Commissioner’s Corner

Commissioner White reading from “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge” at the 2012 Little Red Lighthouse Festival;
Photo by Daniel Avila

Dear Parkies,

This week, we highlight the Historic House Trust Festival, Bleecker Sitting Area, and the Parkies who were selected for the Leadership Institute.

Historic House Trust Festival
The Historic House Trust (HHT) held its fifth annual Historic House Festival last Friday, October 5 to Sunday, October 7. This community event, which won a prestigious Museumwise Award of Merit in 2011, brought our city’s history to life and engaged a diverse array of New Yorkers in a celebration of history, culture, and food at HHT’s 23 houses. Corresponding with partner festivals openhousenewyork and What’s Out There Weekend, the Historic House Festival’s over 40 free and low-cost events boasted an impressive lineup of food-related, interactive programs catering to palates and interests of all ages. Over 75,000 people have attended the Festival since its launch in 2008.

On Saturday, I visited the Morris-Jumel Mansion that George Washington used as his headquarters during the Battle of Harlem Heights. Later as president, he dined with Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Henry Knox there. In the afternoon, I attended the Little Red Lighthouse Festival that celebrates the only remaining lighthouse in Manhattan. There I had the privilege of reading the 1942 classic The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge to an all-ages audience.

Bleecker Sitting Area
On Tuesday, October 9, I joined City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, State Senator Tom Duane, State Assembly Member Deborah Glick, Community Board 2 Chair David Gruber, and Village resident Clifford Ross to cut the ribbon on the reconstruction of the Bleecker Sitting Area. The sitting area was first constructed in 1965, along with the widening of Bleecker Street. NYC Parks Senior Designer Gail Wittwer-Laird upgraded the furnishings and enhanced the open quality of the space by adding movable tables and chairs, new chess tables and benches, a lighter walkway, and a variety of plantings. This past June, her work received a Village Award from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation for the extraordinary transformation of a public space, made possible through the persistence of the community and a public-private partnership.

Staff Spotlight
This year, three outstanding Parkies, Diane Jackier–Chief of Staff for Capital Projects, Richard Simon–Deputy Director of Urban Park Rangers, and Pia Rivera—Parks Advocate, were selected by DCAS for the prestigious Leadership Institute, the City’s premier executive development program. Classes recently started and will continue throughout the winter. Leadership Institute students will meet for one day per week for approximately 16 sessions. Congratulations on your achievement!

Sincerely,

Veronica M. White

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