Bogota Beautiful

21-August-2015

    On Wednesday 20-August Bogota Beautiful held their monthly board meeting in the Council Chambers of Bogota Borough Hall. With approximately two dozen citizens in attendance it was the largest gather since its inception two years ago this September.  Long time members joined those who come for the second , or first time. It was a diverse audience ranging for Senior Citizens to Children attending with their Parents. Private Citizens, Politicians, and members from Bogota First Responders came to find out how they can help to continue move Bogota forward.
   The meeting started with Chairperson Amaru Bustamante asking if any of the prospective members would want  to be assume  Active members status.  Being a Active member would include attending the Monthly Board meeting, Volunteering for one, or more of, Bogota Beautiful  projects, and to agree to lead future project. Most members who were asked accepted the position of Full Member. Only  one,Stephen Mazzella of Bogota Blog NJ, recused himself from becoming a member in order to maintain unbiased reporting of the organization.  Bogota Blog NJ, however fully supports Bogota Beautiful with their past, and future projects, and their goals of moving Bogota forward by being a citizen powered organization. Next Mr. Bustamante  said that a positions of  Treasurer & Secretary  are open to anyone interested, and should contact him privately about them.
    Next was a recap  of the current projects Bogota Beautiful  have been working on. Their Olsen Park Yoga has been a success this Summer with a large turnout each Saturday Morning. This will continue for the rest of August with two session left. They are looking to continue past August with either Yoga, or another type of movement class.  The next project they have is a fundraising Barbecue picnic in Olsen Park on Thursday 27-August. This will run from 7:00-9:30p and be at the Picnic Shelter.  As of now they have music being Randall Esulto of 20fifteen Multimedia providing music, and Wayne Sorge of the Bogota Rescue Squad supplying lighting and power. What Bogota Beautiful is now looking for is for 8-10 volunteers to help with  set-up, serving and clean-up  on the day of the event.
   The next big project they are preparing for  is to build a Community Garden along River Rd just South of the World War I monument at W. Ft. Lee Rd.  Bogota Beautiful has obtain permission from the Borough of Bogota to use that land for the Garden. At this time a number of attendees have volunteer to serve on an action committee to start  the planning of this Garden. They will be looking into different aspects and shape the Garden will become. Lay-out, design, planting, and use of space will be looked at with the goal to start in October of 2015. They are also looking into the possibilities of leasing out plots of space to individual  or making one large cooperative space.  Another gardening project is their "Give a Garden" to start in the Spring of 2016. This is being lead by member Joe Gallagher would has used this planting season to work out details with his on planters. The idea is to assist a homeowner who would like to have their own garden. Bogota Beautiful would provide a list of materials and guidance to set-up their own raised bed Garden based on Mr. Gallagher design.
   One future project announced is a Community Potluck dinner.  Bogota Beautiful would work with the Bogota Public Library to host this dinner on Thursday 12- November-2015. This would be a shared fundraiser and gathering  for resident to start the Holiday season. Ideally anyone who would will contribute a dish would have the item reflected part of their ethnic or cultural heritage.  Bogota Beautiful is also continuing their Store Front Galley project along W. Main St. and  they are also accepting any recommendation from residents of Bogota who may  have  an idea to continue to improve and add to living in the Borough.
  For more information  on volunteering for any of these project. To join Bogota Beautiful as a Active, or Prospective member, or to donate to help Bogota Beautiful please visit their website at : http://www.bogotabeautiful.com/ 

            (it is asked that while attending this event you  inform them that you saw it on Bogota Blog NJ)

Joe Gallagher  showing plants & talking about the
"Give a Garden" project

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