Minutes

NEXT BOARD AND COMMUNITY MEETING: ALVA COMMUNITY CENTER, AUGUST 28, 7 P.M.

Present and signed in: John Payne, Lynda Kendrick, Geza Wass De Czege
Zsuzsanna Wass De Czege, Mario Carbonell, Terry Carbonell, Sarah Gillim, David Turnbal, Dave Berry, Fred Johnson, Jarua Davis, Lynn Fensterer, Cheryl Quillen, Robert Quillen. Rob Andrys.

Rob Andrys, President, presided.  Minutes of previous meeting approved.

Financial Report is attached to the minutes. Question was raised concerning invoice from Coastal Engineering.  Consensus concluded that it is appropriate to pay the full amount.

New board members include Terry Caronell, Mary Reed, Gaze Wass de Czege.  Renewing board members are Maria Pagan, Sarah Gillim.  Officers are Rob Andrys, President, Lynda Kendrick, Vice-President, Lynn Fensterer, Treasurer, John Payne, Secretary.  Openings are available for other interested persons.  Please contact Rob Andrys.

Gaze Wass de Czege accepted the leadership of the Conservation 2020 committee.  Jo Ann Fowler will also be asked to participate.  

Two future events discussed:
Possible music and picnic in September or November.  Alva Fire Department will be ask to co-sponsor and possible be in charge of the food.  More planning needed and date yet to be set.
Oct. 4.  Community "Barn Dance" with contra dancing.  Will be a free event for the whole community announced by Lynda Kendrick.  More details later.

Laura Davis reported that she continues to work on the possible sidewalk from the Alva school to the Community park.

The membership committee needs a chairperson.  It was suggested that Mary Reed be contacted and asked to chair the group.  Another reminder was given regarding renewal of memberships as they were due in January.  There was also a discussion of the best way of soliciting new members for the organization.

The Cross Country Race planned for January 4 needs support from ALVA Inc.  It was decided that six members of the Alva community would be on hand to help as needed.   We did not get a volunteer to sit on that committee but will continue to look for a volunteer.

The evening program centered around the BLUE WAYS AND TRAILS STEERING COMMITTEE led by David Barra and Fred Johnson (www, leeparks.org, 461-7474).  This group has received a National Park Service grant to develop possible plans to create green/blue ways trails throughout Lee County and have begun their county wide workshops with our  Alva, Inc.meeting as our group is thought to be further along in planning these than any other part of the county.

They urged involvement in JANUARY 23 - 24 CHARLETTE, AT RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER, FT. MYERS, which will work on developing pathways, blueways and greenways throughout the county.  The also invited interested persons to attend the Bike Path Advisory Council meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 3 pm.  (Contact Dave or Fred for details.)

They presented a preliminary plan drawing  for developing the Alva Wayside Park. The group agreed that a more open plan was needed with a possible gazebo, large sign and holiday tree planted.  Rob Andrys suggested that the plan commemorate the historic cattle trail that runs next to the park that Jake Summerlin used to herd his cattle from the Orlando area down to the docks at Punta Rassa for shipment to Cuba.  We now call that cattle trail State Road 80.  He suggested that the park be called Cracker Park for these trail cowboys.  Lynda suggested that the gazebo possibly be named after Charles Foster and if anyone wanted to donate to that effort it would be a fine thing.

They recorded many suggestions from the group about where bike and equestrian paths should be located in and around the Alva area. These suggestions and the map will be recorded for use in the master Lee County trail map .

A major discussion centered around the Fl. DOT plant to include a bike path on the paved portion of Hy. 80 with no separation from vehicle traffic lanes.  It was agreed that this is dangerous and unnecessary as an adequate right of way had been provided and space is available to separate the bike bath from the traffic lanes.  

We have not yet heard from the DOT as to why the two large oak trees along Broadway were bulldozed when we had been assured that they were on the County R.O.W. and did not interfere with the use of the D.O.T. pond.  A.L.V.A. Inc. will continue to ask for an accounting and replacement of those trees.

Submitted by John Payne, secretary.