Central Park

Cities have a bad reputation for stargazing. People who move from the country to New York City often believe they have to give up the habit. But if you know what you’re looking for, and you put yourself in the right place at the right time, even an amateur can enjoy a bit of star study. Parks’ Urban Park Rangers and the Amateur Astronomers Association showed a crowd on the Sheep Meadow how it’s done on the evening of Saturday, October 20 at their annual Urban Starfest. The Astronomer’s Association taught visitors how to use telescopes and the Rangers staffed education stations, answering participants’ questions. Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern and Lynn Darsh, President of the Amateur Astronomer's Association, began the evening with brief reflections on how astronomy informs our daily lives.

Marc (Raptor) Matsil, Chief of the Natural Resources Group, will give a lecture in the Parks Library tonight, Tuesday, October 23, at 6:00 p.m. titled The History of Natural History. Matsil will discuss the two-step approach to ecological restoration at Parks, guiding and gliding you through NRG's internationally acclaimed forest, wetland, and grassland restoration and acquisition programs. Please RSVP by calling 212-360-8240.

(Tuesday, October 25, 1988)

Every fall, hundreds of species of birds—from raptors to ravens—are sighted over New York City. But never has a statue of a Goddess been viewed hovering over a city park—until yesterday morning, that is.

That’s when Pomona, the 1,500 pound Goddess of Abundance who (used to) reign over the Pulitzer Fountain, was seen dangling mid-air over Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan at Fifth Avenue and 59^th Street, as strains of "Up, Up and Away" wafted through the air.

"So I’m ugly. So what? I never saw anyone hit with his face."

Yogi Berra