In his younger years, Bobby Platt grew up on Second Street and
spent many an afternoon walking through Tilley Grove. He still
frequents the property some five decades later, but nowadays he
brings along his weed whacker and pruning sheers.
Platt is the first Healdsburg resident to join the city’s
Adopt-a-Park Program, a partnership between the city’s parks
department and local volunteers interested in watching over and
maintaining parkland. Platt was already caring for the Tilley
Grove—officially the Nettie Cole Snook Grove—when he heard about
the program and decided to sign up for ongoing responsibility.
“I just have really special memories of it,” said Platt on
Monday. “I’ve lived there for 50 years. I remember walking through
it on Halloween.”
Cleone Snook Tilley donated the land to the city in 1977 “in
memory of her mother”—Nettie Cole Snook. Platt often spoke to
Tilley or her mother about the property and now proudly maintains
it. “It’s a way of honoring her memory for what she’s done,” he
said. “She always said to me how she wanted to leave it in a
natural state. We want to keep it natural, but we don’t want the
blackberries and other stuff to overtake it.”
Matthew Thompson, the Parks Manager for the City of Healdsburg,
hopes that others like Platt will step forward and sign up for the
program. “It’s an opportunity for individuals, businesses or
community groups to tackle maintenance duties that go beyond our
typical landscaping,” he said. “It’s a chance to get involved with
a nearby or favorite park, and to get involved with the
community.”
Thompson said that assignments will vary depending on the
volunteer. “It’s a customizable program,” he said. “The work will
depend on the level of interest, amount of time and skill
level.”
Thompson is hoping for ongoing arrangements. “What we’re really
looking for is consistent behavior,” he said. “We want to deal with
the volunteers on a regular basis.”
Kent Mitchell, a former mayor and current chair of the Parks and
Recreation Commission, said the city’s cash-strapped parks
department would benefit greatly from a strong core of volunteers.
“We need people to come forward,” he said. “We need to communicate
to citizens that we need their time, their talents and even their
donations to help maintain the city’s parks and open space. The
reality is the parks need ongoing maintenance and the city doesn’t
have the funding to do all of it. We need people to step forward as
soon as possible to get this program underway to keep the parks in
ultimate condition.”
By establishing an Adopt-a-Park program, Thompson said the city
will benefit from set recognition programs. In the past, he said
some volunteers have been honored by the city council, but plans
for the new program call for a more public acknowledgement.
Volunteers who spend six months actively participating will be
honored with a sign erected at the site of the work. The
individual, group or business will also be recognized with a
certificate of appreciation from the city.
Thompson said that he’s already had a few citizens step
forward—including Platt—and he hopes more will sign up. For more
information contact Thompson at the city’s park department at
431-3384.
