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The Daily Plant : Friday, December 14, 2001
EUREKA!
Necessity, that prodigious mother, has birthed a new invention: the bike rack/tree guard hybrid.
Until today, tree huggers and bike riders have contended with opposing interests. Bicycles chained to trees and tree guards stifled growth and sometimes killed young trees. Yet, by their very stability and ubiquity, tree guards seemed to invite bicyclists to park beside them. On the morning of December 12, in the spirit of bi-partisan problem solving, tree huggers and bike riders united around the new hybrid.
Cyclists tested out a full-size stainless steal model and viewed the scale model of the winning entries in an international design competition organized by Trees New York, judged by Department of Transportation Commissioner Iris (Flower Power) Weinshall and Chief of Central Forestry, Fiona (Treetop) Watt, among others.
First place winner, Manuel Saez from the University of Bridgeport School of Industrial Design and second place winner, James Smith from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, were unable to attend. Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern and Hank (Albacore) White, President of the Board of Trees New York; Barbara (Arbora) Eber-Schmidt, Executive Director of Trees New York; and George Campbell, President of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art were present.
Trees New York is one of Parks’ principle partners in educating citizens as we green the environment. Together we offer Teens for Neighborhood Trees courses to youth around the city. We just completed our second year of the program in which hundreds of adolescents learned about the science of trees. The organization also offers Citizen Pruner courses to the men and women who adopt street trees and greenstreets through Parks’ stewardship program.
The bike rack/tree guard is an innovative solution to a persistent problem. It also provides the occasion for Parks to tell New Yorkers about the environmental value of trees and bicycles, partners in promoting healthy cities.
HATS OFF TO YOU, GRADUATES
The more you know, the better you work. This principle was applied on a grand in a new Master Gardener Training Program this year, the brainchild of Liam (Borokete) Kavanagh, Manhattan Chief of Operations. Since April, 16 of Parks’ senior gardeners have taken six courses at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Instructors David (Creole) Bruner, Barbara Kushner Kurland, Ted Maclin, Ralph Padilla, and Dr. Tamson Yeh led courses in Botany, Landscape Design, Pests and Diseases of Ornamental Plants, Pruning, Soil Management, and Turf Management. The participating Parkies scored high marks on their exams and have even requested further training. Congratulations to Balfour (Rico) Albacarys, Mauro (Hibiscus) Bacolo, Marechal (Meadowsweet) Brown, Juan Francisco (Plantain) Bautista, Richard (Swami) Enfante, Scott (Guero) Farrington, Charles Guertin, Richard Hauser, Michael (Eft) Lytle, Patricia (April Fool) Magliocco, Frank (Tidal) McMorrow, Debra Mercado, Edward (Triboro) Richmond, John Rinaldi, Kathleen (Rugosa) Rosa, and John Vei, graduates all. At a graduation ceremony on December 13, Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern, Judy Zuk, President of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and Katy Rosa spoke before the graduates were presented with their diplomas. The speakers were joined by senior representatives from every borough.
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Friday, December 23, 1988)
SOLSTICE SLOSHES IN AT WOLLMAN RINK
December 21, the shortest day of the year, dawned wet and rainy, but not liquid enough to cancel the winter solstice observance at Wollman Rink in soggy Central Park last Wednesday.
QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"I am walking;
It cannot be otherwise."
Santoka (1882-1940)
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