Van Cortlandt Park

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, September 13, 2000

MENAGERIE OF ANIMAL ART MOVES INTO ARSENAL GALLERY

Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern hosted festivities in the Arsenal Gallery on Monday, September 11 for the opening of "Lions & Tigers & Bears ... & Frogs & Birds & Snakes ... Oh My!"-a new exhibition highlighting the unique and innovative animal art that graces many of the city's parks and playgrounds. Chief of Design Paul (Polecat) Ersboll was also present to speak about the exhibit and welcome visitors to the gallery.

The exhibit, curated by Parks' Capital Division, uses photographs, drawings, and models to demonstrate the range of decorative animal elements incorporated into newly constructed and reconstructed park facilities. The exhibition displays the menagerie of animal art that has amused and uplifted countless New Yorkers, from the proud coyote that guards the southwest entrance of Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx to the dinosaurs that roam in Triassic and Jurassic Playgrounds in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. Assistants to the Chief of Design Jennifer (Juggler) Slaw and Nicole (Lune) Clare coordinated and set up the exhibit.

This past year been particularly eventful as far as animal art is concerned. The Cow Parade delivered more than 500 whimsical, painted life-size bovines to all boroughs of the city, encouraging many people to stroll through the city in search of the colorful cows. This year has also been the "Year of the Topiary" at Parks, which has brought several animal-shaped sculptured plants to our parks, including elephants, lions, rabbits, and, most recently, a tall, leafy giraffe in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

PARKS SPONORS SOCCER PROGRAM FOR CITY YOUTH

For many youngsters, the beginning of autumn means brings not only the new school year and the changing colors of the leaves, but also the start of the soccer season. The sport, which has quickly been gaining popularity among city youth, helps many children learn basic individual and team skills. This year Parks is sponsoring Learn to Play Soccer 2000, a free drop-in soccer program held at eight different sites citywide and open to boys and girls aged 6 to 13. The six-week program begins September 18 and runs through November 3, concluding with a Soccerfest on November 4 at Carmine Recreation Center.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Wednesday, September 16, 1987)

PARKS INJECTS NEW LIFE INTO LOUIS PASTEUR PARK

More than 750 seventh, eighth and ninth grade students from P.S. 67 took a short break from school yesterday to celebrate the opening of newly-restored Louis Pasteur Park, located outside their school at 52nd Avenue between 248th Street and Marathon Parkway in Queens. "It took a lot of good people to turn this park back into a green haven for neighborhood youngsters, said Queens Borough President Claire Shulman. "And activities in the park will provide teenagers with a positive recreational outlet."

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

The sense of smell in the animal is what intuition is to the human spirit. It tells you of the invisible, of what cannot be detected by other means. It tells you the things that are not there, yet are coming. You see into the blind opaque past and round the corner of time.

Laurens van der Post (1906-1996)

Know Before You Go

Van Cortlandt Park

The comfort station and maintenance building located at W. 242nd St. and Broadway is closed. This project will reconstruct the existing District Headquarters/Comfort Station, including the rehabilitation of the building exterior and roof. Enhancements include an ADA accessible ramp, new plumbing fixtures and accessories in the public restrooms and the staff restroom. Other work includes the upgrading of the ventilation system and lighting. Please pardon our appearance.
Anticipated Completion: Fall 2012