Kelly Punteney has spent the last few years slowly improving the Jane Weber Evergreen Arboretum, a historic property that rolls from Old Evergreen Highway down to the Columbia River. It’s been an uphill battle, Punteney has said, toward his ultimate goal of getting the 7-acre oasis adopted by the city of Vancouver as a public park.
That’s still a pipe dream, but Punteney just got a great Christmas gift: $5,000 toward building and caring for the themed gardens that the retired Vancouver parks planner and state parks commissioner has been dreaming about for years.
The donation from the Vancouver Women’s Club passed through the Parks Foundation, a nonprofit agency that collects, invests and distributes tax-deductible donations for parks and recreation properties and programs throughout Clark County. Foundation grants have provided everything from swim-lesson scholarships for needy kids to playgrounds and skate parks in towns that couldn’t afford them otherwise.
Now, this $5,000 gift from the Women’s Club will help Punteney realize one of his favorite schemes: the Path of Heroines, a series of themed gardens and rock walls honoring local women who have been important leaders or otherwise made a difference in our community. The Path of Heroines will follow the stream that meanders the length of the property.
While each garden will have a distinct personality, the consistent theme will be women as heroes.
“There are many strong women who have lived here, raised families, worked jobs, built businesses and contributed in countless ways to the vitality of this community,” Punteney said. “We want to keep their stories alive and inspire future generations.”
Several tributes are already in the ground here. The Florence B. Wager memorial bench, honoring the late community activist and Clark County First Citizen, overlooks the stream near the northern property line.
Marie Day, a longtime resident and government worker, is recognized with a commemorative rock bench and a 50-year-old southern magnolia witness tree.
Another witness tree is dedicated to former Vancouver city councilor Jean Norwood.
You might even say that the whole arboretum property is a memorial tribute. Originally the property of settler John Stanger, who built the house that still stands halfway down the slope in 1867, the land was purchased by Dr. Vinson Weber, a dentist and teacher, and his wife Jane, a teacher with Vancouver Public Schools, in the 1950s.
After Jane Weber died in 1974, Vinson Weber donated the site to Clark College. To make sure it was never sold and redeveloped, he had himself and Jane buried on the grounds. You can visit them there today.
Even better, Punteney hopes more volunteers will help with the garden project and other site needs. Groups that want to take on labor are welcome, and so of course are more groups like the Vancouver Women’s Club that want to make donations.
For more information, contact Punteney at kellypunteney@comcast.net or 360-921-8374.
The Weber arboretum — which is still the property of the Clark College Foundation — is open for visits during the day at 9215 S.E. Evergreen Highway, Vancouver.
