Judge Richard Brown, Queens County District Attorney
Kathy Kane, Assistant District Attorney
Michael Mansfield, Commissioner, NYC Business Integrity Commission
Deputy Commissioner Ron Cohen, NYC Business Integrity Commission
LT Dennis Klein, Precinct 107, Precinct Detective Squad
Melissa Ballard, DOI

On November 14, James was making his rounds in Cunningham Park when he noticed suspicious trucks idling nearby. Thinking that something wasnt right, James wisely wrote down their descriptions and license plate numbers.

The following day, five brand-new, freshly painted 20- yard waste containers were discovered missing from our wood chipping yard. This theft of nearly $40,000 in equipment was particularly brazen in that it required an extensive and time-consuming container truck operation.

Queens reported the theft quickly and James relayed his tip information. Over the next few weeks, a joint investigation involving the Queens District Attorneys Office, the Business Integrity Commission, NYPD Precinct 107, and the Department of Investigation (DOI) was launched. The Business Integrity Commission (BIC) works to eliminate the influence of organized crime in the citys waste hauling industry. BIC investigators followed James tip to a trucking company working at the World Trade Center site. When they conducted surveillance of the site, they found two trucks attached to the missing Parks containers. Interviews with the drivers led them to gain information on the whereabouts of the remaining containers. The investigation ultimately led to the arrest of two men and the retrieval of all stolen Parks property.

James is honored for his keen eye and the work of all agencies involved in this unique and successful coordination effort.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

I never dared to be radical when young
For fear it would make me conservative when old.

Robert Frost
(1874 1963)

Currently in construction are mountain biking trails in Highbridge Park in Manhattan and Cunningham Park in Queens. Once complete, they will join the wide roster of recreational activities offered by Parks & Recreation.

Unlike the other cross-country sports, however, this one suffers from an urban myth. There's a common misconception that bicycles cause erosion damage to the trails. In response, a group of local mountain bicyclists decided to band together and educate themselves on the science of trail erosion and how bicycles could be ridden with minimal impact. Fueled with information provided by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the US Forest Service, a management plan began to take shape.

Established in 1990 as a non-profit organization, Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists (C.L.I.M.B.) is dedicated to the growth and safe enjoyment of mountain bicycling. They educate members on trail use that is environmentally sound and socially responsible. They promote a strong relationship between recreation and conservation. A common passion for trail riding and maintenance brings them together as a collective voice. Additionally, by teaching good sportsmanship, they act as coaches for the sport. Respect for the environment and responsibility towards others are some easily mastered skills.

C.L.I.M.B.s Trail Committee advocates, researches, designs, builds and currently maintains over eighty miles of cross-country bicycle trails across Long Island, and as of 2006, New York City. Trails are designed to be appropriate for recreational bicycle use. A properly designed trail resists erosion and requires minimum maintenance.

Preferring to keep a low profile, C.L.I.M.B.s Trail Stewards supervise volunteer caretakers who quietly clean up trash, prune back trail growth, drain puddles, and repair, re-design and re-plant eroded sections of old trail. C.L.I.M.B. also has a local chapter of the National Mountain Bicycle Patrol to assist, educate and inform all trail users that might need assistance along the trail. They do all this at no cost to Parks or taxpayers. That's passion at work!

Over ten years ago, most trails were not designed at all. They started out as animal trails that hunters followed and eventually became the trails that bicyclists currently use. As a result, they eroded quickly and required more frequent maintenance. Nowadays, through experience gained in the last decade with the help of the International Mountain Bicycling Associations (IMBA) Trail Care Seminars and time proven methods, C.L.I.M.B. has an experienced design team that can tackle improvements to existing trails, as well as develop new ones.

Most mountain bicyclists care about the environment and want to promote a positive image. Properly designed sustainable trails are the foundation for treading lightly on the land. Old non-sustainable trails perpetuate the myth.

Building bike trails in Highbridge Park and Cunningham Park will promote positive recreational use and improve conditions of these areas. It's about time to start spreading the word: Mountain Bicyclists respect the environment and are responsible recreationalists. To join and support C.L.I.M.B.s efforts please visit our website at www.climbonline.org.

Written by Michael Vitti, C.L.I.M.B. President, IMBA NY Rep

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"If you want to experience all of the successes and pleasure in life,

you have to be willing to accept all the pain and failure that comes with it."

Mat Hoffman
(1972 - )

Many students felt that parks could be improved with the addition of a few simple amenities. Lawrence from Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center wrote, "I would change the Thomas Jefferson Center. I would make it a lot bigger, and on the roof I would put jacuzzis, a mini pool, and a basketball court." Vianely, Joseph, and Franchesca from Highbridge Recreation Center thought that parks could be improved by painting murals reflective of particular community values.

Others would call upon local volunteers to improve their parks. "If I were Parks Commissioner, I would talk to the Mayor and get the parks cleaned up," commented Tito of Cromwell Recreation Center. "I would run a campaign to get the community involved...I would work for a New York holiday called Parks Day where there are festivities, food, and games." Kevin, also from Cromwell, would focus his attentions on shoreline restoration. "If I were the Parks Commissioner for the day, I would go to Midland Beach. I would gather volunteers from the community to help us clean up the beaches. We would clean up underneath the boardwalk and the sand to make sure that it will be a safer place for the kids to play."

Fabiola, of Metropolitan Recreation Center, would create a Disney World in New York City. "It would be wonderful, and any kind of people could go. If it was Christmas, I would put a big Santa and he would be fat. If it was New Years, I would put Mickey and Minnie in carriages and Minnie would have a shiny dress."

Emmanuela from Lost Battalion Hall had a more disciplinarian take on the role of the Parks Commissioner. She emphasized that good user behavior is essential to park upkeep. "People who are caught littering should be given a ticket or spend the night in jail," she wrote. "Littering makes everything look so dirty."

While some focused on physical improvements to parks, others thought changes should be made to their own AfterSchool programs. Julius of Lost Battalion Hall would "get an ice cream truck to come by every half an hour," while Nathaniel from Cunningham Recreation Center would have homework time "shortened to one minute." In contrast, Jamaal, from Pelham Fritz, would extend afterschool time and require more computer lessons. He would also "have waiters skating with trays" to deliver snacks. J. Hood Wright participant Harby, cognizant of the restorative power of mirth, would "make people laugh by singing the SpongeBob song from the beginning." Harby would then "tell kids to celebrate their life while they live."

A number of the students displayed a touching concern for the welfare of AfterSchool staff, with whom they spend hundreds of hours a year. Carl from Sorrentino Recreation Center writes, "If I were Parks Commissioner for a day, I would give all the staff members of each recreation center a raise in pay...Most of all, I would make sure that everyone that I hired has a good time with their jobs." Another Sorrentino participant would make sure that the staff were given foot massages when fatigued, while Jasmine of Cromwell Recreation would reward the best-performing employees from each borough: "If I were Commissioner of parks...I would take the five best employees from each borough and take them out to dinner."

Some students focused on special events. "When there are holidays, I will invite Beyoncto sing," writes Kenia from Metropolitan Recreation Center. Tarik from Pelham Fritz would have an eclectic array of "special guests," including P. Diddy, Ashanti, and Bill Gates.

Denzell, of Lost Battalion Hall was particularly concerned with communication between park management and park users. He wrote, "I would have my address on advertisements so you could write to me about any changes you want made. You would have to try your best to not write too many letters to me so my mailbox is not full and I have to take three hours looking through mail. Also, you have to remember that I cannot always do what you ask for, so do not get mad if I cannot change or add what you wanted to be changed or added."

"I long to be in the midst of the children, and have more pleasure in their little follies than in the wisdom of the wise

Thomas Jefferson

From an 1801 letter to his daughter

On Monday, March 25, Parkies, Friends of Cunningham Park and elected officials shivered under a tent in Cunningham Park to celebrate the addition of a John Deere Gator to the Parks fleet. This new turf utility vehicle will join the 3 other Gators already hard at work in Queens. The Gator will be fully equipped with a 500-gallon water tank to water plants and flower beds, making it draught-efficient during this Stage 1 Draught Emergency, as declared by Mayor Bloomberg yesterday. The Gators sleek design and heavy duty tires make it ideal for maintaining Cunningham Parks nature trails and its bright green paint job fits right in with the rest of the Parks fleet

Friends of Cunningham Park secured the J.M. Kaplan grant to fund the Gator. Speaking of the accomplishments of Friends of Cunningham Park, Commissioner Benepe said, "over the years they have not only helped keep the park clean and green, but their innovative programming enriches the lives of everyone in the neighborhood." At the event, Commissioner Benepe and the other officials climbed aboard the vehicle to take it for a test spin.

Cunningham Park has long history of transportation innovation. In 1908, the park was the site of the nations first automobile highway. During prohibition, rumrunners and bootleggers allegedly moved their wares along the road. In 1938, to the delight of walkers, joggers, and bicyclists, the street was closed and has been enjoyed by park patrons ever since.

Joining Commissioner Benepe at the ribbon-cutting was Borough Commissioner Richard Murphy, Council Member Jim Gennaro, Assembly Member Mark Weprin, President of Friends of Cunningham Park Marc Haken, and Community Board 8 member Martha Taylor.

(Wednesday, April 5, 1989)

BRONX PARKS HEADQUARTERS NAMED
FOR BOROUGHS NATIVE AMERICAN PAST

A number of schoolchildren in the Bronx were treated to a variety of Native American sights and sounds yesterday, as more than 200 youngsters from local schools gathered in Bronx Park to pay tribute to the boroughs rich Indian legacy.

The tots, some wearing colorful Native American headdresses made of paper, marveled as Boy Scouts performed Indian dances and an authentic Parks totem pole and teepee were unveiled during a dedication ceremony to name the Bronx parks headquarters "Ranaqua."

"In life, as in a football game, the principle
to follow is: Hit the line hard."

Theodore Roosevelt
(1858-1919)

Sunday exposed some students to parks they'd never seen before. Eileen (Funny Girl) Remor, Partnerships Outreach Coordinator, reports that at Highbridge Park, students were amazed by the expanse of nature available in New York City. They were filled with questions about the park, and eager to return. The prospect of canoeing from the nature center may entice several students back to Inwood Hill Park.

Parkies from districts 9, 12, 11, and 14 and the leaders of several Friends of Parks organizations volunteered with the students. As the groups got to know one another, there was a growing appreciation of how they can be helpful to each other. Four eight-year-old basketball players, curious about the sudden appearance of college students, joined the clean-up, and made a few new friends. Thanks to the Parkies and volunteers who mulched, raked, and cleaned up the parks in time for spring. Their work furthered our ongoing efforts to foster strong relationships between Parkies and park users.

CUNNINGHAM PARK GETS CLEAN

In the cold and the damp of April Fool's Day, 200 Greeks from St. John's University in Queens arrived at Cunningham Park prepared to do battle with dead leaves and trash. Over the course of their two hours, a burst of volunteerism during Greek Week, they raked leaves, removed dead logs, and packed out pounds of garbage. The students worked alongside Jim (Hurricane) Cafaro; Park Manager; Thomas (Tomcat) Panzone, Partnerships Outreach Coordinator, and several Parks supervisors. The Parkies report that the students' help made an important dent in the work they have ahead of them. Equally important, Sunday's clean-up was a chance for the students who enjoy Cunningham Park as their school's own backyard, to take action on behalf of the park's future. They conducted the volunteer version of a 5x5, and learned that Cunningham Park is available to them not only as a place to play and relax, but a place for public service.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Monday, April 18, 1988)

GREAT HORNED OWL IS RESCUED AND REUNITED WITH ITS FAMILY AFTER FALL AT VAN CORTLANDT

A newborn Great Horned owl, rescued earlier this month after it fell from its nest in Van Cortlandt Park's 600-acre forest, has been reunited with its family in its natural habitat.

A Bronx Zoo employee spotted the owl on the ground while walking through the park woods, and placed the young bird in a nearby tree. The next day the rescuer found the owl back on the ground so she took it to the Bronx Zoo hospital for observation. Deemed healthy, the young creature was taken to wildlife rehabilitators in Greenwich, Connecticut to be reared and eventually released back into the wild.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

Each day I live in a glass room
Unless I break it with the thrusting
Of my senses and pass through
The splintered walls to the great landscape."

Mervyn Peake (1911-1968)]]> 2009-11-21T21:41:52-05:00 dailyplant8823 http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/daily_plants/daily_plant_main.php?id=8823 Like people, places celebrate birthdays, and March 12, 2001 was Bowling Green's 268th. The celebration, complete with birthday cake, afforded New Yorkers the chance to honor the rich history of the City's oldest park. Like other venerable seniors, Bowling Green has seen immense changes in its lifetime. It's gone from a tribal meeting place to a cattle market. It was once a private park reserved for the people who lived near it. Today it welcomes all people.

Members of the New York Lawn Bowling Club joined Monday's celebration to demonstrate the pastime for which the park is named. As early as 1626, the New Amsterdam Dutch held Lawn Bowling matches at Bowling Green. The game remained popular into the early 1700s, and was revived a century ago, by the New York Lawn Bowling Club. In 1939, Mayor LaGuardia and Parks Commissioner Moses rededicated Bowling Green at a ceremony that featured traditional lawn bowling.

At Monday's birthday celebration, Margaret (Whitefish Bay) Barclay, Vice President of the New York Lawn Bowling Club offered students from P.S. 1 a shot at the game. Several accepted her challenge and her pointers. In lawn bowling, a large black ball is rolled toward a little white ball. Players aim to come as close to little ball as possible without touching it.

Bowling Green was first designated as a park in 1733, when it was offered for rent at the cost of one peppercorn per year. According to official documents, the people to whom it was leased were responsible for improving the site "for the Beauty & Ornament of the Said Street as well as for the Recreation & delight of the Inhabitants of this City." A statue of King George III was erected there in 1770. On July 9, 1776 just after the Declaration of Independence was read, angry citizens toppled the monument, dragged it up Broadway, and sent it to Connecticut where it was melted down and recast as ammunition.

In this locus of geographic and historical significance, Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern; Adrian (A-Train) Benepe, Manhattan Borough Commissioner; Parkies; and visitors honored the park and with that, the historical moments the park has witnessed. Thanks to Art (Peppercorn) Piccolo, Chairman of the Bowling Green Association for suggesting the birthday party. Happy Birthday, Bowling Green. Here's to another 268 years.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Friday, March 25, 1988)

CUNNINGHAM PARK GUIDE AVAILABLE

"A Guide to the Natural Areas of Cunningham Park," the latest publication of the Natural Resources Group (NRG), is now available to the public.

The 16-page guide, with colorful illustrations by Wayne Trimm includes a brief history of the Queens Park, a map of its trails and a description of the park's natural features.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"As long as the moon shall rise,
As long as the rivers shall flow,
As long as the sun shall shine,
As long as the grass shall grow."

Native American saying for the term of a treaty ]]> 2009-11-21T21:41:52-05:00