The Applegater

10 Spring 2018 Applegater BY JANIS MOHR-TIPTON Cantrall Buckley Park news Cantrall Buckley Park in transition No w t h a t Ja c k s o n County Parks has taken over the management of our "gem of the county" park, Cantrall Buckley, you may see, when you visit, a park host, a park r a n g e r, a c o m m u n i t y volunteer, or me. I am the organizer of enhancements and new projects in the park. Before the transition, it was Tom Carstens, the former chair of the Park Committee, who worked hard at managing and improving the park. Now the community and the new Park Enhancement Committee (PEC) have the fun task of envisioning new enhancements and making them happen. e committee is looking for more interested and dedicated members. Volunteers are needed I hope to see lots of community members, local organizations, an d members of PEC as official volunteers at the park. Sign up with me to be part of a group-planned volunteer project or work occasionally as an individual. We need help with some of our enhancement projects: removing invasive species, planting and maintaining special planted areas, and doing some painting. Once you are signed up, volunteer passes will be available when you contribute some time. Organizations can do an Adopt-A-Park project (planned group) on a specific date. I can explain how that program works for Cantrall Buckley and let you know what projects have been approved for 2018. Look at the forms on jacksoncountyor.org/ parks/Adopt-a-Park-Program. PEC's first planned project will be with SOLVE, a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission "to bring Oregonians together to improve our environment and build a legacy of stewardship." On Saturday, March 17, from 9:30 - 11:30 am, we will be cleaning up invasive plants from some planted beds in the lower area near the playground and restroom and replanting with native plants. Sign up at solveoregon.org/project-oregon or email janismohrtipton48@frontier.org. e restroom was finally completed in February, and finishing work has started with stains, paint, and sealants on floors, walls, and detailed portions. Ja c k s o n C o u n t y Pa r k s Pr o g r a m Manager, Steve Lambert, explained that a lot of extra work went into installing doors and making changes to the exterior because the brick used for the building was no longer available. In late January, he said, "I'm glad to have this restroom near completion. It is definitely one of the nicest restrooms in our park system now and something for the community to be proud of." Some of the new features are bright LED lighting in the interior, lighting all around the exterior, a wheelchair-accessible drinking fountain and water-bottle fill station, and a wheelchair-accessible path from the parking area through the playground to the restroom. Benches that were purchased with grant and donor monies are being installed. en volunteers will be needed to assist with preparing landscaped areas, planting, and finishing with bark mulching in early March. Please contact me if you are interested. After school is out, local ceramics artist Jeremy Criswell will resume work on the community mural that we've so patiently waited for. Now it has a wall to go on and should be completed in fall. is will be a perfect time for family involvement in this project. You can see its progress when you visit the playground and park through this summer. Good News. The entrance fee will return to $4 per vehicle, or you can buy a Jackson County Parks seasonal pass for $30, good through December 31, at Ruch Country Store, Blackbird, and other places listed on the Jackson County website at jacksoncountyor.org/parks. For more information or to volunteer for any of our projects (see new projects article on this page), contact me. We need community support to accomplish all that we are doing. My philosophy is "help where it feels right for you," so if you're passionate about a particular project, that's where we can use your help. Janis Mohr-Tipton Park Enhancement Committee Chair 541-846-7501 janismohrtipton48@frontier.com Newly restored restroom at Cantrall Buckley Park. Photo: Steve Lambert, Jackson County Parks. Metal artist Cheryl Garcia (left) and Cantrall Buckley Park Enhancement Committee chair, Janis Mohr-Tipton (right), show off a miniature of Cheryl's mock orange sculpture that will be installed in Cantrall Buckley Park beginning in August. The 12-foot-high sculpture will inaugurate the Art-in-the-Park project. Photo: Tom Carstens. — Cantrall Buckley Park donors — Thank you to all the generous donors to the park! e Park Enhancement Committee would like to acknowledge the many donors and volunteers who make all the Cantrall Buckley Park enhancements a reality for surrounding communities and visitors to enjoy. Solar Renewable Energy Award Pacific Power Blue Sky Award: $89,530 Foundation grants for art, ecological, solar, and education projects Oregon Community Foundation (OCF): $20,000 Carpenter Foundation: $4,000. OCF (Anonymous Donor Fund): $2,000 Legacy Donors ($1,000 or more) for campground RV upgrade Legacy Donors who contribute $1,000 or more will be permanently recognized in park displays. Applegate Valley, Medford, and Central Point volunteers (in-kind donations) Applegate Valley Oregon Vintners Association (AVOVA) Jacksonville-Applegate Rotary Club Rogue Valley Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association Greg and Debbie Schulz, Applegate Valley Other generous donors Applegate Trails Association (in-kind park trail maintenance) Tom Carstens, Applegate Valley Individual competitors of Rat Race Paragliding Competition Bonnie Rinaldi, Ashland Alan Watson, senior, South Medford High School project (in-kind donation) Steven and Priscilla Weaver, Applegate Valley To make contributions to any of our park enhancement projects, send a check to A Greater Applegate, PO Box 335, Jacksonville, OR 97530 and note the project: Campground, Solar, Art, Ecological/Educational, Learning Center, or other enhancements. For more information, contact Janis Mohr-Tipton, Park Enhancement Committee chair, at 541-846-7501 or janismohrtipton48@frontier.com. New projects at Cantrall Buckley Park L e a r n i n g C e n t e r. T h e park residence is being removed i n M a r c h . I n p l a c e o f t h e park residence, we are putting a learning center for school and c o m m u n i t y c l a s s e s a n d p a r k - r e l a t e d m e e t i n g s . A t the community m e e t i n g i n D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 , t h e r e was discussion about the need f o r f u r t h e r e d u c a t i o n a l opportunities in the park. Jackson C o u n t y Pa rk s has approved researching a yurt for the learning center building, and I am researching the size and equipment needs for a successful park classroom. We are beginning to fundraise and hope to complete the project by 2020. Cheryl Garcia Educational Art Walk. Cheryl, a local metal artist, will create large- scale sculptures of local wildflowers and birds, which we'll place throughout the park for a walk or car tour. We'll have educational information about each sculpture and the species represented by it. is will be an ongoing project until the walk is complete. Grant and donations have already provided $15,710 of the $33,000 goal for this first "Art in the Park" project. We will be soliciting funds and artists for additional displays in the park. Cheryl's work can be viewed throughout the Rogue Valley. Solar array with educational component and a sundial. We just received a grant from Blue Sky for a 72-panel array, with shaded classroom seating for studies, educational kiosks, and an interactive sundial art piece. is project, scheduled for completion this year, is in partnership with Jackson County Parks, A Greater Applegate, Oregon Community Foundation, Carpenter Foundation, and True South Solar. Contact Janis Mohr-Tipton at 541-846-7501 or janismohrtipton48@frontier.com for more information or to volunteer for any project.

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