By Mary Thurwachter
Full of enthusiasm and armed with chocolate, Denise “Dee” Treinen convened a meeting of the minds on the Lantana Nature Preserve on Jan. 20.
After business folks, town officials and members of the Lantana Nature Preserve Commission and Friends of the Lantana Nature Preserve filled the Town Council chambers, Treinen cranked up her Power Point, gave chocolate to guests as she introduced them, and outlined a few ideas she said could help the preserve and the community grow.
The Nature Preserve, a coastal hammock between The Carlisle senior living facility on East Ocean Avenue and the Intracoastal Waterway, is well-suited for educational programs and art shows, Treinen, a volunteer at the preserve, said.
Other suggestions included recruiting local Boy Scouts to clean up the park, creating a more walkable path for the elderly, and adding new signs.
Treinen, who has a marketing background, discovered the Nature Preserve when she moved to town nine years ago. She said too many people don’t know it exists.
“I just had a light bulb shine and realized that all should benefit from this wondrous gem,” she said. “I realized that this was my new passion and a way to leave a legacy and give back to our wondrous community.”
The purpose of the meeting, she said, “was to unify the community, individuals, business owners and organizations who are interested in and believe that the Lantana Nature Preserve is a gem and a goldmine for mining and growing themselves.”
But apparently Treinen didn’t consult with the Friends of the Lantana Nature Preserve about her plans for the gathering or that she asked local businesses for donations of food for the meeting.
In an email dated Jan. 28, Ilona Balfour, president of the Friends of the Lantana Nature Preserve, wrote that the Friends is a company registered with the State of Florida and that Treinen, should “not solicit donations, arrange meetings or put out any information or communication, contact the press, etc., on behalf of or without the prior approval of the board of Friends.”
Balfour wrote that while the Friends admires Treinen’s enthusiasm and welcome her association with the Friends, if she chooses to form her own group “in the best interest of the Nature Preserve, please do not use the name Friends of the Lantana Nature Preserve.”
During the meeting, Mayor David Stewart also advised Treinen to check her facts before sending out information on the town’s behalf. “You have my name spelled wrong (Stuart instead of Stewart),” he said while looking at her Power Point. “And you made Tom (Council Member Tom Deringer) a bottle of wine — Beringer.”
The preserve was created by a 1997 ordinance and came out of a lawsuit. The Carlisle pays the town $40,000 a year to maintain it. No money comes from the town’s general fund to pay for its maintenance.
Treinen said she encourages others to become members of the Friends of the Lantana Nature Preserve.
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