Just east of the park on Washington Place, about 500 garment workers employed at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, housed in the eighth, ninth and tenth floors of a modern loft structure called the Asch Building, were getting ready for their shifts end at 4:45 p.m. Most of the employees of Triangle were young immigrants from Eastern Europe and Italy, the majority of them women between 17 and 25. They worked a six-day week, cutting, sewing, assembling and packaging the latest womens fashion the shirtwaist, or blouse.

Just before quitting time, manager Samuel Bernstein noticed a small fire among cotton scraps (probably from a discarded match or cigarette), and tried to put out the fire himself. Despite poor communication between floors, within a few minutes of the fires discovery, hundreds left the building by elevators and stairs. Others, however, were trapped on the ninth floor as the flames spread up an airshaft. Co-owner Isaac Harris led dozens of frightened employees up to the rooftop of a neighboring building. Two dozen left the building by a fire escape, and fell to their death when it collapsed. Dispatched by a street callbox, fire engines quickly arrived at the scene.

Nearly 100 of the trapped employees jumped or fell from the Asch Building, unable to find a route to safety. Firefighters had stopped on the eighth floor to try to control the fire before moving to the ninth floor where dozens were trapped. Ladders reached only 60 feet, too low for the buildings upper floors, and safety nets for jumpers proved useless.

By 5:15 p.m. a little more than half an hour after it had sparked to life the Triangle fire was under control on all three floors. In that brief span, the fire did more killing than any other workplace disaster in New York City for ninety years afterward, wrote author David Von Drehle. In all, 146 women and men were lost.

New Yorkers were horrified by the disaster. Funerals for victims became occasions for demonstrations by labor unions. The two Triangle co-owners were indicted for manslaughter (they were later acquitted). One abiding myth of the fire was that all of the stairway doors had been locked by the owners; different accounts exist on this matter but what is known is that doors on one side of the building had been inoperable and prevented dozens from reaching a stairway.

Perhaps the most far-reaching impact of the fire was on New Yorks Democratic machine, Tammany Hall. Previously a patronage operation dependent on the support of conservative business leaders, the Democratic Party became the proponent of reforms including workplace safety regulations and fair labor practices. Two sons of Tammany, Al Smith and Robert F. Wagner, Sr., led a comprehensive investigation of factory conditions that resulted in landmark legislation. Smith rose to be governor and a presidential candidate and Wagner became an U.S. senator and a proponent of the Roosevelt Administrations New Deal policies.

Today, the Asch Building still stands at the northwest corner of Washington Place and Greene Street. Bought later by NYU and renamed the Brown Building, it now houses science laboratories. A plaque dedicated on March 25, 1961 to the Triangle victims still remains on the building. The last Triangle fire survivor, Rose Rosenfeld Freedman, died in 2001 at age 107.

Written by Erik Axelson

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

Too much blood has been spilled. I know from my experience it is up to the working people to save themselves. The only way they can save themselves is by a strong working-class movement.

Rose Schneiderman
Spoken on April 2, 1911 at the Triangle Memorial Meeting

And now, todays conclusion:
It was on the cold, snowy evening of January 23, 1917 that painters John Sloan and Marcel Duchamp, poet Gertrude Drick, and Provincetown Playhouse actors Alan Russell Mann, Betty Turner, and Charles Ellis slipped through an unlocked door and climbed up the spiral staircase to the roof of the Washington Arch. These six so-called Arch Conspirators then spread out blankets, hung Chinese lanterns, tied red balloons to the archs parapet, sipped tea, shot off cap pistols, and conversed until dawn. At some point during the night, the ringleader, Gertrude Drick, read a proclamation by candlelight into the windy night -- a declaration of independence for what the Arch Conspirators, somewhat ironically, called the Free and Independent Republic of Washington Square.

That cold January night on the top of the Washington Arch was immortalized graphically by John Sloans 1917 print entitled Arch Conspirators, depicting the artists and bohemians chatting by candlelight high above Fifth Avenue, balloons buffeted by the wind. Social commentator Luc Sante astutely noted that the slightly comical declaration of January 23, 1917 actually named the thing that all the inhabitants of the Greenwich Village bohemia of that time were aiming for, a revolution in more than just a legislative sense, a free territory untrammeled by convention.

While 1917s Declaration of Independence was soon forgotten, Greenwich Villages spirit of rebellion and breaking with the past was very much alive, then and now. It is no understatement to declare that modern American art became deeply rooted in and around Washington Square in the decades after the Arch Conspirators stunt. Artists like Sloan and Glackens were the vanguard of an entire movement of realist painters, including Thomas Hart Benton and Edward Hopper, who painted around Washington Square. Other strains of art followed in Duchamps iconoclastic footsteps, most notably Jackson Pollock and other abstract expressionists. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney established the Whitney Museum of American Art in a studio a few blocks from the square, and sustained an entire generation of emerging artists by her encouragement and patronage.

In more recent years, Washington Square continued to exert creative gravity for new generations of artists, writers, and performers -- Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Charlie Parker, and Allen Ginsberg all performed in and around the square. These days, the access door on the west pier of Washington Arch is locked, the spiral stairs secured, and the arch roof off limits. But on a chilly January night, 90 years after Sloan, Drick, Duchamp and the other Arch Conspirators proclaimed the independence of Washington Square, rebellion and artistic expression remain very much a part of the spirit of Greenwich Village.

Written by Erik Peter Axelson

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers.

The original meal has never been found.

Calvin Trillin
(1935 - )

In the first dozen years of the 20th century many artists and other creative types gravitated to Washington Square. In contrast to the artistic establishment exemplified by such uptown institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Academy of Arts and Letters, most of the downtown artists were considered more avant-garde, even subversive. A hint of the tension between artistic camps was revealed in this 1908 broadside from the National Academy, urging those who have loved the literature and painting that are accepted by the winnowing hand of time to turn away from the Falsehoods of this period and again to embrace only the genuine expressions of mans genius.

The target of the artistic establishment was a group of upstart artists; many trained as artist-reporters for newspapers, mostly proteges of the realist painter Robert Henri. Henri and his followers settled in and around Washington Square in the early 1900s and began drawing and painting all manner of urban scenes ranging from children playing in the square to more prosaic subjects such as laundry hanging in tenement backyards, longshoremen unloading ships, and streetcars picking up passengers. In addition to Henri, the bohemian artists included John Sloan, William Glackens, Everett Shinn, and George Luks. Their enthusiasm for painting and documenting the ordinary doings of the city earned them the derogatory name of the Ashcan School of Painting, embraced by the new painters as a badge of honor. Many of their realist drawings and prints were used as illustrations in contemporary publications such as the radical socialist journal, The Masses, which was published in the Greenwich Village area at this time.

Incensed by the exclusion of many realist painters from 1907s National Academy spring show, Henri and his fellow artists mounted an alternative exhibition at a gallery on Fifth Avenue in February 1908. Dubbed by an editorial in the New York Evening Sun as The Eight Henri, Sloan, Glackens, Shinn, and Luks had been joined by fellow artists Arthur Davies, Ernest Lawson, and Maurice Prendergast the show of realist art was a huge success and marked the second subversive art event of 1908. That same year, photographer Alfred Stieglitz sponsored another seminal show at his gallery located at 291 Fifth Avenue. Studio 291 became noted as one of the eras most significant art salons, along with those sponsored by art collectors Louise and Walter Arensberg and Mabel Dodge. Dodges salon, in particular, located at 23 Fifth Avenue just north of Washington Square, served as a meeting place for a wide range of writers and artists of all philosophical persuasions. Writers like John Reed, Max Eastman, Eugene ONeill, and Lincoln Steffens conversed (and drank) at these salons with painters such as Henri, Sloan and Marcel Duchamp, cross-pollinating ideas and views.

One result of art salon ferment was the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, and the subsequent art show staged by the new group at the 69th Regiment Armory at East 25th Street and Lexington Avenue in February and March 1913. This controversial Armory Show, which served to introduce Americans in a big way both to artistic realism and to the emerging European modern art, is considered the most significant art event ever held in America, having in the words of one historian, an immeasurable impact on the American public.

But perhaps as significant a break with the artistic past as the 1913 Armory Show was an event that occurred 90 years ago today in Washington Square Park.

To be continued...

Written by Erik Peter Axelson

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

Laws are like sausages. Its better not to see them being made.

Otto von Bismarck
(1815 1898)

Brooklyn:
George Washington at Valley Forge, Continental Army Plaza (at Williamsburg Bridge)
This striking equestrian work was sculpted by Henry Mervin Shrady, a life-long New Yorker. It depicts Washington during the six-month period from December 1777 to June 1778 when the Continental Army was encamped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Shradys image in bronze portrays Washington in a vulnerable pose of contemplation, shrouded in a cloak to protect him from the severe weather.

Abraham Lincoln Statue, Prospect Park Concert Grove
This larger-than-life bronze by Henry Kirke Brown was dedicated in 1869. It is quite similar to a sculpture of Lincoln in Union Square, also by Brown, finished a year earlier but not dedicated until a year afterwards. This statue thus became the first of Lincoln erected in the Union.

Abraham Lincoln Relief, Sailors and Soldiers Arch, Grand Army Plaza
Installed in 1895, this reliefalong with one of Ulysses Grantwere created by Thomas Eakins and William ODonovan. Eakins sculpted the two horses, and ODonovan created the figures.

Manhattan:
George Washington Statue, Union Square Park
This impressive bronze equestrian portrait of Washington is the oldest sculpture in Parks collection. It was modeled by Henry Kirke Brown and dedicated in 1865. The moment Brown depicts is that of Evacuation Day, November 25, 1783, when Washington reclaimed New York City from the British. His outstretched hand echoes many ancient sculptures, including the Marcus Aurelius statue in Rome.

Abraham Lincoln Statue, Union Square Park
This larger-than-life bronze by Henry Kirke Brown stands vigil on a busy crossroad at the north end of Union Square Park. It was dedicated in 1870 and conserved in 1992.

George Washington Sculptures at Washington Square Arch, Washington Square Park
Designed by architect Stanford White, the Arch was dedicated in 1895. Washington as Commander-in-Chief, Accompanied by Fame and Valor was designed by Hermon Atkins MacNeil and was installed in 1916. Washington as President, Accompanied by Wisdom and Justice was designed by Alexander Stirling Calder and installed in 1918. A major restoration of the arch was completed in December 2004.

George Washington Sculpture, inside City Hall
This likeness of Washington by the eminent sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon once stood at Riverside Park at 89^th Street. It now greets visitors to City Hall.

Lafayette and Washington Statues, Lafayette Square (114^th Street and Morningside Avenue)
After completing the Statue of Liberty, French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned by publisher Joseph Pulitzer to design this bronze statue depicting Washington and his esteemed Major General Bartholdi completed the original in Paris, and department store owner Charles Broadway Rouss bequeathed a fine replica to New York.

Queens:
George Washington Statue, Flushing Meadows Corona Park (near Fountain of the Fairs)
This sculpture is a cast of an original Donald Delue sculpture that was displayed at the 1964 Worlds Fair. When it was repaired and conserved in 1999, new cherry trees were planted in recognition of the childhood tale in which Washingtons honesty was confirmed through his confession of chopping down a cherry tree.

Presidents Day, celebrated on the third Monday of February, was established as a national holiday in 1968. It combined holidays marking the anniversary of Washingtons and Lincolns birthdays (February 22 and February 12, respectively) but officially honors all past presidents.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others,
is one of the most difficult challenges."

Carol Moseley-Braun
(born 1947)

Even New Yorks newer citizens know about the African burial ground that has been preserved just a little north of City Hall in Downtown Manhattan, and most know that Washington Square Park was once a cemetery; the clever ones even tell tall tales about the "hangmens elm." What few people realize is that New York City, especially Manhattan, was once riddled with cemeteries in what were originally far-off locations, distant from the downtown city core, but which were quickly overrun by development. Many of these burial grounds were potters fields, meaning people who did not have enough money to afford a private burial were interred there.

Originally, the City chose to make these potters fields "out of town," but New York expanded so quickly that the town ended up engulfing all the land in Manhattan aside from these old cemeteries. When these burgeoning neighborhoods sought open spaces for recreation, all they had left were the old burial grounds. Since there were no headstones on these paupers fields, nineteenth-century New Yorkers turned their heads and turned burial grounds into parade grounds. They were (in north-south order) James J. Walker Park, Washington Square, Union Square, Madison Sqaure, and Bryant Park.

In order to avoid the need for any future ghoulish land conversions, in 1847 New York State enacted the Rural Cemetery Act to encourage the building of cemeteries in unpopulated areas adjacent to urban areas (i.e., the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens). It was this act that closed the door to Manhattan burials and spurred a citywide interest in large, green, landscaped land preserves. Ironically, the creation of expansive, landscaped cemeteries in places like Brooklyn and Queens led the people in Manhattan to want green space of their own and thus began the movement to make Central Park.

Just about the same thing that happened in Manhattan in the 1820s through 1840s happened in the outer boroughs at the turn of the twentieth century. Apparently, the city fathers of Queens and Staten Island didnt study their Manhattan history. Once again, when neighborhoods became crowded and the people needed parks, there was no place to turn but the cemeteries, and not just potters fields.

As early as 1730, the site of Newtown Playground in Queens at 92^nd Street and 56^th Avenue was used as a cemetery. Some of Newtowns most prominent residents were buried there, and later it was used as a potters field on and off until about 1880. Although many of the famous and well-to-do were disinterred and buried elsewhere, this public space was transferred to the Queens Department of Parks in 1917. The 1927-28 Queens Parks Annual Report notes that "All the old headstones [one historian estimated as many as 86], which stuck up like eyesores, were laid flat and covered with soil." At that time, a "playground apparatus" and drinking fountain were installed, though it is not clear whether these were placed on or adjacent to the former cemetery site. The property was more fully developed as a playground in 1934-35, the dawn of the Moses era.

All told, there are more than 20 cemeteries within land that is now parks. Some of them, like Friends Cemetery in Prospect Park, remain untouched to this day; others are adjacent to our historic houses for all to see; but, in many cases, the clues of the past lie deep underfoot.

-written by John Mattera

"The man who has no imagination has no wings."

Muhammad Ali
(born 1942)

On April 30, 2004, 215 years to the day after George Washington stood in front of New York Citys Federal Hall and took the Presidential oath of office, the City held a ceremony in Washington Square Park to re-dedicate the Washington Arch. In 1895, a related ceremony was held during which New Yorkers gathered to dedicate the newly constructed Washington Arch. Over time, the arch deteriorated and to protect its fragile condition, the City fenced it off for 14 years. A 12-month, $2.7 million capital project has returned the arch to its original state and has repaired both statues of George Washington.

Among those in attendance at the re-dedication were Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Congress Member Jerrold L. Nadler, Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, Council Member Alan J. Gerson, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, New York University President John Sexton, and Community Board 2 Chair Jim Smith. Also participating were several descendents of Stanford White, the archs architect, first-graders from P.S. 41, and members of the 319th AG Army Band from Fort Totten, Queens.

"The restoration of the Washington Arch represents the culmination of more than a decade of effort by City officials, New York University, and concerned citizens to reverse the effects of decades of neglect," said Mayor Bloomberg. "As it did over 100 years ago, the restored arch once again stands as an enduring symbol of peace and enlightenment. Todays re-dedication affirms New York Citys commitment to the renewal of Washington Square Park to a beautiful and safe public space for all New Yorkers to enjoy."

"The Washington Arch was built to be a triumphal affirmation of the ideals of a young republic," said Commissioner Benepe. During the event, Benepe noted that the right hand of the sculpture, Washington-As-President, was replaced with a hand carved in Dover marble, the same marble as the original. "Hes now the bionic man," joked Benepe.

The arch, designed by architect Stanford White, was an expression of the City Beautiful movement, which sought to create structures and public spaces in America whose beauty and stature would rival those of European capitals. It was preceded in 1889 by a temporary triumphal arch of wood and papier-mh also designed by Stanford White, which honored the centennial anniversary of Washingtons inauguration. The temporary arch was so well received that plans were immediately made to erect a permanent structure and funds were quickly raised by private subscription. The arch has appeared frequently in the work of artists and photographers, including Edward Hopper, Ernest Lawson, William Glackens, and Berenice Abbott.

Allocations for the $2.7 million restoration of the arch included $1.3 million from the Mayor, $1.2 million from the City Council, and $200,000 from the Borough President. Mayor Bloomberg announced an additional $1 million in Mayoral funds for the capital reconstruction of Washington Square Park. In a surprise declaration during the ceremony, NYU President John Sexton committed $1 million in funding towards the parks capital improvements. NYU has also pledged $300,000 towards a $600,000 endowment fund created by the City for the continued maintenance of the arch. Money towards the endowment has come from a variety of donors, including $50,000 from private supporter David Netto and $50,000 from an anonymous donor. A $10,000 donation from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation allowed Parks & Recreation to convene a panel of international experts in the fields of historic preservation and monument conservation during the projects design phase.

The restoration project included securing loose pieces, re-carving select sculptural and decorative features, and filling fissures in the marble with a mortar compound. Additionally, 45 of the 95 rosettes on the coffered soffit of the arch were repaired or replaced. The restorations final phase includes the installation of extensive architectural lighting. Conservation work was supervised by Parks & Recreations Design and Construction team. The contractor for the project was Mughal Waterproofing and Masonry, and the subcontractor for the delicate masonry work was Archa Technology, Ltd. The design consultant conservation team included Koutsomitis Architects, conservators Mark Rabinowitz and Robin Gerstad, and engineers from Robert Silman Associates. Lighting was designed by Domingo Gonzalez Associates. Also involved were MGJ Marino Gerazounis & Jeffe Associates, Inc., S.A.T. Inc., art historian David Dearinger, Big Apple Roofing, A to Z Piping and Heating Apple Restoration, Seven Star Electrical Contracting Corporation, and Bird Master.

Among those at Parks & Recreation who worked on the project were the Deputy and Assistant Commissioners for Capital Projects, Amy L. Freitag and Nancy Barthold, respectively, Manhattan Borough Commissioner William T. Castro, Bonnie Koeppel, Jonathan Kuhn, John Natoli, Oscar Urquiola, Michael Bolger, John Krawchuk, Parviz Mohassel, Robert Redmond, and Christian Paro.

Earlier this week, the New York Landmarks Conservancy bestowed a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award to Parks & Recreation for the Washington Arch restoration. The ceremony was held at the Biltmore Theater in midtown.

Written by Eric Adolfsen

DONT DROP THE BALL ON YOUR CHANCE TO BE A BOCCE CHAMPION

It started in Egypt around 5,000 B.C. and spread to Greece, and later the Roman Empire. And since Italian immigrants first introduced Bocce to the Americas in the 19th century, its become a quintessential New York City sport. Dont miss out on the opportunity to compete for cash prizes in the Nutella 9th Annual Citywide Bocce Tournament. Preliminary rounds will be held this Saturday, September 13, 2003 in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island and the finals will be held in Juniper Valley Park on Sunday September 14, 2003 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Entering is free and you can register on-site Saturday morning between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. Bring your friends, and you will certainly have a ball. For more information, log onto the website at www.nyc.gov/parks or call 3-1-1.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

The man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.

Samuel Butler
(1835-1902) ]]> 2009-11-21T18:12:22-05:00 dailyplant18090 http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/daily_plants/daily_plant_main.php?id=18090

The U.S. Open may have been rained out a couple of days last week, but the soggy weather did not cast a cloud on Parks & Recreations latest groundbreaking in the Bronx. On Wednesday, September 3, with umbrellas held high, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe joined City Council Member Maria Baez to break ground for a new basketball court in Walton Park.

At the event, Commissioner Benepe, thanked City Council Member Baez for supporting the parks in her district. The Council Member has recently allocated funds to help renovate nearby Morris Garden. She also lent her support to the Crotona legislation which will bring clean water to all New Yorkers, hundreds of jobs to the Bronx and over $200 million to Bronx parks.

Walton Parks basketball court will have a whole new game thanks to a $110,688 renovation. Basketball lovers will soon be able to practice their jump shot at the brand new basketball courts complete with color seal coating. New trees will be planted and the park's entrance will be reconstructed for all to enjoy. Mayor Bloomberg allocated the funds for the project, along with a grant from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

This .34 acre park is named in honor of Mary Walton (ca.1726-1794). In 1749, Mary Walton married Lewis Morris III (1726-1798), the only New Yorker to sign the Declaration of Independence. The couple had 10 children and lived in the southwest Bronx neighborhood of Morrisania. According to historians, Lewis Morris found Morrisania so beautiful that he sent a letter to the Continental Congress recommending it be made the capital of the United States.

Assembly Member Luis Diaz and District Manager of Community Board 5, Xavier Rodriguez, along with Deputy Inspector Thomas Gollati and Police Officer Daniel Guadalupe from NYPD's 46th Precinct showed their support. Representatives from Fordham Bedford Housing and Ferreira Brothers Contractor also braved the rain to celebrate the groundbreaking of Walton Park.

Walton Park is expected to sport its new look in a few months, weather permitting.

From an early scene in Henry James "Washington Square," in which Morris Townsend, the pushy suitor of our heroine, Catherine Sloper, has just proposed a secret meeting in Washington Square Park:

"You must come to the house," she said. "I am not afraid of that."

"I would rather it were in the Square," the young man urged. "You know how empty it is, often. No one will see us."

"I don't care who sees us. But leave me now."

He left her resignedly; he had got what he wanted. Fortunately, he was ignorant that half an hour later, going home with her father, and feeling him near, the poor girl, in spite of her sudden declaration of courage, began to tremble again. Her father said nothing; but she had an idea his eyes were fixed upon her in the darkness. Mrs. Penniman also was silent; Morris Townsend had told her that her niece preferred, unromantically, an interview in a chintz-covered parlor to a sentimental tryst beside a fountain sheeted with dead leaves, and she was lost in wonderment at the oddity--almost the perversity--of the choice.

"It is always darketh just before the day dawneth."

(1608-1661)

The following individuals were awarded Employee of the Month for April.

Han S. Lee is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month. Han is a Construction Project Manager in Queens and has been with Parks since February 17, 1997. A graduate of Cooper Union Engineering School, Han monitors a wide variety of Parks & Recreation contracts and helps ensure that contractors follow specifications accurately. His contracts have run the gamut, including skate parks, comfort stations, soccer fields, and playgrounds. He is currently spearheading the Ederle Comfort Station and Pavilion, and the Flushing Meadow Soccer fields. Highly motivated and skilled, Han is serious about his work and detailed in his approach. He is in every way a team player. Han was nominated by Queens Team Leader Angelyn Chandler.

Catherine Urquiola is Managements Employee of the Month. Catherine is a Job Assistance Center (JAC) job developer in the Queens office and has been with Parks since September 17, 2001. Without any prior job development experience, Catherine has grown to become JACs "Star Job Developer." Catherine performs a variety of duties including running workshops, preparing resumes, organizing recruitment days with major New York City employers, and assisting participants with housing and childcare issues. Catherine has helped place over 100 participants in full-time jobs, more than any other JAC developer. For her immense success in a challenging and critical position, Catherine was nominated by Director of JAC Nora Ferguson.

Troy E. Porter is an Operations Employee of the Month. Troy is an APSW at the West 79^th Street Boat Basin and has been with Parks & Recreation since May 22, 1985. As the Marina Crew Chief, Troy supervises a crew of four who are responsible for the repair and maintenance of the floating docks and infrastructure at the marina. Using his nautical experience, Troy helped develop new designs for the construction of floating docks which can withstand the difficult Hudson River conditions. This spring, he also helped set up our first ever dedicated kayak launch at the Boat Basin, helping to enhance our recreational boating program. Strong, skilled and friendly, Troy has played a key role in turning around conditions at 79^th Street, and his efforts will be even more important as we begin our new season. Troy was nominated by Chief of Operations Keith Kerman and Dockmaster Greg Smith.

Angel Casablanca is an Operations Employee of the Month. Angel is an Associate Park Service Worker and Crew Chief at Washington Square Park in District 2 of Manhattan, and has been with Parks & Recreation since December 12, 1988. Angel started as a City Parks Worker in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, before being promoted. In Manhattan, Angel has excelled as a Crew Chief, packer operator, and summer Supervisor Parks Management Operations for pools at Dry Dock, Hamilton Fish, and Sheltering Arms. Angel closely monitors, trains and supports his full time and workfare staff. Recently, when a senior CPW was badly injured in Boston, Angel visited her at a Boston hospital and assisted her family during this difficult time. His attentiveness has paid off for Parks. District 2 has achieved near 99% ratings both in cleanliness and overall. For his many contributions to Manhattan, Angel was nominated by Parks & Recreation Manager Christian Paro.

Diane E. Hendrickson is Public Programs Employee of the Month. Diane is a Recreation Specialist at Morningside Recreation Center and has been with Parks & Recreation since November 17, 1986. Diane organizes a number of fun, exciting, and educational programs for youths. For the past three years, Morningside has had the second highest attendance for the Summer Fun program citywide. Thanks to Dianes initiative, the children of Morningside participated in the 2002 International Toy Parade, which circled Madison Square Park and ended at the International Toy Center. Diane also involves the children in the Alley Pond Outdoor Adventure Program in Queens, which includes canoeing, animal identification, and overnight campouts. Diane creates safe and positive environments for Manhattan kids, and is a stalwart of Parks Recreation. She was nominated by Chief of Manhattan Recreation Chris Clouden.

"It is not the strength but the duration of great sentiments that makes great men."

(1844-1900)

Some parks have been built on land that has always been used for fun and leisure. Bellaire Playground was once known as "Interstate Park" and was the home of a shooting gallery and casino. Owned by the National Pigeon Shooters Association, the park proudly hosted the largest annual trapshooting competition until 1902, when live target practice fell out of favor. Oriental Boulevard Malls run through an area known for its entertainment. At the turn of the 20th century, this section of Brooklyn was a remote vacation spot with three nearby racetracks. Oriental Boulevard Malls were named after the Oriental Hotel that once stood at the eastern portion of Coney Island. There were also once racetracks in Rochdale Park and Loreto Playground. The Luna Park Houses stand on the site of an amusement park of the same name, and there was a bowling alley and catering hall in Joe Holzka Community Garden. Not surprisingly, many public parks were once private parks. Fort Hamilton Athletic Field was the site of the Crescent Athletic Club and Walker Park was once the Staten Island Cricket and Tennis Club.

Other parks were once used for more practical purposes. Liotti-Ikefugi Playground was a reservoir, as was Strong Street Playground and Central Parks Great Lawn. Driscoll Tucker Place was built on top of a sewer pipe, and Underhill Playground, in Kissena Corridor Park, was built over a storm sewer. A police station once stood on the land the site that is now known as Ramon Aponte Playground. (Legend has it that Mae West was brought to that police station when arrested for her 1926 play, Sex.) Skyline Park was built where P.S. 17 used to stand, and the Dreier-Offerman Home for unwed mothers and their children once stood on a portion of Calvert Vaux Park. Frontera Park was home to the Maspeth Bus Garage, and Playground 96 famously contained a massive car barn, which held the cars of the Second Avenue Railway.

Because we live in New York, one of the oldest cities in the country, almost all of our parks have a colorful past. So, the next time you sit on a park bench, or take a walk through a city-owned garden, consult the historical sign or find it online and consider all the things that might have happened on that very same spot over the past three hundred years-- a man might have lost his life savings gambling on a horse; a bumper crop of corn might have saved a farmer from bankruptcy; a woman might have given up her baby for adoption; or a child might have learned how to do long division. If youre curious about the years before New York was a city, or even a sparkle in the eyes of European settlers, youll have to wait for the second installment of "Previous Lives" of parks, when we consult the natural history of parks: the very firstand wildestlives.

"There is history in all mens lives."

(1564-1616)

"The Staten Island waterfront is a key natural resource that must be preserved for future generations to enjoy," said New York Governor George E. Pataki. "Working side-by-side with environmental groups, we are identifying and working to preserve key tracts of land that will either improve access to the waterfront or preserve ecologically sensitive areas."

"Improving public access to the waterfront and creating new parks and natural areas is a priority of Mayor Bloomberg," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Parks & Recreation looks forward to working with the Port Authority, the Trust for Public Land, Borough President Molinaro and Council Member McMahon to provide new parks for the people of Staten Island's North Shore and wildlife refuges for our animal inhabitants."

"The growth of Staten Islands North Shore has been phenomenal during the past decade," said Port Authority Vice Chairman Charles Gargano. "It serves as home to a new minor league ballpark, a major marine terminal, numerous cultural organizations and steady residential growth. We must ensure that we balance this rapid rate of development with the need to preserve critical parcels of land along the waterfront to greatly enhance the quality of life for residents who live and work there."

This property is one of several such properties that will be acquired under a $60 million Port Authority program. The properties under consideration are required to provide public waterfront access, preserve important natural resource areas, and serve as buffer zones around existing Port Authority facilities.

Danny Mercado was recently named the new Parks & Recreation Manager for Manhattans Districts 1 and 2, which is comprised of over 50 parks and playgrounds, including Washington Square Park, Battery Park and City Hall Park.

"Danny is a great example of someone who embraces new challenges for an opportunity to move forward," said Commissioner Benepe. "His background in park management has prepared him well to oversee two of the Citys most historic and varied districts."

"Dan comes to his new positions with a lot of experience in a very busy district in northern Manhattan," said Manhattan Borough Commissioner William Castro. "He is a manager who very much enjoys working with the community and helping volunteer groups achieve their goals in local parks."

Mercado joined Parks & Recreation in 1985 and until a few weeks ago, he was the Park & Recreation Manager for Manhattans District 12 and prior to that he was the Park Supervisor of Highbridge Park in upper Manhattan for three years. From 1993 to 1996 he was the Employment Unit Chief for Parks & Recreation Personnel and his first job with Parks & Recreation was as a Payroll Supervisor. Mercado is a resident of the Bronx and attended New York Institute of Technology.

"As always, victory finds a hundred fathers but defeat is an orphan."

(1903-1944)

Rodney is an Associate Urban Park Ranger and has been with Parks since September 13, 1993. He started with Central Communications and stood out for his ability to handle complaints and emergency situations. Currently a Sergeant in Manhattan, Rodney spends most of his time in the highly visible Riverside Park, addressing issues such as homelessness and dogs off leash, while overseeing the security contract for Riverside South. On multiple occasions he and his officers have pulled patrons to safety from the Hudson River. Sgt. Collazzo has developed excellent working relationships with NYPD and M&O, and has assisted with security issues at 5-Boro. An enthusiastic and dedicated Parkie, Rodney was nominated by Inspector Richard Gentles and Chief Alex Brash.

Ines began with Parks on August 4, 1999 and was promoted last year to Supervisor of the Contracts Unit at Purchasing and Accounting. Ines oversees bids, registration, and invoice payments, and helps monitor 100 formal contracts totaling over $16 million per year in areas as diverse as forestry, trades, stadia, and automotive. She has taken on a critical role in implementing our new $1 million USDA funded contract for chipping host material for the Asian Long Horn Beetle. Ines has a BA in International Affairs from Hunter College and is working on her Masters degree in Public Affairs at Baruch College. She was nominated by Chief of Management Services Parmod Tripathi.

Amy is a WEP Crew Chief and has been with Parks since June 27, 1995. She began with the Work Experience Program (WEP) and was hired as a CPW for District 15, East River Esplanade. Amy proved to be so reliable and hard working that she was promoted to Crew Chief for the busy Tompkins Square Park. Amy and her crew keep the park and playgrounds clean and secure each day. The acceptable cleanliness rating for District 3 is 91.2% in the last year. For the past two summers Amy has also served as Pool Supervisor for Dry Dock Pool. Amy is kind and courteous to Parks patrons as well as her fellow Parkies. For her positive attitude and good work, Amy was nominated by PRM Elaine Crowley.

Venice is a CPW in District 8 and has been with Parks since March 17, 1975. Working with the mobile and trim crews, Venice helps keep numerous playgrounds and parks clean and beautiful. Her trim crew was responsible for all of the trimming in the district last summer. Venice also operates a snowplow, has acted as a WEP Crew Chief, and was stepped up to seasonal APSW to drive heavy equipment such as packers, leaf vacuums, and rack trucks. District 8 has received a 92% acceptable cleanliness rating in the last year. In addition, Venice assists with all special events at Cunningham Park, and works with volunteer groups. Responsible and independent, Venice was nominated by SPMO James P. Rooney.

Patrick is a Letterer and has been with Parks since August 20, 1984. A talented sign maker, Patrick prepares most of the silkscreen signs and banners posted throughout Staten Island. He has designed a large number of signs, and has worked with all parts of the borough on special projects and events. Patrick takes pride in his work, ensuring that signs are sharp, correct and aesthetically pleasing. For his skill and service to Staten Island, Patrick was nominated by Deputy Chief of Operations Christine Rumpf.

Heres a second look at Washington Square Park from Mary McCarthys The Group, published in 1954.

"She left a message: Miss Renfrew is waiting in Washington Square, on a bench. Going back to the square, she was sorry she had left the message, because, after that, she did not dare annoy the landlady by calling back again. It now seemed strange to her that Dick had not rung her up at the Vassar Club, just to say hello, in the two and a half days that had passed since she left him. She considered calling there, to ask if there were any messages for herthe park was getting dark, and the benches were filling up with pairs of lovers. It was after nine oclock when she resolved to leave because men had started to accost her and a policeman had stared at her curiously."

"The human species, according to the best theory I can form of it,

is composed of two distinct races, the men who borrow and the men who lend."

(February 10, 1775-1834)

Number of synthetic turf fields built in 2001 and 2002, combined: 6

Number of fields funded for future synthetic turf development: 16

Number of employees in Parks & Recreations temporary workforce who have been placed in full-time jobs for 2003: 477

Percentage of these employees whose jobs are in the private sector: 80

Number of water fountains and spray showers that were renovated in 2002: 160

Percentage of comfort stations open in fiscal year 2002: 58

Percentage of comfort stations open in fiscal year 2003 (so far): 76

Number of comfort stations that were either landscaped or renovated: 31

Number of comfort stations currently being landscaped or renovated: 35

Number of lifeguards recruited by Parks & Recreation in 2001: 901

Number of international lifeguards recruited by Parks & Recreation in 2001: 0

Number of lifeguards recruited by Parks & Recreation in 2002: 984

Number of international lifeguards recruited in 2002: 37

Age range of children who participated in Parks & Recreations "Tweens Program": 11-15

Number of children who participated in Parks & Recreation new "Tweens Program": 350

Number of Parkies who participated in horticultural training courses in 2002: 171

Number of daffodils planted for The Daffodil Project 2002: 500,000

Total number of daffodils planted in the past two years: 2 million

Total dollar amount of corporate donations given to Parks & Recreation in 2002: $2 million

Number of inspections performed in 2001: 4,200

Number of inspections performed in 2002: about 5,000

Percentage of Parks & Recreation out-of-service vehicle rate for 2002: 4.7

Rank of Parks & Recreation out-of-service vehicle rate compared with other City agencies: 1

Number of bald eagles released in Inwood Hill Park in the summer of 2002: 4

Number of ways in which one can now acquire a Parks & Recreation permit: 3

Today, a glimpse of Washington Square Park in the summer. This is from Mary Cantwells memoir, Manhattan, When I Was Young. It was published in 1995.

"That day and many days thereafter I took my daughter to Washington Square, to the Southeast corner, where a big sycamore that I came to call the baby tree spread its branches over a large, grubby sandpit. A certain kind of Village mother spent hours there, offering chunks of raw potato to her teething child."

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."

(1694-1778)

The design, by Parks own Tom Cleveland, will maintain an open assembly and play area for school children and create a new play area, connecting the two spaces with a wooded play area through which children can run.

Two main elements, inspired by the Brooklyn Childrens Museum, are a thumb piano and a spiraling spray shower. The thumb piano originated in Africa and was a hand-held musical instrument made from a wooden box or hollow gourd. The sound was created by pieces of hammered metal, like nails, that when plucked, would vibrate, creating a sound in a similar way to that of a guitar. The new design enlarges the thumb piano from a hand- held item to a stationary musical instrument which two children can simultaneously play.

The first step in creating the thumb piano was to make a small scale wax model which was used in generating computer drawings. Then a full size plaster model was made. This model will be used as the pattern in the casting process. The method of casting is called the "French sand casting method." The sand, which was originally found in France, is used to make the molds in which the hot molten bronze is poured. The sand is recyclable and no rubber or plaster molds need to be made. The cost of casting is much less expensive than the typical lost wax-bronze casting method. This particular type of casting has been used for centuries and many of the European church bells were cast in this method.

A new spray shower area serving the entire park is in the design and will have a spiraling water spray feature at its center. This form for the spiral was inspired by many of the shells found in the Brooklyn Childrens Museum. For the shower, first a plaster small-scale model was made; then 3-D computer drawings were made which were used to make a full size styrofoam and plaster model. This plaster model will be used as the pattern in the French sand casting method as described above. When installed the water will spray up into the air and a stream of water will flow around the spiral.

Brower Park is 7 acres and was named after Parks Commissioner George V. Brower in 1923. Although he was born in Paterson, New Jersey, Brower was a member of an old Brooklyn family. He served as an apprentice to a Pennsylvania judge and moved to Brooklyn in 1867 to practice law. Brower was General Appraiser of the Port of New York from 1880 to 1884, and he was a Parks Commissioner from 1889 to 1894 and from 1898 to 1901. He was instrumental in acquiring Red Hook, Fort Hamilton, and Sunset Parks in Brooklyn and "Brooklyn Forest," now Forest Park in Queens. Brower died in his home, at 1084 Park Place directly south of the Brower Park, in 1921.

(Tuesday, November 22, 1989)

Parks officials and members of the Parks Council went to Washington Square Park yesterday to see the Hangmans Elm, the most notorious plant in New York since the man-eating Audrey II in "Little Shop of Horros."

The 70foot-tall English elm (Ulmus procera) at the corner of Waverly Place and MacDougal Street, acquired its reputation during the American Revolutionary War. According to legend, traitors were hung from its branches. Estimated to be 300 years old, the tree has a diameter of 61 inches.

"There is a continual exchange of ideas between all minds of a generation. Journalists, popular novelists, illustrators, and cartoonists adapt the truths discovered by the powerful intellects for the multitude.

It is like a spiritual flood, like a gush that pours into multiple cascades until it forms the great moving sheet of water that stands for the mentality of a period."

(November 12, 18491917)

PARKS HELPS FIGHT BREAST CANCER
Diep Dang

Breast Cancer isn't just a women's issue. It could affect any one of us - or our mothers, sisters, or friends. American Cancer Society researchers are studying vaccines, genes, and the environment in search for answers. Our team from Parks & Recreation will join the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Sunday, October 20, 2002 in Central Park. Join our team as a walker or contributor, and help support the lifesaving work of the American Cancer Society. Call or e-mail Rajinder Garcha at (212) 830-7852 for details.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Tuesday, October 10, 1989)
EVERYTHING'S COMING UP TREES

The streets if New York City are about to receive the biggest infusion of greenery in the last four decades. Parks contractors will plant close to 12,500 street trees in Fiscal Year 1990 as a cost of $6 million, the largest year-long planting since the 1930s.

From October 15 to December 15, 1989, the Street Tree division plans to plant 4,000 new trees. Another 8,000 to 9,000 will be planted during the spring planting season between March 15 and May 15, 1990.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
''Somewhere 'out there,' beyond the walls of the courthouse,
run currents and tides of public opinion which lap at the courtroom door.''
William Rehquist
(b. October 24, 1924)

The Urban Park Rangers are about half way through a project that will turn 75 square feet of Inwood Hills Salt Marsh into a fishing pen. This pen will afford the eagles a safe place to learn the skills of hunting, while at the same time, provide the curious NYC public a place to go and view their new neighbors up close.

But this is not just any fish pen. The eagles of Inwood Hill Park will be the first to try out the brain child of the Urban Park Rangers. This pen is made initially of a 75 by 75 squid net. The net, whose holes expand from 2 to 6 inches, will be weighted down on four sides by anchors submerged in the silt of the salt marsh. Along the edges of the net, floaters will be attached to create the sensation that the net free floats in the marsh. With the water pulling down on the net, its center will fall conveniently into a small channel that runs through the salt marsh, providing water for the fish in the pen even when the marsh is at low water levels.

At this point of the project, visitors to Inwood Hill Park are probably staring at the salt marsh in confusion as only stage one has been finished. Within the last week, the Urban Park Rangers erected the perch that the eagles will use to rest upon before, between, and after hunts. The perch stands, 4 x 4 x 16 in a T formation and is hammered 8 feet deep into the silt of the marsh. In a natural setting the eagles would use overhanging tree limbs and rocks that sit on the waters edge for this purpose. Since those resources do not exist at the salt marsh, the rangers have done their best to provide the eagles with something applicable.

Once finished the pen needs to be filled with friendly little fish. All the fish in the pen will be at least 9 inches in length, and a majority of them will be caught by Urban Park Rangers in the water bodies of Inwood Hill. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will also be providing fish for the eagles pen from their on going fish surveys. The eagles diet will change significantly once they begin to use the pen. Up to this point, the eagles have been fed mostly salmon from the fine people at the Fairway Market, but the pen will be filled with a variety of Hudson River fish including mackerel, bass, and bluefish, sure to make beaks happy. New York States Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Earth Conservation Corp helped make this eagle reintroduction possible.

Visit the Bald Eagle page and watch the eagles on Parks' live web cam!

Written by Jeffrey Sandgrund

PLANT PROFILE
Spencer T Tucker

Spencer T Tucker began working at Parks on January 22, 2001 and in that time he has become as recognizable to many of us as the Parks leaf itself. You know who he isthat curly haired guy with the camera stuck to his eye. From ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings to award ceremonies and tournaments, Spencer T Tucker has amassed a collection of over 50,000 parks-related pictures, including the above profile silhouette which he created for himself.

Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, Spencer often visited New York City with his family. On one such trip when he was just 11 years old, Spencer was in Washington Square Park and saw it filled with college students. It was then that he decided he would go to NYU. And in 1999 he graduated from NYU with a Double Major in Photography and Anthropology.

This fall, a selection of Spencer's work will appear in an Arsenal Gallery show entitled "The Green I See: Portraits in New York City Parks". Running from October 30, 2002 to December 5, 2002, this show will feature Parks employees and patrons with the parks of New York City as the backdrop.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Big shots are only little shots who keep shooting."

Christopher Morley ]]> 2009-11-21T18:12:22-05:00 dailyplant14647 http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/daily_plants/daily_plant_main.php?id=14647 Throughout the city, Parks owns waterfront properties ranging from piers and docks to marshes and beaches. Many of you might not know that Parks also owns seawalls one in particular is located at 40^th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens. On Friday, July 19, Commissioner Adrian Benepe joined Congressman Joseph Crowley, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator George Onorato, State Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, and Council Member Eric Gioia in Queensbridge Park to announce plans for a survey of this East River seawall.

Soon after taking office, Mayor Bloomberg began expressing his support for the creation of a "ring around Manhattan" a system of parks reclaiming the islands waterfront for public use. Before long, Governor Pataki advocated projects like the Brooklyn Bridge Park. With Congressman Joseph Crowley and Senator Charles Schumer securing federal funds for our greenway initiatives, the project is rapidly gaining momentum.

With members of Community Boards 1 and 2 and the Friends of Queensbridge Park looking on, Commissioner Benepe remarked, "Although we tend to focus our capital in playgrounds and greenspaces, a project like this is equally important. Repairing this seawall is actually a part of our ultimate goal of developing 350 miles of greenways, with those along the waterfront having the added benefit of providing public access to our rivers and oceans."

Parks proposes to extend the greenway in Queens along Vernon Boulevard. However at Queensbridge Park, the greenway will be able to take a more attractive off-street route one that would offer a stunning view of the East River waterfront once the promenade is repaired. In the meantime, Parks is working with the Department of City Planning to explore route alternatives.

Congressman Crowley worked to find funding to repair the Queensbridge Seawall. Parks engineers initially estimated that an extensive survey involving underwater, subsurface and structural investigation of the seawall and promenade including parks and other utilities would cost $300,000. Fortunately, the Army Corps study will be done for $100,000 just a third of the original estimate. The restoration would likely take a year to complete and it would carry an estimated price tag of $6.97 million.

"With the support of local officials, specifically Council Member Eric Gioia and Congressman Crowley, behind this vital improvement to the Queens waterfront, we are taking an important first step," said Commissioner Benepe. "It will take a continued commitment from city, state, and federal government to move this massive project forward in the future."

Domestic terrorism is probably the most important topic and troublesome worry of the American people today. Law enforcement agencies at all levels of government and also business are reorganizing operations, ordering new proactive equipment, maintaining a heightened alert and providing terrorism training to personnel. Parks Urban Park Service division is keeping pace with other law enforcement entities. According to Inspector Richard P. Gentles, "one important way in which we are doing this is to provide terrorism training to all UPS personnel."

PEP Officer Walter Luciano has trained over two hundred members of UPS. Some of the topics covered are defining terrorism and recognizing the chief characteristics of terrorist activities, defining appropriate responder activities, identifying characteristics of the common types of harm, and the steps to take in responding to an emergency. Officer Luciano currently works in Washington Square Park and has an extensive military background. He is an active member of the New York National Guard serving as a Battalion Commander and Training and Operations Officer. He was also well decorated for his efforts in the United States Army. Officer Luciano is also a member of the newly established Urban Park Service Search & Rescue team.

If interested in taking the three hour training, please E-mail Inspector Gentles or call him at (212) 360-2778. Training will be arranged in each borough for those interested as long as there is a large enough group.

(Wednesday, August 2, 1989)

In one of his first actions as President, George Washington signed the Lighthouse Act on August 7, 1989, bringing the nations lighthouses under federal jurisdiction.

On Saturday, August 5, Parks will celebrate the anniversary with a public ceremony at the Little Red Lighthouse at West 175^th Street in Manhattan, underneath the George Washington Bridge, in Fort Washington Park.

"Women must try to do things as men have tried.
When they fail their failure must be but a challenge to others."

Amelia Earhart
(July 24, 18971937)

Presently Parklands has seven projects in the final stages of acquisition. Barring unforeseen circumstances, these new additions will officially become part of the Parks system within the year. Previously mapped as undeveloped land through ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure), all of the projects in the final stages of acquisition will bring new life to old areas. Three of these projects exemplify the good that Parklands does for neighborhoods and Parks

Staten Islands West Poillion Woods is soon to become an addition to Blue Heron Park, creating a critical land bridge between the two large designated wetland areas. The purchase of this 1.5 acre area was made possible by former Council Member Steve Fiala. Working closely with the DEPs Staten Island Bluebelt Program, Parks see this land bridge as an essential link in creating a natural-land drainage system on the southern half of the island.

The Historic House Trust will also be gaining from Parklands new acquisitions. The Hendrick I. Lott House, located on East 36^th Street between Fillmore Avenue and Avenue S in Brooklyn, will become a new realm for educational programs, tours and special events. The Lott House and its surrounding areas, previously designated as a Nationally Registered Landmark, will no doubt flourish under the auspices of the Parks Department and The Historic House Trust.

Playgrounds can be the life blood of a community. Beyond keeping kids off the streets and out of potentially dangerous play areas like construction sites, playgrounds offer a place for residents to relax on a hot summer day. In the South Bronx, the Nelson Avenue Playground has been a cornerstone of this heavily populated community since its creation. The addition will expand the playground from 0.978 acres to 1.24 acres with the annexation of 9 adjacent lots. After completing the purchase of these lots, Parks will refurbish these lots and incorporate them into the existing play area.

Four more additions are expected in the coming year. The Brougham-Mallien Cottage in Staten Island will become part of Blue Heron Park. There will be additions made to Robert Venable Park in Brooklyn and Yellowstone Park in Queens, as well as the purchase of private property in Udalls Ravine for natural area preservation.

Last fall, more than 10,000 volunteers planted over 1.5 million daffodil bulbs in parks and green spaces to honor those people lost on September 11. Now that spring has arrived those bulbs have bloomed, creating "fields of gold." This Saturday, April 6, is a day of remembrance for the lost, and at noon, in parks and greenspaces across the city, a moment of silence will be observed. Commissioner Benepe will give remarks at Morningside Park at 120^th Street and Morningside Avenue. A few blooming sites are Central Park, Clove Lakes Park, Prospect Park, Crotona Park, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, and Battery Park. A full list of daffodil sites is available on the Parks website (www.nyc.gov/parks).

(Thursday, April 13, 1989)

Parks did not plant cherry trees on Tuesday to mark the 200^th anniversary of George Washingtons inauguration as the first president of the United States. That will happen on Arbor Day, April 28 in Washington Square Park. But it did the next best thing by helping expand the flowerbed at Washington Square Park in Manhattan.

"The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
if things unknown
but longed for still
the caged bird
sings of freedom."

Maya Angelou
(b. April 4, 1928)

This years Speak Up, called "Resources for Parks and Green Spaces," focused on grass roots organizing. In her key note address entitled "Strengthening the Root in Grass Roots," Karen Argenti, Founding Member of the Friends of Jerome Park Reservoir and the Jerome Park Conservancy, used the history of the Friends of Jerome Park Reservoir to outline key steps to grass roots action. Ms. Argenti stressed the importance of building alliance, identifying the issue, and offering solutions to avoid the "not in my backyard" (NIMBY) attitude. Pat Logan, Director of Policy & Planning for the Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, and Keith Fairey, Community Development Manager for Mount Hope Housing Company, Inc. gave a Power Point presentation illustrating why green spaces are essential to the revitalization of a neighborhood and how housing corporations can partner with Parks to achieve their goals. Jen St. John, the Government Liaison for the Prospect Park Alliance, and Dick Dadey, the Director for New Yorker for Parks, summarized their efforts to affect the City Budget.

An important feature of the Speak Up is the concurrent Break-Out sessions. This year, Speak Up attendees chose between three sessions. Mark Caserta, Director of the New York League of Conservation Voters, led "How to Impact the City Budget." The group developed a list of priorities that included continuing the fight for 1% of the city budget and reminding elected officials of the Coalitions platform. Edie Stone, Director of Green Thumb, led "Where to Go when You Need Things Done," which focused on learning about resources available to help organizations work with city agencies. Finally, Charlotte Kaiser, Partnership for Parks Technical Assistant and Grant Coordinator, led the workshop on "Where to Find Additional Resources." Ms. Kaiser presented the group with a list of Dos and Donts when requesting funding and gave a list of places that give grants and in-kind donations.

Many elected officials and Parkies attended the Speak Up, including Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Bronx Borough Commissioner Dottie Lewandowski. Adolpho Carrion, Jr., the Bronx Borough President, who spoke of his plan to develop the land along the Harlem River into a waterfront park. Majority Leader of the City Council, Council Member Joel Rivera of the 15^th Council District, promised to fight in the Council for parks and pledged 80% of his capital budget to rehabilitating and creating new parks in his district.

Anthony Modafferi has been working in Parks since December 9, 1963. Among his many positions, he served as acting Principal Park Supervisor of District #1 which included City Hall Park, Battery Park, and Washington Square Park. A noteworthy accomplishment during that time was the enormous cleanup of lower Manhattan during the Bicentennial of 1976, which included the landing of Queen Elizabeth at Battery Park right after the event. Tony has fond memories of City Hall Park particularly during the Koch administration. He also remembers Marijuana Day in Washington Square Park, held on the first Saturday in May, and the extreme amount of garbage produced on that particular day each year. He was proud of the team effort to restore these parks after these major events. In 1993, Tony assumed his current position as Director of Staten Island Forestry.

Tony is a devoted son, a husband to Jacqueline for 36 years, and a proud father of two children, Karen and Victor. He thanks his supervisors for teaching him two crucial lessons- always get to work before your staff and treat everyone with respect and people will respect you in return. Because of Tonys long career in Parks and his knowledge of Parks, Commissioner Paulo has appointed him Staten Islands Park Historian.

While the Mets and Yankees sweat themselves into shape in the Grapefruit League, Parks Stadia unit is also hard at work preparing Yankee and Shea stadia for the 1989 baseball season.

Private contractors and regular and seasonal stadia crews are now refurbishing the two City-owned stadia. Workers from Bronx and Queens parks and crews from Five-Borough Shops are participating in the preparation, which includes restripping parking lots, various painting projects, repairing seats and the electrical, air conditioning, lighting and plumbing systems.

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die,

life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."

Langston Hughes
(1902-1967)

Renovations to Manhattan parks started with a splash in the spring with $12 million of renovations to Madison Square Park. Public and private funding aided Parks in restoring it to its original design and adding more modern additions. Other similar projects were Harlems Hooper Fountain and Donellan Square, Recreation Center 54, the East River Park Amphitheater and the approval funds to rehabilitate the arch in Washington Square Park.

Manhattan parks have traditionally been a safe place for New York City children to play. Keeping with this spirit, many playgrounds were constructed and renovated and several major ballfields were covered with artificial turf. Generous City Council Members helped to revive Manhattans playgrounds, with major work and renovations done to the Courtney Callender, Happy Warrior and Seward Park Playgrounds. Projects yet to be completed in the coming weeks are at St.Vartans Park, Madison Square Park and McCaffrey Park Playgrounds.

There were also several high profile projects in Manhattan last year, including the Daffodil Project, the East River Park "Challenge America," and the reopening of the Battery Park Promenade. In response to the tragic events of September 11, we planted over one million daffodils around the city. Many New Yorkers and Parks employees volunteered their time to ensure that parks would be awash with yellow and golden daffodils in 2002 and to spread warmth throughout the city. After September 11, Battery Park served as a rest area for hundreds of police officers and firefighters. In early December, Mayor Giuliani and other city officials joined Commissioner Stern in Battery Park to unveil the improvements and to celebrate its re-opening. The East River Parks derelict Amphitheater was restored to its former glory and the soccer field was also equipped with artificial turf to allow for year round play on a formerly notorious mud puddle.

In addition to the innumerable physical renovations and re-constructions, Manhattan recreation centers gave thousands of children safe places to have fun. The "Learn to Play" program offers lessons in soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and softball. A highlight of this years recreation center programs is the basketball camp held in August at the Alfred E. Smith Recreation Center. The camp taught participants about the leadership and mentoring aspects of the sport while exposing them to professional coaches and sports reporters. Manhattans recreation program worked in conjunction with Partnerships for Parks to enlist hundreds of volunteers from the Junior Leagues Playground Improvement Project to help paint, update, and rehabilitate parts of the Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center.

The Manhattan Borough Office and Field Workers worked hard in 2001 to make Manhattan parks more aesthetically pleasing, as well as safer and more practical. This work has led to a smooth entrance into 2002 as we prepare for another successful year in Manhattan parks.

By Francesca Bertolini

(Tuesday, February 28, 1989)

New Yorkers will no longer have to pay hundreds of dollars to join health clubs in order to keep fit. Last Thursday at Highbridge Park in Upper Manhattan, Parks unveiled the first City-owned, free fitness center equipped with the latest in exercise machines.

Commissioner Stern was joined at the ceremony by City Council Member Stanley E. Michels and Fitness Specialist Dr. Jane Katz. The equipment was purchased with Parks receipts from the New York City Marathon.

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

(1901-1966)

With a combination of public and private funds, McKinney leveraged major park innovations and improvements. Under his watch, the Citys first skate park opened in a formerly abandoned section of the park. The use of artificial turf enabled the West Side Soccer League to claim a portion of the park. That league is one of several that make extensive use of the parks fields and have helped define Riverside Park as a recreation hot spot for kids and adults in Manhattan. Most recently, McKinney has overseen the creation of Riverside Park South, the more than 20-acre addition to the park and the near completion of bicycle and pedestrian pathways on the waterfront.

The friends hes made at countless community board meetings, art commission reviews, and on his daily trips through the park will remember McKinney fondly. We wish him the best of luck as he turns his imagination and ability to the 2,700-acre Doris Duke Estate in Princeton, New Jersey where he will serve as director.