CHURCHILL RECREATION BOARD EVENTS

The Churchill Recreation Board (CRB) has had a very busy spring schedule. The traditional BUNNY PARADE visited almost 300 children while touring the neighborhoods of Churchill. Many thanks go out to our volunteers who made it a big success:  Bob Ferry along with Megan and Sam, Felicia Pope, Sharon Pedrotti, Marti Baran, Paul McKenna and his shiny convertible, and Linda Steed, who for many years has hopped along to give many Churchill children happy memories of the Bunny Parade. The CRB usually meets the 4th Monday of each month at 7p.m. in the Yeagle Room. Your participation is welcome.

The FIX-UP BULLOCK PENS PARK DAY saw a light rain dampen the clothes but not the spirits of volunteers Joan & Milt Gottlieb, Betty & Bill Wilson, Sharon Pedrotti, Sue Keane and John and Shelia Mozer, who turned out to work at the park. A bench near the stream was dedicated to the memory of Bill Keane, who was a long time advocate of the park. Since it appeared the rain would continue, the luch was moved to the Borough Building where the volunteers enjoyed good food and good company as the sky cleared, the rain stopped, and the sun brightened the rest of the day. Oh Well, who knew?

  The park is now in good shape if you would like to plan a family picnic or reunion there this summer. It is open each day till dusk with a grill and running water.  (There are no bathroom facilities in the park so "go" before leaving home.) Call the Borough Office to reserve it or just take your chances stopping by there.

This summer perhaps you and your friends can finally plan that BLOCK PARTY. Here a a few basic, helpful hints to get started:

1. Duplicate and distribute a note asking neighbors to be involved in planning it and, if so, which possible dates they can meet to discuss it.

2.Hold the planning meeting to decide the date, the format (Potluck Dinner, grilled hot dogs or burgers, only a desert gathering, etc. Is there a fee to cover food, beverages, paper products, etc? or should attendees furnish them?), the location (Is there a level spot on the street? If not, does someone have a level driveway that could be used? Can the street be blocked off, if it isnt a major thoroughfare*? If the street is too busy, would Bullock Pens Park make a good spot for a daytime block party? If it is a very long street, should it be divided into shorter sections for smaller gatherings?)

3. Make up flyers to distribute to each and every home announcing the date, location and format and asking for an RSVP by a certain date.

4. Meet your neighbors at the block party and enjoy!

[* ASK THE CHURCHILL POLICE FOR PERMISSION TO BLOCK OFF THE STREET. IF OKAYED, THE BOROUGH CAN PROVIDE BARRICADES ON THE FRIDAY BEFORE A WEEEND EVENT, WHICH THE PARTY PLANNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO SET UP AND TAKE DOWN AFTER THE PARTY]

Special thanks go out to volunteers Valerie McDonald Robert, who provided yummy cookies and to Tom  Guerrieri, a Master Gardner, Ilona Tassone, a Real Estate Agent, and richard Seman, a talanted Craftsman, who gave excellent advice on how to increase the CURB APPEAL of homes in Churchill.

Some of that valuable information has been summarized in the article below so that all of you can pick up some ideas and tips on improving the looks of your yard and home. Churchill has a reputation for being the premier place to live in the ease suburbs. If we all do just one thing to make our propertylook even better, that reputation will continue long into the future.

The Churchill Recreation Board (CRB) has had a very busy spring schedule.  The traditional BUNNY PARADE visited almost 300 children while touring the neighborhoods of Churchill.  Many thanks go out to our volunteers who made it a big success:  Bob Ferry along with Megan and Sam, Felicia Pope, Sharon Pedrotti, Marti Baran, Paul McKenna and his shiny convertible, and Linda Steed, who for many years has hopped along to give many Churchill children happy memories of the Bunny Parade.  The CRB usually meets the 4th Monday of each month at 7 pm in the Yagle Room.  Your participation is welcome.

The FIX-UP BULLOCK PENS PARK DAY saw a light rain dampen the clothes but not the spirits of volunteers Joan & Milt Gottlieb, Betty & Bill Wilson, Sharon Pedrotti, Sue Keane, and John & Sheila Mozer, who turned out to work at the park.  A bench near the stream was dedicated to the memory of Bill Keane, who was a long time advocate of the park.  Since it appeared the rain would continue, the lunch was moved to the Borough Building where the volunteers enjoyed good food and good company as the sky cleared, the rain stopped, and the sun brightened the rest of the day.   Oh well, who knew?

The park is now in good shape if you would like to plan a family picnic or reunion there this summer.  It is open each day until dusk with a grill and running water.  (There are no bathroom facilities in the park so “go” before leaving home.)  Call the Borough Office to reserve it or just take your chances stopping by there.

This summer perhaps you and your neighbors can finally plan that BLOCK PARTY.  Here are a few basic, helpful hints to get started:

1.  Duplicate and distribute a note asking neighbors to be involved in planning it and, if so, on which of several possible dates can they meet to discuss it.  2.  Hold the planning meeting to decide the date, the format (Potluck dinner, grilled hot dogs or burgers, only a dessert gathering, etc.  Is there a fee to cover food, beverages, paper products, etc. or should the attendees furnish them?), the location (Is there a level spot on the street?  If not, does someone have a level driveway that could be used?  Can the street be blocked off, if it isn’t a major thoroughfare*?  If the street is too busy, would Bullock Pens Park make a good spot for a daytime Block Party?  If it’s a very long street, should it be divided into shorter sections for smaller gatherings?)  3.  Make up flyers to distributed to each and every home announcing the date, location, and format and asking for a RSVP by a certain date.   4.  Meet your neighbors at the Block Party and enjoy!

[* Ask the Churchill Police for permission to block off the street.  If okayed, the Borough can supply barricades on the Friday before a weekend event, which the party planners are responsible to set up and take down after they party.]

Special thanks go out to volunteers Valerie McDonald Robert, who provided yummy cookies and to Tom Guerreiri, a Master Gardener, Ilona Tassone, a Real Estate Agent, and Richard Seman, a talented Craftsman, who gave excellent advice on how to increase the CURB APPEAL of homes in Churchill.  Some of that valuable information has been summarized in the article below so that all of you can pick up some ideas and tips on improving the looks of your yard and home.  Churchill has a reputation as being the premier place to live in the east suburbs.  If we all do just one thing to make our property look even better, that reputation will continue long into the future.

On May 6th a presentation was given by three knowledgeable Churchill residents, Ilona Tassone, Tom Guerreiri, and Richard Seman offering tips to keep Churchill’s image looking good.  Below is a summary of some of the hints that might be helpful to our residents.

Safety First:

*          Make sure your house number is clearly visible and readable from the street.  That will make it much easier for the Fire Department, EMS’s, Police, or visitors to find you quickly.

*          Cut back hedges, shrubs or overgrown trees that protrude onto the sidewalk or block the view of oncoming cars at intersections and driveways.

Your Front Yard:

*          Plant mostly perennials (to cut down on the work involved over the years), along with a few annuals (to add color).  Native plants are best.  Don’t plant the annuals in a straight row but use curves or circles in arranging them.  Spread their roots a bit before sticking them in the ground. 

*          Observe other neighborhood gardens and demonstration gardens to get ideas on what grows well here

*          Notice what parts of your yard are in full sun, shade, or a combination.  Plants marked to plant in full sun means that they should receive at least 6 hours of sun each day.  Hostas thrive in shade locally.

*          Amend your soil (which has lots of clay here) by mixing it with mulch to cultivate a better garden.  Use Churchill’s “Black Gold” as mulch because it is the best deal in town.  It can be used to mix into the soil or as a ground cover in flower beds or under trees.  [See article on Black Gold for details.]

*          Consider starting a compost pile or collecting rain water in covered barrels to enrich your garden.

*          If you have a lawn, read and follow the directions of any products that you might use on it.  More might not be better.  Milorganite, an organic nitrogen fertilizer, is recommended and should be applied three times a year [around Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving].  Go after those dandelions.  Edge the lawn to give it a manicured look.

*          Don’t let trees and shrubs get too large.  Trees shouldn’t be taller than the house.  If a shrub or a limb snaps on a tree due to winds or weather, just “clean cut” it off but don’t add any sealer to the cut.

*          Avoid invasive plants.  Don’t let them get started because they can take over.

*          Use local resources to answer your gardening questions.  They include:

·         The Master Gardener volunteers at the PSU Extension’s Gardenline  (412) 473 - 2600 or alleghenymg@psu.edu .  Gardenline operates Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April through September.  Calls will be answered weekly October through March.

·         Penn State Cooperative Extension is at allegheny.extension@psu.edu   or (412)  473 – 2600

·         The Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Sandy Feather writes informative gardening article each Saturday.

·         The Organic Gardener’s Doug Oster talks about organic gardening Sunday mornings at 7 am on KDKA radio.  The website is  www.theorganicgardeners.com

·         PA Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources’ website is www.dcnr.state.pa.us

·         PA Native Plant Society’s website is www.pawildflower.org    

The Front of Your House:

*          Maintain your gutters to keep plants from growing in them, which not only looks unsightly but also leads to damaged roofs and leaks indoors.  Keep your soffit and fascia well painted. 

*          Shutters should be kept painted and straight from sags.

*          Your front door should look especially good.  Keep it well painted and either replace the hardware if it’s rusty or pitted or give it some shine.  Solid brass can be soaked in sudsy ammonia, buffed, then spray a coat of protective varnish or lacquer on it.   A door wreath adds much to the appearance.

*          If green mold is on your house or deck, scrub it down with a mixture of 1 part Clorox and 3 parts  

water.  Then rinse it well with a hose to neutralize the Clorox.  Wear protective goggles and gloves when working with this mixture. 

*          If metal railings are rusty, use a wire brush to rub off the rust and dirt, then coat with a rust resistant

            coating or paint.

*          Keep your mailbox looking sharp and upright.  Freshen it with a new coat of paint and be sure the

            number on your mailbox is large and legible. 

*          Make sure your outdoor light is working and has a bulb bright enough to light the walkway or steps.

*          Some resources to give you additional ideas on sprucing up your home or changing paint colors:

·         Home Depot – www.homeimproverclub.com offers “How-to” Video Tutorials, home maintenance emails with tips, and in-store workshops.

·         Lowes – www.lowes.com offers resources, and creative idea projects, plus a plant guide

·         Owens Corning – www.roofing,owenscorning.com/homeowner  offers the “Design EyeQ” to help you visualize your house with different color paints, roofs, trims before painting.

·         CertainTeed – www.certainteed.com/idea-center  offers you means to visualize colors and styles for homes, fencing, decking, and railings.

·         Benjamin Moore – www.benjaminmoore.com – also offers a “Personal Color Viewer” 

Reoccurring Events

Girl Scouts