GROW OUR GARDEN GROUP
MONTHLY BOARD MEETING
August 19, 2025
Minutes
Mary called the meeting to order at 6:00pm.
Present: Mary Gollakner, Colleen Weinert, Bonnie Rochefort, Sue Lawrence, Gordy Lownds, Jen Szydlik, Polly Belcher
Secretary's Report: Minutes of the previous meeting had been accepted as written. Polly has been unable to post the minutes from the last 2 meetings on the website.
Treasurer's Report: Current balance is $5609.30. The group thanked Sue Lawrence and Mark Gulow for their generous gifts.
Old Business
1) Flower boxes, hanging flower brackets, tree/flower watering, weeding tree enclosures, memorial plaques.
The hydrangeas need to be pruned to have them generate more blooms. Per Gordy it needs to be done correctly, and he is experienced so he will take care of it. A suggestion was made to take white wraps off of the trunks. Per Gordy the wrap should stay on the bottom. He will work together with Mary to take care of it. The tree enclosures need weed whacking. Mary and Sue L will look into taking care of it.
Jen S reported that the battery charge for the water pump only lasts about an hour. A motion was made and seconded to buy a new battery. The motion passed unanimously. The trailer also needs a new tire. There was a discussion regarding whether to buy a new tire or have Jerry put a new tube in the old one instead to save money. Mary will purchase a deep cycle battery and ask Jerry about the tire.
The lawn has not been getting mowed on the street side of the trees on the west side of the road by the Mini Mart. Mary will check with Tiffany about mowing.
Sarah Allison needs to do some more memorial plaques.
Sue Lawrence helped move a flower box that was getting banged around in its location. It is now over by the bridge and looks fine. She also cleaned up the area around the Garden Village sign.
2) Banners, brackets, signs.
All agreed that the new banners look great. Michael Lownds will be taking the banners down end-September or early October, and Sue L and Mark Gulow will assist. A motion was made and seconded to gift the banners to the Village of Garden. The motion passed unanimously
3) Fall Festival Updates - music, rock painting, raffle baskets, children’s games, cake walk, cider press, chili, pickleball, cornhole, hayrides.
Musicians are on board and are ok to play as late as 9pm.
Mary & Colleen are going to start buying supplies.
Several members have raffle baskets in the works. GOGG will cover up to $25 per basket/contents. Jen S has a gardening basket. Mary is doing a bird basket, and a coffee basket. She will check with The Grove regarding a donation for the coffee basket. A suggestion was made for a cooler with beer in it. Mary will check with LaTulip for a beer donation. Bonnie is planning a pasta basket and will ask the Italian restaurant in Escanaba for a donation. Polly has a children’s book basket with a $20 gift certificate from The Mill in Manistique, and a fire-starter basket with smores fixings. Kiki has offered to donate a gift certificate from Stony Point. Allison may be donating a massage again. Mary will contact Larry about donating whitefish. A decision was made to have the next monthly meeting a week early, on September 9th, and for everyone to bring their baskets. Sue L will buy basket grasses and plastic sleeves for finishing them. Jen agreed to sell raffle tickets at the festival. She will see if she can get someone to help her, but is leaving in a week to go back to work.
Nancy Ranguette will be running the children’s games. Hopefully we can get young people to assist. Colleen noted that students from the National Honor Society need to do volunteer work.
Sue Mueller will be doing the cake walk again. She will do 2 sessions, assuming that there are enough donations of baked goods. Last year Jena & Winston loaned us their canopy tent. Per Bonnie we need 3 canopy tents for the festival.
We need to solicit chili judges. Suggestions were made – Steve Minor, his son in-law, and Bruce Rochefort. There was a brief discussion regarding prizes and whether to use ribbons or certificates. We will go with 3 prizes like we did last year, for $10/$25/$50. Bonnie paid for the prizes last year but her money will be going to baskets this year.
There will be cornhole again.
Craig Putvin will be doing the hayrides. Mary will look into getting bales for the wagon.
Other items: Bonnie & Colleen got corn stalks last year. Jenna Silkworth will be too busy for doing wood carving. Tee shirts will have to wait until next year.
Note: There will be a retirement party in Garden from 5pm until close on the day of the festival. There was a brief discussion about it, but no changes were made in plans.
4) Shed repair/painting. Bonnie had talked to Jeff, who said Charlie would do it but he hasn’t gotten back from out of town.
5) Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup Schedule for 2025
Fall September 20-28
The fall session starts on the day of the festival. Polly and Dan will not pick specific dates for cleanup until it gets closer to the date, since weather is always a factor.
New Business
Lights around the big chair and ground lights by the village sign. Gordy will put up a solar light by the village sign. We need to check into appropriate lights for the chair since people like to climb on it to have their pictures taken.
Gazebo move report. The gazebo has been moved to the park. Danny Lester will be power-washing the gazebo. We still need access to water, however. The benches and chairs will be kept inside for now. The steps are broken, and ideally there needs to be a ramp for handicapped access. Gordy will work on a ramp. The gazebo needs to be skirted to prevent skunks from getting under it. It was agreed that we should get a Miller plaque for the gazebo to thank them for the donation.
Weed whacking by trees north of Garden – see above.
Possible face painting. Mary will check into having someone organize that.
Recreate the photos. There had been some discussion at a previous meeting about having people recreate a photo from the past. Jen S was going to organize it, but does not have enough time. Maybe next year.
Design and advertise for the Harvest Festival. We need to advertise more. Jena Priebe is already working on a flyer, 11X14. A suggestion had been made for a second flyer using a blue chair logo. Mary will let Jena know what to put on the flyer for the Advisor ad. We will have an ad running in the Advisor the weeks of the 8th and 15th. The cost is $130.00.