SUPPORT  RETURN
OF JACK AND CARL

Contact Mayor Sheehan  (434 5100)
voice  your support for the summer
return of Jack and Carl as caretakers
of Buckingham Pond Park.

Jack and Carl are loyal, hardworkers
who are a valuable asset to the park.

                               Joe Sullivan

RED RIBBON UPDATE

Marked 2  trees at Greenway.
The Red Maple with the red
ribbon around the trunk is dead
and a real hazard to anyone
passing nearby.

The Sugar Maple with two
red ribbons attached only needs
some dead limbs removed.

At Buckingham Pond Park
around the holding pond are
several dead trees that need
to be cut down.

When the city crews get around
to cutting the dead trees/limbs
that have already been marked
the wood should be cut into
fireplace lengths and placed
at several convenient locations
for pick up by neighborhood
residents.

As an alternative the wood
could be chipped and left at
several locations for pick up
by neighborhood residents who
can use the chips as mulch in
their gardens.

Bill Garvey volunteered and
was a good help in marking
trees with red ribbons.

                      Joe Sullivan

                     

RED RIBBONS?

Walk the south side of Buckingham
Pond Park between Homes Dale and
Euclid.

Red ribbons mark:

1. Dead trees/branches that overhang
the footpaths posing a hazard to those
passing below,

2. Vines that should be cut because
the vines strangle/kill  trees,

3. No guard rail at the foot of Lenox.
A runaway vehicle that fails to make
the bend in the road can overshoot
the ridge and drop down on people
and pets walking the footpath below.

Need evidence that this is a risk?
Just look at the bent guard rail
at the foot of Euclid which has
been hit many times by speeding
vehicles which fail to make the 
bend onto Berkshire.

Red ribbons mark two trees
with dead branches that over-
hang Buckingham Dr between
Lenox and Holmes Dale. These
trees/branches pose a hazard
to vehicles passing by.

Enterprising neighbors might
pick up on the red ribbon use
to mark hazardous trees/branches
elsewhere in the park ( like
around the holding pond West
of ther Milner Ave foot bridge).

Red ribbons can also be used
to mark similar hazards on
neighborhood residential
streets.

A few trees on Greenway N/S
need such red ribbon markers.

While walking or jogging in
Buckingham Park take note
of wet paths where water does 
not drain away because 
powdered bluestone flour was
applied. For safety/traction
and drainage - coarse gravel
needs to be applied.

                        Joe Sullivan 

PLANT A TREE/SHRUB

Add to your property value.
Beautify your yard and the
neighborhood. Provide shade
and air conditioning in summer.
A windbreak in winter. Combat
air pollution from vehicle and
home emissions and airborne
road salt.

Albany City has a tree program
 http://www.albanyny.org/Government/Departments/GeneralServices/ForestryServices.aspx

Smaller, inexpensive stock can
be obtained from local county
soil and water conservation
tree/shrub sales.

Albany County SWCD 765 7923
Rensselaer County  271 1740
Schenectady County 399 6980.

Order forms can be obtained
by searching the web for the
various county SWCD tree
shrub sales for 2014.

Stock from these sources come
in bundles of 5 or 10.

Share them with neighbors
or/or plant them in open
spaces such as Buckingham
Pond Park, church/synagogue
grounds, senior housing and
schools.

Mater Christi parish trees
are deteriorating. Now is the
times to plant the next
generation.

The same is true of street
trees along New Scotland
Avenue and other streets
in our neighborhood. 

Plant trees now. Do not
let our neighborhood
become an urban waste land.

Select trees/shrubs that are
suitable for the sites where
you intend to plant them.

Before you dig call 811 or
1 800 962 7002 to avoid
underground utility lines.

                       Joe Sullivan