Present: Jim Dunne, Secretary; Gay Dunne, Joanne Tosti-Vasey, True Fisher, Melady Kehm, Phil Ruth, Julia Kasdorf, Dave Kurtz, Mack Mahan, Joseph Griffin

Jim Dunne opened the meeting when Romayne Naylor, President, proved to be detained on her return trip from Harrisburg. Joanne moved that the Minutes of the previous meeting be accepted as amended. Gay seconded the motion, which passed.

The Treasurer’s report was not offered as Dave Eggler was absent.

Jim announced that he had sent out to BHCA members the dates of the forthcoming Open House and Membership Drive in June at Curtin Village, as announced by the new Board of Directors of the Curtin Foundation. Jeanne announced that a $16,000 grant had been approved by the Convention Bureau for the renovation of the “carriage house” behind the Curtin Mansion to renovate the kitchen for preparing foods for sale again at public events.

Summer Sounds program is set and will be mailed via post card on Monday, May 23.

Sunday Afternoons at the Library program season now is completed, and very successfully.

Victorian Christmas, as pertains to BHCA’s responsibilities, marks a beneficial change. The Arts and Crafts vendors will now be consolidated at the High School location. The YMCA venue will remain active, however, as well, being directly in the center of town.

Julia reported on the poetry Out Loud program held certain Fridays at the Bellefonte Art Museum. The final event of the season is Friday, June 3, 6:30 p.m., earlier than usual to accommodate “Elder Voices in Centre County,” new writing by members of the groups facilitated by Abby Minor.

For the Historic Preservation Committee, Jeanne described as “mission accomplished” the move of the Freight Station to Talleyrand Park, thanks to the major effort of Jim’s masterminding success, conducted in April. Its interior arrangement and transformation to the Kurtz Kayak and Canoe Museum will be organized by Phil, Patrick, Romayne, and Jeanne, in consultation with Dave and Nancy Perkins.

Sally’s HBI Residential Façade Improvement 2016 grant program realized a soft opening at the OHF. The Historic Preservation committee has been asked to partner in the administration of the program.

True reported on the activities of the Talleyrand Park committee. Don Holderman authored a grant proposal for a large award for the restoration of the Spring Creek bank, the pergola which needs renovation, and work on a ramp at the end of the promenade. There is too much wisteria which needs attention as well. Meanwhile, the Garden Club has planted red petunias throughout and created hanging baskets, the latter especially by Wilda Stanfield, a member of the committee and past president of the Bellefonte Garden Club. True also conducted a Penn State OLLI tour of Talleyrand Park for twenty people.

At Joanne’s suggestion, the final BHCA meeting of the season will be a potluck party. The date will be Saturday, June 18. [Held at Nancy Noll’s The Queen] [Subsequently, the guests of honor on June 18 were Marian Bradley, a national board colleague of Joanne Tosti-Vasey, and her partners, prospective buyers of the Gamble Mill.]