MVPF Fall Newsletter

Dear Mount Vernon Parks Foundation supporters,

We hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the beautiful fall season. Your continued support and involvement make our community stronger, and we are grateful for all you do to help our beautiful parks and green spaces thrive.

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Volunteers

Getting the job done!

Drainage!

It makes all the difference.

Important Announcements

• New Trails at Little Mountain Park:
  You may have seen our board representatives and volunteers working diligently to add a new climbing trail in the MTB Skills park. Our foundation designed and coordinated with the city to make this possible. Now, beginning riders have greater access to this exciting addition to the lower portion of Little Mountain Park.

• Encouraging Partnerships with Mount Vernon School District:
  We are actively seeking organizations to partner with us to increase access and opportunities for our youth in Skagit County. We have had preliminary discussions about expanding Jefferson Elementary's successful after-school Bike Club to more schools and working with middle school students to get them on bikes and trails. If you are interested in partnering with us to support education, please consider attending a board meeting or reaching out via our website: https://www.mvpf.org/get-involved

Project Completed

Cleveland Park Basketball Court

Check Out The Upgraded Court!

Celebrations from the Summer

• Mount Vernon Parks Foundation Partners with Skagit County Parks:
  We are thrilled to announce that MVPF has coordinated funding and project completion for the renovation of the Cleveland Park basketball court. We encourage you to pick up a basketball and enjoy the newly improved court. Caring for all parks in Mount Vernon is a commitment we proudly uphold!

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Additional Information

Recently, some of our board members had a productive meeting with MVPR Director Jennifer Berner. As a Non-Profit organization supporting city projects, we discussed multiple opportunities to collaborate and maximize our efforts. Director Berner highlighted several exciting improvements made possible through grant awards aimed at addressing deferred maintenance at our parks. Some of the completed projects include:

• Hillcrest Park:

  • Repair swing arm gate

    1. Replace gazebo and shelter roofs

    2. Resurface tennis and pickle ball courts

• Bakerview Park:

  • Repair swing arm gate

    1. Repair skate ramps

• Kiwanis Park:

  • Re-powder coat all picnic tables and trash cans

This is just a glimpse of the extensive list of projects you will soon see MVPR complete around our parks and common spaces. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation in the coming year.

One of the Hillcrest Park shelters with a roof replacement.

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We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support and partnership. Together, we are creating a vibrant and thriving community for generations to enjoy. We look forward to all the great things we will accomplish together in the future!

Warm regards,

Mount Vernon Parks Foundation

Our first orientation meeting

April 12th, 2017. Hillcrest Park, Mount Vernon, WA.

I am writing this while riding the buzz of excitement from our first orientation meeting on trail building practices under the helpful tutelage of James and Sean with the Mount Vernon Parks Department. We met this crisp spring morning to review the assemblage of tools and procedures we will be able to use towards building and maintaining trails at Little Mountain Park. We are moving into a new era of trail building partnership with the city, one which I hope will help us realize the goals set forth in the park master plan in a way which engages our community first hand with the stewardship of one of its greater resources. We had a solid turnout of volunteers – including several experienced local trail builders who have helped get the park’s trails where the are today. We went through the basics of trail and tool safety with James and Sean, from yellow jackets to Pulaski’s, and then had the chance to huddle and share our hopes for the coming work parties before returning to the usual Monday morning routines. The passion for trail building, and for the unique awesomeness that is Little Mountain Park, were as palpable as my cold toes. I am really looking forward to putting shovel to dirt in good company at our first work party April 29th, hope to see you there!