CLCA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

Mission Statement
CLCA serves and protects the interests of its members, promotes professionalism, and advances public awareness of the landscape industry.

Chapter Project: 2009
Bracher Elementary School, Santa Clara

2700 Chromite Dr.
Santa Clara 95051
May 2, 2009

By James Walker, Chapter Project Chair

?The CLCA-SFBA 2009 Chapter Project at Bracher Elementary School in Santa Clara was a great success due to the generosity and hard work of several groups of people. First, our chapter's associate members were very generous this year with their material and equipment donations. This year's low-water use teaching garden project was a larger endeavor compared to what our chapter has traditionally undertaken over our many years of philanthropic work. Again, warm appreciation goes out to our associates during a very difficult economic climate. Also, our Chapter Membership showed up early in droves to help, followed by many APLD members and Foothill College students. We also received help from the PTA made up of Bracher parents and their children. Overall, CLCA organized over 95 people to come together and volunteer over 2 short months of preparation time. On the day of the build, our chapter had more than 75 people working together in community, building community. Generations of Bracher Elementary School children will benefit for many years to come. The surrounding community will also benefit from the striking transformation of a busy intersection along a major thoroughfare, from eye sore to stunning (and sustainable) beauty. Allison Olson of APLD, whose son attends the 3rd grade at Bracher, not only designed the garden but also envisioned its purpose and will direct the many planned teaching aspects of the garden. She will work with the YMCA's after school programs at the school to develop an abundance of fun activities for the children. For example, the garden is full of safe and interesting succulents. Allison plans on extensively propagating these and sending them home with the children along with planting directions and care information for their parents. I am sure that Allison, who lives near by, will also ensure that the garden continues to improve every year.

Let me make a special heart-felt expression of praise and respect directed to Allison Olson. Not only did she envision and design the garden so beautifully, she also took a leadership role in making sure all the details were carefully planned and executed. Without hesitation, I would call her my 'unofficial' co-chairman in the 2009 charitable Chapter Project. She is not only sensitive and thorough, she is simply a tenacious leader who delegates and gets things done. When I informed Allison that my goal included getting a little press for CLCA, which is not easy to do, she immediately, without hesitation, threw my request atop her own hopes and visions and, with integrity, forged forward "to get it done". First, she recommended Kathy Ormiston to me for the press releases and then brought in the head of public relations for the school district. Then she made a dozen calls to the press to inspire them to come. The results? We found the Chapter Project on the front page of the SANTA CLARA WEEKLY with another full-page article inside. I wanted a Media Day Garden Opening Celebration, and Allison took that request on as well. It was a great success, with donated food and drink. The Mayor of Santa Clara, Patricia Mahan, spoke along with several other local officials including our own chapter president, Rick Camin. With parents and children looking on, it was a special moment for everyone to share a feeling of gratitude for each other's hard work. We then had guest speakers share their expertise with the group including: Jeff Sheehan speaking on CLCA programs, Fran Adams on native plants, Allison on succulents, Rich Santos from the Santa Clara Valley Water District speaking about, what else, water saving. Earl Boyd of GraniteRock also spoke about 'LEED' and concrete recycling and DG. Finally Terry Lyngso spoke about the benefits of organics and the "living soil". Allison also took a leading role in the making of a banner for the front of the school and designed a remarkable media day program distributed to all the attendees. Finally, she organized thank you emails and sent them out with personalized photos. Thanks again Allison!

Mike Hertzer, Allison's main man in the garden, also went above and beyond to carry a heavy load of work. He and his crew did the initial demo and hauled the concrete to GraniteRock for donated recycling. The next weekend he and his crew built the Calstone donated block walls. Finally he designed the irrigation system. Mike you're awesome!

Also, Linda Garrett, a new member to our association, assisted Allison and myself over and over again. You were born to help others Linda. Thank you.

By 7:30 pm we still had 17 tuckered people finishing up. Dedicated, driven and excited, Sunday Morning at 7:00 am saw Allison, Mike Hertzer, Rick Camin and myself arrive along with a PTA member serving breakfast to us while we rolled the DG and performed the final clean-up and inspection by early morning light.

We wish to thank our suppliers for their generous support!

• Lyngso Garden Materials Inc.
• Calstone
• Granite Rock
• Peninsula Building Materials Co.
• Bobcat West
• Studio Replica
• Ewing Irrigation
• Capitol Wholesale Nursery, Inc.
• Agabay Photography
• Succulent Gardens
• Garden Accents
• Devil Mountain Wholesale Nursery
• John Deere Landscapes
• Association of Professional Landscape Designers
• New Earth Groundcovers Inc.
• The Davey Tree Expert Company
• Dell’s Ivy Acres
• Quality Concrete Pumping
• Peninsula Debris Box

Thanks to the following givers

• Faculty Jeanette Didway
• Family Serena Doneilo & Wade
• Parents: Bob Doneilo, George Sousa, Manuel Vasquez
• Principal Jerry Krumbein
• PTA Members: Candice Steinke, Christina Sousa, Elena Vasquez, Heather Sato, Jeanette Matthew, Karen Bergkamp, Robert Vivas
• Students: Gabrielle Bergkamp, Hillarie Cox, Jesse Matthews, Joel Bergkamp, Matthew Doneilo
• Contractors: Barry Cohen, Bill Buchim, Bob Kirtley, Craig Rapp, Dave Vierra, Greg Dear, James Walker, Jarrod Buchim, Jeff Sheehan, Kevin Burns, Klaus Hertzer, Larry Tranberg, Matthew Mueller, Mike Hertzer, Nate Crosby, Rick Camin, Rick Evans, Scot Hayes, Steve Gill, Tom Ellington
• Crew Members, Landsculpt: Abel, Barion Garrido, Freddy, Jerson, Marlon, Rolando Guerra, Yoalvo
• Crew Members, Maximum Service LS: Alberto Raya, Jonathan Gilchrist, Juan Carlos Velasquez
• Crew Members, Roto: Antonio Rodriguez Hayes
• Crew Members, Modern Landscaping: Armondo Barrera, German Espinosa, Carillo
• Crew Members: Carlos Velasquez
• Crew Members, South Bay: Dagoberto Ramos, Daniel, Javier
• Crew Members, R. A. Kirtley: Ignocio, Jose Ixta
• Crew Members, Camin Landscape: Nicolas Munoz
• Designers: Annabelle Port, Fran Adams, Glenn Hansen, Janet Enright, Julie Orr, Kathy Orminston, Kristin Burnahm, Linda Garrett, Maryanne Quincy, Nancy Shanahan
• Food Donated Patrick Tennant
• Foothill Students: Brandon Stewart, Cecily Gordon, David Lall, Greg, Melanie L Seaman, Rose Wright, Val Vance
• Other: Brandon Rapp, Bryan Rapp, Jacob Leuer, Janie Rigsby, Nicole Moreland, Saemy Codx, Susan Hamilton, Vivian Rapp
• Photographer: Sevtap Agabay-Isik
• Contractor Bob Waterman
• Vendors: Brett and Brian Santos - MMI Equipment, Chris and John Lamos - Studio Replica, Christopher - Ivy Acres, Constance and Jeremy Cook - Boething Treeland Farms, Don Baldocchi - Pacific Nurseries, Earl Boyd - GraniteRock, Erin Gil - Grass Farms, Jess Running - Davey, John - Quality Concrete Pumping, Mark Takeda - Devil Mountain, Matt Morey - Calstone, Michael Vivo - Ewing, Mike Burch - Davey, Patrick Morey - PBM, Rick Sink - John Deere, Rob Leuer - Bamboo Pipeline, Robert Leekley - Capitol Wholesale, Robin - Succulent Gardens, Tom Bressani - Bobcat, Vic Thomas and Terry Lyngso - Lyngso, Whitey - New Earth Nursery, Matt Malone - Sunstate Equipment Co.
• Videographer Leigh Simpson

Opening Ceremony

• Contractor Jeff Sheehan
• Designers: Fran Adams, Kathy Orminston
• CSC: Joe Kornder, Steve Van Dorn, Patricia Mahan
• SCUSD: Steve Stavis, Elise DeYoung, Brad Syth, Mary Kay Going, Kathie Kanavel, Tabitha Kappeler-Hurley, Julianne Topliff, Andrew Ratermann
• Water District: Rich Santos

Questions?
Contact James Walker, Chapter Project Chair at Landsculpt@earthlink.net