Bellevue Park Food Swap - May

What happens when people think "green" foods for a food swap? We all get to see the many shades of green that foods can display! Great effort, beautiful results, Swappers! The next Food Swap is scheduled for July 27th! For more information, please see the Facebook Food Swap page.

Swapper Tanya's offerings: Spinach Feta Bread (in bags), Green Goddess Dressing, and Cream of Asparagus Soup.

Swapper Tanya's offerings: Spinach Feta Bread (in bags), Green Goddess Dressing, and Cream of Asparagus Soup.

Swapper Carol's pretty display included Creme de Menthe made from mint growing in her yard and Chili-Lime Salt using dried lime zest.

Swapper Carol's pretty display included Creme de Menthe made from mint growing in her yard and Chili-Lime Salt using dried lime zest.

A Swapper's take home goodies!

A Swapper's take home goodies!

Making the Vue more Belle!

An energetic group of volunteers planted 6 new trees on Bellevue Park reservations On May 7.  Most of the trees were donated by residents in memory of a neighbor. In the words of Rob Ulsh - "making the vue more belle." 

Thank you to volunteer planters:  Kathy Bard, Allen Lengle, Ray Lewis, Ray Everngram , Rich DiStanislao, Pat Buckley, Nancy Graham, Vince Fogarty, Barb Pennell, Mary Warner,  Maurene Krauth and Rob Ulsh.

Spring Cleanup

With sunny skies, 70 degree temperatures, 41 people, lots of enthusiasm, and energy, and lots of tools, especially the augur, we completed many projects.  Check this out!

  • Installed 15 bollards on the perimeter of the reservations.
  • Pruned magnolias on Magnolia Dr.
  • Cleaned up muddy areas at lower end of  Briarcliff Reservation and uncovered 2 large drains in that area.
  • Leveled 3 large piles of dirt on the lower side of Briarcliff Reservation.
  • Raked all beds including Hillside, Briarcliff and Oakwood triangles, raked around holly tree grove and lower curve of Pentwater, and community building areas.
  • Planted pansies, cardinal flower and hay scented ferns and transplanted small white pines.
  • Took down 2 diseased hemlocks. 
  • Wood chipped around our river birches and stone path.
  • Took out to dispose of outdated, damaged signs.
  • Cleaned out the community building garage.

Thank you to all who helped with these projects:  Rich DiStanislao, Mary and Jim Caufield, John and Lisa Arnold, Dave Laughery,  Vince Fogarty,  Jim Hillegrass, Tucker Susskind, Carl Marshall, Vickie Bucher, Sue Ellen Ramer, Rob Ulsh, Pat Buckley, Christine Quimby, Kate Quimby, Ray and Jean Lewis, Emily and Haley High, Seth and Jaydee Clark, Mike Sullivan, Claude Phipps, Elizabeth Johnson, Dan Deibler, Dan Stern, Brenda Barrett, John Kalnasy, Mary Warner, Steve MacDonald, Malea, Lilia, and Dex Haflett, Blair and Ann Kitlinski,Craig, Abby, and Becca Deimler, Carol Lopus, Barbara Pennell.   This is the list of people who signed the worker sheet.  Mike Harper delivered water and Terry Bachman delivered pansies. 

Spring is beautiful in Bellevue Park!!  Let's do it again in the fall,

The Grounds Committee

Spring! Magnolias!

Spring! Catch it before they're gone! If you live in the west end of the Park, take a walk or a spin down Magnolia Drive.

Magnolia Drive, in Bellevue Park. Two blocks of beauty in April! The Cherry Trees are in bloom, too, all over the Park. I love this time of year!


Annual Cabin Fever Soup Party

On January 24, from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Bellevue Park will be holding our annual Cabin Fever Soup Party at the Community Building. All are invited and please bring your favorite soup!

Holiday Party Thank You!

Thank you for your generosity to the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area on Grayson Road, expressed by your gifts and donations at the BP Holiday Party. Here is a list of your donations:

  1. Four dog and cat leashes;
  2. 84 cans of dog and cat food;
  3. Three bags of dog and cat food;
  4. Three large boxes of Milk Bones;
  5. Two bags of dog jerky;
  6. Three jars of peanut butter;
  7. Assorted dog bones, treats, and dog and cat toys;
  8. Five food and water bowls;
  9. A package of cat litter and a disposable litter pan;
  10. Two containers of disinfectant wipes;
  11. One large box of laundry detergent;
  12. Eight towels;
  13. Eight rolls of paper towels;
  14. Box of tall kitchen plastic bags;
  15. One metal bucket;
  16. And...cash and checks amounting to $105.00!!!!

It was quite a haul! Just wanted you to know, and end the year on a warm and fuzzy (literally) note!

THANK YOU BELLEVUE PARK!

A big THANK YOU to all who volunteered to plant the total of 17 trees in Bellevue Park this past week and Saturday.  I feel so fortunate to live in a community where neighbors come together to work for the betterment for all who live here.  It was truly a beautiful day.  As Clark Bucher and I delivered the trees to their planting sites about 7:30 on Saturday morning, we drove over a fresh blanket of yellow Ginko leaves covering Pentwater Road.  Not yet touched by car tires, it was lovely.  As we started our orientation on the tree planting, snow flurries filled the air.  This was followed by a day of sunshine and Bellevue Parkers marching through the streets with shovels in hand to find the next reservation or neighbor with a tree to be planted.  This was just one chapter of Bellevue Park neighbors supporting tree planting in the park.  For years, residents have sought to maintain our tree canopy that makes Bellevue Park such a special place.  To those curious about the green bags around the trees, they are called Gator Bags.  They are filled with 15 gallons of water, which slowly seeps into the ground to water the trees.  Please look out for the protection of our young trees and Gator Bags which will help them grow.

Fall Clean Up Thank You!

A gigantic thank you to the 36 people who joined in to help with fall clean up on this beautiful, crisp, fall morning (October 19, 2014)! 

They are:
Christine Quimby
Dan Lewis
Pat Buckley
Maureen Krauth
Jim Hillegan
Rachel Lewis
Matt Lewis
Lewis's dog, Baxter
Kathie Bard
Vince Fogarty
Tucker Susskind
Carl Marshall
Vickie Bucher
Mike Spangler
Nancy Graham
Kate Quimby
Kate Krusko
John Arnold
Jim Caufield
Carol Lopus
Joy Khohr
Walter Burnham
Dan Deibler
Paul Martz
Malea Haflett
Lilia Haflett
Dex Haflett
Mary Hearn
Joe Hearn
Bob Pennell 
Barbara Pennell
Rich DiStanislao
Ann Kitlinski
Blair Kitlinski
Simon Putt
Scarlet Putt
Elizabeth Johnson
Ray Lewis's truck

Please let Barbara or Carol know if we missed anyone who should be on this list. 

A grateful thank you,

The Grounds Committee

2014 Park Pot Contest Winners Announced!

Pots were judged on the morning of July 21st, and the winners are: Drumroll.....

Best in Show - Vicki Bucher
Judges' Choice - Kathie Bard
Most Artistic - 1st Pat Buckley; 2nd Kate Quimby
Best Use of Color - 1st Barbara Pennell; 2nd Sue Kalnasy
Best Use of Texture - 1st Wanda Heise; 2nd Tucker Susskind
Most Whimsical - 1st Kathleen Bard; 2nd Kelly York
Most Unusual - 1st Terry Bachman; 2nd Carl Marshall
A new category this year - Most Coveted - was won by Carol Lopus, whose pot mysteriously disappeared a week before the judging.
Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all for their efforts to beautify Bellevue Park by planting and displaying their pots. Thanks as well to the two Master Gardeners who spent a morning judging the pots.

Thank you volunteers!

Bellevue Park reservation areas underwent a spring cleaning on Saturday, April 5th, 2014! On your next walk, notice that we shoveled out gravel from the ponds, cleaned up the banks and planted on both sides of Mish Run and the ponds, cut ivy from tree bottoms, cleaned up Pentwater mud gully, cut up branches and limbs in Manning Reservation, lined and stabilized with RR ties along Community Building driveway, cleaned up and planted pansies at Community Building, spread wood chips along pond walking path, cleaned out Hillside and Briarcliff Triangle, and placed limbs on hillsides to help control erosion. 

A special thank you to 29 people who helped.

Kathy Bard 
Dale and Janell Neff
Carl Marshall
Mary Warner
Steve MacDonald
Vince Fogarty
Tucker Susskind
Paul Martz
Christine Quimby
Kate Quimby

Rich De Stanislao
Dan Deibler
Elizabeth Johnston
Pat Buckley
Bob and Barbara Pennell
Carol Lopus
Gretchen Yarnall
Ray Lewis 
Mike Spangler
Dave Dwyer

Joy Knohr 
Simon and Scarlet
Alex Miller
Mike Sullivan
Dave Laughery
Allen Lengle
Terry Bachmann (donated pansies) 
Aaron Carlson (donated coffee from Lil Amps)