rawling, LaurelPearson, Janet Yoder, Ruth Nicholls,Gene Hess, Tom Hallenbeck, Ruth Sams,Mark Keese, Nick McFadden and JudyJeffers.The minutes of the Novembermeeting were approved unanimously.Kyle reported that, with theassistance of Frank Rawling, an audit of

our books was perfonned in December1998 and that nothing out of order wasdiscovered. Currently we have 78members and a budget of $911.00.

Andy announced that, accordingto his research, we meet the requirementsfor 501 C3 t;lX exempt status. Thereforecontributions to the Friends are taxdeductible. We may request an officialdesignation from the IRS but our status asSOlC3 is not contingent on receiving suchdesignation.

Membership renewal will be dueprior to the annual meeting in March.Those members who joined afterOctober 1, 1998 will be exempt from thisyear's membership renewal. Dues willremain at $15 for families, $10 forindividuals, and $5 for students.

'''', '.Andy gave a br ief update ~ thebench project (see accompanying article).Kyle gave a history of ourinvolvement in last year's March for Parksprogram. Since Kyle is unable to organizeit this year, and since the program has lostits national sponsorship, it was agreed thatunless someone steps forward to organizethis year's event, the Friends would no t beinvolved.

The Bensons announced that thenext Adopt-a-Highway clean-up would beheld either February 20 or March 6.I t was announced that theFWCCSP were recognized as outstandingvolunteers at the Annual Awards Banquetfor Parks and Recreation (Delaware).Congratulations to all who made thispossible!The meeting was adjourned at

8:35 PM.Faithfully Submitted,

Mark Keese, SecretaryFWCCSP