QUARTERLY MEETING

November 15, 2011 | PGAdesign Office, Oakland

Mark your calendar for meetings in 2012: February 21, 2012; May 15, 2012; August 21, 2012; November 14, 2012

1. China Camp:

   This is the HALS group's 7th documentation project. Ellen Johnck, who is leading the effort, is seeking members for her volunteer team. Jen de Graaf, Sarah Raube and Cathy Garrett volunteered to support the effort. The boundaries need to be defined and a base plan obtained. Janet will contact State Parks to see if there is material for a base plan. Ellen prepared a letter which Jen circulated. Jen offered to revise the letter and circulate a draft, on HALS letterhead, to the membership for review.

2. Website Hosting:

   Charges are $62 per year and will be reimbursed by funds on hand through the ASLA, our fiscal agent. Cate has renewed for 2 years and is being reimbursed.

3. Berkeley Women's City Club:

   The owners are seeking a photographer. Steven Quinones-Colon has provided a proposal to complete the work. Sarah Gill, who is a granddaughter of Frederick Law Olmsted, has offered a grant in support of the HALS work. The Landmark Heritage Foundation of the Berkeley City Club would like the entire HALS entry to be submitted at one time after the photographs are completed in the spring.

4. Chalet Recreation Field:

   News from Kathy Howard and Chris Pattillo is that the "Beach Chalet Athletic Fields" DEIR is available; comments were to be submitted by December 1. The HALS group agreed to provide a letter requesting that a thorough HALS documentation be completed as a condition of approval.

5. Emerald Towers:

   Chris Pattillo reported that there is a proposed development of a 42-story residential building on the site of the existing Schilling Garden in Oakland, next to Snow Park. The City of Oakland has required HALS documentation of the garden be completed by a qualified historic landscape architect prior to its demolition.

6. News from the Library of Congress:

   Cathy Garrett reported that the LOC will now accept high cotton content vellum as a drawing medium rather than mylar. The mylar has been found to off-gas.

NEW BUSINESS

1. HALS HEROES:

   Since our last meeting several people have shown interest in completing submissions for the Northern California HALS Heroes Challenge. Pam-Anela Messenger offered four projects to document. Fred Reichman, in Southern California, has expressed interest in documenting Rancho Los Alamitos and Matt Bossler, of Colorado, has submitted an entry to document a site in San Francisco. Chris Pattillo led the discussion regarding refinement of the HALS Heroes requirements and is to include a commitment from the applicant to deliver a short form as their application. Additionally the applicants will be asked to provide a drawing sample. Chris offered to amend the submission requirements.

2. Documenting the American Latino Landscape:

   The Northern California HALS Group has developed a challenge based on this year's NPS program to document the American Latino Landscape. The challenge is to complete HALS short forms for all of the California missions. Jennifer volunteered to contact the California Landscape and Garden History Society to suggest teaming up so that we can record all 21 of them.

   The NPS is currently considering 44 sites under the Cesar Chavez resource study as part of their effort to document the American Latino Landscape.

   The due date for submissions is July 31, 2012.

3. Email Group Issues:

   Janet Gracyk offered to obtain the Group email password from Melissa and follow up with Cate Bainton on outstanding questions of monitoring the HALS Group accounts. The current status is Fredrica Drotos is monitoring the website e-mail account. It appears that e-group owner's e-mail account is not currently monitored.

4. A Summary of HALS Specific Talks Recently Given:

   Sharing of information and promotion of HALS is part of the charge for HALS liaisons. A summary of recent activities includes:

   1. At the TCLF "What's Out There" weekend in October 2011.
   2. "Documenting Our Heritage: 3 lenses for understanding our historic designed landscape" at the ASLA conference by Courtney Spearman, Nancy Slade, and Chris Pattillo.
   3. A presentation about HALS for ASLA chapter presidents at the ASLA conference by Chris Pattillo. This would be a useful talk to present every other year to chapter presidents.
   4. "Historic Landscapes and HALS Documentation" at CPF workshop by Cathy Garrett.
   5. At the ASLA annual meeting, the Historic Preservation Professional Practice Group meeting discussed the Sites Program of the ASLA and a concern that it does not contain a historic preservation component.
   6. National HALS meeting - states are invited to share their current work. Oklahoma is producing beautiful and informative documents.
   7. Ahead in 2012 the California Preservation Foundation conference is to be held in Oakland under the title: "Old Roots, New Growth - Cultivating Communities"

5. Holland Prize Winner Cate Bainton:

   Cate Bainton's recent Honorable Mention for her Fleming Garden HALS documentation was toasted.

6. NAOP Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. Symposium 2013:

   The National Association of Olmsted Parks, based in Washington DC, is preparing to hold two symposia. The first will be in Washington in 2012, the second in Los Angeles in 2013. The topic will focus on the much overlooked work of Frederick Law Olmsted, Junior

7. Assessment of Membership:

   There is a goal to engage people in our activities, as recently meetings have been relatively sparsely attended. Engaging activities include the new Mission Challenge drawing involvement from people who have not previously participated and continuing to hold meetings in interesting venues. Possibly setting alternative days of the week to meet was discussed.

8. Leadership Transfer:

   The relatively new approach to leadership (1 year as minutes secretary followed by 1 year as chair, followed by 1 year as past-chair/venue organizer) is proving to those who have been chair that more time in the leadership position is desired and warranted. Chairs have felt that 1 year is too short to achieve one's goals.