Fire Station 6 construction is well under way! Check out this Facebook Live short clip and get up to date on the station’s progress!
Category: Costa Mesa
Board of Directors Update, August 25, 2017
Wednesday, August 16, the Mesa Verde Community Inc. Board of Directors underwent a few changes.
Nearly 20-year Board Member Cindy Brenneman announced it would be her last meeting, that it was time for her to resign but promised not to be a stranger. Cindy is a past President of MVCI and a true servant of the community. We wish you all the best, Cindy!
The Board of Directors of Mesa Verde Community, Inc. is pleased to announce Bob Juneman is the new President of MVCI. Bob says “I believe Mesa Verde is a wonderful place to live, and I hope all our members will join with us to make it even better”.
Bob moved to Mesa Verde in 2004, joined Mesa Verde Community, Inc. and was elected to the Board of MVCI by the General membership in 2016. MVCI Board Members appreciate his willingness to serve our community and recognize his dedication to the mission of MVCI, his leadership abilities and geniality. Thank you and congratulations, Bob!
The Board also welcomes 40 year Mesa Verde resident Dean Marxer, appointed to fill a vacancy when a board member moved away. Dean will serve until the Annual Election General Meeting, at which time he can stand for election by the members in attendance.
The mission of MVCI is “To Inform, Protect and Beautify Mesa Verde” Per MVCI Bylaws the general membership votes for Board Members at the MVCI annual meeting. At a subsequent Board meeting the Board elects officers willing to serve in the various positions. When there is a vacancy on the Board, a member can be appointed to fill the position until the next Election Meeting.
The current Board consists of President Bob Juneman, Vice President Robin Leffler, Secretary Virginia Vargas, Treasurer Carri Lang, and Members at Large Arlene Jones, Billy Partnoff, John Leffler, and Dean Marxer.
Handy Tricks & Tips — A New MVCI Website Feature
FIRST ISSUE – GARDEN FUN! Attract more hummingbirds, plant water-wise flowers they love!
WATER-WISE FLOWERS HUMMINGBIRDS ADORE
Hummers love Salvia (sage). A few easy ones:
- Salvia clevelandia, lavender-blue flowers, 4 ft tall and wide.
- Salvia leucantha (Mexican sage), rose violet, velvety leaves, prolific bloomer. 3-4 ft tall and wide.
- Salvia greggii (Autumn sage), red, pink, white and coral, several varieties, about 3x3ft. In bloom right now (June- August) on the Mesa Verde Drive medians!
- Salvia spathecea (Hummingbird sage), A shade lover, needs full or part shade. Rose red flowers, 2-3ft tall, 3ft wide.
Other hummingbird favorites:
- Mimulus cardinalis (Monkey Flower), scarlet red, and aurantiacus, yellow/orange, also called Sticky monkey flower.
- Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) Pink, blue, purple and “Black Knight”, a purple so deep it is almost black. Grows 6′-7′ or more, there are also dwarf varieties. (Butterflies also love it!)
- Leonotis (Lions Tail), orange flowers, 4′ tall.
- Zauschneria (California Fuchsia). Small tubular purple-tipped red flowers. Low, loose mound.
- Agastache (hummingbird mint, hyssop) Rose-red, pink, and violet flowers, a variety of foliage types, low to medium height.
- Callistemon (bottlebrush), Not just your grandma’s Bottlebrush tree! Many new varieties, colors and sizes.
GENERAL ADVICE: All the above like full sun unless noted, and require well-drained soil. Most need regular water the first season, then do well with water only twice a month. Some benefit from occasional pruning. Check with your local Nursery or landscape professional for availability, planting advice, growth habits, care and water needs.
No green thumb? No room? No problem! There’s always the good old hummingbird feeder. Here’s a new trick: A friend got some sugar at the 99c store that was tan, like turbinado sugar. She mixed it up and the feeder was mobbed. It disappeared twice as fast as ordinary sugar water! Recipe: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Stir or shake until dissolved. Keep feeder clean to prevent toxic fungus build-up.
Contributed by Robin Leffler, MVCI Board Member
Water-Wise Gardens List — an update
Several lovely non-thirsty gardens have been nominated and we are in the process of contacting owners for permission to include them on the list. Please check back mid-August for a list of gardens for your drive-by viewing pleasure! There’s still time to nominate yours or good ones in your neighborhood.
June Newsletter
Click the link below to see our most recent newsletter!
Water-wise gardens: Nominate the best in your neighborhood!
The Water-wise garden tour is not a contest or a conventional tour. It’s a list of local low-water gardens to inspire neighbors. Addresses entered here will be confidential until permission is granted and details are ready. Nominate your own garden or those of neighbors by entering address(es) below. Nominees will receive a letter asking if it’s OK to include their garden. Viewers will be strongly advised to enjoy the gardens from the street or sidewalk and to keep off private property!
More information will be available in late July, get ready to enjoy some interesting, creative landscapes.
Nominate your favorite gardens below. If you are the owner, please say so.
Note: Names and addresses are kept confidential and will be used for no other purposes than this activity.
The Tanager Park Tale — Updated Summary
BACKGROUND: In April 2017 some buzz started about possible plans for a public swimming pool and big parking lots at Tanager Park. Neighbors were alarmed when a site map appeared in the “Updated Open Space Master Plan of Parks and Recreation” prepared by a consultant to the City. The report would be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) on April 27. City Staff recommended approval of the report and all the projects it contained.
Tanager Park neighbors got organized, got educated on the issue, held a neighborhood planning meeting, met with the Chairman of the Parks Commission, circulated a petition. A neighbor came to a Mesa Verde Community, Inc. board meeting and shared their concern. As a result, the MVCI Board of Directors voted to send a letter to the PRC in support of leaving the park alone.
UPDATE: Because of the neighbors’ organized and articulate response, the PRC voted 5-0 to remove every reference to an aquatic facility at Tanager Park before the report was forwarded to the City Council for final approval.
It was a good night for the neighborhood! The Tanager Neighbors did a fantastic job, and Mesa Verde Inc. was privileged to help them by sending a letter .
Robin Leffler, MVCI Government Relations Chair
Great News from MVCI President, Robin Leffler!
Update on the Tanager Tale- All mention of Tanager Park as an “opportunity site” for an aquatic facility had already been removed from the report. In fact all the other “opportunity sites” were removed as well. The Parks and Recreation Commission voted 5-0 to recommend the revised report to the City Council. As soon as that was done, the commissioners had a few things they wanted to include or change. Commissioner Liz McNabb moved that the addition of 2 tennis courts slated for 2020 also be completely removed. That passed 5-0 as well.
It was a good night for the neighborhood! You guys did a fantastic job-
Robin
Newport Mesa Unified School District Board Meeting
Discussion of term limits will be on the agenda Tuesday June 16th, 2017 (http://newportmesa.agendaonline.net/public/) at the Newport Mesa Unified School District board meeting. This issue has been hotly debated for several years and was a topic of interest in this most recent school board election. We would like to encourage the public to attend this meeting and voice their opinions. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. sharp and public comments should be near the beginning of the meeting.
The agenda will be posted to the Newport Mesa Unified School District website the Friday before the meeting.
The meeting will be held at 6 PM, 2985 Bear St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
MVCI Membership Application
Good news! An application form for membership in Mesa Verde Community, Inc. has been created and can be accessed via the link below. This is a “fillable” PDF form and if using a computer to complete the application, you just have to download the form and tab to the appropriate box to make an entry. Place an “X” in the boxes on the left side of the form. If you are not using a computer, just fill in the application by hand. Print (using either method) and return the completed form, along with your check to the address at the bottom of the document.
Long term, we will have a fillable form on the website, connected to a PayPal account, but in the meantime, we want to be responsive to the many neighbors who have expressed a desire to join (or renew) their membership.
Mesa Verde Community, Inc. 