GROVE PLACE ASSOCIATION
May 20, 2001

4:00 PM
General Meeting
YMCA, The Carlson Metro Center

Present:  Officer T. Belcher, J/S Bovay, V. Davidson, L. Garrenton, E. Green, P. Hahn, G. Hyland, B. Keck, D/M Klass, K. Lynch, H/K MacDonald, P/D Moonan, Mystery Attendee, K. Pier, P/S Pineo, S/M Shapiro, ML. Schwartzberg, B.Strasenburgh, E. VanVoorhis, G. Weyerts.

1.      President Sue Bovay welcomed the group. She mentioned that Judy Gregory was out of town and Diane Moonan would pinch hit.

2.      The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.

3.      Elta Green, Grove Place Treasurer, reported that she has collected $1405.00 to date: $750.00 in dues, $300.00 in Beautification contributions and $355.00 for the future acquisition and upkeep of Art in the Neighborhood.

4.      Sue Bovay reported for Roz Goldman that the Bench Competition/Reception Celebration on May 3^rd (noon at the Gleason Auditorium of the downtown Library) was an unqualified success. The talented winners from RIT were: Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez, Kelly MacIntyre and Colette Colwell. Tom Argus, Commissioner for Community Development was present and enthusiastic. The Eastman School of Music has purchased a bench from another of the outstanding young artists in the competition. It will be placed near the sculpture trees across from the Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church on Grove Place. Roz is looking for fresh, creative ideas for the next project, i.e. both possible themes and appeal for grants. Recounting current rewards, Sue spoke of the people-watching pleasures available from the prize-winning bench in front of the Y - and of her encounter with an unreconstructed smoker, happily lighting up on the bench in front of the Downstairs Cabaret.

5.      Marilyn Klass, leader of the Beautification Bunch reported that the 10 Americore “volunteers who weren’t” were more than made up for by Marilyn’s hard-working committee, who dispatched the May cleanup and last week-end’s June planting - cheer led, and fed, by Myra Bunocore. The new Grove Place planters, smartly gold-stenciled through Myra’s efforts, are threading a ribbon of red geraniums throughout the neighborhood. Myra was given special thanks and a real round of applause in absentia. Please reward everyone’s efforts by giving the plants a drink on a regular basis and keeping an interested eye on them.

6.      David Klass volunteered to call the city about weeding and planting the pocket park between Grove and Chestnut.

7.      Marilyn Klass will have updated information on the GPA Neighborhood Garden Competition. Please call her at 262-5068.

8.      Now you see them - now you don’t! John Goldman worked the “Miracle of the Potholes” on Selden Street - overnight.

9.      Mary Lou Schwartzberg has extra copies of the April 2001 GPA Membership List. If you need one and/or wish to give Mary Lou your e-mail address, please call her at 262-3716.

10.  John Lovenheim called in his Captain’s Log filled with “It’s so-John” yarns of engines running amok (or was that into the dock?) on the high seas. As told by the Captain, said engine was later put in the hands of a real engineer -  who coped with both John and the engine and left with many tales to tell. John also reported a new Sector 5 Action Plan and Budget is in the offing. The city is giving a $100,000 grant to each Sector which must then come up with matching funds and suggestions.

11.  Officer Tom Belcher reported on a list of familiar city crimes and misdemeanors. The police want to do a good job and ask that we call 911 if anything is amiss. For crimes “after the fact” (e.g. unfortunately, the Schwartzbergs’ prized/stolen bonsai), please call 311.

12.  In a happier role, it was Officer Tom to the rescue. On Saturday last, Paul and Diane Moonan (mentored by the coolest head on the hill, Karen Noble Brown) followed the Lovenheim garden’s resident Mama Duck and her merry band of eleven (intent on the-river-or-bust), down the steps, through the streets, up and down myriad curbs, through three parking lots (under every car), around blades of grass and towering trees — clucking and scooping and stopping traffic as “way was made for ducklings.” Officer Tom and a young woman from Animal Rescue responded nicely, netted them neatly and drove them back to nature in Durand Eastman Park... where they paddle and play and dream of the city.

13.  Sue Bovay expressed the neighborhood’s appreciation of the plantings along the Gibbs Street side of the Y. They are a pleasure and a major improvement.

14.  Miriam Shapiro introduced Jonathan Davis, late of Springfield, Massachusetts. She recalled interviewing him for his present post as the Executive Director of YMCA Metro and being impressed by his energy and vision, and later by his resourcefulness and abilities. Jonathan is an innovator. He plans for the Y to become a true family center with an emphasis on sports and exercise, while using its founding principles to help shape the Y in Rochester’s future. Jonathan senses the felt needs of the city to be literacy education for its children, daycare, day-long care and after-school programs for its youth. These dreams are already taking shape as was made apparent on our rare guided tour of the building. Great things are a-building in collaboration with ABC and Lewis Street and anyone else who can share his vision. One came away feeling that Jonathan has only just begun.

The meeting adjourned at 5:30 and everyone was invited to a reception at 16 Selden, the home of Bob Keck of groveplace.org fame.

Respectfully submitted,

15.  dmc moonan
surrogate secretary