Translate
AccessibilityClove Lakes Park
The Daily Plant : Monday, October 15, 2001
A GREENSTREET BLOOMS IN MIDDLE VILLAGE, QUEENS
Photo by Spencer (Flasher) Tucker
In 1994, Parks pioneered a new way of looking at the streetscape. Concrete medians, once eyesores, took on new meaning. The way Michelangelo discerned form in a lump of a marble, Parks’ foresters saw gardens hidden in traffic triangles. In every borough, they mapped and planted greenstreets. Today more than 1,700 miniature gardens bloom. Collaboration enables the Greenstreets program to exist. The Department of Transportation allows Parks to plant on their properties, and park supporters make good on their advocacy by committing to care for greenstreets on a daily basis. This season, the Juniper Park Civic Association adopted a greenstreet at the corner of 58th Avenue and 82nd Street in Queens. They are one of more than 200 community organizations that have adopted greenstreets throughout the city. Parks, in turn, maintains sites weekly.
Designer Brad (Straight) Romaker enlivened the site’s 700 square feet with plants that accent neighborhood gardens. He added day lilies and flowering shrubs as well as a weeping cherry tree, blue hydrangea, sedum, and juniper. The design was celebrated at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 12, 2001 at which Richard (Ricardo) Murphy, Queens Borough Commissioner; Robert Holden, President of the Juniper Valley Park Civic Association & Vice Chair of Community Board 5; and Bram (Dogwood) Gunther, Deputy Director of Central Forestry addressed guests. One featured audience member was neighborhood resident, Carl Berner. Berner, three weeks shy of 100 years old, was a founding member of the Juniper Park Civic Association and a legendary neighbor, who even now, can be found on his friends’, adding shingles and plugging leaks.
One hundred years ago, goat herders brought their animals to the site that is now a greenstreet. Accordingly, the land was assigned the nickname, Nanny Goat Hill. In time, the Goat Hill was paved and became a busy intersection in Middle Village. Greenstreets has restored plantlife to the goat hill. If any animals pass through today, they’ll be pleasantly surprised.
ONE PARKIE’S SUMMER VACATION
Some people sleep in late. They visit the beach. They eat out. For her summer vacation, Anna (Glen Ridge) Carey walked 500 miles from France to Spain along a route paved by 11th century Catholics. She then co-managed a shelter for other travelers along the Camino, or the Way of St. James. The Camino originated as a Catholic pilgrimage to the holy site of Santiago de Compostella in Spain. Carey became interested in the pilgrimage while studying abroad in Spain during college. In the summer of 2000, she walked the first 500 miles of the Way of St. James. This summer, she completed the journey, walking every day for one month from Le Puy, France to Roncesvalles, Spain. Along the paths are hundreds of shelters. This summer, Carey ran an 88-bed shelter with a partner. An avid walker (she circumnavigated Manhattan island last spring), and becoming more so all the time, Carey plans to walk another 500-mile route next summer.
CHANGE YOUR HEALTH BENEFITS BEFORE NOVEMBER 15
For Parkies who wish to make changes to their health benefits plan, now is the time. Until November 15, employees may transfer into any health plan for which they are eligible, or add or drop the Optional Rider coverage, or add or drop dependents in their present plan. For information, consult the 2001 Summary Program Description Booklet or visit www.nyc.gov/html/olr. Please send completed forms to the Benefits Office on the Eighth Floor of Arsenal West. In the Arsenal, Hedi (Headlight) Piel has information and additional booklets. She can be reached at (212) 360-3442.
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Monday, October 17, 1988)
A DOUBLEHEADER OF CEREMONIES
IN TWO STATEN ISLAND PARKS
Good things came in twos on Staten Island last Friday, as community residents enjoyed a day of double Parks doings the ground breaking for the $1.5 million reconstruction of Silver Lake Tennis House at Silver Lake Park, and the dedication of new maintenance equipment at Clove Lakes Park.
Commissioner Henry J. Stern joined Staten Island Borough President Ralph J. Lamberti and Staten Island Parks Commissioner Joseph M. Curran, parkies and members of the local, 75-piece I.S. 61 band, which played tunes from "The Star Spangled Banner" to "The Second Connecticut March" to Whitney Houston’s "How Will I Know."
QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"I wish to preach not the doctrine of ignoble ease,
but the doctrine of the strenuous life."
Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)
Check out your park's Vital Signs
Clean & Safe
Green & Resilient
Empowered & Engaged Users
Share your feedback or learn more about how this park is part of a
Vital Park System
Contacts
Park Administrative Office: (718) 390-8000
%7Cutmcsr%3D(direct)%7Cutmcmd%3D(none)%3B%2B__utmv%3D96584003.-%3B)