"It's My Park! Day gives New Yorkers who want to pitch in a great opportunity to do so," said David Rivel, Executive Director of City Parks Foundation. "With projects to suit every interest organized throughout the five boroughs, its easy to get involved and connect to your local park."

Participating projects are organized by local community groups, corporate partners, Parks & Recreation, and City Parks Foundation. This Saturday, you can get involved in Its My Park! Day by participating in a scheduled volunteer project, participating in one of the many free events planned for the day, or by simply enjoying the many free and exciting amenities your local parks have to offer.

Selected sites in each borough are listed below. To see a full list of participating sites, please visit www.itsmypark.org or call 311 for more information.

Bronx:

Poe Park
10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to paint, plant and clean up! Coordinated by the Friends of Poe Park.

Clason Point Park
12:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to help clean shoreline, paint, and plant bulbs. Coordinated by community members and Starbucks employees.

Brooklyn:

Fort Greene Park
10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to rake, prune, plant bulbs, and celebrate at a fun Halloween event! Coordinated by the Fort Greene Park Conservancy.

Manhattan:

Tompkins Square Park
10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to help clean up and plant bulbs. Coordinated by the East Village Parks Conservancy.

DeWitt Clinton
10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to help clean up and plant bulbs. Coordinated by the Manhattan Botanical Garden.

Jackie Robinson Park
9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to help with general clean up in the morning, followed by fun garden-related activities beginning at 12:00 p.m. Coordinated by the Jackie Robinson Park Conservancy.

Queens:

Rufus King Park
11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to help paint, plant bulbs, and clean up. Refreshments will be offered to all volunteers. Coordinated by Centro Hispano Cuzcatlan.

Linden Playground
9:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
Volunteers needed to help plant and clean up. Coordinated by the Corona Business Corporation.

Staten Island:

Eibs Pond Park
9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to help plant and spruce up trails. There will be refreshments and fun activities for kids. Coordinated by the Friends of Eibs Pond Park.

Lt. Lia Playground
10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Volunteers needed to help plant and clean. Fun activities for kids are scheduled. Coordinated by Staten Island Recreation.

It's My Park! Day is supported by Gillette, The Skin Cancer Foundation, and the International Bulb Company. Media partners include: The New York Times, The New York Observer, WBLS and WB11. Partnership for Parks is a joint program of the City Parks Foundation and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."

Now, if Rufus were to show up on our doorstep today and we could "Bill and Ted It" back 228 years exactly, we too would have an excellent adventure, and our phone booth would never have to leave parkland. August 26, 1776 marked the official beginning of the Battle of Brooklyn, which in turn was the first full-scale battle of the American Revolution. Were we to transport ourselves back to that day on the land that is now John Paul Jones Park, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, we would see before us the masts of more than 300 ships of the British Royal Navy. It was the greatest armada ever assembled (more than twice as many ships as the famed Spanish Armada), and being so far from home, constituted a foreign deployment unprecedented in scale.

The British hoped for a short war, assuming that the Colonial rebels would quickly collapse after merely seeing such a massive force. The ships had been coming in for more than a month, carrying soldiers from England, Scotland, and Hesse-Cassel, now part of Germany. More than 20,000 trained fighting men took on 8,000 rebels, few of whom were true soldiersmost were loosely organized farmers and hunters.

George Washington, who called himself "General" but whom the British commanders considered a civilian combatant, could watch the masts multiply from the fort that stood at what is now the entrance to Battery Park as well as from his fortifications at Brooklyn Heights (now the Promenade). On August 22 he saw the first landing at Gravesend Bay (Dyker Beach Park) in Brooklyn. Trained by the British himself, he knew the invaders would either come up Shore Road and Flatbush Avenue (to what is now Prospect Park) or the Kings Highway and around Jamaica Road (now Eastern Parkway). The trick was how best to organize a rag-tag army to defend his fledging countrys most strategically important city.

Contrary to what one might assume, and yet in keeping with our present-day dispositions, New Yorkers generally opposed the war. They just wanted to "go about their daily business" and looked forward to the American surrendersome even passed information to the British in order to expedite the rebellions inevitable failure. The British called them loyalists and assumed that they comprised a "silent majority."

Ultimately, fighting the worlds greatest sea power on an archipelago city proved futile. Perhaps the most notable episode in the Battle of Brooklyn was the bravery of the 400 Marylanders who held off thousands of British at the Vechte-Courtelyou House, now the Old Stone House in the present-day J.J. Byrne Park. Having fought nearly to the last man, their courageous efforts allowed the bulk of the rebel army to escape. Those soldiers who died are remembered with a monument in Prospect Park.

Due to the fact that the British had total control of New York City throughout the war, they were able to imprison both soldiers and civilians on hulks in New York harbor. The 11,500 men and women colonialists who died in that harbor are remembered in the Prison Ship Martyrs Memorial in Fort Greene Park. There are many other important American Revolution sites that survive around the city, and more often than not, theyre located on parkland. You can find them by reading the park histories (Historical Signs) on our website, and then you too can plan out your own "excellent adventure."

Written by John Mattera

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Good music is very close to primitive language."

Denis Diderot
(1713-1784)

The quiet beauty of Fort Greene Park belies its tumultuous history as a Revolutionary War fort and the final resting place for 11,500 victims of the Battle of Long Island. The Martyrs Memorial is a 147-foot tall Doric column, with a surrounding plaza and underground crypt. It was designed by the renowned architectural firm, McKim, Mead and White in 1905 and was Stanford Whites last public work. The monument was completed in 1908.

The restoration project has a budget of $3.7 million, with allocations by Borough President Marty Markowitz, City Council Member Letitia James, and a $350,000 State grant awarded to the Fort Greene Conservancy. Yesterday, the complex plans for the restoration of the memorial were approved by the Art Commission; they involve the refurbishment of the column, the plaza, and the crypt.

In the original column, a double-helix staircase and a cylindrical elevator allowed workers to ascend to the top of the structure, enabling maintenance of the structure. The staircase and elevator were removed in the 1940s and replaced by an iron ladder. Parks & Recreations capital team is building a single-helix staircase, which will once again allow for proper upkeep.

Parks & Recreation is also restoring the bronze funerary urn lantern that sits atop the column. In what will surely be one of Parks & Recreations more spectacular moments, the urn will be taken down by helicopter. It will be transported by land to a foundry for repairs, cleaning, and coating, after which it will be returned to the site and elevated by helicopter to its seat on the column. The lanterns flame will be illuminated in the evenings with fiber-optic lighting; light will travel through cables from inside the column, allowing for the replacement of the light bulbs without having to actually scale the monument.

The plaza, 220 feet by 220 feet, is approached by a grand, 90 foot-wide staircase. The plaza will be redone with granolithic concrete, emulating the original design of the plaza. Brick banding will be installed, and the stonework in the plaza will be restored. The four bronze eagles that originally occupied the plaza will also be replaced. Parks & Recreation will return two of the original eagles to the plaza and will complete the quartet with two bronze replicas. All of the eagles will be illuminated, as will the column shaft. In addition to myriad other improvements, the plaza will be accessible from the comfort station by means of an access path.

The third portion of the capital project focuses on the restoration of the crypt, which houses the collected remains of victims housed in 20 bluestone caskets. A Guastavino tile ceiling will be installed (similar to the Oyster Bars in Grand Central Station), and the original bronze door will be restored. The entire project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2006.

Parks & Recreation Director of Art & Antiquities Jonathan Kuhn commented on this exciting project: "Parks is pleased that the restoration of Brooklyn's Acropolis is at long last taking place. With this project, the City ensures that those who died for the cause of liberty and the monument that honors their sacrifice are treated with appropriate dignity."

Written by Dana Rubinstein

"Growth in wisdom can be measured precisely by decline in bile."

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
(1844-1900)

The Brooklyn fort was renamed for General Greene and rebuilt for the War of 1812. When the threat of war passed, locals enjoyed visiting the grounds of the old fort for recreation and relaxation. The City of Brooklyn designated the site for use as a public park in 1845, and newspaper editor Walt Whitman rallied popular support for the project. From the pages of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, he appealed for a pleasant retreat for city dwellers, "a place of recreation. . .where, on hot summer evenings, and Sundays, they can spend a few grateful hours in the enjoyment of wholesome rest and fresh air." In 1847, the legislature approved an act to secure land for Washington Park on the site of the old fort. The improvements were complete by 1850.

In 1867, landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, designers of Central and Prospect Parks, were engaged to prepare a new design for Washington Park and a crypt for the remains of the prison ship martyrs. At the top of the hill was a trellised walk approaching two flights of steps that led down to a circular parade ground in the northwest corner of the park. Olmsted and Vaux proposed that the rest of the hilly site would be "somewhat closely planted, and ....so laid out that it will offer a series of shady walks that will have an outlook over open grassy spaces." Washington Park was renamed Fort Greene in 1897, less than a year before Brooklyn was consolidated into greater New York City. The street that bounds the park on the east is still known as Washington Park.

With funds available for a permanent monument to the prison ship martyrs, the renowned architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White was hired in 1905. They designed a new entrance to the crypt and a wide granite stairway leading to a plaza on top of the hill. From its center rose a freestanding Doric column crowned by a bronze lantern; President-elect William Howard Taft attended the monuments dedication in 1908. McKim, Mead and White also built a neoclassical comfort station (now used as a visitor center). Another series of renovations in the 1930s further enhanced the classical design of the park. Parks architect Gilmore D. Clarke regraded the grounds, added new trees and shrubs, replaced the winding paths with more formal walks, remodeled the playgrounds, and created new spaces for athletic activities. As Brooklyns first official park, Fort Greene has received 150 years of alterations and renovations. The $1,166,000 capital reconstruction of the parks northwest playground was funded by Council Member Mary Pinkett in 1995. The project included installing a new spray shower/north arrow rosette, safety surfacing, pavements, benches, and fencing; reroofing the comfort station; reconstructing the flagpole and the drainage and water systems; and planting new trees, shrubs, and groundcover. The playgrounds design pays tribute to the Revolutionary War history of Fort Greene. The new play equipment resembles fortresses, and the new weathervane on top of the comfort station is shaped like a bald eagle and banner reading "1776." Thirteen stone pillars feature bronze plaques that identify the state trees and animals of the original colonies.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Stand up, tall masts of Mannahatta!stand up, beautiful hills of Brooklyn!"

Walt Whitman
"Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," 1900

To most people. performing site survey work in a capital construction project might not sound very exciting. In the case of the upcoming historical conservation work in Brooklyns Fort Greene Park, however, the conditions survey resembled an extreme outdoor sporting event. Two weeks ago, a team of climbers ascended an internal ladder inside the parks Prison Ship Martyrs Monument and then used rapelling techniques to descend while taking detailed notes about the conditions of the historic structure.

"Its an industrial adaptation of rock climbing and caving techniques," said President and Owner Kent Diebolt of Vertical Access, the firm brought in to perform the survey. Utilizing efficient, lightweight rigging systems, Diebolt and his team are able to achieve "hands on" access without using frame scaffolding, cranes, or boom lifts. As three to four inspectors descended the granite column on industrial rope, they took notes on paper which they later transcribed into a CAD program for Parks & Recreations Historic Preservation division to use.

"Doing this saved the City time and money," said Parks & Recreation Director of Historic Preservation John Krawchuk. "They are helping us see the condition of the masonry and the bronze and the structural condition of the entire monument." The height of the monument149 feetwould have made the use of traditional lifts nearly impossible and the use of scaffolding very expensive, he explained. Initially, the Historic Preservation staff created architectural drawings which Vertical Access used as a reference map to plot all different conditions of the structure.

Led by Parks & Recreations Historic Preservation division, the work includes the restoration of the plazas granite column, bronze funerary urn (at the columns top), and paving. Additionally, Parks & Recreation will install an internal spiral staircase within the column for maintenance purposes. The $3.9 million project is largely funded with money allocated by the City Council, with additional funds allocated by the Borough Presidents Office and non-City sources.

The monument, which consists of a 100-foot-wide granite staircase and a central Doric column, was designed by renowned architect Stanford White (18531906). The monument marks the site of a crypt for more than 11,500 men and women, known as the prison ship martyrs, who were buried in a tomb near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The work represents Stanford Whites last public work before he was murdered.

Towards the end of the 19th century, a diverse group of interests including the federal government, municipal and state governments, private societies, and donors, began a campaign for a permanent monument to the prison ship martyrs. In 1905 the renowned architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White was hired to design a new entrance to the crypt and a wide granite stairway leading to a plaza on top of the hill. From its center rose a freestanding Doric column crowned by a bronze lantern. President-elect William Howard Taft attended the monuments dedication in 1908.

The monument has undergone restorations in 1934 and in 1976, and this represents the first major restoration to the site in nearly 30 years. The vaults Guastavino ceiling will also be repaired, and the monuments Eaglesremoved in 1971 because of vandalismwill also be restored. Work is expected to begin fall 2004.

Buildings and monuments with hard-to-reach areas such as steeples, domes, towers, chimneys, and high parapet or screen walls are the specialty on Vertical Access. Since starting in 1992, the company has been brought in to work on projects around the country, including the Jefferson Davis monument in Kentucky and the Pilgrims Monument in Cape Cod.

"My honor is dearer to me than my life."

(1547-1616)

Emmanuel Thingue is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month. Emmanuel is a Landscape Designer for the Brooklyn Team and has been with Parks & Recreation since October 1, 1990. Emmanuel has created designs for numerous high-profile projects such as the $3 million Brooklyn Bridge Park Phase II project, and an innovative design for the bandshell that covers the Orchard Beach pavilion. The bandshell is shaped like a sailing ship, and the stage is highly popular with concert performers and patrons. He is currently preparing a proposal for the South Oxford Street little league ballfields, and is assisting in the Lower Manhattan development plans. Emmanuel stays even-handed while adhering to very tight timetables. He is respected by his colleagues for his professionalism and ability to take charge. Emmanuel was nominated by Brooklyn Team Leader David Martin.

Alerson Jaquez is Managements Employee of the Month. Alerson is an Investigator at the Advocates Office and has been with Parks & Recreation since September 24, 2001. Alerson performs confidential investigations concerning employee misconduct and incompetence. During investigations, Alerson interviews witnesses and subjects, prepares reports, analyzes agency documents and procedures, testifies at hearings, and performs surveillance. Alerson is organized and completes superior case files which are models for other investigators. He is always curious, which helps him stay persistent even on difficult cases. For example, Alerson tracked down the missing Betty Kohn Wollman portrait well after others had abandoned it for lost. Alerson was nominated by Parks Advocate Erica Siegel.

Philbert L. Parson is an Operations Employee of the Month. Philbert is a City Park Worker in Brooklyn, District 2 and has been with Parks & Recreation since July 12, 1993. Phil is involved in the upkeep of thirteen different sites, which includes Palmetto Playground, Fort Greene Park and Walt Whitman Park. In addition to maintaining parks, Philbert operates a mini-packer, assists the district maintenance worker with bench repairs and graffiti removal, and helps clean parks outside his district as well. The extra work he puts in is reflected in the 98% acceptable rating achieved by District 2 for cleanliness. For his hard work and service to Brooklyn, Phil was nominated by Supervisor Parks Maintenance and Operations Natalie P. Sewell.

Jessica L. Cherry is Public Programs Employee of the Month. Jessica is the Sports Coordinator for Queens and has been with Parks & Recreation since February 6, 2001. Jessica manages the boroughs sports programs, which include the Millennium Basketball Tournament, Learn to Play Soccer, Indoor Soccer League, Flag Football League, Youth Baseball and Softball, and the Derek Jeter baseball clinic. Jessica spearheaded Queens first adult paddleball tournament, acts as a Weekend Manager, and helps with the special events office. Jessica uses her computer skills to produce professional event fliers and program brochures, and capably handles many projects at the same time. For her energy and commitment to Queens youth, Jessica was nominated by Chief of Recreation Laura Gili.

"The rain it raineth everyday."

(1564-1616)

Of the four grants awarded, only one was awarded directly to Parks. This grant of $200,000 slated for Forestry will be used to replace trees that have been cut down and destroyed in the fight against the Asian Longhorned Beetle. Since the discovery of the beetle in 1996 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York City has lost over 3,500 trees to this ferocious bug. Of the 5 million trees in New York City (located on both public and private property), approximately 47%, the citys hardwood trees, are at risk to beetle infestation. The grant was awarded to replace those trees that have been destroyed on our streets, parks and playgrounds by the Asian Longhorned Beetle, as well as, those that may be destroyed as new infestations are found.

The Tree Trust also received a grant of $50,000 to help in the fight against the Asian Longhorned Beetle. It will be used to contract nurseries to grow species of trees that are resistant to the beetle. This pilot program will allow for the growth of 500 beetle resistant trees in the next four to five years. At the end of a growing period, these resistant strains would be used to replace infested trees on public property. A preliminary list of highly desired yet largely difficult to find tree species include:

Celtis Occidentalis (Hackberry), Cercidiphyllum Japonicum (Katsuratree), Corylus Coluna (Turkish Tilbert), Eucommia Ulmoides (Hardy Rubber Tree), Gingko Biloba (Maidenhair Tree) Koelreuteria Paniculata (Goldenrain Tree), Maackia Amerunsis (Amur Maackia), Metasequoia Glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood), Quercus Acutiissima (Sawtooth Oak), Quercus Phellos (Willow Oak), Styphnolobium Japonica (Scholar Tree), and Syringa Reticulata (Japanese Tree Lilac).

Partnerships between government agencies and community groups are an important part of the maintenance of this citys green spaces. To forward these relations, the NY Tree Trust and another organization, Green for Breathing, in cooperation with Parks, received a $25,000 grant to create a Hunts Point Model Urban Forestry Inventory and Management Project. This program will create a blueprint for urban forestry management focused on partnerships between community-based coalitions and government agencies. Simultaneously, those involved will collect data and supply educational information to communities on creating a more hospitable environment for trees.

Also awarded to the Tree Trust was a grant for $25,000 to conduct urban forest inventories and develop forest management plans for Crotona, Bailsey Pond, and Fort Greene Parks. This program will improve Parks tree management system by using a Geographic Positioning System (GPS) Unit to identify the locations of trees and inventory tree and environmental characteristics. After analyzing the data, the Tree Trust will work with Parks staff and local communities to develop comprehensive management plans, integrate data into educational programming and post data on Parks and other city-wide websites.

With these grants, the Tree Trust "continues to supplement work at Parks in two important ways: bringing new technologies and new community partners into the urban forestry fold. It's of special note that despite the present fiscal challenges, the Tree Trust is bringing new programs to the parks and people of New York City," says Fiona Watt, Director of Forestry. So, from the entire Parks family to our partners at the New York Tree Trust: Congratulations, and keep up the good work!

(Thursday, March 16, 1989)

Robert Newman, Supervisor of Management Services at Five-Borough Shops, has been promoted to Director of Central Communications, Commissioner Stern announced.

Newman, who will report directly to Chief of Urban Park Service Oliver Spellman, will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Parks 24-hour communications system.

"Bob is a very talented individual," said Chief Spellman. "Im pleased with his determination to expand the services of Central Communications and his command of complex technical issues."

"I would venture to guess that Anon,

who wrote so many poems without signing them,

was often a woman."

(1882-1941)

The idea of a promenade at this location can be traced to a wealthy Brooklyn Heights resident named Hezekiah Pierrepont (1768-1838). In 1827, he proposed that this site be developed into a park to rival Manhattans Battery Park. However, due to vehement opposition from one of his friends and neighbors, Pierrepont abandoned the idea. Over a hundred years later due to circumstances Pierrepont could hardly have foreseen, his dream of a Brooklyn Heights Promenade was fulfilled.

In 1941, Robert Moses wanted to construct the Brooklyn-Queens-Expressway right through the center of Brooklyn Heights. The community successfully opposed his plan. After nine years of negotiating, Robert Moses was able to placate the community with a construction plan that drastically reduced the amount of noise and smog they feared a major arterial highway would bring. By installing a double-decker highway, and covering it with a promenade, Moses was able to get the job done. The promenade, which extends from Remsen Street to Orange Street, was built in the 1950s. Ever since it opened, residents and tourists have visited to stroll and admire the unmatched views.

A ribbon cutting and groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, August 21 marked the opening of the southern end of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and the start of work on the northern end. Phase I, a $1.3 million project, included new pavement and curbs, benches, fencing, and lighting, bike racks and signs, new water services, drainage and irrigation systems, drinking fountains, topsoil, trees and plantings, and panoramic art. Another $1.3 million will be spent on Phase II to bring similar improvements to the northern end.

The Promenade is not parkland, but is owned by the Department of Transportation. The parkland includes only the landscaped gardens between the walkway and the private residences. However, with the generous support of volunteer groups, Parks maintains and protects the promenade as well as the gardens.

Andrew (Chevre) Gray

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Thursday, August 25, 1988)

TODAY IN PARKS HISTORY

The first annual Parks lifeguard tournament was held 50 years ago today, when six mens teams met at the Central Mall in Jacob Riis Park in Rockaway to compete in seven events. (There were no women lifeguards until 1969. And no theres no city-owned Riis Park Beach. It was transferred to the Federal Government on March 1, 1974 as part of the Gateway Recreation Area.) The games were intended to demonstrate improved methods of life saving at beaches and fostering healthful competitive spirit among the lifeguards.

In 1847 Charles McKim was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His architectural firm, McKim, Mead & White, designed the Washington Square Arch, Fort Greene Park and the croquet shelter in Prospect Park.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

On action alone be thy interest,
never on its fruits.
Let not the fruits of action be thy motive,
Nor be thy attachment to inaction.

Bhagavad Gita (c. 250 B.C. c. A.D. 250)

See the webcast about the Brooklyn Heights Promenade Ribbon Cutting/ Groundbreaking

Todd S. "Blue Bayou" Leavitt is Brooklyn's Employee of the Month for December. Blue Bayou started with Parks on June 7, 1999 and works as a Project Manager for Fort Greene Park. Blue Bayou works with both Partnerships for Parks and Brooklyn Operations to coordinate special events and maintenance of the park. Blue Bayou works with M&O staff to supervise cleaning and repair of the park and has organized many volunteer cleanups, including a leaf removal project held in December. Blue Bayou also organizes special events such as the recent children's Halloween party and this year's Christmas Tree Lighting. A rising star in Brooklyn, Blue Bayou was nominated by Liberty.

Arthur F. "Silver Linden" Sarrantonio is Capital Projects' Employee of the Month for December. Arthur began with Parks on January 17, 1989 and is an assistant landscape architect and a supervisor of Street Trees for Central Forestry. Arthur oversees the contract planting of trees in Queens and responds to constituent questions about trees. Now in his 24th tree planting season, Arthur has overseen the planting of 18,000 street trees, more than anyone else in Central Forestry. Currently, he is surveying sites for the scheduled planting of 625 street trees and 20 Greenstreets in March, 2001. An expert on trees and friend to them, Arthur was nominated for his many years of service by Treetop.

Arthur G. "Stallion" Rollins is Citywide Services' Employee of the Month for December. Stallion began with Parks on March 20, 1995 and is currently Deputy Chief of Technical Service at 5-Boro. As such, Stallion helps coordinate general technical services for the five boroughs, including painting, carpentry, and electrical work. In 1996, Stallion helped develop the roofs requirements contracts initiative. In FY99, Parks was able to complete $1.8 million in quick and vital roof repairs through this program. Stallion also oversees capital work for the pools and stadia, and plays an important role in the general management of the 5-Boro shops. Currently, he is working on maintenance of the Fort Totten buildings and the boilers at Douglaston Manor. A major contributor to 5-Boro, Stallion was nominated by Tigress.

Chris "Merlin" Zambelis is Management's Employee of the Month for December. Merlin began with Parks on February 15, 1999 after graduating from New York University with a degree in Political Science and History. Merlin began as a job developer and is now Supervisor of Citywide Job Development for Parks' Job Assistance Centers (JAC). As such, Merlin finds private sector jobs for WEP participants and supervises three other job developers. Together, they have placed in 2000 over 210 JAC participants, with Merlin leading the way with over 100 placements. Merlin also designed the JAC brochure and runs workshops for participants. Hardworking and talented, Merlin was nominated by Falcon's Eye.

Scott "Guero" Farrington is Manhattan's Employee of the Month for December. Scott began with Parks on April 25, 1999 and is a Gardener working in such high profile sites as Washington Square Park and City Hall Park. Scott plants flowers and shrubs, and maintains lawns and beds. He played a critical role in the success of the City Hall Park opening and has helped keep the park clean, beautiful and green. He has recently been assigned to St. Nicholas Park. Talented and creative, Scott was nominated by SPMO Phil Lombardi.

Tammy "Halloween" Mitchell is Queens' Employee of the Month for December. Tammy began with Parks as a seasonal in July, 1990 and became full time on April 24, 1995. Tammy is currently a Playground Associate in Liberty Park where she runs a variety of after-school, sports, and senior programs. This summer, she was promoted to PA supervisor for the first time and successfully oversaw PA activities and events at 14 sites, which were attended by over 400 children. She was also instrumental in this Fall's Halloween Haunted House in Queens. Dedicated, creative and enthusiastic, Tammy was nominated by Devil Dog.

Joseph G. "Slam Dunk" Dunker is Staten Island's Employee of the Month for December. Joseph started with Parks on March 9, 1987 and works as a City Park Worker for District 1, which includes Clove Lakes and Silver Lake parks. For the 2000 inspection year, District 1 received ratings of 86% Overall and 89.5% for Cleanliness. Joseph's responsibilities include graffiti removal, trash removal, and minor repairs. Joseph has been very helpful with borough 5 x 5's including last month's clearing of Northerleigh Park, a ball field surrounded by three acres of overgrown trees and shrubs. Joseph lead a crew which performed weed whacking and removed overgrown shrubs and vines, and put down wood chips to create trails. For his positive attitude and hard work, Joseph was nominated by Squirrel.

Terry D. "Calla Lily" Jackson is the Commissioner's Employee of the Month for December. Calla Lily started with Parks on June 30, 1998 and is the Director of Citywide Special Events. As such, she oversees the operations of the many large special events held in city parks, including last year's Sting Concert and the annual New York Marathon, Easter Eggstravaganza, and Halloween events. Calla Lily works with other City, State, and Federal agencies in addition to Parks' Marketing, M&O, Urban Park Service and 5 Boro divisions to produce these complicated and spectacular events. Calla Lily works long and varied hours to pull off safe and fun events including at First Night 2001 and the upcoming Winterfest. For her behind the scenes efforts in these high profile events, Calla Lily was nominated by BC. By Kermit and Lollipop

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Monday, January 11, 2988)

EMPLOYEE AWARDS PROGRAM OFF TO A SUPER START

Did you know that last year over 30 of your fellow Parkies were honored as "Employee of the Month" among five boroughs and five units? While some boroughs and units have had recognition for excellent programs for employees since April 1, 1987 or before, the agency-wide program officially began on July 1, 1987.

"The efforts of the borough and unit coordinators have been terrific this far, and have played a large part in the success of this program," said Chief of Administration Philip Crowe. "One of the best features about the Employee of the Month Program is that it's decentralized, allowing employees in all districts and boroughs to have their good work recognized."

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Total loyalty is possible only when fidelity is emptied of all concrete content,
from which changes of mind might naturally arise"

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) ]]> 2009-11-21T17:53:19-05:00 dailyplant7901 http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/daily_plants/daily_plant_main.php?id=7901 TIME STARTS AT MILLENIUM PARK

At 11:40 A.M. Wednesday morning, a new clock, cast in a 19th century mold, was dedicated to philanthropist David Rockefeller at Millenium Park, a green space at the southern tip of City Hall Park. Present at the ceremony were Mayor Rudy (Eagle) Giuliani, Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern, honored guest, David Rockefeller, and Robert Douglas, Chairman of the Downtown Alliance.

Though not millenial in size, the park, located at the threshold of New York's historic Financial District and City Hall Park, is a frontier. It was therefore deemed an appropriate site for a symbol that will broadcast the quick-ticking rhythm of Downtown Manhattan and underscore it's bustling forward motion. It is a fitting place to dedicate "Millenium Clock" to David Rockefeller, who was head of the Chase and the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association for 35 years. Mr. Rockefeller, like the second hand of a timepiece, has been unceasing in his efforts to improve the neighborhood.

It was once the case in the city that never sleeps that the financial district turned out the lights at 6:30 p.m. In recent years, the City, Parks, and the Downtown Alliance have worked to bring new energy to the neighborhood; they've helped ensure that the pulse doesn't pause when the workday ends. Today workers stick around to see the small hand reach the nine. They stay later at work and move into residences in the neighborhood. As the geographic boundaries between workplace and living space blur, City Hall Park and Millenium Park within it are poised to serve as recreation center, and timekeeper to the district.

StarQuest expressed warm wishes for the clock's future: "Cities are known by their clocks. London has Big Ben and now New York has the Millenium Clock. May it run peacefully for at least 1,000 years."

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Thursday, November 5, 1987)

FIVE X FIVE' UPDATE: BROOKLYN'S FORT GREENE PARK LEFT SPIC AND SPAN

Over 60 Parks workers recently mobilized for a massive 5x5 Clean-Up of 30.2-acre Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn. The two week project began on Tuesday, October 13, as workers pruned trees and shrubs, repaved blacktop, concrete and brick surfaces, rebuilt broken walls and stairs and used state-of-the-art sandblasting equipment to remove graffiti from monuments and stone walls. In addition, Parkies removed 100 cubic yards of debris, as they weeded and swept over $230,000 square feet of paved surfaces and used 170 gallons of paint to spruce up over 52,000 square feet of benches, lamposts and fences.

"Autumn is especially beautiful this year at Fort Greene Park," said Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Julius Spiegel. "Thanks to the outstanding efforts of our work crews, under the direction of Brooklyn Deputy Chief of Operations Walter Mead and APRM David Jacobowitz the park looks 100% better.

GREAT 20TH CENTURY THINKERS' REFLECTIONS ON TIME

A proliferation of perspectives "Time is the substance from which I am made.
Time is a river which carries me along, but
I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but
I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me,
but I am the fire.

Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

"We must use time as a tool, not as a couch."

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

"For tribal man space was the uncontrollable mystery.
For technological man it is time that occupies the same role."

Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980)