A legacy for Walnut Park

The story of Walnut Park, originally known as D Street Plaza, goes back to 1873, when the first women’s service club in Petaluma, the Ladies Improvement Club, advocated for a safe children’s park. Those original advocates, led by Addie Atwater, entrusted it to our city, stipulating that it be kept safe and remain a children’s park and community gathering place.

Over the years, service clubs have faithfully kept the promise of a safe park. A bandstand was built in 1927 by the Host Lions Club, and Petaluma Rotary built the children’s playground. A recent coalition of seven service clubs, the Petaluma Service Alliance, has made improvements to landscaping and thanks to Dustin O’Brien Painting, have painted all the benches and tables

Last year, the city received many calls from seniors, families with strollers and veterans about hazardous walkways in Walnut Park. It just seemed a natural for the service clubs to carry on an honored tradition of protecting our hometown treasure. The alliance decided to tackle improvements for safe paths. We have reached out to businesses and the community, and are close to reaching the $122,000 goal for this successful restoration project. We have just $ 10,000 left to raise.

The alliance represents 1,300 members of Petaluma Elks Lodge 901, Petaluma Kiwanis, Petaluma 7-11 Lions, Petaluma Host Lions, Petaluma Valley Rotary, Petaluma Rotary Club and Petaluma Sunrise Rotary. Working together, they are accomplishing this and other projects no single club could attempt on its own.

Heavy construction machinery began tearing out the crumbling asphalt paths on Jan. 5, to be replaced with durable, long-lasting concrete. Friedman’s Home Improvement launched our fundraising effort. Their donation includes below-cost materials, plus four years of maintenance. In addition, a classic 8-foot granite obelisk and stainless steel Peace Pole, donated by Marble World and J&M Precision Metal, will be installed near the bandstand.

This is happening, thanks to our generous community who offer funds or in-kind services to preserve the downtown gathering place for years to come.

With your help, a revitalized Walnut Park will be enjoyed by future generations. You can step forward to purchase an engraved commemorative brick in honor of a loved one, a veteran or a special achievement or event (perhaps a marriage date). The bricks will encircle the historic bandstand, and are available in three sizes, from $100 to $300. A brick order form can be downloaded at petalumavalleyrotary.org.

Donations of $500 or more will be acknowledged by engraving a family or business name on a plaque that will be mounted on a large boulder in the park. Your family’s biography and photograph will be permanently entered into the historical records of Petaluma Historical Library and Museum, and you’ll have an 8-square-inch commemorative brick placed around the bandstand.

We’d like to recognize out project partners: Friedman’s Home Improvement; Mitch and Barbara Lind; Gary and Lynn Imm; North Bay Association Of Realtors – Petaluma Chapter; Pat and Toby Herfindal; Leon and Peggy Sharyon; the Pottorff Family; Pisenti and Brinker LLP; V Dolan Trucking; Adobe Associates Inc.; Nelson Construction; Jeff England Construction; the City of Petaluma and many other generous supporters who have taken this project to heart and offered their support.

Any member of the Petaluma Service Alliance can point you in the best way to help. Or contact Maureen Frances at 769-0145 or email: mo_irish@msn.com or Bill Fishman at William.fishman@gmail.com.

(Maureen Frances and Bill Fishman are members of the Petaluma Service Alliance)