Jackson Pathfinders Monthly Meeting                                December Meeting Minutes   (final)

The monthly meeting was held on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 8:00 PM at 209 West Veterans Highway, Jackson. 
Dawn Rakow, Vice Chairman presided. Members present were Karen Borga, Recording Secretary,  Jim Doyle, Ronnie Bruchez, Leo Kissling, Jr., Bernadette Gill, Roger Downing, Barbara and Steve Usack.

Refreshments were enjoyed by all during the meeting.  

The November minutes were circulated and approved.  

2003 Officers elections resulted in the following appointments:

Treasurer, Tom Stevens (absent) submitted the 2003 proposed budget totaling $5,000.00.  The group unanimously approved Tom's proposed budget.    2003 requested amounts are as follows: 

Corresponding Secretary, Sarah Ralston was absent.  No letters were written since Pathfinders last meeting. Leo Kissling received a thank you card for talking at a recent meeting from Cub Scout Pack 204 that was read to the group.  A holiday card from the American Hiking Society was circulated.  The November/December issue of Trail Walker (the official publication of the NY-NJ Trail Conference) was circulated.  A copy of the Jackson Township revised smoking policy/ordinance 51-02 was also circulated.  This revised policy prohibits smoking at all times in and on all publicly owned buildings and property including all park and recreational facilities.

Membership: Barbara Usack has received several on-line membership inquiries through the Pathfinders website. Dawn and Karen discussed how to follow up with these inquiries. Go to  http://www.jacksonpathfinders.org/pages/inquiryform.htm  to send Barbara your information.

Wildlife Preservation: Tony Santa Maria (absent) submitted the following report:  Seasons Greetings.  A barred owl nest box has been installed on the property of Mike & Kim Venezia.  Mike and Kim have also provided me with enough telephone pole sections to construct three more benches.  A materials request has been submitted to the Forestry Resource Education Center for the bench tops.  I am in the process of arranging for several key personnel from the Forestry Center to visit the NJCF Frank Applegate Nature Trail in an effort to boost their support for my requests.  Up until now, they have never actually seen any of the results of their donations.  They said they would be very interested in joining me for an outing sometime this month.  
    Once again, (and hopefully with better results) I am putting out a call to all interested parties who may be able to assist in the monitoring and maintenance of all previously installed nest boxes.  Perhaps this request could be posted on the Pathfinders website as a heads up to all members and scout troops in need of a project.  
    Tom Stevens and I had to anchor the bridge and boardwalk at the back of the NJCF Frank Applegate Nature Trail due to both being washed away by the rising current.  We secured with pipe the bridge and boardwalk using large C clamps creating a floating method that will vary as the water depth changes.  I am happy to report that our efforts are a success and that both were floating and remained anchored as anticipated when I recently visited the site. 
    I have acquired three red cedar tree sections that will be used to make the mile markers.  Tom and I will be installing them as soon as I can fabricate the sign faces to attach to the posts.

Biking: Ronnie Bruchez explained to the group that he received permission from the Jackson Township Board of Education to use the Howard Johnson Grammar School parking lot during the April 26, 2003 bike ride.  The group decided to make the bike ride a food pantry fundraiser.  Dawn Rakow volunteered to contact the Jackson Women of Today to begin coordinating all food donation efforts. Karen Borga volunteered to contact the township committee for their approval.  Barbara Usack volunteered to make up a flyer for the bike ride.

Hiking: Jim Doyle reported there was no hiking activity since the last meeting.

Boy Scout Projects: Leo Kissling, Jr. discussed the possibility of trying another engineer to sign off on the bridge plans for the stream encroachment permit.  Frank Peterson's scout project is on hold until Pathfinders or NJCF get the permit approved.  The inclement weather lately has hindered scout projects.

Website:  www.jacksonpathfinders.org  George Nebel and Fred Gan (absent) submitted the following report.   The home page scroll and calendar are constantly updated as well as additions of photos from recent events. Pathfinders website now has an on-line membership form that is up and running.   http://www.jacksonpathfinders.org/pages/inquiryform.htm  The membership form information goes directly to Barbara Usack.  Barbara Usack has been helpful creating flyers for handouts that are then posted to the website.  Barbara made up the flyer for the trail work days and also the "Holiday Social" page.  The meeting minutes are current and on the website.  The previous month's draft copy of the meeting minutes is being posted.  During the meeting a discussion took place questioning how Pathfinders website is being "backed up" by George or Fred. 

Frank Applegate Nature Trail: The last trail work day was cancelled to due snow cover.  Leo Kissling, Jr. volunteered to spread the word and make signs = free woodchips / compost.  Karen Borga volunteered to contact Sergio in Public Works and ask for a crew to move another load of woodchips down the trail.    Leo and Dawn are moving forward getting the wildlife identification signs ordered.  Ronnie Bruchez pointed out that now is deer hunting season. Karen Borga volunteered to contact Lisa MacCollum of NJCF asking for no hunting signs be posted at the entrance and along the trail.  Sunday, January 19 was chosen as the first trail work day of the new year with the usual time of 9:30 am - 2:00 pm.  Leo suggested contacting members who recently volunteered to help move woodchips with a quad and a trailer.

Grants: Dawn Rakow reported there has been no grants activity since the last meeting.

Land Acquisition: Karen Borga reported that she had contacted Andy Strauss.  Andy volunteered to come and speak with Pathfinders during our March 20, 2003 meeting.   The group discussed a recent newspaper article regarding Jackson Township acquiring 800 acres of open space.  A recreation center may be planned on a portion of these 800 acres.

Publicity: Roger Downing has volunteered to be chairman of the publicity committee.  Roger also volunteered to start a quarterly newsletter that Pathfinders will be mailing as well as posting on the website.  Roger also volunteered to help promote Pathfinders events with the newspapers.

The next monthly meeting is scheduled for January 16, 2003.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:15 pm.
Submitted by Karen Borga, Recording Secretary